Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Darkness.

Darkness and heat surrounded him. He couldn’t move a muscle. It was getting harder to breathe with each passing second. He could dimly hear flames crackling close by, but somehow, he took little comfort from that. Fire, right now, was bad. Something heavy fell to the ground not far from him. Sounded like metal.

His legs gave out, and he collapsed into dirt soaked with ashes. He tried to move his arms, but it was as if he’d forgotten how. He could barely make out his left hand lying limply in front of him. Still attached… for now…

What had happened…? How did he end up like this? Where was he?

…Who was he?

His eyelids felt so heavy, like he was falling asleep. Or… maybe he was waking up. Waking up from a nightmare… Yeah, maybe if he closed his eyes now… everything would be okay when he opened them…

Everyone was smiling.

It was bright, so bright she could barely make out anything that wasn’t right next to her. But that wasn’t important. Father was smiling down at her. Mother stood close by, looking the happiest(? Or was it hopeful?) she had been in one year. She rushed off to the manor’s front gate, her big sister right behind her, and was met with a pat on the head and a gentle hug from behind.

Father was telling her something, offering her a tome. He was placing his trust in her even as he was about to head off with Jade, still taking the time for her. She couldn’t be happier, especially when she could feel her sister’s faith washing over her.

But then as she looked up from the book, he… they turned and walked away. The light seemed to retract with them, and she felt lonely all of a sudden. She wanted them to stay here, with her and Mother, but she didn’t call them back. They were heading off to fight. They needed to fight, for the sake of the Tohsaka family. She couldn’t weigh them down now with her own selfishness.

Besides, they were going to win. Both of them would return soon enough.

So, clutching the book to her seven-year-old chest, she whispered after them. “See you soon, Father.

“…Keep him safe, Jade.”

The garden looked so much happier, she found, as she meandered her way through it. Flowers of nearly every color bloomed in neatly organized patches while the thick, mighty trees stretched out their vibrant branches above Sakura. Even so, the sky in all its blue was still wonderfully visible through the leaves, a sun shining down upon the flora and fauna to warm all its occupants. The culmination of ten years of hard work, persistence, and many beautiful fireworks.

Yes, even a few animals were now wandering the woods in the ten years Sakura and her friend/teacher/Atto had been tending to it. Squirrels chased each other up and across the trees; birds flew high above the girl’s head with happy chirps; she could even make out a pair of deer grazing together on her right. Are any of them real, though? She wondered idly while lifting her right hand to let a butterfly with green wings flutter down and land on her index finger. The gentle creature certainly felt to her touch. What else can appear in my dreams? Did they first appear when I wondered if he was getting lonely? …Is he real?

Sakura sighed to herself as the butterfly flapped away again. Such thoughts kept visiting her sporadically over the years… and they usually intensified the closer she stepped towards one particular place.

She hesitantly looked about; sure enough, the trees had taken on dark, twisted shapes and the grass was ashen grey. Before her lay the path drenched in shadows, the one area of the forest that remained unchanged no matter her and Atto’s efforts. In fact, with how bright and lively everything else had become, this seemed all the darker for it. The animals didn’t dare to wander about in it, and even he couldn’t enter its borders.

Of course, Sakura had yet to try herself. Unlike him, she seemed to have no trouble stepping in and out of the dark area. The opposite, actually; something from the shadows seemed to… beckon to her, and the closer she came to it, the more it called to her. Sakura had once walked six paces into the dark area and only stopped on the seventh upon hearing a bird’s cry.

Even now, as she stood there at the border, she could feel the pull somewhere in her mind… or her soul. And even though she had yet to recover her memories of that year, Sakura couldn’t help but wonder if they were as terrifying this feeling. This darkness scared her, for all its enticing nature. She wanted nothing to do with it one second, and the next, she grew tempted to head in just so she could clear it all away, get this nightmare finally out of her dreams.

Sakura’s fingers curled into fists, her nails slowly digging into her skin. What was it about this area…? Why couldn’t she just find a way to end it once and for all?

“Some things simply cannot be rushed.”

A smile instinctively crossed the girl’s lips at that voice, and her body relaxed again as she turned towards its source.

Unlike Sakura or her dreams, ten years had seemingly done nothing to change Atto. He still wore the pristine white robes that matched his long hair and beard so splendidly. His staff was immaculate and humming with magic as ever in his grip, a stark contrast to the one of a simpler brown in his other hand: her training staff. She accepted it with a quick thank-you, her fingers running along the smooth sides and knots up to the tip shaped like a flower bud.

“If you do not feel ready for this, you should not force yourself.” And those blue eyes still shined with timeless wisdom as they peered down at her. They had changed, though, in having somehow become softer, kinder, and Sakura loved them all the more for that. One look into them, and she felt like all of her anxieties were washed away by a soothing stream. “And you know that even if I cannot venture in, I would stand by you all the same.” Maybe the only thing kinder than the old man’s eyes was the smile framed by that soft white beard.

Sakura stepped into his chest and wrapped her arms around him. “I know, Atto. Thank you.” She felt his own arms against her back, and for a little while longer, the girl and the old man simply enjoyed each other’s company, safe in the forest’s light. …At least until they parted ways again with two familiar phrases.

Inside Miyama Town, three young souls slowly awakened to the dawn of a new Monday morning, one that would herald a series of events, fortunate and unfortunate alike, that would change their fates forever.

Fate/Stay Night: Paradoxical Blade Works

Inside a certain plush bedroom, an annoyingly familiar ringing sawed through the last dredges of blissful sleep. Cloth rustled about before one turquoise eye peaked out to glare at the cause, a red alarm clock perched atop a nightstand. “Oh, shut up, turn off!” A hand reached out to fling the stupid clock across the bedroom where it bounced off the chair’s backrest and landed on the floor.

…But the ringing persisted. “Give me a break…” Covers had been pulled over to try and block out the noise, but to no avail. “Be gentle with me, I was up late last night.” The alarm clock didn’t care about her pleas, as it was fulfilling the duty for which it had been manufactured. And the desire to sleep and pride could only do so much to counter said duty. Thus, the covers were pushed off as Rin Tohsaka clambered out of bed. “Ugh, you’re so cruel!”

With a click, the infernal thing was turned off, but the dark-haired girl continued to scowl at it for another second. She eventually pushed herself sighing off the carpet, placed the clock beside a worn book of Hobbits and flowers, and made for the door, pausing to place her feet into slippers the same creamy color as her nightgown. No point wasting her ire on a stupid machine, time was a precious commodity.

Rin quickly bounded down the stairs of the Tohsaka home and walked into the dining room. “Sakura?” she called out upon registering the quiet. “Mother? Aren’t you awake yet?” Silence was her answer, and then she remembered. “Oh, right. They moved over to our grandparents’ home yesterday evening,” she reminded herself while heading for the kitchen. It was a necessary precaution for what was about to happen. Rin couldn’t risk her family becoming hostages, and no matter what Mother thought, she needed to do this-

She stopped. Tucked in between the oven’s door was a slip of paper, one she discovered carried a simple message: Good morning, Big Sister. Best of luck.

Rin opened up the oven to find a complete breakfast, wrapped up in aluminum foil and made last night from the smell of it. A smile flitted across her face, one that grew as she saw the teabags had been restocked. She quickly prepared the kettle and laid out her food onto a plate, now all the more assured of her decision. Sakura had been through enough, and for her to do something like this… Rin would keep her safe and achieve victory for their family’s sake. For now, though, she settled for enjoying her unexpected breakfast.

Otherwise, she went through her usual morning routine with practiced ease. A few minutes of freshening up, then Rin slipped on her variation of Homurahara Academy’s school uniform for girls: standard brown vest over a white shirt with red neck ribbon, dark skirt over black leggings, then her red overcoat. She pulled her long hair into twin tails held together with red ribbons, the same way they had been all her life, though her fingers had inadvertently begun to braid it before she caught herself. I hate it when they do that… Rin spared an extra two seconds to glare at her mutinous appendages, then checked her image in the mirror. Immaculate as ever; good. “Always elegant,” such was the Tohsaka creed.

She retrieved her bookcase and reached instinctively for where Sakura’s would be, then stopped. Right. Safe at our grandparents’. Rin straightened and made to leave when she remembered something else. “Oh, the pendant…” A quick trip down to Father’s- her workshop, and the young magus found the object of her desire: A vibrant ruby affixed to a long silver chain, nestled atop a black velvet cloth. Only a proper magus could recognize its potency extended far beyond material value.

She picked it up with a fond smile. “It hasn’t officially begun, but just in case…” She slipped the precious item safely into her pocket and returned to her preparation for school. The chain’s links clinking together brought about a flutter of anticipation, but Rin kept her cool. She knew what was coming, and she knew what she had to do.

Morning sunlight trickled in through the shed’s windows, illuminating some of its interior. Cardboard boxes were neatly placed and stacked all over, but there was a distinct method to the madness. It had taken a long time to sort through the accumulated junk inside, and the work was far from done. There were still things yet to be uncovered in here. Still, the shed’s most frequent visitor had yet to give up on it.

Speaking of which, a young teenaged boy was lying on a working mat right in front of the entrance. Partially disassembled machines and assorted tools were strewn around him as he slept in dark blue sleepwear. The shed’s door was slightly ajar, allowing for a crack of light ran in front of him.

The door slowly opened with a slight rattle of its hinges, but they, too, were kept in pristine shape. A little sunlight was touching the boy’s body now, though not enough to reach his face. A small shadow then traveled through the open door and moved up to his side, avoiding the pieces with a sort of carefulness that seemed natural. Not a sound was made as the newcomer halted right in front of his face.

The shadow loomed over his prone body for the longest time, the boy still slumbering blissfully unaware of his company. But that state was bound to change. Something red and glistening with moisture flicked out to prod the boy’s face, drawing a groan from him. He shuffled about on his “bed” in an effort to escape, but the wet sensation persisted. The struggle went on until a hand finally reached sluggishly out and met something fuzzy. One eye peeked open, and Shirou Emiya moaned, “Alright, alright, I’m up,” to his friend.

Even as his brain slowly rebooted from the last dredges of deep sleep, he glanced up to find a pair of dark highlighted eyes narrowed at him disapprovingly for a split second before they softened again. He offered their owner, a small hound with drooping ears and the kanji for “shinobi” on his forehead, an apologetic glance and a pat, but the canine just retracted his tongue and nuzzled him in greeting. “Morning, Shirou.”

Now, most people would’ve been baffled at a dog speaking fluent human, but the auburn-haired boy had grown comfortable with it after five years. “Good morning, Biscuit.” Shirou picked himself off the hard floor and stretched with a slight grunt before rubbing his hand through tan fur. “I know, I know, I shouldn’t sleep in here. Especially not when I have a perfectly good futon in my room.” He then quickly began packing away the tools and projects he’d been working on; his (human) living mates didn’t like him leaving his messes lying around here. If I fall asleep before finishing my work, I’ve really got to focus better…

“Apparently not good enough,” Biscuit huffed back as they walked out the shed and through the backyard. “I swear, one of these mornings, we’re gonna find you buried underneath a junk avalanche in there.”

“Then you’ll just dig me out.” A paw swatted against Shirou’s shin. “What? Everybody knows dogs like to dig.” This time, the reply he got was an unimpressed ruff. A precautionary measure Biscuit and his seven packmates took in case of normal people… well, people unaffiliated with magecraft being nearby. But he’d spent enough time with each of these softies to get a decent idea of their intent without them speaking. Heck, Bull never talked, and his grunts and barks were like perfect Japanese to Shirou and the pack’s official owner/alpha/mommy.

Speaking of which… “Aunt Maiya’s done all the morning chores?” He figured rousing him to get ready was the reason Biscuit had been summoned, and the bark that followed confirmed it. Shirou scratched his head with a guilty huff before reaching the main house’s door. I should’ve taken care of them myself, she’s got enough on her plate… He slid open the door, stepped in and let Biscuit follow before closing it. Damnit…

Before freshening up, he performed his morning 120 pushups and 100 vertical sit-ups in the house’s small dojo. Physical exercise was a vital part of a magus’ training, not to mention it always helped to keep in shape. He couldn’t let up just because he’d left the archery club. Once done, he showered and donned his brown school uniform, coat unbuttoned with a white-blue shirt underneath.

The aroma of freshly cooked fish greeted Shirou the moment he slid open the door to the dining room. The table was already set, a certain feline burying her nose in the paper with her back turned to him and a dog curled up on her right. The TV was broadcasting the morning news. Biscuit trotted in after the boy and made his way to the counter where a bowl of dog food waited, happily tucking in. Shirou spared a smile at him before calling to the one manning the stocked stove, “Good morning, Aunt Maiya, sorry I made you handle all this by yourself.”

“Don’t worry about it, I was up early anyway.” Even while facing the cooking food, her voice came relaxed and sincere, though with an endnote that brokered no argument. Shirou knew better than to insist, so he relented by heading over to the table’s other side.

Pakkun was seated beside his cushion, greeting him with a friendly rumble that intensified when Shirou scratched underneath his chin. “Good morning, Bis Sis Fuji. Morning, boys.” He made himself comfortable beside the pug while the third member of their household walked over with another bowl.

“Morning~” Huh, she sounded a little preoccupied.

Shirou shrugged, still a bit too tired to puzzle out why. “Thank you for the meal.” Then he prepared himself a bowl of rice and yams with some sauce on top and picked up his chopsticks.

Behind her paper, Taiga Fujimura’s lips curled onto a cat-like smile. Two dogs snickered quietly to themselves.

Shirou popped some rice into his mouth… and his morning immediately took a turn for the worse.

His aunt watched bemused as he spat out the food, flopped about on the floor and crashed into the wall behind him while Pakkun hopped safely out of range. Her wish for an explanation was nipped in the bud as Shirou glared at the bowl in his head. “Th-this isn’t soy sauce…! You don’t put any other sauce on top of rice with creamed yams! Least of all oyster sauce!” The offending liquid trickled from his lips like blood.

A cackle revealed the perpetrator behind this grievous crime. Taiga happily cast aside her paper to spring up in a T-pose in her green jacket, yellow shirt with black stripes and dark jeans. “That’s because I switched the labels on the bottles!” She twirled around before flashing them her tongue with a wink.

“Who does something like this first thing in the morning?!” An annoyed Shirou wiped his mouth between his scolding. “Turning twenty-five this year, and you haven’t grown up one bit, Big Sis Fuji.” Then he turned his glare to two chortling hounds rolling about on the floor. “And why didn’t either of you warn me? You were right next to me, Pakkun! And you, Akino, would’ve sniffed out the sauce a mile away!”

“I bribed them with extra treats~” Taiga swung about her rear while bending down to give her co-conspirators a thank-you smooch. But her triumph came to an abrupt end when a spoon bounced off the side of her head, causing her to yelp and tumble to the mats. “But he started it, Big Sis!”

From the front of the table drawled a female deadpan, “Children, behave or I will ground you all.” Shirou allowed himself a brief half-smirk even as he quickly got up to get some appropriate sauce (and something else), the brunette across from him hastily returning to her own meal. They’d both learned long ago that Maiya Hisau never made an empty threat.

Thus, the rest of breakfast proceeded in silence with no further pranks. Even the dogs behaved themselves, though Shirou still gave two of them a stink-eye in-between drowning out the awful taste with tea. Taiga glared playfully back at him with her brown eyes before turning to Maiya. “I was just paying Shirou back for yesterday! He had it coming for calling me ‘Tiger’!”

“So, that’s why you’ve been so quiet…” Shirou grumbled. “You were plotting this.”

Maiya huffed as she set down her bowl and chopsticks and turned to him. “Shirou, you know Taiga hates that nickname. Provoking her only makes her double down on her antics, you ought to know that after spending ten years with her.”

“I’ve got to fight back somehow,” Shirou defended himself before smirking. His surrogate sister’s own smile flickered and then faltered completely at the sight of what else he’d collected from the kitchen. “But we’ll always defer to your fair and unbiased judgement, Aunt Maiya.” With that, he revealed a plate of three chocolate square brownies American-style, still fresh from yesterday’s batch.

Maiya’s dark eyes immediately narrowed at the offering, just as Shirou had predicted. There was a reason he’d developed his baking skills over the years, and seeing the woman who had raised him brighten on account of her sweet tooth always scored literal brownie points.

He set down the plate, and Taiga desperately made a grab for them, but Maiya trapped her in a one-handed arm bar before she or Shirou could blink. Maiya eyed the younger woman flopping about in her grip while taking a victorious bite out of one brownie. After a little chewing, she nodded. “Shirou’s motion stands in light of his testimony.” Bribe would’ve been a more accurate term, Shirou knew, but she had taught him to fight resourcefully, and he wasn’t arguing with the results as his dear aunt released a sulking Taiga.

Maiya had managed to gain one final growth spurt in the ten years they’d been together (“It’s because of Shirou’s cooking!” Taiga often joked), leaving her about one centimeter taller than Shirou at full height, and when she was displeased, she towered over her living mates. Despite keeping herself in shape and her “baby sister’s” best efforts, she insisted on wearing neutral clothing: this morning, Maiya was dressed in a baggy grey sweater and brown pants that hid her honed muscles along with most of her natural beauty. She also refused makeup, jewelry, or anything else that would make her stand out save for one detail. Her dark hair was still in a bob cut, but for about eight years now, the left side barely reached her earlobe while the right came down to her shoulder. Shirou and Taiga had always puzzled about her choice of hairstyle for its asymmetry. But whenever someone asked Maiya about it, she’d just give a tiny enigmatic smile.

Taiga secretly believed it was in memory of a lost love.

For now, though, the energetic teacher was preoccupied with scooping up the bespectacled dog beside her and burying her faux-teary face into his fur. “Akino, your mommy’s so mean to me!”

Back when Maiya had first introduced her pack to Shirou, they agreed that Taiga didn’t need to know about the hounds’ special talents, but keeping their presence in the Emiya household a secret would’ve been impossible with how she practically lived here. So, they made up a story of them being eight strays who lived close by and popped in every now and then to enjoy Maiya’s hospitality. If asked why they didn’t stay in the house full-time, or why Taiga couldn’t take them in, the answer was, “They prefer their autonomy.”

Five years had passed since Shirou had first met these canine “familiars”; it had been only three days after… the funeral. He must’ve been looking particularly glum back then, because Maiya had led her charge into the living room and told him, “I want you to meet some… family of mine.” Then she bit on her thumb hard enough to draw blood, cast five handsigns, and one Poof later, eight hounds were sitting before him.

He may’ve come around to accepting their intelligence and capacity for speech, but there were still times he wondered just what else Pakkun, Akino, Biscuit, Urushi, Shiba, Guruko, Uhei and Bull were capable of.

The cuteness routine Akino was putting on now, wide eyes behind his shades and high-pitched whimpering, that Shirou knew all too well. He wasn’t even the target of Taiga’s grab for power, and he was still tempted to dig out a box of curry-flavored treats; Akino’s favorite. As for Maiya, though, she’d developed a much higher tolerance for her “babies’” antics. Probably because she’d known them for a lot longer… Either way, fake cuteness didn’t work on her, as evidenced by a cocked eyebrow and the warning, “Traitors don’t get dessert for a fortnight,” she gave in-between nibbling the brownies away.

Akino promptly stopped his routine and trotted over to his mommy’s side, only pausing to give Taiga an apology lick. She in turn pouted. “One day, I will have subverted them all and overthrow you…”

“Challenge me as often as you want, I’ll put you in your place every single time.” Despite her smirk, Maiya offered her half of the last brownie, which her “little sister” pretended to refuse for only two seconds. The second half was given to Shirou who saved it for afterwards. Unlike the two ladies, he preferred to keep his snacks separate from his meals. Oh yeah, I’ve got to talk with Sakura about that souffle recipe…

He wasn’t the only one with school-related topics on the brain: Taiga straightened in her seat. “Oh yeah, I got so caught up in that prank there are still a couple tests for me to grade!” She quickly scarfed down the last of her breakfast. “Gotta go quick, thanks for the meal!” She plunked down the last bowl and made to get up when she halted in her tracks. “Oh yeah…” Taiga’s energy faded a little. “Isn’t your trip today, Big Sis?”

Maiya sipped some tea before nodding calmly, all fun gone. “Yes, my ride departs soon. I’ll be heading out a little before you, Shirou.” The boy inclined his head at that as she patted her sister’s hand. “Don’t worry, Taiga, it’s just a little personal business. I ought to be home again in two days, three at the most.”

Taiga pounced onto her with a big hug, one the three doggies slipped into. “I’ll still miss you! Ya need me and Shirou to cover the shop while you’re gone?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Maiya patted her back and accepted the many nuzzles. “I’ve already talked it over with Mr. Watanabe, and Shoji promised he’d handle my shifts. Just take care of yourselves, you hear me?” That last part wasn’t just directed at the younger woman, as all five fixed Shirou with the same stare. He silently raised his hands to concede; he’d have swung by for a quick peak in the shop. Just in case.

As for Taiga, she was back to her usual bubbly self. “Alright, good luck then! Bring me a souvenir back!” She skipped away to grab her coat, helmet and goggles before heading outside. Maiya, Shirou and the hounds watched her start up her yellow scooter with a slight rumble. Good thing I changed the motor oil, Shirou mused upon hearing the engine’s sounds. “See you at school, Shirou!” His grinning big sis called to him. “Don’t be late, and you better not fall asleep again!” She flicked down her goggles and zipped out the front gate, “Don’t forget that souvenir, Big Sis! Love you boys!” Aaaand she was gone in a puff of smoke.

They headed back inside, the doggies barking in goodbye, the humans rolling their eyes. “I know Big Sis Fuji is our landlord’s daughter,” Shirou grumbled as he cleared up the dishes, “but does she really have to eat here every day? She’s only gonna mooch off here more while you’re away, Aunt Maiya.”

“That’s just how she is, Shirou.” Water splashed inside the sink as she accepted his load and began washing the dishes. “And your buying my impartiality aside, what did you think would happen if you uttered her nickname around her?”

“It was an accident!” Maiya shook her head, long since used to the bond siblings’ back-and-forth’s. Biscuit scampered over to deposit his bowl with a grateful bark while she could hear Akino and Pakkun scurrying about in the dining room. “And I hope you liked her bribes because you two won’t be getting any snacks from me for a while!” Both doggies scoffed at his threat; they knew his vow wouldn’t last long.

Meanwhile, the newscaster on TV had just finished wrapping up a story about a minivan with faulty brakes. “In other news, a group of workers in Shinto passed out and were admitted to the hospital last night. A representative of the police informed us that they suspect the cause to have been a gas leak due to the patients being diagnosed with hypoxia. However, they recommend extreme caution in light of a possible link to a similar incident a month ago.”

Shirou frowned at the news. “Another gas leak in Shinto, huh? Pretty crazy.” He absentmindedly stroked the nearby Akino’s head. “Guess we need to watch out, too.”

“Eh,” Pakkun scratched his ear in dismissal, “so they need to get a couple spots in the city up to code. Knowing you, you’ll have triple-checked the gas valve anyway.” Shirou rolled his eyes at the playful jab, thereby missing how all three hounds exchanged a glance with their alpha before Poofing away.

Their disappearance didn’t surprise the boy; according to his teacher, that technique could only summon contracted animals for a given period of time, dependent on the summoner’s od as well as their own. Shirou himself could only call up two dogs, three on a good day, for a couple of minutes before they had to leave again to… wherever they were when not summoned. One more thing on his list with room for improvement.

“Either way, I trust you all to be careful while I’m gone. Don’t do anything rash and be at home on time. You have my number, Shirou, so if anything happens, leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” Maiya cleaned the last of the dishes, then shut off the sink before stepping away. “Be seeing you then.”

Shirou exchanged a nod with her, which she expected. What she didn’t expect was the hug he suddenly pulled her into. Maiya blinked even as her arms moved on autopilot to return the gesture. “…And what’s this for? I’ll be back soon.”

“I know.” The boy she’d cared for ten years now rested his head against her shoulder. “But you look like you need this.”

She smiled at that, squeezing him a little more before releasing him so they could look each other in the eye. “Always worrying about others instead of yourself… We really need to work on that.” A still smiling Maiya patted his cheek in mock admonishment. “All the same, thanks.”

“Anytime, Aunt Maiya.” For a moment far too brief, Shirou smiled back at her, and Maiya had long since learned by now that look on him was something to treasure for as long as possible.

For it was quickly gone again, and the boy had his usual determined frown as he made to get ready for school. His surrogate aunt went for her bag with a little sigh. Shirou hadn’t been one to express joy easily in the decade she’d known him; not that she could blame him after what he’d been through, but ever since Kiritsugu had… passed, Maiya could count on one hand the number of times her ward smiled, genuinely smiled, per month.

And not once, no matter how many times her boys licked or nuzzled him, had she ever heard Shirou make a certain sound. Her (somewhat) defrosted heart lurched just a little more every time this fact came to mind.

Maiya shook herself and made for the door. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on such thoughts, not when “gas leaks” were only the prelude to what was about to happen in this city. She’d seen the signs, known that foreign magi had arrived at one point or another. She had tried to prepare; a quick glare at her bare hands. But despite her most fervent wishes, she sensed that things would go even less smoothly than last time.

Outside, she slipped into an alley and bit into her thumb. One way or another, if Maiya was to protect her family, her home, she needed a weapon. She needed help. But she couldn’t leave without taking precautions.

With a light Poof, two hounds appeared before her. Their happy panting stopped as soon as they saw her expression. The bigger one, a heavyset bulldog with dark fur, released a low whimper at her expression.

Even in the time before her family, Maiya probably would’ve had a hard time maintaining her resolve at the face he made. “I know, but I have to go, Bull.” The woman reached down to rub his head, drawing a little rumble. She then petted the black Mohawk-like tuft atop the smaller dog’s head at his eager ruff. “He said they’d help me, and if we want to keep Shirou safe, I can’t let any opportunity slip by. It’s already started up again, just like they said.” She glared at the bare spot on her hand for a moment. “I want to keep Shirou out of this if I can, but it’s too late to send him away, and he wouldn’t fall for just any excuse. So…”

“Better to prepare for the worst, right?” Shiba finished for her with a huff. He squared his little shoulders. “Then go do have what you have to. We’ll watch over Shirou until you get back.” Bull barked in agreement.

Both were promptly pulled into a tight hug as Maiya nuzzled both of their snouts. Ten years had passed, and they had barely aged a day biologically, as had their six packmates; probably because they were technically familiars. But the former child soldier’s skill with the Summoning Jutsu had evolved to the point where she could have them about for days without loss of strength for summoner or summoned.

“Goodness’ sake, I don’t deserve you furry little angels…” And her love for the pack had only grown, too. Is this how you felt, Kiritsugu? Back when you fathered a child with Irisviel…? Still nothing concrete of him…

“We love you anyways.” That comment, plus their snuggles, made Maiya beam down at them. She gave first Bull a kiss goodbye, then Shiba, and released them so they could bound off into the shadows.

The woman permitted herself one final moment of basking in this fuzzy feeling of family. But all moments have to pass, and as she turned on her heel, the Mage Killer’s protégé rose to the surface.

Once again, it was time for war.

A swing, a lunge, and return to the basic stance. Sakura Tohsaka repeated the drill twice before relaxing with a satisfied sound. She placed the training staff alongside its kin while wiping some sweat from her brow, though with chilly the morning was, the katas were an excellent way to stay warm. Not to mention they helped clear her mind and prepare her for the school day.

Homurahara was one of the few remaining schools that offered a Sojotsu club as well as Kendo and archery. Rumor had it that Makidera-senpai had pressured multiple teachers into keeping the club going when it would seemingly be disbanded; interesting, considering the self-named “Black Panther of Homurahara” divvied her time between it and the track team. Still, Sakura for her part had shocked more than a few of her fellow students by signing up for Sojutsu. Of course, they didn’t need to know why she was so keen on wielding a staff for self-defense.

“Ah, Sakura!” She paused on her way to the lockers at a familiar voice calling her. The dark-haired girl turned to find one of her seniors smiling and waving at her. Ayako Mitsuzuri’s brown hair shifted slightly amidst the breezes, but she seemed otherwise unbothered by it in her archery garb. “Done already for this morning? Smacking around my brother isn’t much of a challenge anymore, huh?” Her teasing grin blunted any edge her words might’ve had, and Sakura already knew how close the Mitsuzuri siblings were.

Thus, she shook her head while smiling back. “Oh no, he’s been keeping himself in shape. I only managed to disarm him three out of five times in our last spar.” “Only” three times, Ayako mouthed, her grin widening as her kohai continued. “But what about you, senpai? Finally stepping down as team captain?”

“I wish,” the sigh Ayako made became visible in the morning chill, “ever since Emiya quit, I’ve been short my prime candidate. It’d be nice to kick back a little, take one responsibility off my plate! Matou’s still badgering me for the position, and he’d be a decent fit skill-wise if he weren’t looking at the whole thing as a vanity project.” She shook her head before fixing a scrutinizing eye on Sakura. “Say…”

“For the umpteenth time, senpai, I’m not switching teams, no matter how nicely you beg.” Sakura giggled.

“Hey, I never beg!” The older girl pretended to deflate, but her eyes gave her away. “Too bad… you’d have made captain in no time… Well, can’t blame a girl for trying,” she conceded, the dark-haired girl not budging despite the flattery. She couldn’t fault Sakura, having spent some time learning how to wield a naginata herself. They both made to go their separate paths when Ayako remembered something. “Oh right, I saw your sister just now.”

Sakura stopped walking and glanced back. “Really? I didn’t see her… Wouldn’t have expected Big Sister this early, either.” Plus, she always gets cranky when someone mentions staff-fighting around her… she added privately. Rin hadn’t outright argued with her choice of club, but she didn’t visit her during sessions.

Ayako snorted. “Apparently, her alarm clock went off an hour early. Guess mistakes can happen for even the school idol.” Sakura’s turquoise eyes blinked. Despite her best efforts to keep up appearances, her Big Sister did indeed make mistakes. But the manor had plenty of clocks, and between the two of them and Mother, they always managed to keep them all in sync. Rin would’ve surely noticed a discrepancy…

Then Ayako’s voice broke through her musings. “Alright, I need to get back to the court.” She flashed Sakura a two-fingered salute. “Thanks for humoring me, see you later.”

“My pleasure, senpai!” Sakura waved back, her smile returning. “Please have the work ready so we can meet up before class.” She turned around again and made for the locker room; now was the time to focus on schoolwork. Don’t know if I should be worrying about a faulty alarm. Rin wouldn’t let that stop her…

The older Toshaka sister was currently having a discussion of her own, though one far less pleasant.

“Well, hello hello, Tohsaka, wasn’t expecting to see you here at this hour.” The last person she wanted to interact with had popped up near the entrance where Rin had wanted to slip quietly in, and the time mix-up hadn’t made her any happier to hear him. “Looks like this is shaping up to be my lucky day.” Even with her back turned to him, she could hear the smug lilt in his voice that always made her want to punch someone when it reached her ears.

Such behavior was regrettably unbecoming of a model student like her, however, so she settled for a quiet sigh and put on her courtesy smile before facing him. “Morning to you, too, Shinji Matou. You’re rather early yourself.”

“I have to be as team captain,” the boy bragged as he sauntered a step closer. Rin couldn’t help but notice his wavy indigo hair glistened slightly, likely freshly gelled. It matched with how there wasn’t a spot or crease in his uniform, and he probably applied lotion to his hands regularly, too. He was of a decent height and had a fit build nicely shaped by the clothes (though there seemed to be a bandage peeking out from beneath his jacket’s collar), plus some girls would certainly find those confident purple eyes of his attractive.

But even if Rin had been one of them, the way they kept roaming up and down on her was a definite turn-off. “You’re just vice, idiot,” she grumbled quietly, not that Matou would’ve heard her. He was too in love with himself for that. And she didn’t owe him any more than this. “Bye.” Thus, Rin made to head inside.

Matou apparently didn’t get the hint. “Hey, hold on a second. Why don’t you come and watch our morning exercises?” His voice was drifting annoyingly closer, and she could hear his footsteps.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Rin scoffed, not even bothering to turn around. “I wouldn’t want to bother all the real archers during practice.”

“Oh, don’t worry, nobody would mind…”

Can’t this moron take a hint? Rin barely managed to turn the snarl in her throat into a cold, “In case you didn’t get it the first time, I’m not interested.” She deliberately dropped the politeness; apparently, it was giving off the wrong impression. “Truth be told, I never cared much for it anyway.”

Shinji cocked an eyebrow at her, a motion he’d practiced and successfully used on more than one girl. “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed.” He inched just a little closer, making Tohsaka step twice as far backwards to his inner amusement. “And all this time I thought you were interested in archery. After all, didn’t you keep popping up during the afternoon sessions?”

Rin bristled as this slimy excuse for a boy was suddenly in her personal space. “There must’ve been something going on that caught your attention,” Matou continued, his hand reaching around her. “Or someone… Right, the Sojotsu club’s time slots often link up with archery club’s. Squeezing out what time they can get…” His smirk widened, wide enough to fit her shoe, she bet. “But that makes it easier to watch both sweet Sakura and me at the same time, right?”

“Stay away from me,” the last of Rin Tohsaka’s neutral expression melted away while she smacked his arm away with a bit more force than necessary judging by how Matou winced, “and stay the hell away from my sister.” She jabbed a finger at him as he stumbled back in surprise. Whether it was from the poke or the glare she shot him, Rin couldn’t have pretended to care. “I don’t even want to hear her name leave your rotten mouth, Matou. In fact, let’s get some things straight while we’re at it: My sister is. Off.” Another poke. “Limits.” Alle gute Dinge sind drei. “I have zero interest in archery, and I have even less interest in you. I honestly never noticed you during the sessions I checked out.” All one hundred percent, rock-solid facts. “I doubt I’ll notice you in the future.” That she planned on making fact.

(Though her reasons for lingering near Sakura’s practice and ducking out towards that team were her own.)

Matou gaped at her for a moment like a gasping fish before his mouth shifted into a snarl. The fish look had suited him better. “Who do you think you are, Tohsaka?”

His fists balled as he closed the distance again, but Rin had had enough of dealing with this worm. “Oh, and a word of advice: Try dialing down the personality. Or better yet, get a new one. Anything’s better than what you have now.” And with that, she turned her back on him and marched into the school, not wasting a second thought on some spoiled jackass from that family. Well, I’m fully awake now, so maybe putting him in his place wasn’t a total waste of my time, Rin huffed to herself as she made for her locker.

“Not as cool and collected as everyone says she is…” Outside, Shinji’s anger melted smoothly away as he straightened, idly inspecting the hand Tohsaka had struck. “Either she’s an Oscar-worthy actor, or she really didn’t notice a thing.” He smirked at seemingly unblemished skin. “I’m willing to bet it’s the latter. Perfect.”

His smirk faltered as a bolt of pain shot up his arm, but he forced it down with a deep breath. “Settle down, damnit.” Shinji hissed to himself, discreetly checking to make sure he was alone. “It’s almost time…”

Two other male students were currently in a club room inside the school, but their intentions were far less sinister. “I swear, the school budget’s a complete mess.”

“No kidding, most of it goes to the athletic clubs, and the rest are left with the dregs.” Shirou replied to his friend’s lamentations while he fiddled with a torch and a space heater. An outdated one, at that.

“With priorities like that, it’s no surprise that the rooms for the non-athletic clubs are all falling apart.” Sitting in a chair in front of him was Issei Ryuudou, dark-haired president of the student council and every bit as responsible as was expected of the position. “They’re easily pressured into keeping the Sojutsu club going despite so few actually being part of it, and meanwhile, not a thought is spared for our faulty stoves.”

Shirou paused in his work to glance up to the other student. “Are there any other broken heaters?”

“Unfortunately.” Most people would’ve been disheartened at an answer like that. But Emiya, Issei knew, wasn’t like most. In ways both good and bad.

He ran a hand along the dark metal surface, muttering, “Thought so. Age has caught up with this one, that’s all.”

Issei wasn’t surprised by the diagnosis or how quickly it was made; his red-haired friend had a knack for machines. It was a talent he was counting on. “Can you fix it, Emiya?”

“Sure.”

“You mean it?” Shirou noticed Issei subtly relaxing just a little behind his glasses, then turned back to the heater.

“Do you mind waiting outside, Issei? Shouldn’t take me long to get it running again.” Not when he had his special tool at his side. But as his mentors always stressed, better to not let normal people see it.

Fortunately, Issei trusted him enough to let him do his own thing. “Not a problem.” He stood and walked towards the door, sliding it open before calling back, “Take your time, Emiya.” The door closed again.

With that, Shirou Emiya was alone. “Now then…” He calmed his mind and smoothed a palm over the heater, his Magic Circuits lighting up with energy that flowed into the machine. As the magic pulsed through it, the young mage imagined he could see inside the heater, all of its components and how they worked or didn’t work. “Two parts about to give out in the heating element… No problems with the transfer pipe… A little electrical tape ought to be enough for the power cord for now.” He deactivated his Structural Grasp, one of the only spells he was any good at, and picked up his screwdriver.

Meanwhile, Issei Ryuudou was waiting patiently outside when a certain thorn in his side walked up the stairs and came into view. He flinched involuntarily before he could catch himself. “Tohsaka…”

Rin had still been fuming a little over her encounter with Matou, so Ryuudou’s reaction was a welcome opportunity for her to get back into a good mood. “Why, Mr. School Council President himself,” she placed a hand on her hip and took on an easygoing demeanor, “doing a little early-morning patrol of the halls, are we? Or are you handling maintenance for the club rooms?” His brows twitched slightly behind his glasses’ rims: bingo. She shrugged. “Well, it’s none of my business. You’re a hardworking student as usual.”

Ryuudou grunted even as he recomposed himself. “And what are you plotting this morning? Why else would you be here so early, when you haven’t joined any clubs?” There it was, that suspicion he always aimed at her since their days together on the student council in junior high. Like Rin Tohsaka was always one step away from setting a classroom on fire or instigating a school rebellion.

“I just felt like it.” Rin’s casual explanation was answered with a disbelieving frown; no matter what she said or how she said it, Ryuudou simply refused to lower his guard around her. She couldn’t show the student council president any outright disrespect, not that she cared enough to try, and Ryuudou wasn’t the kind of guy to make a fuss over another student without evidence, but he didn’t trust her.

Which was exactly why she enjoyed riling him up by doing precisely nothing.

He was already drawing breath to likely begin yet another argument between them when the room’s door slid open. Then out popped Emiya carrying a space heater. “Okay, Issei, it’s fixed.”

Rin watched as Ryuudou immediately chilled out again and moved to join the school’s resident handyman. “Ah, thanks.” His left hand raised in apology, he kneeled next to the heater. “I asked you to help me and you took care of everything. Sorry, Emiya.”

“It’s alright,” Shirou assured him; truth be told, he’d heard the conversation outside and sensed that another spat was about to happen. Hence his timely interruption. “Where’s the next heater?” he prompted, trying to keep both Issei’s attention and his own off the girl standing over them. “There’s not much time.”

“Over in the A/V room…” Rin quickly lost interest in whatever Ryuudou was saying as she idly studied the other boy. Emiya had developed a reputation around school for being willing to help with any problem. A lamp needed fixing? Ask Emiya. Could use a second set of hands to carry stuff from one room to another? Ask Emiya. While looking about the same as Matou in height and build, the two couldn’t have been more different. Oh yeah, Rin recalled as her eyes inadvertently met his earnest golden-yellow ones, Mitsusuri mentioned he’d quit the club. Meant Rin wouldn’t be spotting him at archery anymore. Ah, well…

Then his eyes turned back to Ryuudou, and she picked up on their conversation again out of boredom. “…can’t fix it if it’s dead. It’d be easier to just buy a new one.” Rin suppressed a smirk at that; so even Homurahara’s legendary “fake school janitor” had his limits, eh?

“Fair enough, but I’d appreciate it if you checked it anyway…” She decided to walk off, already confident Emiya would give in. But as she’d told Ryuudou, none of this was her business. That was going to take all of her concentration, she reminded herself as she barely registered the sound of him standing up.

“Okay, I’ll take a look.” As Tohsaka walked past him, Shirou made to speak up but hesitated. It wouldn’t have been the first time they’d talked, but that was due to circumstance and usually just consisted of greetings and/or questions requiring one-word answers. That was more than he deserved. Rin Tohsaka was out of his league, that was like saying “water’s wet.” What could someone like him say to someone like her?

She was nearly out of hearing range when Shirou spoke. “…I wasn’t expecting to see you at school this early, Tohsaka.” Inwardly, he cringed at what he just said. Smooth, Emiya. You sure have a way with words. Shirou ignored the look Issei shot him and busied himself with the heater. Machines, he knew how to interact with. Sometimes he wondered if that was the only thing he was good for…

As for Rin, she turned her head slightly while reaching the end of the hallway. “Was that him trying to say hello…?” she mumbled under her breath. The prodigy girl spent another seven seconds mulling this over before shaking her head and moving on. She had enough on her plate that she couldn’t waste any more time.

Now out of her archery gear and in her school uniform, Ayako permitted herself one last stretch just before she walked down the halls. Nothing like a little bow-and-arrow action on a wintery day to wake oneself up. Too bad Emiya had quit the team, leaving her and the others all alone with Matou… Ayako sighed to herself. She’d try talking sense into him another time, maybe even play on his tendency to help others a little. It was dirty, sure, but if it meant they got back the best candidate besides her for team captain…

But for now, it was time for broader high school curriculum. Other students were rapidly filling the classrooms, and Ayako still had a little paperwork left for the student council. Good thing that group had a reliable junior assistant, she reflected upon hearing a familiar voice in the classroom she was looking for.

Sakura was humming a little tune to herself as she worked. “The road goes ever on and on,” she sang quietly while skimming through a collection of papers, “Down from the door where it began,” she put that stack down and retrieved another, “Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow if I can.”

Ayako walked into her line of sight with her usual smile. “That’s a beautiful song, Sakura,” she commented, drawing a blush from the dark-haired girl that made her look even cuter. “Where’d you learn it?”

Sakura bit her lip in apparent thought. “…Oh, just a little something I must’ve heard over the radio years ago.” She shrugged good-naturedly. “It keeps popping up in my head every now and then. You know how it is, senpai.”

“Don’t we all,” Ayako huffed, smile still in place, “the danger of a good song turning into an ear worm.”

Minori, Ayako’s younger brother, entered the room. Despite their ages, he was taller than his sister and less social as well. Still, he was always courteous around others (especially with Sakura, as Ayako privately liked to tease him) and made for a good sparring partner in Sojutsu with his build. “Good morning again, Tohsaka.” Minori greeted her as he headed for his desk.

Sakura made to return the greeting, then stopped as another memory came to mind. “What do you mean?” She grinned slyly.

The sudden question made the boy stop mid-step and turn haltingly back towards her. “Er… P-pardon me?” He asked, hoping she’d give him time to come up with a better reply. Ah, the naivety of a school crush…

“Well, do you mean to wish me a good morning, Mitsuzuri, or are you telling me that it’s a good morning whether I want it or not?” Sakura shrugged, grin still in place. He made to speak, or at least hoped he could, but she couldn’t help but go on. “Or maybe you mean to say you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply telling me that this is a morning to be good on?”

Minori stared at her for the longest time, his mouth opening and closing rapidly like a fish on caffeine, then his cheeks slightly reddened. “Uh… all of them?” The resultant laughter around him didn’t help his embarrassment.

Fortunately, his big sister came to the rescue, though not without a giggle or two of her own. “As if there was any doubt that you’re Tohsaka’s younger sister.”

Sakura’s grin faltered for a moment, so brief Ayako might’ve sworn she’d imagined it, then she was bowing her head to Minori. “I hope neither of you take offense, Mitsuzuri, I just couldn’t resist. Sorry about that.” Both siblings accepted her apologies gracefully (much to her private relief), then Sakura accepted the documents meant for the council. Honestly, sometimes, Ayako wanted to hug her kohai until she squeaked.

Outside the room, a certain girl passing by with her hair in red ribbons, too, was working all the harder to keep her smile neutral as ever. Oh, for goodness’ sake… Still loved Kirei’s face when she pulled that on him.

While both senior girls slipped into their respective classes, Shirou and Issei had ended their repair work (well, Shirou did most of the work, but he never complained) and were conversing as they approached their own desks. “I can’t check on the one in the art club until lunch,” the red-haired boy noted to his friend who nodded in acceptance. They both needed to focus on schoolwork now. Too bad I can’t just send a clone…

“Well, aren’t you a hard worker this morning, Emiya.” They both turned to find Shinji Matou playing with a lock of his hair and trying to look as cool as possible. “And here I was worried you’d have nothing to do after quitting the club.” His grey eyes leered at Shirou. “But you’ve gone and become the student council president’s personal gofer, huh?”

Issei made to tell off his classmate but was halted in place by Shirou himself. “You’re welcome to ask me if you need help with anything, Shinji,” the latter replied politely. “I’ll do my best if it’s something I can work with. You always had trouble mending bows and affixing strings.”

It was meant as an honest offer, not a jab at his abilities. The two boys had been friends since middle school, and Shinji had never heard a single insult come out of Emiya’s mouth. Even so, irritation flickered inside him. “Help from you? Don’t make me laugh!” He jabbed a finger at his oldest friend. “And don’t even think about setting a toe into the dojo if you’re not a member!” He then turned his back to them.

“That’s rich coming from the one who forced Emiya out of the club in the first place.” Even facing away, Shinji could perfectly hear Ryuudou’s rebuttal. Sure, go ahead and defend your assistant/secret crush, Shinji snarled internally. Stuck-up nerd lets a meaningless position go to his head-

“Don’t worry, that’s just Shinji being Shinji.” But of course, Emiya himself didn’t get riled up over that. “The longer you know him, the more you get used to it.” The heir of the Matou family had almost reached his desk, but then he turned around and sauntered back, his good mood returning a little.

“And no matter what anybody says or if they’re taking advantage of you, you’ll help them out anyways, huh, Emiya?” Issei glared warily at Matou, privately wondering how anyone as nice as Emiya could tolerate an attitude like this. The blue-haired vice-captain of the archery team barked a surprisingly less hostile laugh. “I swear, you’re still the exact same moron who would singlehandedly redo the culture festival’s signboard and not even half-ass it!”

Shirou shrugged, half a smile curling on his lip. That was the first time they’d met, starting with Shinji mocking him and ending with Shinji proudly laughing at the board and his diligence like he’d done it himself. “Guess it’s a good thing I have friends who will support me in turn.”

Shinji shook his head with his own smirk before glancing to the side. “Huh, looks like something’s bugging Koda,” He noted, eyes on the back of another student sketching away in his notebook.

Shirou looked over. “What makes you say that? He’s always drawing something.”

“Sure, but it’s usually a variant of that badass samurai with the eyepatch. Take a look now.” Exchanging a glance, Issei and Shirou shifted their positions slightly to see better. Their quiet classmate was deepening the lines of some kind of dark creature with tentacles. Lots of tentacles. Shinji mock-shuddered a bit. “Like something right out of a Lovecraft book.”

“The ones with the… Cufulu stories you told me about?” Shirou scratched his hair, himself a little weirded out by the picture.

“Cthulhu, but yeah.” Shirou noticed Issei eyeing Shinji a little baffled now. I know the feeling… Even after all these years, Shinji still surprised him from time to time with his ability to pick up details like this. Plenty of people dismissed him as a vain jerk, but Shirou knew his friend always managed to net himself a position among the top grades in just about every class. Sometimes, the two still joined up for study sessions.

“Regardless, Koda’s a little too fixated on his drawings sometimes.” Issei adjusted his glasses. “Perhaps he’s suffering from nightmares. I could teach him a few mantras to help him handle these images.” Shinji rolled his eyes and even Shirou shook his head a little at their president’s priest upbringing rearing its head yet again. Any excuse to convince somebody to spend a night in that temple, both drawled to themselves.

The trio’s musing (and their classmate’s scribblings of tentacled horrors) ended as they all heard the morning bell. “Well, here comes Fujimura-sensei,” Shirou huffed while moving to his desk, the others doing the same. The students collectively braced for the Tiger’s daily exuberant arrival.

A gust of wind shot through the hallway, and you-know-who whirled cheerily into the classroom, textbook in hand. “Good morning class~! Everyone, take your seats!”

And so, just another day of lessons and schoolwork began.

The first half of the day went by without anything noteworthy, students diligently taking notes (or goofing off, teenagers are idiots, after all) until it was lunchtime. Issei and Shirou had brought their lunches into the art club meeting room, but only one of them had actually been eating. The president sipped some tea as he noticed the other bento’s state. “You might want to tuck in quickly, Emiya,” he cautioned his friend, “or lunch break will be over before you’ve eaten.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve almost got it.” Shirou didn’t even look up from his work. A thin trail of smoke wafted up before him.

Issei eyed the disassembled machine. “Fixing the stoves would’ve been enough, you didn’t have to work on the rest, too.”

“It’s fine.” He finished his work with the torch and set it aside. “As the saying goes, ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’.”

That idiom prompted a sigh from the glasses-wearing boy. “You know, there is such a thing as being too generous.” Shirou paused slightly but tried not to sigh himself; he had an idea what Issei was going to say next. “It’s good that you’re always ready to help, but you really ought to say ‘no’ sometimes. You’re a little too quick to help everyone, Emiya.”

Yup, he’d heard this kind of scolding from Maiya before. In more than one kind of variation. “Do you really think I’m that inconsiderate?”

“No, but you’re running the risk of inconsiderate people exploiting you,” Issei countered. “It’s alright for you to turn down a request every now and then.” And if anyone else had been there, he’d have owned up to his own hypocrisy for asking favors of Shirou. He’d have accepted his requests being refused, too.

Shirou for his part didn’t bother thinking about hypocrisy. “What’re you saying? It’s good to help others. Besides, you’ve got enough on your plate as heir to a temple.”

“Still, you take helpfulness a bit too far, Emiya. Keep it up, and sooner or later, you’re going to wear yourself out.”

“Noted.” Not the first time he’d heard that, either. Pakkun practically had the warning down in song. Satisfied with the machine’s insides, Shirou replaced the lid on top. “There, done.”

While pleased with his friend’s work, Issei still wasn’t satisfied about his lack of self-esteem and indifference towards that, but any further argument was forestalled by a knock by the door. “Come in,” he called reflexively, and the door slid open. “Ah, Sakura. Is there something I can help you with?”

“There you are, President. Sorry for bothering you during lunchtime,” the younger Tohsaka sibling bowed her head before offering a sheet of paper, “but I only just got the latest report from the track team’s captain, and I figured it’d be best to pass it on to you immediately.”

“Fair enough, thank you for your diligence.” Issei accepted the document with a cursory scan. Everything seemed relatively in order; spoiled as they were budget-wise, the athletic clubs tended to be unrepentantly sloppy in their paperwork. He then nodded in gratitude to his junior. “Apologies that you had to give up time during our break.” His disliking of Rin Tohsaka aside, Issei Ryuudou was not as misogynistic or woman-fearing as many rumors made him out to be. And he had absolutely nothing to complain about with Sakura. She was kind, hardworking and always respectful, a prime future candidate for student council president.

Unaware of her senior’s musings, Sakura waved it off. “It’s fine, I was finished with my own meal anyway.” She then turned to Emiya who had just packed up his tools. “Fixing more appliances, senpai?”

“Just a little patching up, that’s the best I can do with most of them.” Shirou wiped his hands clean before retrieving his bento. “The student council has enough to worry about.” That earned a slight chuckle from Sakura, a sound that would’ve made most boys at Homurahara go nuts. Rin Tohsaka was at the top of her class and an epitome of the school ice queen: graceful, elegant and unreachable. But Sakura was no slouch herself in terms of intelligence or looks, plus she was more approachable; a few perverts even had the guts to (privately) determine her superior to her older sister in certain… categories. Which Tohsaka was prettier was a running debate amongst boys (and some girls) of all ages.

Shirou Emiya and Issei Ryuudou recognized her attractiveness, too, but they both had better manners and respect for her. For one, Sakura was their kohai. For another, Issei was a senior co-worker while Shirou often helped her out with a few handyman jobs. The latter had built a friendly rapport with her, one that truly bloomed over an unexpected topic. Speaking of which, his face brightened. “Oh, by the way, thanks again for that souffle pancake recipe.”

Sakura beamed back, delighted about the topic. “My pleasure, how did they turn out?” About four months ago, the red-haired senior had overheard her talking to a classmate about her struggles with a soba dish. Emiya being Emiya, he’d offered to help, and they had spent a few afternoons cooking noodles together until Sakura could look upon the result with pride and insisted on repaying him with a lesson on how to make salmon daikon. Since then, they had developed a small habit of exchanging interesting recipes.

“You should’ve seen their faces when I served them.” Shirou’s own smile wasn’t quite as big, but there was an endearing sort of warmth to it that rubbed off on anyone who saw it. “There one second, gone the next.” His aunt and sis had nearly come to blows over them (Maiya would’ve won), Uhei and Guruko had gone so far as to lick the plates clean, and the other hounds were still a little peeved they hadn’t gotten to sample the goodies themselves. I’ve got to make it up to them soon, lest I find another “present” on my pillow… “I let the batter rest for about fifteen minutes, like you said, and there was another tip from a cooking show about adding some water to the pan. The steam helps the batter cook quicker and can add a nice crust.”

Issei’s stomach rumbled just a tiny bit as he listened, to his minor embarrassment, and an eavesdropping Rin quickly ducked further out of sight to wipe the drool from her lip.

“Really?” Sakura hummed to herself at the information. “I’ll have to remember that. It’d make for a good surprise come mother’s next birthday…” She rubbed her chin seemingly lost in thought for a second, then smiled again at Emiya. “Thank you for the advice, senpai.”

“Thank you for the opportunity, Sakura.” After he and Issei said their goodbyes and the dark-haired girl left, Shirou finally began eating his own lunch to his friend’s relief. Though he did pause in between bites of rice to say. “See? Helping others is the right thing to do. You don’t scold Sakura for helping.”

“She hasn’t reached your level of all-accommodating. Not yet anyways, but if she spends a little more time with you…” Issei tried not to smirk at the stink-eye his friend shot him. “Besides, Sakura at least returns the favor when you help her, Emiya. I’d rest easier knowing you’d receive at least something in return.”

Tuning out their chatter, Rin leaned against the corner with a cool face on the outside, though inwardly, she was pleased. Well, I can trust Emiya not to try anything with Sakura. Guess I can cut back on the spying. Just a little… A tiny bit of red gathered in her cheeks before she collected herself with practiced ease.

But as she made to leave, a familiar voice rang out. “Oh, Big Sister?” Rin stilled and turned a little to see Sakura walking towards her. “Sorry, did I pass you just now and not notice?”

“Not at all,” Rin turned to face her younger sister with a smile slightly less reserved than the ones she gave the girls who wanted to be her lunch companions. “I was just having a little walk after my meal and happened to come across this corridor.” She giggled slightly at the accusing look sent her way. “I wasn’t spying on you, sister mine, who do you think I am?”

“You’re the one who brought up spying, sister dear,” the younger Tohsaka countered playfully. They continued their chatting while walking together through the halls, Rin subtly checking to make sure they were alone and growing slightly more relaxed when that proved to be the case. It perplexed Sakura at times how much the most important girl in her world put so much stock in her self-image. “Always elegant,” sure, but did elegant have to mean aloof? Would it really be so bad if their classmates saw the real Rin Tohsaka?

Do I even know the real Rin Tohsaka? Sakura wondered even as she talked about her day, followed by a mental cheek-slap. She didn’t like such thoughts, and she especially didn’t like how they kept cropping up in the last couple weeks. Even as her mouth was on autopilot, Sakura took a deep breath, like Atto had taught her, and reminded herself: Her big sister was still a teenage girl despite her best efforts to be otherwise. Case in point, the art club’s room was a fair bit of distance from Rin’s classroom for a little exercise.

A tiny grin flitted across her face so quickly Rin couldn’t have noticed it. She just happened to walk around the spot where Emiya-senpai was working, eh? Sakura giggled to herself. She hadn’t missed her straying oh so often near archery sessions or Sakura’s cooking practice with the boy, either. And the kicker was Rin herself didn’t seem aware of these habits. Ah, Big Sister… So keen, so dishonest. Even to yourself…

Regardless, it was enough for her to regain her good mood, and what Rin said next eased it further. “Thank you for breakfast, by the way. It was exquisite.” The smile she made wasn’t the one she donned for classmates who weren’t currently around, and it definitely wasn’t one of the sneers she’d throw at Kirei Kotomine. “But, Sakura, you know I’m perfectly capable of cooking for myself. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” was all Sakura said while smiling back. Times like this, Rin struggled with an old urge to wrap her arms around her sweet little sister and hug her until her face matched her eyes. Unfortunately, they were in public, and neither was of single-digit years anymore. And she couldn’t afford to show vulnerability in a time like this. Ah, to be young again… Aaand with that thought, I age twenty years.

Besides, Sakura was giving her the “I am your sister, not your plushie” look she’d cultivated shortly after her ninth birthday. Is that when she learned how to read my mind? Rin snarked to herself as her sister asked, “By the way, Mitsuzuri-senpai mentioned you showed up here an hour early because your alarm clock made a mistake. Is that true?”

“…Sort of.” Rin pinched her brows together, briefly wondering if she should take even such a small risk, but one glimpse into Sakura’s eyes told her she wouldn’t be budged. And it was a small risk. “It wasn’t just my alarm, but every single clock in the house. They all just jumped to one hour ahead overnight.”

“All of them?” Sakura crossed her arms with a frown, unwittingly emulating her sister, as she mulled this over. “Mother keeps them running on time like a Swiss accountant. And they were fine when we left last night… For every last one to speed up on their own…” She glanced about just in case before lowering her voice. “Could there be… something else in play?”

Rin nodded, switching to a whisper herself. “Right after you left with Mother, I finished deciphering Father’s will and found this.” She pulled the red pendant partially out of her pocket, just long enough to show Sakura, before stowing it away. It could’ve remained in her coat inside her locker, but Rin wanted to keep an eye on it. Plus, it was better than carrying around that rotting snakeskin… “It’s definitely potent, and there could’ve been something in his will that triggered a little dilation effect when I unlocked it.” She frowned to herself in thought. “I’m not sure, but… I think Father might’ve been testing me.”

Something flickered in Sakura’s gaze, there one instant and gone the next, so Rin couldn’t have been sure what it was or if it had even been there. As she spoke, though, her tone only conveyed worry. “Test or not, this whole situation seems to be getting more complicated with every passing day, and it hasn’t even officially started, right?” Sakura fidgeted slightly. “Are you really sure about this, Big Sister?”

“Sure or not, it’s too late for me to back down now.” Rin stared down at her right hand balled into a fist. The back of it was still bare, but she had been feeling an odd sort of prickling there for the last couple days. “I’m the only one of us who can qualify as a Master. That makes it my responsibility to fight for our family.” She raised her gaze again to find her little sister standing quite tense and not making eye contact. Rin gripped and squeezed her right shoulder. “Look, this really is for the best. I can take care of myself, so don’t-”

“Don’t worry?” Sakura preempted her with a sad little smile. “Remember what Mother said when you told her that?”

Rin winced at the memory of Aoi Tohsaka frowning at her with crossed arms and unshed tears in her eyes. “…Touché.” The sisters’ mother had reminded them both last night that she’d already been forced to experience this situation once, and it had not included a perfectly happy ending. Father promised the same and didn’t come back… And so much for her promise-

Rin Tohsaka closed her eyes and forced her breathing to steady. She opened them again, though a second too late to see her sister had been doing the same exercise. “I have to do this, Sakura. And I know I’m asking a lot of you, but please… stay with Mother, and stay safe. I…” She hesitated but pressed on. “I need to know both of you are safe. So I can keep a clear head.” Did I have to add that? Gah, I’m so selfish…

Sakura, luckily, chose not to dwell on the last sentence. She’d had enough experience with Rin-speak to understand what she was really saying. “Leave Mother to me,” she assured her. “We’ll take care of each other. Just… be careful, alright, Rin?” Her sister shifted at hearing her name; Sakura had her full attention. “Promise me that you’ll watch yourself… that you won’t take stupid o-or unnecessary risks.”

That prompted a smile from the soon-to-be Master. “I promise.” She patted Sakura’s shoulder and released it, the sisters exchanging goodbyes before walking to their next classes. Lunch break was just about over, and they both needed to keep up their school images. It was also kind of relaxing, too, this… normality.

But a great many things still weighed on both Tohsaka’s minds.

The school day drew to a close, and Homurahara’s front gate quickly became cluttered with students. Some like Sakura and the Mitsuzuri siblings stayed behind for their respective clubs’ sessions, others like Issei had additional duties. A few like Shirou didn’t have an official reason to remain on school grounds but did so for the sake of their own business. The majority, though, eagerly seized the opportunity for freedom.

Well, not so much freedom in Rin’s case, but she quickly donned her coat and made her way back to the Tohsaka estate just the same. She deftly stepped through her family’s Bounded Field and unlocked the door to find everything just the way she had left it. Good; her home’s defenses were in pristine shape, of course.

After taking off her shoes and setting aside her school case (she’d already finished what homework she’d been assigned), the heir to the Tohsaka family passed by the answering machine, one of the few pieces of technology she tolerated in this world, only to notice its button for voicemail was blinking. Her eyes narrowed even as she pressed the button. “You Have One Message,” an automated voice reported. “Recorded January 31, 3:21 pm.” Then came the usual ping, followed by a deep voice. “Rin, it’s me.”

Just hearing that man speak soured whatever good mood Rin might’ve developed today. It was even worse than listening to Shinji Matou’s squealing; she’d been enduring Kirei Kotomine’s presence in her life and Sakura’s for ten excruciatingly long years, and her seven-year-old opinion of him hadn’t improved. If not for Mother being a mighty counterbalance against their “guardian,” who knows what Rin might’ve done to him.

“I surely needn’t remind you that tomorrow is the last day for proper entry.” That priest’s smug voice droned on, but Rin forced herself to pay attention. He tended to disperse nuggets of important information among his prattling. “It would be best now you decide quickly and decisively. Only two standard slots remain, Archer and Saber class of our world. They require Masters as soon as possible.”

Lancer’s already taken, huh…? Rin thought before she could stop herself.

She gripped her head with a snarl, as if she could squeeze out these annoying thoughts that kept persisting, even while Kirei’s message continued. “…little time left for you to summon your Servant and claim your Command Seals. Of course, none of this is relevant should you choose not to participate in the Holy Grail War. There’s no shame in valuing your life, and given the unusual-” Her finger snapped out to terminate the rest of the message.

“I don’t need you telling me what I have to do,” Rin muttered darkly before storming away from the phone. Two Servants left, one of which was the strongest class of the seven. And the time for the soon-to-be Master’s best circumstances was rapidly approaching. Perfect. She allowed herself to smirk in anticipation. The Saber-class Servant will be mine, and with it, victory will be in the bag for the Tohsaka family.

Day quickly gave way to night in wintertime, and it was already dark as Shirou walked home after another couple hours of after-school maintenance. The streetlights made it easy to see the road, and he’d walked this route so many times he could find his way back to the house in his sleep. I wonder if Aunt Maiya made it to her destination okay, he mused before adjusting his scarf as a particularly cold wind rippled past him.

That’s when he noticed someone standing on the road just ahead. “Huh?” He walked closer, but the person didn’t move a single step, so when he had almost reached the next streetlamp, the light made it easy to see her: a little girl, maybe eleven if that, in a dark purple overcoat that reached her ankles and purple boots. She also wore a purple hat atop her long, slightly shaggy hair as white as the scarf around her neck. The hair color was odd enough, and given her pale skin tone, Shirou couldn’t have been sure of which nationality she might’ve been. A tourist, maybe…? And the eyes made it even harder; red as blood and staring at him with something he couldn’t be sure of. Her little smile seemed cute, but somehow, it didn’t make him feel any less uneasy.

Then she finally started walking herself, and they began to pass one another. Shirou drew his jacket around himself even more. It was as if something was prickling down his spine.

“You better hurry up and summon yours, Big Brother, or you’ll die.”

Shirou stopped in his tracks at the light voice and spun around, but the street was empty, much to his increasing confusion and slight worry. What the… He looked about, but no creepy girl in sight. He loosened his scarf and set back on his route. Must’ve been my imagination or something…

Meanwhile, a certain girl in purple was somehow two streets away and calm as ever. As she walked along the streets, a voice echoed inside her mind. ‘So, that’s Shirou Emiya?’ She frowned ever so slightly at the name. ‘He doesn’t strike me as particularly dangerous, Servants or no Servants.’

The girl’s crimson eyes were fixed straight ahead. “It could be a trick. Grandfather warned us to expect the unexpected as soon as we arrived in this city.”

‘Your grandfather isn’t the one fighting in this War.’ The words carried a sort of bluntness which rattled inadvertently against her, but she shrugged it off. She’d grown used to it after two months. ‘He’s still your priority target, then?’

“Of course, he is,” she snapped at seemingly no one. “He’s going to tell me everything, and then he’s going to pay. Father mightn’t be around anymore, but I will-” Her breath hitched, and her head hung forward, but the girl quickly collected herself with a deep breath before straightening. She wouldn’t shed tears here. “…Either way, I’m here to win this. And between you and Berserker, there’s no one who can stand in my way.”

The voice didn’t answer, but the girl still felt a silent skepticism leveled at her. Her smile returned; she had such a serious buzzkill for a familiar, even when he was so powerful. Teasing him for this quality had quickly become a fun way to pass the time.

Illyasviel von Einzbern set off for home with a spring in her step. “Come on, Big Bro Saber.”

And Master and Servant headed confidently for the outskirt woods of Fuyuki, a shadow silently watching them from the rooftops and telephone poles.

In the Zenjou house, Sakura stood by the stove carefully monitoring the two pots in front of her. She liked cooking and did it often for her family. Some of the happiest memories she had in the last ten years were of her and Rin working together in the kitchen, trying all kinds of recipes while their mother watched carefully. It’s been a while since things were like that, Sakura noted a little sadly.

Aoi Tohsaka set the table in the dining room, the slight cluttering the only sign of her inner thoughts. Her mother had passed away of old age seven years ago, and her father had followed only a few months later. Both had been peaceful ends, but it seemed like Father had simply little interest in living without his wife anymore. Perhaps the final testament of how happy their marriage had been. That’s a luxury I couldn’t afford, Aoi reminded herself so as to not dwell on this.

She relaxed as a fresh aroma wafted into the room, followed quickly by her youngest daughter and their dinner. “For goodness’ sake, I don’t know where you and Rin got your culinary talents from,” Aoi laughed. “Omelets are about the height of my skill, and well, let’s just say it wasn’t your father who’d surprise me with breakfast in bed.”

“Hard work and a little enthusiasm can go a long way.” Sakura smiled back at her, managing to suppress any reaction to Father being mentioned. She’d had even more practice with that than with cooking. Shame I can’t cook for Atto, either… It was a secret wish of hers to surprise him in their little garden with a meal all made by her, but for all her efforts, she hadn’t yet been able to conjure up a fully functional stove or a spice collection. And it’s not like I can bring a picnic box with me. She’d tried.

She set down the bowls while watching Mother settle into her chair with the slightest hint of weariness. She had grown a little thinner over the years. The lines in her face were slowly pronouncing themselves more, and she used makeup to hide the rings around the eyes. Even the smile she wore looked so tired. “The Magus Association has been badgering you again?”

Aoi started at Sakura’s question. “No, they’re showing a little more restraint for the moment. Well,” she clicked her tongue, “aside from that letter wishing our family all the best with the upcoming War and assurances that they had complete confidence in your sister, of course.” Sakura echoed those last two words with a subtle eyeroll only her mother could’ve picked up. “Did you… speak with Rin today?”

Sakura seated herself to her left and squeezed her hand reassuringly in hopes of dispelling the guilty tone in Mother’s words. “She understands your worries, Mother. But…” She couldn’t help but sigh. “Big Sister is dead set on doing this. I didn’t have a chance of talking her out of it.”

“You shouldn’t have had to try,” Aoi lamented. “It’s my duty in the first place, and no matter what I might’ve said…” She didn’t need to continue. Tokiomi Tohsaka’s ghost continued to linger over the three women even ten years after his passing. His widow shook her head, then told Sakura, “Well, the only thing we can do now is place our faith in Rin and… wait for her to return.” She nearly said, “see what happens,” but tried to insert a little optimism into her words. Both for Sakura’s sake and her own.

Her daughter put on her own smile. “Well, if anyone can beat the odds, it’s Big Sister, right?” She nodded towards the food. “Let’s keep our chins up.” Mother smiled back at her in gratitude and a little relief, the sight making Sakura feel a little guilty. It must’ve been so hard for Mother these years, especially when she didn’t have any magecraft and thereby could only do so much for them. Now the second Grail War in her lifetime had arrived, and she had to watch Rin strut proudly off to battle. She must feel so powerless… Sakura chewed on her rice while watching Mother eat with stilted movements. I guess her only consolation is that she thinks I’m as powerless as her. The thought stabbed at her stomach despite the good meal.

On days like this, Sakura Tohsaka couldn’t wait to go to sleep.

Around the same time at the Emiya home…

“I keep telling you to head home early, Shirou!” Taiga scolded her surrogate brother while he laid out their dinner. “Didn’t I say loud and clear in homeroom that town’s gotten a lot un-safer these days?”

After setting down bowls for Urushi, Shiba and Bull, Shirou sat at the table while avoiding eye contact with her. “Well… something came up at school.” Even he knew that was a feeble excuse.

The canine trio all shot him disbelieving stink-eyes while tucking into their meals, and Taiga simply sighed. “I bet you got that from Kiritsugu…” Shirou hung his head a little at the mention of his adoptive father, and he thought he could hear Shiba whimpering a little. “Making your big sister worry about you when you’re always trying to help others.” She tugged the closest hound, Urushi, to her side and began playing with his head’s fur. “But that’s the Shirou we’ve always known, isn’t it? He can’t just ignore a person in need, can he? Can he, Urushi?” She got an affirmative bark in answer before wiggling back out for his food.

Traitor, Shirou pretended to glare at him while she prattled on between her bites. It seemed Taiga really was trying to win over the pack while Maiya was away. Good luck with that. He’d only summoned Urushi as practice, she must’ve left the other two behind for his protection. Geeze, I’m not a little boy anymore…

“…He even once wrote in an essay for school, ‘When I grow up, I want to be a Hero of Justice’.” A deep chuckle rumbled up from Bull, a sound that increased when a giggling Taiga rubbed his head.

Shirou suppressed a groan, glad they didn’t host guests here often. She just loved trotting out that detail whenever she could. “What can I say, I had you around, didn’t I, Big Sis Fuji? Immature adults tend to put weird thoughts in kids’ heads.” He picked up some meat but not without a smirk and a parting shot. “You’re free to cook your own meals if you don’t approve.”

Taiga flinched away like he’d actually struck her, then she put on the same fake tears act as this morning. “How could you be so cruel to your loving big sister…?”

“Like you’re any nicer to Aunt Maiya.” That earned him a chorus of barked chortles and a vindictive grumble from his “loving big sister.” He couldn’t help but smile a little at the evening’s atmosphere.

Then dinner was over, Taiga said her goodbyes, Urushi Poofed away while Bull and Shiba sprang out for their patrols, and Shirou headed back inside. He took a breath out of habit, then brought up his index and middle fingers into a t-formation while concentrating his od. An exact duplicate emerged beside him in a puff of smoke. “Mind handling the dishes?” He asked his double. A redundant question, but it felt right to ask.

The Shadow Clone nodded, his expression the same as the original. “I’ve got it covered.” He then walked into the kitchen while Shirou stepped out into the yard. It had taken him nearly a whole year to get the hang of this spell, but with encouragement from Kiritsugu and Maiya, his persistence had long since paid off. He was still nowhere as skilled as his aunt who could call up a dozen doppelgangers without breaking a sweat; four clones max was Shirou’s current limit. All the same, it really was a handy trick for taking care of chores, homework and other things simultaneously. This spell alone gave him a chance to do so much more.

But creating Shadow Clones wasn’t the only spell he needed to learn, not if he really wanted to save others. Hence his marching towards the shed to continue his training, sparing a fond glance at the dojo as he passed it. Solid walls and closed-off spaces were according to his teachers the best conditions for implementing one’s magecraft. Shirou didn’t really get the explanation behind it, but the dark storeroom was a good, quiet place to work undisturbed with a clear mind.

After shutting the doors behind himself (one of the dogs would probably check on him if he stayed inside too long again), Shirou sat down, retrieved a metal pipe and uttered two key words. “Trace… on.”

In his mind, he envisioned a splash of white in the dark with the personal incantation. Tracing the basic structure. He could feel the od coursing through his fingertips as his hands hovered over the metal. Envisioning component materials. Each step appeared in his mind, a steady process to help him achieve the result he hoped for. His hands touched the metal, and he let the magic within flow into it. Altering basic structure. Such was the concept behind the spell Reinforcement: channeling one’s magic into an object and enhancing its basic abilities. In this case, Shirou was trying to make the pipe sturdier.

“Enhancing component materials.” Sweat trickled down the boy’s brow as he felt the metal trying to mingle with the power charged through it. He imagined the many lines running through it like the Magic Circuits in his body, and for a moment, it felt like they would snap in one spot. Then he remembered his lessons with the Walking-On-Water exercise and steadied himself. Soon, the “circuitry” smoothed itself out, and the Reinforcement held.

…For about five seconds, then he ran out of energy. Shirou breathed heavily from the exertion; it was like he’d jogged around all of Fuyuki in one setting. “Well, I’ve gotten a little better at this, even with half my od,” he muttered picking up the pipe and turning it over in his hand. “Still kinda sad that it takes me this much effort to do something so basic.” He swung the pipe a few times experimentally before setting it down. “And with Aunt Maiya not teaching me more spells, I’ll probably never be more than a novice.” Not that he didn’t appreciate his guardian’s lessons, but they weren’t so much about learning how to cast spells.

The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya let himself fall back against the cool stone floor. “I wonder if this is enough to become a Hero for Justice…” He rolled over on his side to ruminate a little more tonight. “…Am I being true to your Will of Fire, dad?”

With one last grunt, Rin shoved away the heavy stone table in her workshop, revealing the magic circle beneath it. There we go, and not a line out of place. Excellent.

She dusted her hands and smoothed out the wrinkles in her red blouse; one of Kirei’s “gifts” as the white cross beneath the collar indicated. She’d changed from her school uniform to the blouse and a black skirt, retaining her tights, precisely so she could clear away the books, artifacts, and assorted equipment inside this dark room for the moment that would change her life. “Preparations complete,” she declared upon inspecting the circle again, then she checked the clock inside the workshop. “Perfect timing.” Carefully securing all of the workshop’s contents had eaten up a good many hours, but Rin had accounted for that in her plan. She gripped her wrist and concentrated, mana pulsing along her skin. “Wavelength optimal.”

Servants. Heroic Spirits called forth from fabled legends to battle under the will of their Master. The best way to summon a specific Servant was with a catalyst, an artifact connected to their legend. The more directly, the better. But catalysts weren’t the only way to summon a Servant. Performing the ritual without one tended to net a fellow who was close in “character” to the summoner, though it also increased the uncertainty level.

Still, Rin knew what she was doing. She had calculated every step of this plan. “2:00 in the morning brings my mana to top level; at peak condition, I can get the Servant best suited for me.” She gathered a collection of gems and inspected them, sensing the mana bubbling inside each one. It had taken Rin painstaking time and blood to cultivate these little beauties, but a good magus could do a lot of things with them.

And Rin Tohsaka was a prodigy.

She checked inside her pocket to confirm Father’s pendant was there as well. Good, may come in handy. Thus, she stepped into the circle and rallied herself, casting off any final doubts. “Just watch me.”

“For the elements silver and iron. The foundation of stone and the archduke of pacts, and for my great master Schweinorg.” Her fingers curled around the jewels while she uttered the invocation she’d memorized, the rocks slowly becoming a liquid the same color as mana. They trickled through her fingers and splashed onto the magic circle’s crimson lines. “Raise a wall against the wind and close the gate of four directions. Come forth from the crown and follow the forked road leading to the kingdom.” Soon, the entire drawing began to glow blue-green, illuminating the dark chamber. “Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.” Still Rin kept her eyes closed and her attention on the spell. “Repeat five times, but when each is filled, destroy it.” One slip-up could compromise everything. “Set.”

Then the magical color shifted to a warm orange, like the dawn of a new day. “Heed my words. My will creates thine body, and thine sword creates my destiny.” A flutter of excitement rippled through the girl at uttering “sword,” she could practically picture the swordsman soon to come. “If ye heed the grail's call, and accede to my will and reason, then answer my summoning!”

The yellow in the orange slowly began giving way to red. Rin’s favorite color. “I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world!” She could feel the power beneath her, swelling up and rippling around her. She heard papers fluttering about, so powerful were the energies she controlled. Pain shot through her right hand.

“Seventh Heaven clad in the great words of power.” Bolts of energy zapped across the room, turning silver for a split second and then shifting to other colors as Rin reached the final step. She took in a deep breath and released it with the words, “Come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!”

The winds burst out around the circle, scattering paper and other things loose enough across the workshop. Rin fell to her knees as the circle returned to its original color, fighting for every breath. But she couldn’t help but smile despite her exhaustion. “Perfect… That was perfect!” She flipped around her right hand, and there it was: a red incomplete circle surrounding a slightly smaller one, a straight line pointing to them. Her Command Seals. “I did it! I just plucked the most powerful card in the deck!” She almost squealed for joy before reminding herself a Tohsaka doesn’t squeal, and then her brain registered one odd little detail:

There was no Servant. She was all alone in the workshop.

But not in the house, apparently, as suddenly a heavy crash sounded out above her. “What the…?!” Rin bounded up the stairs, her head still spinning a little from the ritual and its apparent failure, but she had enough sense to pinpoint where the commotion likely originated. Her feet practically squealed to a halt as she reached the door to the living room. The door which turned out to be stuck. “Come on…!” Rin struggled with the handle. “Move it, you stupid-!” Finally, she simply knocked it out of the frame.

The room was a mess. It was like a tornado had suddenly sprung up in the middle of the room and blasted the furniture to every corner. Books, broken pieces of wood, cotton and specks of metal were strewn across the battered carpet. And slouching casually atop the epicenter of this chaos was a man.

A tall, lean man, Rin surmised by the length of his legs and his muscular chest covered in black armor. He wore over the armor a striking red coat that covered his arms but stopped over the armpits, silver tassels hanging there and linked to one another. Silver metal circles were sown over the wrists by his sleeves. His black pants ended in thick black boots strapped down with leather bands and steel buckles. A wide red band had been affixed around his waist and hung around him like a skirt; only the front was exposed.

His skin was a deep tan, and his face had sharp features. His hair was swept back and a clear silver, but Rin doubted the color was due to age; the man looked like an adult in his prime. Of course, physical age meant nothing where Servants were concerned. His eyes had been closed the entire time she studied him, only to slowly peek open. They widened upon seeing the girl, a surprise that was rapidly overshadowed by a confident, calculating gleam. One eye, sharp and silver, remained open and aimed at her while his mouth shifted into a smirk.

Seeing that expression was enough to rouse Rin from her stupor. Namely, it triggered her irritation at this entire situation. The man was clearly a Servant, a smug one at that, but he should’ve been standing in the magic circle once she’d completed the ritual. So, why the hell is he up here demolishing our living room-?! Her eyes drifted to the mangled grandfather clock standing crookedly behind the newcomer.

The clocks… They were all running an hour early this morning when I woke up… Rin realized to her rising frustration that she’d gotten so excited about setting up for the ritual, she’d forgotten to set her clocks back to the right time. It’s not 2 am, it’s 1 am! “Oh, not again!” She tugged on her tails frustrated at yet another slip-up to add to her resume. The sheer weight of this made the new Master turn away and fall to her knees, grumbling, “And there’s no chance of a do-over… Ah, Father, why’d you have to burden me with this?”

She allowed herself another couple seconds of stewing in her frustration, then sighed it all away. No use in crying over spilt milk. Besides, her little tantrum had an audience, Rin reminded herself as she quickly turned on her knees and took on a dignified appearance for the seated Servant. “Fine, then. Who are you?”

The man shifted slightly in his “seat.” “Really? That’s the first thing you have to say to me?” His words rumbled with amusement. “Well, it looks like I’ve been paired up with some Master.” Rin frowned; that didn’t sound like a compliment. “No, on second thought, I’ve gotten the short end of the stick.”

Oh, yeah. He was mocking her. Rin stood up visibly unamused. “Just so we’re clear, you’re my Servant, whoever you are?”

“And I guess you’re supposed to be my Master?” He scoffed. “I didn’t see you anywhere during my summoning.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” an edge slipped into Rin’s voice, “was I supposed to greet you with a parade and a banquet? Please, you’re a big boy.” She sighed, trying to gain some control over the situation. “Alright, let’s get something clear: You really are my Servant? Mine alone, answering to no one else, right? Master/Servant connections are clearly established from the start.” Or at least, they’re supposed to be…

The Servant inclined his head a little, not quite enough to convey respect. “Sure, that much is correct. But how can I know for sure that you’re my-”

His last word was cut off as something rippled inside the room. A great surge of mana erupted between the two like a pillar of light, the sudden brightness forcing Rin to close her eyes. Her Magic Circuits flared up as well, and for some reason, her left hand seared with pain. Even the man in red held up a hand for a moment before the lightshow ended.

But when it did, there was a third person in the living room.

Rin blinked away the white spots in front of her eyes to see a red figure right in front of her. Her vision cleared enough a second later for her to realize the person was standing with her back towards the magus and wearing a long red cloak, the hood pulled over their head. They stood about a few centimeters taller than Rin, and there was a strange sensation emanating from her, a feeling of energy, of action. Rin inclined her head just a little to look past the newcomer and to the Servant; yes, it was a little less pronounced due to the distance between them, but he, too, exuded the same presence. Another Servant in my library? The man was also staring perplexed at their visitor, to Rin’s slight relief.

He, however, recognized two things the sole human in the room hadn’t:

One, the new Servant wasn’t actually as tall as they -no, she, he corrected himself upon taking a closer look at her body’s shape underneath that cloak- appeared.

Two, the reason for her additional height was because she was standing on top of a thick tome.

Unfortunately, the Servant herself only realized the latter detail in that very moment.

Rin’s eyes widened as the red-wearing figure started tilting to their left, then their right. “Whoa…” A high-pitched voice sounded out, and two arms reached out to spin around like pinwheels. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…!”

Something red hurtled towards her, and she tumbled back from the sudden blow to her forehead.

The freshly established Master for the Tohsaka family was now on her rear, cradling her throbbing head and biting back a repertoire of curses that would’ve utterly shattered her Homurahara image. She could dimly feel a presence over her, hands hovering like they didn’t know whether they should touch her. A prudent hesitation. “Ohmigosh, I’m sorry, are you okay?” Rin blinked away the spots in her eyes (Tch, deja vu…) to peer up into a pair of shining silver ones. She briefly wondered if that jerk who demolished her shelf was helping her, but how had his voice jumped up so many octaves?

Another blink helped her recognize that the one kneeling in front of her was the newer newcomer. She was a young girl, probably around Rin’s height and age (if that), with pale skin in contrast to the other Servant’s tan. That wasn’t the only difference between them: Her red cloak was fastened around her neck by a hand-sized silver buckle in the shape of a rose, and underneath that was a dark-red corset over a white high-neck blouse, leather wristbands, a black skirt with red rose-like tulle and a black belt slung over it. Ammunition and small packs were strapped onto the belt, and she wore red thigh-high stockings with rose patterns on her legs that ended in large black boots with four straps and buckles each.

The cloak’s hood had been pulled down, revealing neck-long, black unruly hair with red tips. And while the girl’s eyes were silver like the man’s, hers seemed brighter. Full of life and, at the moment, concern.

Her mind still reeling from all this, Rin couldn’t help but say the first thing that came to it. “…What the hell do you keep under that hood?!”

“My head…?” Her nervous chuckle quickly died down from the venomous glare Rin shot her. “Okay, got it, not the right time for jokes… Look, I’m really sorry about that, I didn’t know you were standing right behind me and I was a little rattled when I got here so I didn’t notice the book and I really really really didn’t mean to hit you so maybe we can try and start this over?” Well, if her head wasn’t spinning before…

The man hadn’t moved from his spot, seemingly content to sit back and watch this play out with a contemplative frown. Then again, his shoulders had straightened, and his hands seemed ready to ball into fists. Now he spoke. “Alright, one: when do you breathe? And two: what are you doing here?”

The girl turned around to return his stare. “I… got summoned? You know, voice calling out to me, big flash of magic- sorry, mana, that’s gonna take some getting used to…”  she mumbled briefly to herself before snapping her hands up. “And Poof! Here I am! Wasn’t it the same for you?” She turned back to Rin. “You are our Master, right? The voice I heard was yours?”

The other Servant’s frown deepened a little. Obvious surprise aside, he was particularly irked by how open this girl was. Another Servant within her vicinity, both clearly here to participate in the Holy Grail War, and yet she disclosed information and acted so casual around him? His eyes narrowed. No… She was kneeling loosely before Rin as if to shield her, her legs looked ready to jump at an instant, her left hand had been positioned the entire time to behind her hip like she could draw something hidden in her cloak, and she was making sure to keep him within view. This girl is a fighter. She’s had her guard up since she arrived.

This conclusion did little to ease the man’s confusion, though. Or his displeasure. “Our Master?”

The girl returned his frown. “Uh, yeah? She’s the only one around here with Command Seals, last I checked, and you’re obviously a Servant like me. So, if we got summoned here to the same place with only one Master around,” her silver eyes narrowed while she leaned forward, “or if you’re really an enemy who snuck in here, trashed the room and is just playing dumb to take a cheap shot at her-”

“Wait, wait…” Still massaging her forehead with her left hand, Rin raised her right in front of the girl. “Stop talking for one minute and let me sort this out. I summoned… both of you?” That earned her a nod. “How? I only meant to acquire one Servant for myself, not two!” Rin shifted her glare from one Servant to the other, clearly seeing their respective parameters hovering around them as Father’s instructions had described. Was this another side effect of her blunder with the time? Then her eyes fixed onto the male Servant. “Come to think of it, she has a point. Maybe she’s the Servant I was supposed to summon, and you’re an imposter.”

“Oh sure.” The Servant rolled his eyes scoffing at the accusation. “I’m an enemy Servant sent to eliminate a Master-wannabe, and my assassination technique consists of loudly tearing up a living room, sitting on top of the wreckage and waiting for my target to just run up to me while another Servant pops up right in front of my face.” Rin took just a little solace at watching his smugness give way to indignation, but his words offered little comfort. “If I wanted you dead, girl, our plucky little friend here would’ve arrived to find me gone and your corpse bleeding out all over the carpet.” He stood up and crossed his arms, glaring down at the both of them. “So, I ask again, Red Riding Hood, what did you mean when you said, ‘our Master’?”

The girl rose to her full height, too (thirty centimeters shorter than the man), though she seemed marginally less suspicious now. She was more irked at being called little than the moniker he gave her, too. “You mean you didn’t get the memo from the Grail? About this War’s special circumstances?”

“What special circum-” The man’s eyes shot wide open as though a bolt had just struck him, then they flattened again. “Ah. Those special circumstances.”

Rin’s eyes darted between them anew, her irritation increasing with each passing second. “What are you two talking about now? What special circumstances?!” Maybe she had actually blacked out from the strain of the ritual, and this was all just some fever dream…

“Apparently, the Masters of this Holy Grail War don’t just have one, but two of each of the standard seven Servant classes assigned to them,” the man explained in a heavy, slightly surprised tone.

“And the extra Servants all have an X at the end of their class names,” the girl continued audibly more enthusiastic about the subject, “like me,” she thumbed proudly at herself, “because we come from the stories of other universes, not this one!” She was bouncing on her heels now. “That’s right, I’m from a completely different world!” She paused while eyeing their damaged surroundings. “Well, not totally different…”

“Yippee for you…” Her counterpart grumbled while massaging his temples.

That fever dream-theory was looking more plausible with every second. “I… have the two of you,” Rin flicked a finger between them incredulously, “as my Servants.” One nodded brightly, the other just sighed. “No, that… that can’t be right. I only have one set of Command Seals for one Servant.” She waved her right hand’s back to them to emphasize her point.

“Yeah, on that hand.” The girl gestured to her left side. “What about your other hand?” Recalling the flash of pain when this one had appeared before her, Rin tentatively lifted her left hand. Sure enough, there was a crimson rose emblazoned there exactly the same as the girl’s cloak accessory. Which the latter confirmed by tapping her finger loudly on it. “See? I’m your X-tra Servant.” The girl tried to giggle before wincing. “Ugh, I sound like Yang…”

Rin traced a finger along the lines of the rose. The Seals were definitely genuine, and crazy though this whole scenario was, she was actually starting to believe it. Still, fourteen Servants instead of seven? Half of which came from alternate universes. This was sounding like the stories Father told her about the Kaleidoscope. And why didn’t Kirei mention any of this? Tch, of course, he’d omit these crucial little details… “Hold on, what about the cost of maintaining you two? As the Master, I’m responsible for providing mana so my Servant,” she huffed, “or Servants, in this case, can remain in this reality.”

The man/normal Servant answered this time. “Apparently, that detail has also been covered by the Holy Grail. Mana expenditure has in general been cut in half for each Servant. You only need to provide fifty percent of the usual Magic Energy that you would for either of us, though certain abilities and attacks of ours will naturally require a little more. But getting back to our original point of discussion,” he stared at the lone human, “even if those other Seals make you her Master, where’s your proof that you’re mine?”

“Are you blind or just an idiot?” Rin showed him her right hand again. “I have all the proof right here.”

But the sight of those markings only made him sigh pityingly. “Oh, you poor girl, do you really think that’s enough? You think you can assert authority over me with such a meaningless token? Those might be enough for our little hooded tourist here, but what I want to know is if you have the right to be my Master.”

“Excuse me?!”/“Who’re you calling a tourist?!”

The two girls’ outbursts stumbled over each other before Rin snapped a finger at her. “You, shush.” Then that finger pointed at the jerk. “So, you don’t think I’m good enough to be your Master?”

“Pretty much.” He sauntered closer to tower over her with a smug expression. “But even though I couldn’t be any more disappointed, I’ll accept you as my Master. However, this comes with the condition that I can refuse any orders you give me in the coming War at my leisure. I decide how I fight, it’s only fair, no?”

He turned his back on the both of them while Rin fumed at his disrespect. “I see…” She bit out as her gaze dropped to the carpet. “You’ll acknowledge me as your Master on paper, but you’ll refuse any input about strategy or orders from me? Even though you’re supposed to be my Servant?”

The man’s smirk had returned. “Like you said, your status as my Master is on paper. So, I have no real obligation to listen to you. I don’t need anyone to lecture me about strategy, either, especially someone with no practical experience. So, I suggest you hunker down in some basement while I go and win the Holy Grail War for you. Maybe you should have my ‘partner’ here keep watch over you, that way, I’m positive even a rookie like you will survive.” He peered over his shoulder to find the spirit girl glaring at him and the human girl trembling. “Oh, did I upset you? Well, don’t worry about my loyalties. After all, I came to this place for the sake of my Master’s victory. My victories are your victories, so you automatically reap the fruits of my labor. Sounds fair to me, which means you delicate young ladies can keep yourselves safe and leave the heavy lifting to me. I don’t expect anything from either of you.”

“Hey, first of all, I’m not ‘delicate,’ tough guy, and second, you’re being awfully unfair to our Master right now, especially seeing as we all just met!” The girl had closed their distance to glare up at him. “I mean, sure, she’s a little crabby, and for some reason, her voice reminds me of this crazy little old lady I got in trouble with at the end of my life, but it’s not like we’ve been making a good first impression…”

Rin’s ire had been raised so much the only things she heard were, “crabby, crazy little,” and that proved to be the final damn straw. “THAT’S IT!!!” Both Servants ceased their bickering to watch as the shaking girl glared with all her might at them. “You two think you can mock me and get away with it?! I’ll teach you who’s the Master around here!”

They inadvertently took a step back from her, further inciting the Master’s fiery decision. “Vertrag…! Ein neuer Nagel,” she practically snarled as the Seals on her hand glowed red.

The man’s eyes widened. He chanced a step forward. “What…? No, stop!”

“Like hell I will!” Rin stomped her foot. “Ungrateful scum…! Ein neues Gesetz! Ein neues Verbrechen!”

The girl raised her hands placatingly. “Okay, this is getting really heated, so maybe we should all take a moment to chill out and…”

“Shut up!” The Tohsaka prodigy snapped through her pleas. “And pay attention: You’re both my Servants. I expect total obedience from you! That means you do everything I say!” Crimson light pulsed out toward the Servants, the man instinctively crossing his arms in front of himself. As the light washed over them, their bodies glowed, and they both dropped down to one knee in front of Rin. For just a second, the sight of these familiars bowing down to her felt so damn good, and she allowed herself to drink it in.

But then the man glared up at her, running the moment. “You idiot! Do you seriously just waste a Command Seal for that?” He made to say more but could only grunt from the sudden smack to his shoulder. The blow nearly sent him sprawling on the floor, but it wasn’t as surprising as who had dealt it.

“Look who’s talking!” Any further protests he or Rin shriveled up as the female Servant stood up, puffed out her chest and lowered her voice mockingly. “Oh, I’m so muscular and macho, I don’t need a Master or a partner to beat all the other teams!” She glared down at him, and he actually flinched a little from the steel in her silver eyes. “How did you expect her to react when you go mouthing off like that? You’re lucky you ended up with me, anyone else of my team would’ve launched you right out of this house for all that chauvinistic garbage.” The man simply stared wide-eyed at her. “Yeah, I know big words, what a shock!”

Privately, she thanked her old partner for the extra lessons. You were right, Weiss, they come in handy.

Rin almost smirked at the scolding before finding herself the target of that disappointed look. “And did you really have to fall for his hazing? He was totally riling you up, I’ve seen it all the time back home! It’s classic schoolyard swagger!” The Servant groaned up at the ceiling. “And everybody calls me immature…”

Her rebuke was like a splash of cold water on the tension, and a red-faced Rin’s aggression was quickly giving way to embarrassment. And to think she looked so cute and gentle, she grumbled internally while inspecting her right hand. The upper ring had faded away, a sign she had indeed expended one of her Seals merely because of textbook hazing. “L-let’s continue this discussion somewhere else.” She turned towards the door-less exit. “Follow me.”

The girl acquiesced with a shrug and the man stood up, stepping aside for his partner. “For the record,” the latter stated, “I’m not a chauvinist.” Two skeptical eyebrows were cocked his way, prompting a conceding snort from him. “Fair enough, I crossed a line.”

“You jumped way over the line,” the girl huffed, her humor returning. “The line was just a dot to you.” He inclined his head to her, an indirect apology which she seemed to accept. Rin, though, wasn’t going to let either of them off quite so quickly. She needed to make sure they understood the pecking order.

Therefore, she led the two of them through the house and up into what was once Father’s study and was now hers. Well, officially hers, but Mother had been using it more. It was much the same as he had left it; Mother possessed no magecraft and knew better than to go fiddling around with his artifacts. The documents had all been cleared off the desks and properly stowed away. Not that Rin expected either of these to understand or care about dealings with the Magus Association, but tidiness was a virtue in more than one aspect.

She walked over and sat down on a couch while the man inspected a device on one of the lower bookcases and the girl sat atop a chair’s arm, kicking her feet idly. All three of them seemed to be weighing what they should say next. Then the male Servant took the initiative, his tone much more approachable. “First of all, you both have my sincere apologies for my ham-fisted approach, but I wanted to get a good read of my partner and our Master. But just to be clear, you do understand how valuable those Seals are, right?”

“Talking down to me like me…” Rin grumbled to herself, hugging her legs atop the couch. “So much for total obedience.” Both Servants were watching her, so she straightened slightly and raised her voice. “Of course, I understand. The Command Seals allow a Master to completely exert their will over their Servants.”

“Listen,” he sighed, “Command Seals force a Servant to perform specific commands. For example, I can’t teleport from this spot to anywhere under my own power, but if you were to order me somewhere with a Seal, it would channel both of our mana to make it possible.” He nodded to her hand. “What you carry is the crystallization of High-Thaumaturgy, power which surpasses the limits of flesh and blood. And now you’re down to two Seals.”

“I know all that,” Rin defended herself even as she turned away so they couldn’t see her flushing cheeks. “What’s your point? I put the first one to good use. Besides, I still have two Seals I can use on you, and all three for your partner.”

“Um, about that,” the girl raised a finger, “I think you used up one of my Seals, too.” Rin prepared to deny this, as if she would waste something so potent or other such mistakes, when her eyes noticed that the upper left portion of the rose symbol on her hand had, in fact, dissipated. She blushed even further while the cloaked Servant kept talking. “For the record, I really don’t have that big a problem with following orders,” she thumbed at her partner who was side-eyeing her, “he was the only one complaining here-”

“I wasn’t complaining, I was just airing my doubts about how she expected this to go.”

“…Yyyeah, that sounds like complaining.”

“Hm, agree to disagree.” She giggled slightly at that, and Rin sensed there wouldn’t be any bad blood between these two anymore. But before she could decide if that was a good or bad thing, the man continued. “Anyway, I miscalculated a little. Command Seals diminish in effectiveness the more vaguely a command is given. That’s why your command just now didn’t work as you intended. You could use a hundred Seals for an order like that, and it still wouldn’t get complete obedience in word and deed from a Servant.”

Rin listened grudgingly to this. “Are you telling me that my command was pointless?”

“I don’t think so,” the girl chimed in, her legs no longer swinging. “Like I said, I can take orders in general, but ever since you gave us this order, I feel… I dunno, like I have to listen to you now. Maybe I can still disobey you, but it wouldn’t do me many favors.” She glanced over to the man. “Same for you?”

The other Servant frowned but nodded. “Irritatingly so. That’s what I meant when I said I miscalculated. It seems you’re an extremely gifted magus.”

That made Rin frown back at him. “If you think flattery will make up for your taunts back there…”

“I’m not, I meant it when I apologized to you and my partner.” He stepped up to the table so both girls could see him fully. “And I take it all back: You might be young, Master, but you are very talented and powerful despite that.” He turned from a flustered Rin to the other Servant. “And calling you ‘delicate’ was a big mistake on my part. I thought you might be naïve, but you asserted your strength and stood up to me when I was in the wrong.” He placed his hand over his heart and bowed to them like a hero of old. “I hope you will both give me a second chance.”

“Oh, uh, that’s okay,” The girl hurriedly got up and apparently couldn’t decide whether to bow or curtsy, leading to an awkward combination of the two with a lot of flailing. Rin instinctively shielded her forehead until she righted herself again. “I think we all got off on the wrong foot before,” she chuckled slightly before whispering, “at least I didn’t explode this time…”

“…What?” Both asked in unison.

But instead of explaining her utterance, she walked over to her Master and stuck out her hand smiling. “Let’s try this again: I’m Ruby Rose, aspiring Huntress and Leader of Team RWBY. …And yeah, that does confuse people often. Nice to meet you both.”

Rin’s eyes drifted down to the hand, then up to her face. The other girl’s sincerity rapidly brought forth her own smile, and she stood up to her full height accepted the handshake. She’s definitely the nice one. …And the cute one. “Rin Tohsaka, heiress and Master of the Tohsaka family. Thank you for answering my call.”

The man watched their exchange with an odd sort of look on his face: not exactly a smile, but too gentle to be the same smirk he’d shot them in the living room. It quickly faded as they both turned to him with expecting looks. After glancing between them, he sighed. “I do look forward to working with you, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you my True Name right now.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Because I have no idea who I am.”

“Huh?” They asked in unison before exchanging confused looks. Then Rose stepped closer to him. “What do you mean? Do you have amnesia or something?”

“Or has all this been just another one of your games?” Rin narrowed her turquoise eyes at this perpetual aggravation on two legs. “Were you setting us up with all of the apologies and compliments?”

“Not at all,” he raised his hands placatingly, “and I’m not trying to pick a fight with you anymore, Master, but it’s because of that faulty summoning of yours. I wouldn’t call it amnesia like Rose suggested, but… my memories are all jumbled up inside my head, and I can’t determine my own identity.” One of his listeners nodded in sympathy while the other remained doubtful. “Fortunately, I retain enough so it’s not a big issue.”

Rin frowned at him. “Not a big issue? How am I supposed to adapt my plans for you when I don’t even know who powerful you are?” Knowing a Servant’s True Name was of great importance. After all, the more widespread the name and the legends associated with said name, the better chance one had of gauging what the Servant was capable of. That was why Masters worked so hard to discover enemy Servants’ identities, but it was equally important that they know their own Servants’.

“Hey, no need to get too worked up about it.” Rose stepped between them, her smile back. “I think what my partner is saying is that he still knows how to fight, right?” She turned to him and got a nod, then faced Rin again. “And that’s a good first step as any. We just have to cross-reference his style and weapons,” she bounced a little in anticipation at the word, “then help him sort out his memories. You would’ve had to adjust your plans anyway now that I’m here, and you don’t know anything about me either.” She planted her hands confidently on her hips. “I’ve taken on worse odds than this, and if we help each other, we can definitely pull this off.”

Her words were all sincere and so sickeningly optimistic, Rin and the other Servant groused, and worst of all, they were actually working a bit. “How can you be so confident about this? You don’t know him or me.”

Rose grinned a little cheekily. “Why shouldn’t I be confident about you? Aren’t you the super-magic girl who summoned us here?”

Rin’s cheeks flushed anew, particularly when Archer hummed in agreement. “She makes a fair point, Master. We’re the Servants you summoned, so we ought to be the most powerful team of all.”

“Oh, stop it, you!” Thank goodness Ruby had gotten bashful herself, her swatting her partner’s bicep helped Rin cool down again. Then the smaller Servant locked eyes with the bigger one. “But I’ll do everything I can to help you figure out who you are. I mean it, partner.”

He flashed her that odd not-quite-smile again. “Partner, huh… I seem to have lucked out in that department, too.” He offered her hand, which she happily accepted. “I look forward to working with you, Rose.”

“You can call me Ruby, too, you know.”

“Hmm, maybe… Ruby does fit you.” He eyed her attire before smirking. “As much as Rose, of course.”

Rin tuned out their back-and-forth to process this new information. Not the most ideal circumstances, but Ruby had a point: Seven of the Servants in this Holy Grail War, her included, didn’t have to worry about their True Names because there were no legends about them in this world. The Master would have to surmise their capabilities from their performances. The same for him, then, and he’d already given an inadvertent clue in addressing Ruby by her last name without “Miss” or other honorifics. That was a Japanese custom, narrowing it down a bit, and add that with his class…

She stopped her train of thought upon realizing a key detail she’d missed while learning about these Servants. “I don’t suppose either of you are Saber class?” Both Servants turned to her at the question.

The man shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t carry a sword.”

“Which makes you Archer,” Rin muttered disappointed before looking to the other Servant in hope.

But Ruby scratched her head a little sheepishly. “And I’m officially Lancer X, sorry.”

Rin’s posture tightened for a single moment, then she forced herself to relax again. Still a knight class, she may prove useful. Though given her physical age… Even so, her spirits dropped. “All those gems and hard work, and I didn’t even get a foreign Saber. Well, it’s my own fault for botching the ritual. Guess I’ll just have to make do…” Rin turned to consider the possibilities…

“Excuse me?”

She turned around to find both Servants quite affronted. “Make do?” Lancer X stomped her foot before pouting. “You don’t even know what we can do, and you’re already writing us off as failures?”

Archer had crossed his arms, too, and closed his eyes, one of which now glared petulantly at her. “You will eat those words, but no matter how many I’m sorry’s you throw at us, I won’t forgive you. That I promise you.” The Servant traded a look, nodded and synchronously turned their backs on Rin with a “Hmph!”

On one hand, Rin wondered if one of the two had some kind of “Contagious Childishness” Skill. It would certainly explain Ruby Rose’s erratic behavior. Or maybe Archer was just humoring his partner…

To be fair, she had been a tad insensitive. Both Servants had acknowledged her as their Master, and she had gone and complained right in front of them that they weren’t of the class she wanted. The decent thing to do would be to apologize for her insensitivity.

Rin smirked and sauntered to in front of them despite them turning their heads. Then again, that wasn’t her style, and she had something more fun in mind. “Okay, go and prove to me just how capable you are, Archer, Lancer X. If you impress me, I’ll gladly take back my words.”

As expected, the pride of Heroic Spirits was tickled by her challenge, and they both faced her again with strong grins. “We’ll hold you to that, Master,” Archer warned her, Lancer X nodding fiercely beside him.

“Happy to hear it.” Rin was walking back out of the study and beckoned them to follow. “In the meantime, I already have your first assignment lined up.” She flicked the lights on in the hallway.

Lancer X perked up at her words and skipped after her. “Oh, we’re already heading for the battlefield? Awesome!” She pumped her left fist high. “Go Team Red!”

It was in that moment that Rin recognized that both her and her Servants’ predominant color scheme was indeed red. Leave it to Lancer X to come up with such a childish name. She giggled to herself while the Servants trailed after her, half-lost in thought. Then again, “Team Red” does have a catchy ring to it…

“Putting us immediately to work…” Archer by contrast was displaying a more sardonic amusement. They quickly walked down the stairs. “We’ve got quite a merciless Master. So, who is our enemy?”

Something brown flew out at him, and he barely managed to catch the broom before it could’ve collided with his noggin. Two steps below him, Lancer X yelped while juggling the brush and dustpan she’d just acquired. They stared at the cleaning utensils in their hands, then the shorter one asked, “…You want us to fight dust bunnies?”

“Among other things.” Rin smirked up at them from the bottom floor. “Clean up the living room. You tore it to pieces, so it’s your jobs to put it all back in order.”

“Hey!” Lancer X protested. “That was all Archer, I had nothing to do with that!” He shot her a cold leer.

“No, but you did crack my skull with your dramatic entrance. Start sweeping.”

Archer stepped past his sputtering partner. “Now wait a minute, what exactly do you think Servants are?”

Rin’s smirk widened slightly. “You’re familiars, aren’t you? The only difference is that you’re both a lot noisier and stubborner than the usual kind.” With that, she turned her back to them so she could turn in. It had been a long, eventful night, and she needed all the sleep she could get. It’s time, Father. Ten years I’ve been readying myself for this battle, and it’s right around the corner. This time, the Holy Grail is mine.

“Fine,” the Servant of the Bow grumbled while she left. “We’ll do as you say, Master, and you can go to Hell.”

An elbow nudged him. “Oh, lighten up, partner.” Ruby was flashing him that smile again, and what a deadly weapon it was. “At least neither of us have to clean up the room all by ourselves. We’ll have it tidied up in no time together!” Thus, she began heading for the living room with a maddeningly contagious enthusiasm.

He stared after her for a moment, then sighed. “You’re a glass-half-full kind of Servant, aren’t you?”

She spun around to him while going backwards and shrugged. “That’s me, I keep moving forward.” Rose petals suddenly fluttered about Archer’s vision, then Lancer X was gone. No, he heard her further away…

This… will probably be harder than I thought, the Counter Guardian groused before brandishing the broom.

Chapter Text

As always, any tension Sakura felt melted away as soon as she drifted into sleep. The struggles of the waking day were blocked out by the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of healthy trees and flowers. It didn’t take her long to find Atto, either, and as soon as he saw her, he pulled her into another of his embraces. Sakura sighed blissfully as she snuggled into those robes, their white hairs mingling together.

The duo finally pulled apart while holding onto one another’s free hand and began walking in tandem towards the brighter area of the woods. Their staffs tapped along the ground before Sakura raised hers, mumbling a little spell. A light gust emanated from the bud’s tip that caused the branches around them to rustle, allowing the sun’s rays to reach a spot of freshly planted flower buds. Magic now felt as simple as breathing to the girl in white, and at times, she felt more comfortable speaking in Quenya than Japanese.

She permitted herself another couple seconds to enjoy her time with him here in the garden, then came the time to talk business. “It’s happening,” Sakura began, her smile slipping away involuntarily. She felt a slight tension coming from her Atto but pressed on. “Ten years have passed since the last Grail War, the span they said it would take for the Holy Grail to be ready again. And I think… I think I can feel it, Atto. There’s something in the air, something I sense when I’m near certain spots… Things are happening in Fuyuki.”

She gently pulled away from Atto who appeared deep in thought. But his eyes were sharp as ever and trained on her bare hands. “Your sister’s have already manifested, then?”

“Tonight, I’m pretty sure.” Of course, he figured that part out all by himself. And the subtext… Sakura knelt down to tend to a limp-looking turquoise flower. “She’s been keeping herself busy so much I haven’t exactly had a chance to check, but… seeing as she insisted Mother and I relocate to our grandparents’ home, I’d say we’re on the cusp of it.” Cusp… She’d learned all kinds of words under his apprenticeship.

But it was the things she hadn’t learned which weighed on her. Ten years, and she was still no closer to finding out what had happened in that one year she had… spent away from the Tohsaka house. She meditated both here and in the waking world, visited Uncle Kariya at least twice a week, had ventured as close to the Matou house as she could without arousing suspicion, and she had nothing to show for her efforts other than a few blurry images and mutterings. No thread that connected these… flashes, no sudden epiphany, nothing. At Atto’s suggestion, Sakura had asked Mother once, seven years ago, but all that got her was a sad gaze and being told a young girl like her shouldn’t be burdened with such knowledge.

Well, now Sakura was sixteen, but she still hadn’t learned why her father had passed her off let her live with the Matou’s or what life was like under that roof. Atto confessing that he, too, had made little progress in recovering his own memories might’ve been of some comfort, but the knowledge both hurt her and spurred her on. The young wizard-in-training had developed a theory that their amnesias were somehow linked; if one regained their memories, so would the other.

Besides, he had done so much for her she owed it to this wise, paternal man to help him find out who he really was. …Even if it might mean they had to part ways.

Sakura stood up and squared her shoulders. “My preparations are nearly complete. Seals or not, I’m going to attempt the ritual at the first chance I get.”

For a while, her teacher simply prodded at the soil with his staff, frowning underneath his beard. Then he asked, “And you are certain about this, yelya? There are certain paths which once you embark upon, you cannot go back. I sense this is one of them.”

She took a deep breath, then nodded. “There are still so many questions, so many blank spaces in my memories, and I want answers. No, I need answers, Atto.” She idly traced the rims and knots of her staff again, her eyes on the bud at the top. “This… this may be my best chance to find them. Otherwise, I may have to wait sixty more years,” a little grin flitted across Sakura’s face, “and by then, I’d probably look as old as you.”

“Oh, you would certainly wear your age better than I.” Sakura giggled, relieved to see him smiling again. “But you needn’t seek answers alone, Sakura, and I am not your sole ally.”

Her mood dimmed again. “Big Sister already has her Seals and has spent all of her time preparing to win the Grail War. She doesn’t need my problems stacked on top of her own, not when I can handle this myself and when Father has pinned all of his hopes and faith on her.” Sakura kept her tone neutral for the most part, but she couldn’t quite keep an edge from slipping in. Guilt flickered inside of her, both because she didn’t like arguing with Atto, and because of, well…

Things had become kind of tense in the Tohsaka house these past few years.

Atto was watching her carefully, no doubt having puzzled all of her thoughts and plans out by now. Sakura knew with one glance in those blue eyes that he didn’t agree with her, not completely, at least; sometimes, she even wondered if he was deliberately putting not enough effort into regaining his memories. She couldn’t imagine for the life of her, why; that big blank spot in her mind was so overwhelming she had to do something. She just had to know the truth.

“Well, if you truly wish to see this through, it’d be best for you to begin the ritual at the most opportune moment for you.” They both smiled again after what seemed like a lifetime; Atto, too, didn’t enjoy there being tension between them. And he always supported her, no matter whether they agreed or not. “Magic is a powerful force but still subject to circumstance and the turns of life. If you attempt your summoning prematurely, much less when you lack a crucial element…” he nodded to her hands.

Sakura eyed them, too, disappointed that the Grail apparently deemed her unworthy. A hand squeezed her shoulder. “But I believe you will find a way, Sakura. And if not through your magic, then through your will. Do you still remember your first lesson?”

She giggled. “How could I ever forget?” The talents one was born with both in casting magic and in every aspect of life could certainly do much, but they could only go so far. What truly mattered was one’s intent and ability to persevere.

Their discussion concluded, he ambled over to a particularly broad tree and sat down against its trunk, propping up his staff next to him. Sakura’s legs carried her automatically over so she could mimic his actions, and the old man lifted his left arm so she could snuggle up by his side, the arm curling around her shoulders. All of the girl’s tension faded away from the warmth of the sunlight beaming through the leaves above her and the warmth of his embrace. She burrowed herself a little more into his shoulder, allowing her ears to pick up on that sweet, steady heartbeat of his. Her eyes fluttered shut even as she registered a pull that had since become familiar to Sakura. It was a sign that she was about to wake up.

In moments like this, however, she couldn’t help but wonder why this “dream” couldn’t be her reality. It hurt to leave this forest, especially after it had become so vibrant. It hurt to leave him. It hurt to leave this feeling of being so free, so… happy… and return to the waking world where such heavy feelings existed. Feelings that seemed to grow with each passing day. Feelings brought about by the Holy Grail War.

As if he was reading her mind, her Atto uttered five words: “Until our next meeting, yelya.”

Sakura beamed at him. Saying that had become a habit of his whenever she was about to wake up. A promise that there would be a next meeting, no matter what. She had loved it when she had been a sad little girl, she loved it at sixteen years of age. She loved it so much that even as she slipped away from him, she always answered it the same way:

“Tenna enta lúmë, Atto.”

“And on the wind, Alyx heard one more question…” Sleep was closing in around her, but she couldn’t help but listen a little longer to that voice. She imagined her standing in front of a sunrise, a white cloak with red underneath billowing gently in the wind, black hair with red tips reaching her neck as she smiled with brilliant silver eyes… Eyes she hoped her own would match one day…

“What are you?”

Rin woke up sore.

“That dream… A Servant’s?” She shook her head trying to dredge up stuff about contracts with Heroic Spirits. That damnable clock hadn’t woken her up, but as she blearily read the hands, the new Master figured she would’ve slept right through it anyway. “9:05, huh…?” She tried to remember if she had set the clocks back to the proper time before turning in, then gave up. “Either way, I’m definitely too late for school. Might as well skip it today…”

She forced herself to sit up and push back the covers, her eyes catching the dual red markings on her hands. “Oh, man…” Rin groaned as the events of last night came rushing back. “So, not only do I miss my chance of acquiring Saber as my Servant twice over, but I’m stuck with an amnesiac jerk for an Archer and a plucky bishoujo Lancer.” She almost scowled at the last word, but a jolt of pain through her cranium made her grimace instead. “No wonder I’ve got such a migraine…” She rubbed her temples but got up anyway.

Every step from her bedroom, in and out of the bathroom and down the stairs was a chore. Rin felt like someone had tied a bunch of rocks to her limbs. “The summoning must’ve burned up all of my mana. She tried to stretch and winced. “I’m so drained…” Her path took her past the living room door, and she paused to it properly back on its hinges. Opening it revealed that the room had been completely restored. The damaged furniture was repaired (like they’d never been broken, too, Rin noted), the books and other paraphernalia were on shelves (she’d sort them in their proper places later), even the floor and carpets were spotless. Rin hummed in approval. “Guess they’re not so bad after all.”

A gust of wind swept behind her, and for a moment, Rin thought she saw rose petals drifting around her. “Good morning, Master!” She hopped away yelping from that sudden familiar voice, nearly tumbling down the stairs if not for Lancer X grabbing her arm. “Whoops, my bad!”

“What are you doing running up behind me, you dolt?!” Rin snapped even as she steadied herself. She would not go down in Grail War history as a Master who died on the first day by tripping down the stairs and breaking her neck.

“Sorry about that, Weiss-uh, Master!” The unfamiliar name rattled Rin a little, also helping her shake some lingering cobwebs inside her mind. An apologetic Lancer X was fussing over her until satisfied that she had not in fact crippled her Master. “Um, Archer’s got breakfast ready. We were just waiting for you to wake up!” She made to pull Rin along to the dining room but stopped and let her go. So, she can show a little tact.

As they walked, Rin saw another clock up on the wall that read 9:18, reminding her of an important question. “Lancer X, do you know what time it is?”

“Yeah, 9:18.” Lancer X looked back at her curiously. “Did you know by the way that all the clocks around here were running an hour fast? It was kinda confusing, especially when my Scroll was telling me a different time. So, I changed the clocks back to the right time last night.” She reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out some odd white rectangle.

Rin was about to ask how that thing qualified as a “scroll” before the Servant pressed a yellow diamond on it, making two ends slide apart vertically and reveal a blue image with a digital time on front. “It’s sorta like a cell phone and a computer rolled into one,” Lancer X explained to her visibly baffled Master, “and I guess part of getting summoned here means that it syncs up with the systems in this area, like the time zone. Pretty cool, huh?”

But the magus girl quickly adopted a haughty look. “No technology could ever hope to match the benefits of magecraft.” She quickly marched on, not keen on reminiscing about that confounding flip phone squirrelled away in her trunk. She knew Kirei had gifted it simply to mock her.

So, she led the way and found indeed a fully prepared breakfast waiting for her on the dining table. “The sun rose a while ago,” Archer noted as Rin sat down, teapot and cup at the ready. “Aren’t we a little lazy, Master?” Rin didn’t even bother dignifying that with a response, but she did accept the tea he offered.

And the first sip she took was the first good thing to happen today. “This is delicious,” she praised sincerely. She regretted the compliment quickly, though, upon seeing Archer’s smug expression. “Wipe that smirk off your face, will you? You should consider yourself lucky if I praise you at all.”

“Eh, I prefer coffee to tea, but a little extra goes a long way.” Lancer X chirped before sipping from her own cup.

Archer bent down to whisper to his Master, “Cream and five sugars.” Rin’s eyes snapped up at him, then stared dully at the humming Servant in red. That explains so much.

Still, she proceeded with breakfast and was pleasantly surprised again at its presentation and taste. It seemed she’d picked up a talented chef for her Servant. Despite amnesia- At that, Rin paused in her meal and asked, “Have you made any progress with finding out Archer’s name?”

“Nope,” Lancer X popped the “p” while Archer shook his head. “After we cleared up the living room-”

“Nicely done with that, by the way,” he interrupted his partner before addressing Rin. “Ruby might be from another world, but her speed alone proves she’s a worthy member of the Lancer class.”

The Servant of the Spear smiled at him with a slight blush. “Aw, thanks! But hey, you’re the one who put all the furniture back together, Archer. I just gathered the pieces and swept everything up while you fixed them.” Rin cleared her throat; much as she appreciated her Servants’ competence in cleaning up a mess, they had more important business. Lancer X recognized this quickly, too. “Anyway, we sorta did Twenty Questions to try and jog Archer’s memory. He told me his likes and dislikes, little trivia, but nothing really personal.” She pouted in her seat. “And he refused to show me his weapons until you woke up. Meanie.”

“I’d rather not unveil our abilities and have our Master order us to fix up more rooms,” Archer quipped. Privately, he’d needed to keep his guard up even more. The red-cloaked girl was much more attentive and quick-thinking than her personality might’ve suggested, and said personality made it harder to close himself off. Ru-Lancer X had also been happy to tell him a little in turn about her old life and world, “Remnant.” He nearly slipped up a few times during their question-answer game due to enjoying himself. A little bit.

Rin mulled this over while finishing her food before accepting the explanation. “Fine, I’ll come up with something more concrete to restore your memory, Archer. But for now, it seems like you two can work together well enough, can’t you?” They confirmed her query, and that development was a good start. It wouldn’t do her much good if her Servants couldn’t cooperate enough to defeat the enemy teams, after all. She had Archer pour her some more tea, then told them. “Be ready to leave soon. As soon as I’ve freshened up, I’m going to tour the city with you.”

“Sure!” Lancer X hopped to her feet and started stretching. “I know we’re only allowed to fight at night, but I was hoping we’d get to stretch my legs before we get to that part.”

Archer, though, busied himself with gathering the used tableware. “One last thing, do you insist on us addressing you as Master? It gets a little tedious after a while.”

“Oh, yeah, can’t we call you by your first name? Please?”

Rin paused on her way out. On one hand, it was a good way to remind them of the hierarchy between them, but on the other… one glance in Lancer X’s hopeful eyes, and she turned away with a blush. “Do what you want, I already introduced myself to you last night. Assuming you even remember my name…”

“But of course,” Archer smirked. “Rin Tohsaka. Rin… yeah, that’s what I’ll call you from here on. It’s a fitting name for you.”

Lancer X cheered. “Alright, we’re making team-building progress!”

Rin simply hurried up her way to the bathroom lest they see her flaming cheeks.

Shirou drummed a pen against his table. Despite it being math class, his attention kept slipping to this morning.

It had started off simple enough with his Big Sis and Bull, Shiba, Uhei and Biscuit going gaga all over his rolled omelets, then on the way to Homurahara, he’d noticed one of the houses a couple blocks from their home had been smashed halfway to smithereens. Yellow tape had been stretched all over, and according to what he overheard from the police, no one had been injured. Their talk about it being just another “gas leak,” however, just didn’t sit right with Shirou. Maybe he was just overthinking it due to his lessons with Maiya, but from what he saw, the damage didn’t match up with what you’d expect of a gas explosion.

He closed his eyes, already imagining his aunt standing over him with her arms crossed and that look in her green eyes bearing down on him. Right, set aside heroic fantasies, focus on the current task. Shirou returned to copying down the current calculation. But he couldn’t help but think I hope her trip to Dubai’s going smoothly. She’s been looking pretty down the last couple weeks, come to think of it…

Class was soon over, and the bell for lunch sounded, but Shirou remained at his seat even while everybody else milled around. Issei walked over. “Everything okay, Emiya? Let’s eat.”

“Oh, sorry, Issei,” Shirou looked up at him apologetically, “but I think I’ll have lunch in the cafeteria today.”

The president must’ve thought something was up, and maybe something was, because he pointed out, “It’s not like you to eat there. Is something wrong?”

Shirou leaned against the back of his seat. “Don’t think so.” When Issei didn’t seem convinced, he added, “My aunt’s out of town right now. Guess I can’t help but think about her.” Shirou wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince only his friend with that statement.

It seemed to placate Issei, though, and a deep voice called out to him. “Excuse me,” both boys turned to see Kuzuki-sensei standing outside the doorway, “Is Ryuudou in here?”

Sometimes, it surprised Shirou how quietly their ethics teacher could move around. Souichirou Kuzuki was a fairly tall man and dressed typically in a dark green suit and tie, his eyes seeming cold behind his glasses. Still, many of the students and a couple other teachers appreciated his quiet no-nonsense nature as a foil to Bis Sis Fuji’s exuberance. Kuzuki-sensei also never doled out punishments for no good reason.

“Oh, yes.” Issei promptly straightened and walked across the classroom. “Can I help you, Kuzuki-sensei?” Shirou in turn got up from his seat and headed out. It was probably a matter for the student council and thereby none of his business.

It didn’t take him long to reach the cafeteria, and while he was picking out his meal, a feminine voice called out to him. “Ah, you’re giving the chef’s choice for lunch a shot today?” Shirou turned to see Mitsuzuri waving at him with a smile. “It’s rare for you not to be eating with the student council president.”

“I guess it is,” the boy admitted before retrieving his ticket. He pondered just saying goodbye and heading for the meal, then relented. Mitsuzuri wasn’t the type of person who easily let a chance at small talk slip away. “So, how’s your brother? Still working up the courage to ask Sakura out?”

“He’d say he’s making progress,” Ayako laughed as she followed and placed her own order, “at the speed of a melting iceberg. Still, Sakura hasn’t gotten tired of him yet as a sparring partner.”

Shirou smiled a little. “I can’t imagine her being mean to anyone. She has the kindness of a saint.”

“And the patience of an old woman, but you’re one to talk about kindness, Mr. ‘Patches-Up-Half-The-Academy-By-Himself’ Emiya.” He rolled his eyes before collecting his tray, Mitsuzuri doing the same. “It’s a damn shame Sakura won’t switch to archery; I could really do with a reliable second. Especially with Matou going all drill sergeant on the freshman boys.”

“Why’s that?” Shirou wondered as they headed for an empty table. Shinji had a temper and a bit of a nasty streak, but he wasn’t that bad. Not unless something in particular set him off.

Already seated, Mitsuzuri whispered to him the reason why: “Way I heard it, Tohsaka shot him down like a one-winged duck.”

“Tohsaka?” He paused while pulling out his chair.

“Keep it down!” Mitsuzuri hissed waving her chopsticks at him. He covered his mouth and quietly sat down, then she sighed at a regular volume. “Anyway, Matou’s been on edge since yesterday, when means I’ve got to keep track of him during sessions. It’s so exhausting.”

A sympathetic Shirou watched her slump. “Yeah, Shinji doesn’t take not getting what he wants well.”

“No kidding.” She stirred her ramen about with her chopsticks. “Rumor has it he’s scheming to get payback on Tohsaka.” Her part of the conversation was put on pause while she slurped up some noodles.

“Nah, knowing Shinji, he’ll just keep his distance and sulk about getting rejected.”

“Maybe, but if they cross paths, who knows what’ll happen?” Ayako paused with her noodles at the confused sound Emiya made. “Haven’t you noticed her popping up every now and then during our sessions? Sure, you quit now, but before that…”

“Well, maybe, but are you sure she’s not just keeping an eye on Sakura? Our clubs’ time slots have always been close together.” What he said was true, but the archery captain still eyed her former subordinate half-lidded, well aware of where Tohsaka’s gaze would linger while she was watching. Can tell when my baby brother’s crushing on someone, doesn’t recognize when he’s the target of a crush. Ayako sighed to herself as they quietly ate their lunch. Well, it’s not like I’m one to talk… Right, I heard Tohsaka was sick today. Being absent doesn’t stop her from being a hot topic around here.

As the school day went on, a completely healthy (save for some lingering mana fatigue) Rin ambled seemingly alone through the Shinto district. In reality, both of her Servants were right behind her in spirit form, thereby undetectable to the common man. Miyama Town had already been cased thoroughly enough, the only real notable things for Rin being a postcard from Kyoto (she’d hidden her smile at Kotone’s familiar handwriting) and a brief peek inside the local pawn shop; the usual stoic woman wasn’t behind the counter today. Maybe it was her day off. Eh, it was still a good chance to stock up on gems anyway…

Her latest purchase had also prompted the current conversation. “And this ‘Dust’ has all kinds of different elemental powers?” Rin asked beneath her breath to make sure no passer-by could hear her and wonder if she was crazy. But having her familiars stay in spirit form both drew less attention and made her expend less mana. Granted, the latter was no more than standard cost for one as she’d been told, but Rin didn’t like unnecessary expenditure in general. Mother had taught her better than that.

‘Yup,’ Lancer X’s bubbly voice echoed in her ears despite her discorporate state. ‘One element for each, be it crystal or powder. Four basic types are Fire, Water, Lightning and Wind, but there are plenty of other combinations, like Gravity or Rock, that either emerge naturally on Remnant or are artificially created. Can’t tell you much about the science behind it all, Weiss could’ve given you a full presentation with like fifty slides on it. But I do know that in older times, people used to call Dust ‘Nature’s Wrath,’ too.’

Rin hummed thoughtfully to herself, also registering her Servant’s utterance of a particular name again. “This Weiss, is she a friend of yours? What makes her so knowledgeable about Dust?”

‘Oh, she’s my BFF! …Not that she’d ever admit it out loud, but we trained together as partners, and she’s had my back more times than I can count, both in hunting Grimm and with homework. Anyway, she’s the second-oldest daughter and heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the biggest business on Remnant when it comes to mining, purifying and uh, what was it again…? Oh yeah, merchandising Dust.’ Rin hid her snort behind a cough; her best friend was named “White Snow?” She could imagine what the girl looked like. ‘…Weiss grew up learning all kinds of stuff about Dust, and she kinda took every chance she got to remind us of that.’ Lancer X went on unaware of her Master’s thoughts. ‘You kinda remind me of her, Rin.’

“Oh, really?” Rin’s amusement waned slightly, unsure if that was a compliment or an insult.

A different voice chimed in. ‘Let’s see, an heiress with a know-it-all attitude and an unwillingness to acknowledge someone as a friend…’ Oh, she knew Archer was smirking in spirit form. ‘Oh yes, I can see a few similarities.’

Rin glared sideways at where he ought to be, but Lancer X spoke first. ‘Hey, she’s not that bad when you get to know her! She’s smart, got good manners for high society, even if she can be a little sarcastic around me and other people who get on her nerves… and she’s a total sweetheart around cute things, like doggies or babies!’

‘…I’m not sure who you’re describing here, Weiss or Rin.’

“Getting back to Dust…” Rin growled through her teeth, refusing to rise to the bait. She had a healthy appreciation for doggies- er, dogs!

‘We use the energy inside Dust for just about everything. Power for machines, transport, fighting…’ Lancer X, luckily, seemed eager to talk a little more about her world. ‘Some infuse Dust into their weapons directly or weave it into their clothing to use the energies inside it. My friends and I even once had to fight a man who channeled Dust power by literally stabbing the crystals into his own body.’

The magus paused in mid-step, noting idly how a few more people were walking about in this area. Thus, she switched to a mental conversation. ‘That sounds… unhealthy, to say the least.’

‘Yeah, I wouldn’t recommend it either.’ She could practically hear Ruby wincing. ‘He could only handle a trick like that because he was a big guy with a Semblance that could block out pain and a lot of willpower.’

‘I’ve seen and heard of similar techniques that have devastating effects on both the wielder’s enemies and the wielder themselves,’ Archer affirmed in a much more serious tone. ‘Willpower or not, something like that long-term would’ve surely left lasting damage on the man, but some people will resort to any tactics to win. The type of opponent is absolutely not to be underestimated.’

Rin rolled her eyes but decided against arguing. She’d read of a fair number of magecraft that worked similarly to what these two described. Truth be told, if it hadn’t been for the Grail War, she would’ve gladly taken the time to learn more about Dust. Speaking of which… ‘With everything you’ve told us about Dust, especially the “Nature’s Wrath” part, I can’t help but imagine it as a crystallized version of Thaumaturgy.’

‘You wouldn’t be the first to think that, but I’ve seen real magic. Fought those who used it, too. It’s kinda similar to Dust, but I don’t think they’re the same thing. At least, not back on my world…’ A bit of an edge slipped into Lancer X’s “voice,” especially when she mentioned fighting. Interesting…

Rin couldn’t say for sure if Archer, too, had noticed it. ‘Well, as Clarke said, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” And vice versa.’ She then sensed a sort of… shift from him before his next question, just as she stepped onto the grass. ‘Where are we now?’

“This is Shinto’s park,” Rin explained out loud even as she continued to walk. She didn’t bother to hide her answers; no one was there to hear them. “The last stop left to cover on our little tour. What do you think?”

An uneasiness rippled from Lancer X, Rin getting the impression that she was looking around. ‘It’s… okay, as far as parks go, but I don’t see anybody else around. It’s been a sunny day and not too cold. They can’t all be at work or in school anymore. But it feels…’

Rin nodded at her assessment. The sun was beginning to set, and normally at least a few people ought to be walking around. But not here. “To tell you the truth, Lancer X, this place has a rather heavy past. About ten years ago, this place was reported to be completely aflame. They rebuilt the town afterwards for the most part, but this spot was left alone for some reason. All they did was set up a park over the old burned ruins.”

‘Well, good luck getting people back here with just that,’ the Servant of the Spear’s normal cheerfulness was subdued. She even sounded wary. ‘Back home, there were monsters called “Grimm” who were drawn to negative emotions. Fear, anger, hatred, pain, that kind of stuff… I’ve seen a bunch of towns and villages wrecked from Grimm attacks. And they all gave off a vibe a lot like this place. It must’ve been horrible…’

“I imagine it was.” Rin filed away this information about “Grimm” for later. Maybe she could learn more about Remnant after the War… “You’ve both probably figured it out, but this was the place for the final battle of the prior Holy Grail War. It all ended here, and no one’s dared approach it since the Fuyuki Fire.”

‘You know, you talk about this fire like you didn’t actually see it happen,’ Lancer X noted.

Rin nodded. “I was only seven years old at the time, and I had been sent away with,” she pondered mentioning Mother and Sakura before settling for, “my family. For safety. So, all I know is what I heard about it afterwards, like how hundreds of people were killed in the Fire and many more injured.”

‘That explains why Lancer X and I have been feeling such negativity,’ Archer concluded neutrally.

She ambled about. “So all Servants can sense that sort of thing?”

He hummed a yes. ‘Some of us are better… attuned to it, but as non-corporeal beings, we Servants in general can pick up on these feelings left behind in the ether.’

‘And in a place like this, where so many people died and even more people suffered,’ his partner added sadly, ‘all that pain’s gonna leave an impression. You can’t just cover it up with a little green, you have to put in real work to wash it away.’

‘In this case, erasing it could be impossible,’ Archer countered in a neutral tone. ‘This place has become special in its own way. It may even qualify as a Reality Marble.’

‘Huh?’/”Huh?”

The Servant of the Bow sensed he was being stared at despite being in spirit form. ‘Something wrong?’

Rin glanced towards where Lancer X ought to be standing, but she seemed to get the message of letting the Master take over. “Not really. I’m just a little surprised.” She began walking out of the park, her tour mostly over. “I wouldn’t have expected an Archer to know anything about Reality Marbles, but you...”

‘Why is that so surprising?’ Part of Rin wished she could see their faces, but it was up to the Servants if they wanted to manifest.

With Lancer X, by contrast, she had a good idea of her mood just by her tone. ‘Well, I don’t really know what a Reality Marble is. I mean, I recognize the term thanks to this Grail index thing we Servants all get, but all it tells me is that it “materializes and projects one’s inner world onto reality,” or something.’

“That’s pretty much the basic theory, and a little more than what I expected you to know,” Rin admitted, her attention drawn to her reflection in a nearby puddle. She knelt down beside it, studying the image while she explained. “For magi, a Reality Marble is among the highest and most forbidden forms of magecraft. It’s practically the ne plus ultra of all Thaumaturgy.”

‘…The what now?’

Rin’s sigh was perfectly mirrored by the puddle, save for a ripple or two. “The pinnacle, the highest point.”

‘You could’ve just said that from the start,’ Ruby grumbled at her Master. This felt pretty familiar to the Hunttress.

“Dolt…”

‘Smarty-pants.’

An exasperated Archer stepped in (figuratively) before an argument could break out. ‘In Lancer X’s case, it’s fair that she doesn’t fully understand the workings of this world’s magecraft. But don’t forget, Rin, we Heroic Spirits are well-versed in both martial and mystical arts. If you want to believe knowing how to use a bow is all I can do as an Archer, or that a Lancer like Ruby is only good for wielding a spear-’

‘Which is so not true, by the way!’

‘…Then that’s on you. But don’t let your guard down around enemy Servants, especially X ones who might wield powers beyond our comprehension.’

Rin frowned at his words. She only tolerated being lectured so much, and she didn’t appreciate anyone talking down to her. “Okay, I get the point. Sorry I made assumptions about you two without thinking, I’ll make sure to be more careful.”

But Archer wasn’t done. ‘On that note, you might be a savant magus, but that habit of looking down on others is a flaw you’ve picked up because of it. You really need to work on that before growing up.’

“Work on it?!” Rin stood up infuriated from a mere familiar’s patronizing. “Who do you think you are, saying such rude things to me without a care in the world?!”

‘Wow,’ Lancer X’s giggle rippled through the air, ‘she really does have a lot in common with Weiss. Guess I’m not gonna miss her so much after all.’

‘And I haven’t even called her a rowdy tomboy yet.’ Oh, that bastard was so obviously smirking right now…

And she was probably one step away from rolling all over the ground. ‘Lemme guess, you’re gonna save that for a special occasion?’

‘You know it, partner.’

“As soon as you two materialize again, I’M GONNA-” Rin’s promise of vengeance was cut off by twin bolts of pain through her hands, sharp enough that she couldn’t help but cry out.

“Rin?” She nearly fell to her knees, and Ruby appeared by her side in a flash of red particles, worry all over her face as she supported her. “What’s going on?”

The Master powered through the pain with a sharp intake of oxygen. “Go back into spirit form, Lancer X. My Command Seals reacted to something just now, and I’ve got a hunch we’re being watched.” They both eyed their surroundings even while the red-hooded Heroic Spirit faded away again. “…I can’t see anything. What about you?”

‘I’m not seeing or picking anything up,’ Lancer X reported, though she, too, was on guard.

The same with Archer. ‘Neither am I, but this could be a problem. We might’ve walked into a trap without realizing it, and now that they’ve seen one of us completely…’

“Even so,” Rin scanned the area again and rallied herself with new confidence, “this may save us the trouble of hunting down one of our enemies.”

Outside a café right next to the main airport, lit up by Dubai’s morning sun, Maiya set down her tea to frown at her table’s other occupant. “You said you could help.”

“I said I’d do my best,” her seating companion sighed, visibly no happier than she was. He shook his head, long dark hair waving about, then withdrew a flask from his coat pocket to add a splash of Irish whiskey to his coffee. “Look, there’s a lot of excitement going on behind the scenes at Clock Tower. Ever since the last Grail War, quite a few big names have been interested in,” he pursed his lips, “assisting with this one to make sure we don’t have another series of catastrophes to cover up in the aftermath. And they’re keen on finding out more behind the circumstances of certain… participants.”

“With respect, I couldn’t care less about the politics of sociopathic magi.” The woman cut through his explanation. “I’ve dealt with plenty of them in my time. The most important thing to me is keeping the people I care for safe, and if that means I have to dig up the Greater Grail myself and toss it to your colleagues, then I may as well buy a shovel while I’m here.” She rubbed her eyes; flying economy for nine hours straight took a toll on anyone, and maybe she was a little out of practice. Rather than dwell on that thought, she noted, “I take it you’re still on thin ice if you aren’t personally involving yourself with this War, Lord El-Melloi?”

“The Second,” Waver Velvet corrected reflexively. He had slung his striking red longcoat over his chair’s backrest, revealing a vest, red tie and dress pants with well-worn but still presentable shoes. He was tall even while seated with one leg over the other and his build was lean and a little thin, but the lines of his face and his eyes, a shade lighter than Maiya’s, gave off the impression of a man educated both in academics and finishing the odd bar brawl. “And as a matter of fact, I am on razor-thin ice, Miss Hisau. Officially, they’re concerned I might be too ‘tainted’ by my participation in the fourth War to think clearly as a Master a second time. Lady Archisorte vouched for me, but Lord Sophia-Ri said no.”

A ghost of a smirk flitted across Maiya’s face. “I heard a rumor about you having a disagreement with him once years ago. Apparently, you left him a gibbering wreck bleeding all over an expensive carpet.”

“I only bent his nose a little…” the Lord of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory grumbled into his coffee. I bet Reines helped spread that rumor… He sobered. “But as head of the Department of Spiritual Evocation, he has the final word about catalysts and representatives. In the meantime, they’re keeping me busy with other work. I’m not even supposed to set a foot in Japan or let anyone see this.” He withdrew a folder from his travel bag and passed it over the table. “These are the two agents who’ve been sent into the fray.”

Maiya opened the folder and scanned the contents, her old training surfacing again to note down the details of Atrum Gallista and Bazett Fraga McRemitz and, more importantly, determine how to neutralize them. Fraga… Now there’s a name that spells trouble. She peered over the papers. “…And our benefactor?”

Waver shuffled slightly in his seat. “If they’re uncomfortable about letting me be involved with the Grail War, they don’t want him anywhere near it. He’s too unpredictable in their eyes, too clever. Besides, he literally can’t take one step into Fuyuki City, remember?”

“Like that could stop him if he really wanted to intervene.” Maiya closed the folder. “You know him better than I do, and I can tell he’s the type of man to never have merely one plan prepared. He’s probably already taken precautions for the worst possible turnout of all this…” Her eyes drifted to the floor. “And I’m not sure I want to imagine what that might even look like.”

“The turnout, or his precautions?” Waver wasn’t expecting an answer from her. As Maiya had said, he’d spent plenty of time under that man’s tutelage, and while the results had certainly paid off, there had been moments he’d actually looked back on the Fourth Grail War, hell, back on his studying under Lord El-Melloi I wistfully. Still, the stakes were far too high for either of the two in the café to refuse help, wherever it came from.

He therefore carefully retrieved a small black case from his bag while glancing about. Gray was bound to turn up any second now, and though he wasn’t sure she’d blab to the others, better wrap this up quick. The woman before him was looking antsy. And in his experience, when someone like her was showing tension… “Our ally’s methods aside, he told me to give you these, too. He said they might provide you with an edge.”

Maiya accepted the case and warily opened the lid at a snail’s pace, the memory of a certain “bloody” message springing to mind. The contents didn’t suddenly jump out at her, but they were no less stunning: inlaid in velvet lining, a glass box containing some shimmering powder, and a wooden sheet with odd circular markings on top. Her eyes were drawn to the latter. “…Are these what I think they are?”

“Something he ‘held onto for a rainy day,’ he said.” Finished with his coffee, Waver pulled out a cigar and tapped it unlit against his forearm. “Two of them, currently unbound but will connect to whatever you summon. The box is filled with a special compound containing spiritual residue that was collected from the Fourth Grail War. Any Servant summoned via this as a catalyst won’t be directly bound to the Holy Grail, and their loyalty and mana source will exclusively be to the one they made a contract with. That’s the gist of what he told me, and he conducted a ‘beta test,’ so to speak, with the compound about six months ago. The test was a success despite using only one and the summoner having no Magic Circuits herself.”

“The Association wasn’t aware of this test, let alone approved of it, so you can’t reveal her name, right?” Maiya’s deduction was rewarded with a nod. Hope began to bloom inside her as a particular idea crossed her mind, but she kept her cool. “What’s the catch?” Lord El-Melloi (II) had only spoken of the positives about this method, but that didn’t mean there weren’t a few negatives involved, too.

He finally lit his cigar and took a drag from it, running mentally through the possible answers. Smoke wafted from his mouth as he decided on directness. “It’s basically a crapshoot. The Servant summoned in the first test had no connection whatsoever to Servants of the Fourth Grail War, not to those of this world’s history or to ones of alternate worlds’. There’s no way to gauge what class or level of power, either. The closest thing you could determine is how they might mirror the summoner’s being, and that…”

“…Can mean anything,” Maiya finished pensively. Once again, she glared at her hands, bare as ever, even though she’d spent over nine years training and preparing once she’d learned of the Fifth Grail War’s premature schedule. It had hurt to keep this from Kiritsugu, so sure as he’d been of his countermeasures to prevent the War from happening. She’d promised him on his grave that she’d protect Shirou, and yet no sign of any Command Seals, not a dot on her hands. Now here was a second chance… A chance to be able to fight… A chance to keep what family she’d found in this last decade safe…

A chance to see him again…

She took a deep breath and shut the case before stowing it along with the files in her own bag. “I take it you recommend I still do the ritual in Japan, right?”

“For one, the closer you are to Fuyuki’s leylines, the higher the probability of summoning a Servant you’re halfway familiar with… we think,” Waver added quickly. “Besides, why add to your complications by smuggling a Heroic Spirit onto a public plane?” He gestured towards her bag with his cigar. “The case carries a perception filter charm that will shield its contents from X-rays or other customs inspections. To anyone who doesn’t already know what’s inside, it will appear of no interest and quickly be forgotten.”

Maiya nodded pleased. It wasn’t just American airlines who’d grown more paranoid since the World Trade Center’s destruction three years ago. She’d barely managed to smuggle her Fangs past security on the way here. She stood up and made to walk off into the busy streets but not before pausing. “…Thank you.”

She hadn’t turned around, and Waver Velvet nodded back without a word, but that was enough. Soon, Hisau was gone, and the professor wouldn’t be staying much longer himself, his attendance expected at the Grand Roll. Still, his thoughts drifted to Servants and alternate universes… and a certain alien tyrant who still haunted his nightmares to this day.

Shirou didn’t have any particular projects after school today, but his next shift at Copenhagen wasn’t for a little while, so he couldn’t help but linger around the archery club. Sessions were already ongoing, leaving him with little option but to peer through the window. “Shinji tends to go overboard when he’s riled up enough…” He muttered. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d needed to pull his friend off someone.

“Hey, you!”

Shirou blinked and turned around just in time to see a pole swinging in from below. “Whoa!” He hopped out of range to find a certain dark-haired girl with tan skin glaring at him, track pole in hand and two other girls standing behind her. Oh boy, Shirou sighed to himself. He’d never met this girl before, but he had a hunch who she might be.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Shinji Matou,” Kaede Makidera sneered unapologetically at the boy she’d cornered, “but you could wait all night, and Rin Tohsaka still wouldn’t show up!” She brandished her weapon in a series of advanced Sojutsu maneuvers with a vicious smirk.

Shirou Emiya just raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Huh…?”

“Maki,” Kane Himuro watched the whole situation deadpan from behind her glasses, “this guy doesn’t look anything like what Mitsuzuri described. His hair’s not wavy like seaweed, either.”

The boy winced to himself; Shinji hated it when somebody compared his hair to seaweed. “Oh, please,” Makidera scoffed, “he probably just smoothed down his curls today.” She stabbed her pole in the dirt and pointed at his face. “Who else would look that stupid besides Shinji Matou?!”

“Uh, I’m really not Shinji-”

“Any bad guy would say that-”

“Makidera-senpai?” Her retort was cut off as all three girls and one boy turned to see Sakura walking over, still in her Sojutsu gear. “Saegusa-senpai? Madame? Is this some club meeting?” She then saw the boy. “Oh, you’re back at the archery club, Emiya-senpai?”

“Emiya… senpai…?” Makidera’s confidence was beginning to waver.

Yukika Saegusa, on the other hand, greeted her kohai with a smile. “Hello, Sakura, sorry to bother you. And no, this has nothing to do with the clubs. We just saw this boy walking around the archery club…”

“And Makidera assumed he was Shinji Matou,” Himuro added drily. “I hope you don’t mind, but could you clarify who he really is?”

Sakura ambled to between the trio and her friend with a light laugh. “Oh no, this here is Shirou Emiya of Class 2-C, and I can assure you, he and Matou-senpai aren’t much alike in personality.” She turned to him while Makidera dropped her staff in a mild panic attack. “But yesterday, Mitsuzuri-senpai mentioned you’d quit archery.”

“I have, but I heard Shinji’s been a little bent out of shape since yesterday, so I felt like taking a quick look and making sure he hadn’t burned the dojo down or something,” Shirou explained. He didn’t really think his old friend would go that far, but for some reason, things just seemed a bit tense in Fuyuki right now. “What about you, Sakura? Aren’t the sessions almost over?”

“I volunteered to clean up afterwards,” Sakura shrugged before sticking out a hand to forestall his next words. “And I’m nearly done, so you don’t need to drop everything and help. I just came out here because I heard the commotion.”

“…Am I that predictable?” Shirou grumbled, earning a giggle from the dark-haired girl.

Meanwhile, a certain “Black Panther” was hiding like a spooked kitten behind Saegusa. “I almost clobbered the guy who’s always patching up our gear in his spare time?” She mumbled almost catatonically. “The guy known as the ‘Homurahara Brownie’?!”

She flinched as Emiya shot her a perplexed look. “Never heard of that nickname before, but I see the president of the track club and vice of the Sojutsu club is exactly as everyone describes her.” That promptly made the tan girl prostrate herself before him in an effort to mitigate the damage.

Saegusa settled for bowing her head. “Sorry about the misunderstanding.” Himuro inclined hers silently, too.

“It’s fine,” Shirou assured them. To be fair, seeing a boy student trying to peek through the club’s windows could be easily misinterpreted. Hindsight’s always twenty-twenty, as they say. “But what did you mean about Tohsaka? Did something happen to her?”

Sakura paused while patting Makidera’s head in consolation (which earned her a slight purr from her senior) at his words. “Big Sister wasn’t feeling well, so she excused herself from school today.” The older girls confirmed her report, though what none of them knew was that Sakura herself had only learned of this upon arriving at school and the teachers had questioned her. No one knew that the sisters were currently living separately, so Sakura had to improvise an excuse on the spot. All because Big Sister didn’t let me or anyone else know beforehand.

“…Pretty hard to believe a model student like her catching a cold.” Makidera-senpai was bragging beside her, forcing the younger girl to keep her expression a little more neutral. Sure, a model student who can’t be bothered to figure out her bloody flip phone and leaves her younger sister to come up with an excuse for her absence…

Thank goodness for the Madame of Homurahara turning Makidera-senpai into her personal chair and making her keep quiet. “Once again, we apologize for letting our rambunctious beast bother you, Emiya,” Himuro-senpai reiterated over her friend’s grunts. “Even so, you shouldn’t be here at this hour. Did no one inform you that any student not involved with a club should head home immediately after school?”

Shirou shook his head; this was news to him. Then again, he hadn’t spoken with Issei since their chat before lunch. “What’s going on?”

“You really haven’t heard…?” The pale-haired girl seemed shocked for a moment. She glanced over to Saegusa and Sakura before explaining. “A family of four was attacked near an intersection close to the school. Only one child survived. Apparently, the parents and older sister died from stabbing wounds. The murderer’s still on the loose, and everyone’s worried about what appears to be a random homicide.” Her cool tone belied her own horror at these events.

Shirou was listening carefully while Saegusa fidgeted slightly at her spot and even Makidera had become a little subdued. As for Sakura, she rose and flashed them a concerned look. “The student council sent out an official bulletin for all non-club affiliated students to head home as quickly as possible, and we were debating whether or not to talk about this, senpai.”

“I don’t want to stir up trouble, either, Sakura,” Himuro told her apologetically, “but these things tend to become common knowledge quickly. Shinto has gas leaks, but we in Miyama have to deal with a horrific murder. No surprise students are sent home as quickly as possible.”

The five students all exchanged goodbyes and went their separate ways, but for Shirou and Sakura, concern would continue to persist.

Day gave way to night, and Homurahara’s “model student” had snuck her team up one of the tallest skyscrapers in Shinto. “Well?” Rin asked behind her while still facing the streets below. “Pretty good as a vantage point, wouldn’t you agree?”

“It’s great!” Lancer X skipped out of spirit form next to her to beam at the city. She had that “Scroll” contraption of hers in hand and seemed to be taking pictures. “You can see just about the whole district from up here.” She turned a little to the right and squinted. “Even a little of the town.”

Her partner materialized sitting on top of a vent pipe. “You know we could’ve just come up here and saved time instead of walking all over the city.”

“Any excuse to complain with you, eh?” Rin teased him while eyeing from the side. “All you’d get up here is a bird’s eye view, but if you want to know every detail of a city, you have to visit every spot in person.”

Lancer X nodded happily at that, but Archer was unconvinced. “That doesn’t apply so much for me. I’m of the Archer class, it’s natural for a bowman to have top-notch eyesight.” He turned to the city. “For example, I could tell you two precisely how many tiles that bridge has.”

“Wow,” Rin leaned out towards the bridge, “so there really are archers in the Archer class.”

“Rin,” he grunted, “you’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

She smirked. “I would never.”

“Lemme see,” both turned to find Lancer X staring at the bridge herself, Scroll in her pocket, “it’s about four kilometers long, and each tile’s 12x12, so…” she tapped her fingers together before declaring a number that made them blink at her because, as Archer did the math himself, it was correct. Ruby simply strutted over to him and flashed a cheeky V-sign that made her even more kawaii in Rin’s eyes. “I’m a sharpshooter, too.”

“Careful, Archer,” Rin teased while turning back to her view, “you’re getting upstaged.” She barely registered his grumbling, however, on account of noticing one particular passer-by.

Down on the street, Shirou Emiya was taking a little extra walk after his work shift had ended. His mind was whirling with everything he’d learned today, the damaged house he’d visited again, what his classmates had told him during lunch and behind the club… pretty much everything except for schoolwork. He let a clone handle that business, and the collected knowledge now sat in the back of his mind untouched while he pondered the rising worries.

As he walked, he couldn’t help but flash back to ten years ago, the farthest back his memories went, when he’d just been a little boy lying amongst ashes and flames so hot, he couldn’t breathe, and a tired-looking man in black hovering over him. “You’re alive… You’re alive…” He remembered peering up at sad, dark eyes that were tearing in relief. “You’re alive!”

“T-thank you… Thank you for this…” Shirou could never forget the smile the man gave him while gripping his tiny weak hand. “If I… could save… just one life… I might be saved…”

The one bright moment of what everyone would later refer to as the “Fuyuki Fire.”

Then Shirou’s memories shifted forward to sitting in a hospital bed surrounded by so many other kids, and that same man had walked up to him, introduced himself as Kiritsugu Emiya, and told him his options were to go to an orphanage or move in with a man he’d just met.

He still remembered how happy Kiritsugu had looked when Shirou chose him, how he’d laughed and cast a big smile over his shoulder even though no one else had been there. He remembered Kiritsugu quickly packing up his stuff while telling him about their new home and a friend who would go on to be one of the most important people in his life.

He remembered being amazed when he heard the words, “Yeah, there’s no point keeping this from you… I’m a practitioner of magic.”

But despite still feeling this wonder from back then, Shirou couldn’t help but wonder about all those other kids, how so many people had died back then trying to save each other. Everyone believed him to be an even-tempered guy, but really, it made him mad when those who tried the hardest still died. Was it so wrong to wish that everybody could be saved and happy in the end?

He remembered asking his dad about this during a Kendo session in the dojo. “You’re talking about saving everyone, Shirou,” Kiritsugu had told him, the setting sun’s light through the window making it hard to see his face before it looked away, “and that’s a lot easier said than done.”

Kid-Shirou hadn’t been happy with that answer; Kiritsugu had saved his life, right? So, he’d asked if Kiritsugu was saying they shouldn’t even bother saving anyone.

Kiritsugu had turned back to smile a little fondly at him. “As a friend once reminded me, valuing life isn’t weakness, and disregarding it isn’t strength. Those who forget the latter rule ruin themselves in the long run.” He rolled his shoulder before readying his shinai. “Whatever you decide to do when you grow up, Shirou, never forget how precious life is.”

Shirou still felt a little confused even now about those words. Sometimes, it had felt like there were two different sides to his old man. Another moment had been where he’d asked if Kiritsugu with all his magic could’ve saved every life back when the Fire broke out.

“Shirou,” Kiritsugu told him sitting there in the dark, “you can only save one life by sacrificing another.” Then he made that smile again. “Though there are exceptions to that rule,” the smile faded again, “by and large, people can only help those on their side. Basically, that’s what it means to be a Hero of Justice. But you need to be careful about deciding who should be saved and who shouldn’t. If you stare too long into the darkness, you tend to lose your ability to see the light in anything or anyone.”

Both points Shirou Emiya had come to understand a little better over time. He recognized the logic of saving and sacrificing. He respected the danger of getting lost in darkness, but even so, wasn’t that all the more reason to keep everyone else from falling into it? He couldn’t accept a way that only saves so many. It was horrible, the idea of strangers being killed like back then, and with him being the only one saved…

Shirou hung his head. Now his thoughts had come full circle again, and he was still no closer to an answer even while wandering halfway across Shinto. Worst case, he’d return to their last conversation and ponder what exactly the Will of Fire was again. It was time to head home…

He stopped. There was this weird feeling in the back of his head, like someone was watching him right now. On impulse, Shirou rose his head and saw a familiar figure in a red coat, high up on top of a skyscraper.

Rin Tohsaka locked gazes with Shirou Emiya. “It’s that guy, I’m positive about it,” she muttered beneath her breath from her vantage point.

“See somebody, Rin?” Lancer X perked up next to Archer, craning her head to see.

He stiffened a little beside her. “Is it an enemy?”

The Master closed her eyes and calmly walked away from the ledge. “It’s nothing, just someone I know. A run-of-the-mill guy who doesn’t anything to do with us.”

(On the sidewalk, Shirou had rubbed his eyes and looked back up and seen no one. “Wasn’t that Tohsaka just now…?” Eventually, he chalked it up to a hallucination from getting lost in his own thoughts and continued on his path.)

“Anyway,” eager to change the topic, Rin turned to her Servants, “you have sharp eyes, too, Lancer X. I notice you have the Mystic Eyes Skill, is this a byproduct of that?”

Ruby shook her head. “Nope, my marksmanship’s all hard work,” she bragged slightly. “On Remnant, it’s usually a pretty bad idea to let the Grimm overwhelm you, so you learn quick to take them down from a distance and fight close-range. Of course, there are plenty like my sister who preferred getting up close and personal or the other way around.”

Archer was listening, too. “Your sister was a, what was it you called yourself again? A Huntress?”

“Yeah, Yang’s older than me by about two years, and she’s always looked out for me ever since we were little.” Lancer X groaned a little, noticing in passing how Rin was standing a bit stiffer again. “And she and Dad would always tell me I’d need to do stupid small talk and get to know people to help me grow up. Shows what she knows!” She proudly crossed her arms and declared, “I drank milk!”

“Like a rebel,” Archer snarked, prompting a stink-eye from her. “And given your height, I’d say your milk-drinking days are far from over.” He teasingly lifted a hand high above Lancer X’s hand while she sputtered indignantly.

However, his smirk and amusement were destined to end the moment she drew back her right foot. Thwack! “Ouch!”

Her mood improving, Rin giggled slightly with a hand over her mouth while glancing between a pouting Lancer X and Archer cradling his left leg. “Aw, what’s wrong?” She teased the latter. “A big strong hero like you can’t take a kick from an adorable little girl?”

“Hey!”

While his partner was now directing her ire at Rin, Archer rubbed his bruised shin. “An adorable little girl with B-rank Strength,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “and steel-toed boots.”

That prompted an eyebrow raised at Lancer X from their Master. She in turn got the (unexpectedly deadpan) answer, “I hunted Grimm in my old life.” She crossed her arms. “And I am not adorable, I am awesome.”

“You’re something alright,” Rin murmured, her eyes narrowing at the red-hooded Servant’s parameters. For someone barely her height to have such stats… “How are you this strong?”

Ruby relaxed a little before closing her eyes in concentration. Rin and Archer watched curiously as a red energy field shimmered briefly over her entire body, including her cape. “It’s called ‘Aura’ on Remnant. We can manifest our souls into a kind of force field that protects us but also boosts our strength, speed and healing, too.” She flexed her left arm. “It can break if I take enough hits, but I’m a little stronger than I look even without it.”

“Can you show me this ‘Aura’ again?” Rin stepped closer, openly fascinated by the crimson energy surrounding the other girl. She poked it slightly, prompting a giggle from her. “So, it’s active even when invisible, but you can still register pain and other sensations through it, can’t you?” Lancer X nodded, and she ran a finger along the right arm with her Magic Circuits active. “As a Servant, it’s fueled by mana like the rest of you, and its physical enhancement probably translates to your Strength, Endurance and Agility stats. Breaking Aura might lower them by one rank… Is this force field the extent of Aura’s application?”

“Nope!” Ruby suddenly dissolved into a red mass that shot across every corner of the roof and returned to her original spot faster than even Archer could blink. Rose petals drifted in her wake before dissipating. “Everyone that has Aura has a chance to unlock a ‘Semblance,’ their very own superpower.” Lancer X spread her arms with a smile. “Mine’s superspeed.”

Archer scratched his chin and watched the last of the petals disappear, the pain in his shin long gone. “Now that you’re a Servant, a ‘Semblance’ that flashy almost surely qualifies as your Noble Phantasm,” he theorized before stumbling upon a thought. “But does it really just make you faster? I’ve seen a fair number of speed-enhancing powers in my time, and what you did seems… different.”

“Well, I can do a couple other things with my Semblance besides running around. Anyway,” she then manifested some big red metal thing in her hands, “seeing as we’re talking about what we can do, let me show you guys my baby-”

“No,” Rin held out her left palm to make Lancer X stop, “that’s quite enough for now. I’ll admit to being impressed, but there’s no need for you to reveal your spear at the moment. Especially since we can’t be sure no one’s still watching us.”

“But it’s not really a-”

Rin frowned at the Heroic Spirit of the Spear. “You’ve. Shown us. Enough.” She then turned away to think, dully aware of Ruby slumping. Perhaps she was a little harsh, but she wasn’t in any particular hurry to see that kind of weapon unless absolutely necessary.

Archer studied his partner with a contemplative mien, then he turned his analytical gaze to their Master. “I almost forgot to ask you something.” Having their attention, he continued. “Rin, I assume you began your magus training from an early age to become a Master. And you consented to these lessons wholeheartedly, didn’t you?”

“Of course.” Rin shifted towards him. “The Tohsaka family has been dreaming of winning the Holy Grail for generations.”

“Then I hope you’re aware of your goal. We can’t dedicate our weapons to you if we don’t know what you’re fighting for, or that’s at least how I see it.” He glanced over to his partner, but Lancer X didn’t seem to disagree. “So, tell us, Rin, what is your wish?”

“Wish?” Rin placed her left hand on her hip. “I honestly don’t have a wish.”

Her answer clearly shocked the two Heroic Spirits, something she chalked up as another win. “You don’t…” Archer was particularly vocal about it. “That can’t be right. The Grail is an omnipotent object capable of granting any wish, something that has enticed even heroes of other worlds to come to this city.” He nodded towards his unmoving partner. “You could rule the world, maybe any world, with such power.”

But the Tohsaka Master scoffed. “World domination sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. Why should I wish for something that stupid?”

“Okay, so if you don’t need the Grail, then why are you fighting for it at all?” Lancer X asked.

Rin turned to them both, hands on her hips and a confident smile on her lips. “I’m fighting because there’s a battle to be fought, my Servants. And I’m going to win it.”

Archer’s jaw nearly came loose, but it wasn’t he who spoke. “So, that’s it?” Lancer X had long stopped smiling. “You’re only fighting in the Grail War for bragging rights?”

“No,” her turquoise eyes glittered like gems from rising annoyance, “I’m not fighting to brag, I’m fighting to win.” She began walking towards her Servant. “Do you have something to say to me, Lancer X?”

Those silver eyes stared unyielding right back at her. “You think you’re ready for this, don’t you?” The steel in her voice took Rin a little aback, though she tried not to let it show. “You’ve heard all kinds of stories, you’ve been training your whole life and learned lots of spells, and now you think this is it. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, and you’re ready to take on anybody. There’s nothing and no one that can stand in your way.”

Rin crossed her arms and nearly scowled. “And now you’re going to tell me otherwise? You might be a Servant, but you don’t look or act like you were any older than me when your life ended, Ruby Rose. Or does living on Remnant automatically make you an expert on war?”

“I’m not an expert.” She blinked. That wasn’t the answer she expected. Nor did she see the sadness that seemed to wash over Lancer X where she stood. “When war came to me and my friends, we found out we weren’t ready at all.” Her gaze flickered away before returning to Rin’s with new determination. “Your reason for being in this is up to you, Rin. I’ve got no right to judge that. But if my life taught me anything, it’s that nobody’s ever ready for war.”

She then shifted into spirit form amid red sparkles, leaving behind Rin who was trying not to show any sign of her being rattled, and a visibly contemplative Archer. Finally, the latter nodded to himself. “It seems I really have wound up with quite the team. And I’m curious to see what happens next.”

Unbeknownst to them all, a certain bulldog had been watching them from the shadows. And he wasn’t the only observer.

Sakura Tohsaka, for her part, was back in her normal uniform and walking to her bus stop. Aside from the cleanup and the talk with her senpais, her day had been pretty peaceful. However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t aware that something was going on in Fuyuki. She’d already been sensing embers of magic this morning while heading towards Homurahara, and there was even a slight change in her route because part of the street had been ripped apart. Plus, all the other students’ gossip buzzing about wrecked houses, “gas leaks” and then the murders…

And it looks like Big Sister has gone and put herself in the middle of it all, Sakura lamented. Frustration about the lack of communication aside, she truly hoped that Rin’s absence today was because she’d succeeded in summoning the Servant she’d wanted. Better that than because some enemy magus or Servant had broken into the house and killed her.

…Well, Sakura might’ve been really happy if Rin had actually been sick today, because that would’ve meant she couldn’t actually compete in the Grail War. But no, her older sister was too proud and too stubborn to let a little cold stop her. She could’ve tripped and broken nearly every bone in her body, and she’d still wheel herself into the Grail War; bed, cast and all.

Sakura wasn’t expected to get involved in this, of course. She was Rin Tohsaka’s powerless little sister, as confirmed by the yearly poking and prodding to confirm the Magic Circuits she’d once had and lost didn’t simply turn up again. She could just duck her head and let the sparks fly like Mother, praying that this latest War didn’t end up razing the city to the ground like the last one did.

Except she couldn’t. She’d told Atto as much last night, and as much as walking about in the waking world dampened her confidence, she had made her decision. Command Seals or not, she was going to get answers.

Thus, Sakura withdrew from her bag a little device of copper engraved with Elvish letters and a gem Big Sister had discarded in its center. She’d designed it based on some of Father’s notes and her own theories to gauge her magical wavelength. The jewel pulsed with light a few times as she let a little of her magic flow into it, the intervals between each pulse growing shorter… but not quite disappearing. “Not the right moment…” she mumbled.

She stowed the device away and stepped out of the shadows to nearly collide with a shoulder. “O-oh, sorry!” Sakura hurriedly hopped away from the blonde man, bowing her head to him. “I’m very sorry about that, I was caught up in my thoughts and didn’t see where I was-”

“Be at ease,” a smooth voice humming with no small amount of confidence cut her off. “You clearly meant no harm, and no harm was done.”

Sakura peeked cautiously up a little to see a tall young man waving his hand at her. The other hand was stuck in the pocket of his black pants, same color as the jacket over his white shirt. His blonde hair hung over his forehead, partially hiding his crimson eyes that made Sakura a little uneasy even as they gazed back at her with no obvious malice.

But they weren’t looking away, and something told the girl he wouldn’t appreciate being silently stared. So, she straightened before bowing again and taking on a respectful tone like Atto’s. “T-thank you for your understanding, sir. I had no intention of causing you any inconvenience, and I wish you a good evening.”

She risked a glance during her bow at him. The man was staring at her with an indecipherable expression before his mouth slowly curled into a grin. She bristled slightly, wondering if she’d run into a rapist or something, but then he laughed a little. “Such fine manners for such a young yet strong flower,” he chuckled, “and it’s been some time since I’ve felt like this from an interaction.” He didn’t bow back, but he stepped out of her way seemingly pleased. “Enjoy your evening as well, young one, I certainly intend to find some entertainment tonight.”

Sakura didn’t quite unclench her fist, but she collected her dignity and chanced her way slowly past him with a grateful nod. The man made no attempt to stop her. Just as she was about to round the corner, though, he called out to her. “You appear disappointed. Is something bothering you?”

For a moment, Sakura considered handling this like Big Sister would: politely deny and say a more pronounced goodbye, then grow more passive-aggressive the longer he insisted.

However, some primal part of her suspected that if she didn’t show this… man due respect, she would pay for it. So, she turned around. “There’s this… personal project. I’m trying to get more involved, but… it feels like there’s this big, invisible wall in front of me at every turn. And it’s not like anybody expects much of me anyways…” That last part slipped out before Sakura realized it, but she managed to keep anything else sealed up.

It seemed enough to placate the man, though, standing there thoughtfully as he was. “Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing,” he finally said as he turned sideways, “but do not let any walls bar you. Bide your time so that when the moment comes, you can seize it with both hands.” He then began to walk in the direction she just came from, no hurry in his steps. “Do not let others’ expectations stifle your potential, young flower. Bloom as you see fit.”

Sakura stared blinking after the man, half-wondering if there was some punchline or attack waiting for her, but he made no motion to even look behind him. O-kay… The sound of the bus’s motor startled her out of her confusion, and she quickly made for the stop. Tonight being the night or not, she didn’t want to worry Mother by arriving home any later than usual.

High above her, a small cluster of insects gathered buzzing about to watch her every move. A closer inspection would’ve revealed them to be rather irregular, horrifyingly unnatural specimens that could only have been created for unspeakable things. At a telepathic signal from their creator, they made to follow the young dark-haired girl as she stepped onto the bus…

And like all the others that were given this task before them, a sudden flash of golden light was the last thing they would ever see.

Back home, Shirou had changed into his street clothes, a white shirt with blue sleeves and dark jeans, and slid open the dining room door to find Taiga sprawled out in front of the television, snacking on rice crackers. “About time you got home from work,” she mumbled between bites. And even after I told you not to come home too late!”

As he sat down at the table and turned off the TV, Shirou wondered if she’d heard about the murder yet, and if she was genuinely worried for him… “I’ve always got to wait so long for dinner on your workdays!” Taiga whined while on all fours.

…Then again, she was most likely just interested in him cooking for her. Called it, Aunt Maiya. “You could just get some dinner at your own home, you know?”

“Haven’t I told you enough times by now that this is my own home?”

Shirou started at that and her face before looking away, trying not to smile. “Give me a break…” He glanced down to find a paper all rolled up by his cushion. “What’s this?” He unrolled it to find a poster of some kiddie thing.

“Oh, yeah.” Taiga crawled smiling over to him on all fours. “I needed to pick that up, but I’m giving it to you now because I don’t want it anymore.”

Shirou calmly rolled it up. “Why would I want it?” He then swiped at her with the poster…

Only for Taiga to evade it, snatch up another rolled-up sheet and bonk him on the head with it. She snickered triumphantly at his deadpan face. “Poor Shirou, thinking you could get a hit on me with skills like that.” The former fourth-dan swordswoman stood up while balancing her dented weapon on her shoulder.

“You just like to pick on me because you’ve never beaten Aunt Maiya…” he grumbled rubbing his head.

Taiga’s smile became strained while wagging the poster at him. “That’s because Big Sis is always taking cheap shots! In a fair fight, I’d whoop her butt!”

“Uh huh…”

It might’ve been wrong to take pleasure seeing your surrogate sister fuming like this, but if it was wrong, Shirou Emiya didn’t want to be right. “Oh, just hurry up and whip up some dinner, mister! I’m starving!”

“Alright, alright,” the little brother conceded before getting up and walking towards the kitchen. He made a note to prepare a little extra for his “bodyguards” and then wondered if he should call up any others. The house did feel a little lonely without Maiya around…

She said she’d be back tomorrow evening, Shirou reminded himself while getting some ingredients out of the fridge. His eyes lingered on the eggs. Maybe I should surprise her with something fresh. Aunt Maiya did take the last of the brownies with her… Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve baked cookies.

The Tohsaka manor was similarly empty when Rin arrived, and she had much less interest in making any noise at this time of night. She simply had dinner, told her Servants she’d been turning in, not even bothering to look at Lancer X directly, and retired to her room. “Who does that sugar-powered dolt think she is, lecturing me like that?” She fumed while slipping out of her uniform and pulling on her nightgown. “I know what I signed up for. I will not be looked down by a mere Heroic Spirit, especially one no older than me. What could Ruby know about war anyway?” But even as Rin said the words, that sadness in the other girl’s eyes came to mind again.

She trudged towards her bed with a sigh. Figures that a Lancer would give me such a headache.

On the ground floor, Archer was walking through the halls until he spotted his partner in the living room. Lancer X stood by the window with her back turned to him, gazing up at the moon. “Is it surreal?” She turned to him with a tired yet questioning look, and Archer nodded at the sky outside. “You mentioned Remnant’s moon is… shattered. I imagine it must be strange being on a world with an intact one.”

“…I guess so.” Something about how she sighed made his heart wrench a little, but he put it aside. “A little while before I… died, I found out alongside my team how our moon was broken in the first place. Who broke it… and why… and a lot of other revelations.” Ruby put a hand to the glass and stared at this world’s moon. “Didn’t have much time to process it all before we needed to keep moving…” She tried to smile as she pulled out that ‘Scroll’ of hers to show him an image of a moon with half of it in floating pieces. “This one’s not so bad.” She briefly opened the window and snapped a picture of the one above them.

Archer walked over to join her as she closed the window again, his own silver eyes drifting up to the partially veiled white object among the stars. “Magi of this world sometimes refers to their own society as ‘the Moonlit World.’ I guess it’s their way of highlighting how magic is kept hidden from normal people, conducting their business in those moments where any sane person wouldn’t be around to watch. It’s why the Holy Grail War proceeds at nighttime.” Lancer X nodded a little, though he knew she wasn’t completely listening to him. Not that he could blame her. “…What you told Rin on the roof wasn’t wrong.”

Her shoulders sagged a bit, but the Heroic Spirit of the Spear’s voice was strong. “Didn’t do any favors for our team. Besides, you looked like you were on her side.”

“Better to let her think that than risk compromising our cooperation. But for the record, I agree with you. Our Master is taking this entire situation far too lightly.” He crossed his arms. “I think you might’ve sparked something in her, though, and if it helps her realize that the Grail Wars aren’t a game, all the better.”

“Rin’s smart and talented,” Lancer X chewed her lip, “but she’s got her pride, too, and I get the feeling she doesn’t like me much. You saw how ticked off she got all of a sudden when I wanted to show her my baby, right?”

Archer nodded, privately amused at hearing her dub her weapon her “baby.” “I don’t think her reaction was aimed at you, specifically, Ruby. I’m not sure what exactly set her off, but it wasn’t your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong since we met last night.”

A snicker escaped her. “Well, aside from headbutting our Master right after I got summoned…”

“I stand by what I said.” Lancer X giggled, and Archer himself couldn’t hold back a slight chuckle. It was… unnerving how much he was tempted to lower his guard around this girl, especially since he pretty much had her personality pegged from their interactions throughout this day and two nights. Optimistic, energetic, so helpful she almost stepped out of spirit form on their tour just to assist an old grocer with loading a few crates onto his truck… It was all so nauseatingly heroic.

Hence what he said next. “Then again, I think Rin might’ve had a point about familiarizing ourselves with the city. I feel like doing some reconnaissance now that it’s dark. Maybe I can pick up a few leads on the other teams’ whereabouts or even figure out who’d been spying on us.”

Lancer X hummed thoughtfully at the suggestion, seemingly on board with it. “Sure you want to head out alone? There are probably other teams out and about right now, and your world’s Servants will have partners like you and me. I wouldn’t get in the way if I tagged along.”

“I appreciate the offer,” and much to his own annoyance, the Servant of the Bow really did, “but it’s better if one of us stays behind to guard Rin.” Archer tugged at his coat’s lapel. “My clothes carry some enchantments that help me stay beneath notice, and I can move quietly better on my own.” Ruby still didn’t seem completely convinced, so he added, “If I end up in a tight spot, I’ll call you over our link. You’re the speedy one with that Semblance, right?”

At the reminder of her Petal Burst, Lancer X relented. “Okay, guess I’ll keep a lookout. Good luck out there.” Archer then opened the window again and stepped onto the ledge, but not before she grabbed his arm. “Just don’t think twice about calling for backup, okay, partner?” She grinned at him. “Another thing I learned on life is the plus side of being on a team: You don’t have to fight on your own. And I’m looking forward to us fighting side-by-side.”

Archer stared at her before doing that weird smirk/smile of his. “Well, let’s see how it goes.” He turned back to the open field as she let go of him, though something compelled him to say one last thing. “But for what it’s worth, I do think you’d make a fine partner.”

And so Rin Tohsaka’s male Servant sprang out into the night while the other watched him go.

Rhythmic pounding echoed across the walls of the Matou family’s basement while Shinji sauntered down its steps. Every leathery crack sent a small shiver through his body, old bruises acting up again, but he kept his steps even and his face cool. Oh, joy. He’s in a good mood.

He soon reached the bottom to find his dear uncle bare-chested and making a sandbag rue the day it had been stitched together. Fists wrapped in thick bandages struck it again and again with lightning speed, a startling contrast to the silver-grey hair that hung from Masao’s sweating head. Shinji idly inspected the various scars lining his open back, trying hard not to compare them to the ones he sported. “Fighting off rheumatism, Uncle?” He called over as he walked over to a nearby table.

A single red eye snapped towards him, and it took all the boy’s strength not to flinch away; he’d received plenty lessons about the consequences of showing weakness. “If you spent as much time honing your body as you do your wit, boy,” Masao sneered before finishing another combo, “you may become a real threat.”

“What makes you think I’m not already?” Shinji made to lean against the table’s before suddenly snatching up a trench knife and hurling it straight at the man’s broad chest. The knife was caught, but he’d already grabbed another and was lunging forward with it in one hand, his other peeling off his school jacket. Shinji tossed it into his uncle’s face and stepped in for a lunge-

A knee to the gut blasted out the air from his lungs, then broad fingers closed around his throat. He was hefted off his feet before slammed down against the stone floor. Shinji coughed against the hand holding him down, the knee pressed onto his chest, and the blade now hovering near his eye, barely holding onto his own. Masao loomed over him, the dark eyepatch over his right eye pronounced by his smirk. “There’s your answer.” He gently rapped the knife against Shinji’s cheek. “A decent maneuver, but far too predictable.”

Shinji struggled in vain against the larger body before slumping… only to smile back. “Is… that… so?”

Only then did Masao register the slight buzzing of Blade Wing Worms hovering near his neck and ready to tear into his flesh. Despite that, his smirk only widened. “Finally learning to use the unorthodox, eh? Hah!” He then got up from Shinji, allowing him to breathe unimpeded again. “You may survive this yet, Shinji.”

“Oh… surviving is the least I plan to do.” The younger Matou rubbed his throat even while mentally recalling his Worms, then rose to his feet himself. A hiss of pain slipped through his teeth, and he felt a cruel look from the man who’d been “mentoring” him this last decade, but he refused to let it taint his next words. “Rin Tohsaka skipped school today, and based on a little investigating via some of my ‘pets,’ I suspect she was showing off the city to her new Servants.”

“Two of them, just as the other Masters have summoned,” Masao confirmed while adjusting his right arm’s wraps. “And she was indeed prancing around Fuyuki with her new entourage.” A bark of laughter. “As overconfident as her father… Our own spies couldn’t risk shadowing them too closely, but we wager Tohsaka has the Archer and Lancer X under her thumb.” He shot a glare down at his bare hand before promptly covering it. “Leaving only two Servants who have yet to be called.”

Shinji replaced his knife on the table. “Saber and Assassin X.” He tilted his head as though to mull it over. “Hard to say who else might qualify as a Master in this tiny little city. The Einzbern castle’s being inhabited at the moment, according to Assassin, so that brings all three Great Families into the game. Maybe the Einzberns have more than one Master fighting for them this time around.”

But Masao shook his head. “Our intelligence suggests that only one Master has been sent by that family. They might have another waiting in the wings as a secret weapon, but I doubt it. Not after the fiasco their last Master made for them.” He chuckled to himself as he moved back to the sandbag. “And there’s the Magus Association’s lackeys, of course. Any excuse to try and secure a treasure like the Grail for themselves.”

“They will have sent professionals, Uncle. Trained magi who’ve spent years honing their magecraft and gathering experience.”

The older Matou scoffed. “You think we haven’t factored that into our plans yet, boy? We have kept track of their movements since they first announced their participation to Kirei.” Something resembling fondness creeped into his tone as he said the priest’s name, and a sick feeling curled inside Shinji’s stomach. A feeling that only grew at the laughter that followed. “And it appears both seasoned magi have gotten into a bit of trouble with their summonings. They may already be no longer of importance.”

Shinji waited for an elaboration on this declaration, but his dear uncle was already back to punishing leather. He sighed quietly to himself. Still testing me after everything I’ve done to earn my spot in this development? He eyed the flame-like symbol on his left hand. Right… I have no allies in this mansion. Uncle and Grandfather’s goals aren’t mine. We’re just lending each other a hand for now. He turned to leave-

“We aren’t done yet, Shinji.” The subtle warning in the words made him halt and face Masao cautiously. “What about your former sister?”

A brief scowl crossed Shinji’s face before he could stop it. “Sakura Tohsaka doesn’t show any signs of being a Master,” he countered in a forcibly neutral voice. “She hasn’t for over a year now. Besides, her sister’s the only one in the family who’s still capable of magecraft. Grandfather checked that himself.”

He felt some satisfaction at watching Uncle silently concede to that. But his next words put him back on edge. “And what of that idiotic friend of yours? Emiya?”

Shinji shivered yet again, not just at the name, but at how Masao had practically spat it out. He tried to cover it up with a sneer. “What about him? I’ve been keeping an eye on that dope for years. Emiya might have some ability for magecraft, but his Circuits all stink of little development.” Can’t say the same about his od, though, he added to himself. “No way he could be a threat to us, Uncle.”

“None of that necessarily means he cannot become a Master yet, boy,” Masao chided him in between his punches. “One of the Masters in the last Grail War had a deranged serial killer who’d never even heard of magecraft beforehand. And while he was no threat, the Servants he called about caused no small amount of trouble.” One of his broad legs snapped up into a roundhouse kick that nearly knocked the sandbag loose. “Talent or no, if no other candidate has been chosen by this point, Shirou Emiya will surely become involved in this Holy Grail War. But if that becomes the case, and he is every bit as inept as you believe him to be…” He turned his head just enough for his eye to lock the youngest magus of this family in place.

Shinji Matou smirked back at him. “Then he’s as good as dead already. Why should I waste my Servants’ energy on him when I have so many other targets?” His violet eyes gleamed with an unspoken threat, and after a moment, Masao nodded once, a wordless dismissal. So, he turned on his heel and walked confidently back up the basement’s steps.

Once he’d returned in the main house, his knees began to buckle, and his breathing turned a little ragged. A hand shot out to brace against the wall while Shinji ran his other hand through his hair. He tried to fight these tremors, tried to prove himself stronger than the fear beaten into him, he was stronger… “Hey, none o’ that, boy,” a raspy voice washed over him while a heavy hand smacked his back. “Don’t let ‘em see ya sweat.”

Shinji took one more deep breath, let it out, and leered up at a pair of brownish-red eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know, old man.”

“Yeah?” A toothpick was plucked from a set of crooked teeth curled into a grin not too unkind. “How ‘bout this? Rider’s been casing the mountain. Temple’s sealed up tighter than a bank vault thanks to them bastards, almost got burned for lingerin’. But she’s just about set up her show for that school of yers. She can have it up and runnin’ tonight.” The grin grew a little more crooked, but the Servant said nothing else.

“Good.” By now, the Master had fully recomposed himself. “Let’s start off small and see what happens.” He shot a glare over his shoulder, past Archer X and into the dark pit worse than any nightmares in his entire life. Ten years of hell, ten years of bracing myself for this fight… Once all the rest are dealt with, Grandfather will be ashes in the wind, and you’ll be the one under my knee, you rusty old one-eyed bastard.

Below, his uncle hadn’t been so caught up in his workout that he didn’t notice the energy in Shinji’s step. “Ah, the vigor of youth. And arrogance.” He, too, remembered a time where he was still making a name for himself and believed the possibilities were endless. Well, life had taught him much since then, including to keep as close an eye on his subordinates as he did on his enemies… and his allies.

Speak of the devil… a cane rapped harshly against the stone blocks as Zouken Matou approached, two spiritual presences right behind his saggy shoulders. But his black eyes gleamed with excitement. “Sounds like our little champion thinks himself ready. Just in time, too. The stage is set, the curtain stands ready to be drawn back, and nearly all the cast has been gathered.” He grinned, a terrible expression. “You can sense it, too, can’t you, old friend? How the audience awaits this latest performance most eagerly.”

“And what a script we’ve written for them all.” “Masao Matou” bared his teeth into a feral grin before delivering one final punch to the sandbag. Sand exploded and scattered across the floor, trickling down into the cracks, while he studied the gaping holes his blow had made. This time, no one will deny me what is rightfully mine.

And here we are, our chapter for Christmas Day! Ho ho ho!

I surely don’t need to remind you all who this Atto inside Sakura’s dreams is. As for her choice of name, well, looking at canon/Paradox Rin’s interactions and memory of her father, I confidently conclude the Tohsaka sisters are both daddy’s girls. Just different daddies in this setting.

And now, for the moment some of you might’ve been waiting for, our first (but not last) X Servant sheet for the story! As always, Noble Phantasms yet to be shown are blended out.

Lancer X-

Class: Lancer

Master: Rin Tohsaka

True Name: Ruby Rose

Titles: Red like Roses Huntress, Leader of Team RWBY, Crater Face

Sex: Female

Source: RWBY

Region: Vale

Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: B

Endurance: C

Agility: B+

Mana: C

Luck: D

NP: B

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

C: Lancer X has seen and battled with magical threats in her time. She is capable of resisting mid- to low-level spells and curses without too much effort. She cannot counter High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, though, nor can she truly perform magic herself.

Personal Skills-

Aura: The ability to harness one’s soul in the form of an energy field that surrounds its user’s body. It enhances their physical abilities and healing as well as provides protection from attacks that could prove crippling or life-threatening. Upon its breaking, the user’s Strength, Endurance, and Agility Stats decrease by one rank, but Aura can recharge with time and Magical Energy.

B: Lancer X appears young and did not officially complete her Huntress education in life, but she has ample training and experience in the field. Her Aura has protected her time and again against enemies that would have torn her to pieces. It is not fully developed, thereby easier to break with multiple consecutive hits, but with Lancer X’s speed, this is easier said than done.

Clairvoyance: Is a visual ability that is also called Hawkeye. This is generally a must-have ability of the Archer class. It is also frequently used during scouting. Simply looking from a high location is sufficient to fully survey a town and search for enemies. In addition, Clairvoyance will affect the accuracy of bows. It connotes superior visual perception and dynamic occipital capture, such as to supplement the long-range aiming of projectile weapons. At higher ranks, it is possible that the bearers of this Skill have acquired abilities such as precognition ("future vision") and other forms of perception beyond standard eyesight (X-ray vision and so forth). It is a Skill furnished on the flesh.

C: Lancer X's proficiency with the sniper function of ? would allow her to qualify for Gunner as well as Lancer class. Her shots are accurate enough to counter missiles in mid-flight.

Tactics: Is tactical knowledge used not for one-on-one combat situations, but for battles where many are mobilized. Bonus modifiers are provided during use of one's own Anti-Army Noble Phantasm or when dealing against an enemy Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.

C: Lancer X’s excitable personality belies an innate talent for organizing the movements of her allies. She can also notice miniscule details of her opponent and devise reckless but impressive strategies to win the battle, both alone and as part of a team. The headmaster of her school specifically named Lancer X leader of her assigned team because of this strength.

Charisma of Hope: A Skill similar to regular Charisma, yet different; this is where one has the ability to inspire others in times of great sorrow. They do not succumb to despair easily and invigorate others with their presence.

B-: Lancer X has been described as possessing “a simple, honest soul,” one with a near-bottomless optimism. Her adventures have tempered her originally naïve worldview and at times nearly disheartened her completely, she even perished in battle with a conflicted heart. Yet this Skill, albeit diminished, is still a core part of her being. Even older, more cynical characters will feel a lifting of their souls in proximity to Lancer X.

Mystic Eyes: A Skill where one has possession of Mystic Eyes, capable of imparting magical effects upon a subject and interfering with the outside world.

B: Lancer X’s eyes are of a silver color, a sign that she belongs to an ancient lineage of warriors from her homeworld. These eyes, an exceedingly rare trait, can call upon light and the user’s desire to preserve life to turn malevolent spirits or beings of destruction to stone. If concentrated enough, she can even vaporize the targets. However, Servants are both too powerful and not mere creatures of destruction; they are not easily affected by this silver light.  Overuse is also mana-consumptive, and Lancer X doesn't have complete control over her eyes' power.

Noble Phantasms-

?: C (Anti-Unit): ?

Petal Burst: “Thus Kindly I Scatter”: B (Anti-Unit (Self)): An extension of Aura known as a “Semblance”; an ability unique to each user. Lancer X can basically dissolve her physical body into rose petals to move at extreme speeds for a period of time before reassembling. She has excellent control of her Semblance and uses it regularly in combat. Aside from wielding it to quickly charge or retreat, she can also blind enemies with the petals, create slipstreams to pick up objects, disperse into clusters to avoid attacks, or carry her teammates while their forms blur together. There is, however, a limit to how much she can physically carry, as well as the fact that Petal Burst still requires Aura. If that is broken, it is unusable.

Truth be told, a very big inspiration for this choice was the fic, “RWBY Zero” by TheMaster4444, a real gem (pun intended) of a crossover IMHO. And yes, the obvious choice of a Team RWBY-Servant for Rin would be Weiss, but I don’t think Ruby’s quite so different from her, once you delve into their characters. Rin isn’t quite as worldly as she thinks of herself, IMO. Besides, Ruby’s a kind of prodigy, too; she got into Beacon Academy two years early and was perfectly capable of keeping up with and/or leading her peers combat-wise.

As for why her class isn’t Archer/Gunner, the Fate wiki officially states that Lancers, “are very agile, display excellent close combat skills, show proficiency in hit-and-run tactics that capitalize on range and speed, and are skilled with long-range melee weapons such as spears and lances.” Nobody can tell me that none of these qualities apply to Ruby Rose, or that a scythe isn’t a long-range melee weapon.

Before anyone questions her Strength being B-rank, keep in mind the weapon she uses on a regular basis. You gotta have some muscle for that, Aura or no Aura. She’s also from the final episode of Volume 6, specifically an alternate ending when she wasn’t quite fast enough to activate her Silver Eyes. Why I chose this moment and not a later one involving her falling, let’s just say that I think Volume 6’s Ruby is closer in character and spiritual resonance, so to speak, to current Rin than Volume 8/9’s Ruby.

I didn’t write down an exact number for the tiles thing because I never was any good at geometry and have zero knowledge of architecture, but Ruby did give the correct answer in-story. She’s optimistic and playing up her childishness (a bit), but she’s not stupid.

Oh, yeah, and because I’m so excited, here’s one last goodie:

Paradox Carnival: A Master’s Morning

It was a Sunday morning, and a peaceful, beautiful one at that. Inside her bedroom, Rin Tohsaka was snoozing a little fitfully beneath her covers even as the morning sun shined in through the windows. On her nightstand sat a pink cat-themed alarm clock, a gift from her Servant. As its digital display shifted from 06:59 to 07:00, it began playing a jaunty whistle; not bad, a little irritating but much better than the raspy “Ha, ha, ha! Ha!” that came with it. Seriously, who did they record for it, an asthmatic old geezer?!

Her lovely well-earned slumber disturbed, Rin glared out from beneath her sheets and quickly pushed the snooze-button (as explained by Archer). She then turned around in her spot, snuggling in. Last night had been a bit of a handful, what with the new Master getting used to her familiars (two Servants, amazing!); she’d completed her schoolwork and handled a few other projects, and to reiterate, today was Sunday! She could sleep in if she wanted to.

But ten minutes later, she was rattled awake by another round of whistling and “Ha, ha, ha! Ha!” Snooze button.

7:30, “Ha, ha, ha-” She grabbed the thing by its neck and slapped the snooze. Stupid thing’s lucky it’s cute…

8:20, “Ha!” Where were the batteries, why couldn’t she get it to stop? Ah, too tired… snooze…

8:52, Rin groaned at the familiar whistling-“Wake up!” Her hand paused in mid-reach. “You are lazy and worthless!” The hand balled into a fist and rammed down on the stupid cat’s head.

9:48, “Ha, ha, ha… Aaand powerless to stop me!” Turning the clock around didn’t work, so how about a one-two?! Rin dug herself snarling into the covers. “Damn cat…” At this point, it was a matter of pride! No stupid machine would get the better of her.

10:37, “You think I’d go away, but I’m still here! Ha, ha, ha!” Hiding behind the lamp didn’t save it from her kick. It had already lost an ear, and an eye was dangling out, much to her schadenfreude.

11:19, “You want peace and quiet? Toooo bad! Ha, ha!” “Shut UP!” She actually sprang up and unleashed a spinning axe kick on the battered monstrosity.

12:12, Impossible! It was practically scrap by now, but… “I’ll never let you sleep again! Ha, haaaa-” A fully charged Gandr blasted the cat back to the infernal pit from whence it came.

“And ha, ha, haaaa to you.” A heavily frazzled but smirking Rin lowered her outstretched left arm and sank back against her pillow in triumph, a few last seconds of sleep still within her grasp…

“Not broken~”

Two bloodshot eyes snapped open, the left twitching savagely, as that damned laughter filled her bedroom. Homurahara Academy’s top female student launched herself off the bed, her arms alight with Reinforcement and her face warped from unbridled fury. “RAAAARRRRRRRRGH!!!”

Safely outside the increasingly demolished bedroom, an apron-wearing Archer was preparing breakfast (well, at this point, it may as well be lunch) while idly listening to his Master’s screech-filled rampage. As one particularly loud crash sounded out, he turned to the kitchen’s other occupant with a muted expression of astonishment, apprehension and a little awe. “That… was diabolical.”

Lancer X snickered deviously into her sugar-laden coffee. “Teach her not to confiscate my sweets…”

“…Lancer X… Ruby… I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” While the sounds of sleep-deprived, banshee-wailing battle intensified above them, cups were clinked to commemorate this occasion.

Chapter Text

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.”

Chapter Text

Maiya snapped out of her nap as a bolt of pain shot through her. Even as her hand instinctively traveled to her throat, she managed to suppress any sounds or overt reactions, thereby not disturbing the few other passengers inside the train car, but her mind was on high alert now. Someone’s at the house. The Bounded Field she and Kiritsugu had set up over their home was for the most part a simple early warning system that alerted its magic-sensitive inhabitants to any uninvited guests. However, it was also designed with a spiritual connection to Maiya, thereby relaying all disturbances to her, regardless of her location.

The latter feature transmitted samples of the intruders’ spiritual presence to her, allowing the retired killer the possibility of hunting them down if she could pick up the trail. In this case, she couldn’t tell for sure who exactly was there, but there was more than one, and she recognized a recurring feature about some of the intruders: They were Servants.

‘What’s wrong, Master?’ A male voice rang out inside Maiya’s mind despite the seats next to and in front of her being empty. Of course, no one but she could’ve heard it in the first place. ‘You look like you’re expecting to be attacked.’

She glanced down to find her left hand balled into a fist and trembling. “Not me, and not here, but…” Sighing, she grabbed the wrist with her other hand and tried to steady it. Taiga shouldn’t be at home this time at night… Was Shirou in danger? What if Bull and Shiba were out of commission? She knew she should’ve left behind a Shadow Clone…

“Something’s happened. My family might be in danger, and we still have three damn stops before I reach Fuyuki-” Maiya took a deep breath. In the process, her eyes inadvertently wandered to the twin crimson face-shaped markings on her right hand. She tried not to think back to that moment in a Tokyo alley where after drawing up the circle with some hastily acquired pigeon blood (blood is blood, and there weren’t any convenient stray cats or muggers nearby), she’d performed the ritual with that powder Velvet had provided her, crossing her fingers the whole time that when the dust settled, a certain masked shinobi would be there.

And instead… ‘Hey.’ Hearing her new Servant brought her out of her disappointment and back to reality. ‘Don’t go drowning yourself in doubt now. We’ll be back at your home soon enough.’ The quiet resolve in his words almost made Maiya smile; she couldn’t help but be reminded of Shirou. ‘In the meantime, isn’t there some way of figuring out what’s going on over there?’

That made her pause. “…Maybe. Keep watch for a few seconds.” She sunk into her seat and performed the Ram sign, shutting her eyes in concentration. I could call the landline, but first… Maiya Hisau expanded her skillset thanks to her own determination and a few pointers from her “benefactor” in this past decade. One such fruit of her labor had been a deeper connection to the contract of her canine sweeties: not only could she summon them for longer stretches of time, but she could also sense which were currently active and which could be called upon.

Thus, Maiya quickly sussed out that all eight among the pack were ready to be summoned. Shiba… Bull… She rose from her seat and made for the nearest lavatory, her right thumb already at her mouth. ‘Follow me, X.’ She instructed over their link; rudimentary, but it did the job. ‘Hopefully, I can get us some intel, and if nothing else, you should meet some family of mine who’ll be your teammates.’

‘Can’t wait.’ Well, at least Maiya had netted herself a pretty reliable ally, from the looks of it. Now, if only she didn’t feel so wary every time she pictured the familiarly metallic structure of his body…

Emiya had picked up some more injuries, Rin noted while looking him over. She forced down any images of him lying half-dead in the hallway and kept her voice and posture cool and unflappable as she always presented herself at their school. It was second nature to her at this point. “So, you really do know some magecraft after all,” she tilted her head idly towards the walls, “I always wondered about the Bounded Field here. Such a simple, basic setup.”

“Bounded Field…” Shirou in turn kept his guard up all the more at hearing that term. “You really are involved in all this insanity, then?” He eyed the red-wearing figures standing in front of Saber, Kakashi between them. “And these two… they’re the ones I saw tearing apart the yard with that guy in blue… They’re affiliated with you, huh?”

The girl with the red cloak took one hand off her scythe to wave at him. “Yeah, hi, sorry for barging in like this, but you remember us from before, right?” She smiled, a soft, bright expression that didn’t quite put Shirou at ease, but he could it was authentic. “Sherou, was it?” The way she pronounced his name reminded him of how an American would. “Glad to see you’re back on your feet. You took a really bad hit back at the school.”

She winced a bit upon saying that which Saber noticed. “Shirou, you encountered these Servants earlier tonight?” During her inquiry, she ended her stance and retreated to her Master’s side; there wasn’t much she could do to fight because of the command, and she knew even alone, Kakashi wouldn’t go down easily. “But they didn’t harm you?”

Shirou shook his head. “No, in fact, the girl took on Lancer when he attacked me.”

“For all the good it did…” Lancer X mumbled, still a bit ashamed of herself for being too late again. She then straightened when Saber turned back to her. “Anyway, we just came here because we figured Lancer would come after you again and we-” She winced as two telepathic rebukes flashed inside her head. “…I was worried about you. But if you’re okay…”

“I see,” Saber nodded before bowing her head towards the other female Servant, “then you have my gratitude for assisting Shirou. You clearly have good intentions, and though we may come to blows in the future, I apologize for impulsively attacking you.”

“Oh, uh, that’s okay.” Rin watched amused as Ruby’s social awkwardness reared its head again when she tried returning the bow while still holding Crescent Rose upright. An effort that was further hampered by the other person clutching her Noble Phantasm. “So, can your partner please let go of my baby already? I was just trying to protect our Master.”

Assassin X tilted his head slightly towards her but didn’t take his Sharingan off the other Servant. “As am I, and while I would like to settle this peacefully, something tells me your compatriots aren’t ready to pack up and turn in for tonight.”

Rin analyzed the foreign Servant before her, from his calm yet steady stance to the way he continued to watch both Ruby and Archer attentively. And her, the Master realized after a second. She maintained her smile even as she looked up at his masked face. “Oho, it looks like Emiya found himself a cautious one. Well, I’ll have to admit, your apprehension isn’t completely unfounded, considering my team has his at a disadvantage.”

Saber cocked an eyebrow and smirked slightly, perplexing Rin. “Is she referring to the Command Seal?”

“Most likely.” She nearly jumped out of her coat at hearing the voice of Saber’s partner behind her.

A hand patted her right shoulder lightly even as both of her Servants stiffened despite the other Servant’s continued vigil over them. Yes, that Servant was clearly still right in front of Rin, yet she could clearly see him in her peripherals. But she should’ve noticed him before now unless… “I see,” Rin hummed in an effort to appear unfazed while turning to him, “you’re Assassin X, aren’t you?”

“Very astute of you, Miss Tohsaka.” Shirou himself had only just realized the second Kakashi standing beside his fellow student. His eyes darted between one silver-haired man and the other in search of any differences, but they were exactly the same. He couldn’t tell which one was the real Kakashi and which was the… “And judging by the girl’s weapon, I’d say she’s Lancer X.” He snapped out of his thoughts. A Lancer? Like that Cu guy? “Meanwhile, her eagle-eyed, taciturn partner here strikes me as an Archer. Two knight-class Servants for one magus girl still in high school… Impressive.”

Then the Assassin X guarding the opposing two Servants took over. “But back to our original topic, do remember that Shirou’s command only affects Saber. I am still free to do as I please.” His twin spun a kunai around his index finger, a subtle threat if Rin ever knew one.

The Heroic Spirit of Assassination’s Master opened his mouth at hearing it, but Saber said to him, “Easy, Shirou. Assassin X is simply pointing out that we are currently not so helpless. But please don’t forget his advice to you.” Kakashi’s warning about his words “having power” came back to Shirou, and he stepped back to take a breath and think this through.

He still wanted answers, though, something Tohsaka apparently picked up on. “Well, I can recognize when the cards aren’t in my favor,” she began gracefully, “and as Lancer X pointed out, we didn’t come here for a fight. So, seeing as your Master clearly has questions, how about we agree to a brief truce and I help answer them?” Inwardly, she crossed her fingers. For her to have been snuck up on so easily, and if she had misread Emiya’s character…

Assassin X finally took his eyes off the biggest danger of this trio and cocked his head back towards his Master and comrade. Artoria nodded, and Shirou shot him a silent plea. “Very well.” He lowered his kunai and released Lancer X’s scythe before walking backwards until he reached Saber. Lancer X relaxed her stance and elbowed her partner after a second, a visibly unhappy Archer following suit with a huff.

Simultaneously, the Assassin X beside Tohsaka disappeared with a Poof! I knew it, Shirou noted in slight wonder barely noticing the girl flinch a tiny bit. That was a Shadow Clone… Kakashi’s a magus, too?

They began walking towards the house, the tan man in red (Archer, right?) hanging back close to the walls. Lancer X, on the other hand, was sticking close near Rin; probably a sort of bodyguard in case talking didn’t work. How quickly that thought came didn’t suit Shirou well, so in order to take his mind off it, his eyes wandered to the cloaked girl’s weapon as it folded in on itself. Certain parts of it stuck out to him. “…Is that a bolt-action rifle, too?”

Lancer X promptly grinned at him, happy to talk about her sweetheart. “Picked up on that, didja?” He set Crescent Rose to rifle mode, pretending to aim it while Shirou and Saber stepped a little closer, the latter a little curious herself by the looks of it. “Yup, bolt-action gives you way better aim and can fire stronger bullets! Lever-action and other repeaters are so overhyped…”

“Not to mention bolt-action is comparatively easy to use and maintain-” Shirou agreed before stumbling back from the sudden finger in his face and the stars in her eyes.

“Exactly! Ough, if you’re gonna use a weapon fulltime, you’ve got to take care of it, and a mechashift feature already makes maintenance twice as hard!” Ruby shook her head unaware of the stares she was getting. “Some people just don’t respect the work that goes into designing your own weapon and keeping it functional.” She then beamed at Shirou. “You know about guns?”

“Uh, a little.” Maiya had been giving him extensive lessons about firearms since he’d turned fifteen; despite Japan’s anti-gun laws, she insisted that such knowledge was vital. “I’d rather you never have to fire one,” Shirou’s aunt had admitted the first time she took him to a private shooting range, “but if you’re set on being a ‘Hero of Justice,’ sooner or later, you’ll run into people with no qualms about using guns. When that day comes, Shirou, you should know how to handle that kind of weapon. At the very least, you should respect what they’re capable of.” She then pulled a Glock out of her bag and showed him how to take it apart.

At times like that, Shirou couldn’t help but feel a little terrified by his guardian, but he took her lessons to heart all the same. Besides, once he got the hang of taking apart a semi or a Steyr, he found it wasn’t much different than understanding the inner workings of a stove or a vacuum cleaner. His experience in archery also came in handy for actually firing a gun, though he still wasn’t keen on doing it or the resultant sound.

As for the rest of Lancer X’s audience, only Archer and Assassin X could really comprehend her jargon, and in the latter’s case, it was thanks to the time he spent with Kiritsugu and Maiya. Saber politely tried to follow along while Rin inwardly scoffed at Emiya’s interest. As if a true magus would bother with something as barbaric as guns. She cleared her throat, prompting Ruby to stop and sheepishly rub her head.

Shirou for his part never imagined this would be how he might invite Rin Tohsaka into his home one day.

She for her part didn’t seem too impressed as she pulled her coat tighter around herself walking on the wooden boards. “Man, it’s so cold…” she mumbled before hopping around a shard of glass in her way. A glance revealed the source. “Whoa, what happened here? This window’s completely busted!”

“It’s not like I broke it for kicks,” Shirou defended himself as the two stopped in front of the wreckage. “I was trying to put some distance between me and that Lancer guy.”

Rin eyed him skeptically but with a little respect. “You mean you fought him all by yourself until you managed to summon your Servants?” She thumbed at Saber and Assassin X watching them silently.

“If you can call getting pummeled all over the place ‘fighting’.”

His bluntness drew a hum from the girl. “You don’t even bother framing yourself in a positive light for that?” Tohsaka nodded to herself. “I see, what you see is what it is with you, Emiya.” While he tried puzzling out whether that was a compliment or an insult, she held a hand up, muttered something in German (maybe) while cutting her finger, and the shards scattered across the wood and grass promptly rose into the air and reassembled themselves with a flash of blue energy.

Rin stepped back from the now-intact pane (Lancer X giving her kudos for “pulling a Goodwitch,” whatever that meant) while Emiya eyed her work in wonder. “You’re a real magus after all, Tohsaka?”

“Obviously,” she kept her voice matter-of-fact to not dwell on the awe in his words. “And so are you from the looks of it.” How else could he have summoned the strongest Servant?

“Not much of one.” The boy kept baffling her… “I can’t do something like this.” Though due to his humility or his stupidity, she couldn’t say.

“You’re not serious, are you?” Shirou winced slightly at her visible disbelief. “This is manipulating glass, the equivalent of a parlor trick.”

He knew he wasn’t doing a good job of selling himself… but who was he kidding? If Tohsaka wasn’t out of his league before… “Basics and parlor tricks are all I’ve got to offer, and I don’t even have many of those.” Shirou thought he heard the bad-tempered man in red, Archer, scoff, rankling him in turn, but no point trying to salvage his pride now.

Rin groaned to herself, “How is it a third-rate like you…” before a different voice cut in.

“It’s not how advanced the tricks you know are, but how you apply them.” Assassin X leaned with his left shoulder against a wooden beam. “And it never hurts to have a good grasp of the basics.”

Shirou appreciated the support, but before he could say anything, “Lancer X” chimed in next. “Yeah, one of my best friends had a rough start, too, but he turned out to be a good fighter and a great strategist!” She beamed at him. “Don’t give up on yourself that easy!”

Shirou wasn’t the only one who had to look away lest they risk being blinded by the girl’s brightness. Archer seemed to have disappeared when the youngest resident of the Emiya house looked back, but neither Tohsaka nor Lancer X seemed worried. They just moved on, so he and his(?) partners did the same.

As they stepped inside, Shirou dutifully took off his shoes same as Tohsaka, Kakashi and a little surprisingly Saber, Lancer X hastily following suit. Shirou had guessed she was a foreigner, what with her American-like fixation on guns (Kinda like those rednecks Big Sis befriended in Vegas…), but at least she was making an effort not to be rude. He then noticed Kakashi’s eye lingering on the shoe collection. “You have family, Shirou?” The ninja-like man inquired politely.

“My dad passed away five years ago,” Shirou replied as neutrally as he could, “but I still have an aunt who lives here, too. She’s just out of town for a couple days. And the granddaughter of our landlord is practically my big sister,” his voice lowered to a grumble, “which means that crazy cat has pretty much marked this place as her territory…”

“Ah, Fujimura-sensei!” Rin realized after a moment’s thought. Sakura did mention her popping up a few times during their cooking sessions, come to think of it… “So, you’re subjected to the Tiger’s energy even after school hours?” She giggled wryly at him. “No wonder you can take so much punishment, Emiya.”

He faced away so nobody could notice his blushing. “L-let’s just focus on this Servant stuff…” He led them towards the dining room, Assassin X subtly casting a glimpse or two around the house.

Saber’s armor had disappeared in a scatter of mana, leaving her with a simple blue-and-white dress, but she walked no less dignified. “Shall we put on some tea, or would you prefer we begin with the explanations?”

“I wouldn’t say no to a fresh cup of tea.” Tohsaka’s comment cemented what Shirou had already planned; unexpected guests or not, let no one say he wasn’t a fair host. So, he quickly got out the kettle and some leaves, but Kakashi took the kettle out of his hands with nothing but a wink. He tried to protest while his guest filled it with water and set it on the heater, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Soon, Rin was sipping her tea on one side of the table with Lancer X on her right while Emiya sat across from her, Saber a little behind him on his right and Assassin X facing the kitchen. “Now then, to business. You haven’t the slightest clue of what you’ve got yourself mixed up in, do you?” Receiving a grunt in confirmation, the representative of the Tohsaka family continued. “In simple terms, you’ve been chosen as a Master, Emiya. Have you noticed any stigmas anywhere on your body?”

Shirou’s left brow rose. “Stigmas?” He then noticed Assassin X tapping the back of his gloved hand and glanced downwards. “Wait, you mean these… ‘Command Seal’ things?” He raised both sets of markings.

“Exactly.” Tohsaka nodded. “They signify you are a Master, and they serve as spells that grant you control over your Servants, at least, so long as you manage to keep at least one of them.”

“So long as I manage to keep them? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rin noticed both of Emiya’s Servants watching her attentively, no doubt ready to stop any falsehood she might’ve offered. Not that she’d stoop to such cheap tricks, but honesty was the best policy here. And simplicity, judging by Emiya’s expression. “Command Seals are orders of absolute obedience. They can exert control over your Servants’ actions, even if it means going against their own wills. Remember how you made Saber freeze in her tracks?” His brown eyes drifted down to the faded part of Saber’s Seals. Looks like he does have some brains. “One set of three for each Servant, so be mindful of how you use them.”

And now she felt Ruby side-eyeing her, the cheeky little…

Meanwhile, Shirou sought a second opinion, so he turned to Assassin X. “She’s right about the power of those Seals, Shirou. With them, you can theoretically make me and/or Saber do anything. The more vaguely you word your commands, though, the less effect they have over us. And you can’t just interchange Seals for either of us.” He pointed to the boy’s hands. “Your left ones are for Saber, your right ones are for me. And Miss Tohsaka was right, too, about using them carefully. They may save your life in a pinch.”

“My life?” The Master stared at his Servant.

“True enough.” Tohsaka drew his attention again. “The purpose of the Holy Grail War is for Masters to fight Masters. One who has defeated the other six would win the Holy Grail, which will grant whatever you wish for.”

Shirou Emiya blinked; did he just hear that right? “Whoa, slow down a second… What do you mean with the ‘Holy Grail’?”

Rin Tohsaka stared back at him completely straight-faced. “To keep it short, you’re now part of a ritual: The Holy Grail War, where seven Masters wage battle. Magi fighting to the death.”

“Are you listening to yourself right now?!” He looked around, but everyone else seemed totally unfazed by her words. So, this… This craziness that almost got him killed… What Tohsaka was saying was all real?!

“Sorry, Shirou,” Lancer X looked at him apologetically, “but that’s pretty much what’s happening right now. I know it sounds crazy, but…” she shrugged. “Everything that’s happened tonight is super crazy, don’t you think?” He really wished he could deny the truth in her words…

“Lancer X, I’ll handle this.” As her Servant leaned back, Rin smiled calmly. “Like she said, even you can recognize the truth, Emiya. A Servant almost killed you twice in a matter of hours. Believe us now?” He looked away with a grunt but didn’t refute her.

The kettle on the heater started whistling, drawing her attention, but Ruby hopped to her feet. “I’ve got it.”

Pleased with her Servant’s initiative, Rin went on. “I, too, have been chosen as a Master. Lancer X here is one of my Servants,” he held up her hand with the rose-like Seals, “just as Saber and Assassin X are yours, Emiya. They’re basically familiars assigned to you by the Grail to give you a chance of surviving the War.”

Shirou eyed first Saber, then Kakashi, comparing them in his mind to the pack. “They don’t look much like any familiars I know.”

And how much would a doofus like you know about familiars? Rin thought but chose to say something more polite. “But of course, not. Servants are classified as familiars, but they’re actually spiritual beings with powers far beyond any human. Heroic Spirits of the past.”

“Heroes…?” He stared at the two again, the girl sitting straight and composed, the man slouching just a bit but watching them attentively. “From the past?”

“I stem from this world’s past,” Saber specified, drawing his attention. “Or more precisely, I stem from stories told in the past and carried down through the years. With Assassin X and Lancer X, it’s… different.”

“Exactly.” Shirou turned back to Tohsaka, fighting off the dizziness welling up from all this. “Servants are Heroic Spirits, the characters of legends originating from the past and present, drawn to our time and made tangible.” She sighed a bit. “Normally, the sources of these figures are limited to our world alone, but in this Grail War, there are twice as many Servants participating for some reason.” She nodded pointedly to Kakashi and Ruby who was pouring fresh water into her cup. The latter offered him, but he declined politely. “And Servants who carry an X with their class all originate from alternate universes.”

…It was a good thing Shirou wasn’t drinking any tea because he’d have spit it all over the table. And Tohsaka. “A-alternate universes?!” He didn’t try to hide his disbelief. If he’d been in a better mood, he might’ve laughed his head off. “First talk about the Holy Grail,” he started counting off his fingers, “then heroes of stories are fighting for magi, and now this?! Kakashi and Lancer X are from another world?!”

“Other worlds,” Assassin X corrected calmly. Neither he nor Saber were fazed at all by Shirou’s reaction; it was very much an appropriate response. Kiritsugu, a man with an ironclad grip on his emotions, had taken time to roll with this development, too. “I know this sounds ridiculous, Shirou, but take a look at Lancer X, then me. Do you spot anything similar about us?” Brown eyes darted between them, skepticism warring with truth within them, as the ninja continued. “No, we’re not of similar origins. I’ve never seen or head of a warrior like her in my life.”

“Same here,” Lancer X shrugged, “I have no idea who you or Saber could be. No offense.”

The ninja and the knight assured her, “None taken,” in synch, baffling the others a bit.

Then the former tilted his head. “And have you even heard of anything like what we can do, Shirou?”

Shirou opened his mouth and closed it again while he considered the question. In Lancer X’s case, the answer was a definite “no.” That scythe-rifle lovechild of hers was unlike anything he could’ve ever imagined, and he doubted anyone could build such a weapon, let alone wield it. But… he couldn’t be sure about Kakashi. The Substitution, the Shadow Clones… sure, there were other things like the fire-breathing and his attire and equipment. Well, if parallel words existed (outside of a manga), maybe there would be some similarities…

Assassin X for his part noticed how a little recognition flickered in Shirou’s sight when he focused on him. And Saber kept peering at him the same way. Something stirred inside him as possibilities rose.

Unaware of Emiya’s contemplations, Rin decided to bring the topic back on track. “Regardless of their origins,” she said, capturing his attention again, “Servants are summoned by Masters. Once they’ve materialized, the Grail stabilizes their physical forms. They can travel about in spirit form, thereby remaining invisibly by your side…”

Picking up on her cue, Lancer X dematerialized with a sparkle of red mana before Emiya’s eyes for a second before reappearing again with a little wave.

“…Or they become tangible to assist and fight for you.” Rin finished.

Shirou leaned back in his cushion, his frustrations and doubts beginning to ebb. Either he was completely losing his mind, or this was slowly starting to make sense. Of course, there was the possibility it was making sense because he’d lost his mind… “And the guy in red who came here with you, he’s another Servant? Lancer X’s partner of… this world? Our world? He’s in spirit form right now but could materialize whenever you or he wants?”

“Yes, he’s Archer. He’s standing guard outside while we talk.” While Lancer X is here and ready to fight if “my” Servants were to attack her again… Shirou surmised. He felt Tohsaka also sounded a little pleased. No doubt she wanted to wrap this up. “I take it you finally understand?”

“Trying to… But I’m getting there.” He was running out of ideas to disprove this stuff, anyways.

Rin’s lip quirked. This boy’s reaction, while a little trying, was honestly a breath of fresh air. Or maybe she couldn’t get that frustrated with him taking so long to process this because everyone else in the room was being so patient. Of course, that made way for a different type of frustration.

“If you want a more expansive explanation, you should talk with the overseer of the Holy Grail War.” Shirou noticed Tohsaka’s fingers tighten just a bit around her mug. “But let me make something clear,” she leaned forward in her seat and dropped whatever playfulness or annoyance gathered in these last couple minutes. “Your only option now is to fight, and the Servants are powerful familiars. Make good use of yours.” He sighed a little at that while she drank tea again; familiars or not, they were still people, weren’t they? But Tohsaka was talking about them like they were just lackeys, or worse, inanimate tools.

Setting down her mug, Rin focused on the one behind Emiya. “And as for you…” Saber calmly stared back at her. “Based on what I can tell from Emiya, you two are incomplete right now, Saber? Assassin X?”

“Yes,” the Servant of the Sword answered while the Servant of Assassination nodded. “I cannot speak for my partner, but I am presently not at full strength. Shirou’s training as a Master is lacking, which makes restoring my mana rather difficult for him, even with the current amendments.”

Rin blinked, a little shocked by this. “I didn’t expect that.”

Shirou needed clarification, though he was well-aware of his inadequate training. “Amendments?”

Kakashi took over. “First of all, as a spiritual being, a Servant’s body is comprised of mana, Shirou. So, naturally, we expend mana by fighting or simply existing and thereby need mana to sustain our forms in this reality.” He patted his chest before prodding Shirou’s arm. “That’s where the Master comes in. Miss Tohsaka here is providing both Lancer X and Archer with mana from her own reserves,” he gestured from one girl to the other, “and normally, you would do the same for us. But it doesn’t work so well in your case.”

“Because I’m not much good with my Magic Circuits.” That much, he realized himself and was met with a slightly apologetic nod.

Saber coughed politely, drawing his attention to her again. “A single Servant naturally expends a sizable amount of mana, more so when they or their weapons are extremely powerful, and under normal circumstances, having to manage two would be a rather… trying effort for even a master mage. But in this Grail War, the replenishment for each Servant has been reduced to half that of what would regularly be necessary. Otherwise, trying to provide for us both might’ve killed you by now.” Shirou gulped slightly, earning him a silent apology from her as well. This deal is getting better all the time… he snarked to himself.

“Can’t you guys go into spirit form for a little while?” Lancer X offered. “It costs a lot less mana than to be all solid.” This coming from the Servant who keeps popping out of spirit form, Rin snarked mentally.

“Spirit form is currently inaccessible for me,” Saber admitted. “Despite my best efforts, I cannot step out of my corporeal state.” She ignored the stares Tohsaka and Lancer X shot her to eye her partner. “Assassin X may be of better help for Shirou.” Kakashi always was the dependable one between the two of us.

Same as when we were with Kiritsugu, Assassin X noted amid his concentrating. Not that it could stop her… He glanced down at himself after a moment. “Curious… I can’t seem to shift into spirit form either.”

That made Artoria’s eyes widen slightly, something nearly no one noticed. But he could in the previous time… “So, you’re stuck in this state, too, Kakashi?” She dully registered Shirou’s question.

“Looks like it…” The Copy Ninja inspected his arm half in thought. “It could be because of our unorthodox summoning,” he theorized. “Shirou wasn’t actually intending to call us up in the first place, so maybe there was some kind of… short circuit or something that locked us in our physical forms.” He shrugged after a moment. “I’m no expert about Servants, but it’s the only explanation I have to offer.”

Emiya’s head sank a bit in light of this while Ruby glanced between the two in slight worry. Too compassionate for her own good, Rin sighed to herself before speaking up. “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting either of you to be casual about this, especially in front of me and Lancer X.” Sure enough, neither looked particularly perturbed about their limited states.

The partners traded another look before Assassin X explained. “You’re obviously smart enough to figure out this abnormality, so why bother being coy about it? Our priority right now is bringing Shirou up to speed, and our apparently mutual situation was bound to come up.” He might as well have been talking about the weather, Shirou listened in slight awe.

Saber nodded before continuing. “In light of the circumstances, revealing this to an enemy team is among the lesser risks. We are still capable of fighting for and protecting our Master, after all. We simply need to adjust our tactics a bit.” Again, the boy was amazed. No bluster from either of them, just confidence.

“Wow, you guys really are pro heroes, huh?” Lancer X’s eyes sparkled slightly at their coolness. If they were back in Remnant, she might’ve asked for their autographs.

Rin for her part raised her mug again. “Inspiring character and conviction…” She calmly took one last sip… and slammed her mug on the table.

“Give me a break, damnit!” Shirou could only stare as Tohsaka, the most admired girl at Homurahara, jumped up and whined with her hands behind her head like a petulant child. “I could’ve had this whole War in the bag if I’d just been Saber’s Master!” She fell to her knees and slumped her face against the mats. “Even Assassin X would’ve been okay…”

Nice to know she considers me a consolation prize in comparison to Artoria, Assassin X drawled inwardly.

Shirou sat a little straighter while his Servants eyed the wriggling girl passively. “What, I don’t deserve them in your eyes?” He tried not to focus on which shaking body part of hers was currently closest to him.

Rin snapped a glare over her shoulder at Emiya. “Of course not, you two-bit!” Just a lucky handsome- Wh-N-no, s-stupid! Stupid hack… She snapped her burning face away even as he made another s-stupid sound!

Ruby huffed faux-haughtily at her spot. “Oh, I’m Rin, I’m so smart and totally a pro who deserves the best Servants ever, of all time!” She was more than a little peeved at her Master selling her and Archer short again. “Better listen to her, Shirou, she’s so awesome a Master that she blew two Seals not even three minutes after summoning- Owowowowowow!” Her rant cut off on account of her Master suddenly pouncing on her and pinching her cheeks viciously.

“You know, I haven’t had a chance yet to appreciate how soft your cheeks are, my dear sweet Lancer X.” Tohsaka’s smile twitched rather savagely as she pinched a little harder on the other girl’s face. Shirou noted bemusedly the circuit-like glow along her fingers: Reinforcement magic, and so casually applied, too. “Oh, they’re so gentle and stretchy! Like fresh mochi…”

“I’m made of mana, not candy, ow!” A teary-eyed Ruby squeaked as she waved her arms in capitulation. She could’ve easily tossed Rin off, but thanks to the pain and her increasing panic… “Okay, okay, I won’t say anything else, you’re the best Master ever! Owie!”

Rin twisted her cheeks just a little more, her eyes boring into her Servant’s scrunched-up gems, then she released the now quite bruised flesh. “And don’t you forget it, brat…”

Shirou was so caught up in their bickering he didn’t notice how Assassin X had tensed ever so slightly at hearing Tohsaka’s name.

Saber had, though, and watched sadly as her friend recomposed himself just in time before Shirou turned to him with a question on his lips. “No, this is not standard Master-Servant communication,” he said drily, Saber’s icy gaze backing that statement up. The masked man then addressed their guest. “Your frustration is noted, Miss Tohsaka, but please respect that I am quite satisfied with my current Master, flaws and all.” Casual though his tone was, the praise still made the boy feel a little flustered.

“I concur.” Saber quietly bit down on the inside of her own cheeks when Lancer X flopped sulking onto her cushion, nostalgia washing through the native Servant. Is she an alternate Gareth…? This was just like back in Camelot, where the King of Knights would draw upon all of her willpower just to keep her face straight whenever her niece skipped happily up to the Round Table.

And when she found herself the focus of those shimmering silver eyes, Saber felt her Dragon-powered heart stop. Maybe she is made of candy, for I’m one step away from going into sugar shock… “You guys hit the jackpot…” Lancer X whined barely audibly, tempting her fellow knight class to pat her head in sympathy.

It was still loud enough for the humans in the room to hear, which Rin reminded her familiar with a stink-eye. But the magus decided she’d been punished enough (for now) and returned to the matter at hand. She rose to her full height. “Alright, are we going then?”

“…Going? Going where?” Emiya blinked at her like a fish before turning to his Servants, but Saber just stared back, and Assassin X shrugged. Well, even Ruby was looking at Rin like she didn’t know what she was talking about, so fair’s fair.

“If you want to learn the reason behind the Holy Grail War, then you should talk to the man who knows about it all,” Tohsaka explained. “You want to know why we’re fighting, right, Emiya?”

Shirou groaned. “Well, sure I do, but this late?” He looked up at the clock; it was just almost two at night. He’d scrubbed a whole dojo clean, been stabbed through the heart and gotten the shit beaten out of him by a superpowered spirit, summoned two more of that kind and apparently contracted himself to them, learned from his secret high-school crush that he’s gotten himself mixed up in some magus war, and now Tohsaka wanted to take him out for a walk and more mind-blowing stuff?! …Shirou Emiya really needed a break.

“Oh, you don’t want to go?” Tohsaka’s eyes softened; maybe she’d realized that… “Well, that’s up to you, Emiya.” She flicked her right tail a bit. She leaned a bit to look past him. “How about either of you two?”

…Or maybe she’d been setting up for a punchline. “Hey, don’t just bully Saber or Kakashi into this!” Shirou sprang to his feet in indignation. “You can’t strong-arm them or Lancer X into doing whatever you want!” Familiars or not, these three had been the nicest to him all night. Treating them as less didn’t feel right.

Such a sentiment raised all three’s opinion of the earnest unwitting Master a bit higher.

Rin for her part faked a gasp. “So, you can think like a Master after all!” Part of her was actually impressed and pleased. Nice to know Homurahara’s resident gofer had some backbone. Didn’t stop the girl from turning slightly away from Emiya with a hand over her smirk; this was the most fun she’d had in a good while. “You don’t like it when I talk to your Servants, and you’re interested in my cute one, eh? Tsk, tsk…”

“T-that’s not the point!” The flush in Emiya’s cheeks suited him. Matched his hair color. Rin’s smirk widened as the boy looked away while scratching his head. “Something’s just not right with this girl…” She could hear him mutter; though technically an insult, it only amused her more to see him like this.

Assassin X chuckled slightly at his seat. “People who live extraordinary lives tend to have extraordinary personalities. Guess you could call it a coping mechanism.”

That would explain so much about Big Sis Fuji… Shirou grumbled to himself.

“At least Shirou knows how to treat Servants with respect,” Lancer X grumbled. “Maybe you should ask him for a couple pointers, Rin.” She then flinched and shielded her cheeks as Rin shot a glare at her.

“Maybe you should keep your stretchy little mouth shut!” She made to grab at Ruby who ducked away.

“See, there you go again! I don’t know how you think you could’ve gotten along with Saber ‘cause there’s no way she’d put up with your crabbiness and know-it-all stuff and cheek-pinching!”

“Really?! Well, why don’t we find out? If you’re so unhappy with me, Ruby, then go swap Masters with Saber and try keeping our resident dipstick here alive at only half strength!”

“Maybe I ought to, better a dipstick than a moody brat!” Shirou was just about to join in the argument himself, not at the “dipstick” moniker; Shinji had called him worse. What bugged him was how they were dragging Saber into their decisions without her permission. But he was stopped by a loud clap echoing across the room and a hand on his shoulder. While Toshaka and Lancer X, Ruby, stopped yelling at each other, a glance back revealed the girl of question standing behind Shirou.

Saber recognized the look in those auburn eyes, and while she appreciated his chivalry, she was more than capable of speaking for herself. First things first, “Thank you, Assassin X.” The addressee inclined his head towards his partner and lowered his hands. Then Saber addressed the third Servant present. “Ruby, was it? I’m sure every relationship between Master and Servant has its… hurdles, but could you discuss yours with Miss Tohsaka in your own time? And as I said before, I’m quite satisfied with my current standing, thank you.” She punctuated the last two words with a finality that nipped any further argument in the bud.

Lancer X slumped a little but mumbled an apology to both Tohsaka and Saber while Tohsaka simply turned away with a slight huff. Guilt did flicker in her eyes when they drifted back towards her Master, so Assassin X guessed these two would make up eventually. Tohsaka… Rin… He took a breath. Rin was more compassionate than she pretended to be.

And Shirou had calmed down enough, too, providing him with an opening. “As for your question, Shirou,” he began, snagging the boy’s attention, “Grail Wars are supposed to be kept out of the public eye, which is why all fights and Servant-related business are typically done during nighttime. You could talk to this overseer when the sun’s up, but then Saber and I might attract attention while walking around with you.”

Shirou sighed, recognizing where this was going. “And seeing as I’m your Master, you two would prefer watching my back as often as you can, is that it, Kakashi?” A nod.

“You know,” Rin huffed at his persistent faux-pas, “you should really stick to addressing your Servants by their class names, Emiya. Seeing as they’re based on figures of famous legends, knowing a Servant’s True Name increases the chance of knowing what powers and weaknesses they have.” Of course, I’d like to know Archer’s myself…

“Does that mean knowing your Servant’s name is Ruby automatically increases our chances of beating her?” The masked Servant cocked his head, reminding a reddening Rin of her own slipup just now. “It’s a serious problem for the local Servants, yes, but in our case…” He eye-smiled and waved. “Kakashi Hatake.”

Lancer X waved back. “Ruby Rose.” She then stuck out her tongue when Rin leered at her. “What? Level playing field.”

Shirou still received telling glances from both of his Servants to keep this name-business in mind. He didn’t like addressing them by such inhuman monikers, but from the sound of it, it really was important. “Okay, Assassin X… but what about you walking around the city at all? Saber’s a hero of the past, and you’re not even from this world. How are you supposed to comprehend anything about a modern city like this?”

“A valid question,” Kakashi acknowledged easily, “but if that were an issue, how is it we could understand each other this whole time, Shirou?” Shirou blinked as he realized that while he still had trouble wrapping his head around this whole Grail War insanity, he understood everything the Servants said language-wise. “It’s another feature of being summoned by the Grail. We come into this world with an innate knowledge of all its concurrent languages and concepts." To demonstrate, he tapped his foot twice. "Saber, what do the locals call the panels that cover this floor?”

“Tatami mats,” the blonde knight answered without missing a beat, “traditional ones, too, sewn with rice straw.” She turned to the red-haired foreigner. “Lancer X, what technology is used to illuminate this room?”

Ruby took a cursory glance around before saying, “Probably lightbulbs. They’re copper wires kept in glass bulbs and light up when charged with electricity.” Pretty much like the ones back home. She grinned as an idea came to her. “Sais-tu quelle langue je parle, Assassin X?”

“Naturellement,” he laughed, “ton français est adorable, Mademoiselle.” With that, the Copy Ninja turned from a giggling Ruby back to Shirou. “See? This might not be our world, but we won’t get caught flat-footed if a car drives in front of us or something.” He contemplated adding that this wasn’t the first time he’d been summoned to this world’s specific era but decided against it. For one, Shirou was barely managing to process everything. For another, the shinobi didn’t want to give too much away.

At least, not before finding out if he alone remembered…

Saber then stood up as well. “Shirou, I advise you to find out what awaits you as soon as possible.” He nodded a bit resigned but also determined. “Then where exactly are we headed, Miss Tohsaka?”

“Shinto’s church.” Rin told her without playing any games. It was time to bring this talk to a close, even if she wasn’t looking forward to seeing him so soon.

“Alright…” Assassin X stepped to Emiya’s side. “I don’t suppose you have any coats Saber and I can borrow? Seeing as we can’t avoid attention with spirit forms, and in case there are a few late-night wanderers out on the streets, our current attires …”

Shirou nodded. The knightly armor and ninja-soldier gear was pretty inconspicuous, he didn’t need anyone explaining him that. “Closet’s right next to the shoes, feel free to borrow whatever works for you two. I’m going to go change myself.” Both nodded back as he stepped out and headed for his room. In there, he shrugged off his bloodstained, battle-weary uniform and slipped on one of his tees and some jeans. A jingle in his pocket made the boy stop and pull out that pendant back at school. Huh, he inspected its jewel idly, guess I stuck it in my pocket without noticing. After a moment, Shirou tucked the pendant in one of his desk’s drawers and put on his jacket.

He zipped it up while stepping out to find K-Assassin X by the closet, holding up Kiritsugu’s favorite coat. That one eye of his seemed to be staring at nothing, though, before he started and turned to Shirou. “This was your father’s? Would you prefer I didn’t…?” Shirou shook his head, prompting Kakashi to slip one arm after the other into the black coat and shrugged it on without closing it. “…Bit snug, but I can’t complain.”

Both then watched bemused as Saber stepped into view wearing a big yellow raincoat. Registering their stares, she simply said, “It’s large enough to accommodate all of my armor while hiding it from view.”

“Function over fashion,” Kakashi conceded with a shrug, and Shirou understood he wouldn’t be able to talk her out of it. He just hoped the streets really were deserted because this would make for one heck of a scene.

Tohsaka was waiting outside for them with her own coat on and apparently alone. But now that he knew about that spirit form thing, Shirou guessed Ruby and that other guy were around. In fact, he had a… feeling. Like he could tell or at least have a general idea where they were. If she was surprised by Saber’s choice of outwear, she didn’t let it show. “Good, if you’re ready, let’s go.”

“Hang on,” Emiya frowned again. He does that often, come to think of it, doesn’t suit him… “Are you planning on us walking all the way to Shinto, especially with how dangerous the city is these days? What if another Master attacks or something?”

She scoffed. “Oh please, we have four different Servants with us, one of which is Saber. She’s of the strongest class.” She began walking untroubled towards the newer part of Fuyuki. “No one would be stupid enough to pick a fight with a group like ours.”

“Yeah, but-” A hand clapped down on Shirou’s shoulder, cutting him off.

Assassin X nodded to Saber who walked a little ahead, then turned to their Master. “If it’s about protecting them because they’re girls, don’t worry.” He huffed in good nature at the stare he got. “I was raised to be a gentleman, too, Shirou, so I get it. You’re not comfortable about young women wandering about streets in a time like this.” The boy nodded to these words, a bit of protectiveness shimmering in his eyes. “But don’t worry. I’m a fair bit stronger than I look, and Saber and Ruby are each twice as strong as I am. The only thing you’d have to do for any mugger that crosses our path is pity them.” Thus, he let Shirou go, privately amused. A stubborn kid… Strong morals and doesn’t believe things easily… Dedicated look in his eyes…

It was as if Kakashi Hatake had stumbled upon an amalgamation of Team 7. Shirou’s voice sounds a bit like Sasuke’s, too, come to think of it.

The older man’s confidence seeped into Shirou, and his doubts slowly dispelled when he remembered what these two girls were capable of. Tohsaka was human like him, though… but she was so confident… and her tongue and playful cruelty probably made her dangerous enough. “My dad once told me that any boy who makes a girl cry will end in ruins,” Shirou mumbled even as they made to catch up with the others.

Kakashi chuckled at that, an odd look flitting across his eye so briefly the boy almost didn’t spot it. “He wasn’t wrong, but trust me, there’s a fine line between chivalry and condescension, and girls generally don’t appreciate the latter.” He patted his Master’s shoulder. “Best not chance it with these three, methinks.”

Shirou snorted slightly (a rare sound for him to make). “Reminds me of what my aunt said when she heard my dad’s line: ‘If you use that as an excuse to let a girl walk all over you, I’ll make you cry’.”

“…She sounds… outspoken.”

“You have no idea…” That look appeared again and lingered long enough that he tried puzzling out what it could be, but the familiar… man… Servant… simply gave him an eye-smile and nudged him along.

As they walked, Shirou’s eyes wandered about, his paranoia uncomfortably heightened from both his company and what they had told him. And it didn’t help that the “Servants” he could see were all subtly but carefully monitoring their surroundings. Tohsaka was marching on confidently ahead, but even she seemed a little on guard. Shirou then noticed something like words hovering in front of his view of Saber or Ruby or Kakashi. When he quietly commented on it, the masked Servant explained, “Those are our stats. Our physical, magical and other abilities are listed in a way that Masters like you or Miss Tohsaka can read. It helps you gauge how we stack up to each other and gives you an idea of what we’re capable of specifically.”

“It’s kinda like the stats of RPG characters,” Lancer X piped up. “You play video games?” Shirou nodded; he’d visited the arcade with Shinji and been pulled into an odd session with Big Sis or even the pack and Maiya. Uhei was one heck of a gamemaster. “Our parameters and skills follow a rank system, E for lowest and A for highest rank. Sometimes, there are plus- and minus-factors that mean the rank there can be even higher or lower in certain situations.” He understood, noting the plus by her Agility stat as an example.

Otherwise, the trek across was thankfully uneventful and rather quiet. It gave Shirou some more time to think over the load of information dumped over his head. He still wasn’t quite sure what to make of everything, but the way these Servants could do the things they did, Tohsaka’s comfortableness with these concepts; like she said, it felt like deep inside him, he knew all this stuff was for real. Crazy but for real.

As the church came within view, lit up by three lights, he asked, “This overseer, what’s his name?”

“Kirei Kotomine.” Tohsaka frowned while reciting the two words. She then turned to Saber and Assassin X who were both pretty tense despite the lack of visible danger. “Sorry, but Servants aren’t allowed inside the church. An explicit rule made by the fake priest for this Grail War.” Both nodded after a long moment and stopped in front of the iron gate. They continued to watch the two teenagers as they made for the building.

The church was pretty much as Rin had always remembered it, right down to its coldness. Kirei’s still too stingy to turn up the heat in here. She didn’t have a problem with Christianity itself, but this guy… “What kind of priest are we meeting here, Tohsaka?” Emiya’s question snapped her out from most of her anger.

Most of it. “He was once a student of my father,” Rin explained while they walked through the church. “Then when Father died, he became my and Sakura’s secondary guardian.” And thank whatever God exists that Mother was still with us, she added to herself. “Ergo, he’s basically my senior as a student and my second mentor.”

Shirou frowned at her words. “Wait, he’s a priest and a magus?” He thought he heard a clapping sound up ahead.

“Yup, and he’s definitely he’s a fake priest.” Tohsaka opened the last door with that declaration, revealing the main hall lit by sparse candles. Inside, a man with his back to them was placing a book onto the altar.

“Always refusing me when I invite you for a personal meeting,” his booming voice echoed along the walls, “and when you do come, you bring along an unusual guest.” The man turned to them, allowing Shirou to see him completely. He was tall and had broad shoulders, clad in typical priest’s robes and an overcoat. A golden cross hung around his neck, illuminated by the candles’ light. His dark brown hair reached the back of his shoulders, and a small smile was on his lips. But his dark eyes… they seemed almost empty but stared at Shirou so keenly. “This is the seventh, then, I presume. Rin?”

Shirou glanced behind him to Tohsaka with her arms crossed and clearly not interested in saying or doing more than needed. He stepped cautiously closer to the altar. Something about this Kirei Kotomine... about the look in his eyes… He didn’t know why exactly, but Shirou didn’t feel good about this man at all.

Outside the church’s gates, two Servants stood silent vigil. They seemed to be calm for the most part, except that they kept stealing glances at one another. Other than concern for their new Master and who he and Rin were currently conversing with, one question was at the forefront of both minds: Does he/she remember?

In theory, when a Servant was summoned, it was as a blank slate. They shouldn’t be able to remember any prior battles, and the odds of one being summoned more than once, much less one of an alternate universe, were… unlikely. But the King of Knights and the Copy Ninja had picked up plenty of hints from the other’s actions to suggest a familiarity. Their battle with Lancer, for example: they had adjusted to each other’s styles and even assisted one another, and it had all been reflexive. Not a word or even a look had needed to be exchanged. Saber still felt her absolute confidence in Assassin X handling Tohsaka’s team, even when she couldn’t have assisted him easily. Assassin X had easily known when to step in during their discussion and when to let Saber take the reins.

But… what if it was all just a series of coincidences? What if only one recalled everything they had gone through together? Trying to bring forth memories, experiences they had shared fighting side by side, with one not having a clue what the other was talking about… It was precisely such worries that kept their tongues tied. And neither showed their emotions easily, making their predicament just a little harder.

Kakashi was racking his brain for a way to be sure; he owed her so much, but if she didn’t know him, would that be okay…? Should I talk about Britain? No, if she doesn’t remember me, hearing me quote trivia about her beloved home would just make her suspicious. I need something else, a shared memory. That’s when an idea clicked in his mind.

Saber had been mulling over what to say herself, and when nothing came to mind, she turned to her partner in time to see him draw something from his pocket. As a certain shade of green became more visible, her eyes narrowed to slits sharper than her blade. “Assassin X…” the addressed froze upon hearing the King of Knights’ growl, “if you even think about reading that disgusting filth in front of me, no God will save you.”

Assassin X slumped and reversed his actions, though not without a little grumbling. “Sheesh, I just wanted to pass the time a little. But you always act like I’d unleash the apocalypse by simply turning a page or two.”

“Kiritsugu gave me very specific instructions.” Saber shot back. “And need I remind you there are certain books very well capable of that? You and I faced a madman with one such example!”

“Oh, please, you can’t seriously compare the Make-Out series to Caster’s recipe collection for unholy seafood platters!” He huffed at her refusal to budge. “Guess it’s no surprise someone of your time and fame would be so prudish over one mature novel…”

“I’ll show you prudish…!” Saber glared indignantly at Assassin X who gazed back with aggravating calm…

Until neither could keep their faces straight any longer. The duo burst simultaneously into a bout of laughter. It wasn’t the kind that rumbled up from the belly and rang out across the streets, nor was it a high-pitched giggle little children would make while playing with each other. No, this type of chuckling was soft, maybe a little quiet, but it carried an unrestrained relief which stemmed from both Heroic Spirits’ cores:

It was the sound of a camaraderie that had been forged in fire and was now reunited.

After a moment that felt like forever and yet was also too short, Kakashi Hatake regained his wits first. “You remember everything, too?” He offered her his hand with his trademark eye-smile.

Artoria Pendragon’s face lit up like the sun as she grabbed hold of his forearm, him instantly copying her motions. “Like it was only yesterday,” she breathed happily while they shook. “I didn’t dare hope I’d have the luck to see you again, let alone that our partnership would be restored.”

“Same here.” Assassin X’s eye opened again as his joy fell away. “And I didn’t want to make a big scene in front of everybody, but… I was hoping I’d get a chance to say sorry. For how… last time ended.”

Saber blinked confused. “Sorry…?” Then her emerald eyes widened as she understood, his shoulders in turn slumping. “Kakashi, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for! You gave everything you had in the final battle, more than I gave!”

“And yet my best wasn’t enough…” The Man of One Thousand Techniques muttered while looking away from her, his eyes traveling to the Shinto district. He almost felt like his Sharingan could see the place of his greatest failure even through his forehead protector. “I tried, Ar- Saber, I swear. I thought I could… cleanse the Grail for both of us… maybe help Kiritsugu finally have some damn hope again, but…” He hung his head in shame. “I blew it at the last step. If it hadn’t been for me, you could’ve made your wish-”

“Kakashi.” Two hands gripped his forearms tightly but not uncomfortably and steered him back towards his partner. “Look at me.” He hesitantly lifted his gaze to meet Artoria staring full of resolve and compassion at him. “Now listen carefully: What happened wasn’t your fault. I won’t deny I was nearly crushed by the prospect of failing my people…” He saw guilt flicker in her own eyes at the confession, but Saber didn’t look away. She always was stronger than me… “But what gave me strength again was remembering you. You, our allies, and all those words you gave me over the course of that blasted War.”

“But if it hadn’t been for me-”

“If it hadn’t been for you, we mightn’t have even made it as far as we did.” Saber didn’t like interrupting others as a rule, but this exception was clearly needed. She refused to let this man she admired and treasured as a dear friend dig himself deeper into his self-loathing. “You carried our team every step of the way. You supported me and Kiritsugu in equal measure, guiding us into actually cooperating. Do you think he would’ve heeded my words like he did yours?” The Once and Future King of Britain smiled again at her comrade. “Don’t you dare disparage yourself for trying to salvage a hopeless outcome. I won’t have it.”

Assassin X stared at her, her strength and trust seeping into him via her words, then he finally released a tired but grateful chuckle. “Usually, I’m the one giving you a pep talk,” he noted wryly.

Her smile softened as she remembered those many times. “Well, it’s high time I started returning the favor. And this is but a pittance compared to what I owe you.”

“There are no debts between comrades,” he reassured her only to get a pointed look saying, “You better keep that in mind yourself, mister.” He laughed a little more while patting her arms to concede to her point, the turmoil he’d borne in his heart since that battle receding. …For now.

They then pulled apart again, his gaze drifting to the church’s door. “Our new Master’s a decent lad, wouldn’t you say?”

“I find his personality… refreshing,” Saber nodded to herself. “Shirou’s rather straightforward and openly compassionate. Not much in common with the last man we knew with Emiya for a last name.” She winced at her own words. “Sorry, that wasn’t fair of me. I know you had a better rapport with him than I did.” Assassin X accepted her apology with a nod. “But to think Kirei Kotomine is still alive…”

She noted how her partner’s posture tightened ever so slightly. “Kiritsugu implied in our last talk he had killed Kotomine,” Assassin X surmised, “and he wasn’t the type of man who’d confuse someone alive for dead. To have survived the worst Kiritsugu had to offer and walk about untroubled for ten years… I can’t say I’m comfortable leaving Shirou in the same house as him.”

Saber was of a similar mindset but didn’t her own worries show. For more than simply her stoicism. “Which is why your clone’s been shadowing him and Rin ever since they set foot in the building.” He tilted his head towards her, prompting her to smirk slightly. “I haven’t forgotten how that brain of yours works.”

“Forgive me for underestimating you, good sir,” Assassin X joked. True enough, he had secretly summoned a Shadow Clone during their walk to the church who had slipped into the shadows and infiltrated the church. Even with his current lack of a spirit form, Kakashi Hatake was still an Assassin and knew every trick in the ninja handbook to avoid detection. “No signs of any trouble, and it sounded like R- Miss Tohsaka doesn’t like or trust Kotomine much either. She may take Shirou’s side if a fight breaks out in there.” He cocked an eyebrow at the space in front of Saber. “What do you think, Lancer X?”

Red particles shimmered in the night air as Rin Tohsaka’s Servant took on a tangible, slightly shy-looking form. “Guess I’m really no good at being subtle, huh?” Lancer X’s hood was down, allowing her to scratch the back of her head. She had been patrolling the church’s perimeter while Archer watched from above: tactically the best use of their strong points. “But yeah, Rin told us we could trust this priest to play by the War’s rules but didn’t sound too convinced herself.” She glanced from one Servant to the other, a question in her eyes.

Trading a look with her partner, Saber answered for them both. “This isn’t the first time we’ve been called to this era, nor is it the first time Assassin X and I were partners. You probably determined as much from overhearing our discussion.”

The other girl giggled nervously, conceding to the accusation and inadvertently rising her “adorable” level further in the venerable knight’s eyes. “You’re, uh, not doing much to hide this friendship of yours.”

“Well, our last time together had been hectic, and I suppose we both needed to know as soon as possible…” Saber sheepishly admitted with a laugh her friend echoed. She hastily refocused on the prior topic. “I never encountered Kirei Kotomine personally, but I know him to be a dangerous man. Very dangerous.”

“I faced him once,” Assassin X elaborated, “while he was about to kill m-our comrade.” Only Saber picked up on his word-swap, but she settled merely for a tiny smile as he hastily continued. “Our Master at the time believed Kotomine was the most dangerous Master in that War, and, well… Let’s just say there was a lot of evidence to support his judgement.” He didn’t want to reveal more than necessary at the moment; endearing though Lancer X was, she was also technically a potential enemy. Better to keep a few cards close to the chest.

Something she seemed to recognize, judging by how her brows furrowed temporarily. Still, she nodded. “Got it, thanks for the warning. But hey,” Lancer X injected some optimism in her words, “if things get rough in there, Rin and Shirou can call for us with the Seals and we can back each other up.” She bounced a little on her heels with an eager grin. “Maybe then I’ll get to see your sword for real, Saber…”

“The situation would have to be rather drastic for that,” Saber smiled back, “and I won’t simply trot it out because you ask nicely.” Tempting though it may be… “But you seem rather enamored with weapons in general!”

“Of course, I am!” Ruby didn’t even try to deny it. “Our weapons are an extension of ourselves. They’re a part of us!” She swooned, even manifesting Crescent Rose’s compact form to cradle it like a child. “Oh, they’re so cool…”

Saber couldn’t help but giggle at her enthusiasm, it was so infectious. And as the conversation went on, she flashed back to a time where she too had been eager to wield her prized blade and meet other warriors, matching her skills against theirs. A time before she was confronted with the reality of a knight’s life… the burdens of kingship… Betrayal. Failure. Despair.

However, Artoria also sensed a sort of… pain behind the other Heroic Spirit’s exuberance. Lancer X’s smile seemed a little forced at the edges from time to time. She knows, too, Saber deduced as her own smile softened. She has faced her own trials. Her ideals have been challenged… but she hasn’t given up on them. She still finds the strength to openly celebrate the beauty of life. A glimpse to the side confirmed Kakashi had come to the same conclusions as her, and like his partner, he was impressed with the red-cloaked girl.

Ruby for her part had been paying attention to the duo in front of her. Like them or not, she wasn’t blind to the possibility of having to fight them eventually; she had her own wish, too. The Assassin guy was pretty nice, if a little mysterious. The former Beacon student couldn’t help but see some of her old headmaster in him: silver hair, green clothes, eye that looked so old and sad… even their voices sounded kinda similar.

She sighed to herself, not wanting to get stuck on her inner conflict about Ozpin. Saber, on the other hand, Ruby’s first impression of her was just… Wow. She had looked so strong and confident back when they first met, and that invisible-sword-trick made the weapons nerd in her all the keener on seeing her blade for real. Saber was sorta like Weiss, with her manners and cultured talking, but Weiss had grown up learning that stuff to lead the Schnee Dust Company. But with Saber, it all felt… natural.

Ruby Rose had needed to learn how to lead, but it was as if Saber had been born to lead.

It was kinda hard to look at her without going all awestruck, but with a little effort, the leader of Team RWBY saw hints of her other teammates in the blonde knight: she was a bit distant at first, but like Blake, she got friendlier the more you warmed up to her. And there was definitely some of Yang’s warmth and protectiveness with how she acted around Shirou and even Assassin X a little.

End result? The two female Servants were already starting to consider each other friends. Or at least, friendly rivals.

Assassin X rapidly settled for listening to them converse in silent content; it warmed his weather-beaten heart to see Artoria loosen up like this. She deserved it. From the corner of his eye, he noted Lancer X’s own partner standing tall atop the church’s roof. Archer was glaring down at them; no, the Copy Ninja amended his observation, he alone was the target of Archer’s apparent ire. Perhaps it was simple protectiveness over Lancer X being so close to the duo, but shouldn’t he then be watching Saber, too, especially when she was right in front of Ruby? Come to think of it, Assassin X had been picking up some anger aimed squarely at him ever since the two had first met. Maybe he just doesn’t like Assassins…

Still, Assassin X sensed there would be tension between the two of them, regardless of their Masters’ relationship. Huh, he realized after recalling Diarmuid and his partner. As they say on this world, déjà vu.

The doors to the church opened, drawing their attention, and Kakashi sensed his clone release himself. Memories and words flooded inside his mind, a good number of which rattled him. It took all of his willpower not to let it show, and he’d make sure to sort them out later.

Like Saber and Lancer X, the Heroic Spirit of the Shadows scrutinized their Masters. Shirou was walking very slowly with his head down, as if a heavy weight was pressed onto his neck. Rin appeared less shaken, but her fists were clenched tightly, and her jaw was set too tense to be casual. Well, Assassin X had some idea via his Shadow Clone what had been discussed in there, so their reactions were expected… And then the priest standing behind the kids locked eyes with him.

At first, those dull brown orbs widened in surprise, and then a cool, pleased smirk drifted across his lips. Assassin X’s own eye narrowed at him, a kunai already in hand. If Kotomine so much as touched them…

Kirei couldn’t have imagined greater fortune smiling upon him. A boy with the surname Emiya… The legacy of the man he’d hunted with such passion ten years ago… And now, the same two Servants Kiritsugu Emiya commanded standing in front of the church… And they recognized him. Oh, the Lord is generous!

But he restrained himself. Either Servant could clear the distance between the gate and the church’s entrance within a second; the Bounded Field he’d set up could only delay them if they were serious, and much as he’d savor the exercise, patience was of the essence. The best wines acquired their flavor with age, after all.

“You ought to be delighted, young man.” This was a fine chance to begin the process, though. As Shirou Emiya glared warily back at him, Kirei elaborated, “You must surely understand by now that for your heart’s deepest wish to be realized, there must be a clear and distinct evil. Deny it if you want, but no Hero of Justice can exist without an evil to defeat.” Ah, how the boy walked away, trying not to let his inner conflict show. The roles were set again, the real battles would surely begin in earnest. Thank you, Lord…

As soon as they approached the gate, the Masters’ X Servants promptly drew open the metal bars, a slight whine coming from their hinges. Assassin X hadn’t stowed the dagger away yet, nor had he taken his eye off the priest. His parting words to Shirou were another matter to worry about, but maybe Kakashi could help.

One thing was perfectly clear, though: Kirei Kotomine had grown far more dangerous in the ten years since they’d last met.

Saber watched her comrade reach this conclusion even as she stepped to their Master’s side. “Shirou, have you found the answers you sought?”

“Yeah…” Shirou walked past her while deep in thought, Ruby closing the gates behind them. He kept replaying the things that priest had told him, about the Holy Grail, the last War fought for it, what it could do if it fell into the wrong hands… The Fuyuki Fire.

“So…” Assassin X’s calm voice cut like a lightning bolt through the imagery arising in him. “What do you want to do?”

The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya faced them. “Fighting as a Master isn’t something I want to do…” His hands balled into fists. “But I’m going to do it anyway.” Regardless of his own trepidation, he couldn’t let something like the Fire that ravaged his life and so many others happen again. He refused to let a scumbag for a Master get their hands on the Grail, no matter if it was omnipotent or not.

But… he wanted to do this right. “Saber. Assassin X. Are you both really alright with having an amateur like me for a Master?”

“You know you don’t have to ask us that, Shirou.” Assassin X found his eye-smile again. “Your experience with magic doesn’t matter.” Doubt flickered slightly in the boy, so the Copy Ninja spoke the words engraved in his being. “Those who abandon the mission are trash, Shirou. And those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash.”

Comrades… That single word rippled through Shirou’s mind and pushed aside everything Kotomine had said for the moment. “And while our comrade here was more informal about it,” Saber’s grin and words, “Our comrade…” kept the ripples going, “we swore our loyalty to you from the beginning, remember? Our bodies are your blades. Our fates are as yours.”

They acknowledge me… as their comrade… And in that moment, an old memory stirred inside his mind, something his dad had once told him: “There’s only so much you can do on your own, and your options may be even more limited as a Hero of Justice. But… so much more feels feasible if even a single comrade stands with you.”

“Well, in that case…” His fists loosened… “I’ll be your Master.” And Shirou Emiya raised both of his open hands towards them with newfound strength. “Let’s support each other no matter what.” They stared at his hands before trading a look with each other while Shirou grew a little sheepish. “Uh… Aren’t we supposed to shake hands?” Maybe he had gotten carried away with the whole “comrade” stuff.

“No, no,” Saber assured him even as she adjusted her position, Assassin X doing the same. “We simply weren’t expecting it, though we should’ve from you.”

“You won’t find many Masters who treat their Servants as equals,” Assassin X concurred. “But seeing as you’re giving us the chance, let’s try something a little different.”

Thus, the knight grasped Shirou’s left hand with her own left, and the ninja grasped the right hand with his own right. And then the Servants’ free hands bent by the elbows to meet one another as fists.

Artoria Pendragon smiled serenely as she made a new vow. “As the one who brought us here and made this partnership possible, our loyalties are to you. The Command Seals on your body alone are the catalyst but not the extent of our service. We fight as one team, supporting each other through whatever fate has in store for us. We serve as your blades, your shields, and your comrades, Shirou Emiya.”

She side-eyed her best friend, her smile deepening. “Nothing to add?”

Kakashi Hatake shook his head content as can be. “It’s your world. I’m just a visitor. Besides, you’ve said all that needs to be said, partner.”

Standing there holding both of their hands, Shirou Emiya felt their resolve flowing into him again. Even as he released them and turned towards the overlook of the city, he knew for a fact he wouldn’t let a thing like the Fuyuki Fire ever happen again. Even if he had to fight alone… But something inside him just felt… warm at the fact that he wasn’t alone.

Rin watched all of this without comment. Truth be told, she’d hoping to learn just a little more behind the reasons why twice as many Servants were running about, hence her taking Emiya to the false priest. But Kirei was of course maddeningly unhelpful. And it looked like the boy she’d deemed an amateur was showing actual resolve to fight in the same Grail War he’d called insane. It should’ve been a further headache… but seeing Emiya like this… and the Servants so happy, too…

She shook her head to focus and turned to her starry-eyed Servant. “Do stop drooling, Lancer X, you’re supposed to be a venerable Heroic Spirit.”

“But that was so cool…” Ruby hastily wiped her lips. “Wish we had done something like that…” Before Rin could voice her refusal for such a silly ritual, the Servant happily called over, “Congratulations, guys! Good luck with your team!” The trio nodded at her words, the Servants with their own smiles. Even Emiya’s mouth twitched a bit. Damn that girl and her dorky adorableness… …Adorkableness?

So, they began walking back to Miyama Town. As they stepped along the church’s graveyard, one suddenly halted in her tracks, making Shirou and the others stop. “Tohsaka?”

“Sorry for being blunt,” she kept her back turned to him and his Servants, “but go home on your own now.” Then Tohsaka faced him with a dispassionate face. “I brought you to the church because we weren’t official enemies yet. But now you’ve embraced being a Master, Emiya.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to fight you, Tohsaka.” Her warning was met with a ridiculous statement.

“Should’ve figured you’d say something like that,” Rin grumbled while rubbing her forehead. “Why did I even bother leading you here, for crying out loud?”

Assassin X snorted beneath his mask. “Something about repaying a debt, I believe, Miss Real Master?”

That much was true, but before Rin could flip about his teasing, Lancer X piped up again. “Hey, we don’t have to fight each other right now,” she pointed out even while stepping between Rin and Saber. “Can’t we keep our truce going a little longer? Like for when we bump into another team?”

“That’s naïve, Lancer X.” Archer materialized a little behind his Master and partner, arms crossed and eyes staring coldly at the three. No, Assassin X discerned, he wasn’t quite looking at Saber… “When a target that’s easily neutralized is standing in front of us, Rin, we ought to seize the opportunity. Don’t let sentiment get in the way.”

“An interesting statement, Archer.” His gaze sharpened as the masked Servant cocked his head slightly. “And where exactly is this target you believe to be ‘easily neutralized?’ I don’t see it anywhere.”

“Then maybe you should stop covering your eye, Assassin X.” His words became a sneer as he took a step towards the man standing there calmly, behind the boy, next to Saber.

But a hand against his chest stopped the Servant of the Bow. Lancer X frowned at him while Rin eyed him disapprovingly. “I don’t need you to explain something so basic, Archer,” the latter huffed.

He stepped away from his partner’s hand. “I expect such sentimentality from Lancer X, but if you understand, Rin, then act on it. Why keep being charitable to this boy and his mummed-up lackey?” Archer scoffed. “Oh, don’t tell me you’ve-”

“Cut it out, Archer.” He glared down at the red-cloaked girl in front of him shaking her head. “Shirou and his Servants might not be on our side, but that doesn’t make them enemies. And seeing as we helped them, they probably want to help us in turn. Somewhere down the Grail War, we might need their help. That’s not being naïve, it’s being practical. And don’t pretend that’s what you’re doing.” Archer forced himself to meet Lancer X’s silver eyes, refusing to let the disappointment in them cow him.

Assassin X and Saber were impressed and pleased to see their initial judgement of Ruby Rose seemed spot-on. Beneath her adorableness stood an outspoken hero with a strong moral compass.

“E-exactly!” Rin was so flustered by the jerk’s insinuations she almost hugged Ruby in thanks for cutting him off. It gave her a chance to calm down and regain her cool tone. “I owed Emiya a debt in the first place, meaning I couldn’t fight him without my conscience interfering. Any further aid would put him in my debt, and while he’s not of much use, his Servants seem to be pretty competent. We need to take the long view.”

Archer glared between the two of them before finally scoffing. “You’re both overcomplicating things.” He backed away from Ruby all the same and retook his prior stance. “But I’m not pretending anything, Lancer X. If you want to drag this out, be my guest. Just don’t expect me to blindly trust others like you do.” He shifted back into spirit form. “Call me when you start making sense, Rin.”

Shirou eyed the spot where the man had stood; there was something about the guy that rubbed him the wrong way. And it looked like he didn’t get along that well with his partner, what with how Ruby’s shoulders slumped a bit. Guess she’s the only one who feels bad about that… But another thing stuck out to him. “Hey, Tohsaka? What ‘debt’ do you think you owed me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Rin relaxed as she turned to him. “Accidentally or not, you stopped Saber by expending a Command Seal and convinced Assassin X not to engage us. So, I have to return the favor by going easy on you for now.”

“That’s a pretty weird thing to worry about, Tohsaka.”

“She takes debts and commitments seriously.” Both turned to Assassin X as he stepped into view. “We all have our own morals and codes of honor, and the least we can do is hold ourselves true to them. Right, Rin?” She hummed an affirmative; a Tohsaka always repays their debts. Father had taught her as such.

Still, Rin flicked her head away. “Besides, I don’t like owing anyone in general. Least of all some novice who’s been a good friend for my sister...”

Shirou couldn’t help but smile, both at remembering Sakura, and at seeing a different side of the raven-haired school idol. “You really are a decent person after all,” he noted in thanks.

“Flattery won’t protect you from my wrath,” Tohsaka warned while leering at him from the side.

“Maybe not.” The warning didn’t bother Emiya as she’d hoped, and that smile he was wearing… “But I’d rather avoid having you as an enemy if possible.” He turned to his Servants. “How about you guys?”

“Same here,” Assassin X replied cheerily.

Saber concurred with a smile, “She’s a good ally to have.”

Ruby’s mood improved enough for her to giggle as her Master’s face steadily turned redder. “Yeah, I might’ve given Rin a hard time before, but she’s really nice when you get to know her! It’s fun being her Servant, especially when she’s flustered like right now. I think you’d make a good friend for her, Shirou!”

Having just about reached her boiling point, Rin glared at her mutinous Servant. “Ruby…” Her index fingers and thumbs snapped together like lobster claws.

“Eeep!” Lancer X suddenly turned into a blur of rose petals and reappeared behind Saber, hands over her cheeks. Straight face, King Arthur schooled herself trying her hardest not to look behind. Straight face…

Shirou just smiled; after her antics earlier tonight, he couldn’t complain at all about Tohsaka losing her composure. He kinda liked her this way… “Well, be seeing you girls.” He made to walk past a still-blushing Tohsaka…

“If you’re all done talking now…”

He stopped in his tracks and spun around, Kakashi and Saber already facing the speaker ramrod straight.

Further up the street, three sets of crimson eyes were locked onto the group amid the gathering mist.

Shirou gaped in shock as he recognized the one in the middle: The girl from two nights ago?!

Rin, on the other hand, was focused on her entourage. Specifically, the monster radiating anger: “Berserker?!” Her eyes drifted to the other Servant and the weapons he carried. “And… Saber X?!”

The smaller figure stood a little taller than Shirou and didn’t look much older, either. He wore a pitch-black trenchcoat over pants and a sweater of the same color, the sweater’s zipper pulled all the way up to his chin. He had tanned skin, broad shoulders for his apparent age, short black hair, a mouth set in a straight line and a nasty X-shaped scar all over the left side of his head, a tiny additional cut over the point by his mouth. Aside from the scar, this Servant’s most notable features were the twin swords holstered on his right hip (not a common trait for swordsmen) and twin red eyes that stared coolly yet with no actual aggression at the assembled teams. A stark contrast to his partner.

The other Servant was less a man and more a titanic mass of muscle. Heavily tanned skin, arms and legs wider than tree trunks, pillar-like bones jutting out from his elbows, and a chest broad enough to make every last bodybuilder in the world give up and go seek solace in a couple dozen ice cream tubs. His only clothing was a grey, armor-studded belt and skirt combo that covered his upper legs while thick silver and grey manacles were strapped around his wrists and ankles. The right hand gripped a colossal slab of sharpened rock that was somewhat shaped like an axe. Wavy black hair spilled out from the back of his head, a contrast to his partner’s neat cut, and two red orbs glared from a lined face that seemed ready to growl at any moment.

And yet, somehow, the heat in his eyes still didn’t come close to that coming from the girl’s as they widened and locked onto one particular person.

“Kakashi?” Her smile broadened, but there was absolutely nothing reassuring about that expression. “It really is you, isn’t it, Kakashi?! I thought you looked familiar…” She giggled while her red eyes narrowed at the very still Servant. “You gonna show me your face this time? Or was that another of your lies?”

While their reasons ranged from confusion to worry (except in one case), all among the two teams glanced between the foreign girl in purple and Assassin X who simply stood there. His hands were in his coat pockets, and between his mask and the forehead protector, it was difficult to make out what exactly was going on in the Servant’s mind, but his sole visible eye was fixed on the asphalt, seemingly unable to make eye contact with her.

Finally, Saber X’s gaze shifted to his Master. “Is this what you wanted to do tonight?” His voice was rather deep but still young enough to confirm this Servant’s biological age was eighteen at most. However, it was dry and without any anger, bluster or worry despite the fact he was facing four different Servants. Of course, that may’ve been due to the hulking Berserker that was his partner, but he himself seemed no slouch.

The girl giggled, a sound that should’ve been innocent but only made both Masters even warier. “Sorry, Big Bro Saber, I guess I got caught up in nostalgia.” She tilted her head to the right while her smile became sharp as a blade. “Remember the fun we had together in the snow, Kakashi? You playing your little tricks on me?” Another giggle when a guilty silence was her only answer. “Ah, but where are my manners?” Then she changed targets. “Good evening, Big Brother. It’s the second time you and I meet like this.”

Rin noted Emiya’s intake of breath; so, he’d encountered this girl before? And survived, but she clearly hadn’t been serious back then. If her hair and eye color was any indication… She took three steps closer to them, theoretically increasing the risk for herself now that she wasn’t bunched between her Servants, but even a novice like Emiya recognized either could ward off any attack with ease.

Then the girl curtsied. “Pleased to meet you, Rin. I am Illya. Illyasviel von Einzbern.”

“Einzbern?” Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya repeated simultaneously before eyeing each other in surprise.

Those red eyes had closed confidently only for the left one to peek open at them in delight. “Oh, you both recognize the name? Wonderful!” Illya clapped her hands. “It’s nice to see a commoner like Rin knows that much, but you, Big Brother? And you summoned good old Kakashi, too! You don’t know how happy you’ve made me!”

Alarm bells were ringing inside Shirou’s head, and it wasn’t only out of remembering the warning Maiya once gave him: “Keep your distance around anyone introducing themselves as Einzbern, especially if they have pale skin, white hair and red eyes. That family is dangerous, Shirou.” He hadn’t made the connection when they’d crossed paths before, but seeing this girl with her Servants… He saw what his aunt had meant.

Saber chanced a step closer to her Master and partner. I’d rather not face her, Irisviel, but your daughter’s offering me little choice…

Rin for her part set aside wondering how Emiya could’ve known about the Einzbern family when he was clueless about everything else or how this girl knew Assassin X. Right now, the much bigger concern was the two enemy Servants. Her “Master’s Perspective” allowed her to read first one’s stats, then the other. The results were not encouraging and judging by the way Ruby blurred over to cover her front, her own Servants realized this, too. “Saber X’s parameters are at least on par with Saber’s,” the Master muttered out loud for them to hear, “but Berserker’s… incredible.” She shivered, and it wasn’t from the chilly mist. “He outclasses every other Servant here if we’re talking about ability alone.”

Ruby tried not to flinch when the massive man flared out some air. “Well, he’s a Berserker, so he shouldn’t be more than a serious powerhouse.” She tried injecting some optimism in her words, but it wasn’t easy. The budding Huntress had never encountered someone who just radiated power like… him. And he was scarier than most Grimm she’d faced in her life. Maybe even more than…

“Being a powerhouse is enough where he’s concerned,” Archer’s cool voice cut through Lancer X’s ruminations. “He alone could probably handle six other Servants, and with a Saber for a partner, who knows if there’s any team in this Grail War that can face them.”

“So, that means out-muscling these two isn’t an option,” Rin concluded warily, “and Saber X isn’t weighed down by insanity from the looks of it. The odds really aren’t in our favor…” She glanced behind herself. “Archer, prepare your class’s usual tactics.” Long range was their best bet right now.

“That would leave Lancer X alone to guard you. She’d be best if you need to make a quick escape, but a charge from Berserker?” Archer’s warning carried a sliver of concern, an appropriate response considering how the girl standing between these two giggled at them.

He was right, but Rin wasn’t seeing any alternative other than retreat; perhaps their best chance with Lancer X’s speed potential, but leaving Emiya beh- showing her fleeing back to an enemy like Einzbern didn’t sit right with her… She then noticed Ruby looking at her before nodding pointedly to their right. A glimpse in that direction reminded the Tohsaka Master that Emiya and his team were still present, and two of them seemed willing to cooperate. Assassin X hadn’t moved, but considering he appeared to be this Einzbern girl’s main target… “Told you we shouldn’t pick a fight yet.” Archer scoffed at Lancer X’s jab.

“No, she’s right, Archer.” Shirou listened to Tohsaka taking on a calmer voice while she looked back at the trio. “There are five of us here, so we ought to last a little while against them.” He wasn’t that big a fan of her just factoring him, Saber and Kakashi into her battle tactics, but it wasn’t like Shirou felt that keen on handling this situation alone. First, he needed to find out why the girl was so mad at Kakashi…

Then that Archer asshole pointed out the obvious. “We could just fall back and reposition. Our enemy seems fixated on Assassin X and the boy, which gives us an opportunity.” Shirou felt like he was being mocked; no doubt Archer could’ve kept this suggestion private, but leave it open for him and the others to hear-

“Out of the question.” And Tohsaka surprised him yet again tonight. “Even if I wasn’t in debt to Emiya, this girl could change tacks on a whim and chase us down. Better all of us together try putting a stop to her now.” It sounded logical, and this really wasn’t the best time for such thoughts, but Shirou still had to keep any heat from his cheeks as she injected some finality in her next words. “Go. Take your position and make it count.”

That seemed enough to get Archer on board. “Understood.” The incorporeal Servant began sprinting away…

On Illya’s side, one of her protectors blurred.

Archer stopped in his tracks as something black appeared before him. “Archer, huh?” Saber X was suddenly standing in his path. “I’d stay put if I were you.” He spoke in a flat tone as ever, but his red eyes were locked onto a materialized Archer, and one of his swords had been thumbed loose of its sheath.

“Well, you’re a Saber.” the Servant of the Bow backed a little away while his Master’s worry surged again at their plans being so countered so easily. “Facing your enemies head-on is a given for your type.” Archer on the other hand seemed unfazed by his opponent. “Then again, if you can move that fast, it would’ve made more sense for you to just run my Master and the boy through before we could react.”

“Sounds like you’re an expert on the subject.” Saber X’s assessment earned him a cold stare, but he didn’t blink. “Truth be told, I’m no saint, either, but I’d rather this doesn’t get any messier than it has to be. We just came out here to introduce ourselves…” he tilted his head to bring his team into sight, “right, Master?”

Illya sighed in exaggeration at the slight scolding from his tone. “Sure, we did, Big Bro, but this is just a teensy more exciting than I expected. And here I was worried this War would be boring with you two on my side.” She pretended to pout at the dark eyebrow cocked her way. “I know, I know, Chihiro, no letting my guard down…” All the while, she kept smiling, and her eyes drifted again and again to one particular person. “For a guy with his strength, Chihiro can be a total fussy worrywart! Did you ever feel like this with Kiritsugu around, too, Kakashi?”

Shirou’s eyes widened at hearing his adoptive father’s name, but before he could ask anything, Kakashi whispered to him, “Stick to Saber’s side, Shirou. She’s your best defense in this situation.” The masked man still hadn’t raised his head, but his voice carried over loud and clear. “But if a fight breaks out, put as much distance from here as you can. Especially from me…”

“W-wait, what are you…” Tuning out Shirou’s protests, Assassin X spared one last glance to Artoria who shook her head at him, silently warning him not to approach those two. But he simply nodded towards their Master; Shirou needed her protection more than he did. Deserved it more, too.

Thus, he finally looked up at the little girl he’d met in that snowy yard. Illya had much of her mother’s features, especially her prettiness, but some of her locks in front likely came from her father. And her smile was so much colder and more vicious than the innocent, cheerful beauty it had been back then. Whose fault is that? A harsh voice snapped in the back of his mind, and Kakashi let the feelings that came with it wash over him. He took three steps forward, Berserker bristling in front, Saber X tensing from behind, but he had no intention of attacking. Kakashi Hatake simply had something to say, loud and clear:

“…I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to you, Illyasviel.”

The ninja’s words had been spoken softly, yet everyone present heard them all the same, just as they heard the sincerity, guilt and regret reverberating within them.

Sadly, they were also the worst possible thing he could’ve said to Illya in that precise moment.

“…No, you’re not.” The young homunculus lost her smile and simply glared venomously down at the Servant of the Shadows. Her hands curled into tight fists as she made her own promise: “Not yet.”

Illya felt her heartrate speed up as that sneaky, backstabbing friend of Kiritsugu shrink into himself at her words. What was he doing acting so hurt? He broke his promise to her, he just said so! They abandoned her! Kakashi and Kiritsugu… Big Bro Saber was shooting her another of his flat stares, the other Saber looked like she wanted to walk over to Kakashi, her other Big Brother was glancing between her and Kakashi while Rin was just frowning at the latter… Too much going on, too many thoughts racing in her head…

So, Illyasviel von Einzbern shut her eyes and said three words: “Crush him, Berserker.”

Shirou’s attempt to ask Kakashi what the hell was going on halted upon hearing those words and seeing a red hue spread all across the colossus’ body. Muscles bulging, Berserker released a bestial roar, then suddenly he/it was hurtling straight for his silver-haired friend.

A flurry of red-and-dark bolts sailed over the heads of Shirou’s team; Gandr, the term zipped through Shirou’s mind from another of Maiya’s lessons. A simple curse condensed and fired like a bullet at its target. Tohsaka must’ve fired them all! More recognizable gunshots sounded out, too: Ruby’s sniper rifle. All the projectiles struck Berserker dead-on… and didn’t even make him itch as he brought down his weapon.

That stony axe shattered the ground, pieces of asphalt flying all over the place as Saber having discarded her overcoat pulled Shirou behind her. Panic briefly flitted through her as she watched a shredded coat flutter helplessly amid the wind currents, then experience compelled her to look to the right. Sure enough, Assassin X was flipping through the air for the park below, his headband already pulled back to unveil his Sharingan.

But Berserker was already picking up the chase. The King of Knights hurriedly spared a glance back to their Master. “Stay back, Shirou!” Then she leaped over the ledge after her comrade and their newest enemy.

Down below, Assassin X’s foot barely managed to touch the ground before a giant meaty missile nearly collided with him. “Nearly” wouldn’t have applied, either, if he hadn’t seen the attack coming with his Sharingan, and even then, he barely invoked a Substitution Jutsu in time to avoid getting pulverized. Skidding across the grass, the Hidden Leaf shinobi hurled a spread of shuriken at select spots of Berserker’s body, the stars all shattering into metal fragments upon hitting his skin. “The Einzberns spared no expense with you, huh?” Assassin X muttered a tad fearfully as the broader Servant loomed growling over him.

He didn’t stand a chance. Every instinct the Copy Ninja had honed over the course of his life and in his memory as a Servant told him this was an opponent superior to him in nearly every category. His lower parameters didn’t help, but even at his height when Kiritsugu had summoned him, he couldn’t have hoped to defeat Berserker alone.

The beast of a man charged again, only for a gust of air and a familiar defiant cry to herald a reminder to Kakashi that he wasn’t alone.

Berserker actually skidded back a bit despite blocking Saber’s overhead attack, but his free hand quickly snapped up to punch her blonde head off. Then Assassin X was there to help Saber twist around the fist even while he jabbed a kunai at one of those blazing red orbs. Berserker didn’t even blink as the blade snapped in half. Still, it provided enough distraction for the duo to flip backwards to a (somewhat) safe distance.

Grateful though he was for her help, Assassin X couldn’t help but point out an alternative. “You should take Shirou and run. I’m the one Illya’s really after, so while I draw her attention…”

Artoria spared a moment to fix him with a chiding stare. “If you have the time to spout nonsense, use it to think of a way to stop him.” She grinned despite the situation. “Crafty plans are your forte, after all.”

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask for a moment before sobering as Berserker attacked anew. Like old times.

While she’d never admit it in a hundred years, Rin hadn’t been that much faster reacting to the sudden attack than Emiya. And her Gandr had zero effect on Berserker. She quickly collected herself in time to register the clanging of blades behind her. Spinning around revealed Archer locked in high-speed combat with the other Servant, those twin blades of his flashing to fend off a single katana. Saber X’s demeanor remained stoic as ever even when Lancer X swung her scythe toward his head, ducking under the larger weapon to swipe at her. She hopped out of reach, then added another step to join her partner’s side.

Saber X’s other hand closed around his sword. “So much for just talking tonight…”

Lancer X nodded to her partner before rushing Saber X again, aiming Crescent Rose at his shins. He in turn stepped into the lunge, blocking the slash before smacking his sword’s pommel into her cheek. He readied his own slash as she stumbled back, but Ruby squeezed her beloved weapon’s trigger. Saber X’s eyes widened, the most emotion he’d shown since his arrival, as he spun around to block the gunshot-propelled scythe blade. One step slower, and it would’ve chopped clean through his torso.

Still, the force behind her surprise attack made Saber X stumble, and Lancer X kicked at his right knee, unsettling him further. He fell backwards while she drew back Crescent Rose for a vertical cut. Behind her, Archer seized the chance she had provided him and dashed off to reengage his prior plan. From the sounds of the battle below, Saber needed all the help she could get.

Assassin X perishing before he reached his vantage point or from a stray arrow, well… Too bad, so sad.

But while saner than his partner, Saber X was no less tenacious. He braced his right hand on the street while swinging at Lancer X’s stomach with his left. Aura shielded her from the sword cutting into her, but its strength still made her stagger backwards as the dark-haired boy sprang up and hurled something at her partner. An oncoming glint was all the warning Archer needed to deflect the wakizashi flying towards his shoulder, but Saber X instantly closed the distance to catch it and make for another attack. The Servants’ landing carved deep gouges in the asphalt as they skidded across it, sparks flashing from their locked blades.

Archer grunted while trying to break free, but while taller, he wasn’t as strong as the swordsman. His swordplay’s raw and aggressive. Not much technique, but it’s backed by battle experience. Problematic. It wasn’t working so well, either; he couldn’t even get a complete read of the short sword, let alone the long one which was definitely a Noble Phantasm. Gotta find me some breathing room. “Not going to lend your partner a hand when it’s two-on-one?” He forced himself to smirk. “Awfully callous of you.”

Saber X didn’t so much as flinch from his taunt. “Berserker’s more than capable of handling those two on his own. Besides, you look like the kind of guy that doesn’t have a problem blindsiding someone who’s busy with their own fight.” He pushed Archer back and slashed with his katana, painting a red line along his abdomen. “So, I might as well make sure you can’t get in the way.”

Rin clicked her tongue in frustration at hearing this. Guess he’s a more pragmatic fighter than Lancer.

A twist of Saber X’s wakizashi, and Archer’s right hand was missing its weapon. He backed away fending off more attacks but kept his cool. The fool was playing into his hands. Bakuya spun in an arc like a boomerang, closing silently in on the back of Saber X’s neck…

Only for him to swing around his katana without even looking. The white blade’s broken halves clattered to the street. “I thought there was something about those swords of yours…” The young man in black eyed the pieces by his boots before staring at their black companion. “There’s a connection between them. Even when apart, they’re drawn to one another like two magnetic bars with different poles.”

Archer frowned at the surety in his opponent’s words. Though he might’ve lived a short life, he definitely wasn’t a stranger to fights with magic weapons. And there was something about the way those red eyes examined Kanshou and the new Bakuya he called up. They weren’t just the eyes of a warrior, but something else, too. Like… a dedicated artist scrutinizing a portrait at a gallery.

“Not bad.” Saber X readied his own swords. “I’d almost believe those blades were authentic.”

Rose petals danced as Lancer X appeared above Saber X, neither noticing the former’s partner conceal his shock. Saber X flipped away before Crescent Rose split the spot where he’d stood a moment ago, then he lunged, his katana pushing aside the longer weapon while the wakizashi approached her throat. She leaned out of reach, but Saber X was already moving to block Archer’s path yet again. “Doesn’t bother you at all, trying to run off and leave your Master and partner to fend for themselves?” He traded no less than twelve blows with the red Servant in less than one second. “And you called me callous.”

“Nah,” Ruby dived between them again, Crescent Rose whirling about her like a ribbon, “he just trusts that I’m good enough to handle you alone.”

Archer fought to keep his face straight. Something about the confidence in her voice, the belief she had in him, it… left a cold feeling in his chest. So, he used an age-old tactic and covered up his feelings with dry wit. “And how long do you think you alone can last against the two of us, Saber X?” Kanshou and Bakuya flashed, and Saber X skidded away with a slight cut by his left shoulder. Archer joined his partner’s side. “You’re not that amazing with a blade, and you’re obviously the weaker Servant compared to Berserker.”

“What’s your point?”

The smirk he’d put on slipped away as Saber X straightened and sheathed his wakizashi, not a speck of wounded pride in his words or his face. “Berserker’s a lot more powerful than me. I’ve been sparring with him for two months to know that’s a fact.” Both red Servants bristled as he approached. “But on the flipside, Lancer X is clearly stronger and faster than you, Archer. Does that mean I can just shred you to pieces and move on to fight her for real?” Particles of mana began swirling like water droplets near his katana’s hilt.

Rin flinched from the sudden uptick in the scarred boy’s mana. It was just like when they had fought Lancer, before Emiya had interrupted… He’s about to invoke his Noble Phantasm! Saber X looked like he had been eighteen at the oldest, but he had managed to hold his own against two other knight-classes this far, and now he was ready to get serious. No… Rin corrected herself, those sharp red eyes appearing the same to her as they had at the start of the fight. He’s been taking this seriously this whole time. Not the type to play around.

A tremor swept through the pavement, drawing her attention to the other battle happening below. Her eyes widened upon realizing someone wasn’t up here anymore. Emiya, that idiot…! Sure enough, the red-haired boy had climbed down to the park, probably trying to think of a way to help his Servants. But he was useless in a fight like this! Rin dug into her pocket for a select few gems. They couldn’t waste any more time here.

Lancer X spared a glance herself towards the other battle, trying not to worry about Saber and Assassin X. She couldn’t afford more than a moment, anyway; Saber X was good and not out for fun like Lancer. ‘Ruby, buy me a second!’ Her arms moved instinctively even as Rin’s message finished, and she took aim with Crescent Rose and fired. Saber X narrowly side-stepped the first shot and managed to block the second, but he stumbled back a step from the impact against his sword. Looks like he’s not used to parrying bullets, Lancer X noted while chambering another round. Lancer could swat them away without batting an eye.

True enough, Saber X might’ve been physically capable of dealing with bullets, but he wasn’t proficient in it. The mages and thugs of his world didn’t tend to pack heat. Not to mention the high-impact caliber of a Noble Phantasm-grade sniper rifle wasn’t something you could just brush off. Still, he quickly settled for evasion and kept his sword ready for when Archer tried scampering off again. The other Servant was visibly waiting…

Too late did the Heroic Spirit of the Sword notice something glittering above him.

“Gewicht der Welt!” Three amethysts shattered, their fragments sprinkling around Saber X an instant before expanding into massive blocks of mana. “Schwerer Käfig!” The Servant couldn’t escape in time as they enveloped him with gravity so great it cracked the street. Rin couldn’t resist pumping her fist in savoring her spell’s success; the power in those jewels would’ve been enough to slow down even someone as strong as Berserker… for a few seconds. She sobered quickly; no time to celebrate. “Archer!”

The Servant of the Bow didn’t even bother waiting for her yell to spring up and over the amethyst prison, Kanshou and Bakuya already replaced with a long black bow. He couldn’t afford to be picky about vantage points, but with the right ammunition, he could still turn this situation around-

“Enten.” A familiar deadpan voice rang out over the crackle of Rin’s magecraft. Lancer X could barely make out something… black swirling underneath the purple. Silver eyes widened. “Kuro.”

A stream of pure black erupted unhindered through the barrier and surged straight for Archer in midair. A mass of petals enveloped him half an instant before contact with the black, and Lancer X kept Petal Burst going long enough to get them both to a safe distance before deactivating it. The red petals faded away to reveal she hadn’t been quite fast enough; Archer’s left shoulder had been slashed, and his bow was split in half. Meanwhile, blood trickled from a thin cut running along Ruby’s right cheek before her Aura mended it.

The rest of the amethyst barrier crumbled away, revealing an utterly unfazed Saber X with his left arm still in post-swing. Rin nearly kicked herself for her blunder. How could I forget?! High Magic Resistance is par for the course with Saber class! While her magecraft might’ve been able to affect Berserker, his partner could shrug off any spell below three verses like a summer drizzle.

“Thanks for humoring me, Archer.” Chihiro Rokuhira rose to his full height, the final sword his father had forged held by his side. “After getting smacked around by Berserker so much, I wanted to see how I’d do in an actual Servant swordfight. And you, Lancer X, definitely showed me there’s room for improvement.”

Ruby ejected Crescent Rose’s clip and slapped a new one in, not taking her eyes off that blade. “Well, uh, you’re not all that bad, considering you’re self-taught, right?” Those red eyes widened just a little again, and he actually nodded to confirm her theory. “Yeah, it kinda shows a bit when you learn how to use a sword without any, uh, teacher’s input? At least, that’s what Dad always says.”

Archer noted his enemy’s grip tightening just a bit on his katana. Father’s a sore spot for him? But Saber X had already regained his usual stoic mien. “Either way, you’re both too dangerous for me to go at this half-assed. I didn’t want to showcase too much of Enten’s power right in the first battle…” Enten… His silver eyes narrowed at the Noble Phantasm as black energy flared up from it again. He focused and focused, but it always faltered at only the second step: Judging the concept of creation. Hypothesizing the basic struc-

Error.

Unquantifiable elements found.

Incomplete hypothesis. Insufficient materials.

Tracing terminated. Just like with Crescent Rose… Archer silently gritted his teeth as the “static” persisted whenever he fixed his attention on either weapon of the “X-tra” Servants. Guess armaments stemming from other worlds are literally beyond my comprehension… He forced himself to relax, a new bow emerging in his hand. He’d been in tighter spots and made do then.

“But if I want to keep you away from my Master and partner, I guess I have to commit to this fight.” A second time Saber X intoned the word for his sword’s power. “Kuro.” The black seemingly solidified and took on a specific form that hovered above its origin. It practically radiated mana.

“Is that a… goldfish?”

Archer and Rin blinked at their teammate’s question before realizing that the shape did indeed resemble a black goldfish. Lancer X eyed it both confused and in some awe. “It’s a little weird, uh, no offense, Saber X, but… supercool, too.”

“…Thanks.” He crouched and readied his blade, that black spiritual construct “swimming” around him, then swung. The “fish” instantly expanded into a straight horizontal line that forced both Servants to jump away as it sliced clean through the streetlamps and fence behind them. Saber X tracked their movements and attacked again, more darkness flowing from his blade. ‘Sorry, Illya, but I may have to dig a little deep.’

‘Don’t worry so much, Big Bro, it makes you look silly.’ He sighed to himself as her giggle echoed inside his head. ‘You and Berserker can go wild, do whatever it takes! I can keep you both running through the night.’ Chihiro called exaggeration on that, but at least his own reserves were better than when he’d lived.

Thus, Saber X was pretty much keeping “Team Red” pinned down on his own. Seeing him there with his power on full display and no sign of any fatigue or even annoyance confirmed Rin’s worst worries: While Berserker was the bigger monster of Einzbern’s team, he wasn’t the only monster.

As much as Shirou wanted to do something after climbing down to the park, he found he couldn’t think of anything. His feet were rooted to the ground. His arms felt like lead by his sides. He couldn’t even come up with any words. The only things he had that moved were his eyes, and they were locked on the battle between Saber, Assassin X and Berserker.

Every time that behemoth swung his axe, gusts of wind blasted across the field, and even Saber was visibly straining to block them. Assassin X didn’t even try in favor of dodging the moves, and it was still dangerously close. This Servant wasn’t just monstrously strong but insanely fast, but maybe the worst part was how nothing seemed to faze him. Kakashi had shattered maybe two dozen throwing stars and knives against his frame, some of which had exploded, and even Saber’s invisible sword couldn’t cut into him. Not to mention her slashes rarely got through his guard in the first place. Shirou briefly wondered if Berserker could actually see it, but that didn’t really seem the case. It was more like… instinct.

That said, neither of his targets had given up. After flipping away from another clash with Berserker, Saber landed and broke into a run to the right while her partner headed left. Berserker’s red glare darted between them in mounting fury. Looks like Kakashi isn’t his sole focus anymore, the knight noted satisfied amid her charge. She closed the distance and swung in from her right. Berserker’s own slash slowed as a smoke bomb collided with his eyes and went off, allowing Saber’s blade to smack his arm aside. She added a mite more power in her next strike, a tiny trickle of red emerging down his torso. “You can be cut!”

Berserker’s reply was another feral roar and a sudden swing from overhead. Saber barely managed to step aside, then she stomped with both feet onto the axe, planting it deep into the ground. She wasn’t particularly heavy, but her own strength pinned Berserker’s weapon down enough for her to run up its length and aim for his neck.

Then Berserker released his axe, leaned backwards before the blade could touch him, and actually performed a backflip that resulted in a series of spinning kicks. Assassin X pulled Saber out of reach before those feet would’ve kicked her all the way to a dumbstruck Shirou. Berserker whirled forward to deliver a straight right at the duo, but it was Assassin X who met him, not Saber. The shinobi sidestepped the fleshy battering ram of a fist and wrapped his own arms around it, then with a grunt and all of his For One’s Comrades’-enhanced strength, he flipped that colossal body over his hip.

Illya blinked, a hint of the same surprise her “big brother” felt rippling inside her. “Not bad, Kakashi! Guess you’re more than just a sneaky cheater…”

As Berserker hurtled towards the grass, Saber readied another attempt to behead him. But then his left hand struck the ground hard enough to actually suspend him in the air, then he flipped towards them, arms and legs whirling about. The resultant blows sent tremors through the park that nearly made Shirou fall over, and it was only Kakashi’s Sharingan that kept him and his comrade relatively unscathed.

They skidded back to a relatively safe distance, one of them a little out of breath. “Strong, tough and agile as hell…” Assassin X panted. “And on top of that, he’s been trained in some form of martial arts. Must’ve been an exemplary warrior in his time.”

“Berserker, or his teacher?” Saber couldn’t help but ask, a shrug his only answer. “But even driven mad, his body still remembers the training he received.” Before them, Berserker stalked from the collection of craters his barrage had made and easily plucked his weapon from the dirt. “It’s ingrained in every one of his muscles. He must be a Heroic Spirit of great legend. I’m rather impressed,” she admitted.

“Ditto.” Assassin X rose to a slight crouch. “Just calling him an insane warrior doesn’t do him enough credit, not with that savage technique of his. I guess it’s a good thing he can’t actually think enough to utilize his training properly. Otherwise, we’d be mincemeat by now.” Despite their lack of a mental link this time around, both Servants inadvertently judged this Berserker to be a near-perfect amalgamation of the two in their prior adventures: Kenpachi Zaraki’s raw aggressive might, and Lancelot’s unshackled, turbulent grace.

Listening to these words from his spot, Shirou wondered how the hell these two could keep their cool in light of all this. Nothing they’d tried so far had stopped Berserker, and he looked like this had all just been some exercise before the real fight. But even with their backs to him, the boy didn’t pick up any despair or sense of giving up from either of the two. Were they just crazy or… did they have a plan?

Berserker barreled across the field, but they were ready for him. “Earth Style,” Assassin X swiftly performed three handsigns before slapping both hands against the dirt, “Rupturing Earth Palm!” The ground in front of the duo shuddered, then cracked apart just as Berserker’s right foot came down. It sank into one of the newly formed crevices while he pitched forward and stumbled under his own momentum.

Saber was already sprinting as her comrade’s jutsu ended, effortlessly stepping over the fissures to reach her enemy. His foot still stuck, a snarling Berserker lashed out for her, but she twisted around the swing and leaped past his right to pivot and slash at his back hard enough that he face-planted into the ground. He roared something unintelligible amid the dirt, more irate than injured.

But these two were just getting started, and Shirou realized he couldn’t see Kakashi anymore.

As the mighty Servant tried to pick himself up from the fractured ground, he grunted in confusion as something gleamed beneath him. Said heralded a sudden Dragon-shaped torrent of fire, coupled with a powerful upward gust, that blanketed his entire front. Berserker instinctively shielded himself the best he could in his current position; Even for he, these bolstered flames were rather hot. This left him wide open, though, for Saber to leap high, briefly expel her sword’s wind coating, and come crashing down upon him with a jetstream-powered slash. Another tremor surged across the area, Shirou barely keeping his balance.

Even Illyasviel had to brace herself against the fence, her smile flickering. “Oh, those two make a pretty good team. Guess Big Bro Saber had a point about working together…” Then it returned. “But all the clever tricks and teamwork in the world don’t mean a thing against your Noble Phantasm, Berserker.”

Saber flipped and landed gracefully about halfway between Shirou and the place where she’d buried Berserker. Dirt shifted near her right before Assassin X’s head and shoulders popped out. She kept her eyes on the swirling cloud from their combination attack. “Think that left some damage?”

Then the smoke cleared to reveal Berserker standing tall amidst dying embers, hair waving behind him. Some of his front was a bit singed, and there was a bloody gash across his face that reached his neck and left pectoral, but his eyes still burned with life and fury. “Is he immortal…?” Shirou muttered at the sight of him.

“…Well, we managed to give him a tan and a shave,” Assassin X grumbled as he dug himself completely free. His clone had done its job and now released itself underground, though he didn’t get as much energy back as he’d have liked. “And we’ve made about the most we can of this stage.” He nodded pointedly off over Shinto.

Saber followed his gaze, an old talk of Fuyuki’s layout coming to mind. “A change of scenery, then. Less open ground.” She brought up her blade fully cloaked in Invisible Air once again. “Brace yourself.”

He shuffled two steps behind her. “On your mark.”

Shirou had just enough sense to pick up their strategizing, his own eyes drifting to the area. Change of scenery… Less open ground… Then Berserker was charging them again, his sword ready to chop through Assassin X’s stomach. Saber stepped between them and intercepted his attack, but rather than push it back, she rode with the swing, Kakashi jumping right behind her and then pulling her along. Together, they leaped high and back to street level. Berserker followed them in a single bound, but again, they combined the power of his blows with Saber’s resilience and Assassin X’s agility to carry themselves further away. “After them, Berserker!” a frowned Illya ordered her Servant. Like Shirou, she realized the two were deliberately leading the fight to a new location. Eager for this to be done, she followed the battling Servants at her pace.

The shift in battle was noticed by Rin and her entourage despite the latter’s own skirmish with Saber X. Between dodging the dark slashes their steely enemy kept flinging at them, Lancer X glanced to where the other duo was headed and decided on a new plan. She turned to her partner who was readying another arrow and nodded. “Go!” Archer was confused for only a moment as Lancer X rushed Saber X, then it dawned on him. He pulled back his bow’s string, took aim and fired.

Saber X had to abort his next swing in order to dodge the arrow. It slit open his right bicep in passing, and the force behind it threw him off a bit, leaving him barely able to block Lancer X’s scythe. He noticed Archer behind her making yet another break for it and was contemplating his options to stop him when she pulled the trigger again.

Lancer X had loaded up her baby with Gravity Dust earlier, so the resulting shot put enough recoil behind Crescent Rose’s swing to send them both flying in the opposite direction as Archer had gone. Rin ducked down as the two Servants sailed over her head, but she couldn’t be mad at Ruby for the brazen tactic.

A large black goldfish erupted from Enten, blasting the girl and her crazy scythe off of Saber X. He flipped to the ground and glared at the distant buildings. “Slipped away after all…” He gauged the distance between him and the red Servant, noted how the other red Servant was right in front of him, then tilted his head towards the now distant sounds of Berserker’s rampage. The path Illya was following.

Without another word, Saber X broke into a run for where his partner was being led, his katana still out. “Stop him, Lancer X!” Rin quickly ordered her only Servant still present. “We can’t let him meet up with Berserker!” The Heroic Spirit of the (Sniper-) Scythe was already moving to try and intercept. She didn’t need explaining that if these two could cause so much trouble separately, beating them as a unit would be a pipe dream.

A sound behind her made her spin about in slight worry, but it was only Emiya who had just climbed back to the street. His gaze was locked on the direction Saber and Assassin X had retreated to, and while Rin couldn’t read his mind, she had a pretty good idea what he was thinking.

“Stay away from the battles!” Shirou was snapped out of his thoughts by Toshaka’s order and the hurried glare she shot at him. “You hear me?” She then ran off before he could think of any protest, leaving him behind.

Behind in every way. His knees gave out, and he fell forward, barely putting his hands up to stop himself from hitting the street face-first. He breathed heavily in an effort to get his strength back. Why was it even gone? It wasn’t like Shirou had been the one fighting for his life, he’d just been standing around like a complete moron! “Damnit…!” He pounded his fist against the pavement. “I was useless… Kakashi… Saber… They could’ve been killed!” He looked up, some of the ravaged battleground below in his peripherals. “But what could I hope to do against that monster…?”

His training as a magus was laughable compared to Tohsaka. Nothing he Reinforced could’ve lasted one second against Berserker’s strength. Shadow Clones would’ve been blown away like leaves! How could Shirou Emiya have been of any use to heroes like those two…?

The ringing of blades and another crash echoed in the distance, making the boy look up. He saw clouds of dust billowing in one spot after another, along with small bouts of fire, displaced wind and even a little electricity. To have covered so much ground in just a few seconds… Gunshots rang out while black shapes met red bolts from afar. “They’re still fighting…” His gaze fell to his hands, the same hands Saber and Kakashi had both shook just minutes ago. When they’d recognized him as their Master and comrade.

Though his breathing grew a little ragged, both hands became fists. “Didn’t I just resolve to fight?” Shirou smacked himself twice before dragging himself on his feet. “That I’d stand with the both of you?!” His legs finally moved and pulled him along in the direction of the ongoing clashes. While he had been wasting time feeling sorry for himself, they were fighting together for each other’s and his lives.

I’m alive, so there has to be something I can do! There has to be some way I can fight!

Hey, been a little while, huh guys?

Anyway, I recognize this chapter is both sooner than I warned and a little more than usual. Both are connected: I felt an urge to write this back during the holidays, your reviews and comments playing no small part in that, of course. But at the same time, I feared it being largely exposition/explaining things to poor Shirou would’ve been too drab. Thus, I decided to include the proper introduction of Illya and entourage. The rest of my chapters will hopefully stay closer to twenty grand maximum word count. I’ll do my best.

I skipped through Kirei’s explanation because it was essentially the same as in canon, X Servants or not. But the scene will, of course, play a role in the progression of the story. Besides, I really wanted to showcase the reunion between Saber and Assassin X. It was one of my favorite parts of this chapter!

And now, to business.

Saber X -

Class: Saber

Master: Illyasviel von Einzbern

True Name: Chihiro Rokuhira

Titles: Seventh Blade Wielder, Legacy of Rokuhira

Sex: Male

Source: Kagurabachi

Region: Japan

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Strength: B+

Endurance: B

Agility: B

Mana: A

Luck: E

NP: A

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

B: Though he himself cannot wield magic due to his connection to his sword, Saber X is extremely adept at hunting and defeating magic-wielders. In life, he quickly garnered a fair bit of infamy for cutting down sorcerers of varying powers and strength despite his young age. He is unaffected by mid- to low-level spells and may be able to counter High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals with a plan and luck.

Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals.

C: Saber X can handle practically any land-based vehicle or mount with expert prowess.

Personal Skills-

Appreciation of Swords: A Skill similar yet different to Appreciation of the Arts. Comprehension related to armament.

B+: Saber X was the son of arguably the greatest swordsmith of his home, and prior to the latter’s murder, an avid pupil of his father’s techniques. Nearly the entirety of his childhood was spent in the family forge learning how to craft swords and other weaponry. As a Heroic Spirit, he can determine with one glimpse the properties and capabilities of nearly any non-Noble Phantasm bladed weapon. This allows him to discern their vulnerabilities and exploit them appropriately. Due to the magical aspects involved with his swordsmith lessons, Saber X may even be able to discern details of sword Noble Phantasms he encounters.

Sword Trial: Refers to a swordsmith’s trying out the sword. Test slashes, test swordsmanship. A method to measure the sharpness and performance of swords.

B: Another fruit of his father’s lessons, Saber X has an innate talent for wielding blades to their fullest potential. He carries a simple wakizashi in conjunction with Enten yet is as deadly with it as if he were to swing a larger katana. While his Noble Phantasm itself is indeed powerful, its true effectiveness is exhibited through the creativity with which Saber X harnesses its different abilities. Even a butterknife may be a lethal weapon in his hands. He cannot harness the greater powers of foreign Noble Phantasm swords, however.

Mind's Eye (True): Is a heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. A danger-avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change the current situation. This is not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience. A weapon wielded by none other than a mortal, gained through tenacious training. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

B+: Saber X quickly adapted to the dangerous life he had chosen in seeking out his father’s creations and killers. Despite his stoic demeanor and tendency to rush into battle, he has sharp instincts and a keen eye for danger. These traits coupled with his other Skills make Saber X a remarkably adaptive swordsman who can revise his tactics on the fly. He has a particular aptitude for analyzing others' swordplay.

Noble Phantasm s -

Enten: “Final Blade, Rokuhira’s Fury Through Steel”: B+ (Anti-Unit): Saber X’s father was a swordsmith famous for crafting six “Enchanted Blades” of such incredible power they played an instrumental part in ending the grueling “Imperial War.” He would later forge a seventh and final blade, Enten, which was the only Blade saved when sorcerers ransacked Saber X’s home and killed his father. He then formed a “Lifelong Contract” with the last Enchanted Blade and honed his skills with it for thirty-eight months, subsequently setting off on a mission to reclaim the others avenge his father’s death. Forged from an extremely rare, spiritually enhancing ore named “Datenseki,” Enten possesses an extremely sharp and durable blade perfect for extensive duels, as well as three magical techniques themed after a trio of goldfish its creator took as pets. The black “goldfish,” Kuro, summons a black liquid-like energy that can be released as powerful flying slashes, their size and cutting power varying according to Saber X’s judgement. The red “fish,” Aka, absorbs energy-based attacks it comes into contact with, making for an effective defense provided the attack does not exceed its absorptive limit, and stores the attacks’ properties for Saber X to use himself for one time per power. The three-colored “fish,” Nishiki, envelops Saber X, its full use elevating his Strength, Endurance and Agility stats with plus-factors, increasing his already deadly fighting prowess even further. However, extensive use of Enten’s powers taxes Saber X’s mana and stamina in Nishiki’s case, which is why he has developed offshoot techniques which expend less energy. He also died before discovering the entirety of his sword’s potential; thus, it may be even more powerful than its current rank implies…

?: A- (Anti-Unit): ?

Ah, I do like befuddling my audience with unexpected choices for the X Servants. So many of you automatically assumed I’d be bringing Ichigo to the party just because I had Illya call him, “Big Bro Saber.” Dear sweet naïve readers… And I am far from done with playing with your expectations, mwahahaha.

And just to be clear, Saber X’s Strength and Mana have received a rank-up, at the cost of his Luck being E, due to being contracted to Illya, a super Servant-battery; it’s like how Saber has different stats based on who’s currently her master. Also, him fighting in a Japan very much like the one he knew in life might be doing him some favors, too. Nothing too earthshaking, and he’s not gonna overshadow someone like his partner, of course. Artoria is better and more experienced than Chihiro at formal swordsmanship, too. But he’s no slouch in a fight himself, and Archer’s “Tracing” trick isn’t quite so effective with foreign Servants’ weaponry, as he realizes in this chapter.

Chapter Text

“Lotta excitement goin’ ‘round here…”

A dirty boot stepped over a spot where a particularly large gouge had been carved into Homurahara’s track field. “Suckers wrecked the place good,” Archer X cackled while surveying his surroundings. “But them churchgoers are pretty quick on the clean-up, aren’t they?” Sure enough, no sign of the skirmish between Lancer and Archer and Lancer X remained.

“They have to be,” his Master ambled close by with his hands in his pockets, “especially with characters like you roaming about in Fuyuki.” Shinji Matou turned right as the Servant snorted: The latter was a couple centimeters taller than him and certainly looked older with the lines in his face and stubbly beard along his cheekbones. He wore dark-red leathers, coat and boots, giving him an appearance of some Old-West gunslinger. A single golden arrow hung loosely by his right hip. Archer X couldn’t have been mistaken for an ordinary human, though, between his blue skin, brown-red eyes and the large metallic fin affixed atop his head. “Wouldn’t want you scaring off any poor schoolgirls.”

“Oh, like they’d stick around if ya showed ‘em yer creepy crawlie collection, boy.” While he should’ve scolded his Servant for the lack of respect, the Master just smirked back at him. I wonder if this is how Emiya feels sometimes while putting up with me. There was something oddly fun about trading quips with this azure-faced redneck. Archer X cocked his head back and called up to the roof. “How’s yer little sideshow, Deuce?”

After a moment, a woman nearly as tall as the alien Servant stepped into view. She inclined her head slightly, causing the light-purple hair that reached her shins to flow loosely about, without actually looking at him. Then again, that wouldn’t have been possible in her case, what with the dark band pulled over her eyes. She was (sparsely) clad in a black sleeve- and strapless dress with red rims that started at her (well-endowed) chest and ended right at her thighs. Tights of the same color scheme covered most of her legs while a set of long bracelets were wrapped around her arms. A snake-like tattoo curled atop her forehead.

With a single step, Rider effortlessly flipped forward and landed gracefully onto the field. Her frown became more visible as she strode closer to the two. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me that, Archer X?”

Archer X faked a gasp and pointed at her. “Oh hell, it’s Deuce! Deuce is walkin’ about! Ev’rybody’s heard a tall, hot Lucy Deuce!” He laughed even while leaning away from the metal chain that snapped at his head like a whip. Half of his toothpick fell to the grass. “Girl, yer worryin’ too much ‘bout yer looks. I read the stories and ya ain’t got much in common with what ev’rybody thinks they know about you.”

“I know.” She crossed her arms while turning away. “I’m not beautiful, there’s no need for you to rub it in.” Rider had accepted being the hideous one among her siblings long ago. That didn’t mean she welcomed being reminded of it-

“Eh,” the foreign Heroic Spirit shrugged, “yer not the ugliest girl I seen either.”

…Even a week after getting summoned together, Rider honestly didn’t know what to make of the partner fate had dealt her.

Then Shinji cleared his throat. “Save the soap opera stuff for when you’re not on the clock, thank you. And getting back to the topic our resident geezer brought up..." He turned to his native Servant, ignoring the gesture the foreigner made for him.

A bit rude, her present company, but not the worst Rider had encountered. “Andromeda’s still intact. That magus girl might’ve found some sigils, but she didn’t tamper with them.” She planted her left hand on her hip. “Not that it would’ve caused us much trouble in the long run. But this school needn’t be the extent. I think we could push the boundaries a bit further.”

“Not without attracting too much attention all at once,” her Master shook his head. “The Blood Fort serves both as a good home field advantage for you and as bait to draw in other teams, but bait too big could put us in a tight spot.” He gestured to their surroundings. “We already got a first impression of what Tohsaka’s Servants can do, plus it flushed out the local Lancer.”

“Still haven’t a clue who his Master could be,” Archer X reminded him. “And it looks like that idiot buddy of yers got caught in the crossfire. Almost got him killed.” He clicked his tongue. “And ya did set him up to be there that time a’ night in the first place.”

Both Servants were clearly observing Shinji Matou, even if only one had his eyes on him. They wanted to see how he’d react to such a news, see if he had the strength of will to see this all the way through. Shinji turned his back to them for a moment… and shrugged. “I didn’t know there was gonna be a fight so soon after Rider set up the Fort. Putting Emiya in a scenario where he could die wasn’t my intention, but…” His shoulders slumped marginally. “Considering Uncle’s apparently got him down as one of his targets… Him dying now and quickly would've been a mercy.”

“That’s a cold statement, Master.” Rider’s words lacked any judgment, though.

Shinji turned to see both of them staring at him neutrally. “…This is a cold world, Rider.” He sighed before scowling at the sky. “And based on the latest intel from my Worms, it seems Emiya went and blundered himself the last two Servants. Tohsaka’s made contact with him, too, and with his crush, he’s probably already in her back pocket.”

A length of chain materialized wrapped around Rider’s right arm. “Fresh alliances are rarely stable, though. And if we strike quickly and at the right moment,” she tilted her head towards Homuahara, “and in the right place, we can take them down in one fell swoop.”

“Or maybe we can turn ‘em on each other.” Archer X wagged his finger with a sly smirk. “Plenty alliances fall apart ‘cause both sides get too greedy an’ don’t trust each other enough. An’ if we play this game right…”

“We can let all the other teams wear each other down,” the boy who’d summoned them followed the trail with his own grin, “finish them off and collect our prize.” Rider nodded along; Archer X’s attitude and nicknaming aside, she didn’t deny he had a cunning mind. And a fearsome weapon.

Speak of the devil: Archer X pursed his lips and let out a high-pitched whistle, his fin lighting up red, and the arrow suddenly shot out from his side and up to the roof, leaving a bright-red trail in its wake. He whistled again, this time lower and slower, and a dark shape dropped silently down to the grass, the arrow hovering at the back of his throat the whole time. He was completely covered in pitch-black robes, the only thing visible about the Servant being the skull-shaped mask on his face.

At a third drawn-out whistle, the Servant was forced to move closer lest he suffer an impromptu tracheotomy. And that would’ve been a kindness in comparison to what Rider had in mind with the dagger her chain ended in. “I recall you being warned to keep your distance, Assassin.” She twirled her chain idly while the two men simply glared at the interloper.

The dark-clad Servant bowed his head slowly so as to not give off the wrong signal. “I was merely sent to deliver a message,” he spoke in a deep, quiet voice befitting an Assassin. “There is another battle occurring in Shinto, up near the forest cemetery, and quite a fierce one from the sound of it. Its participants may warrant your interest, young Matou.”

Shinji waited, his foot tapping slightly against the grass, for his “patron’s” Servant to elaborate, but it seemed this was the extent of the message. I could have Rider pry the information out of this little snoop, he contemplated briefly before nixing the idea. Zouken and Masao had both stressed to him that any damage to Assassin by his hand or his Servants’ would be repaid. With interest.

Thus, he shook his head. Archer X frowned but recalled his arrow while Rider retracted her dagger with a little reluctance. Assassin bowed again, and all three appreciated on some level that he wasn’t smug about it, before slipping away into spirit form. “Well,” Shinji bit back a wince as he summoned a couple more airborne Worms for surveillance, “let’s move a bit closer so we can see what the fuss is about.” He deployed the familiars and made for the exit.

Yondu made to follow him, but he couldn’t resist prodding a certain snake on last time. “You comin’, Lucy Deuce?”

Rider’s right brow twitched even while she trudged towards the men. But as she passed her partner, she suddenly smirked and leaned near her ear. “After you, Miss Poppins.”

Shinji snickered at seeing Archer X’s face promptly shift into a mesh between a smile and a scowl; never had the Matou heir laughed so hard in his life before that impromptu movie night.

“Gonna tan that boy’s hide red next I see ‘em…” The Centaurian Servant grumbled underneath his breath as they vacated the school.

Archer fired off another volley, then climbed a little higher up the steel beams that were his perch. His eyes tracked the arch of his arrows as they rained down upon Saber X. A wider version of that black “fish” expanded from his blade to intercept most of them, the remainder blasting into the rocks and trees around him. Still, it provided an effective smokescreen for Lancer X to rush her opponent with a surprise lunge.

As their weapons clashed, Archer turned his attention to the other players in the forest. Rin was approaching Illya’s vantage point. Saber and Assassin X had turned their battle with Berserker into a deadly game of hide-and-seek, making full use of their surroundings to confound the bigger, stronger Servant. He uprooted trees and crushed boulders with every blow, but none of them reached his prey. Assassin X had even called up a deep fog, further blinding him and allowing the duo to quickly strike from out of nowhere before slipping away again.

The mist also made it hard for even the bowman to determine their location; only Berserker’s massive frame was an easy read. Ergo, he couldn’t safely shoot down that foreign smartass and call it an accident. Worst case scenario, I fire blindly and hit Saber by mistake. Archer clicked his tongue.

His irritation grew when his gaze landed on the boy stupidly following Berserker’s trail of destruction. Still didn’t realize there wasn’t a damn thing he could do that would have any effect. Still playing up his desire to save others and hiding his death wish. Again, Archer contemplated his options. This Grail War was far more complicated, with so many other players still unconfirmed. And even if some changes were for the better like Sakura’s situation and Saber looking so much happier (though the most probable reason for that soured the taste a little) … Surely, some things were bound to be worse. It would always get worse.

Rin was alive and close by. Not close enough to interfere, and neither were any of the others. Archer nocked a fresh arrow. The tip followed the boy’s back while he foolishly pursued…

Something red fluttered in the corner of his eye which widened as it traced the source. He drew the bowstring all the way back for maximum power and released the arrow along with all of his hesitation.

In the forest, Ruby had tripped backwards over a cluster of roots, costing her footing at a crucial moment. Saber X sent her to the ground with two powerful slashes, then drew back his sword as her Aura crackled. But when he was about to let the blackness loose again, he froze at a high-pitched whistle. He managed to shift his katana and the goldfish into a defensive stance just before the arrow reached him, but the sheer force of the collision blasted him into a nearby cave. Lancer X got to her feet while the cave collapsed on top of Saber X, looked out at the city and quickly flashed an I’m-OK sign as thanks, Crescent Rose at the ready.

Huffing, Archer still replied with a thumbs up, knowing she could see it. ‘Task at hand.’ The message was as much meant for him as for her. The scar-faced bastard wasn’t out of the fight yet, and the fact he managed to guard against such a high-speed attack showed he was figuring out Archer’s firepower and rate. Saber X wasn’t the best swordsman the Counter Guardian had seen, but he did adapt and learn quickly.

And the boy wasn’t that far anymore from the graveyard that served as Berserker’s new playground. Tch, a bit faster than I thought. His path was also leading him close to where Rin was currently struggling against Illya. Archer sighed before moving further up his perch while he calculated his options.

Rin Tohsaka tumbled in a decidedly ungraceful manner along the dirt, magic bolts chasing her. She had hoped to tilt the odds back in her team’s favor, but the Einzbern girl turned out to be far from defenseless. Her Gandr shots kept being countered by those two bird-like familiars fluttering about, and even as she came to a stop against some roots, she tried analyzing them. Autonomous constructs capable of automatically seeking out targets. And the amount of mana she’s providing them to shoot like that… Rin gritted her teeth from pain and frustration. A collection of mini magi! She forced herself up and into the fight. But such high-performance familiars are bound to have some kind of drawbacks.

Illya ambled along the path, both Storch Ritter fluttering nimbly at her sides. “Quick little rabbit, aren’t you?” She giggled before plucking two more strands of hair. Mama had devised an absolutely beautiful way to fight with Alchemy, and in her name, she had elevated Shape ist Leben to a whole new level. “Why don’t I add another two to deal with you?” Another pair of Ibis flapped their wings ready to hunt their prey.

Are you kidding me?! Rin cursed behind her hiding spot. Whine later, she told herself and took a breath. If I let them box me in, I’m dead. In that case… Her gaze wandered down to some little emeralds in her hand.

Then she did something Einzbern didn’t expect; she stepped out into the open. “Attacking me head-on?” The homunculus blinked before smiling again. Rin was really starting to despise that smug look on her face. “Bold but foolhardy of you, Rin.” The Tohsaka Master’s retort was to sprint to her right and lob her next move right in front of her. “Gandr!”

Illya had to avert her eyes from the emerald flash that pleb made, but her Ibis had no such problems. She felt them fire multiple bolts, but she watched as a bright green rectangular shield emerged to hover before Rin and block their attacks. From behind her defense, Rin fired a Gandr that took out one of her birds, then another. “Two to go!” That remark made Illya giggle. Leave it to a plebian to get so confident after one lucky shot.

Rin was empowering her next Gandr when something white pierced her shield like it was paper and zipped past her face. She glanced behind herself to find an ethereal blade lodged in the dirt. Her familiar altered its form?! “Nice job countering Zähre,” Illya sneered down at the shaken magus, “but let’s see you try and block Degen.” Rin watched wide-eyed as the other “bird” shifted into a broadsword. “I thought you’d be more fun to play with, but it’s been a letdown. Well, this is it for you.” She shuffled back while the blade rose a bit higher, its tip aiming for her chest. “Death by impalement is a fitting end for a disgraceful doe.”

Degen launched itself towards Illya’s prey, too fast for her to escape- Blam! Illya blinked in shock as something slammed into her familiar’s side, then Degen was suddenly aflame. Rose petals fluttered about in front of her, making her blink again.

“Y’know, you’ve got a pretty bad mouth for a girl your age.”

When Illya opened her eyes, they were peering into a pair of silver ones. She stepped back only to stop at feeling something sharp at the back of her neck. A better look revealed that a slightly banged-up Lancer X was standing in front of her and holding her scythe so that its blade curled behind her.

“You might wanna give up now,” Ruby warned the girl gently. “I can’t say I like your attitude, and I don’t like bullies in general, but I’d rather not hurt you.” Those red eyes stared wide back at her, but she didn’t let herself waver. Innocent as the girl looked, she had said and planned some pretty nasty things.

Rin sighed in relief at the sight of her Servant’s cloak rustling before her. It had sustained a few tears, and Lancer X herself sported some light bruises, but between her Aura and Rin replenishing her mana, she’d be back in tiptop shape soon enough. The crackle of flames behind her told the Master that she’d even had the foresight to hit the other familiar (with a Fire Dust round? Now Rin was really curious about Dust…)

But just as she was debating whether or not to tell Ruby to chop off the brat’s head, a black goldfish the size of her head “swam” in front of her. And another behind her. And another. And another.

‘Ruby!’ Dual shouts in her head rattled the Remnantian Servant, but she glanced behind her to gasp at the small school of black fish circling Rin. Her reflexes went on autopilot even as she heard a familiar voice.

“Kuro: Shred.”

The goldfish erupted into a flurry of little slashes all centered on one single spot. They dissipated to reveal a series of slice-and-diced petals and a little blood that fell to the ground.

Saber X suddenly appeared in front of his Master, clumps of dirt falling from his coat. “Good reflexes.” He turned to a frozen Illya as a volley of arrows descended towards them, scooping up the young girl in his right arm. “Nishiki.” At his command, a tri-colored goldfish swirled around his body again, and he seemingly vanished before Archer’s payload tore apart the clearing.

Saber X finally came to a stop in a farther, much denser part of the forest, panting a bit as he set down Illya and Enten. “You alright?” He carefully checked her over, but the Master was in better shape compared to the odd scrapes and cuts her Servant was sporting. “Sorry it took me so long to reach you.” Though still staring at nothing, Illya patted his arm in reassurance. More of her mana flowed into him at the gesture as he kept his words brief. “Had to dig my way out first, then Archer kept trying to tag me.” Chihiro kept searching for injuries. “You shouldn’t pick fights recklessly while we’re fighting, Illya. Did they hurt you?”

She shook her head, but her demeanor was unchanged. Not a good sign… “…Hey, Big Bro?”

“What’s wrong?” Saber X tensed at her dull tone. Had he been too late? Did the other magus curse her or-?

“…That Lancer girl was kinda cute.” He blinked, his face flattening like a punctured tire at his Master. But she just giggled to herself, blushing slightly. “A shame that Rin’s the one who summoned her.”

Illya was contemplating inviting the silver-eyed girl (and only her) to afternoon tea when her fluffy hat was pulled over her eyes. Her Big Bro then picked her up and slung her over his shoulder despite her protests, and she could hear him mutter, “Let’s go check on Berserker.” She pouted but relented. Wet blanket…

A little ways off where the girl Masters had had their showdown, Rin Tohsaka was currently breathing heavily slumped against a tree. Lancer X stood anxiously beside her. “Rin, are you…?”

“I-I’m fine, Ruby.” The words sounded hollow even to Rin; her left cheek had been slashed open, and half a dozen other cuts were scattered across her body. Her right ponytail had also received a slight trim. “The w-wounds are shallow, nothing… serious. I just need to staunch the bl-bleeding.” She invoked a light healing spell and began running her glowing hands over her right thigh, her left forearm, part of her stomach diagonally, near the right side of her neck, and what she could reach of the wounds on her back. She saved her cheek for last. “…Alright,” finally, the magus sighed somewhat satisfied, “that’ll do for now.”

Still, she knew she’d have to perform a more thorough treatment later, lest scars remain. Sakura and Mother would go nuts if she came home looking like she’d taken a swan dive into a meat grinder. She tried not to make eye contact with how the Huntress was still watching her worriedly. In the process, Rin noticed Ruby had lost some of her left bangs; another reminder of how close a shave (literally!) it’d been.

Then Archer chimed in telepathically. ‘Saber X managed to slip away with his Master from my counterattack, and I’m still searching for them. Keeping track of you, Master, is a lot easier than following enemy Masters. Apologies if my assistance was unwanted.’

Rin shook her head as her breathing slowed again. “No way,” she sighed, “truth be told, I was backed into a corner.” The admission tasted bitter on her lips, but she couldn’t deny that Einzbern girl had been in complete control of their duel, and right when it seemed like Lancer X had turned the tables, she had nearly been sliced to ribbons by Saber X’s Noble Phantasm. “Turning her hair into fully-functional familiars while having superhuman stamina to keep two Servants like that in fighting shape… The Master, the Servants, they’re a whole team of monsters!”

“No kidding.” Lancer X rubbed her head. “Berserker’s been reshaping the forest and is still swinging full-throttle while Saber and Assassin X are probably starting to tire out. I have no idea what it’s gonna take to bring down that giant short of dropping a mountain on top of him.”

‘And even then, I wouldn’t put it past him to dig himself free of the rubble,’ Archer grumbled in agreement. ‘Saber X by comparison isn’t as overwhelmingly destructive, but he’s much more versatile and creative with his sword’s power. I suspect his slashes’ length and cutting power are proportionate to the size of the goldfish he creates. And it looks like he can delay the transition from fish to attack as he pleases.’ Rin flinched again at the memory of those things surrounding her. She’d frozen up, no spell or trick coming to mind. Helpless. If she hadn’t alerted Ruby… She could’ve died… if not for a… A Lancer saving her again…

While her Master kept quiet, Lancer X thought. Something felt off to her in that last attack from Saber X. She’d been dodging enough of his goldfish all night to know who fast they could slice something up. If Saber X had wanted it, with them that close around Rin, they could’ve ripped her apart in the time it took Ruby to see. So, did he hold off… on purpose? To give me a chance to save Rin before they cut too deep…?

‘He must’ve prioritized protecting his Master,’ Archer noted over their link; it sounded like he was having similar thoughts. Rin didn’t react, though, so maybe this message was meant for Servants alone. Then he reverted to talking to both of them. ‘When dealing with such Servants, the logical step would be to neutralize their Master.’

“But that’s obviously easier said than done.” Lancer X’s eyes followed the trail of Berserker’s rampage. “And with us catching our breath right now, Illya and Saber X are probably moving to regroup with Berserker.” She turned back to her Master with rising worry. “Rin, Saber’s really strong, and Assassin X isn’t half bad himself-”

A scoff from Archer slipped into their minds.

Ruby didn’t let that stop her. “But they can’t take on Berserker and Saber X when they’ve been slugging it out for this long. If we want them on our side later down the road…”

“We should support them now, right?” Rin knew where this was going, and she honestly didn’t disagree. After everything she’d witnessed this night, and putting aside any ridiculous feelings of… powerlessness, securing alliances for the future was a solid investment. “Archer, keep your distance and monitor the battlefield. Lancer X, you’re with me. We’ll meet up with Saber and Assassin X. Maybe we can run some interference and help them devise a winning plan.”

Her Servant at her side nodded, her determination on full display. “Let’s do it!”

Her other Servant was currently atop a landing station for helicopters, bow at the ready. “Understood,” Archer replied before cautioning them. “But when the time comes to retreat, don’t dally, you two.”

‘Right…’ Rin didn’t sound quite as confident as she might’ve liked. It seemed Saber X’s sneak attack had shaken her, and it hadn’t even been a genuine attempt on her life. Well, as long as the lesson sunk in, and Ruby would surely get her out safely. Provided she didn’t do something stupidly heroic. Archer’s grip tightened on his bow a bit more as he spotted movement. Speaking of which…

Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya’s next meeting began with them nearly colliding into one another.

Because Rin insisted they both recover a bit before traveling via Petal Burst again, Lancer X had been running ahead of her Master, following the trail Berserker had literally carved into the forest while trying to smash the other two, but she skidded to a halt at hearing two different yelps. Spinning around revealed Rin and Shirou stumbling away from each other, the boy’s eyes landing on the girl’s closed but still visible cuts. “What happened to you, Tohsaka?! Are you alright?”

“…Am I alright?!” Pride, frustration and a couple other emotions Rin didn’t recognize flared up inside her brain, making her close the distance to Emiya and pin him against the nearest tree. “What the hell are you doing here?!” She held his right arm and twisted his left behind his back, half-compelled to make it as painful as possible. “If you don’t have a way to fight, you’ll just be a burden! Don’t you get it?!”

Shirou’s instincts kicking in from prior times he’d been put in this hold, his left heel snapped against Tohsaka’s shin, the motion loosening her grip on the arm behind him. He barely stopped himself from cracking his elbow into her nose (like Maiya taught him) and settled for hitting her left shoulder. He turned around as Tohsaka stumbled back with a mix of shock and fury on her face. “Oh, and you’re in complete control of this situation?! Tohsaka, you look like someone almost put you through the shredder! How can I just stand by and do nothing?”

“Uh, guys?”

All the more indignant from his comment and how he somehow broke her hold, Rin fired back, “And what can you do, Emiya?! Fine, I was in a pretty tight spot,” the words made her want to set something on fire, “but if it got that bad for me, how will you fare any better? This is a matter of life and death! Don’t you get that by now? If you get yourself killed without making anything happen, then you’ll have died for nothing!”

“Guys?”

“I know that, but why are you getting so worked up about what happens to me? You said we were enemies back then, it’s not your problem how I die!”

“Guys.”

 “Of course, it’s my problem! I also said I owed you a debt, so if I don’t let you off the hook for twenty-hours, I’d. Have. A. Big. Problem!”

“GUYS.” The two hadn’t realized how close to each other they’d gotten in their yelling before Lancer X shoved them apart. Matching blushes crossed their faces as the Servant stepped between them with a sigh. “Look, Rin’s not wrong, Shirou. That Illya girl’s not gonna call her team off when they’re winning. This is really not the safest place in the city right now. We’re barely staying alive here, and if you can’t protect yourself, you could get really messed up.” Or die was left unsaid. Despite what Rin thought, Ruby could tell Shirou wasn’t a total idiot.

Her proof was how those brown eyes narrowed at her. “I know it’s dangerous,” Shirou started, “especially if that girl really is from the Einzbern family.” Ruby noticed Rin’s frown getting a little bigger; who were these Einsie-burnie guys, and why were they both cautious about them? She’d have to ask later… “But you heard her. Ka-,” he sighed before correcting himself, “Assassin X is the one she’s gunning after. Saber’s giving her all to help him, how can I do any less?”

Tohsaka groaned into her hands, and Lancer X apparently took this as a sign that she should answer. “I get that you want to fight with your friends, trust me, I really do.” Shirou believed her; she didn’t seem the lying type what with how sincere her expression was. “But Assassin X and Saber can take a lot more punishment than you can. And don’t you think they’d be even more worried if you jumped into a fight with Servants?”

“It’s my fight, too, Rose,” Shirou pointed out, his face hardening. “Maybe it’s just because I’m another Master, but it sounds to me like I’m one of the girl’s targets, too. She’s just more interested in killing Assassin X first.” A heavy crash sounded in the distance, followed by the crackle of electricity. The fight was getting worse. “Look, would either of you be fine with just standing back and letting a comrade risk their life for your sake? Would you force someone else to handle something you can’t do on your own?”

Lancer X’s words clogged up in her throat, and Rin herself couldn’t think of any retort.

Another louder crash, then more in rapid succession. Like someone was beating on a drum. Or a body, Shirou thought in mounting horror. Figuring the girls wouldn’t help him (and why should they? This wasn’t their problem), he turned and resumed his run towards the battle in the hopes he wasn’t too late. The mist grew denser the further he approached

Air rustled beside him as Lancer X’s face popped up. “I wouldn’t do either,” she admitted before grabbing his shoulder. He dimly noticed her holding Tohsaka with her head turned away, too. “Just don’t jump in the fight. And brace yourself.” Then Shirou’s whole vision turned into red.

Berserker stood tall in the graveyard, growling like a savage beast. The fog made it difficult to make out anything that wasn’t right in front of him, but his ingrained instincts told him when to strike. His axe lashed out at a shadow to his right. Another series of gravestones were reduced to pebbles. Meanwhile, the left side of his abdomen was slit, a little blood spurting out. Berserker swung again only to hit more stones. He felt heat approach him from behind and whirled around in time to get a face-full of fireballs. They didn’t affect him, but two slashes to his right tendon made him lurch before a longer cut stretched across his back.

Saber ducked under the retaliatory swing and scooted away amid those graves still intact. She kept her movements slow and deliberate; the mist her partner had summoned obstructed even her sight a bit. Fortunately, Saber’s other senses weren’t dulled by madness like Berserker’s. She could hear him snarling and feel the ripples of air from his swings. She still wasn’t the biggest fan of such tactics, but between her time spent with Assassin X and the current situation, she recognized they had uses.

Said partner was crouching on the opposite side of Berserker, left index and middle fingers raised before his chest. The Hidden Mist Jutsu was less taxing than more overt techniques, and with it already being a rather damp night, Assassin X only needed to gather his surroundings’ moisture and spread it across the graveyard. It was just thick enough to keep Berserker guessing, so he could easily keep track of both the brute and Saber with his Sharingan. Still, if neither had remembered their partnership, coordinating moves would’ve been difficult.

Rose petals fluttered about as Lancer X deposited her passengers at a spot overlooking the mist-enshrouded battlefield. Rin was more used to the fluctuations caused by Petal Burst, allowing her to stand tall while Emiya braced himself against a tree. Only Berserker and the graveyard’s outskirts were visible. “You have some pretty clever Servants,” she acknowledged to her rival. “They set up this field to confound Berserker.”

“Yeah.” Shirou pushed himself off the wood to join them. “They rolled with his attacks to lead him to the forest and graveyard for cover. The park was too open and wouldn’t have helped them as much.” Part of the fog was blown away as Berserker brought his axe down, but only rocks were shattered.

Ruby’s eyes narrowed as the fog quickly swirled around the Servant of Madness, shivering as he roared in frustration. “Plus, they probably wanted to keep Berserker away from you, Shirou.” Berserker rocketed up with a mighty leap, but Saber suddenly appeared behind him to smack him back down to earth. “And I’m guessing Assassin X made this fog for even more cover. It’s blocking Archer’s line of sight, though.”

“They must’ve figured they couldn’t count on Archer supporting them.” Rin watched bemused as the spot where Berserker had landed promptly transformed into mud, causing his heavy body to sink. “I’m not sure even Archer’s arrows can pierce that hide.” As he thrashed about to free himself, Saber angled her fall towards him while another shape sprang up next to her.

Assassin X’s hands blurred together in a way that reminded Shirou of some spells Maiya used, then he sucked in a deep breath of air. “Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!” Snapping his head repeatedly from side to side as he exhaled (Did he pull down his mask? Shirou wondered half-idly) released a series of pressurized slashes that hurtled down towards Berserker. Are those strong enough to cut him?

What Assassin X did next, though, was something the trio couldn’t have expected: He grabbed Saber who had just reached his altitude, spun and hurled her downwards. “What is he-” Tohsaka’s cry caught in her throat as Saber pointed her sword down, the wind-enshrouded blade actually collecting the air slashes her partner had created, and stabbed once she reached Berserker. The graveyard shook from the gale-force impact. The onlookers braced themselves from stray gusts that washed over them. I get it, Shirou mused in awe. Between the two of them, only Saber’s strong enough to really fight and hurt Berserker, but Kakashi can provide support and set her up to land even stronger attacks!

Rin came to the same conclusion but took it a bit further. How are they doing this? She stared at the duo who had landed and were regrouping. Saber harnessed Assassin X’s wind attack seamlessly! And the way they set up this combo… They’re not saying anything to each other, Emiya surely doesn’t have the skill to establish a telepathic link between them, they’re not even making signals! How can two Servants of completely different worlds, who only met each other tonight, have this level of teamwork?! …Unless…

‘Those two were already acquainted with one another prior to the boy summoning them.’ Archer told her in a rather testy tone, confirming her suspicions. ‘They had a very… touching… reunion outside the church while you and the boy were inside. In their joy, they must’ve forgot Ruby and I were watching.’

‘They really are old friends!’ Rin snapped her head to where a bright-eyed Ruby was staring excitedly down at the two. The Huntress apparently took note of their talking over the mental link and was doing the same. ‘Right, they told me that they’d been summoned to this city a while ago, and they were already partners back then, too! And I mean, you can tell when you watch them in action, right?! The teamwork’s awesome!’

Archer seemed to have even less appreciation for Lancer X’s enthusiasm presently than Rin. ‘Thank you, Ruby, we’re well aware.’ Rin for her part was simply shaking in silent fury at the sheer unfairness of it all. All her talent and training, and it wasn’t her who netted a Saber with a partner who fights in perfect sync with her, but… She glared at a stunned Emiya from the side. How much dumb luck does this guy have?!

Shirou felt a lot of anger coming from the side. Looks like Tohsaka’s disappointed, too, that this still wasn’t enough to bring him down! A geyser of dust and stone erupted before a very angry Berserker stormed out of the crater made from the combination attack. A bleeding spiral-shaped wound covered most of his chest and looked fairly, but the Servant just acted like he was ready for the next round.

If Saber or Assassin X were worried, they didn’t let it show. “So much for Attack Plan 14,” the latter commented while re-engaging the Hidden Mist Jutsu. “We’ve been hammering at him this long, and the majority of his wounds are shallow. This goes beyond natural toughness, even with Mad Enhancement.”

“A Noble Phantasm, then,” Saber concurred, her eyes not leaving the colossus even as the fog gathered. “Some sort of ability that shields him from harm. I doubt any attack below A-rank can actually hurt him, let alone kill him.” She exchanged an uneasy look with Assassin X. Aside from Invisible Air and the Sharingan, neither had resorted to using their trump cards, a prudent decision this early in the War. But with their current power levels, they couldn’t bring Berserker down easily. And he wasn’t alone…

“Gotta hand it to them, those two know what they’re doing.” Saber X stood beside his Master on a small outcropping to observe the battle. He didn’t seem in a particular hurry to assist Berserker, but his red eyes also gravitated towards Lancer X and the two rival Masters serving as audience. Then they turned elsewhere… “They’re making the most out of each other’s abilities, too.”

Illyasviel von Einzbern had a look on his face like she was biting into a lemon. “Kakashi’s as crafty as he always was. If it weren’t for Saber, Berserker would’ve painted the cemetery with his blood by now.” A hand squeezed her shoulder, but she didn’t dare look up to see the disapproval that was most likely on her Big Bro’s face. Illya took a breath and put on her smile. “But no matter what he tries, their fates are sealed.”

Berserker seemed to agree as he barreled his way towards them, but Assassin X’s mist allowed them to dodge in separate directions with time to spare. Even so, both were racking their brains for options. Saber X had yet to join the fight, too, but if he did while Berserker alone was keeping the pressure on them, this would be even trickier. And Teams Tohsaka and Einzbern surely weren’t the only audience. Other Masters and Servants were surely watching from afar, some maybe gearing up to pounce upon them like vultures…

Thus, Saber decided to bring this to a decisive end. As a particularly powerful slash scattered most of the fog from her partner’s spot, she stepped out into the open to draw Berserker’s attention. “Circumstances bind us from holding a conversation or even exchanging names. The only way for us to speak is through blows to take one another’s life.” She pointed her sword towards the behemoth as he crouched for another rush. “So, to defend my comrade’s, I challenge you with all my strength.”

Saber X’s hand reflexively traveled to Enten’s hilt, but Illya patted his leg. “It’s not enough against Berserker,” his Master reminded him. After a moment, he stood down and resumed watch.

It seemed Berserker could at least understand her intent and readied to answer her as Saber gripped her weapon with both hands. Her focus was locked on one single point. Wind currents swirled around her blade as she charged. “This ends now, Berserker!” Whatever else might’ve been said was drowned out by the roar of Berserker’s slash tearing up the ground in front of it. The right side of her head was grazed, but she powered through the force to push her thrust through. The juggernaut’s hand shot out on instinct, catching her hidden blade millimeters from that that circular wound that hadn’t fully healed.

Refusing to back down even as that axe rose again, Saber poured what mana she could spare into her arms and her sword, Invisible Air briefly falling away in the process. It couldn’t be helped. She’d have to strike hard and fast enough with Mana Burst to make this gamble count. Thus, with a roar fueled by adrenaline, Saber drove her sword into his chest wound.

The remnants of Assassin X’s mist were blown away as Excalibur’s light shined for a single second, the drive of power which accompanied its release forcing the Masters present to avert their eyes. Even the other Servants only caught a mere glimpse of it, Ruby inadvertently drooling at its awesomeness and Saber X himself captivated by the light. Berserker had no chance of appreciating its splendor because it was too busy blasting a massive hole through his body.

Both human Masters had ducked down from the explosion of wind and smoke, and as the latter cleared, they chanced a look. Berserker had fallen to his knees, and most of his torso was vaporized. What remained were two halves slumping to either side by the weight of his arms. Even the fire of his eyes had been snuffed out. “…They got him!” Tohsaka voiced Shirou’s thoughts as she pumped her arms in triumphant relief. “One down, one to go!” He tried not to let his eyes linger on the desperate grin she sported, but he understood why. Familiar or not, there was no way anyone could survive that kind of injury. Not even a monster like that.

That’s when Shirou noticed the girl and her other Servant simply standing on the opposite side. What’s wrong with them?! Not a flinch even when their comrade just got killed! And yet both of them looked worryingly unconcerned about half of Berserker’s body being blown to kingdom come. His blood froze. Unless… He snapped his eyes back down to the battlefield.

Saber quickly covered up her sword again as she inspected Berserker’s smoldering corpse. His core had surely been vaporized. A high-pitched sound made her turn towards the audience’s direction and do a double take; had her niece been summoned to this time, too? “That was so cool…” Ah, right, Gareth’s eyes are blue, not silver, Artoria reminded herself while suppressing the urge to coo at Lancer X’s starstruck face.

“Saber!” Shirou had climbed down from his spot beside the two and was running into the cemetery. She frowned and made to warn him off when Assassin X barred his path. A clone of Saber’s partner, though, was frowning beneath his mask. When she made to ask why, he tilted his head towards the other side. Where Illyasviel and Saber X hadn’t moved an inch or batted an eye despite her just having killed Berserker- …Or had she?

Simultaneously, Rin and Lancer X received a telepathic message of only two words: ‘Fall back.’

Berserker’s body was already mending itself to the astonishment of the others as they watched. “He’s regenerating even from this?!” Saber muttered incredulously while jumping backwards. She focused on the flesh reconstructing from her thrust. “No… It’s almost as if time stops at death for him and is reversed to a point before.” He was already rising back to his feet mid-reconstruction. Berserker’s eyes flared with violent life again.

But it was a smaller, more honest soul who took the next step.

Lancer X’s eyes didn’t leave Berserker, her gaze focusing on the chest wound that hadn’t fully healed yet. ‘Don’t do anything rash, Ruby.’ Her partner must’ve guessed what she was thinking, as he sternly tried to warn her off. ‘Saber should’ve finished him for good with her attack. And nothing short of an A-rank attack can do any damage to Berserker anyway.’

‘I figured as much.’ Undeterred, she bent her legs and reared back Crescent Rose. ‘Put more oomph into our efforts, right?’ Then the Red-Like-Roses Huntress shot forward despite everyone’s protests. If going for the heart’s not enough, then we gotta take off his head while he’s still pulling himself together!

Too fast for her to stop, Rin could only watch as a red blur zipped past Emiya towards a still-recuperating Berserker, said blur shifting into Lancer X as her scythe’s blade folded backwards. It fired once, twice, three times, the gunshots making Berserker turn mid-heal as a giant crimson buzzsaw whirled at him. But he was too late to dodge, intercept or even see the threat as with one final blast, Crescent Rose carved into the left side of his neck-

And stopped about a quarter of the way in.

Saber had been backing away from Berserker and towards Shirou, well aware of Lancer X’s attack. She halted then and watched how the other knight-class Servant’s battle cry turned into an impromptu “Eeep!” as she jerked to an abrupt halt. She was left dangling by Crescent Rose’s handle, kicking her legs in a futile attempt to get some leverage.

…Not enough oomph, huh? Ruby thought as her baby’s blade was plucked loose and lifted high, her along with it. She slowly turned and saw first a fully restored chest, then peered into a pair of (marginally less) blazing red orbs. Berserker snorted like a bull, two explosions of air from his nostrils that blew back her hair and cloak. “…I’m sorry,” she tried meekly.

“▂▂▃.” …Ruby had no idea what Berserker just “said,” but it probably wasn’t, “Apology accepted.”

Saber was already moving to chop off Berserker’s hand, but his instincts kicked in, snapping out his axe to nearly catch her. She narrowly evaded the rock when her eyes landed on a familiar sight to her right. Reading his intent, Saber decided to play along.

Lancer X looked behind her to see Saber veering to the left, trying to draw Berserker’s attention. It wasn’t working. She was then moved a bit, and the other hand, the one holding the super-big axe, was rearing back. She could dimly hear Rin, Shirou and even Archer yelling “Ruby!” over the rush of wind and her instincts to activate her Semblance…

Something flashed to her right. “Lightning…” Then something was rushing towards them while making a weird sound: Chirchirchirchirchirchir… “Blade!”

It was a testament to both Ruby Rose’s personality and Charisma of Hope how quickly she could inspire and endear herself to others. In just a few short interactions, she had developed a positive rapport with Artoria Pendragon, which in turn led to her being in the good graces of the latter’s partner. Anyone who was a friend to Kakashi Hatake’s friends was a friend of Kakashi Hatake. And friend is a good synonym for comrade.

As for the Copy Ninja, while he was significantly weaker than in his time as Kiritsugu Emiya’s Servant, being contracted to Shirou Emiya had slightly improved his For One’s Comrades Skill.

Therefore, the Lightning Blade Assassin X unleashed to protect Lancer X became for a brief instant an A-rank Noble Phantasm.

His left hand curled around the smaller Servant’s midsection, pulling her along in his lunge, while his right hand imbued with the jutsu of his own creation dug into the wound Crescent Rose had made and finished the job. The front of Berserker’s throat was ripped open in a flash of lightning, blood spurting as his head tilted backwards under its own weight. If not for some strands of flesh in the back, the head would’ve hit the ground.

Rin sighed in relief at seeing Ruby unharmed, then she warily glared at the nearly headless Berserker. “…Was that enough?” She hated the doubt in her own voice, but well, she’d thought Saber’s thrust had definitely finished Berserker off and look how that turned out. Then again, decapitation was generally considered a surefire solution for fast healers.

The two Servants landed and skidded far along a stony path. Once they stopped, Lancer X sighed in relief and turned to Assassin X. “Thanks for the save.”

“Don’t mention it.” He shook his right hand with a wince before inspecting it, stray lightning still crackling in the air. His ring and pinky fingers were sprained. “Toughest target I ever used Lightning Blade on…”

Illya had crossed her arms and was tapping her foot at her spot, her face scrunched up in thought. “I am conflicted…” On the one hand, it bothered her little that Lancer X was still alive (and unharmed) … on the other, it was thanks to Kakashi…

She was so caught up in her ruminating she didn’t notice Saber X shaking his head beside her. ‘That’s twice now,’ he reminded her over their link, ‘And only in our first fight, Illyasviel.’ The girl groaned quietly; Chihiro had quickly picked up using her full first name when scolding her. And worst of all, he always had a point when doing that. Guess playtime had to come to an end.

Kakashi was just about to relax when Lancer X’s eyes widened… and he realized he still sensed Berserker’s presence behind him. “…Do I want to look?” His shoulders fell in anticipation.

She winced. “Probably not.” He sighed but turned around anyway to see a large leonine head twitch, then snap back onto its original spot, revealing twin crimson suns full of life and glaring down at him.

…Yeah, he didn’t want to look.

As Servants and humans alike watched, the rent flesh at Berserker’s neck pulsed red before stitching itself back together. Another second, and it was as if the fatal injury had never existed. This isn’t just some healing factor, a wary Assassin X determined as he and Lancer X backed away. Even the best regeneration can be nullified by severing the brain from the body, or destroying a spirit core in a Servant’s case. That’s why Saber and Lancer X chose their targets; I just picked up where Lancer X left off. And his other injuries… He scanned Berserker’s body with the Sharingan. Whenever I hit him with fire or air, the first attacks always had more effect than subsequent ones of the same nature, no matter how strong the latter were. Lightning Style probably won’t even tickle him anymore.

His mood dropped even further when his gaze drifted towards Illya standing up there with the reins to such a juggernaut. She must’ve noticed the Heroic Spirit of the Shadows watching her because she fixed him with a cold glare, pain and betrayal flickering within her red eyes. They reminded Kakashi of the last conversation he’d shared with a certain woman he couldn’t protect. I failed you again, Irisviel. I failed you and Kiritsugu… and your little girl.

Assassin X had little chance to dwell on his guilt as Berserker started barreling towards him and Lancer X, and if not for spotting a worried Shirou on the other side of the graveyard, he might’ve let the Servant of Madness grind him into paste. Then a certain blue-and-silver shape tugged his shoulder, and they evaded his attack. Normally, Artoria’s presence would be more comforting, but she herself wasn’t looking too excited. “You think it’s resurrection?”

“With a twist.” His answer was not comforting. “You’ve been having a harder time cutting him the longer the fight went on, right?” Saber paused, nodding as she recalled the increasing difficulty to drive her sword through his hide. She might’ve attributed it to simple fatigue if not for Kakashi’s expression. “Same with my jutsu. I think there’s more to his Noble Phantasm than just cheating death. It’s like he’s… building up an immunity to whatever injures him.”

Saber winced upon connecting the dots. “And now he’s developed a very high ‘tolerance’ to our attacks.” Unleashing the full strength of her Mana Burst perhaps wasn’t the dumbest thing she had ever done, but upon witnessing Berserker rise to his full height, not a scratch anywhere on his bulging muscles… an argument could be made for the top twenty to thirty. They landed and two clones of Assassin X stayed while she retreated further back to the original and their Master. “Shirou, stay behind us!”

“You guys might wanna fall back,” Ruby hurriedly called over to them. “It sounds like my partner’s planning something big!”  She owed them at least that much of a warning for their help. Then with a flutter of rose petals, she retreated to Rin’s side.

A snicker caught everyone’s attention. “Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Illya smiled brightly from her vantage point among the trees, Saber X standing to her side. “There’s nothing any of you can do to stop Berserker. He’s not just any hero, he’s the greatest hero in all of Greek history!”

That revelation made a sense of primal terror ripple through Rin, Saber, Shirou and even Assassin X. The foreigner only recognized the implications from browsing books in the Einzbern library (contrary to Artoria and Kiritsugu’s accusations, Kakashi did read more than just smut.) but he knew enough to fear Berserker. Alias- “Herakles…?” His Master mumbled before wincing, a reaction he could sympathize with. That was a name nearly any inhabitant of this world would recognize, regardless of country or upbringing.

“H-he’s a hero with tales of worldwide fame,” Rin shakenly explained to Lancer X who couldn’t have known but was quickly learning. “He’s sure to be one of the strongest Heroic Spirits of all time, and that brat has him as Berserker!” She couldn’t even feel good about knowing the Servant’s True Name now.

Lancer X tried to calm her down, “Okay, I get he’s a big deal,” she flinched as Berserker demolished a wall of earth Assassin X’s duplicate had put up, “…a really, really big deal… but there’s got to be a way we can stop him! If he’s that famous, you or Shirou or Saber or Archer may know a weakness this Hera-guy has.”

‘Herakles,’ Archer corrected. ‘And I’ve got something that might set the odds a bit more in our favor.’ Hope flickered in Rin’s eyes at his words. ‘So do as I say, Lancer X, and get Rin to safety. You don’t want to be around when this goes off.’ She liked the sound of all this, but her eyes drifted to… ‘Don’t worry about Saber’s team. If I angle this right, they shouldn’t be in too much danger. Now get clear, both of you.’

‘On it!’ Ruby picked up their Master and blasted up into the woods with Petal Burst. Even if she didn’t fully know what was going on, she trusted her partner.

Assassin X’s Shadow Clones swiftly dispersed under Berserker’s assault, and their originator steadily backed away keeping Shirou behind him and Saber. He picked up a tugging from the boy. “Keep it together, Shirou. It’s no question that we’re up against a real monster of a Servant, but you can’t fear cloud your thoughts.”

A jolt ran inside Shirou’s body again. “N-not that…” He gasped out, something compelling him to look at a specific spot. “It’s Archer…” Both of his Servants paused and eyed him from the side, but the boy’s focus was off in the distance. “Don’t ask me how I know, but… He’s setting up his move.” He grabbed them both and pulled. “Come on!”

This scene felt similar and yet different to the observer on that tower. “A splendid showing as ever, Saber. But it’s not enough.” Archer was privately pleased. The boy was down there, and Assassin X, too, the latter more exhausted than he was letting on. And with his attitude, he’d sooner try to get his teammates to safety than himself. Saber had better odds of surviving than the boy, too. Finally, an optimal opportunity.

He took one last glance to make sure Ruby was ushering Rin outside the area of effect. Something stabbed at his core inside him, but he ignored it. Misleading an earnest girl like her wasn’t the worst of his sins. If this worked, Rin would still have a reliable Servant to win the Grail War, and he wouldn’t need to care anymore.

With a flash of red flame-like mana, the Servant of the Bow summoned a special sword to his hand, though “sword” seemed inaccurate. The blade part was cylindrical, more akin to a jousting lance or even a drill. He lined it up along his other arm and drew the bowstring back. The sword shrank and elongated itself, taking on a more appropriate form as an “arrow.” In his mind, he began a particular chant: I am the bone of my sword… Rather than continue the aria, Archer stopped there, which triggered a… special reaction for his freshly prepared projectile. A steady hum emanated from it as unstable power crackled within. All it needed was a target.

Red sparks danced across the landing pad, and a blue energy centered itself around the bowman. He took a breath and fired Caladbolg II. The air above Fuyuki seemed to shake as it traveled through for its target.

The sky seemed to light up blue as Shirou led Saber and Assassin X away. It wasn’t that he didn’t recognize the danger of them turning their backs on Berserker or his team, but somehow, he knew that they shouldn’t be standing too close for what was about to come. A single point shined brightly from the sky, a metallic rod hurtling squarely towards Berserker at a speed nearly impossible to match. Assassin X’s eye widened at the unstable mana bubbling inside it.

Archer had finally made his move. Which another Servant had been waiting for.

Saber X had already drawn Enten and prepared to move the moment he saw Lancer X retreating with her Master. The light in the sky was all the confirmation he needed. “Brace yourself!” He warned Illya, then tapped into Nishiki to bolster his Agility, jumping high enough to place himself between Berserker and the approaching helix of devastation.

Then he activated the third power of his Noble Phantasm: “Aka.”

Even with the distance between them, Archer watched the black-clad boy intervene with little worry. Not his intended target, but at least Saber X would be dealt with, and he could just fire another afterward to erase Berserker (and just maybe the boy). He’d seen the extent of that black goldfish-attack; while potent, its upper limit was most certainly B-rank. It couldn’t match the broken destructive force of Caladbolg II.

Then his eyes widened as a red goldfish flowed out from Enten to make contact with his projectile.

Fish met sword, and the atmosphere itself trembled from the collision. A heavy shockwave washed over the area, blowing leaves and clumps of dirt everywhere. The trees themselves shook from the energy that struck them, and Berserker was the only person who could stand upright from this. Shirou, Saber and Assassin X had been knocked over, the Servants instinctively wrapping around their Master as they rolled along the ground. Lancer X was doing the same for Rin while they huddled beneath an outcropping, and Illya was clinging behind a tree.

But this shockwave was a mere fraction of the devastation its creator had hoped for.

The lightshow ended, and the Emiya trio pushed themselves off the dirt to see Saber X plummeting down towards them. Berserker’s massive hand reached up to catch his partner and pull him in with surprising gentleness. A slightly singed Saber X panted inside his arm before patting it with his right hand. “I’m good now, thanks.” The larger Servant kneeled, allowing Saber X to step free onto the ground with a bit of a wobble, then growled something that almost sounded like a question.

“Really, I’m okay,” Chihiro assured his partner despite his hand trembling slightly as he held Enten before them. The blade was coated in a red aura that emitted a low, practically eager, hum while scarlet energy crackled around its guard. “Aka sucked up the brunt of Archer’s shot, but I still took some blowback. That’s all.”

From his spot on the platform, Archer stared in naked shock. He neutralized Caladbolg II?! No… He glared at the distant scar-faced Servant, replaying the events he saw. That red fish he called up… It absorbed the power as Caladbolg II detonated. What was released was whatever couldn’t be contained in that blasted sword of his. In his frustration, he almost snapped his bow in half. “Damnit!” These X Servants were far more trouble than the Counter Guardian had anticipated.

Rin inadvertently shared her Servant’s frustration as she peeked out from her hiding spot. “He reduced the power of an A-rank Noble Phantasm to a minor quake in the air?!” She smacked her head against the earth. Wasn’t it bad enough that Berserker was freakin’ Herakles of all heroes, no, did he have to be partnered up with such a bothersome Saber?!

“Hang on,” Lancer X wondered out loud beside her (trying not to fangirl over the sword Enten), “if he can absorb energy attacks that powerful, why was he hanging back when he could’ve stopped Assassin X or Saber, too? I mean, his partner can’t die, but was he really that okay with them just wailing on Berserker?”

‘He didn’t want to leave himself and Berserker blind to me or expose his sword’s ability,’ Archer snarled inside her mind. ‘That’s why Saber X held back in joining Berserker. He was waiting for me, or maybe another enemy, to make the next move and see if he could counter it. Which he did, and now he has my arrow’s power on top of his.’

“Maybe…” Both Rin and the faraway Archer stilled at hearing the undercurrent in that single word. “But I’m betting he’s not immortal like Berserker. Look at how wobbly he is right now.” Rin risked a glance again; yes, Saber X was slouching a bit while Berserker’s hand rested against his back. Like he was propping him up… “And what do you wanna bet that goldfish of his has a limit how much it can absorb?”

No answer for a long time, then, ‘…I’m sorely tempted to find out.’ There was a new determination in Archer’s voice, too, and Rin refused to fall behind. Let no one claim the next head of the Tohsaka family was a coward. Thus, she moved back up the trees alongside a scythe-brandishing Lancer X, ready to try and come up with a plan to get rid of one Servant… even while her attention drifted ever so slightly to Emiya.

Something fell from the sky and plunked against the ground in front of Shirou’s feet: a cracked sword’s handle of blue and gold, its entire blade pulverized. “The remnant… of Archer’s arrow,” he slowly realized. Kakashi and Saber had disentangled themselves and were already back on their feet in front of him.

The Copy Ninja eyed the remains curiously. There was something familiar about it…

Saber X frowned at the broken handle of a fake sword fading away into spent mana. “Scumbag.” He raised his glare towards the faraway buildings. “No regard for his own weapons.” This caught the red-haired boy’s attention, and at least he had a better look in his eyes. So, Chihiro decided to explain. “The guy Broke his own Noble Phantasm. It’s a risky way of giving your trump card a rank up and more power at the cost of making it brittle and said power highly unstable. And it’s a one-time trick per Phantasm. The damage is permanent.” His frown grew. “Nobody in their right mind would use that kind of tactic so carelessly.”

“You sound rather passionate about this subject,” Saber pointed out the distaste in her counterpart’s words.

“I was raised to respect swords and the power and burdens that come with them,” was all he offered.

And it sufficed for Artoria. “As another Saber, I can appreciate such sentiments and belief. You also have my gratitude for your intervention, even if it wasn’t intended for our benefit.” She stood up and bowed her head, her comrade following suit. She felt Shirou staring at her oddly but forgave it. This was who she was.

Saber X blinked at the courtesy. “You’re right, I wasn’t actually planning on saving you guys. Archer and his methods just don’t sit right with me.” As usual, his words were blunt but not actively malicious.

“We appreciate it all the same,” Assassin X tried, “and seeing as you seem the least interested in carnage among your team, I don’t suppose we could negotiate a more peaceful ending to this night…?”

Shirou paused, focusing from the back of his Servant’s flak jacket to the black-haired boy’s scarred face. He was plenty powerful on his own, and something told Shirou that he was responsible for Tohsaka’s injuries. Not exactly a good way to start a peace talk, but then again, this “Chihiro” seemed to be honestly considering the idea himself, and he wasn’t growling ferally at them like Berserker…

But a higher-pitched voice chimed in. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Kakashi? Running away from the punishment you deserve.” The Illya girl marched up past Berserker’s left and positioned herself between her Servants. It looked like she couldn’t decide whether to smile or scowl. “You and Saber ought to watch your backs around him, Big Brother, lest he lets you down like he did with me.”

“You don’t know the full story, Illyasviel,” Saber interjected as Assassin X flinched. “He’s not to blame for whatever you-”

“Don’t talk as if you know me, Servant,” she snapped at the blonde knight, Berserker looming protectively over her, “this is none of your business.” Illya took a deep breath and put on her smile again while looking up (so as to not think of how sad Kakashi looked) at where other enemies stood. “Still here, Rin? I suppose I owe you an apology. Your Servants are much more interesting than I expected. Your Archer has some firepower.” She giggled as an idea came to her. “Maybe you’d like it back?”

Rin stilled again, her eyes landing on Saber X’s katana. Right… He didn’t just nullify Archer’s arrow, he absorbed it… That red-rimmed blade slowly rose along with its wielder’s arm, the tip pointing upwards as red sparks flickered just a moment down its length.

All that power… Shirou couldn’t read Tohsaka’s thoughts, but his were the same as he watched that Servant. If released in one moment, it could blast us all off the face of the forest.

“Sounds like an idea…” All Servants not affiliated with Illyasviel von Einzbern braced themselves; they knew stopping Saber X would be all the harder with Berserker next to him, but if they didn’t… “But on the other hand…” Then he lowered his arm again and turned to his Master. “It may be better to save that flash for a later battle. Firing it off now to wipe them out would be overkill, and didn’t you tell us before heading out that you didn’t plan on it being too exciting tonight?” There was a slight rebuke in his otherwise dry tone. You made a promise, too.

And it seemed to have an effect on Illya; her smile flattened, and she turned to him. “Come now, Big Bro. You and Berserker have been battering this rabble around easily! You can’t tell me that this has been any harder than the fights you had in your old life, I saw them!”

Saber X cocked an eyebrow at her. “Well, it hasn’t exactly been a cakewalk either, and- Kuro.” He cut himself off midsentence to send a wide black slash into the air. It connected with multiple arrows hurtling their way, most detonating and in turn setting the others off. The sky lit up with a flurry of expanding explosions of mana. “Trading quality for quantity now, huh?” The Enchanted Blade wielder muttered out loud.

From his perch, Archer wordlessly summoned another arrow, new data collected via the volley. So, that sword of his retains its other abilities even while it has stored up a foreign power.

Berserker’s axe suddenly snapped in front of his partner just as a gunshot rang out, followed by two more. Three bullets struck the stone before falling to the dirt in misshapen lumps. Next to Rin, Lancer X warily unfurled her Noble Phantasm into scythe mode as the titan took a menacing stomp towards them; looks like Archer’s suggestion to neutralize Saber X wouldn’t be so easy. They had yet to see how these two fought as a team, after all.

Illya stepped behind her Servants while Berserker charged snarling towards their enemies. Three arrows struck his torso without doing any damage, but they drew his attention enough for Assassin X to throw down two smoke bombs. The green smoke did nothing to deter the legendary son of Zeus as a single roar blew it all away, revealing Shirou Emiya seemingly standing all alone. His axe came down hard onto the boy faster than anyone could react.

“No!” Rin couldn’t tell who yelled that word, her or Ruby, as her eyes were locked onto a mangled arm reaching up from a cloud of dust… Poof! Then it was suddenly bigger, wearing a glove that hadn’t been there a second ago- Poof! And as the smoke faded, so, too, did Emiya’s/Assassin X’s body. Rin almost sighed in relief; Just one of Assassin X’s tricks…

Berserker didn’t understand what happened to the boy he’d crushed, nor did he care. He simply searched for the next person to demolish. His efforts were met by Saber who quickly chopped a set of trees down, the heavy wood toppling towards him. He reduced them to splinters with one swing of his axe, which Saber exploited to step within his reach and strike him with all her might. As she’d theorized with Assassin X, the blow did far less damage than she’d have preferred, but it along with more arrows, one Gravity Dust round, and blasts of pressurized water still forced him back.

Meanwhile, Saber X found himself locking blades with Lancer X once again. “Look, you seem like a good guy in general,” he flicnhed a bit from the sincerity in her eyes , “and I appreciate you holding off on shredding up my Master. But we are still in this to win.” With that, she pulled the trigger again, and Saber X barely managed to divert his beheading into a nasty cut down his right shoulder.

“I can respect that, and at least you seem more decent than your partner.” He slashed at her three times, augmenting the third with Kuro to make her backflip away. “But just because I’m not as hard to kill as Berserker doesn’t mean I’ll go down easily.” He shifted to a two-handed stance, “water” flowing along Enten’s edge. “And it would be a shame if we didn’t get rid of at least one of you after all this excitement.”

Ruby’s eyes widened as the blade began glowing red again. Four arrows shot down towards Saber X, but he simply said, “Kuro: Shred.” A flurry of small but potent black bursts splashed out from Enten to intercept Archer’s attack, not blocking but diverting their trajectories so they all crashed around him. Dust and smoke covered the field, blocking Lancer X’s line of sight, then it was quickly sucked up in a whirlwind-like force coming from the glowing sword pointing her way… and as the red-clad Servant realized with a glance behind her, towards her Master. Saber X had maneuvered the fight so he could line them both up.

As Lancer X quietly debated testing her speed against the blast Saber X had claimed from Archer, Saber landed with a sharp thud beside her, flung from a blow by Berserker. Meaning the Servant with the scarred face now had three potential targets, and he wasn’t letting this chance go to waste. “Aka-”

That’s when Assassin X burst from the earth, driving his left fist under Saber X’s chin and pushing the sword up with his right hand. Saber and Lancer X didn’t hesitate to flatten themselves against the ground while Rin was abruptly tackled down just before the payload fired. Thus, a spiral blast of pure destructive force blew through the forest above them. Multiple massive trees lost their branches or were outright vaporized before the helix went off into the far night. After another couple tense seconds, no trace of it remained.

Luckily, no one had been caught in the blast. Though as the smoke settled around her, Rin thought she caught a glimpse of Emiya beside her for a second… But she was alone.

Saber X had been lifted up by the uppercut a moment before falling back to the dirt, but he managed to land on his feet and regain his stance. Assassin X tried to capitalize on the chance and wrest his katana away, but the boy’s other hand drew the wakizashi, forcing him back with a diagonal cut along his jacket. “You should’ve used that lightning move on me,” Saber X warned as he advanced on the Heroic Spirit from the Hidden Leaf Village.

That’s when someone suddenly tackled him from behind and wrapped an arm around his neck. “Shirou?!” Chihiro heard Assassin X call even as he turned slightly to see a determined set of golden-brown eyes.

Illya hummed in slight shock from where she leaned casually against a tombstone. “Didn’t think he’d have the guts to take on a Servant by himself.” She giggled as her Big Brother struggled in vain to hold down the much stronger Big Bro Saber. “What a dummy…”

Saber X slammed the back of his head into Shirou’s face, narrowly missing the other boy’s nose, then stabbed his wakizashi backwards into his side. He’d aimed for a nonlethal spot; Illya had practically begged the two to take in this boy alive if possible, and while Chihiro didn’t approve of her reasons, he wanted to talk with this Emiya himself-Poof!

Assassin X had been moving to save his Master when smoke billowed behind Saber X, and the latter found to his surprise his wakizashi impaling a large chunk of bark. That was…

A sound drew his attention, and the shinobi turned right to see a panting Shirou with a bruised cheek, bracing himself against a nearby tree. He spat out a globule of blood, then inspected the new cut in his jacket, everything underneath luckily unscathed. “Timing’s still a bit off,” he grunted in self-admonishment. “At least I did Substitution right for once.”

Unlike Illya or Rin (or a certain Servant) who stared wondering how an underdeveloped novice seemingly teleported himself almost five meters away from harm like that, Kakashi quickly put two and two together as he skipped to his Master’s side. So, you taught him a few of my tricks, too, huh, Kiritsugu? “Appreciate the effort, Shirou,” he moved in front of him during his scolding, “but you’re no match for a Servant. Much less either of these two.”

Saber would’ve added her own two cents to his foolhardiness, but she was preoccupied with helping Lancer X parry Berserker’s relentless blows. The massive Servant had charged them even before his partner’s blast had ended, indicating there was some hint of cognitive ability remaining inside his warped mind. He slashed from left to right, the two narrowly dodging the axe before Saber locked it up with her sword. Lancer X tried to take advantage by jumping up for a gunshot-powered swing to his eyes, but Berserker swatted her in midair with his left hand. Her Aura saved her ribcage from being crushed, but she still went flying.

An arrow struck the side of Berserker’s head, granting Artoria a moment to check on her fellow knight-class Servant. She relaxed a bit upon seeing Lancer X had rolled with the blow to flip to where her Master stood. Rather anxiously, at that, Saber noted. She’s probably contemplating retreat. Not that I blame her; even though we outnumber them, Berserker and Saber X are a handful.

“Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!” She was already ducking upon hearing Assassin X’s first words, thus the great shark-shaped torrent of water he called up hurtled over her head and slammed full force into Berserker. The “teeth” barely did any damage to his chest, but the jutsu’s pressure kept him thrashing in place, allowing Saber to fall back while Kakashi kept the stream going. Saber X moved to attack the masked Servant, but he was quickly intercepted by his female counterpart. Sparks flew as their swords clashed.

Lancer X readied to rejoin the fight when Rin stopped her. “It’s time to retreat. We’ve done about all we can tonight, but it looks like we can’t hope to defeat those two without a real plan. We can’t even get rid of Saber X without going through Berserker.” Frustration dripped into her words, and her eyes kept shifting back to the battle; Rin Tohsaka clearly didn’t like this, but what other choice did they have?

‘She’s right, Ruby,’ Archer’s voice carried over before his partner could protest. ‘We’ve at least managed to determine their abilities and fighting style. That will give us an advantage later down the road, but for now, there’s little more we can do. Get our Master to safety, I’ve got you covered.’ She could practically hear him strumming his bow over the link.

She traded a reluctant look with Rin before sighing. “Fine.” But Lancer X still turned around, exchanging magazines in Crescent Rose, before firing Lightning Dust rounds at both enemies. “Let’s at least give Shirou’s team a chance to fall back,” she explained between her shots. “That way, they can help us out later on, and you did say you owed him, Rin.” Her Master sighed but nodded her consent, and while Archer grumbled, his arrows still flew.

Saber X had returned his wakizashi to its scabbard. While dodging the occasional arrow or bullet certainly didn’t help, he found wielding Enten one-handed wasn’t good enough against Saber. She was practically his equal in strength, and she made full use of her shorter height to step into his space. Her blade being shrouded in winds posed a slight problem, too, but most of all, this girl was just plain better with a sword than Chihiro. He hadn’t managed to slip a single blow past her iron-clad defense throughout their exchange, whereas she hammered him relentlessly with powerful yet measured strikes. His arms were starting to ache after only a minute of fighting her. So, this is the gap between me and a true master of the sword, huh?

A self-taught swordsman, Saber appraised in between blocking a slash. She countered with a riposte that made him back away with a gash near his right eye. Not bad: a bit rough around the edges, but he adjusts quickly. And he has sharp eyes. She rushed him, but Saber X diverted her thrust and swung at her neck. She dodged while slashing towards his knee only for him to swerve out of range, receiving only a tiny cut in his pants. Despite Invisible Air, he’s gauging my sword’s length and shape with increasing accuracy. He surely caught a glimpse of it when I ran Berserker through and is redrawing it in his mind.

Despite the night’s tension, Saber spared a moment to raise her sword before her. Saber X paused before returning the salute, and with perfect form, as his opponent noted approvingly.

Such moments of chivalry were sadly given little time in a battlefield. An arrow hurtled straight for Saber X’s head, but he didn’t move. He didn’t need to; Berserker leaped down next to him and swatted it away, letting it detonate harmlessly behind them. Moisture and a stray electrical current or two trickled along his body, but sure enough, surviving Assassin X’s Lightning Blade had increased his resistance to such attacks.

Said Servant had ended his Shark Bomb jutsu seconds ago and was breathing rather heavily, as his comrades noticed worriedly. I overestimated how much od I have to spare, Kakashi chastised himself. Especially when I’ve been using the Sharingan throughout this fight. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.

Artoria surmised as much while she jumped away from the duo, coming to a decision: We need to retreat. Now, before Kakashi expends too much of his strength. She rushed over to him and Shirou while Lancer X and Archer continued shooting at the others. I’ll have to thank them properly later- Her thoughts halted as she leaped up to bifurcate one arrow that veered too close towards Assassin X for her comfort. The mana that burst from it rattled her a bit, but it wasn’t anything Saber couldn’t handle.

(In Shinto, Archer briefly groused about the cruel bitch that is fate. Damn my E-rank luck…)

Assassin X spared his partner a quick nod before bracing themselves as Berserker struck the air itself with a roar. His sheer strength and fortitude nullified any projectiles, and a school of black goldfish swam around Saber X, intercepting attack after attack. A red fish emerged from his sword to swallow up the odd electric bullet or flash of mana. He’s storing some attacks for future use. Assassin X watched them warily and noted how Illyasviel was sauntering over. “Finally gotten yourselves cornered, eh?” She smiled brightly at the trio while taking her place between her own Servants. “Well, you put up a very good fight, but anything else would just be delaying the inevitable.”

She’s right. We’re running out of options. Shirou racked his brain for a way to turn this situation around or at least get Saber and Kakashi to safety. A glance behind revealed that Tohsaka and Lancer X hadn’t left yet, and he could somehow sense the same was true for that Archer guy. But he couldn’t expect them to intervene for his sake. It was bad enough the two before him were fighting so hard. Come on, think! Isn’t anything I can do to save them?

Unbeknownst to his young Master, Kakashi Hatake had closed his eye and come to a rather desperate decision. I probably have only one shot in me, and I can’t use it on Illya, but… His Sharingan’s three tomoe slowly coalesced into the shape of a three-pronged windmill. If I do this right, I can at least disable one of them… So long as Shirou and Artoria survive…!

The young Einzbern sensed a shift in Kakashi’s mana. Planning another trick… Well, it doesn’t matter. One way or another, you’re going to die right here, right now. Big Bro Chihiro was shooting Illya another of his looks from the corner of his eye, though, and forcing him would mean using up a Command Seal (…and Illya didn’t feel good about that anyway), so better to have Berserk- She paused along with everyone else as an inhuman growl approached. “What the…?”

Rin and Lancer X were the furthest, but they still searched for whatever it was. “Is that a… car engine?” the Servant wondered out loud. Even her partner couldn’t be sure… then the noise drew slightly closer… and passed them… heading for the Einzbern team.

Saber X turned towards the source of the (mechanical?) sound in time for twin streams of light to flare up out of nowhere, blinding the three briefly. Berserker swung at the newcomer on reflex, but his blindness slowed his axe by a small fraction, and Shirou could only watch in shock as a yellow-and-black (really small) car barreled under the deadly stone straight for the two Servants.

Then he felt his mouth hang open as the car converted midair into a humanoid body that somersaulted and kicked with both feet against Saber X’s midsection.

The latter tumbled grunting backwards into Berserker who immediately halted his charging the newcomer; consideration not to crush his partner? Regardless, he didn’t go on the attack, instead shielding Illya with his axe as a rapid flurry of energy bolts were shot at the ground before her feet. A yelp in surprise could be heard from behind her cover.

Everyone else stared at the interloper… robot… Servant that straightened and turned halfway so they could see more of it. It stood roughly at Assassin X’s height and was comprised of bright yellow metal with splashes of black here and there. Parts of its car form were integrated into its body: Its shoulders comprised largely of two wheels and armor while the other two were at its “heels,” the front lights and bumper made up its pectorals, and twin car doors hung out its back like wings. A pair of glowing cylinders were deployed like guns from its wrists.

The face was round with a long strip of black metal at the forehead while two blue eyes widened slightly at Shirou, who realized looking into them that this robot was… alive.

Assassin X’s Sharingan reverted back to normal as the new Servant approached them. “You okay-Whoa, whoa…” A male voice rang out from the seemingly mouthless face as it-he held up one hand before Saber’s raised (though barely visible) blade, the other still pointing his wrist blasters at Illya’s group. “You’re Saber, right? I’m not here to fight you, I’m here to protect him.” He pointed down at Shirou who blinked at the attention. “Like you, I guess…”

Saber frowned, trading an uneasy glance with her partner. There was something familiar about this Servant’s appearance, and not a pleasant kind of familiar. Granted, any signs of hostility he gave off were directed at a snarling Berserker, but both knew better than to drop their guard just because of unexpected assistance. “Why should we believe you?” She questioned him, partially to stall for time. “Who are you to care what happens to our Master? For that matter, who and where is your Master?”

“He’s really your Master, huh?” Those big eyes flickered down to the boy’s hands before he could cover the Seals on them, then they seemed to wince. A tiny part of Saber found the expression adorable. “Oh, she’s not gonna like this…” he sighed before pointing past them.

Rin frowned at the black finger aimed her way; did she somehow summon a third Servant when she wasn’t looking? Not that she doubted her own talents, but how was this possible, and how did this… machine know she wan-ahem, was weighing the benefits of getting Emiya to safety-

Something cold pressed against her throat. “Move, and you’re dead,” a feminine voice whispered in her left ear.

Oh, the young magus thought with a mix of trepidation and exasperation, it wasn’t pointing at me.

Lancer X started next to her and brought up Crescent Rose but stopped at the dagger by Rin’s neck. The latter inclined her head just enough to see who was capable of sneaking up on a mage of her caliber, while a Servant was at her side, no less, and found her turquoise eye locked with a dark green one calmly watching her. The pawn shop woman? Rin screamed in her mind. She’s a Master, a magus, too?!

Shirou was just as baffled seeing his aunt behind Tohsaka and threatening her. He made to call out when he heard someone mumble, “Maiya…” His flabbergasted gaze shifted to a frozen Kakashi who was staring at Aunt Maiya, something he couldn’t quite make out in those heterochromatic eyes.

The two were a fair bit apart, but Rin thought she heard Emiya’s Servant say something at the same moment the woman behind her noticed them. “…Kakashi?” She whispered just audibly.

Rin glanced between them in rising confusion and frustration. Am I the only one who doesn’t know Assassin X?

Still, the woman’s grip slackened for a second… enough for Rin to grab her arm and force the dagger away. A knee cracked against her ribs, knocking the wind from her lungs, and that blade dispersed the Gandr she’d prepared. Rin coughed in pain, not so much from the physical blow as how her Magic Circuits flared up all over her body. It was like a stray current had run through them.

“That was a warning, little girl.” Maiya eyed the Tohsaka dispassionately before invoking a Substitution from the giant scythe the Servant girl slashed at her; a log was sliced in half. She catapulted herself with a burst of od to where Shirou and his Servants (and hers) were watching, landing in a crouch… near Kakashi. He’s here… He came back…

Shirou hastily held out a hand as Kakashi and Saber shifted to the woman rolling next to them. “D-don’t hurt her, she’s my aunt!”

“Y-your aunt?!” Rin snapped despite herself while Ruby supported her. Her Magic Circuits were behaving again, but that was a cold comfort that the woman who had been supplying her with (admittedly fair-priced) jewels was also a magus good enough to have a Servant (or with her luck two) and related to a novice like Emiya?! The boy shot him a surprised, somewhat sheepish look that made Homurahara’s most famous student want to screech her fury to the heavens. Ruby tentatively patting her back didn’t help much either.

As for Saber, she hadn’t been keen anyway on assaulting an old ally who realized quickly they still remembered each other. Especially not when Maiya and Kakashi were trying very hard not to fixate too much on one another. The knight fought down a grin from their behavior while she studied Maiya’s weapon, a long dull-grey trench knife with a curved tip, a serrated back, a tiny switch by the hilt, and a ring on the pommel. That’s new. Saber sensed there was something magical about it, too.

Assassin X noticed that detail as well, as well as the Command Seals on her right hand or her lighter clothing or her having gained a few centimeters but kept much the same weight as ten years ago or how her cheekbones seemed… looser. He couldn’t help but look her up and down, despite two absolutely deadly Servants breathing down their necks and having no idea what to say.

Maiya Hisau for her part forced herself to focus. She stepped over to a seated Shirou and inspected his hands. “So, you became a Master after all…” Her adoptive nephew stared back at her, his eyes widening at the set of markings her hand sported: a red, quadratic face that gave off an oddly comforting feeling for Shirou. “Yeah, our metal friend here is my Servant, and he’s the only one I have.” She directed this answer to the other Servants, too, before grasping his shoulder. “I’ll explain later, Shirou. For now, we need to get out of this forest.”

“Aw, don’t leave now.” Berserker had spread his arms to let Saber X step forward, both hands on his katana, while Illyasviel leered at her with a vicious smile. “I haven’t a clue who you are and why you’re interfering with our business, Miss, but it seems like you’re acquainted with both Big Brother and Kakashi. It’d be such a shame if we didn’t get to know each other.”

“I know who you are, Illyasviel,” Shirou glanced from his aunt to this crazy little girl and back again, trying to make sense of the former’s words, “and I honestly wish we could’ve met under different circumstances.” Aunt Maiya reluctantly raised one of her daggers at level with her head. “Your mother was a good woman… and a friend. For her sake, I’d rather we didn’t fight.” He noticed her gaze shifting towards the robot who in turn took a boxing stance.

As for the girl, she stiffened. Her fists clenched together so tightly blood began to drip through them. “Is that so…?” She snarled through her trembling grin while Berserker seemed to glow even redder. Saber X shot her a warning look, but Illya found it very hard to care. “Well, it looks like I’ve got a fair bit to discuss with you, Miss.” She shivered where she stood with a furious giggle. “You, Big Brother, and Kakashi! This is all so exciting, and there’s nothing anyone can say or do to stop me!”

“I disagree,” a new voice rumbled from her. It was a mighty, deep sound that carried itself across the battlefield, compelling every participant, even Berserker, to inadvertently turn towards its origin.

A tall man was walking with a measured but purposeful step along the shattered tombstones. He wore robes of brown and tan that complemented his dark skin and sturdy build well, his tan pants tucked into brown boots that made gravel crunch with each step. A brown belt was strapped over his waist with pouches and some silver-black metallic cylinder that dangled loosely near his left thigh. His head lacked a single strand of hair, which meant everyone could see the lines and chin set in a stoic, no-nonsense line. Brown eyes scanned the assembled with a sense of authority, wisdom, and resolve tempered by countless conflicts.

And as the Masters (even Shirou, to some broken degree) noticed the stats “circling” his body, and the Servants registered the subtle power and authority radiating from him, they all understood this newcomer was yet another Servant.

Illya asked the question that was on everyone’s mind: “And who do you think you are, Servant, waltzing in here and saying stuff like that?”

The man turned to her, the homunculus girl fighting not to flinch from his steely gaze… and he inclined his head. “Good evening, young lady. My name is Mace Windu,” he intoned calmly, “and I serve as Ruler X for this city’s Fifth Holy Grail War.”

…You could’ve heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. Rin Tohsaka’s brain was left reeling from the newcomer’s words; he introduced himself by his True Name without blinking… but he wasn’t of any of the seven normal classes? “A Ruler…?” She’d never heard of any Servant class like that before!

Ruby seemed somewhat less shocked by this development, but Archer answered the question that was on the tip of Rin’s tongue. ‘A Ruler, otherwise known as the Heroic Spirit of Arbitration, is a special class of Servant. They’re summoned by the Holy Grail itself during times where its authority is challenged, and their task is to ensure all participants follow the rules throughout the Grail War.’

Saber was giving a similar explanation to Shirou, and he somewhat managed to understand this by searching for a familiar concept: “So… he’s basically a referee for the Grail War?”

“That’s…” Artoria turned to Kakashi who nodded after a moment’s thought. “Pretty accurate.”

Illyasviel, by contrast, already knew about the nature and responsibilities of this particular class; if she had been in a better mood, she would’ve happily lorded her superior knowledge over Rin (and Big Brother). As it was, though, she was busy grappling with yet another complication to what she’d expected to have been a simple business tonight.

The new Servant… Ruler X… calmly strode past Saber X who watched him carefully. Berserker snarled and leaned a little forward, but a raised hand from his partner reminded him that this wasn’t someone they should just write off as an enemy. Ruler X showed no concern towards any violence as he came to a stop in front of one particular Servant. “…You’re not of the fourteen chosen by the Grail,” he told the yellow-black robot. “You weren’t summoned under its permission.” While not accusatory, his tone indicated he wanted an explanation.

“Yeah,” black hands were raised defensively, “and I’m not trying to break any rules or undermine your authority, sir, honest. Just, well…”

“I summoned him.” Maiya stepped forward, casting a wary eye towards the other Servants. She raised her right hand, allowing Ruler X to see the Command Seals. “I couldn’t care less about the Grail, but I feared some people I care for would get themselves involved in the War one way or another…” She shot an exasperated glance over her shoulder at her nephew.

Shirou turned away with a slight grumble and a flush in his cheeks. “It was an accident…”

She forced herself not to linger on the sheepish shrug Kakashi gave her and returned to Ruler X. “I couldn’t qualify as regular Master, so I acquired Seals and one Servant with outside… assistance.”

Ruler X studied her carefully, his eyes apparently probing for any deception. “While your actions make you this Saber’s Master, it is still facilitated outside of the Grail’s authority. This disqualifies both of you from the right to claim the Grail, even if you become the last team standing.” He spoke decisively, clearly accepting no argument or attempt to sway him.

While admittedly a little cowed, Maiya refused to back down. “As I said, I don’t want the Grail anyway. I just want to keep the people I care for safe while this idiotic mess of a War happens.” She nodded to the robot. “And the best defense against a Servant is another Servant.” Her voice softened. “But I am sorry about you having to forfeit your right, X…”

“Can’t be helped.” “X’s” door-wings rose and sank along with his shoulders. “It would’ve been nice if I could’ve gotten a chance, but I did promise I’d help you one way or another.” He definitely sounded resigned, but it was swiftly overshadowed by kindness and resolute honesty. “So, as long as I can stay here and do that, I officially relinquish my wish.”

An absolutely blasphemous claim for a Servant to make. It could’ve easily been misconstrued as a lie… And yet Ruler X wasn’t the only one who recognized he spoke the truth. Even Herakles actually paused in his maddened rage to stare at the alien Heroic Spirit with something almost resembling respect.

His Master, by contrast, didn’t care at all about some machine’s wish, only whether or not he needed to be crushed like anyone else in her way. “Excuse me, Mr. Ruler X,” she began with as much politeness as she could muster, though it was probably her testiness that drew his attention, “but if you could conduct your business with the woman and her toy on the side,” she gave a sharp curtsy, “my Servants and I could return to our business.”

Shirou, Maiya and their respective Servants tensed as Berserker flared up again, but they needn’t have worried. “Unfortunately, I must ask you to postpone your battle for another time.” Illya’s smile melted away from outrage, but Ruler X didn’t budge. Not even as the (literally) Herculean Heroic Spirit of Madness towered over him. “You see, I experienced …difficulty with my arrival to this city. If it hadn’t been for another invoking their own summoning revival, I mightn’t have appeared at all.” He may as well have been discussing the weather despite such a revelation.

“So… wait…” Assassin X spoke up tentatively. “Someone else summoned you here, not the Grail itself? I thought a Ruler’s not supposed to have any Master. And if you’re Ruler X…”

“There is no other Ruler presently in Fuyuki.” Ruler X picked up on his unspoken question and turned his head to make eye contact with him. “Only one Ruler is called per Grail War, be they native or foreign to this world. As for your other question, another person facilitated my summoning, but they are not my Master. I serve only the rules of the Holy Grail.”

“In that case, why are you intervening right now?” Saber X voiced the question Illya had been about to snap out, except in a more polite and neutral tone. He could tell they wouldn’t be able to intimidate him easily. “Rulers are neutral, right? They shouldn’t take sides or show preferential treatment to any Master or Servant.”

Mace Windu faced him again, his stony gaze seemingly wandering over the boy’s more relaxed stance in comparison to his partner. “I’m not putting the battles on halt for tonight on their behalf, Chihiro Rokuhira.” Everyone registered how he addressed Saber X by his name, even though he should’ve only just arrived. This was surely a demonstration of one Class Skill a Ruler possessed: True Name Discernment. He would surely know the names of every single Servant present just by looking at them. “Nor am doing it for yours or Berserker’s.” Now he did a courtesy by not simply blurting out the True Name of a local Servant. “I am advising everyone present to stand down and leave peacefully. As a personal favor to the one who helped me arrive to this city.”

“A-a favor…?” Shirou repeated incredulously. Not that he wanted to look a gift horse in the mouth, but if this man was really supposed to be totally neutral in this insanity, and he looked like the kind of person who took his duties seriously…

“This person is not a participant of the Holy Grail War,” he continued his explanation over any protest a frustrated Illya tried to voice. “I can’t disclose their identity for their own sake, but they asked me to call a ceasefire tonight. Seeing as they aided me at great personal risk, it’s a matter of personal honor that I grant their request.” Reasoning both Sabers, Lancer X, Assassin X, and even Berserker could follow and accept. They offered no protests.

Rin for her part had kept silent throughout his explanations because she was too busy trying to make sense of it all. Question after question raced through her mind: Why was a Ruler only summoned during this War? Was it because of the X Servants? Was that why this Ruler was an X, too? But he wanted them to stop fighting, and it was because of someone helping him? But who was this person? They had to be a magus, right? How else could they have performed a summoning ritual? But who? How many other magi were in Fuyuki that Rin didn’t know about? If they were a magus, shouldn’t they seek the Holy Grail, too? And if they really weren’t involved… why would they care? …Then Ruler X spoke again.

She and Lancer X were so busy listening to his words they didn’t notice a butterfly with dark-blue wings fluttering down to a tree above them. Its eyes glimmered with white magic.

“As of this moment, the Grail War battles are put on hold for tonight.” The Heroic Spirit’s deep voice resonated across the battlefield so no one could ignore it or mistake its message. “I ask that all of you, those who are physically present and those who are watching from afar, cease hostilities and return to your respective bases to recuperate, strategize or other peaceful business. This ceasefire is only for tonight. Once the next day ends, you may proceed as normal.” He wasn’t injecting any special ability or the like in his words, but he exhibited obvious oratory experience, and they still carried a certain... force.

His right hand suddenly snapped out, and a spinning circle of violet light hurtled through the air before it clipped an arrow of blazing, jagged power. Ruler X eyed the resultant explosion coolly even as he stretched out his hand. The purple weapon spun in an arc and returned into his waiting grip, revealing it to be the cylinder emitting a long narrow beam of violet plasma. Like some form of sci-fi sword. “Tonight’s battles are hereby over,” Ruler X reiterated over the hum of his Noble Phantasm, his dark eyes narrowed at the distant buildings. “I advise all of you to stand down.” Everyone could hear the unspoken Or I’ll make you afterwards.

Far, far away, Archer bit back a curse but dispersed his bow all the same. Yet another complication. He’d hoped Hrunting would have better luck reaching his target, but… He couldn’t afford to challenge Ruler X. He could tell, after all, that alien or not, this Servant had that same level of authority as native representatives as his class. And if he knew Archer’s True Name and decided to reveal it now…

The cards had been dealt. “Looks like I don’t have a choice after all,” the Servant of the Bow lamented.

And indeed, others had been observing the battle between Teams Emiya and Tohsaka and Team Einzbern:

Perched atop a roof with his spear over his shoulder, Lancer accepted the decree with a shrug and a smile. The Holy Grail War was just getting started, after all.

Kirei Kotomine peered from his opened Bible to what he saw and heard through the flickering candles; a spell he’d learned from his teacher. A curious smirk spread across his lips as he returned to his current passage in the Book of Ezekiel.

A freshly constructed spyglass was lowered, revealing a young green eye gleaming with intelligence and curiosity. “Well,” the Servant both belonged to muttered, “Ruler X’s dramatic interventions are… timely, if nothing else.”

Down in a dark alley on the other side, Shinji Matou opened his eyes to express a similar statement but in opposite context to Rider and Archer X. “Just when it was getting good, too…” Still, he recalled his scout flies without further complaint.

A hooded woman in dark-violet robes stood beside her (darling) Master, pursing her lips over what her crystal ball showed them. They exchanged an inscrutable look before the Servant decided: “Let’s call the others back.”

Seconds later, a face matted with burn scars and metal piercings sighed as the feminine growls next to him intensified. “Yeah, yeah, cool your tits, ya lunatic,” he grumbled before turning away from the roof’s edge. “Like it or not, nobody’s dying tonight.”

Such a conclusion didn’t sit right with Illya at all. After everything they’d done, just when Kakashi and Shirou and their friends were cornered and she could be done with them, was this really how it ended? ‘It’s not like the odds are completely in our favor,’ Chihiro reminded her. ‘Berserker’s down two lives. And you know, don’t you? Ruler X has Command Seals for both of us.’ Right… That unmistakable energy signature she noticed every time she caught a glimpse of the Servant’s back. Well… Big Bro was ready to call it quits anyway…

Illyasviel von Einzbern still glared at the interloper. Ruler X stared back at her.

…She broke eye contact first. “Fine.”  The homunculus skipped along battered rocks with a forced shrug. “I was hoping to wrap up any boring business in the first night, but everything’s so much more interesting than I expected. So, change of plans. I couldn’t care less about Saber or the metal one, but Rin’s Servants seem intriguing.” Her head turned slightly. “Big Bro Saber, Berserker, let’s go home.”

Rin was tempted to call out her retreating, but a look from the Ruler Servant shut her up. His sword’s blade dissipated before he addressed the Einzbern again. “Thank you for your cooperation, young lady. I bear your team no ill will and wish you good fortune.”

“Oh, really...” Just as Berserker and a mostly stone-faced Saber X started dissipating, Illya faced one particular person. “Bye-bye, Big Brother, Kakashi. We’ll be sure to play again another time.” She noted how the dark-haired woman shuffled in front of Kiritsugu’s friend, then the Einzbern Master walked off tonight’s battlefield for good.

The dark-skinned Jedi Master watched her leave with a thoughtful frown when someone else addressed him. “You have our thanks, Ruler X.” He turned to see Saber (King Arthur/Artoria Pendragon) bowing her head to him. “Though you may not have intervened for our sakes, it would be a lie to say your declaration was ill-timed.”

“We appreciate the benefits that come with it,” Assassin X (Kakashi Hatake) concurred with his own bow, Shirou and the robot hastily mimicking his action. Maiya simply nodded.

“And while I wasn’t expecting your gratitude, I appreciate it nonetheless,” Ruler X dipped his own head back to them. “My position prevents me from favoring any team, but I personally don’t approve of that girl’s motivations, either.” He turned slightly back to where the young soul had stormed off with her guardians. “I sense much anger in her and even more sorrow… Hopefully, she’ll find whatever closure she needs sooner than later.”

He noted Assassin X deflating at his words, but then Lancer X (Ruby Rose) asked him, “Wait, didn’t you wish her good luck before she left? But if you don’t approve of her wanting revenge…?”

“That is simply my private opinion which has no bearing on my duties.” She nodded at his explanation. “And my well wishes aren’t exclusive to any single Master.” A small smile played along his lips as he focused on her Master. “Neutrality takes many forms, Lancer X.”

Rin Tohsaka accepted the silent message and, after sparing one last look at Emiya where they made eye contact, she spun around and began to walk off. “Come on, Lancer X. I’ve had more than enough excitement for one night.” The silver-eyed girl huffed in agreement and collapsed her scythe before offering her hand. Rin hesitated, knowing what she’d do, then accepted it. A flash of rose petals, and they were gone.

Thus, only one team (well, maybe one-and two-thirds if you wanted to get technical) remained. Ruler X studied the three Servants carefully, his eyes lingering on Saber before they shifted towards the yellow-and-black being. “So, uh…” the Saber shifted a bit where he stood, “I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes, and even my Master technically cheated to bring me here-”

A hand was raised placatingly. “We’ll be sure to discuss your involvement in this Grail War. But until then, I think I can trust you two to behave yourselves.” Ruler X then turned on his heel and began walking away. “And I think it’s time I meet the War’s overseer.”

He paused at a sudden surge of tension from no less than four individuals behind him. “If the overseer you mean is a priest named Kirei Kotomine, be on your guard,” Assassin X warned him even while covering his left eye again. “You can’t take anything he says at face value.”

“The same could be said of you, Assassin X, given how I just arrived here and the company your team keeps,” Ruler X pointed out with a pointed glance over his shoulder. “Remember, I owe neither you nor your Master anything. Don’t expect any preferential treatment.” While visibly fatigued, though, the masked Servant didn’t even flinch under his stare. None of them did, not even the boy. “But I’ll keep your advice in mind.” Ruler X’s body began to dissipate. “May fate be with you.” Then he completed his transition into spirit form.

At which point one Servant’s legs gave out. “Steady, Kakashi,” Artoria promptly stepped to catch her partner and brace him against her side, “you’ve done enough.” He spared her a grateful look amid his panting. He’s been casting jutsu nonstop this evening and used the Sharingan and Lightning Blade. Saber shifted his right arm over her shoulder. And on top of all that… reuniting with Illyasviel when she’s in such a state… She patted his back.

Shirou was moving to support Kakashi when Maiya beat him to it, and when he made to ask her how she fit into all this, his whole body froze up. The tension returned full force as the boy fell coughing blood to his knees. “Shirou!” Three different voices called to him before he passed out.

Just as Assassin X made to slip free of both women, the Cybertronian Servant scooped up Shirou in an impressively gentle carry. “We’ve got to get him somewhere safe.” He turned to them with big eyes full of worry and compassion. “Is your house close by, Master?”

“It’s not too far, but we’ll need to walk a bit.” Maiya resecured her grip on Kakashi and tilted her head past him. “I’ve got him, Saber. Can you take over carrying Shirou, please? X, you’ve expended the least energy amongst you three, so be the first line of defense.”

“Of course/Sure thing.” Both Sabers answered simultaneously before the metal one passed Shirou carefully over to the blonde one. They wasted no further time getting out of the forest.

Meanwhile, a red cloud dispersed at woods’ end to reveal two young girls. While she didn’t get dizzy anymore from Lancer X’s Semblance, Rin still gave an exhausted sigh as the adrenaline finally wore off. ‘Archer, meet us back at the manor. We’ll go over what information all three of us gathered tonight in the morning. No detours.’ She stressed over her telepathic message. To think he came close to antagonizing someone like Ruler X!

‘Very well,’ came a second later, neither satisfaction nor dissent in the two words. Not that the young magus could muster the energy to care. She stared down at her body, reminded that she needed to proper dress her… wounds gained from tonight. Better that than wasting her time thoughts on Emiya…

A hand clapped her shoulder but not too harshly. “C’mon,” Ruby leaned into view with a soft smile. “We’ll make you some fresh tea back at the house. And maybe we’ll have better luck tomorrow.” An earnestly silly statement… but Rin didn’t really mind it at the moment.

“Right.” A finger snapped up in front of the Servant’s face. “But first, we’re going to have a nice long talk about that stupidly reckless stunt you tried to pull on Berserker,” Rin promised with a twitching grin before she stormed down the street, a nervous Ruby trudging after her.

As for Team Emiya, they managed to keep a steady pace. Assassin X was able to walk with Maiya’s support, and Shirou’s condition hadn’t exactly worsened, though he hadn’t regained consciousness, either. The walk was thereby carried in silence. The sole human awake couldn’t say anything on account of processing everything: Shirou being chosen as a Master, despite her hoping he wouldn’t… and summoning two very familiar faces. Both of whom clearly recognized her, one of whom hadn’t left her mind for ten years. And to think, this morning, Maiya Hisau had been so disappointed when the Servant of her d-ahem wasn’t summoned, but now here he was, in her grip, breathing against her cheek- Oh for goodness’ sake, stop embarrassing yourself, woman! I-it’s not like you’re anything… special.

What Maiya didn’t realize was that the man was assisting was having very similar thoughts. But after walking together in silence, one tried breaking the ice. “Your, uh… hair looks different.” Kakashi cringed at his own words. Really? That’s your opening line to Maiya when she hasn’t seen you in ten years? Oh, you stupid-

“Er, yeah.” She tucked a few strands behind her left ear. “A little change. In style. Picked it up a couple years ago. On a whim. Never changed it back.” Maiya almost slapped herself for her babbling. Ten years later, and you’re even more awkward around him?! “It’s ridiculous, I know-”

“N-no, it… looks good. On you.” …When Maiya looked away, Kakashi hung his head in silence after that, contemplating if a Heroic Spirit could actually die from embarrassment.

Which meant he couldn’t notice the red dusting Maiya’s cheeks or the tiny grin she sported. He may’ve picked up on her elevated heartrate, though. And vice versa. Possibly.

Artoria was putting what strength she could spare into stifling her giggles. These two…

To distract herself, she finally addressed the third Servant now among their team. “Forgive me for the earlier suspicions.” Saber was sincere about her apology, too; after the initial shock of his appearance had worn off, something about this metallic wide-eyed fellow gave her a good feeling. His accepting he couldn’t win the Grail had been resigned but genuine, she was certain. And… “Ruler X denoted you as a Saber, but what may we call you?”

“Well, I was technically summoned as a Saber X,” the robot put a hand behind his head in a self-conscious, human sort of way, “but I feel like a total fake…” His faceplate retracted to reveal a small, friendly smile. “If you don’t want to make any mix-up, you can just call me X or by my name: Bumblebee.”

This time, she did giggle out loud. “An apt name, given your color scheme.” Maiya and Kakashi visibly welcomed the distraction with their own grins.

Bumblebee’s smile widened. “Fair warning, I spent the latter part of my life with two human teenagers and one pre-teen wiz kid. I’ve heard every conceivable joke.”

The entire battle and arrival of the unexpected Servants had naturally been witnessed by the humans of the secret Matou faction. Its patriarch leaned back in his seat with a displeased grunt. “So, a Ruler was summoned after all…” His fingers steepled together in front of his face. “I’m recalling Assassin, and we better tell Caster X to speed up preparations. We may have to begin the first step after all.” Zouken then raised a hairless brow when his “nephew” voiced neither approval nor disapproval.

The leader of this group stood looming over the crystal ball, his fingers gripping the table so tightly blood and wooden splinters fell to the stone floor. Masao flicked aside the image of Berserker, then one of this Ruler X, before focusing on one depicting the yellow-and-black Servant, the Cybertronian, standing battle ready.

Slowly, he bared his teeth into a vicious smile. And the hideout soon rang with the sound of furious laughter.

Well, this chapter came out a bit quicker than the last ones. I had some time on my hands and wanted to get it done before dealing with some other obligations. I sadly can’t give you guys an ETA on the next one for reasons

And now onto our resident Cybertronian Servant and Ruler Servant (there’s only one Ruler walking around in Fuyuki, btw. I feel like having more than one Ruler per Grail War undermines the authority of the class.) I know many of you were expecting someone else, no? Oh, my naïve little pork chops… I did consider including Optimus in this story, it was among my first draft… but then I had a couple other ideas that felt more fun! Sorry, but rest assured, there is method to my madness.

While Sakura is much better off mental health-wise compared to canon and having someone like her Atto as her teacher provides many benefits, she isn’t mature enough, shall we say, to summon a seasoned venerable hero like Optimus Prime. And Maiya simply isn’t compatible with him. That business played a part in who I chose for Ruler X, plus the “spiritual atmosphere” of Fuyuki. More about that another time.

But first things first:

“Illegal” Saber X-

Class: Saber

Master: Maiya Hisau

True Name: Bumblebee

Titles: Autobot Scout of Team Prime

Sex: Male

Source: Transformers Prime

Region: Iacon

Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: C

Endurance: B

Agility: B

Mana: D

Luck: D

NP: B+

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

C: Exposure to a strong magical power in life has reinforced Saber X’s spirit against magic. He can handle himself fairly well against average magecraft, but High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals warrant caution.

Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals.

B: Thanks to his ability to assume a vehicular form, Saber X has a natural high aptitude in this Skill. He can pilot most vehicles and ride animals with expert skill, though Phantasmal Beasts are above his level.

Personal Skills-

Shapeshift: Is a Skill that refers to both borrowing bodies and appearance change.

C: Like most of his species, Saber X has the innate ability to assume a vehicular form for traveling great distances. His takes the shape of a modern sportscar from another Earth, an automobile capable of great acceleration and agility. Saber X can shift from his regular form to his “alt-mode” and back with just a thought, granting him the element of surprise in battle. His body is currently too small to carry human passengers inside himself, but in theory, one with enough balance and resilience could ride atop the sportscar. He also gains some level of Presence Concealment in this state, allowing him to drive by others with little chance of attracting attention. Saber X can also deploy twin energy blasters from his wrists.

Mind's Eye (True): Is a heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. A danger-avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change the current situation. This is not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience. A weapon wielded by none other than a mortal, gained through tenacious training. So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

B: From the moment he came into being, Saber X served primarily as a scout during the millennia-long war of his home. He quickly developed sharp senses and greater danger awareness, traits that serve him well in his current state. Saber X can read his opponent’s fighting style and shift to match it, throwing in a few unexpected moves as well.

Valor: Is the ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. It also has the bonus effect of increasing melee damage. Not usable under the effects of Mad Enhancement.

A: Saber X carries a courageous soul and steadfast belief in protecting others with all of his strength, just as he learned from his leader and idol. Despite being cruelly stripped of his voice, he never failed to stand by his comrades’ side. Along with his wrist blasters, Saber X is an expert hand-to-hand combatant.

Noble Phantasm-

?: B (Anti-Unit): ?

After I turned away from Optimus, I still wanted to bring a Transformer Servant into the game, and Maiya was my first pick for Master. But this begged the question, which one? My first candidate was Soundwave (the Prime incarnation is a grade-A Badass), but he would’ve betrayed her and Shirou the moment he learned of Megatron’s presence in Fuyuki. Plus, I figured spending ten years with Shirou and Taiga would’ve mellowed Maiya out enough that she could summon an Autobot. She was never actually an evil person, anyway.

Then back to my original conundrum, which one? I considered Arcee and Wheeljack, but I couldn’t think of a good enough Noble Phantasm for the former, and the latter’s a bit too gung-ho loose cannon to mesh well with Maiya’s personality.

Then it hit me as I re-watched Season 3 of Transformers Prime: Bumblebee. Brave, born during wartime and basically a child soldier grown up (though he had one hell of a role model), wouldn’t hesitate to put his life on the line for those dear to him… Not to mention a certain someone’s reaction to seeing him again as a Heroic Spirit… He was perfect for Paradox-Maiya.

As for his Noble Phantasm and class, wehell, the former ought to be obvious for any Prime fan like moi. If you’re wondering about the rank, think Mordred and Clarent. And if Sasaki Kojirou is False Assassin (and still present in my fic despite the other Assassin), an Assassin kinda like a Saber, I wondered, why not bring a Saber X kinda like an Assassin into play?!

…Maybe I should consider therapy.

Oh, and his alt-mode is simply integrated into the Shapeshift Skill due to his current class. Transformer Servants’ alt-modes only become Noble Phantasms if summoned in Rider class or if said alt-modes play major roles in their legends. Like the Dinobots.

Chapter Text

Two men of nearly equal height watched one another carefully inside Fuyuki’s church. “Interesting,” one of them initiated the next part of their conversation. “So, this isn’t the first War where Servants of another world were summoned to this one?”

“No, the Fourth was rife with them,” Kirei Kotomine confirmed in a respectful tone. “One for each of the seven standard classes, plus an eighth. An Avenger X.” Brown eyes narrowed at this as he continued. “I cannot say for certain who summoned that one or if he even had a Master, but at the very least, I believe they weren’t one of the original seven Masters.” He made himself shuffle slightly at his spot. “Forgive me an impertinent question, Lord Ruler-”

“I am no Lord,” the dark-skinned Servant interjected gently but firmly. “I attained the rank of Master in my old life; thus, you can address me as Master Windu, or Ruler X if the former opposes your beliefs.”

Kirei shook his head. “Not in the slightest, Master Windu. In less serious circumstances, I would hope to discuss more of our beliefs with one another. I surmise you are a man of faith as well.” Ruler X nodded once, silently beckoning him to continue. “Ah yes, my question: as Ruler, shouldn’t you already know of the presence of X Servants? Especially seeing as you yourself are one?”

Ruler X’s gaze shifted towards a window on the right. “I’ve received basic information about this world, its mages and the current situation, but there are… gaps.” He ran his hand along the polished wood of a pew. “I can determine the location of every regular-class Servant in this city, be they of this world or another. However, I wasn’t… briefed about any previous Wars or their participants. And aside from there being at least one Servant summoned under irregular circumstances in this one, there’s… something in the air.” That hand went up to scratch a chin below a deep frown. “Darkness looms over this city.”

Something inside Kirei flickered at both the Heroic Spirit’s words and the tone with which he uttered them. But the priest had received ten years to practice concealing the evil power inside his veins. He quietly took a breath and further suppressed the urges inside him, the ones that had arisen the moment Ruler X had set foot inside the church. His instincts told him what stood before him a being who fundamentally opposed his inner nature.

If Kirei Kotomine had been invigorated when Rin introduced him to the son of Kiritsugu Emiya, meeting this Mace Windu was a gift.

Patience, he counseled himself all the same. He couldn’t have a little fun like during his discussion with the young Emiya, such a steadfast yet fragile soul, and Rin, so assured of herself and confident she had the measure of Kirei.

No, Ruler X was far more attentive and experienced. Their introduction alone was proof: Kirei had respectfully requested the Servant show proof of his status, and in turn, he had to risk exposing his contract with Lancer by revealing the overseer’s Command Seals; Ruler X’s condition. It had taken all of his concentration and training to obscure the connection made upon the sacrifice of an old friend.

And the Heroic Spirit of Arbitration was indeed his visitor. The twin crescent rings of crimson markings adorning his bare, muscular back was proof of that. But even while turned away, Ruler X had somehow kept watch of Kirei. He must’ve anticipated the request and had used this seeming display of vulnerability as a test to see how the supposed overseer would react.

Even now, Kirei sensed he was being appraised with this “stunning” revelation. “Darkness…?” He adopted an expression of muted surprise; best not to overdo the drama. “What sort of darkness? Could the Fifth Grail War have brought it about?”

“No, it’s barely noticeable at the moment.” The tension in Ruler X’s posture indicated a desire to pace, but he didn’t take one step. Telltale signs of rigorous discipline practiced over many years. “I first felt its presence when I was summoned. A great swell of dark… miasma trying to block my arrival, then as I made it through, it… receded. But it’s still there. And it didn’t just pop up because the Fifth War has begun. The darkness settled here years ago.”

That cool gaze was back on Kirei again, clearly awaiting his reaction. He furrowed his brows and hummed to himself, his own eyes dropping to the stone floor. “Perhaps the Fuyuki Fire brought about this darkness…” He mused out loud, seemingly lost in thought. “Ten years ago, the Holy Grail War resulted in a terrible fire that ravaged a significant part of this district. Nearly four hundred people lost their lives. The pain is still felt by many to this day.”

He almost added the… alternate interpretation of those events as he did to the Emiya boy but decided against it. He was already taking a risk by playing dumb to this darkness Ruler X had sensed, and much of his planning could be jeopardized if he overplayed his hand this early.

It seemed Windu had already noticed a few things. “Or maybe the Fire was caused by the darkness…” Kirei fought to keep his face neutral as the other man briefly glanced to the pews on the altar’s right. “You sound familiar with both this city and this Fire, Father Kotomine, and you’re old enough to have witnessed it firsthand. Were you involved in the Fourth War?”

“As a Master,” Kirei admitted smoothly, “though merely out of obligation. My teacher, Tokiomi Tohsaka, requested my assistance when I unexpectedly received Command Seals. I secretly aided him from behind the scenes until my Servant perished while my father, Risei, served as that War’s overseer until his… death.” He spread his hands before him. “The latter relationship is part of why the church assigned me my current responsibilities.”

Ruler X’s attention was back on him completely, and Kirei sensed he might’ve slipped up. Was it when he said, “my Servant,” singular, after explaining the Fourth War had twice as many? Or did he show some hint of his part in his father’s-?

The priest halted his thoughts in his tracks. Wildly guessing wouldn’t do his image any favors, and it was possible he hadn’t revealed anything. This might’ve been a simple trick by Ruler X to goad him into making a mistake. So, Kirei let his anxieties flow out of him, careful not to let any of his inner conflict show. Better he thinks me a stoic man than hiding something.

But it seemed Ruler X had grown suspicious of him anyways. Kirei began calculating his options: Even with his prowess augmented by Dark Energon, he wasn’t sure he could match a Servant like him in a one-on-one battle. Summoning Lancer to face him would even the odds, provided the Ulster Hound didn’t decide to turn on him then and there for Miss McRemitz. And if Ruler X invoked a Command Seal… Well, Kirei had plenty in stock to override them, but his own were limited to specific Servants. A Ruler could summon up others for reinforcements and “deputize” them… And if they happened to be Saber and/or Assassin X…

“You’ve given me quite a bit to think about,” that baritone cut through his thoughts. He returned to reality in time to see the robed man peering up at the cross above the altar. “I’ll need to investigate a little more, meditate on what we’ve discussed. Can’t act too recklessly, even when I might already be behind…” He seemed lost in thought, almost… vulnerable for such a physically and spiritually developed being.

Kirei maintained a nonthreatening posture and tone, though. “If you seek refuge or a base of operations, this church is always open to you, Master Windu.” It was expected of him, after all, seeing as they were both supposed to be enforcing the Holy Grail’s will.

Oh, the beautiful irony…

Ruler X turned back to him, his mien stoic as ever. “Your offer is appreciated, but at the moment, redundant.” Perhaps that brief openness had been another ploy, but other than a little wariness, the Servant showed no signs of wishing to fight Kirei. “For now, I’d prefer to be mobile while ascertaining the War’s situation and maybe the source behind the darkness.”

And maybe seek others who survived the prior War and see if their stories correspond with mine, Kirei understood the subtext. Not a very long list, and the only other Master alive from that time and in Fuyuki was Zouken Matou, a creature even more twisted than him… But not every survivor was a Master. Kiritsugu Emiya’s Servants… and that woman who followed him… Yes, Kirei had been a little shocked upon seeing via his familiars that face and how it had rustled up a Servant independent to everyone but her. Ah, how the plot thickened…

Risei Kotomine’s son gave himself a mental slap upside the head to focus on the here and now. Ruler X straightened and bowed his head. “May peace be with you, Father Kotomine.”

“And with you, Ruler X,” Kirei returned the gesture. Violet particles of mana danced around Mace Windu even as he turned on his heel towards his exit.

Once the Servant was gone, the priest’s dark smile finally revealed itself. “The path of the righteous man…” He muttered, the proverb from before coming to mind. “Well, the hero chosen by fate as Ruler X is certainly a curious fellow, wouldn’t you agree?”

“A Ruler, hah!” A certain blonde Servant suddenly appeared smirking at the spot that had caught Windu’s attention two minutes ago. He twirled atop his finger a cap seemingly comprised of a single long obsidian band. “The ones who concocted this silly War system must have been absolute imbeciles for naming such a class ‘Ruler.’ A monk who has never led a day in his old life must now scrape to the boundaries and whims of a soiled cup while pretending to have any dignity.” The Fourth Grail War’s Archer leered at his most frequent conversationalist these past ten years. “He didn’t even act upon his suspicions against you.”

“I imagine he’s a cautious fellow,” Kirei surmised, idly turning back to the altar to retrieve his bible. “Not the type of man to accuse someone of a crime without sufficient proof. Or perhaps he’s trying to be. What an unenviable position.”

“What an arrogant mongrel to strut about in a garden not his own…” Gilgamesh cocked his head towards where Ruler X last stood. In the process, the blonde bangs over his forehead shifted slightly, revealing a long, narrow scar that led into his left brow. “But given how he nearly detected my presence, his arrogance may be well-founded after all.” His smirk broadened, baring his teeth. “It seems our wait has truly paid off.”

Kirei nodded while his eyes drifted over the written proverbs. “My expectations have certainly been exceeded. To think I would have to confront so many old faces even while new ones have arisen.” He closed the book with a chuckle and set it back down. “What about you, King of Heroes? Happy to see two of your old adversaries again?”

Gilgamesh returned his cap to his treasury and spread his arms across the pew. “Oh, I am ecstatic. It seems that masked thief is a glutton for punishment, but it seems Saber couldn’t resist my wiles after all. I cannot help but imagine so many different scenarios for our reunion and the wedding to follow.” He snickered to himself before sobering. “A pity we must both wait a while longer. Couldn’t you have that brutish mutt do a little culling?”

“Not tonight,” Kirei noted, “not without losing what benefit of the doubt Ruler X may have towards me. Besides, better to have Lancer test the waters a bit more before shoving him into the deep end.” He glanced down to his right arm, the collection of Command Seals hidden beneath the humble frock. “A pity I couldn’t acquire his partner…” Then he shrugged. “But if I learned anything from the Fourth War, clinging to your initial plans does you no favors.”

The priest traded an eager, hungry grin with the King of Heroes. “Letting others makes their moves, wear each other down, and taking advantage of chaos… That’s where the real fun lies.”

Golden light illuminated the church as two goblets fell into Gilgamesh’s hands. “To the Fifth Grail War, then. And to the final curtain call.”

“It appears you’ve exerted yourself quite a bit, yelya,” Atto chuckled while gently running his fingers along Sakura’s hair. She could only offer him a tired but grateful murmur back, which along with how she slumped completely against him and their favorite tree, confirmed his observation.

Sakura Tohsaka was spent. After meeting the Servant she had summoned, she had just barely managed to change into her nightgown and collapse onto her mattress, then instead of gently drifting to the garden of her dreams, it felt like she had plummeted from one world to another, arriving sprawled in the grass. Atto had found her and helped her up, bringing her to the clearing, but Sakura couldn’t bring herself to pick up where she’d left off the previous visit with the western bed. She could barely lift her arms, let alone walk about, and her magic was like a candle flickering weakly inside of her. “I feel like I just ran a marathon from Kyoto to Tokyo and back,” she mumbled against his robes.

Atto patted her left shoulder, his own magic flowing into her like a warm stream. The young woman eagerly snuggled into his side from the sensation. “An apt analogy. You must have channeled much of your energy into the ritual, more than you have with any spell before. Your body and spirit are simply reacting the same way as though an untrained youth were to scale a mountainside.” He hummed to himself, his gaze drifting over their surroundings. “And this confirms the forest mirrors your current state.”

She lifted her head a bit more easily than she would’ve minutes ago and saw what he meant. The sun wasn’t shining quite as brightly as it could, and the temperature had dropped a bit. The animals what lived here largely kept to themselves, little birdsong or pitter-patter of squirrel’s paws to be heard. A weak, chilly breeze drifted through the trees, making some branches rustle every now and then. Even a couple of murky clouds were drifting lazily across the sky. All in all, it was like Sakura had slept through to late autumn.

And was it her, or did that area feel just a little bit closer than before…?

She drew her clothes closer and burrowed a little deeper into Atto’s side while he continued. “Casting magic is like any physical exercise. The more you practice, the further you expand your limits. I would recommend you don’t push yourself too far as now, Sakura, but this is a good lesson for you.” His beard rustled as he leaned into view with a proud smile. “Given how satisfied you seem, the spell was a success?”

The young wizard smiled wearily back. “Sort of. I did manage to summon a Servant, but…” She sighed before gently thumping her head against his shoulder. “He told me his name is Mace Windu, and he’s a Ruler. Apparently, that’s a kind of class who doesn’t have a Master. His job is to stay neutral and make sure everybody else abides by the Holy Grail’s rules. So, technically, he’s under no obligation to assist me even though I summoned him…” Sakura let her smile fall away, putting on a disappointed grimace.

A finger prodded her side, provoking a giggle from her. “And yet…?” Her wise teacher grinned wryly. Right, keeping secrets from Atto is impossible, she reminded herself.

“And yet Ruler X promised to help me, at least a little bit.” Sakura leaned back with a thoughtful frown. “I thought he’d just brush me off even after I explained I didn’t want the Grail, just some answers, but he stood there all stoic and then said alright.” She hummed a bit. “Well, it felt like the guy gave it some thought. He kept… studying me. The whole time we talked. N-not in a perverted way, I mean,” she hastily amended, “but… like he needed to be careful with me. Like I might shatter if he said or did something wrong.”

“He has permitted you to engage in this Grail War even though you have no Servant?”

“In his words, I’m allowed to watch and interact so long as I don’t interfere or endanger myself. Fine by me,” Sakura scoffed, “Big Sister’s the one who’s so big on doing Father proud.” A heavy sigh escaped her, preventing her from noticing the chiding eye Atto shot her. “And she really has dived headfirst into the fights. Looks like Emiya-senpai has gotten himself mixed up in it, too.”

The white wizard frowned. “Shirou Emiya? The fellow who assists others at your school to an obsessive degree and has been exchanging recipes with you? The one Rin fancies?” Not that she would ever admit it went without saying. “I would not have thought him capable of the apathy the magi you say share.”

Worry crossed Sakura’s face. “He’s really not, but apparently, he knows just enough magecraft to summon two Servants like Big Sister did. Yeah,” she shrugged at his befuddlement, “she introduced me to both of her Servants this morning. Ruler X also explained that the X he and some Servants share indicates that they’re from alternate worlds.” Sighing, she retrieved her staff and got to her feet; Atto’s magic had restored a fair bit of her strength, and she felt the urge to pace. “It can’t ever be simple with magecraft, can it?”

After a few laps, she turned around to find Atto still sitting there with a faraway look in his blue eyes. Sakura stepped closer to him and was about to ask when he snapped back to reality. “How do you know Emiya is a Master, let alone a Master of two Servants? This Ruler X would not have wanted to divulge such information to any outsider, assuming he even knows who is Master of which Servant.” He stroked his beard in thought before pausing. “Ah… you’ve honed the spell of shared perception already, yelya?” His smile was back.

Sakura couldn’t help but grin proudly. Just two weeks ago, Atto had taught her a way to expand on her communicating with animals and use them as familiars. The spell didn’t override their wills, and the caster needed to “ask” for permission, but it allowed Sakura to see and hear whatever the enchanted creature (like, say, a butterfly with dark-blue wings) did and comprehend the sensations. “It took a little while, but I got the hang of it… just in time to find out some little girl and her Servants had Big Sister and Senpai in their sights.” A slight tremble ran through her. “It looked so bad I begged Ruler X to stop the fight.”

“And he did so?” Atto hummed as he rose to his feet as well. “He can be reasoned with, then.”

“He said that was a one-time favor, though,” Sakura mumbled, relief still flooding her mind. “At least they both made it out okay…”

“Yes,” her dear teacher chortled while walking over, “it would be terrible if anything happened to your sister and future brother-in-law.” Sakura’s giggles soon melded in. She was so looking forward to teasing Rin about-

Thunder cracked across the forest.

Both white-haired wizards started and looked about in surprise. The sound had come out of nowhere, and a heavier breeze swept past them, Atto grabbing hold of Sakura to steady her. They conjured together a shield, but the wind had already passed. Still, it seemed like the world was a little bit darker all of a sudden.

And yet, there was a strange inhuman humming that remained, a steady and reassuring sound. Like it emerged to fight the dark.

Then the gloomy atmosphere took on a shade of violet for just a split second before brightening again.

Sakura adjusted her grip on her staff, confusion and a little worry running through her. “What the… where is that humming… What’s going on, Atto?”

She turned to him just as the crown of his staff lit up, a gentle glow that washed over the clearing. The old man slowly turned his gaze with a pensive frown. “I’m not sure… but I suspect even if you are not his Master… it may be good for you to stay close by Ruler X.” His beard swayed as he nodded to himself.

“I fear you may become involved… truly involved… in the Grail War yet, Sakura.”

Twin green eyes with slit pupils glaring furiously, not a speck of the pleading just a minute ago. Was this death…?

A cocky smile on a handsome battle-ready face, red eyes glittering with excitement, just as the stories had described him. A glance down at the spear-like markings on the right hand-

Wait, something felt weird. First the right hand started tingling, too…

Soaring through the sky, fear already left behind. Only determination and a trace of excitement that grew bigger with each passing moment. They’d won! They’d beaten the-

Something hit them hard, then falling… A familiar whine… Heat all around… Burning…

A cry from Cu-Lancer.

Where did the pain come from, why did she feel so dizzy?

…Where was her hand?

So much blood… Hers…? Lancer yelling… holding her…

A drop… Then a rush of wind. She was up in the air, shouts trailing behind her…

“C’mon, bud, we’ve gotta keep moving.” Who was that voice?

“Hey, hey, stay with me, Master.” Light prodding by her cheeks. She saw… wide green eyes. “Oh, Thor, this is bad…” Pressure on her arm, sound of leather.

Then fire surged in front of her. “I’m so sorry about this…”

Heat. Burning. Darkness…

Magenta eyes snapped wide open as Bazett Fraga McRemitz bolted gasping upright. She sat on the mattress breathing heavily, causing the silver earrings to jingle with each pant. Fingers tightened on the white sheet as the Association Enforcer glanced warily about. But all she saw was the same four walls of the little house that had been her retreat these last… three days. The security runes she’d set up also reported no sign of any magi or enemy Servants, and her current location was pretty far on Miyama’s border to the next city. Not the first place most people would look.

Still, it was mostly luck that no one had stumbled upon this hiding spot yet, Bazett reminded herself as she retrieved an open water bottle with her right hand. Taking a sip soothed her dry throat and helped steady her thoughts. Okay, she told herself, you’re still alive, your childhood hero’s out there under the command of a man you thought you could trust, but you still have one Servant who’s also happy to help. There’s no time to waste. Thus, Bazett kicked away the covers and made to stand up.

Then a shadow covered her. She stilled and slowly rose her gaze to meet that same set of large green eyes from her… dreams (though the pupils were much wider right now). They peered keenly at her from a broad, yet angular face covered in pitch-black scales, a perfect combination for flying swift and unseen at night.

Why was this important? Because the being looming over wasn’t a man but a Dragon.

It-no, he was nearly eight meters long from his finned head to the lean tail that was currently resting on the wooden floor. His entire body was black as night via the scales, a set of spines ran down the length of his body, and twin massive wings were curled up on either side of his torso. Four powerful legs kept this mighty creature upright, though Bazett had seen him easily standing and even walking upright on just his hind legs. He bore a scar on his right shoulder and another on his left front leg, the latter more visible to the human as it was currently planted right next to her.

He was a “Night Fury,” among the rarest and most feared Dragons of his homeworld. And now he stood here in a world, where Dragons were venerated as the greatest of Phantasmal Beasts.

Bazett stared into the eyes of this mighty, mythological creature… and huffed. “Okay, okay, I get it.” She grumbled while sitting back down. “No getting up yet.”

The extraterrestrial Dragon eyed her skeptically, then his head snapped forward-

And down. “Oof!” The air exploded from Bazett’s mouth as that head flopped onto her stomach and started burrowing itself a comfy spot there. “No, Toothless, stop-” The rest of her protests got lost in a snort from the snuggling sensation that flowed through her. Her heart practically stopped as those big green eyes with super-big pupils looked up. She mock-glared back at them. “You’re really just a big housecat with scales and wings, aren’t you?”

He warbled something while nuzzling the underside of her chin, most likely his way of saying, What’cha gonna do about it?

Bazett finally giggled. “Alright, but you asked for it!” Her right arm curled around that thick neck and promptly began tickling all the sweet spots there. Meanwhile, her legs snapped up to capture his torso as best as she could with the covers in the way. Toothless’ body shuffled beneath her grip, a deeply pleased sound rumbling against the Master, but her strength had been slowly returning thanks to the efforts of a mutual acquaintance of theirs. Still, he was slowly but surely out-cuddling her, so Bazett reached with her left arm, too-

…Only to remember she didn’t have a left arm anymore.

The fun over, Bazett slumped against her “bed” while the fingers of her remaining hand trailed up to the stump of her shoulder. Prodding the bandaged flesh there triggered a wince, but it wasn’t so much a physical pain as a blend of phantom and… betrayal.

How could he do this to me…? The same priest she’d met more than ten years ago, who had greeted her like an old friend and welcomed her into his church…

The same man who waited until she’d called up the hero of her childhood before chopping her arm off and stealing Lancer. I-I almost died… Bazett, trained fighter though she was, couldn’t help but tremble at the memory of bleeding out in Lancer’s arms…

Her companion demonstrated his intelligence by flicking up his tail so its tip hovered near her head. Bazett’s eyes were drawn to the fin on its right… and the lack of one on its left. An old wound that had never healed, but as she’d seen, the Dragon and his Rider had found a way to fly all the same. It was how she’d survived Kirei’s bushwhack.

His message was clear: Don’t let it keep you down.

The young woman smiled before planting a little smooch on his snout. “Thank you, Toothless.” He flashed her a wide grin with only his gums visible. Hence his name, and it only made him cuter.

“Glad to see you two are getting along,” a familiar voice drawled behind Bazett. She didn’t worry, though; she had sensed his approach a minute ago.

She turned around to see a young man in his twenties. He had a tall and rather lean build, but the trace of muscle in his shoulders suggested experience with heavy work, and the brown leather jacket and green shirt underneath suited him nicely. His legs were clad in grey-blue jeans that ended in thick hiking boots, the better to cover the irregular step of his left foot. Rider X’s face was smooth and framed by shaggy brown hair, most of it untamed save for two little braids beneath his right ear. If you looked really closely, you could make out a small scar just below his lip.

But Rider X’s most telling feature was definitely his eyes. Green as a healthy forest and brimming with intelligence and curiosity, but coupled with the crooked grin he sported, Bazett knew these qualities lacked any sinister hue. “And here I was worried he’d scare you.”

“Oh,” Bazett pulled Toothless into a one-armed hug, “who could ever be scared by such a sweet cuddle bug of a Dragon?” She giggled as he ruffled her magenta hair with his rumbling snout. To think she would not only call upon Ireland’s Child of Light, but a Viking who could ride a Dragon, a creature at the top of the Phantasmal Beast hierarchy? Or that said Dragon would be so absolutely freakin’ adorable?!

The only good part about the last week was that she’d spent most of that time curled up in the Night Fury’s warm embrace. Yes, there were better ways of treating excessive blood loss, but his snuggles were… Ahh, ar do sháimhín só…

“Sweet cuddle bug, huh?” Rider X chuckled while approaching. “Not quite as dramatic as ‘unholy offspring of lightning and death,’ but hey, different cultures…” Bazett joined in his and Toothless’ laughter. Then, “How are you feeling, Master?” he asked tentatively as he unslung a duffel bag (the one she’d brought to Japan) and placed it onto a nearby table. He unzipped it and began pulling out medicine and toiletries.

“…Better.” She wished she could give a stronger answer than that, but it was the truth. “And I’m still alive thanks to you two,” she managed to smile again, “so it’s okay if you want to use my name. Hiccup.”

The Viking Heroic Spirit’s smile widened a bit more at both hearing his True Name and the permission. “Eh, you’re repaying us with interest, Bazett. Looks like your Magic Circuits are still in good shape if you can keep me and Toothless going.” While he spoke, he deftly filled a pot with water and poured a whole jar of brown liquid within, then quickly walked to a hot plate on the ground, plugged that in and set the lidded pot on top. “Today’s special is beef broth with a side of fresh greens, by the way. Hope you don’t mind.”

The Master waved it off. “You can’t stay a vegetarian for long in Ireland.” She then accepted a freshly pealed citrus and shifted slightly so Rider X could carefully peel some bandages from her wound. Bazett deliberately stared at Toothless walking about, at the slowly boiling pot, at anywhere but what remained of her arm. “How is it?”

“Looking better already,” Rider X reported, unraveling a fresh roll of bandages. Bazett winced at the slight burn of alcohol and other disinfectants but concentrated.  “Your skin has more color, too, so I guess the transfusion worked. Nice to know my break-in wasn’t for nothing. Good thing you had enough strength to tell me your blood type.”

“Thank the runes for that…” Bazett bit out as she invoked another healing spell. Between her magecraft and Hiccup’s medical treatment, she’d at least negated any possibility of infection, and her strength was slowly returning. Painfully slowly… And her arm was… still gone. “S-so, how do you know so much about medicine?” She asked in an effort to distract herself. “I saw you assisting Gobber at the forge, but…”

The foreign Servant of the Mount was definitely clever enough to recognize what she was doing, and he was kind enough to keep going. “Eh, believe it or not, every Viking back home learns a little first aid. Not as high priority-wise as sailing and fighting and killing, of course, but D-,” his fingers slackened for a second before securing the new bandages, “the chief wanted to make sure we wouldn’t bleed out before old Gothi took a crack at us.” His work done, Hiccup got up and returned to the now-steaming pot. “Funny, thanks to the knowledge provided by the Grail, I know a lot of the stuff I was taught is obsolete, but I also…” He tasted the broth before adding a pinch of salt and shutting off the plate, half in thought. “I have a good idea how to do the right stuff. Crazy, huh?” He chuckled self-deprecatingly as he prepared a bowl.

Crazy, maybe, Bazett mused accepting a spoon and turning to the bowl set on a tray next to her, but a kind of crazy I should expect from a Servant. She took a careful sip of the broth (hot but invigorating) and studied Rider X while he laughingly sidestepped his ride’s nudges. “Yeah, yeah, I didn’t forget about you, bud.” Stats hovered around the young man teasing the Dragon with a cooler bag of fresh fish, one particular Skill standing out to the Master’s Perspective.

Based on what she’d glimpsed in her dreams, Bazett knew Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had been the Da Vinci of Berk: a curious, open-minded genius decades ahead of his time. And this aspect had been woven into the legend of the Rider X who grinned as the Night Fury feared by so many happily gobbled down fish after fish.

His grin faded, though, when Toothless shot him a familiar look, his tongue lolling out. Rider X raised his hands in vain against what was to come. “Bud, no, nononono-” he groaned as that tongue slapped against him repeatedly, nearly bowling him over. “Toothless, you know that doesn’t wash out!” He snapped his arms a bit in hopes of getting rid of some of the sticky liquids while the Dragon gurgled playfully. “I liked this jacket, too…”

Bazett held her side hoping her giggling from their antics wouldn’t reopen her wound. Even then, she was enjoying herself too much to really care. She had been this close to succumbing to blood loss and Ki- Kotomine’s betrayal, dying in her hero’s arms, when out of nowhere, this other Servant popped up with his best friend and rescued her. Between the former’s intelligence and the latter’s flying speed… and the kindness both shared… the Master couldn’t just dismiss them as mere familiars.

Sipping her broth, she watched Hiccup walk over to a nearby chair and tug on his left boot with a grunt. “Sorry, needs a little readjusting,” he explained before removing the boot, revealing a wooden facsimile of a foot. It was fitted over a curved piece of metal leading to a wooden socket where his shin should’ve been. Rider X stepped down experimentally, the metal retracting via a spring into the socket with a slight metallic squeak. “It wasn’t designed to fit into a shoe, and the fake foot’s a bit wobbly.” Rider X plucked some tools from the table and rested his left leg over his right knee to do a little fiddling with the peg leg. “But I’d probably pick up some attention if I walked around with it naked, huh?”

Bazett sighed in agreement. “I’m afraid people tend to notice abnormalities about others,” she nodded to his foot, “and that looks a little primitive for a prosthetic nowadays.” But only appearance-wise, she noted even as Hiccup tended to it. The craftsmanship was astounding given the level of technology of this Heroic Spirit’s era, and the peg leg was just the tip of the iceberg. Given what other wondrous things he had built…

Such as the contraption Toothless willed into existence on his tail with a knowing look at the Master…

And the little bits of metal and wood along with the tools her Servant had scavenged, a Bunsen burner among them…

A sliver of hope sliced through the fog of pain and despair to Bazett Fraga McRemitz’s heart.

He looked so tired, so glum, like he’d wanted to do so much and just couldn’t anymore. Was being a Hero of Justice that hard? But this was the same man who’d saved him, like he’d saved Aunt Maiya long ago. He’d taken him into his home and done so much

Maybe it was time someone helped Kiritsugu Emiya. And it might as well be him. “Okay, if you couldn’t pull it off, I’ll do it for you.” Dad turned away from the moon and down to him, looking a little surprised, but he smiled and kept going. “You’re an adult now, so it doesn’t work for you anymore, but I can be a Hero of Justice.” And the more he talked, the more he felt this was the right thing to do. “You can count on me.”

They sat there on the porch together in silence after that. And just as he thought the silence would drag on forever, Kiritsugu smiled and said something he’d never heard before: “The Will of Fire…”

“Huh?”

“Oh, you just reminded of something a friend of mine told me long ago, Shirou.” Dad went back to staring up at the night sky, but he kept smiling. “Sparks drifting from an old flame to grow into new fires elsewhere…” The sparks… maybe the stars up there reminded him of sparks?

“Carrying on the warmth, right?” That much, he could at least puzzle out. And he wanted to hear more about this “Will of Fire,” maybe it tied into being a Hero of Justice?

Either way, his father looked so at peace facing him again. “That’s right. Warmth… and dreams.”

Dreams…

Blades. Blades all around. Alone on a hill with the wind rushing past him…

Shirou’s eyes wearily blinked open as sunlight washed over him, the traces of that… last moment leaving him. He glanced up to find the ceiling of his room and pushed himself into a sitting position. Memories and images besides his promise rushed through his mind, too many to fully make out: running and fighting, standing in front of a sword propped securely up… and for some reason, he really, really wanted to wash his hands. Even though it mightn’t ever wash off…

He frowned. Where did that come from? Shirou checked; there wasn’t a speck of dirt (or blood) on his hands, just those Command Seals, and he carefully prodded at his bare chest (When did I change last night…?) to feel bandages but no pain. Aunt Maiya must’ve patched me up, Shirou decided before getting up. A task easier said than done, given the fatigue that weighed down on his arms and legs. It felt like the morning after those times he’d put an extra hour or two into his magic training, only multiplied by five. Am I this exhausted because I summoned those… Servants?

A rap by the doorframe snapped Shirou out of his thoughts, and the door slid as Kakashi… Assassin X… peeked inside, a hand raised in greeting. “Good morning, Shirou. How are you feeling?”

“…Well, I’m alive.” Shirou finally said, drawing a small chuckle from the silver-haired man. “And in one piece. Thanks to you and Saber. And Aunt Maiya. And Rose. And Tohsaka…” He sighed to himself, ashamed of how many people needed to put themselves on the line just for his sake. So much for fighting…

A polite cough brought him back to reality, his new ally watching him sympathetically. “Yes, you’re alive. And that’s always worth something.” Kakashi shifted slightly. “Breakfast is just about ready, so if you’re up for it…”

Shirou nodded. Much as it hurt to force Aunt Maiya to handle the morning chores again when she’d just gotten back, he could use something to eat. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he promised, Kakashi in turn sliding his door closed for privacy. He quickly shucked off his pajama pants and dressed himself in a white t-shirt and jeans before heading into the bathroom. Brushing his teeth, the boy spat out the toothpaste mixed with spit and some dried blood. “Oh yeah…” Shirou opened his mouth and looked in the mirror; he remembered taking a hit from that Saber X guy, but now, no cuts or new blood could be found. Must’ve been treated.

With everything done, he stepped out into the hall, Kakashi leaning patiently near the frame. Wait, was it really Kakashi…? “Good to go?” Shirou nodded, his attention drawn to the Servant’s clothes. The only thing remaining from his attire of last night was the mask covering the bottom half of his face. This morning, he wore a black long-sleeved shirt underneath a dark-green waistcoat and black tie, unbuttoned by the neck. The shirt was tucked into some dark dress pants with a simple black belt secured over it, and his hands were presently gloveless. “Your aunt offered me a change of clothes,” Kakashi explained while they walked. “Seeing as Saber and I can’t change into spirit form, we might as well try looking less conspicuous.”

Between the man’s mask and the scar over his shut left eye, Shirou figured he’d still draw a couple gazes, but he also figured the man knew that, too, so he didn’t push the subject. So, they stepped together into the kitchen to the smell of fresh food. “Good morning,” he said reflexively, half-expecting to find his Big Sis already at the table. Then he reminded himself that Taiga would be overseeing today’s archery session. The TV was showing a news report about a break-in yesterday at a blood bank near Miyama’s main clinic.

“Good morning, Shirou.” In her usual place sat Saber straight, proper and her eyes opening as they approached. She was wearing a royal blue shirt with a tie the same shade of emerald as her eyes and a skirt of a darker blue over black leggings. Shirou remembered the skirt as a Christmas gift from Taiga for Aunt Maiya, but the older woman had never worn it. She preferred pants and rarely wore loose clothing even on special occasions, like her New Year’s yukata.

Speaking of his aunt, she briefly turned to nod to him in greeting with slightly baggy eyes. “It’s just jet lag,” Maiya waved off Shirou’s concern. “I managed to get two hours of sleep last night, and I’ve made do with less.” She retrieved the nearly full coffee pot and poured some into a cup, adding a splash of cream. “I’m well enough that we can talk about this Grail War business we’re now all involved in.”

“Sounds like that’s gonna be one heck of a conversation.” The final occupant of the room waved at Shirou from the opposite end of the table. The robotic Servant’s door-wings perked up slightly as he rose to his full height and walked over. “We didn’t get a chance to meet properly last night. My name’s-”

“B-Bumblebee… right…?” Shirou met him the other distance with an apologetic mien. “S-Sorry for interrupting, my mind’s still a bit jumbled from how everything… ended. But… I remember hearing you call yourself that. Or…” more detail came to him as he talked, “do you prefer Saber X?”

A black four-fingered hand stretched towards him. “Whichever you want, I’m not picky about names. You can call me ‘Bee,’ too, if that’s easier.” Shirou accepted the hand and shook instinctively returning the other’s smile. The expression looked kind of… weird on a face made of complete metal, but those big eyes shining blue with kindness and empathy put him a little at ease. This familiar was a machine, but he was definitely sentient.

The others watched this exchange relieved at them getting along. Jet lag was only one reason for Maiya’s lack of sleep. The other was that she had spent most of the remaining night talking with the trio, bringing one another up to speed. In the process, “Illegal” Saber X had continued to exhibit the same heroic qualities as when he’d made his debut, particularly his willingness to help despite the prospect of little to no reward.

A marked contrast to the first Cybertronian Servant Maiya, Saber and Assassin X had encountered.

Then Saber spoke up. “You seem to have recovered well from your injuries.”

Shirou let go of Bee’s hand and nodded, heading to the kitchen. “Yeah, looks like your first aid plus a little sleep did the trick.” As he reached the stove, his eyes widened at the scale of food being prepared. “That’s a big breakfast,” he noted before it dawned on him, and he turned back to the dining room. “Oh, you guys are eating, too, right? To regain your strength because I can’t supply you with any mana?”

“We are getting mana from you, Shirou,” Assassin X assured him, “just, it’s better for all of us we don’t overtax your Circuits. But Servants can replenish themselves with food and conserve energy in other ways, like sleeping.” Saber nodded beside him; after their lengthy discussion, Saber X had insisted the two go to sleep rather than take shifts, and fatigue had robbed them of enough energy to protest.

It also turned out to be an opportunity for the comrades to learn more about one another. Kakashi had woken up this morning to find Artoria feverishly scrubbing her hands in the bathroom before she realized what she was doing. Nothing needed to be said, just a quiet exchange of sympathies.

“Servants tend to have healthy appetites,” Maiya added for Shirou’s benefit. Her dreams had been of watching over a kindhearted kid genius mixed with running, shooting… Alien, yet familiar.

He then promptly picked up where Maiya left off, shooing her away from the counter. “Just sit down and enjoy your coffee. I can handle the rest.” He told her with kind decisiveness.

One Maiya recognized as she retrieved her cup and relented. “Only time you show backbone is in the kitchen,” she grumbled good-naturedly while moving to the table.

“You should be grateful for that,” Shirou called over his shoulder, “I’m the best cook in this house.”

His aunt smirked into her cup. “Brat…” After a long drink, she felt strong enough to get to business. “By the way, I heard a funny little story about you trying to fight a Servant singlehandedly. Twice.”

Shirou stiffened, ladle hovering over the soup pot. He whirled around with a conflicted look; unsure whether to be terrified of his aunt’s tone or glare at his alleged Servants for snitching on him. “I-I wasn’t trying to fight Lancer, he just jumped me. Excuse me for trying to stay alive!” He fumbled at an attempt to do both simultaneously before settling for a third option. “And besides, when were you going to tell me about Servants at all?”

“Preferably never,” Maiya admitted bluntly. “This Holy Grail nonsense is nothing but trouble, and I’d hoped you’d be able to stay out of it.” Her boy gestured with the ladle towards a certain ally of theirs. “Summoning Bumblebee was a precaution, a means of providing you with protection until this business has been settled.” He frowned at her, probably from her choice of words, but Maiya wasn’t done. “Yes, you’re involved now, there’s no changing that. But before we discuss all that, explain to me, mister, why you decided after getting smacked around by one Servant to charge another.” Her finger tapped an angry rhythm against her cup.

Boy and Servants alike shivered involuntarily from the sound and the ice in her words. Clearly, ten years of domestic life had little to blunt Maiya Hisau’s edge. Shirou did his absolute best not to cower from the gaze of judgement resting upon him. “It’s not like… I picked a fight with… the big one…” A bubbling sound thankfully drew his attention back to the stove.

Assassin X then cleared his throat; it was, after all, technically his duty to keep his Master safe. “Well, we should appreciate that you have at least that much common sense.” Maiya arched an eyebrow at him, a gesture both intimidating and… attractive to the Copy Ninja. “Anyway, the point is, you shouldn’t pick a fight with any Servant. We may look human,” he eyed Saber X, “well, some of us do, but we’re not.”

“Even the weakest Servant is leagues stronger than a human,” Saber concurred. “Which is why a battle with one, no matter which class, is best left to Assassin X, Saber X or myself.” She nodded pointedly to her comrades in turn. “It is the Servant’s mission to protect the Master, not the other way around.”

“So, what,” satisfied with the taste, a frowning Shirou donned some cooking mittens and carried the pot to the table, “I should just let you guys put your lives on the line for my sake? I shouldn’t try and help?”

Bumblebee moved to help him only to be waved off, so he settled for talking. “There’s more than one way to help, Shirou, and your Servants aren’t so powerless that they need you to bail them out. Have a little faith in them.”

Shirou’s face softened a little at that while he continued setting the table (Saber’s eyes in particular gleamed at the food). Then Assassin X took over. “It’s a good thing that you want to help us, but you don’t have to put your life on the line for that. Be smart and think about when to fight.” The young Master slowly nodded at his words, though the shinobi also noticed Maiya eyeing the former skeptically. Not the first time he’s been lectured for overdoing his helpfulness, eh?

Kakashi nodded to himself. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a difficult pupil. He could only hope that for once, he wouldn’t blow it…

“Thank you for the meal.” He reflexively echoed the customary pre-meal ritual; Maiya had instigated it. Right, time to fill their bellies.

Thus, four characters promptly began tucking into the rice, fish and other assorted goodies. A fifth hesitated, though not out of rudeness. “Sorry,” Saber X smiled sheepishly at Shirou’s offer, “I, uh, my species doesn’t… nourish ourselves the same way humans do. I don’t know if I can eat food.”

“Only one way to find out,” Saber ladled a bowl full of rice, poured some soy sauce (Shirou had triple-checked that the rights labels were on the right bottles) on top and passed it to him with a spoon. She saw no reason to burden him further by making him use chopsticks. At least I don’t need a rubber band anymore.

Her fellow Saber accepted the bowl and popped some of the white-and-black stuff into his “mouth”. After a good simulation of chewing, he nodded with a smile. “Okay, looks like that question’s been answered. And thanks, by the way, Master, Shirou. It’s delicious.”

A sentiment shared by all of the other Servants. Artoria alone ate more than the other four at the table together and was the first done. The more things change, Kakashi chuckled behind his mask (which had apparently never left his face).

“If the chefs of my time had your talent, Shirou,” his best friend was saying, “every one of my meals would’ve been a dream.” High praise from the King of Knights, two in the room knew.

While lacking context, Shirou recognized and appreciated the compliment. “Thank you. What were the cooks like back where you came from?”

He and Bumblebee had only an instant to wonder why Kakashi and even Maiya had stiffened before the temperature of the room seemingly plummeted a couple dozen degrees. “Lacking,” was a visibly displeased Saber's only answer.

…O-kay. Doofus though he might’ve been, Shirou understood. Note to self: Always serve Saber her meals on time. Quickly searching for a change in topic, he remembered a prior question. “What’s this ‘class’ thing you mentioned before?”

“Right,” Assassin X somehow finished his tea without anyone seeing his face (to collective disappointment) and shifted in his seat, “no better time than to explain the finer points about Servants. First things first, Shirou, remember how we told you Heroic Spirits are reproductions of legendary figures?” Receiving a nod, he went on. “The legend aspect plays a big part for what a Servant can or can’t do. Our individual abilities are determined by the sorts of stories told about us, and the older and more widespread these stories are, the more we have to offer. But that same kind of fame can reveal specific weaknesses we have, too.”

“And that’s why Tohsaka insisted I address you by these… class names?” Shirou offered. “To protect your identities from enemies?”

Saber nodded, sipping her own tea. “Precisely. We learned the True Names of two native adversaries last night,” her grip tightened slightly around her cup, the prospect of fighting Herakles again a daunting one even for her, “and X Servants in general need worry less about this seeing as their legends do not exist on this world. But as for the rest, it surely won’t be so easy. Under normal circumstances, the Holy Grail brings seven Servants, each one of a different class of combatant. The number has doubled for this War, but they still ought to belong to the seven standard classes.” Though there may be outliers, too, she added to herself.

Shirou found himself following along pretty easily, maybe because he wasn’t fresh off of a beating and adrenaline rush. “Okay, and these combatant classes you keep talking about refer to what kind of weapons or tactics you specialize in, is that it?” He ran through the different class names he’d heard to this point: three different Sabers, both Lancers, Assassin X, Berserker… and Ruler X. Did he count?

“The Grail picks candidates among Heroic Spirits who each fit the criteria for one regular class.” He turned towards Bumblebee who began listing them with his fingers. “Saber. Lancer. Archer. Rider. Caster. Assassin. Berserker.” His final thumb went up, but he tilted his wrist to show it fully. “Ruler is a special type of class with special privileges and responsibilities. Now,” he winced in an oddly human way, “I’m probably still on Ruler X’s radar seeing as I… didn’t go through the proper channels, so to speak, but so long as you and your Servants don’t get on his bad side, Shirou, you shouldn’t have to worry about him.”

“I guess that’s a relief…” He could still remember that stern man who had marched right onto the battlefield and called off all fights for the night. He had faced freakin’ Herakles, all the while giving off a “If you still wanna start something, I’ll finish it,” vibe. “So, these classes…” Shirou turned first to Kakashi. “I guess specializing in surprise attacks makes you Assassin X.”

The Man of One Thousand Techniques nodded. “And I’m okay at a couple other things.” Understatement of the decade, both women scoffed privately in unison.

Shirou’s finger then flicked between the other two Servants. “And you’re both Sabers because you’re great swordsmen, right?”

Artoria nodded, but Bee waved his hands. “I’m barely mediocre with a blade.” He sighed. “Heck, the one I have doesn’t even belong to me. So, don’t expect any decent swordplay from me anytime soon.”

“And yet you still displayed great courage and skill with your debut, Bumblebee,” Saber assured her colleague. “Based on what I’ve seen of you, you may overcome our class’s drawbacks better than I.” Once again, she marveled at how much this metallic familiar could so human, the way he rubbed his helmeted head in a bashful manner. It was actually quite endearing.

Shirou for his part felt rather relieved that these Servants were already getting along so well. But Saber’s compliment raised another question. “Drawbacks?”

“Think about it, Shirou,” Maiya spoke up again, the teacher in her spurring her on. “What’s the best method to deal with someone who outmatches you in close combat?”

“Keep my distance, avoid a direct confrontation.” She hummed, pleased that he remembered their lessons.

“Exactly.” Saber smiled. “Of course, having a partner like Kakashi on your side is a good countermeasure for such tactics.” Shirou blinked both at the surety in her statement and the fondness twinkling from the masked man. How long have these two been friends? He wondered as the knight girl went on. “Moreover, Servants also wield Noble Phantasms, which are their trump cards such as a Lancer’s spear, an Archer’s bow or a Saber’s sword.”

The memory of that black-clad Saber X and his magic katana immediately came to mind, as well as what he said. “Right…” Shirou glanced down at the table concentrating on the guy’s words. “That’s what he meant about Archer ‘Breaking’ his Phantasm. Archer overloaded his own weapon to make it more destructive.” He reviewed more memories before looking up at Kakashi. “Is your lightning jab a Noble Phantasm, too?”

“Good eye, Shirou.” Assassin X performed three handsigns in rapid succession and held his right hand above the table. The boy stared in awe at the electricity crackling fiercely but controlled between his fingers. “Yes, this is Lightning Blade, one of my Noble Phantasms.” He tapped the scar over his left eye with his free hand. “But this eye is another one. Noble Phantasms are basically crystallizations of a Heroic Spirit’s legend, the things that made them so famous. A Phantasm can be a weapon,” he curled his fingers, causing the electricity to dissipate, “but it can also be a technique you invented and wielded as a signature, or it can even be a specific event connected to your story.”

“The point is, the Phantasm represents what made us famous enough to be called heroes.” Saber X summarized, Shirou steadily absorbing this information. “Of course, aside from how invoking them can tax a Servant’s mana, this relation can mean someone has a higher chance of figuring out the Servant’s True Name. Plus, some Noble Phantasms are activated by calling out their True Names.”

“So, Servants have to use them carefully or take calculated risks.” Shirou thought back to the first time he saw Saber and Kakashi in action, when Lancer took a specific stance and shouted a name. “Gáe… Bolg…” He mulled it over. “I know I’ve heard that name before… which proves the point of Servants’ identities.” This conclusion earned him a number of approving looks, followed by another. “And that’s the same reason why you hide your sword, isn’t it, Saber?”

“Right again,” she commended him before wincing at what came next. “On that note… I’m afraid both my sword and my True Name are rather famous, which is why I have yet to share it with you, Shirou. Normally, a Servant shares their True Name with their Master, helping them devise suitable strategies for both. But seeing as your training is incomplete, that may be too high a risk. Some mages can read minds, but proper training can shield one’s thoughts. “She turned to his guardian. “Training Maiya has undergone, though.”

Maiya crossed her arms thoughtfully at the unspoken question. “I’ve been teaching Shirou standard exercises for blocking mental intrusion,” she noted, Shirou nodding as well at the breathing techniques. “But I’m no good at mind-reading myself, so we haven’t actually ‘field-tested’ how good you are in practice.”

Shirou scratched his head. “So, it’d be safer if I don’t know Saber’s True Name for now.” The Servant in question looked a little guilty, but he just smiled at her. “Well, this Grail War thing’s going to go on for a while, so I’ll let you decide if I can be trusted with your identity. You’d know better when to use your Noble Phantasm anyway.” More un-Master-like behavior, but all three Servants appreciated it deeply. Shirou Emiya’s lack of training didn’t make their situation easy, but none of them wished to complain.

Maiya herself found her natural sternness subdued, happy that her ward was building such a rapport with the ones who’d be protecting him. However, she also saw the curiosity in his eyes, the way he kept glancing between Kakashi, Saber and her, no doubt noticing how familiar the woman was with all this madness.

“Okay, that was pretty much the basics, but…” Maiya sighed. She’d been dreading this next part since she’d summoned Bumblebee, and while Kakashi and Saber had tried offering alternatives, there wasn’t any point. “Shirou, there’s something else you need to know. Something about… the man who saved both of us.”

The boy started at the mention of his adoptive father, but it was Assassin X who spoke up next. “You probably suspected this already… Last night isn’t the first time Saber and I have worked together.” He nodded slowly, the fluid, practiced teamwork the duo had shown coming to the forefront of his thoughts. “Nor is this our first Grail War in this city and era.”

He frowned a bit. Come to think of it, they had seemed a little familiar not just with each other, but the streets, too. And there were little moments, like how Kakashi had whispered Maiya’s name or how he kept glancing at her (or she at him). “Wait… Were you the one who summoned them ten years ago, Aunt Maiya? You’re their former Master?” It would’ve been a crazy coincidence, and Shirou was trying hard not to bombard her with questions about why she’d want any part in this insanity or about… the Fire…

But she shook her head, regret flickering in her eyes. “No, Shirou. I was involved in that War, and I did meet Ka- …Assassin X and Saber back then; we were part of the same team. But I wasn’t a Master.”

Shirou opened his mouth again, but his next question got jumbled up inside his throat. “Then- How…?” This didn’t make any sense. Maiya and these two were on a team? Then whoever their Master was must’ve been the leader, right? But who could’ve…? Shirou felt like his throat had frozen solid. No… that can’t be right. The war that caused the Fuyuki Fire… that claimed so many lives…

The adults all watched his reaction in silent sympathy. They could see him putting the pieces together, and while Bee as the newcomer lacked some context, he’d been told enough in their prior info exchange to have an idea why the poor kid was looking so pale. Still, it didn’t feel right for him to speak up. His Master was visibly pushing herself to go on, but she couldn’t speak. Then Assassin X looked ready, no doubt trying to lessen her burden, yet it was his partner who cleared her throat, drawing Shirou’s attention to answer the question he didn’t want to ask.

Saber eyed her new Master apologetically before she spoke. “Our Master in Fuyuki’s Fourth Holy Grail War… was Kiritsugu Emiya.”

Rin checked her reflection in a nearby window; nope, unblemished skin as ever. Her bathing potion last night had clearly done the trick in erasing any lingering marks of that damned fight. Now all that remained were the memories, and much as the proud magus wanted to, she couldn’t just forget them.

She gave herself a good mental shake; she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Besides, right now, she needed to focus on what was in front of her. Namely, a building in Shinto that was closed by police tape. ‘There’s definitely faint traces of mana,’ Archer reported in spirit form.

“So, it wasn’t just some ‘gas leak’ after all,” Rin surmised, having already suspected as much. Were she in a better mood, she might’ve scoffed at Kirei using such an obvious excuse. But not now. “Dragging innocent folks into this… Scum.” As Second Owner of Fuyuki, it was Rin’s duty to set the perpetrators straight.

‘Mana feels a little different from the houses we checked,’ Ruby noted, sounding a little agitated herself. ‘Fits, too, considering this building hasn’t been ripped apart or burned halfway to ashes.’ The Remnantian Servant had already bounced back from last night’s scolding/cheek-pinching, from the sound of it. Still, her observation was on point. This was clearly the work of a different Servant. ‘Is there… any chance of…?’

‘This probably happened last night, Lancer X,’ Archer coolly told her over the link. ‘Any people inside are long dead by now.’ Rin’s fingernails bit into her palms from this fact, and she sensed similar agitation from her other Servant. Even so, she steeled herself and quietly slipped past the tape.

This was necessary, the Master reminded herself. Having already determined the members of two different teams last night, she needed to pick up more intel about the remaining players in the Grail War. Rin had firsthand experience with both Sabers (and one extra, another little thing she needed to unpack), both Lancers, Archer, Assassin X, Berserker and a Ruler X. The last one she surely didn’t need to worry about so long she kept her nose (and those of her Servants’) clean, but half of this War’s Servants were still unaccounted for. An unacceptable situation.

She couldn’t afford to rely on dumb luck like Emiya, the dope who now had three different Servants watching his back plus a magus Rin hadn’t even been aware of for an aunt. Thus, she needed to even the playing field. And a good starting point was by expanding her knowledge.

Lancer X hovered by her side as Rin walked through the building, a comforting sensation. It irritated her, though, that she needed to feel comfort. She was a prodigy magus determined to finish the Tohsaka’s generation-spanning work, not some lonely helpless child! Ruby was clearly supportive of her, but Rin needed to keep her guard up. If nothing else, she’d learned that from… the last Lancer she knew.

An incorporeal Archer hung back with a quiet, contemplative frown. Complication after complication, deviation after deviation… He’d already accepted the fact that there were more Servants than normal walking Fuyuki’s streets, and some of them (…like Ruby…) could be beneficial in the big picture. Even so, caution was advised especially with a few.

That “Ruler X” was not to be taken likely, he could tell that much despite failing to Trace that laser-sword of his. But from the looks of it, he was a stickler for the Grail War rules, and Grail War rules were so flexible. Archer simply needed to bend them a little instead rather than outright violate them, preventing Ruler X from interfering. Hard, but doable. And if Ruler X did try to get in the way… Well. If you’re going to cheat already, you may as well stack the deck in your favor.

Assassin X was… an annoyance. Nothing more than a sneaky, mummed-up wannabe-teacher. All those fancy tricks of his were hampered by the boy’s incompetence. If they went all out, Archer could tear him to shreds. So what if he’d managed to slip into Saber’s good graces? So what if she looked and sounded so much happier around him, so much… freer than Archer could ever remember seeing her? She’d manage just fine without Assassin X. And it’s not like he’d ever get a second chance with her, anyway… Focus!

Right, there was one more matter on his mind: Who the hell was this woman protecting him?

Since when did the boy have an aunt in his life?! His biological family was all dead, and that woman didn’t look related to him anyway. Probably an honorary bond between them, like with Fuji as the boy’s sister. An acquaintance of Kiritsugu Emiya, perhaps. Archer had never… encountered him again since that last time, but he’d heard the legend of the Mage Killer over his travels. And between her combat prowess and demeanor, this Maiya definitely seemed like someone who’d have worked with him. She had managed to sneak up and hold a blade to Rin’s throat despite Ruby being right next to the latter and Archer on lookout.

But how did she fit in the timeline? If she had worked with Kiritsugu Emiya, had she left or died sometime beforehand otherwise? Why was she running about in the night as a guardian shadow to the boy now?

Archer suppressed a snarl as his mind stumbled upon the most probable answer: Assassin X.

Regardless, she was here in this Grail War, and she had a Servant herself. A Saber, too, according to Ruler X’s observation, a Saber who had no chance of winning the Grail officially and was still willing to fight for his Master and those she cared for. Ergo, three Servants protecting the boy.

That stupid boy who had no idea how good he had it. Archer had seen it in his eyes back near that damned priest’s church, that idiotic devotion to being a Hero of Justice. Despite having another person in his life, despite somehow knowing more magecraft like that weird smoke-teleportation trick he did in the graveyard!

All in all, this Grail War differed significantly from what he’d anticipated. And the differences would probably continue the longer it dragged on. Still, Archer could salvage this. He’d already begun altering his plans after his talk with Ruby two nights ago, and some details were the same as ever. Annoyingly so.

He just needed to bide his time, observe, and take his shot the moment he got the chance.

Meanwhile, a larger team was also moving through the city, though with not quite the same enthusiasm.

“Can you afford the time for this, Maiya? You mentioned you have a job now…”

“No need to worry about that. My vacation time includes today, too, Mr. Watanabe figured I could use the extra day to sleep off the plane fight. …I’ll be fine, Kakashi, really. Besides, the sooner Taiga sees me again, the happier she’ll be…”

Shirou should’ve felt more self-conscious about walking on the sidewalk between a blonde girl shorter than but watching their surroundings like a hawk and a silver-haired man hiding half his face while chatting with his aunt who just five minutes ago admitted she used to kill people for a living. More than a few stares lingered on them, and the bystanders didn’t know an adult-sized half-car robot was invisibly tailing them.

But… he couldn’t find the energy for it. Not after learning the truth. The truth that his dad, the former “Hero of Jutsice,” used to be a mage who specialized in hunting magi. The truth that he was hired by the Einzbern family to be a Master for the Fourth Grail War but had planned to double-cross them and claim the Grail for himself. The truth that he had been the last Master alive, a husband, a father before meeting Shirou…

Add all that to… that priest’s words echoing inside his head… “The final Master standing was judged unworthy by the Grail. I know not why, but all that is certain is the terrible result,” that deep voice taunted him. “Yes, what caused the Fuyuki Fire, a tragedy publicly unknown to this day, was actually the outcome of the Fourth Grail War.” He still recalled Kotomine’s lip curling for just a moment. “All because a fool faltered at the last step due to some silly sentiments.”

Sentiments… What did that mean? If Kiritsugu had been so keen about getting the Grail, why would he hesitate? If he wanted to save people, why fight in the first place? What made the Grail judge him “unworthy?” Shirou wasn’t sure how much that man had told the truth, but details like that just kept burrowing their way into his thoughts.

The worst part of these revelations had been the look on Aunt Maiya’s face when she told him how she fit into the picture… and why that Einzbern girl was after him. He had a daughter… Those oversea trips…

And it seemed like the revelations had only begun. Shirou had actually been relieved when the phone rang and Big Sis Fuji demanded he make her a lunch and bring it to the archery dojo, her just reward for sacrificing her day off to supervise the session. At least this level of craziness he could weather, and walking gave him something to do.

The others refused to let him go alone, though, hence his current entourage. “I still think all of you coming with us is overkill,” he mumbled barely audibly (Servants had good ears, too, apparently). “Didn’t that Ruler X order a special ceasefire that’s still in effect?”

“He did,” Saber nodded, “and engagements between enemy teams should only occur during night anyway. But not everyone tends to respect these rules.” Her voice slipped into a grumble. “I could probably count on one hand how often someone actually adhered to proper procedure in the last Grail War.”

“Yeah, given what’s at stake, some Masters and Servants tend to view the Grail War’s rules more like… guidelines.” Assassin X shrugged at his last word uttered. He then eyed their Master sympathetically. “I’m afraid we’ve just broken the surface of things we need to fill you in.”

“Fine but let’s get this out of the way first.” Shirou shook his head to forestall any protests. “Look, I-I know it’s risky and probably stupid, but I just…” He ran his fingers through his red hair, groaning at himself as he kept walking. “I need to do something familiar right now. Something… normal.”

Maiya couldn’t stop herself from snorting. “Normal? You’re the last person I’d expect to call Taiga that.” Her nephew’s mouth twitched just a bit in the left corner, only to fall again. She fought to keep a stoic face, fully aware that she had caused this turmoil in him. Of all the horrors Maiya Hisau had experienced in her life, all the terrible things she could’ve done without batting an eye, there was one thing she’d kept avoiding: telling Shirou the truth. And now here she was, faced with the result she’d expected and feared.

Saber and Assassin X were fully aware of both situations, but they sadly had no earthly clue what to say or do to rectify them. It wasn’t lost on either Heroic Spirit that they had helped strain Shirou’s relationship to his aunt. Artoria had been admittedly the most vocal against dropping all of this on the poor boy; while her opinion of Kiritsugu hadn’t always been the best, she’d never have wanted to tarnish his son’s image of him.

But Maiya had shot down even Kakashi’s suggestions of easing him into it. “I’ve kept him in the dark long enough,” the woman had said. “Shirou deserves to know everything… even if he may never forgive me.”

Well, a trailing Bumblebee was now witnessing firsthand the result of what Jack called "ripping off the band-aid." And they hadn’t even delved into the most important part yet, the reason behind Kiritsugu’s actions or the state of the Grail then… and possibly now. Kirei Kotomine’s… unreliable explanation had also done its damage, but right now, Shirou was just too shaken to listen to them. He needed time to process all of this… Hopefully, a little normality would be just what the doctor ordered.

Said normality was already in sight in the form of Homurahara Academy’s dojos. Shirou adjusted the strap on his lunchbox while sneaking a peek at the track fields; not a trace remained of the fierce battle between Tohsaka’s team and Lancer. The signs inside (like his blood…) would’ve most likely been cleaned, too.

Maiya walked up to the archery dojo and slid the door open while rapping a knuckle against its frame. “Hello-” The word barely left her mouth before a brown-tipped missile zipped from the interior and collided with her. Luckily, the ex-killer had anticipated this reaction and curbed his primary instinct to flip her “assailant” over her hip, instead returning the hug she was now getting. “Taiga.”

Big Sis, you’re back!” The alleged teacher happily pressed her cheek against that of the older, more restrained woman. “Shirou almost didn’t tell me you’d gotten back already, the jerk! Hope you had a good time!” Releasing her, Taiga began swaying about in her spot, an expectant glint in her brown eyes. “Sooo…?”

Maiya snorted good-naturedly and reached into her backpack. “Authentic from Dubai.” She held up a large green bar of chocolate which her surrogate sister snatched away. “Don’t eat it all at once,” she cautioned despite knowing that bar probably wouldn’t last more than three days. Especially if they were school days.

Even so, it felt good to see Taiga cradle the chocolate so eagerly. Maiya might’ve never been the most expressive person, so more than a few (including Shirou) wondered how she could tolerate someone so peppy. But she did. Maybe it was because the boys loved Taiga, too, never messing a chance to play with her when summoned. Or maybe… maybe she just appreciated having a young woman around who can so openly enjoy life. So, Maiya didn’t resist her next hug, either. “I missed you, too, baby sister.”

But as they embraced, Taiga noticed her family weren’t the only ones who’d arrived. Nor did she recognize the newcomers. “Say, Big Sis,” as they pulled apart, she nodded over, “who are these two?”

Shirou inadvertently stiffened at the realization that he had no idea how to explain the Servants’ presence to Fuji. “Hey, these are two legendary heroes that are going to help Aunt Maiya and me survive a super-magical war, and they’ll be staying at house?” He pondered before tossing that to the side. No, too crazy even for Taiga Fujimura. Wait… he could say-

“These are old friends of mine and Kiritsugu.” A smiling Aunt Maiya beat him to the punch. The boy subtly looked about, realizing the adults were calm as ever. “I bumped into them in Dubai, and while catching up with them, they mentioned they have some free time. So, I invited them to come with me and visit Fuyuki.” She made a little self-deprecating chuckle. “It was pretty spur of the moment, I know, but I hadn’t seen them in years. I’ve already rattled Shirou enough with this development.” Sadly, not far from the truth…

Taiga slowly nodded in understanding, though she wouldn’t have expected a decision this sporadic from her Big Sis. But before she could delve onto it, the male newcomer stepped up to her with an eye-smile and a raised palm. “Kakashi Hatake,” he dipped his head in greeting, “pleasure to meet you, Miss Fujimura.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Hatake,” she bowed back, her head coming back up with a curious face. “May I call you Mr. Kakashi?” See, Grandpa, I can be polite when I want to be! After he gave his consent, Taiga asked the next question that came to mind: “Um, what’s with the mask?”

Kakashi put on a sheepish expression, rubbing the back of his head for extra effect. “Well, I’m afraid I’m a bit of a… germaphobe. Hygiene’s at the top of my list, I get all jittery thinking just about getting the flu.” He fidgeted slightly where he stood. “If it weren’t for Kiritsugu, I’d have even more hangups about being this close to everyone.”

“You would not believe how much worse he was when we first met him.” Maiya shook her head with (mostly-)pretend fondness. “Couldn’t go five minutes without rubbing sanitizer on his hands.”

Saber faked a huff. “Remember how he used to wipe down every chair before and after sitting down?” The other woman nodded in seeming exasperation.

“Hey, the latter step was me being considerate for the next guy!” Shirou quietly marveled at how easily the three slipped into this little spiel. Mitsuzuri and a few other students had come over due to all the commotion, but neither Aunt Maiya nor the Heroic Spirits seemed bothered by a larger audience. Did they plan this in advance…? Shirou wondered. Or… do they just know each other so well? The latter possibility unsettled him more than he’d have preferred. Sure, he wasn’t the most social boy around, but…

He forced his thoughts back to reality in time for Saber to introduce herself. “Atria Pembroke, and unlike my traveling companion, I’m a visitor to Japan in every sense of the word.” She tapped her left hand against her chest alongside her bow, but her smile was easier to see. Atria Pembroke… must be an alias, Shirou understood, remembering her earlier reluctance to reveal which hero she was based on.

“Hope you’re enjoying your visit, then!” His Big Sis quickly grabbed Saber’s hand and shook it vigorously, though Saber didn’t blink. “I teach English here at Homurahara. And you’re the same age as Kiritsugu and Mr. Kakashi, Miss Atria? Wow, you look so young!”

“I moisturize,” Saber explained completely straight-faced. Aside from Maiya, every female within earshot processed this as well as the blonde’s pristine appearance and silently committed her “advice” to memory.

Including Ayako as she took the expected lunch off of Emiya’s hands. “Looks like your aunt’s picked up some interesting guests,” she noted while hefting the box. “And you’re a lifesaver for bringing this. You know how crabby Miss Fujimura gets when she’s hungry, so this and a distraction arrived in the nick of time.” Their teacher mock-scowled at Ayako, proving she was still in earshot.

At least she didn’t call her Tiger, Shirou thought before quickly talking lest she potentially read his mind. “You guys could’ve checked if she brought anything when she arrived. That way, I’d have known in advance.” Mitsuzuri conceded with a tired laugh while other club members looked sheepish. Some new faces already. “Where is Shinji anyway? Still causing you trouble?”

“Nah, he skipped today.” Mitsuzuri rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Probably trying to woo some chicks.” She shot him a sly grin. “You know, there are a couple here who’d hope to see you in action…”

Shirou returned the eye-rolling. “No thanks, I’ve got enough on my plate for the moment. Now that Kakashi and Saber are here…” Then as Mitsuzuri headed in to put the lunch away (having already anticipated his refusal), he almost bit his tongue in half at his faux pas. Damnit!

“Saber?” One of the other students asked, and while Taiga was in earshot, naturally drawing her attention. Great job, stupid, Shirou berated himself while racking his brain for an explanation. Thankfully, he needn’t have bothered.

“Oh, that’s just Atria’s nickname,” Kakashi explained with a smooth chuckle. “When we were younger, we used to team up for a roleplaying game that Kiritsugu hosted. Man had a knack for horrific scenarios… Anyway,” he thumbed to his partner, “she immediately went for the Saber archetype and never looked back.” He leaned closer to Taiga, his voice dropping to a stage whisper. “She gets super invested in games.”

“Whereas you have no qualms blindsiding others like the Assassin character you chose,” Saber snarked back while Taiga and some students giggled at their banter. Meanwhile, their reluctant Master relaxed again, even as he was privately impressed at how she and Kakashi smoothly bounced jokes and little details off one another, endearing his Big Sis to them.

But Taiga had grown curious as to what relationship Maiya’s friends specifically had. And with classic “Tiger of Fuyuki” tact, she went and asked, “So, are you two an item?”

Both Servants’ eyes widened, and Shirou noticed Maiya stiffening just a little where she stood. Granted, he had been wondering the same thing himself, what with how well the duo got along and fought together-

A snort drew everyone’s attention to an unlikely source.

Artoria Pendragon, dignified King of Knights, was hunched over a bit and clamping a hand feverishly over her mouth, but they could still hear little giggles slipping past her fingers. “M-m-my apologies,” she gasped out, “K-Kakashi is a very good friend of mine and probably the most reliable man I’ve ever known, but m-me c-c-c-c-court him-?” She snorted again and turned away so she could release her laughter a bit more freely. “Oh, goodness no…”

“Breathe, Saber, breathe…” Her comrade gently patted her shaking back, his own smile obscured by his mask.

Maiya for her part relaxed enough to quickly mask any… feelings that might’ve surfaced. “Anyway, seeing as we didn’t really plan this, I invited them to come along and stay at our place,” she explained, having already considered the best way to justify the two’s presence at the house.

“At your- They’re staying with you guys?” Taiga blinked in surprise. Well, the house was big enough to host a few guests, and if Maiya trusted them, it was probably alright, but this wasn’t like her Big Sis… Then again, the way her eyes kept drifting to the masked guy… and how his right eye did the same…

Maiya Hisau frowned at the little feline grin shot her way. “They’re old friends,” she picked that word carefully, “in town. We have the room. And I trust them with my life and Shirou’s. So, they’re our guests.”

While her word choice stirred a bit of… conflict in Assassin X, at least the young lady seemed placated by Maiya’s reassurances. “Well, if Big Sis can vouch for you two that’s pretty good…” Then she pointed dramatically at the Servants. “But I can’t fully accept either of you until I’ve tested you Fujimura-style!” Shirou, Maiya and the brown-haired girl next to the former groaned in unison as she brandished a shinai from out of nowhere. “One bout! You win, you’re good! You lose, too bad!”

Saber had recovered enough from her laughing fit to stand straight again, her eyes locked onto the weapon. “I never back down from a challenge,” she vowed, “You can face me anytime, anywhere.”

“Hm, been a while since I had a swordfight.” Assassin X inclined his head amused. “If this is what it takes to earn your approval, Miss Fujimura, very well.”

“Good!” Nearly every student shivered at the bright, hungry grin the Tiger of Fuyuki sported. Annoying as her antics in the classroom could be, they all knew of her Kendo prowess. They’d heard the stories… “We’ll settle this the next time I’m at the house!” It was nice knowing those two… the archers thought in unison.

Maiya didn’t seem fazed, though, and Shirou himself felt a rather lack of worry. Sure, he’d never beaten Taiga in a match before, and yes, his aunt probably wouldn’t win either without using dirty tricks, but he’d seen these two in action. They ought to be fine, and not just because they weren’t human.

Then a new kind of anxiety spiked inside of him when he registered a familiar face approaching.

Coincidentally, Ayako chose that moment to return. “Hey, Emiya, looks like there’s a lot going-” She stopped in her tracks, hand halfway up to greet her classmate, brown eyes wide open.

Oh.

Oh, wow.

A total hottie was walking up to the dojo, looking all cool with black hair and red eyes.

Shirou Emiya’s Servants had already registered the third’s presence and subtly braced themselves for battle. Unlike his rival, Saber X’s attire hadn’t changed since last night’s battle save for the lack of swords at his side. He came in from the dojo’s right side at a steady pace, his eyes trained on the duo. There didn’t seem to be any trace of Berserker, though, and the foreign Heroic Spirit himself showed a distinct lack of aggression. Still, he was attracting a fair bit of nervousness from the students. Nervousness and/or interest.

The new guy reached them and turned slightly towards Emiya, revealing the other side of his face and ooh, dang. Ayako figured there was probably some painful story behind a scar that nasty and that the boy wouldn’t be proud about it, but… He made it work.

Taiga on the other hand watched him suspiciously. The color of clothing and that scar already screamed “delinquent,” but noticing both of her surrogate siblings and their guests standing so wary made it clear that this guy was trouble. And as a teacher, it was her job to keep her students safe from trouble. “Excuse me,” she called to him in an authoritative tone her students rarely heard but knew not to provoke, “who are you, and what are you doing here? This dojo belongs to the school, and I am one of its instructors.” Maiya stepped over to her side, and her silent support boosted Taiga’s confidence all the more.

“Chihiro Rokuhira,” the young man introduced himself while closing his eyes and bowing his head, “apologies for disturbing your session.” The customary politeness took everyone aback, but he remained in the position. “I don’t mean to cause any trouble for you or your students, Ma’am. I was just passing through the neighborhood and happened to spot some familiar faces.”

…That was not what Taiga had expected. And she had grown up surrounded by yakuza.

Mature face, strong build, and he’s got good manners, too. Ayako hummed quietly in approval.

Assassin X cautiously stepped to one side (near Maiya) while Saber moved to the other near Shirou. “We only met Mr. Rokuhira and his group last night,” the shinobi explained evenly. “Our arrivals were around the same time, but unlike Saber and I, they didn’t have a resident to give them directions to their lodging.” Better to keep it civil for now and not draw any bystanders into this. He’d seen what Saber X was capable of. “You make it to your hotel alright?”

“We did, thanks again for the directions.” And luckily, the rival Servant showed little interest in the students at all. “And sorry for being so… pushy last night. We weren’t exactly in the best headspace when we met.” He then shifted towards the side and bowed again towards Taiga. “But I don’t want to keep disturbing your practice.” He sounded genuinely apologetic and even a little more respectful than needed, the teacher noted.

Most of the other kids figured there was no actual danger and/or lost interest in the newcomers, so one after the other, they filed back into the dojo. Some were particularly keen on breaking their captain’s record. Said captain, though, remained behind, and while cautious, Saber and Assassin X were admittedly a little curious to see how Saber X would interact in a normal situation. So, they, Maiya and Shirou, as good as he could with everything rattling inside his brain, simply kept watch.

Ayako sidled a little closer to the newest visitor. "Welcome to the archery club, Rokuhira. I'm Ayako Mitsuzuri, its captain." There, just good manners introducing herself... Woof, those shoulders were even broader up close. “So, uh, how long are you a-and your group,” she hastily added for posterity’s sake, “staying around? If you need someone besides Emiya’s group to show you the sights, I could maybe make myself available. For showing you. Around. The city…” Oh, man, good thing Tohsaka wasn’t around. Ayako was already this close to strangling herself with a bowstring as a remedy for her babbling. Be cool, you dope!

While the girl turned away in hopes of her cheeks cooling down, and Taiga readied herself to intervene, Saber X was apparently mulling it over. “Sure,” he finally said, “we have a lot of work ahead of us, but if your offer stands-”

“Totally! Ahem, I mean, if we both happen to meet up. And have free time. Sounds good.” Smooth, Mitsuzuri. But hey, if you haven’t scared him off yet…

…Shirou Emiya had known Ayako Mitsuzuri since their first days at Homurahara, but never before had he seen her acting so girly. Not that Saber X seemed to realize what an extraordinary feat he’d accomplished.

And Ayako, desperate to keep some measure of dignity, tried to return to conversational. “Well, seeing as Emiya here has abandoned the archery club, I don’t suppose we could catch your interest, Rokuhira?”

Wow, Shirou snarked to himself, playing on my guilty conscience and hitting on a foreign hero in the same breath. Boy, can Mitsuzuri play the game. But Saber X shot her a slightly apologetic look. “I appreciate the offer, but even if I had the time, I don’t know a thing about archery. Most of my childhood revolved around swords. I’d only make a fool of myself.” He then turned to Shirou. “But you’re good with a bow, Emiya?”

He shifted a bit under those piercing red eyes, but they seemed politely curious. “I’d say I’m pretty good,” he finally confirmed with a shrug. Maybe he’d have tried bragging more if he were in a better mood.

“Pretty good?” Mitsuzuri barked a laugh before slapping Shirou’s shoulder. “This guy was the best! It was almost scary how easily he hit the bullseye, from the moment he joined to the moment he quit.” She shook her head at him, her face somewhere between mirthful and sad. “But I swear, Emiya, I always wondered if you even cared about hitting the target. Or at least, if you honestly wanted to. I figured you quit the club because you finally got bored, but I still don’t see you really wanting anything.”

“Really…?” Somehow, Shirou had ended up the center of attention, and as much as he wanted to brush it off, tell Mitsuzuri he was fine and she shouldn’t be talking about all of this in front of a stranger, but… He just didn’t have the energy for it. Not while still trying to come to terms with the truth about his dad.

Mitsuzuri’s voice rang inside his ears. “It’s okay to have wishes and wants.” She was eyeing him sympathetically. “You don’t automatically turn into Shinji for having them.” Then she turned to a quiet Saber X. “What’s it take to make a guy like him have some fun?”

A black eyebrow rose close to Chihiro’s scar. “Why are you asking me? Do I come across as a leading expert on having fun?”

“The opposite, actually.” Ayako smirked at the dry stares aimed her way. “Oh, don’t get all pouty, Emiya. You barely smile, and I’ve never, ever, heard you laugh.” Something flickered in those auburn eyes, but she didn’t let it distract her. “Remember, Emiya, how we got all crazy and volleying jokes at each other back during training camp? You were the only one to not laugh at all, not even from my best!” She turned to the older boy. “And it looks like you’ve found someone even gloomier than you!”

Shirou was barely listening anymore. It was like the temperature had suddenly spiked. He could feel smoke in his throat and lungs. He tasted ashes on his lips. Screams echoed inside his ears all the way to his brain…

“Maybe we just haven’t had many reasons to laugh in our lives.” That cool voice, tinged with a sadness Shirou recognized, brought him back from the Fire the man who’d saved him might’ve caused to standing next to Mitsuzuri and Rokuhira.

His classmate was staring worried at him, but before he could reassure her (half-hearted though it would’ve been), her smirk returned aimed at Saber X. “Is that a challenge? Friendly warning, Rokuhira, I don’t back down easily.”

For just a tiny second, the students thought they might’ve seen Saber X smirking back. “I’d be disappointed if you did after all this.”

Oh, it was so on… A throat cleared behind Ayako made her turn around to see Miss Fujimura at her sternest. She suppressed a sigh. Fine, I wanted to practice some more anyway. So, the club president said her goodbyes to Emiya and Rokuhira and went back inside.

The maybe-not-a-yakuza looked ready to leave, too, but Taiga wasn’t about to let him go just like that. Courteous though this Chihiro Rokuhira seemed, he had no business semi-flirting with one of her students! And she made to tell the stone-faced guy as much when a hand patted her shoulder, prompting her to look at Maiya. “We’ll handle this,” she assured Taiga. “He only came here in the first place because of us. And you’ve got students with bows and arrows to oversee.” Well, her Big Sis was hands-down scarier when she wanted to be.

And Taiga knew better than to leave Tsuyuri and Ikari unsupervised for too long… “Got it.” She bumped her shoulder against Maiya’s affectionately. “Is Shirou okay?” She couldn’t help but whisper, though. “He looks even more glum than usual.” Wild though she was, Taiga Fujimura did look out for her loved ones.

“He’s… got a few things on his mind.” Taiga frowned, finally noticing the exhaustion in her sister’s eyes. “I’ll be fine, Taiga.” But Maiya waved off her worries. “And I’ll watch out for Shirou.”

She clearly wouldn’t be budged, so Taiga settled for one last quick hug and whispering, “I’m glad you’re back, Big Sis.” She paused, then added, “And that you’ve met someone.” She then zipped into the dojo while Maiya’s eyes tried burning a hole into the back of her head.

A familiar presence made the former protégé of the Mage Killer refocus on the current situation, though; her Saber X was back from his scouting. Meaning this kid was outnumbered three-to-one in the Servant department. But if they did try to fight, the “legal” Saber X could possibly hold out long enough for his partner to join in, and that kind of battle would raze Homurahara to the ground. A factor Kakashi and Saber recognized, too, the latter nodding her head towards the sidewalk leading away from the school. Saber X nodded calmly, and he set off alongside the group from the dojos.

Once a suitable distance was reached, they came to a stop. “What do you want?” Maiya asked, professionally registering Assassin X was next to her while Saber guarded Shirou. X guarded in spirit form.

“I didn’t come here looking for a fight. As you can see,” Saber X spread his arms, letting his coat flutter open, too, “I’m unarmed.”

“That means very little,” his female counterpart noted with a wary frown. “Summoning one’s weapon to hand is child’s play for a Servant.”

He took the accusation in stride. “Fair enough, but I know the rules. No fights in broad daylight, and Ruler X’s ceasefire only ends when the sun goes down. Do I look stupid enough to risk violating the rules when there’s a Servant walking about whose specific responsibility is to enforce them?”

“Stupid enough, no,” Assassin X acknowledged, “and despite your… rugged appearance, you seem pretty reasonable. Then again, your Master’s not exactly the biggest fan of our group.” A slight wince slipped into his voice, coupled with a pang of guilt that had kept popping up since his summoning to this Grail War.

“Good thing she doesn’t dictate all of my actions.” Whether or not he saw the other Servant’s grief, Saber X’s demeanor was unchanged. “For example, she didn’t send me here, and I just want to talk.”

“And what exactly would you want to talk about with Servants you tried to kill last night?” Maiya’s hand drifted to a sheathe hidden inside her coat. She’d never tried her Fangs on a Servant, but…

Kakashi sensed an incorporeal Bumblebee quietly maneuvering behind Saber X. He’d surely noticed the third Saber’s presence by now, but the scarred Servant looked calm as ever. Deliberately calm, even… “How about my Master spending the last ten years of her life convinced her father abandoned her, let her mother die, and got himself a new family?” A protective edge slipped into his tone which Assassin X noticed despite the guilt inside him tripling. Reasonable, but he really cares for Illya.

Shirou in turn shrank a little more in himself at hearing what Kiritsugu might’ve done. He didn’t want to believe it, but the way his adoptive dad had gone about so melancholy, guilt so often in his eyes- “Kiritsugu wasn’t responsible for what happened to Irisviel.” Aunt Maiya’s sharp words sliced through the haze in his thoughts, and he turned to her with wide eyes, but she was glaring at the Servant. “Not that Irisviel was expected to survive the Grail War in the first place. Let me guess, the Einzberns neglected to mention that.”

She quietly noted Kakashi and Saber hanging their heads in brief mourning. They had learned from Maiya the full story behind Irisviel’s declining health and her being the sacrifice to bring about the Holy Grail. It had hurt, but Maiya decided she didn’t regret telling the duo; it was the least they deserved for their loyalty.

As for Saber X, he frowned slightly but didn’t contradict her or stop her from continuing. “His family, my family,” Maiya enunciated as her protectiveness surged, “came together by happenstance. Kiritsugu had no intention of abandoning or replacing his daughter. You have no idea how many times he traveled to Germany in the five years left to him.” Right, Shirou recalled, those business trips he took every few months. All the flight tickets I kept finding… “You have no idea how much he risked his life in hopes of finding that damn castle…” He couldn’t remember his aunt ever speaking so passionately, with every word radiating anger, not even when she used to scold him for getting into fights. “Kiritsugu always loved Illyasviel, to his last moments.”

The Servants were all surprised by the stoic woman’s display as well, with even Saber X visibly taken aback. Kakashi, though, quickly took it in stride. Maiya’s always been protective of the people dear to her, he reminded himself. She’s simply added more people to that category. It warmed his heart a bit, knowing Maiya and Kiritsugu hadn’t been alone.

But then someone else picked up on one important detail. “Dad really loved his daughter,” Shirou mumbled barely loud enough for the Servants to hear, “but he died five years ago. So, Illyasviel was still alone for the other five.” He lifted his gaze hesitantly from the sidewalk to his guardian. “So… why didn’t we help her?”

Aunt Maiya’s eyes flickered away from him, shame shifting across her face. Still, she answered evenly. “…I tried picking up where he left off.” Shirou was about to question when she could’ve had the time for that when her fingers briefly shifted into a familiar formation. “But the Einzberns hadn’t let up on their safeguards just because Kiritsugu was gone. And Fuyuki is much more dangerous than you realize, Shirou.” She sighed before admitting, “If I’d taken you along to rescue Illyasviel, if I’d left you behind… I would’ve had to choose between your life and hers.” The sorrow in her eyes confirmed the choice she’d made.

“…Right…” Shirou huffed to himself, not sure if he wanted to shout at Aunt Maiya or offer Saber X his head in reparation. A little daughter left all alone just to look after a boy whose only accomplishment was surviving the Fuyuki Fire. “You can only save one life by sacrificing another…” He muttered, finally beginning to understand what Kiritsugu meant. And it only made the pit in him grow wider…

Kakashi was already squeezing Maiya’s shoulder, and Saber adjusted her position to keep an eye on her counterpart and say something to the conflicted boy… But an unexpected source beat her to the punch.

“Your dad told you that, huh?” Shirou started and stared at Saber X. The Servant watched him for the longest time, then he spoke. “…My dad was a swordsmith. He made, among others, the katana you saw me using last night.” Shirou’s mind inadvertently drifted to the battle just hours ago, that blade sucking up a superpowered arrow and then unleashing it again. “It’s a pretty terrifying weapon, I know.” Saber extended his right hand, then particles coalesced into his hand to reveal Enten. They stiffened, but the blade was sheathed, and its wielder made no effort to draw it. “Heroes used its older brethren to win a terrible war.”

Artoria didn’t take her eyes off that weapon, but she still picked up on a little bit of turmoil in that last sentence. “Your father was a true master of his craft, then,” she acknowledged. “It’s an impressive sword, more so in your hands, Saber X. You must be proud of him.”

He nodded slightly at that. “Well, he was murdered and his swords stolen the same night I got,” his free hand drifted up to the scar on his face. “It’s why I’m fighting in this War, but… before then, I spent all of my time helping Dad in the forge and brushing up on swordsmith techniques. I wanted to be just like him, but the more I learned, the more I realized how far the gap was between us.”

“A common feeling between parents and children,” Assassin X noted sympathetically. “We’ve all had moments of doubt like that.”  Shirou almost agreed; he was somehow hanging onto every word said now, despite the danger, despite unsure of anything. “Sometimes those moments last a lifetime.” The boy had often wondered if that would be his fate…

“When I explained my feelings to Dad, he laughed at me.” Chihiro’s red eyes softened, and the corners of his mouth slipped upward, almost like with Mitsuzuri but… nostalgic. “Said I wasn’t even close to being like him, and that I shouldn’t get too fixated on that anyway.

“‘If you try to always follow in my footsteps, it’ll be a waste that you were born as Chihiro Rokuhira.’”

Shirou stared at the other boy who then shrugged slightly. “I’m not really sure why I’m telling you all of this, but… you have the same look in your eyes I probably had before Dad started talking to me. And Mitsuzuri seemed pretty worried about you.” He turned on his heel and began to walk away, but not before eyeing the group one last time. “Looks like there are a lot of people who care for you, Shirou Emiya.”

And without further ado, he left. “A mature young man,” Kakashi noted out loud, watching that black coat grow smaller from the distance. “Doesn’t say much, but it’s all the more poignant.” He sighed. “He had to grow up too quickly.”

“The same could be said for most of us,” Artoria lamented, receiving nods from her whole team. She then faced her still Master, noting how Maiya took a step towards him only to hesitate. Sympathy flickered inside the knight even as she asked, “Are you… well, Shirou?”

“I…” The redhead shuffled slightly under all the worried gazes, his frown giving little away. “…Let’s just go home.” He began to walk, and the others went in turn with him, the walk back to the house in silence.

Saber X, by contrast, rounded the first corner and stopped, tilting his head upward. “Satisfied?” A shimmering dove-like thing fluttered down to hover beside him, its wings beating a steady pattern. One that relayed a specific message to the Servant. “Don’t get snappy with me, I know you were listening in the whole time. And you’re supposed to be resting, Illyasviel.” Saber X frowned slightly at the angry flapping sent his way. “I did what you said we’d do last night and asked questions. And you said we wouldn’t just jump into a fight. Wouldn’t you want to show you’re not a liar like Kiritsugu and Assassin X?” The Storch Ritter simply hovered there, its flapping much more muted. Looks like she’d gotten the message.

Truth be told, Chihiro hadn’t left his Master’s mansion and wandered into Fuyuki just to seek out Shirou Emiya’s group. They’d had a pretty big argument this morning over Illya instigating the prior battle, her homunculus maid Sella chiming in, and while the Master fumed in her bath, he’d decided to walk it off. Even Sella for all her antagonism towards him hadn’t tried to stop the Servant from leaving, though that may be because Herakles simply sent his partner off with a grunt and a (not-spine-crushing) pat on the back.

“Besides, if you really thought I was going to ditch you, you’d have sent Berserker after me,” he gestured to the “bird,” “not your toy.” Storch Ritter folded its wings together in an almost pouty manner, but the flapping that followed was calmer. Okay, she’s cooled down a bit. Well, Saber X was calmer himself and had learned a few things. “I don’t think they were lying,” he noted with a glance behind him. “Maybe trying to get a little sympathy, but it felt like those guys were telling the truth.” Saber X had picked up a thing or two about interrogations and reading people in his old life.

But Illya seemed unconvinced, judging by her creation’s renewed agitation. Can you blame her? Chihiro reminded himself, his expression softening. She’s felt abandoned for ten years. She needs something to release all that anger, and it’s not going to vanish with just a few words. He knew that all too well.

“Hey,” he raised his arm to let Storch Ritter stand on it, a peace offering, “you don’t have to figure this all out now. It’s going to take time to get Berserker fully stocked again, anyway.” If the Brobdingnagian hero that was his partner wasn’t freakishly strong enough, he had one hell of a Noble Phantasm: God Hand.

“The Twelve Labors” Herakles had completed in life would’ve been suicide missions for anyone else. Ergo, his Noble Phantasm would shield him from death twelve times over, and he developed resistance from any attack inflicted upon him. Even if one succeeded in killing him, accomplishing this the same twice was impossible. And best of all, Illyasviel had so much Magical Energy at her disposal she could actually help Berserker regain lost lives. The team had tested this thoroughly in the month prior to arriving in Fuyuki.

But even with the reduced mana cost, it would take her four days of rest to restock the two lives Saber and Assassin X had taken. Berserker still had ten lives, of course, but better to have too many than too few, right? The bird was acting up again on Saber X’s arm, drawing his attention again. “Illya,” he emphasized her name gently, catching her attention. “You know Herakles and I are here for you, don’t you?”

A long moment, then the Storch Ritter gave a shy little nod.

A rare smile curled along Chihiro’s lip. “Then take it easy. I’m heading back to the manor now, and when I get there, we can talk about everything. I’ll listen to your opinions, and I hope you listen to mine.” A ruffle of “feathers” in the affirmative eased the last of his tension. Shirou Emiya and his entourage weren’t the only players in this War. If they hyper-focused on one side goal, they could lose in the long run.

Then again, he’d be a total hypocrite if he tried to discourage her from settling crucial family business.

All the more reason to look after her. Storch Ritter then beat its wings excitedly, drawing a sigh as he discerned the meaning. “Right, it’s almost lunchtime. Any requests?” As the alchemical construct trilled excitedly, the wielder of Rokuhira’s Seventh Blade dissipated with an oddly nostalgic feeling in his chest. “No, I won’t track Lancer X down so she can join you…”

The day passed, and the sun soon took its evening position as Shirou sat on the porch. In the exact same spot as when he’d had his last talk with his… dad. He could still remember the promise he made, all just to make Kiritsugu a little happier. And now, here he was…

“You okay?” He started and looked up to Saber X- Bumblebee smiling shyly down at him. “Yeah, stupid question…” He gestured to the veranda. “Mind if I join you? It’s okay if you don’t want any company-”

“No, no, it’s… fine.” Shirou sighed but beckoned to the spot beside him. “I need to get started on dinner anyway in a little while, at least before Big Sis Fuji pops up.” He groaned at the imminent headache while the robot slowly sat down beside him. “And I’m guessing you’ve all got some more earth-shaking truths a naïve idiot like me needs to know-”

A metal hand gently clasped his shoulder. “That can wait,” Bee assured him. “You’ve already got enough to process, and we don’t think you’re naïve or need to be hit with truth after truth. Take it easy for now.”

That was probably the best thing Shirou Emiya had heard all day. And guilty though he felt, especially since Maiya would probably take over cooking again if he waited too long, there was just so much. The truth about her, about Kiritsugu, the memories stirred up by Mitsuzuri’s comments, Saber X’s advice… He sat there dully staring up at the sky and trying to make sense of it all.

Bumblebee’s senses were on high alert, but he still eyed the boy carefully. He had briefly slipped away from the group in spirit form. It wasn’t like his Master could introduce an adult-sized robot to a bunch of normal kids as easily as she could Saber and Assassin X, and the two were definitely good enough to protect Shirou and Maiya if need be. Not that he didn’t quickly head back upon registering the real Saber X’s presence, but the Autobot had managed to fulfill his old role in life and scout the school. The “Bounded Field” surrounding the building was definitely a bad sign, not least because he wasn’t sure how to deactivate it. He couldn’t even be sure if its creator was around, not enough time to search properly.

But there was one other person who caught his interest, a tall man in dark-green clothes and glasses, giving off a strange sensation. There wasn’t anything magical about him, but a sense of… professionalism. Steady breathing, straight posture, no waste of movement whatsoever; it reminded Bee a little of Autobots he’d met who’d been veterans even before the War. And Bee could’ve sworn that for one moment, the man’s cold eyes flickered towards him. Definitely a person of interest.

But none of that was important to the Servant at the moment. His full attention was on the conflicted kid slumping next to him. “I’m really sorry about all of this,” Saber X began. “You’ve had a whole lot of bombshells dropped on you today.”

“I… I think I knew.” Shirou sighed. “Well, I didn’t know about all of… this,” he waved his hand, “but I always felt there was something about Dad… Kiritsugu and Aunt Maiya. The way he talked about being a Hero of Justice, everything she knows about guns and arm locks and striking at vulnerable points, the sad faces either would keep making… I figured they both had some kind of baggage. Maybe they used to be soldiers who had fought the good fight. Maybe they’d seen and even done some…” He tried not to groan at how childish his next words were going to sound. “Bad things, things that kept haunting them.

“But even if they had… done them… I wanted to believe it was for the sake of justice.”

“Justice…” Bumblebee nodded slowly. “Justice is a pretty broad concept, Shirou. You could spend your whole life fighting for it and still feel like you don’t understand it at all. I saw it all the time with my older comrades-in-arms, scrap, even our leader told me sometimes about how heavy a burden it was. And he was the greatest hero I have ever known.” He inclined his head towards Shirou. “But even if things got a little murky, he never stopped inspiring us to do the right thing. And I think my Master and your dad at least tried to do that.”

Shirou held up a hand, his eyes tracing the calluses from extensive self-defense training. “If that’s true, then… why didn’t they tell me? They didn’t need to go into detail over the Grail War, but they could’ve shared their pain with me, I would’ve helped them! It’s the least I could do after everything they’d done for me.” That hand fell away as he huffed. “Then Aunt Maiya summoned you and tried to keep me in the dark about everything…” He squeezed his shoulders. “After all this time, does she have so little faith in me?”

“Well, speaking as a fellow child soldier grown up, I know it’s never easy talking about this kind of stuff.” He smiled at the surprised look he got. “Heroic Spirit, remember? I was at least a couple thousand Earth years old when my time came, and I was pretty young compared to most other Cybertronians.” Shirou’s brow furrowed, and Saber X sensed what his impending question would be. “Cybertronian is my species. I was… born at a time when a war was raging full throttle that ended up ravaging our world. So, yeah, I have an idea what Master might’ve gone through. Please try not to be too hard on your aunt.”

The request, kindly spoken though it was, hit the boy right in his heart. “I… I don’t mean to be… it’s not like I hate her…” His words kept stumbling over one another. “Look, my aunt, your Master, she’s great! She’s strong, she’s levelheaded, she can keep lunatics like Big Sis Fuji in line. She’s taught me so much and she’s always had my back even if she didn’t buy into the whole ‘Hero of Justice’ thing. I guess now I know why…” He released another sigh while Bee listened patiently. “It’s just…”

“You feel like Maiya didn’t trust you enough,” a new voice cut in. Both turned to find another of their team was outside. Saber stepped calmly in front of them, waving off an offer to sit down. “I understand quite well, there was a bit of a… lack of communication when we began as well. Maiya tried to remedy that, I think, but it seems she ‘overcorrected,’ as they say these days.”

Shirou nodded slowly, the young woman yet another enigma to add to the mix. She looked so strong and dignified and perfect one moment, the next, she was engaging in playful banter and acting rather juvenile. “So, uh… Kiritsugu summoned you ten years ago, right?” he asked tentatively. “…What was it like?”

Saber stared at him for a moment before clarifying, “What was it like, being his Servant?” When he nodded, she sighed quietly. “Not as simple as I’d have preferred. Kiritsugu and I approached the Grail War very differently, as you two might imagine. We argued often, and admittedly, we didn’t always trust each other. At least, we trusted that we both sought the Grail, but… our methods tended to clash.”

Just about Shirou would’ve expected from a knight of valor and a man others called “the Mage Killer” working together… “Even so, I don’t regret our partnership.” He stared at Saber surprised, but she simply smiled back. “I knew Kiritsugu as a loyal, loving husband. What scarce moments he and Irisviel had together, those two cherished deeply. And I came to learn that there were indeed lines even Kiritsugu Emiya wouldn’t cross.” She nodded to herself. “He was a handful, but he was in his own way a man of strong convictions. That’s a quality I can and do respect.”

Her words washed into Shirou’s mind like a steady stream, somehow smoothing out the raw bits the prior revelations had caused. Maybe it was just hearing such things about Kiritsugu from someone so earnest as Saber, but he believed them, and they… they put him just a bit at ease… “What was my master like?” He still registered Bumblebee’s question, his ears awaiting the answer.

Saber stifled a giggle from the dual attentiveness she received. There was something about young souls hanging onto her every word, the willingness to listen and learn from her… I wonder if this is how Kakashi felt teaching his genin.

But she focused on the question. “I’m afraid I interacted little with Maiya during the Fourth War. We had different skillsets, and she mostly served as Kiritsugu’s… knave, for want of a better term. She struck me then as professional and stoic… though wavered a bit in the second half.” Artoria cast a sly look towards the house before sobering. “For all the secrets she’s kept, I wager you know Maiya Hisau far better than I do, Shirou.” Once again, the boy’s expression lightened just a little, and the King of Knights herself was relieved. Aside from continuing their explanations, someone like him needn’t suffer more than necessary.

“But if you really want to learn more about your father,” she added, drawing the boy’s attention one last time, “you should talk to my partner. Kakashi worked with and understood that man far better than I ever could. Kiritsugu might’ve even considered him a friend like I do.” Saber gazed up at the sky. “I dare not imagine what it might’ve been like if Kiritsugu had summoned me alone…”

Shirou mulled this over, along with the fondness in her tone. “No offense, but… I’m a little surprised you think so highly of Kakashi. Not because he strikes me as a bad person, but, well, because…”

“Because I am a Saber and he’s an Assassin?” She closed her eyes and chuckled to herself. “I had much the same thoughts in the early of our partnership, much to my shame. But we came to spend much time together, both on the battlefield and in peaceful conversations. Even if we didn’t agree on every matter, Kakashi never failed to have my back.” Both Master and Servant listened as the venerable knight’s words became more and more tinged with admiration. “He was the absolute best comrade I could have ever hoped for, and you, Shirou, might just be the luckiest Master in this War. Not because you have me, but because you have him.

“I would trust Kakashi Hatake with my life and every life I was responsible for in my time.”

The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya sat silently on the porch, visibly deep in contemplation. But much to the Sabers’ relief, the turmoil in his eyes was steadily subsiding. Finally, he stood up and dipped his head to them. “Thank you both for your advice.” Then Shirou stepped into the house, making a beeline for the kitchen. For the first time today, he knew exactly what to do.

Meanwhile, a foreign presence materialized in Miyama Town, turquoise eyes trained on the Emiya residence. “Okay…” A neck covered in burn scars rolled from left to right, eliciting a cracking sound. “Let the show begin.”

Okay, sorry about the extended wait, looks like there’s been another shift or two from canon.

For one, yes indeed, Bazett’s still alive, yay! Aaaand she’s still down an arm, but hey, she’s in good, trusted company.

For another, our aspiring Hero of Justice has gotten a head start on learning the truth about Kiritsugu. It’s… not easy for him, and admittedly, trying to conceptualize his reaction into words was the hardest part of writing this chapter. I’ve need to cut a couple scenes, but it’s hopefully still worth something to you, dear readers. Don’t worry, he’ll learn about the Grail’s nature and the full story behind the Fire soon enough.

Concerning Shirou’s reaction, one thing I wanted to show in this story is that he’s not a total idiot. He’s incompletely trained, yes, oblivious about girls and a frequent victim of Foot-in-Your-Mouth Syndrome, oh yeah, reckless and having no regard for his own life, unfortunately indubitably. But he’s not unintelligent. Given how he eventually develops into someone who’s basically the Batman of the Nasuverse to so many fans, Shirou does have some potential in the brains department. And you do notice a couple of things about the people you’ve shared a home with for years.

Rider X-

Class: Rider

Master: Bazett Fraga McRemitz

True Name: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

Titles: Dragon Rider, Pride of Berk

Sex: Male

Source: How to Train Your Dragon II

Region: Berk

Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: B

Mana: C

Luck: D

NP: A

Class Skills-

Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals. Rider-class Servants will typically possess a high rank.

A++: Rider X has studied and ridden Dragons of all shapes and sizes from his home; therefore, Phantasmal Beasts are his specialty. His natural intelligence and skill with machinery allow him to comfortably operate modern vehicles just as well.

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

D: The Dragons of Rider X’s world were not truly magical creatures, nor did Rider X encounter any magical phenomena or beings. He therefore has only little immunity against spells due to his bond with Toothless. Even a human mage may cause trouble for him.

Personal Skills-

Inherent Wisdom: Is a Skill that shows one who has unparalleled natural knowledge. Allows the use of most Skills, excluding those inherent to the body (such as Divinity) or ones unique to particular heroes, at proficiency of A~B Rank.

B+: Rider X was born with incredible intellect for one of his time and culture, as well as an open mind which he developed while making an unlikely friend. He himself isn’t aware of this Skill due to his humble nature, but he can quickly analyze a situation even in the heat of battle, and concepts like magic and science discovered from times separate of his may be within his ability to comprehend. If a situation calls for it, the full potential of his mind will reveal itself.

Engineer: A Skill for creating, repairing and using advanced modern technology.

A: Rider X apprenticed under his village’s blacksmith through his entire childhood. With Inherent Wisdom further enhancing his gifted mind’s potential, he is a truly brilliant inventor and engineer, capable of crafting multi-functional tools for battle, prosthetics, housing, etc. Rider X’s very Noble Phantasms are the fruits of his ingenuity. Even in a modern setting, his talents with machinery are an unquestionable asset.

Charisma: Is a composite Skill consisting of a person's charm as well as the natural talent to command or unify an army or country. Increases the ability of allies during group battles.

C-: Rider X’s ability to lead others is somewhat hampered by his own humility and self-deprecation in comparison to his father. He is a persuasive one, though, and would have made a fine chief of his island home were it not for his premature death.

Noble Phantasms-

Night Fury: “The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death”: A+ (Anti-Army): The dark-scaled Dragon Rider X tamed and befriended as a teenager. He is classified on his world as a “Night Fury,” an exceptionally rare Dragon breed feared and respected by all; Rider X named him “Toothless.”. Toothless is near unparalleled among Dragons in terms of speed, flight, attack power, accuracy, stealth, stamina, endurance, and senses. He can launch from his mouth bursts of violet plasma at varying levels of power, either to stun, scorch or incinerate his targets. Coupled with his usual strategy of dive-bombing the enemy, these blasts can inflict powerful damage. In places with low visibility, the Night Fury can emit sound waves from his mouth to perform echolocation and navigate their way through. Also, he is extremely intelligent, able to understand verbal and non-verbal cues, solve problems and learn new tricks, notice the emotional states of others, and strategize in battle. The only true weakness the Dragon possesses is the loss of a tailfin due to Rider X. Without a unique prosthetic which has to be operated by a mount, he is incapable of flight. All in all, Rider X and Toothless are a nigh-unbeatable combination, especially when airborne. They have known, learned and fought beside each other for years and trust each other completely.

?: D (Anti-Unit (Self)): ?

?: C (Anti-Unit): ?

?: C (Anti-Unit): ?

Yes, indeed, Inherent Wisdom is the reason how our Viking brainiac could apply proper medical care to Bazett and save her life. For those of you who might nitpick about him having this Skill or its rank, bear in mind, Hiccup was basically the DaVinci of HTTYD’s time. I wouldn’t have been surprised if millennia later, archaeologists of that world marveled at the kinds of things he built. And no, he’s not a magus already. The thing about Hiccup is, he’s not just smart, he’s curious and open-minded. He’s happy to learn more about the world he’s been summoned in, including magecraft. It’s already given him an idea or two. And there are only so many ways for Team Bazett to pass the time (besides Toothless-snuggles) until she’s somewhat in fighting shape.

And rest assured, Team Bazett will be joining the Grail War. They’ve got a score to settle.

Ah, and I should specify in advance: There won’t be anything romantic between Bazett and Hiccup. I’m an ardent Hicstrid shipper and will be until the day I die. Of course, there are other types of love, especially where a certain big baby boo is concerned… Heheh.

Chapter Text

Shirou had been sitting out on the veranda for a while now, long enough that Maiya was getting worried. Not so much about him getting abducted; between the Bounded Field and having three Servants on watch, she’d know instantly if anyone tried to approach her nephew. The bigger problem was how they’d barely exchanged five words since the group’s trek to the dojo. Maiya couldn’t fault him for giving her the silent treatment after everything he’d learned, and sadly, there was still so much more. So, the best she could think of was provide Shirou with some space and hope she hadn’t lost another family member.

But the former mercenary wasn’t keen on dwelling on such an outcome, so she decided to keep herself busy. This time of year, dusk was already minutes away, which meant the battles would start any second now. She therefore headed into her room and knelt down to lift certain tatami mats in the back left corner to reveal an assortment of equipment she’d been saving for this.

Maiya deftly set one box beside her before opening the other and removing two pistols and ammunition clips. Closing that one, she retrieved another case carefully housing grenades and placed it beside the longer one. Her hand hovered over the final item, a rosewood case of average size and great significance. After a moment, she took it out, too, and replaced the mats. That done, she did a quick cursory scan of the weaponry, unsheathing her Fangs and placing them onto the mat, too. Old habits die hard, Maiya mused as she inspected a Glock.

“You do remember normal guns don’t work on Servants, right?” She started and spun around to see Kakashi leaning against the doorframe. He was still wearing the casual outfit picked out from Kiritsugu’s old clothes, and Maiya had to tear her focus away from how good that waistcoat fitted him.

She fixed her eyes back on the gun and shrugged a bit for the sake of nonchalance. “Not on Servants, maybe, but Masters tend to be a little more vulnerable to a bullet in the head.” She rapped a finger against the wooden case. “And from what I’ve been told, some bullets can be pretty potent.”

Assassin X chuckled bittersweetly at the implications; it sounded like Kiritsugu had told Maiya quite a bit about the last night of the Fourth Grail War. I never thanked him, either, for having my back, the Servant reminded himself. And now I’ll probably never get the chance… He glanced down in an effort to not dwell on yet another failure, his gaze landing on the twin daggers of last night. “Don’t think I’ve seen those before.” He even opened his Sharingan to study the blades, that powerful eye widening slightly at registering Magical Energy within them. Mystic Codes…? Not to mention the energy was of a… familiar “shade.”

“One last memento from Kiritsugu after he… died.” Her finger slid into the ring for a few twirls. “It was his suggestion, an ‘in case of emergency, break glass’ sort of idea.” The dagger spun to a half in an upright grip, allowing Maiya to study the blade. “I’d say a brand-new Grail War counts as breaking the glass-worthy.”

“No argument there.” Assassin X remained at his spot, silently watching the woman work. Just as either might’ve felt awkward, he cleared his throat. “You, uh, definitely made an impression on Saber X earlier today.”

Heat inadvertently traveled to Maiya’s cheeks at remembering how her composure slipped. And in front of him, no less… “I…” Her embarrassment gave way to an exhaustion that had lived inside her for five years. “I just couldn’t stand there and listen to someone else say Kiritsugu didn’t care.” She reached for the largest case, opening it and pulling out the disassembled parts of a custom Steyr rifle. While she went on, her fingers went through ingrained motions piecing together the new model. “Saber X, Berserker, Illyasviel… They don’t know how desperately he packed his things for each trip to Germany. They didn’t see the defeat in his eyes every time he came back emptyhanded. If it hadn’t been for Shirou, Kiritsugu would’ve shoved the Contender into his mouth long ago!”

She shoved the empty clip into its slot with a bit more force than necessary. Taking a breath and releasing (some of) the emotion, the grown-up killer drifted back to a certain period. “The worst was seven years ago. Kiritsugu had narrowed down the castle’s location, devised countermeasures for just about every trap and security the Einzberns could’ve conceived and more. He went for that flight with the most hope in his eyes I… I think I’ve seen in him.” Maiya set aside the gun, a tremor slipping into her next words. “He came back… alone… barely alive… and devastated. Something happened on that last trip, interference he called it. He said he’d come so close but…” Her breath hitched, an almost perfect reproduction of Kiritsugu’s own description back then. She could still remember discreetly ushering him to a clinic because some of the wounds he’d suffered had opened up.

Kiritsugu had never elaborated on what exactly had happened that time, too defeated as he was. Even the pack had been reluctant to divulge details, mostly sniffling in a way that made Maiya stop questioning them.

“Kiritsugu did try again afterwards,” she continued as evenly as she could manage, “but his efforts were… half-hearted in comparison. Soon he couldn’t use magecraft or the jutsu you taught him anymore, and with Shirou here, he…he-” A gentle grip closed on her shoulder just as the tears might’ve begun to flow. Maiya accepted the pressure with a grateful nod but kept her head turned away; bad enough to break down in front of… him. No sense shattering the last of her dignity by showing Kakashi her face. “At least his last days were peaceful.”

Kakashi nodded patiently to her explanation, his own core aching at how his old Master and comrade must’ve felt. Not to mention the pain in Maiya’s voice. She still loves Kiritsugu so much after he’s gone… He drew his shoulders together. Well, get over yourself, Hatake. You already knew you wouldn’t have a chance with Maiya, so move on and focus.

He patted her shoulder, then let go to reach for the arsenal. “Come on, let’s get this hardware cleaned up lest your sister arrives and gets a heart attack from seeing it lying around.” The joke earned him a weak half-smile from Maiya, and the two promptly arranged the weapons so they wouldn’t be visible as soon as the door was opened. Still within easy reach when needed, of course.

Maiya kept her Fangs on her person as they left the room, her ears perking up a distant conversation. “Shirou’s with the others, right?”

“Bumblebee’s been by his side since we came back to the house,” Assassin X confirmed. He omitted the part, though, where Artoria assured him that she and Bee could take care of Shirou. All with a knowing grin on her face… The King of Knights playing matchmaker… What is the world coming to? “You’ve called up a steadfast Servant from the looks of it.”

“Trust me, I was as surprised as you,” Maiya muttered, her eyes wandering down to her Command Seals. “It took everything I had not to order him to pop his head off at his summoning.” Yeah, their first talk had been almost as awkward as how Kiritsugu had described his first encounter with his Servants. “I must be prejudiced because I find it hard to believe a soul like Bumblebee comes from the same universe as Megatron.”

An involuntary shiver swept through both of them at the mention of that “Heroic” Spirit. “Well, if I recall correctly, Megatron mentioned him leading a war for his homeworld.” Kakashi shrugged. “Call me crazy, but I’ll bet our new friend was on the opposing side.” They hadn’t really had a chance to hear the additional Saber X’s story yet, come to think of it. So much else to discuss…

They wandered the halls of the house not quite ready to step outside, each quietly enjoying the other’s company. Then a different memory surfaced in Kakashi’s mind. “…What about… that bond Irisviel brought up in our last conversation with her? Have you…?” His words drifted away, nothing else coming to mind from how Maiya was already shrinking together.

She drew in a breath to steady herself. “There hasn’t been much free time between my life here and what… sparse trips I took to try and score a lucky break with the Einzberns. But I’ve still kept a couple of our old contacts. I’ve managed to do some digging around and…” The onetime mother tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “I have… a few leads.” She pressed her face into her hands with a frustrated sigh. “Well, to be honest with you, Kakashi, I’ve got too many leads. Even if I narrow it down to country and date of birth, the records are spotty at best and…”

“And you’re not the only one who had to give up a son during that period.” She nodded slowly at Kakashi’s summarization of her struggles. Just as they’d explained to Irisviel all those years ago, children separated from their mothers and molded into killing machines were sadly all too common in this world. Trying to find a single boy whose name Maiya didn’t even know… It wasn’t even looking for a needle in a haystack, it was looking for one specific strand of hay in a damn haystack! She needed more time, more eyes and hands, more…

She hung her head. All just excuses for failing her promise to a lost... friend and not helping the only biological family she might have left. And to compound how pathetic she was, she was this close to breaking down in front of her crush. Perfect.

If Maiya had looked up, though, she would’ve found Assassin X watching her in both sympathy and guilt. Just as he made to speak, she went on. “You know, as much as I still appreciate Irisviel’s words, it’s just… I barely have anything to show for my efforts. I’m not even sure he’s still alive, let alone where he is, and even if I did find him… would I have anything to offer him after all this time?” No doubt the tension between her and Shirou wasn’t helping matters right now. But for that worry at least, the Servant had an answer. 

Kakashi nudged her shoulder, and when Maiya looked up, he gestured at the walls around them. “You can offer him a home. A family. And a loving mother.”

Maiya snorted despite herself, turning away all the same. “What makes you so sure about that last one, Kakashi? You haven’t seen me these past ten years.”

“Maiya Hisau, I’ve seen your bonds with Shirou, Taiga and my boys. That’s all the proof anyone needs.” Her insides did a little somersault from the sincerity and the smile in the ninja’s words. Damnit, ten years later and you’re still driving me crazy when you say stuff like that, you jerk… A bitter grin flitted across her face for half a second, glad he couldn’t see it. Stop making an undeserving woman like me fall in love with you.

“You know I just shattered Shirou’s image of the man who was his savior and idol, right?” Maiya still pointed out while leading them on towards the outside. She needed to move again, maybe outpace these damn weights on her conscience.

But Assassin X simply shrugged. “Idols are overrated.” He was rewarded with another snort and, emboldened by the sound, went on. “I mean, Saber of all people could surely tell you about the perils of being placed on a pedestal. It has its merits, sure, but given the circumstances, you were right to bring Shirou into the fold now. Especially if the alternative was letting Kirei whisper poison into his ear.” Maiya’s amusement gave way to a cold glare at the thought, Assassin X nodding in turn as he slid the door open for her. The sun had gone down. It was time for the battles again. “Besides, Shirou obviously still cares about you.”

She stepped out into the front yard even while eyeing him half-skeptically, half-hopefully. “What makes you so sure?”

“Well for one thing,” an eye-smiling Kakashi followed her, “he still calls you Aunt Maiya.” He took a few more steps out before turning around while Maiya stayed stock-still, processing that observation. After a few moments, he then nodded to a lit part of the house. “Looks like he’s keeping himself busy again.”

Maiya finally recovered from the relief blossoming inside her and stepped closer so she could follow his gaze. She shook her head mirthfully upon realizing where the windows led. “The kitchen is that boy’s temple and kingdom.” And it was almost dinnertime. She’d probably hear Taiga’s bike sputtering soon…

“He’s definitely earned some fealty in there,” Assassin X chuckled. “That was some of the best-” He stopped as her instincts flared up and lunged towards Maiya. “Look out!”

The woman barely had a chance to process his arms around her and his chest suddenly in front of her face as the air distorted out of the corner of her eye. A barely audible thnk sounded next to her ear, and Maiya twisted her head to find Kakashi holding a dark throwing dagger just millimeters from her. It was roughly the same length as one of her Fangs, but the blade was thinner and had a hook at the end, making for tricky removal if it had hit its target.

Assassin X had already noted the same details as he flipped the weapon around, gauging its weight and balance in the process, and hurling it back to where it came from. A shadow on the neighboring rooftop flattened as the dagger sailed over him, but the hook sliced open part of his hood, exposing for a single instant a white mask carved in the shape of a skull.

The final detail that confirmed the attacker’s classification: “Assassin.” Kakashi gently positioned Maiya behind him, his casual wear already shimmering into his combat gear. “Stay here and warn the others,” he called over his shoulder while in mid-leap, “I’ll handle this!” Then he sprang after the retreating shadow.

Maiya had already sent a telepathic warning to Saber X, so she backed cautiously towards the house, her own dagger in hand, fighting the urge to race after Kakashi. There was no way she could keep up if he went full speed, and even if she caught up, she’d only be a distraction for him. Maiya had already almost gotten him killed once due to her carelessness; she’d be damned if she let it happen again.

“Aunt Maiya!” Both Sabers burst out the door battle-ready, Shirou rushing after them. “Are you okay? Where’s Kakashi?” The same questions, while unsaid, were in Saber’s eyes.

“It’s the other Assassin.” Maiya explained hurriedly to the trio. “He tried to blindside me as soon as I stepped out of the house. I’m okay, Shirou,” she assured him with all the calm she had. “He bolted, and Kakashi’s chasing him right now.”

Saber turned towards the outer wall, expanding her senses the best she could. She found herself missing the mental link between her and Kakashi of the prior War, the lack of communication now all the more glaring. Then again, she had a good idea where and what her friend was up to. “Shirou, stay by Maiya and Bumblebee-” She turned and found the boy already running ahead. Right. Different Master, Saber reminded herself as she sprinted after.

Shirou could hear Aunt Maiya calling him back, and somehow, he felt Saber and Bumblebee just a few steps behind him as he rushed out onto the sidewalk. Maybe it’s my body or my Circuits adjusting to this whole Master thing, he wondered even as he tried to detect Kakashi’s presence. He couldn’t just let the shinobi fight alone. Not when he still had so many questions about Kiritsugu. Not when he’d protected Aunt Maiya. Not when he was a comrade.

The air rushed past him, and he heard Saber’s voice. “Shirou, stay back at the house!” Her commanding tone made the Master pause for a moment, then he saw in which direction she was aiming and made to follow-

“Going somewhere?”

He barely had time to register the unknown voice when blue encompassed all of his vision and heat washed over him. A tug on his shirt pulled Shirou away from the wall of blazing flames that had suddenly appeared in front of him. Unlike the usual red or orange, though, these crackling plumes were a bright azure and somehow all the more threatening for it.

Shirou blinked, his vision slowly recovering enough for him to make out Saber standing to his left, invisible sword at the ready. The cool metal at his neck made him tilt his head back to see Bumblebee crouching beside him, one hand still gripping his collar, the other pointed down the street.

Where a man, no, a Servant was sauntering towards them like he had all the time in the world, right hand tucked into his pocket, left swaying by his side as smoke wafted from it.

He stood at least a head taller than Shirou and wore a dark-blue coat over a white V-neck vest. The coat’s sleeves ended at the elbows in large metallic cuffs, and both shoulders had visible stitches on top while the hems were ripped three times, the four tails rustling with each stride. His dark-blue pants were fastened by the waist with a brown belt and tucked into black boots, along with similar stitches above the knees.

But what truly made this Servant stand out wasn’t this choice in fashion, his shaggy black hair or the three-pronged piercing on the right side of his nose. It was the scars. Charred purple skin covered his arms right up to the wrists, and Shirou saw it reaching up beneath his shirt to all around his neck and lower jaw. Two sunken pits of that scarred skin were right under his lidded turquoise eyes, with metal staples ringing the bottom as well as along the cheeks, down his jaw and along his wrist. They looked like they were the only things holding his skin together.

“Shirou,” Saber enunciated with frightening calm, “stay close to Maiya. Don’t let your guard down for a moment.” Her Master got up and warily backed to where his aunt now stood, eyes darting between the fire and its creator. Meanwhile, the King of Knights adjusted her stance while her newest comrade deployed those firearms by his wrists and aimed them at their “guest.”

The enemy Servant raised his left hand again, the yet-undamaged skin there a striking contrast against his scars. Blue flames flickered to life in the palm and illuminated his face.

A cold smirk slowly emerged between unmarred and burned skin. “Lovely night for a cremation, isn’t it?”

‘So, where we headed now?’

Her Servants on either side of her in spirit form, Rin Tohsaka continued sauntering through Miyama as though she hadn’t heard Lancer X’s question. They had finished clearing a building of comatose victims from an intoxicating witchcraft; the disgusting sight still made her lip curl half an hour later. ‘Uh, Rin? Did you figure out who Caster is already?’ Her Servant’s badgering wasn’t quite as welcome as she’d care to admit given her current line of thought.

But rather than state it out loud, Rin shoved all this aside and answered, “Not yet. The fumes were too murky for me to pick up anything decisive about her identity.” The scores of Dragon Blade Warriors they’d plowed through indicated a Caster, and Archer had deduced from the sizable poison component in the trap, coupled with the love-destroying element, that they were most probably a female.

‘Same,’ Archer added his own two cents, ‘but at least we established their trail leads towards Ryuudou Temple.’ Rin nodded at that; now that she knew what to search for, she could still make out wisps of life force flowing off for the distant mountain. Part of her wondered idly if Issei Ryuudou may be involved in this before nearly bursting in laughter. Emiya might’ve been an unexpected twist, but the good little Student Council president a Master? Hah! Yeah, right. ‘Looks like we made a mistake fighting instead of retreating last night.’

“I wouldn’t call fighting Berserker and Saber X to a draw a mistake,” the Master countered with a sense of loftiness. Yes, they had… some assistance via Emiya’s Servants, and Ruler X’s intervention had pretty good timing, but Rin Tohsaka wasn’t about to claim she’d needed that much help. “I think we acquitted ourselves pretty well.” That much was surely true.

Archer disagreed, though. ‘If Caster can perform a curse like that in a building so far from her base, she must have a wide range of influence. Meaning she could’ve been observing the fight.’ Well, Caster wouldn’t have been the only one given how heated it got, Rin surmised.

‘In that case, she was probably already watching us when we took on Lancer earlier,’ Lancer X pointed out. ‘She’d have gotten a good reading of our skillset then, and it’s not like we could’ve just slipped away back at the church, what with Saber X targeting us.’

‘Even so, battling him and Berserker made us dig into our resources. And we didn’t even manage to finish off one of them before Ruler X put an end to the battle.’

‘But we did learn their True Names and party tricks. Plus, I managed to get a good feel for your style and you mine, Archer. I think we make a pretty good team, and we’re only gonna get better from here. Who knows, a little more practice and we might even match Saber and Assassin X’s teamwork!’

A wave of irritation rippled through the air, slightly amusing Rin. Not so fun when someone’s always backtalking you, is it? Still, they both made good points, and their debate itself highlighted the pros of mixing Archer’s cynicism with Ruby’s optimism. “On that note, it looks like Emiya’s not so helpless after all.” She was still mulling over that odd little trick he’d used to escape Saber X back in the forest. It wasn’t teleportation but a high-speed movement, but Rin didn’t get the sense it was connected to Reinforcement. How did it work…? Moreover, “His Servants work together perfectly,” she noted frowning, “and there’s that aunt with an extra Servant she pulled out of nowhere. A Saber, too, according to Ruler X.” All those times she’d stopped at the pawn shop, and she never recognized…

She closed her eyes and refocused. “Either way, Caster’s probably squirrelled herself and her Master away at Ryuudou Temple. I’d rather not walk blindly into a witch’s domain,” apprehension flashed from Ruby’s side, which Rin took as agreement, “especially since we still don’t know who her partner might be.” Of the X Servants, she only knew three not counting the Ruler or that woman’s mechanical bodyguard. The Archer, Rider, Caster and Berserker had yet to be discovered. “We need more information.”

Archer hummed in approval. ‘Good to see you know better than to dive into things headfirst. And maybe we could have another team spring whatever traps Caster has set.’ A sneaky tactic, but given the circumstances, Rin did recognize its merit. ‘Is that why you’re leading us to that boy’s house?’ Her step nearly faltered, but she kept her gaze ahead. ‘Don’t get me wrong, he makes an excellent patsy. If we were to send him at Mt. Ryuudou, no matter how lucky he is with his support, it would definitely deplete both sides.’

‘Hey, that’s a little drastic,’ his partner protested (a second before Rin might’ve). ‘We could talk to Shirou’s team and form a team up to take down Caster and whatever teammates she has. They seemed to like us already before we helped each other in fighting that Einbernie girl’s Servants. I’m pretty sure we can trust them.’

‘Only in the short term.’ Rin sighed to herself. Right, this was the downside of having an idealist and a cynic working together. ‘Like them or not, those Servants want the Grail themselves. It would only be a matter of time before we have to fight them anyway. And it’s foolish to go after the most dangerous enemy while having one right beside you, one easily taken care of no less.’

She could feel Ruby winding up for another argument, but Rin had heard enough. “Both of you stop bickering. We can get rid of Emiya whenever we want, and until then, he and his group can be of use to us. But it’d be a shame to waste what good will we’ve developed with them too quickly. Besides, I’d like to find out what other tricks he has stashed up his sleeve.”

Technically, it was a compromise between both points, but neither Servant seemed fully placated. ‘And what will you do if Shirou Emiya decides after all to truly fight as a Master?’ Despite Archer posing the question, she could feel both of their full attention on her. ‘Do you have what it takes then?’

Rin kept her face neutral even as she contemplated the question. She could sense Ruby’s apprehension about this, and for good reason; the silver-eyed Heroic Spirit had seen her Master at her most vulnerable. Could you really do it? She felt Ruby wordlessly asking her. Could you kill the same boy whom you put so much time and energy into saving not long ago? The Huntress’ compassion and silent message reminded her of another Lancer…

And just like that, she felt her heart harden. “If Emiya stands in my way, I’ll kill him.” Rin Tohsaka declared coolly. “I refuse to let someone who doesn’t give this the proper weight interfere with my goals.” She sensed Archer’s silent approval at her decision.

She paused at hearing a light shuffle nearby, but then her attention was seized by a surge of disdain radiating from her other Servant. ‘Right, because the cutthroat approach is so much cooler.’ There that unexpectedly snarky side of Ruby’s was again. ‘Tough kids don’t bother caring about how high a body count they rack up. That’s what makes them tough, right?’

Rin wasn’t the only one rankled by her tone. ‘It’s not about being “tough,” Lancer X, it’s about getting the job done.’ Despite him being incorporeal, she could practically see Archer glaring at his partner. ‘At the end of it all, we need to be the last team standing in order to win. Doing that means getting our hands dirty, especially if you want to make your wish.’

‘I get that,’ defiance practically rippled in the air even before Ruby materialized with her hands on her hips, “but that doesn’t mean our go-to strategy has to be ‘kill everybody in our way.’ Excuse me if I don’t want to win the Grail by climbing over a pile of dead bodies.”

“I wouldn’t have someone aspiring to be a Huntress would be so squeamish,” Rin retorted, her eyes narrowing at the girl. “What, are you only comfortable chopping up Grimm and monsters? You don’t like getting blood on that ‘baby’ of yours?”

The red-cloaked Lancer glared right back at her. “I was taught as a Huntress to protect lives, not take them. Guess they don’t cover that in Mage-101.” Rin’s nostrils flared, but Ruby wasn’t done. “Come to think of it, you and Archer get pretty bent out of shape whenever we talk about Shirou and his team. Are you sure there’s nothing personal in all this, or maybe-”

“You’re treading on really thin ice right now, Lancer X!” Her Master practically snarled out the last two words even as her partner appeared with a similar scowl. “There’s nothing between me and Emiya other than we’re rival Masters. I don’t take lives needlessly, but my conscience isn’t so fragile that I can’t stomach a little dirty business to win the Holy Grail-”

“Oh, really?” All three froze at the unfamiliar voice chiming in. “Good to know.”

Archer was the first to react, privately cursing himself for letting his attention get stuck on the argument. Still, he managed to call up Kanshou and Bakuya in time to block the huge metallic fist surging towards Rin’s head. The strength and weight behind the punch nearly knocked him off his feet, but he managed to hold his ground long enough for Ruby to get Rin to safety in a flash of Petal Burst. Another flash, and she was back, swinging Crescent Rose.

That arm swung up to meet the scythe just below its blade, preventing it from cutting the Servant. Archer darted to the left while Lancer X fired a shot, the sudden twin strike forcing their assailant to jump away. A few strands of red hair and fur fluttered to the pavement as they watched the new Servant warily.

Their attacker was easily taller than Archer and a bit burlier, too. His dress attire was rather punkish, between the red fur coat draped over his shoulders, the rectangular goggles on his forehead, the black open vest exposing his abdomen, and the yellow lizard-print pants fastened by a belted war kilt. Brown boots stomped on the pavement as he drew closer. Long flame-like red hair spilled from his head, and jagged scars were scattered across his body, like the two over his left eye. But the most striking detail was his massive mechanical left arm; apparently a prosthetic judging from the metallic wires Lancer X could just make out on his left pectoral. His purple lips were drawn back in a bloodthirsty grin.

Right, Rin eyed the dark sky, it’s night again. The Grail War’s back on track. She hastily cast a Bounded Field over them so as to keep the upcoming battle beneath notice. The enemy Servant seemed to pick up her spell somehow, for he sneered at her. “Making sure no bystanders might barge into our fight? And here I thought you were a stone-cold cutthroat bitch.” He spat on the ground. “Pathetic.”

“You should clean out your ears, Servant,” Rin looked down her nose upon him; not easy considering he had a good fifty centimeters on her, but effort counts. “I just said I don’t take lives needlessly. I’m a magus, not a butcher.”

“Sounds like pussy talk to me.” Their new opponent rolled his shoulders, metal clanking with the left one, before he stalked towards the battle-ready duo. “Let’s see if you losers show me as good a time as that blue fuck did a couple nights ago.”

That little tidbit made Lancer X shift her stance. He picked a fight with Lancer and survived, huh? No easy feat, she knew while remembering the spearman who’d survived facing her and Archer simultaneously. And judging by the guy’s build and scars, especially that arm, he was probably used to getting into tough brawls. He clearly had even fewer qualms about killing than her teammates. Better to not play around.

A telling glance to Archer, who nodded after a moment. His reaction honestly brought relief to Ruby; as much as they argued about tactics and how ruthless they’d need to be to win, she still wanted to be good partners with him. And it’s not like her start with Weiss had been any smoother… Lancer X refocused. They both knew what to do, so time to take this guy down.

She drew Crescent Rose behind her and lunged, first to the left, then to the right, drawing the thug’s gaze while Archer traded his swords (which he still wouldn’t her look at, the jerk) for his bow. Then as she was almost within reach, Lancer X squeezed the trigger, the resulting shot sending her and Crescent Rose up for a diagonal slash. Simultaneously, Archer fired the arrow he’d lined up while her cloak was still fluttering in the enemy’s line of sight.

The Servant had tried to punch Lancer X with his metal arm when she’d fired, and now he was dead to rights from either her scythe or Archer’s arrow. Still grinning, he raised his flesh-and-blood arm. Purple electricity crackled between his fingertips as he uttered one word: “Repel.”

An invisible force struck Ruby, sending her tumbling backwards in midair. The same happened for Archer’s metallic projectile, and he was forced to roll to safety before it hit the ground and detonated. He studied the point of impact briefly, then turned to see Ruby had managed to stick her own landing rather gracefully. Right, Archer reminded himself with a flicker of mirth, she told me one of Beacon’s first lessons is about landing strategy. The moment passed, though, as he returned his glare towards their charging enemy.

Rin watched from the sidelines as that energy crackled in his right hand again. A nearby streetlight was ripped out of the ground, nearly colliding with Lancer X while Archer ducked from an overhead blow. Part of the metal pole clipped her shoulder, drawing a small grunt from her which Rin noticed. Archer almost being reeled into that crushing grip confirmed it: This guy has some kind of magnetic ability. He didn’t really send Ruby flying before but Crescent Rose, which is made of metal like Archer’s arrows. And it looks like anything affected by this power is charged so it, even if ordinary, can damage a Servant.

Well, it was certainly an inconvenient trick, given how both of her Servants wielded metallic weapons. And the fact they were in a modern setting with buildings and objects comprised of metal did not help the situation either. They could find a way around this, though, Rin told herself. Lancer X had been friends with a girl who had a magnetic Semblance, if she recalled correctly. She was already starting to adjust. Same with Archer. They could take this jerk.

Only then did Rin notice other Servants’ presences in Miyama Town. And a couple hostile ones near- Damnit, Emiya, she swore as she tried to force down her panic. One problem at a time.

Taiga Fujimura’s trusty scooter sputtered nicely along the street. She sighed eagerly underneath her helmet. Just two more corners, and she’d finally be home, safe from all the homework and tests. She was already looking forward to Shirou’s first-class cooking and pestering her Big Sis for details about Dubai and her relationship with their new guest. Oh yeah, she still had two matches ahead of her, gotta make sure Mr. Kakashi and Miss Atria really are trustworthy!

A shadow flitted over her, making the English teacher glance up. It was dark out, so maybe just a cloud passing or- Her eyes widened as a shape came ever closer. “Wha-” Caught off guard, Taiga’s grip on the handlebars slackened, and she nearly lost control of the scooter. A second pair of hands steadied her, and she looked up to stare into a pair of heterochromatic eyes. “…Mister-?”

“Apologies, Miss Fujimura.” A familiar voice echoed in her ears, then her thoughts swam away amid a peaceful current. “I’m afraid this isn’t a good place to be right now…”

Assassin X watched as Taiga’s brown eyes fluttered shut beneath those goggles, then he gently but quickly set her and her scooter to the side as another pair of dirks whistled towards him. The genjutsu would put her in a peaceful slumber and erase her memories of seeing the Servants fighting. I wish I could leave behind a clone or one of the pack to keep an eye on her, Assassin X lamented while springing up a house, but I can’t waste energy needlessly. At least the Bounded Field I set up (thanks again, Irisviel) should keep the fight private.

The moment he was above the house, he hurled a trio of shuriken at Assassin who veered left, letting them fly harmlessly past him. They gave Assassin X the chance to close the distance a little more, and his right fist clipped his counterpart’s chin. Assassin turned with the blow and threw a spinning kick which the shinobi narrowly ducked under, but it nearly left him wide open for a jab to the face with another dirk. He flipped away with a cut by his left ear.

Well, Artoria already got to face her counterpart last night. Guess it was only a matter of time before the same happened for me. Assassin X’s hands wove through a flurry of signs as he backtracked along the roof. “Ninja Art: Tile Shuriken!” Shingles rose free of their holdings around him, hovering for a split second before whirling towards Assassin. The latter’s eyes widened beneath his mask; no doubt he sensed the bit of od empowering them, turning the ordinary tiles into projectiles capable of harming even a Servant. He tried to evade them, but Kakashi had deliberately a widespread attack. A few tiles sliced through his robes and drew blood.

His cuts were shallow, though, and he was already gripping two dirks between his left fingers. He’s been fighting exclusively with his left hand, Assassin X noted dodging the twin-pronged thrust and driving him back with a kick. His right hand is still covered in bandages. Is it that he can’t use that limb, or is it hiding something like a special power?

A flash of blue coupled with a whiff of smoke caught his attention; he turned back to see fire burning near the house. The others-! Kakashi made to rush after them when a dagger buried itself in the roof by his right foot. Reluctantly, he returned his attention to the lunging Assassin. Divide and conquer, huh? As the two Assassins grappled, the foreign found their fight being steadily drawn away. Sorry, guys. Looks like I’m got my hands full for now.

Saber charged towards the newcomer as he snapped his hand forward. The fire he’d cupped became a torrent that surged towards her, and it was only thanks to her Instinct that she managed to twist out of the way. Even then, some flames managed to lick her left side.

She rolled away with a pained grunt. His flames… They’re not just of a different color but far hotter than any regular fire. Saber studied the burns on her shoulder and leg. But my Magic Resistance ought to be high enough to shield me from practically all fire spells. Her eyes widened before narrowing at the enemy Servant. Unless…

He simply sneered at her. “Since when do you need magic to start a fire?” Translation: His pyrokinetic ability wasn’t of magical origin and therefore couldn’t be countered by Magic Resistance. And it appeared he had fire to spare as his hands ignited like twin blue torches.

But Saber wasn’t about to let him roast her alive. She darted right to evade one fireball and lunged to reach her foe before he could throw the second. He narrowly stepped out of range with a new cut in his coat, snapping the flames in his hand down to create a barrier between them. Saber backed away, heat washing over her. He’s a long-range fighter, she discerned. He’s keeping his distance rather than trying his luck against me, and between his build and those scars, he doesn’t strike me as particularly resilient. An irritating matchup for Saber.

The other Servant backed away, his right arm rearing back for another blast, when he had to duck from a volley of blue energy. Saber X fired a couple more shots from his wrist while running, then he promptly shifted into his car form and sped straight towards their enemy. The latter barely rolled out of the way and retaliated with a wide burst which forced Bumblebee to reverse. He returned to robot form and blasted again through the flames.

Shirou tried to keep track of the battlefield despite the increasing flames. “If this keeps up, this guy’s going to burn the whole neighborhood down!” This certainly explained the scorched buildings that kept popping up these days. He turned to Aunt Maiya. “Should we try putting the fires out?”

“They’re Servant-made,” she shook her head, “and even then, flames that burn blue are too hot for us to approach carelessly. Hopefully, they’ll go out on their own or if their creator is killed.” The detachment in her words made Shirou a little uneasy, but given the circumstances, he acknowledged the point.

And it didn’t look like their “guest” was ready to kick the bucket anyhow. Nor did he seem to think the battlefield was hot enough yet. He unleashed a bigger stream of fire at Saber who made to dodge again, only to stop. Why isn’t she- Shirou’s thoughts came to a halt upon noticing the Servant was looking partly behind her. Where a neighboring house stood. If she dodges, that house will be set on fire, Shirou realized before glaring at her smirking opponent. And he knows that, too.

So, Saber crouched and drew her sword down to her left side. She’d picked up a few tricks in handling fire during the Fourth War, after all. As the attack approached, she performed a rising diagonal slash, Invisible Air drawing in the blue flames and pulling them along. Then with a defiant yell, Saber shifted into an overhand blow downwards. The flames collided and were dispersed from the sheer force.

The other Servant barely had a chance to glare at her before a metal fist surged into his gut. He tumbled coughing away while Bumblebee retracted his arm. “Maybe you should’ve kept your partner around. Then we could take you all down in one move.”

“Eh, take your shots when you see them, you know how it is.” The burnt man shrugged even as he staggered grunting to his feet, wisps of smoke drifting from his arms. “But that Assassin guy wasn’t my partner.” He nodded in Saber X’s direction. “She is.”

A feral growl was the only warning Bee got before a shadow fell over him, rolling away as sharp metal splintered the pavement. He got to his feet and aimed his wrist blasters at the woman ripping her weapon free with a cruel shriek.

This Servant was about as tall as the scarred one, but it wasn’t as easy to tell with how she hunched forward. She was clad in thick crimson Viking leathers that emphasized her toned muscles pretty well. Both the skirt around her waist and the wrappings around her forearms were adorned with metal spikes, and heavy horn-studded pauldrons with rims of fur shielded her shoulders. A thick blood-red hood was pulled over her head, obscuring most of it save for a messy braid of blond hair hanging down from her left side and a snarling mouth that might’ve been pretty were it not for the fang-like teeth she bared at the Sabers. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around a double-bladed axe, its edges jagged and the color of blood.

Definitely Berserker X.

She made to pounce on Saber X with a vicious howl, but her axe was intercepted by Saber’s blade. Sparks flashed as the weapons strained against one another, then Saber was forced back, grunting as she parried another swing and narrowly dodged a third. A few strands of hair fluttered to the ground. It was quickly clear to Saber that this Viking was stronger, faster and more aggressive than her.

But she wasn’t the first Berserker Artoria Pendragon had fought. With a twist of her sword, she diverted the axe into the ground and slashed across the other woman’s stomach. If she hadn’t stepped back, the hidden steel would’ve disemboweled her. The blood spurting from her wound did nothing to dissuade a growling Berserker X, but then she was roundhouse kicked away by Bumblebee who simultaneously blasted at the madwoman’s partner. The latter in turn returned fire, forcing the other three Servants to break apart.

Berserker X bounded away from the conflagration with some flames flickering atop her right pauldron. Not that she cared, but the sight of them, plus the scorch marks approaching yet another house, angered Shirou all the more. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled at the instigator despite Maiya motioning for him to stay back. “Your own comrade almost got caught in that blast! Is that how a hero acts wherever you come from?!”

“Oh, please.” The burnt Servant scoffed as he turned to the Master. “Don’t read too much into that ‘Heroic Spirit’ bullshit. I never said I was one, and for good reason. You’ll learn soon enough there’s no such thing as a real hero.” He practically spat out the last word while his half-lidden eyes flashed slightly. It was the most emotion he’d shown all evening other than deadpan contempt.

And that anger and bitterness in his eyes was the clue Saber needed to deduce his class. “You’re an Avenger, aren’t you? Avenger X.” His attire, his non-magical pyrokinesis, his mannerisms; none of it was like anything she was familiar with of her world.

“Give the girl a cigar.” If she’d hoped this epiphany would’ve rattled him, she would’ve been mistaken. Avenger X was already back to his dry self, flames dancing between his fingers. “I’ll even light it for you.” Berserker X hefted her axe with a snarl, prompting him to sigh. “Okay, fine. You can have Saber.” As she stomped towards the shorter Servant, the pyromaniac shifted his attention to Saber X. “I’ve got a score to settle with the junkyard reject, anyway.”

“Sticks and stones,” Bumblebee quipped. He found little humor in the situation otherwise, though. The fight had turned into an even two-on-two, and he got the sense that neither X Servant had shown their full hand yet. Well, neither had he, but the situation wasn’t quite that dire yet.

And as Berserker X’s axe blades ignited with crimson flames and Avenger X shot twin flamethrower attacks at him, the Autobot scout transformed again while bracing himself. Both he and Saber knew this fight was only going to get more intense from here on out.

The same could be said for another battle that was steadily drawing closer to the Emiya residence. The street was littered with broken scraps of metal and debris, and one or two houses were sporting thankfully only cosmetic damage. Rin surmised it wouldn’t pose too much of a challenge for the church’s cleanup efforts. Of course, her team wasn’t done yet with putting down the brute responsible for most of the damage.

The enemy Servant charged laughing at Lancer X who darted away and swung, Crescent Rose meeting that metallic arm before it was repulsed with a crackle of purple static. Archer appeared behind him and made to chop his head off, but an elbow collided with his torso, staggering him and nearly leaving him wide open. Fortunately, Ruby’s scythe hooked around the left arm, and with a shot, the bigger Servant was tossed cursing across the street. She briefly checked on her partner who wordlessly confirmed he was okay, then they took aim and shifted to ranged attacks.

Their target guarded himself with his bigger arm as he got to his feet, a black sheen covering the metal. Electric sniper rounds bounced off of his defense, and he even stood his ground when one of Archer’s arrows blasted against him, though it did unsettle him. Lancer X moved to press the advantage, but a shout of “Repel” and multiple metal fragments flying at her forced her to move evasively.

Rather than try to put more distance between them, he smirked at the approaching red blur. “Attract.” A parked car Ruby just passed was suddenly lifted and pulled towards him, nearly smashing into her back were it not for Archer’s cover fire. The resulting shockwave seemingly unsettled her, prompting the other redhead to swing his prosthetic anew. Then she fired Crescent Rose at the ground, catapulting the Huntress over and behind him for another recoil-boosted slash. The Servant cursed from the gash in his back and tried to spin around, but two more arrows blasted him further away while Lancer X zipped back to her team.

By now, they’d determined some level of this Heroic Spirit’s abilities. ‘He’s a destructive heavy hitter with little regard for collateral damage,’ Archer reported while rolling his right shoulder. ‘The magnetic forces he projects are strong, too. Strong enough to move objects as heavy as cars and potentially rip our weapons right out of our hands.’ He was applying Reinforcement just to keep a sturdy grip; being deprived of four Projections of Kanshou and Bakuya was quite enough, thank you.

‘I’ve managed to keep a better grip on Crescent Rose than you,’ Ruby agreed, ‘but it’s not easy doing that and fighting at the same time. But I think he needs to choose whether to pull in or push away something. His power’s not active all the time, but like an on-off switch.’

‘And it looks like the wider he expands his area of effect,’ Rin chimed in, ‘the less precise he is.’ She had ducked and dodged enough debris to determine his area of effect and how little the thug cared about making a mess. She eyed the surrounding houses with a little worry. ‘The magnetism has a wide area of effect, though.’ If it hadn’t been for Ruby and Archer’s efforts, this part of Miyama would’ve become a lot more postapocalyptic.

‘Shifting or breaking his concentration seems to dispel his power,’ Archer concluded as the enemy righted himself, his silver eyes scanning the asserted cuts and bruises across his body. ‘And tough as he is, he’s not indestructible. Hit-and-run tactics are our best option, keep him from concentrating too much.’

‘Sounds like a-’ Lancer X’s reply cut short as trashcans, two cars and at least one streetlight were blasted their way. Thinking quickly, she activated her Semblance and swept up both Archer and Rin just before the impromptu projectiles smashed apart the wall behind them.

The instigator of this little barrage tracked the cluster of rose petals as it blurred over to another part of the intersection before it shifted into three figures. Right in front of the other party… Out loud, he called over, “Cute little party trick, brat, but if you want to take me on, you’re gonna need a lot more than some flowers and a hedge-trimmer.” He cracked his neck as fresh mana flowed into his battered body, restoring it. Yeah, yeah, time to get serious.

“He says while getting a patch job.” Archer frowned despite his quip, watching the wounds disappear; his Master must’ve resupplied him, but the Servant of the Bow couldn’t pick up any other magus signatures nearby save for the boy’s and that of his aunt. And he surely wouldn’t want anything to do with this bas-

“And you’ve got no shame hiding behind your doll of a partner, do you?” That insult made him glare at the other Servant. “Taking shots from the sidelines and letting her take all the risks… After scrapping with the other guy, I thought this world has some real men in it, but it looks like the gardening doll here got saddled with a useless pussy.”

“Big talk from a scrap-throwing bully,” Ruby shot back before Archer could reel his temper in. “And Archer’s a lot of things, but he’s not a coward. Or useless.” As he processed the words, the local Servant couldn’t help but send an appreciative chuckle over their link. I don’t deserve her… he lamented to himself.

Whatever relief Rin felt at knowing her team was still cooperative, she set aside for the moment. “It’s not like you’ve had that impressive a showing yourself. For all your insults, you’re barely holding your own against us,” she scoffed at who she surmised this Servant to be, “Berserker X.” Communication was no guarantor for sanity, after all.

But he barked a laugh. “Right about the X, but wrong class.” He lifted his right arm above his head and intoned again, “Attract.” More metal rose up and traveled towards him; cans, streetlamps, pieces of scrap, even a car or two was being pulled in. The houses closest to him began to shudder as well, cracks appearing in their walls. It was only thanks to Rin (and one other) desperately reinforcing the Bounded Field that the buildings weren’t ripped apart.

Archer and Lancer X both had to strain against the force trying to take their weapons away. While they dug in their heels, the pieces reached the source of the magnetic pull and began to affix themselves to one another and the brute’s arm. The more Rin and her Servants watched, the more metal was collected, and the more it all began to take on a particular, colossal shape.

“The name’s Gunner X,” the redheaded Servant sneered as his new arm loomed over them, “and that’s all you’re getting. After all, what more do I need to tell three soon-to-be dead fucks?” He reared back, then the scrap-made hand curled into a fist and rumbled with surprising speed at them. “Punk Gibson!”

A heavy crash sounded out long enough for the Assassins to hear it despite being very nearly on the border between Miyama and Shinto. Kakashi spared a single glance towards the collection of smoke and fire, his Sharingan discerning Servant signatures familiar and alien. Miss Tohsaka’s party is also fighting there, huh? Just a block away from the house.

His worries lingered on his team even as he jumped over another pair of dirks and somersaulted into a kick that forced Assassin back. I can’t afford to waste time here. I can’t fail again. As he landed, he threw his own knife which sailed past the hooded Servant’s head, only for the paper bomb he’d tied to it to detonate. The explosion blasted away his hood, fully revealing the bald head with a skull-shaped mask affixed over the face, blood slowly painting over the white. The sight of him confirmed to Assassin X that this definitely wasn’t the Assassin of the Fourth War. Most likely they were part of the same brotherhood. He flipped away from a thrust, then slipped behind a roof on his right as another flurry of daggers embedded themselves in his hiding spot.

Assassin approached the roof warily, plucking loose his dirks as he passed them. He could only carry so many at any given time, and while his partner had provided him with a useful enchantment to retrieve them more easily, he preferred keeping count of them like this. Nice and tidy.

Then Assassin X bounded over the rooftop and him, unleashing a powerful gust of air mixed with dust particles. “Wind Style: Dust Storm Jutsu!” Assassin didn’t so much as twitch, though, as the wind stream passed around him without effect. Protection From Wind served him well against such attacks.

However, the dust within the winds obscured his vision slightly, nearly leaving him wide open to a strike from Lightning Blade. If it hadn’t been for the telltale chirping he had heard the prior night while observing Berserker’s decapitation, Assassin would’ve lost more than his left leg.

Both Heroic Spirits of Assassination quickly separated again, exchanging knife throws that left the blades clashing against one another and spiraling harmlessly away. Assassin hobbled rather steadily on his right foot on a rooftop, silently watching Assassin X land another opposite from him, the last flickers of electricity crackling between his fingers. His leg cold be restored with time and mana, but for now, his agility was compromised. And his enemy was visibly keen on reuniting with his team. No more playing around, Cursed Arm Hassan decided as his left hand gripped the bandages around his left arm.

The cloth was tugged away, allowing Kakashi to finally see that his counterpart wasn’t missing an arm at all, though he couldn’t say for certain it had originally been his. The appendage unfolded itself by the elbow by twisting and coiling like a long dark snake, fingers dancing about at the tip. It flailed about once before lashing towards him, the Sharingan barely warning him in time. Assassin X still could only just limbo under the deadly arm as it snapped past him, a single fingertip brushing his chest.

Both Assassins knew then and there the battle was over.

The hand promptly retracted to in front of Cursed Arm Hassan’s face. A distorted sound like but unlike a heartbeat reverberated inside his target’s body as particles swirled together between that hand’s fingers into the shape of a heart.

The work of Zabaniya: “Delusional Heartbeat.”

Before the Copy Ninja could react, his grip closed on the artificial heart, crushing it. Demonic mana surged for a split-second through the ether… Then there was a gaping bloodstained hole in Assassin X’s chest. And his heart was pulp.

Blood trickled through Assassin’s fingers. He dispassionately watched his counterpart’s heartless body sway about, ready to teeter over any moment now- Poof!

His eyes widened beneath his mask as smoke billowed from Assassin X’s body, then it was gone. Along with the crushed remnants of his heart. Comprehension slowly dawned upon the Servant of the Shadows. “Ah… a decoy,” he murmured, replaying the events of their fight in his mind, the moment Assassin X had briefly ducked out of sight behind the roof. He created the duplicate while I wasn’t looking to keep me busy. No doubt the original has rejoined his team by now. Meanwhile, Hassan was too far away and in no condition to catch him before he reached the Emiya house. And he’d unveiled Zabaniya…

Hassan-i-Sabbah nodded in unashamed respect. “You are every bit the adversary they warned me of, Kakashi Hatake.”

Wind met flame again and again as Saber and Berserker X exchanged blows. The Viking’s axe continued to blaze no matter how many times it struck, the shrieks of metal mixing with its wielder’s vicious howls to create an absolutely terrifying symphony. Saber weathered it just as she did the attacks, blocking and riposting as she kept her own temper in check. She couldn’t afford to waste strength given her current circumstances. Some chops and kicks slipped past her guard, but nothing too serious yet.

As she kept that axe at bay, the King of Knights studied her opponent. Berserker X had the advantage in physical stats, but Saber could still match her with Mana Burst and strategy. But despite her obvious madness, there was technique within her strokes. She aimed at visible gaps in Saber’s armor and mixed her obvious swings with feints, punches and kicks. The other woman even displayed some ability to read and counter Saber’s moves, though she kept misjudging her sword thanks to Invisible Air. Currently, the blondes were evenly matched for the most part.

Meanwhile, their partners were playing a lethal, long-range game of tag. Avenger X had more firepower and destructiveness, but Saber X’s rapid shifting between robot and car forms provided him with an edge in mobility, allowing him to weave around and under the flames mostly unsinged. In between transformations, his wrist blasters chased the Heroic Spirit of Vengeance, quite a few bolts hitting their mark despite the heat haze. These hit-and-run tactics prevented an increasingly irritated Avenger X from simply torching the whole place.

Plus, they proved Bumblebee worthy of his namesake.

Avenger X twisted away from twin energy blasts before shooting another flamethrower after that damn kiddie-sized sports car, his free hand wiping blood away from his jaw. He’d already let him slip through once, and while this Saber X might’ve been a poser, he had one hell of a right hook. Hence the ring of fire encompassing him. The villain heard his arms starting to sizzle, though, and while his other partner could patch him up, time was running out. This takes any longer, it’ll attract other players and/or vultures.

So, he took a step forward, crossed his arms in front of his face, and snapped them out while releasing his Quirk into a massive, sudden wave of blue flames that struck Saber X right as he changed to robot form. Avenger X smirked in delight at the downed machine, embers licking his chassis. “Thought I wouldn’t pick up on your timing despite your buzzes, huh?” He sauntered over and aimed his left hand, ignoring the smoke coming from it; one point-blank blast would melt this sucker away. “A downed bee is a dead bee.”

A wincing Saber X pushed himself up in time for a metal pipe to come down on that fire-holding hand. Glowing circuit-like lines were running along the makeshift weapon, leading back to the one swinging it- “Shirou?!”

The boy barely registered Bee’s voice as he swung his pipe again, clipping Avenger X’s chin as the latter backed off with a scowl. I knew it, Shirou returned his glare while shifting to a classic Kendo stance, those scars aren’t just for show. This guy’s not that tough a Servant. He’d been watching the ebb and flow of the battle, waiting for the moment to join in. He mightn’t have a chance against Berserker X, but this bastard, he was fragile enough and arrogant enough that Shirou could make a difference. And if it meant protecting a comrade…

“Don’t, this isn’t your fight-” A new wall of flame erupted in front of Saber X, cutting him off from the human and the Servant. “Scrap!” He aimed his right blasters through the blue blaze while Shirou swung again. Avenger X sidestepped both his attack and Bee’s fire, blasting back at the latter with his left hand while his right caught the pipe in mid-swing.

Shirou strained against the other’s grip, but hard as he tried, the pipe wouldn’t budge. The burnt Servant cocked an eyebrow at him, his hand glowing blue. “You’re even dumber than you look.” Searing heat shot through the metal instantaneously, forcing Shirou to let go with a hiss. “Or are you just tired of breathing?” Avenger X drawled while the pipe melted through his fingers into a pool of slag. He threw a fireball too fast for Shirou to avoid without hastily making two Shadow Clones to take the hit. Sorry, guys, he thought as they dispersed.

The flames and resultant smoke made it hard for Dabi to see what just happened. In fact, the heat was so hazy he could’ve sworn that idiot Master had tripled all of a sudden. Then the air settled enough for him to clearly make out the redhead stumbling away, the robot stepping in his place. He readied his next blast lazily when a gunshot followed by a shout sounded out.

“Damnit, Shirou, stay back!” The boy reflexively flinched from Aunt Maiya’s admonishing tone. She sprinted past him with her right hand aiming a Glock and her left holding one of those two daggers she carried with her nearly everywhere.

He scoffed at the bitch rushing him with her gun out, bullets passing harmlessly through him. Does she really think she can hurt a Servant with her toys? He slashed a wave of fire which she narrowly rolled under and came up, dagger hissing towards his neck. Mostly out of instinct, Avenger X leaned away, but much to his surprise, the blade sliced into his skin. “What the f-?!” Pain shot through him at the metal’s contact as the bitch rolled past him. He rounded on the bitch, already summoning enough fire to immolate her bony little-

That’s when a sandalled foot collided heel-first with his nose.

 Saber for her part had wanted to come to her Master and comrades’ aid, but she found herself stuck in a blade lock with Berserker X. Gritting her teeth, she tried to drive the taller woman back even while her attention kept wandering to the other fight. Then something glinted, and Berserker X twisted her head to dodge the oncoming blade.

One of Assassin X’s kunai sliced through her hood without doing any harm, but it was all the help Saber needed. She swiftly took her right hand off Excalibur, allowing Berserker X’s axe to gain ground, caught the kunai in midair, twirled it into a reverse grip, and stabbed it into her opponent’s left thigh. Berserker X lurched with a pained howl while Saber took the opportunity to break away and join the others.

Maiya had already been readying a Substitution as the heat reached her, but a familiar presence paired with the sound of crunching cartilage (she’d broken enough noses over the years to recognize it) made her cancel the jutsu. She turned just as Kakashi landed next to her with a backflip and an eye-smile. “Sorry I’m late. Had a little chat with a colleague.”

“Seeing as I’m not a pile of ashes,” Maiya settled for a half-smirk, “I’d say your timing couldn’t be better.” She quickly grew serious. “Is the other Assassin dead?”

“Afraid not, and I couldn’t catch him either.” Assassin X’s hand inadvertently drifted to his chest as his clone’s memories rippled through him. “A pity. That Servant’s got one nasty Noble Phantasm.”

She nodded towards the source of increasing heat. “I’d like to say we’ve had it easy, but between the inferno on two legs for an Avenger and a stereotypical Berserker, I’d be lying.” Maiya then shot a cold glare at her ward. “And of the bone-dead stupid stunts you could pull, Shirou…”

The boy for his part ignored the (ironically) cold sweat on his back to defend himself. “Bee needed my help, Aunt Maiya. And you guys said I should wait for the right time to fight.”

“And you believe challenging the Servant who’s been trying to incinerate us these past eight minutes is ‘the right time’?” Even Saber was staring at him with half-lidded eyes. “We also, specifically, told you not to try and fight Servants.”

“Oh, come on, Avenger X needs to be stopped, and he’s fragile-”

“Yeah, fragile by Servants’ standards!” Bumblebee added incredulously. “Not that I don’t appreciate your helpfulness, Shirou, but-”

Before the argument could go any further, a cough drew the four’s attention to Assassin X. “Maybe we could postpone this discussion for a more peaceful setting.” They all quickly saw what the shinobi meant: A growling Berserker X yanked the kunai out of her leg and threw it hard enough to pierce through a nearby minivan while Avenger X rose to his feet, blue fire dancing around his body as he crunched his nose back into place with a glare. Violet particles of mana danced around both of them, their wounds sealing and their strength returning.

“Guess they’re all set for round two.” Kakashi nodded pointedly to Bee who slung the kid over his shoulder and sprinted through the dying flames back to the house, his Master right behind him. “Now, please stay there, both of you, and don’t get involved unless you spot their Master.” Shirou opened his mouth- “Maiya will confront them. You watch and learn.”

A chastened Shirou Emiya reluctantly stepped back and kept quiet save for some grumbling about being treated like a kid. Maiya shot him a gimlet eye that softened again as she recognized her adoptive nephew was indeed paying attention to their three comrades.

Saber was already meeting Berserker X’s charge anew, but this time, she had Saber X backing her up. Meanwhile, Assassin X calmly monitored a flame-enshrouded Avenger X.

“Yeah, watch and learn, boy.” Dabi glared at the bitch who’d stabbed him; her wound was the only one what remained, and it hurt like hell. His arms lashed out, weaving streams of blazing fire at the two Masters. “For tonight’s class, we’ll be covering how heroes burn away to nothing!”

As the flames approached, Shirou watched in awe as Kakashi blurred in front of them. “Water Style: Water Wall!” He then created a torrent of water that expanded and collided with Avenger X’s fire, steam erupting from the twin elements’ impact.

Avenger X just smirked. “Nice try, but you can’t put out my flames that easily.” Sure enough, the wall of water was steadily evaporating in wake of the inferno. Meanwhile, the steam cloud had grown so dense he could barely make anything out. Then the villain caught a blue and silver blur in the corner of his eye and narrowly rolled under a slash from Saber, the invisible blade pulling some black hair with it. Berserker X was right behind her.

With the fire attack cut off, Assassin X darted out of the smoke cloud while tossing a spread of shuriken. Berserker X shattered them all with one swing of her axe, but it caught her attention enough for Saber X’s vehicle mode to ram her in her stomach, reassuming his robot form to grab her, flip forward and throw her roaring across the street. He landed in a crouch, her axeblade scraping against the asphalt until she stopped, and charged snarling back.

Assassin X barred her path with a broad wall of earth; nothing she couldn’t smash her way through in two seconds, but those seconds allowed the trio to corner Avenger X. The air became superheated as their scar-laden target glared from one to the other, flames swirling around his arms. Neat divide-and-conquer reversal, he concentrated as they prepared to attack, but if you think you’ve seen the worst of what I can do, you’re sorely mis- Then the wall on his left exploded.

All five Servants halted in their tracks and shielded themselves as rubble and dust flew everywhere, heralding a familiar Servant duo in red and their Master tumbling out into the open. Shirou was close enough that he could see rose petals dancing around them while a bright pink field of four petals was straining against a giant metal fist.

Said fist slowly retracted from them, allowing the Servants to regain their footing. Archer lowered his arm which in turn dispersed the shield, and Lancer X cast a worried look towards their wobbly third party member. “I’m alright,” Tohsaka waved her off while managing to stay upright. “j-just focus on that bastard!” She then noticed her current location and someone moving to her side. “Ah, Emiya…” She tried to regain her dignity. “Fancy running into you.”

“Yeah, what a surprise when I live here-” Emiya’s snark died away as his eyes widened and he suddenly grabbed her shoulder. “Look out!” Rin didn’t even resist the tug like she would’ve, at first because the moment felt… familiar. (“Look out!” A tug, a car’s engine…)

Then it was on account of the oncoming gust of blue fire, and memory time had to wait. Without thinking, Rin tugged her arm free and shoved against the boy’s chest, her other arm raised to cast a defensive spell. “Stay behind me, Emiya!”

Luckily, Shirou had pulled Tohsaka out of the direct line of fire, requiring her to only shield them from the side. The flames licked her barrier but did no damage. For a second, he almost saw something white shimmering around the girl, then it was gone. Perhaps it was just a side effect from this weird ache in the back of his mind…

Rin quickly checked herself for injuries and found to her relief none save for some slight bruises. Huh, guess my defenses are even stronger than I thought. She turned around, cleared her throat and attempted a conversational tone. “I see you’ve been busy this evening, too.”

Shirou stared at Tohsaka incredulously and maybe a little impressed. Maiya told me magi are cold-blooded, but she’s got some sang-froid, too. That said, he didn’t want to make light of their situation. “Well, we’ve got a berserk Viking woman and a pyromantic asshole for an Avenger X on this end.” He pointed towards said Servants who had successfully regrouped, his own comrades doing the same. Tohsaka’s Servants were watching the new hole warily.

The burnt one eyed the newcomers with an unimpressed demeanor. “A Red Riding Hood cosplayer and some guy trying to make the Ganguro look appealing for men, dancing to the shrieks of a high school alpha bitch…” he drawled. “Oh, I’m shaking in my boots.”

Rin scowled at him for her moniker while Lancer X adjusted her stance, but it was Archer who retorted. “This coming from the goth punk who played with gasoline too much as a kid.”

“Easy does it, kiddies.” Assassin X waved one hand placatingly, the other gripping a kunai as he moved closer to his human comrades. “No need to be so sensitive about your looks.”

“You of all people should shut up,” Archer and Avenger X snapped at him simultaneously before glaring at each other. The latter Servant idly noticed this “Aunt Maiya” narrowing her eyes at them. Saber for her part didn’t react at all. That plus the distance between the human and Assassin X, their subtle concern for one another which included Saber in no way made some infinitesimal part of the Counter Guardian… relax.

Assassin X was still near the top on his list of targets, of course.

And another who was fairly high on said list had plowed his way onto the new battlefield and was busy trying to smash Ruby into pulp. Archer quickly bought her some room with a trio of arrows that Gunner X blocked with his right arm, allowing his partner to retreat via Petal Burst. However, more metal was gathering around that prosthetic left arm, rapidly expanding it until it was equal in size to his right.

Teams Tohsaka and Emiya quickly repositioned themselves to account for the new threat, Bumblebee motioning for the Masters to stay on the sidelines. Avenger X clicked his tongue annoyed at the sight of the scrap-armed Servant. “Couldn’t you clowns have at least killed that nuts-and-bolts dumbass before barging into our business?”

“Nice seeing you again, too, you roasted bastard,” Gunner X growled, metal grinding together inside his super-sized “fists.” “Don’t think I’m letting you run off this time.” He then pulled back both arms before swinging them together so they encompassed nearly every other Servant. “Punk Vise!” All of the Servants managed to jump over or slip under the hands in time, but the collision itself released a shockwave that blew them away and even knocked the humans off their feet.

Archer turned his fall into a roll and stuck the landing, mentally perusing his arsenal as well as the situation. One arm was enough to punch through three petals of Rho Aias, and he probably could’ve gone further if he felt like it. For just three seconds, he let his gaze roam to the boy and his amazing guardian ninja… then shifted it to Avenger X. Too many variables.

Shirou and Maiya helped each other up as Kakashi quickly drew Berserker X away, her having landed close to the Masters. He then turned to Tohsaka who promptly got to her feet on her own with a haughty look. He almost rolled his eyes when a heavy clanging sound made him focus on the caped cyborg trading blows with Saber and Lancer X.

“So, this is your team’s playmate for tonight, Tohsaka?” Rin eyed the boy with some surprise and amusement despite the tension; she found Emiya displaying some sass once again… intriguing. And two people could play the snark game-

“He goes by Gunner X.” Ruby explained for her Master, unaware of the split-second irritation shot her way. “Be careful, he’s got some freaky magnetic powers-”

“Wait… did you say magnetic?” Lancer X wasn’t the only one who stiffened at that voice. She and almost all of her friends/allies turned in horror to a visibly apprehensive Saber X. The Heroic Spirit comprised entirely of metal mumbled, “Scrap…”

Gunner X sneered cruelly at him. “Great idea.”

A crackle of purple mana, and before anyone could react, Bumblebee was swiftly pulled into the pirate’s right grasp. Colossal fingers squeezed him tightly, drawing groans both metallic and verbal from him. But Gunner X had something more fun in mind. He raised the Cybertronian Servant high above his head, then swung him down. “Slam Gib-” A kunai zipping at him made him click his tongue before catching it in his mouth. Stupid ninja-

Only then did he see the little ball strung up in its ring.

The smoke bomb released its red payload right in the pirate’s face, causing him to spit out the kunai between his coughs. His grip on Saber X didn’t loosen, but Saber severed the hand with one swing of her sword as she sprinted past it. A Shadow Clone of Assassin X caught his falling comrade while the original provided his partner with cover fire. “You okay?”

“A bit battered,” Bee grunted, “but I’ve felt worse. At least I’ve still got my pipes…” He then turned sheepish at the odd look he got. “Said that last part out loud, huh?”

Meanwhile, Gunner X was a bit shaken from the smoke bomb, forcing him to rely on other means to sense Saber’s approach. She’d already chopped her way through a great deal of the metal h’ed collected. The South Blue pirate brought about his left arm to block her attacks as well as her partner’s, concentrating via his right one to rip away that damn invisible sword… But nothing happened. “The hell…?”

Saber could feel the magnetic pull on her armor, but between Magic Resistance and Mana Burst, it was nothing she couldn’t resist. Moreover, she sensed her blade was totally unaffected by it. It will take far more than your trick than deprive me of Excalibur, Gunner X.

Growling, the brute turned his power on the metal she’d already sliced apart, levitating it around her. “Genocide Raid!” The scrap closed in on her, grinding against one another, and if it hadn’t been for Bumblebee and Kakashi blasting open a hole big enough for her to slip through, even Saber would’ve suffered severe injuries from Gunner X’s attack. Undeterred, he unleashed Repel on the compressed metal, firing it at the trio who barely got out of the way. The makeshift payload sped on past Lancer X and Archer, headed straight for the last two Servants present. Avenger X shot a vertical line of flames up and down the mass, allowing Berserker X to pulverize it with one furious swing of her flaming axe.

Molten bits of scrap flew all over the place, crashing into homes, setting trees aflame, and tearing up the sidewalks and streets. “Stop!” Shirou desperately cried out despite both Aunt Maiya and Tohsaka’s protests. “If you have to fight, do it somewhere else! There are innocent people in this neighborhood, people who have no part in this insanity!”

Archer scoffed quietly to himself. Stupid boy… “They know, Shirou,” he dimly heard Saber explain. “They simply don’t care.” Then again, the Viking lunatic seemed more driven by fury than genuinely callous. The truth, however, remained as the King of Knights had stated: none of these attackers gave a damn about how many deaths they’d be responsible if all the Servants cut loose. Trying to reason with them was a fool’s hope.

Thus, Archer did the sensible thing and surmised their situation: Him and Ruby near Rin. And as much as her idealism rankled him, he knew she had his back. And… vice versa.

Saber stood alongside Illegal Saber X and Assassin X close to the boy and the woman Maiya. Possibility of the teams uniting against their common enemies and winning, moderately high.

On one end, Berserker X and Avenger X. On the other, Gunner X. At least two Servants fully capable of razing the entire neighborhood without losing a wink of sleep over it. Well, not that Servants needed to sleep, usually, but you get the point.

“Didn’t you get the memo, you little shit?” Gunner X grinned, magnetic forces surging around him. Step by step, metal both used and new wrapped around his arms again, not quite as much as before, but definitely enough to crush these scrubs into paste. “This is the Holy Grail War. Kill or be killed.” The sidewalk crumbled beneath his boots as he charged towards them, declaring, “If you don’t have the stones to put your life on the line or go for the kill, then you’ve got no business fighting in it!”

Motioning for Bee to stay back lest the fiend try to capture him again, Artoria Pendragon stepped forward at the same time as Ruby Rose. The girls traded a surprised glance that shifted to mutual respect as they faced the approaching threat together.

But before Gunner X could get within reach, an invisible pressure struck him, pushing him back. “The fuck-?!” As his anger grew, he made out a new Servant’s presence at the same time as all the others did.

“There’s a little more to the Holy Grail War than just wanton bloodshed, Eustass ‘Captain’ Kid.” Ruler X marched from around the corner towards them with a stern mien and his right hand outstretched. “Anonymity is to be maintained, due procedure to be followed.” His brow furrowed further at the tallest Servant present. “And no unnecessary endangerment of life.”

Gunner X quickly regained his balance and directed his glare at the one responsible. “Well, look who it is,” he snarled, “the big bad Ruler X. Here to spoil everybody’s fun again.” She spat at the ground near the other Servant. “Finally decided to grow a pair and step up?” Crass though his phrasing was, Maiya had similar questions in mind. Why was Ruler X stepping in at all? Destructive though their battle was becoming, it hadn’t attracted any witnesses. And this was still technically following “the rules…”

The dark-skinned Heroic Spirit didn’t show any irritation or anger at the insult. “I was investigating light disturbances near the mountain while you lot started fighting. It took me a moment to recognize your signatures between the enchantments.” Rin exchanged a look with her Servants. Could he have been following the same trail as they did today?

Damn, Avenger X grumbled to himself, looks like he didn’t take Caster’s bait. Out loud, he said, “Well, here we are. And we were getting along just fine before you showed up to play referee. Right?” He shot a sarcastic look to his enemies who didn’t react. “Right. So, if you want to watch us fry these suckers,” he made a shooing motion, “do so quietly in the corner.”

Now he was the center of attention. “Even if I trusted you, your partner or him,” Ruler X nodded sharply at Gunner X, “to rein in your destructive tendencies, I’m afraid I can’t do that yet, Avenger X. Or do you prefer Touya Todoroki?” The Blueflame Villain twitched involuntarily at hearing that last name, which of course, the damn ghetto monk noticed. “No? Then perhaps Dabi. That’s the name you chose for yourself, didn’t you?”

Assassin X’s Sharingan locked onto the addressed Servant, noting the fiery energies swirling inside his scrawny frame, practically begging to get out. No surprise a guy like him would decide to call himself “Cremation.” Despite his mirth, he braced himself for the eruption.

But it never came. “Cute,” Avenger X ground the word between his teeth as he let his temper leak out a bit. Berserker X growled beside him while the air became a little warped from the heat they were emitting. “So, what’s it gonna take for you to back the fuck off and keep your mouth shut? The night’s not that young anymore, and we’ve got Servants to barbecue.”

“Not until you and Gunner X tell me how you were summoned and who your respective Masters are.” Shirou, Ruby and even Bumblebee couldn’t help but shiver from that commanding voice (Rin was quietly taking notes). Ruler X wasn’t asking.

Not everyone was so easily intimidated. “What’s it to you?” Gunner X scoffed.

Ruler X’s head faced him. “As a Gunner, you’re a sub-class of Archer, but there’s already an Archer X roaming the streets.” He returned his attention to the other pair. “And Avenger isn’t among the mandatory seven classes, making both of you surplus to the roster and thereby technically illicit.” He nodded briefly towards one nonaggressive Servant. “But unlike this Saber X, I can sense you were both brought about through the Holy Grail’s power.” He stepped further into the middle of the battlefield. “So, before you may continue fighting, I’d like an explanation.”

As he finished speaking, Mace Windu expanded his senses with The Force. The two official Masters and Ruby Rose were definitely taken aback at these revelations, as was Bumblebee to a lesser extent. So was his hidden audience. By contrast, Counter Guardian EMIYA was curious but a guarded variety, like he didn’t want to expose himself. Artoria Pendragon, Kakashi Hatake and the woman who had illegally made herself a Master, however, they showed no surprise at this situation. In fact, they seemed to have deduced it themselves.

The greatest emotion came from Eustass Kid who threw his head back to cackle like the violent pirate captain he had been. “Oh, you want an explanation, do ya, bastard? Maybe if you asked with pretty please?” Finally, he calmed himself enough to leer down at Ruler X. “I never needed anybody’s permission to do anything in my old life, and I sure as fuck don’t need yours now.” He raised his metal-encased arms into fists ready to crush.

Ruler X narrowed his eyes, the heightened tension provoking Berserker X to stalk towards with bared teeth. “Let at the Ruler trying to play tough,” Avenger X snorted beside her, “pretending he has any power over me.” He smirked as those eyes snapped towards him. “You might have Command Seals, but they aren’t for me or the psycho-magnet, are they? You can’t make us do a damn thing.”

No denial or counter, much to Shirou’s concern. He technically owed Ruler X for saving their lives last night, even if it had been coincidence. So, he made to step in or at least tell Kakashi and Saber to back the guy up when Aunt Maiya turned to him and shook her head. Don’t worry, her eyes told him. Ruler X wouldn’t have intervened if he can’t fight.

Archer had telepathically advised Ruby (and Rin, too, just in case) similarly.

Despite the imminent danger, Ruler X watched the three rogue Servants evenly. “Curious,” he finally said after a long pause. “Berserker X is difficult, but you two…” His dark eyes flickered from Gunner X to Avenger X and back. “I can tell what you’re thinking. It’s curious how the both of you have the exact same three ideas, and all of them are wrong.”

“Is that right?” Avenger X scoffed, a few flames lazily dancing along his fingers. “And what exactly are we thinking, tough guy?”

Ruler X flipped up a thumb. “You both think being powerful and ruthless means you can do whatever you want.” He folded his thumb and flipped up his index finger. “You think Command Seals are the extent of my authority.”

More than one eyebrow was raised among the Korun Servant’s audience when he folded that finger and presented the next one. “And you think you’re going to kill me.”

…Rin Tohsaka wasn’t the only one who quietly burned this moment into her memory.

Gunner X’s grin twitched into a snarl and back. “A Ruler and a comedian, huh?”

“And a prophet,” the Champion of the Jedi Order added unperturbed by the rising threat level. His fingers closed around his lightsaber, the weapon that had been his most reliable companion through so many battles, and unclipped it from his belt. “I can see the future.”

“Oh, yeah? So, you can see me pulling your spine out of your ass and strangling you with it?”

“I see you.” Hurrikaine’s violet blade flared to life illuminating Ruler X’s frown. “Bleeding.”

That was the last straw. With a vicious laugh, Kid Attracted more metal to his right arm before throwing the new Punk Gibson right at that smug black face.

Purple light flashed, and the giant arm was sliced and diced into harmless pieces of scrap.

“Motherf-” Ruler X closed the distance before he could even finish cursing. His right hand swept Hurrikaine to the side, slicing effortlessly through the metal arm. At the same time, his left fist snapped Gunner X’s chin upward before shifting into a palm strike against his chest. The pirate flew backwards until he crashed into a wall, bricks crumbling around his slumped body. Blood dripped from his mouth with every huff as he glared hatefully at Ruler X.

The Jedi stared coldly back at him. “Told you.”

A feminine roar heralded Berserker X clearing the distance between them in one bound, axe raised high above her head and still ablaze. Ruler X diverted her swing, letting the burning steel scrape along his lightsaber’s blade, then retaliated. She barely blocked his slash and stumbled backwards as he followed. Their weapons clashed no less than a dozen times before the two flipped away from a furious Gunner X trying to smash them together into pulp.

Keeping one eye on his partner, Avenger X tracked Ruler X’s movements. He waited until they were trading blows again, then readied a volley. Even a Ruler’s Magic Resistance was useless against his Blueflame, after all.

But if the Servant of Vengeance thought he’d caught his target off guard, he was sorely mistaken. “By the power of my Command Seal…” twin crimson half-rings flashed above Ruler X’s shoulders like some sort of deity’s tenne. The Seals for the Servants… But what’s the point? Maiya couldn’t help but wonder. He just said none of them are meant for Avenger- “Berserker X, restrain Avenger X.”

And as the wild Viking promptly whirled on the spot and tackled her cursing partner to the ground, Maiya merely blinked. Oh. …Well played.

She then turned to Shirou who still looked conflicted. “If we interfere in the fight now, Ruler X may have to consider it an ‘official’ battle,” she explained over his protests. “One he can’t participate in as an impartial Servant.”

“But seeing as these guys picked a fight with him when he just wanted answers, and we’re just bystanders,” Kakashi took over “he’s just defending himself during an investigation. Besides,” he nodded towards the warrior returning his attention to chopping up Gunner X’s assaults, “he seems to be on top of things.” After a moment, Shirou nodded, finally placated.

“Get… off… me!” Dabi thrashed about beneath Berserker X, but he couldn’t break free of her grip. Even though she herself was trying to resist the Command Seal’s power, he was no match for her in physical might. It took all his strength just to keep that damn axe at bay. And blasting her off might make her go after me for real, Avenger X groused as spit dripped onto his face. Why do I always get paired with psycho blondes?!

In an effort to cut off the source, he shifted his right hand to the side and unleashed a stream of blue flames at Ruler X. The latter calmly waved his own hand, and the incandescent attack was redirected into the sky, as though caught up in a sudden updraft.

Metal clanked together as Gunner X’s right “arm” shifted into a more cylindrical form with a collection of holes at the end. “Punk Pistols!” Lumps of collected scrap metal shot towards Ruler X only to be cut into smoldering fragments clattering harmlessly to the ground by Hurrikaine’s blade. The dark-skinned Servant advanced with a stony expression that mirrored the vicious yet measured strokes of his swordsmanship.

Saber was no fan of letting others fight her battles, but she understood the practicality behind not interfering and causing complications for Ruler X. So, she settled for marveling at his bladework. Fast-paced, powerful, at times seemingly chaotic, yet not a single movement was wasteful. It was very much like Lancelot’s style, except tempered with sanity. Saber wasn’t surprised when she turned and found Assassin X’s Sharingan glued to this martial mastery.

As were the “eyes” of a pitch-black goldfish floating in the air beside a wire-made dove.

His frustration mounting, Gunner X invoked his magnetic powers on that damn sword’s hilt. When it wouldn’t budge from the bastard’s grip, he let himself get pulled towards it, the big Servant shooting at his prey with his left arm having picked up some nasty spikes.

Master Windu adjusted his stance and stabbed at the right moment. His lightsaber pierced through the arm and travelled into Gunner X’s shoulder, drawing a roar of pain from him. The biological hand made a grab for his neck, so he reestablished distance with a boot to the ribs, pulling Hurrikaine free in the process. Ruler X still had questions for this pirate.

And for Avenger X. So, Ruler X splayed out his left hand at Gunner X, pinning him cursing to the street with The Force as he turned back to the struggling pair. “Feel like talking now?”

Taking an elbow to the face made Avenger X spit blood at his boots. “Screw… You!” Internally, though, he realized this wasn’t going anywhere. He’d have to kill the bitch at this rate if the fight were to go on, and he still needed her. So, he sent a telepathic message: ‘Get us out of here! Now!’

Mana surged through Berserker X’s body, drawing a frown from Ruler X, but before he could react, she suddenly snagged Avenger X by his collar, hauled him up over her shoulder, and leaped away with a howl similar to that of a wolf. The Jedi made to follow, but as a parting gift, Avenger X released a massive wave of fire that forced all the Servants to guard themselves and their respective Masters. His concentration shattered, Gunner X was released and went right back to slinging metal at Ruler X while avoiding the fire.

Kid scoffed between his attacks on the black sonnuvabitch. “Cowards.” That’s when he felt a power overwhelming him. “Oh, hell no… Don’t you fucking dare-”

Everyone else watched as Gunner X disappeared in a flash of red.

Ruler X glared at the spot where the rogue Servant had once stood. “So, he does have a Master somewhere. One with Command Seals.” With a slight whoosh, Hurrikaine was sheathed and refastened to his belt. “And Berserker X was recalled by her Master. Damn.”

Shirou righted himself from behind the wall Kakashi had made, his eyes wandering from one spot to the other. “Such is the power of Command Seals,” Saber explained beside him. “Gunner X was likely ordered to appear before his Master, so he teleported directly to that location. By contrast, Berserker X’s Master probably ordered her to retreat with Avenger X in tow.” She shrugged. “The key lies in how one phrases the command, so please bear that in mind, Shirou.” He nodded while storing the information away. It would likely come up again.

Meanwhile, Lancer X approached Ruler X cautiously. “So, uh, do you need us to help you chase them down or something…? I mean, not that I’ve got a problem with that…” she hastily added before clamming up as he turned to her with a look she’d often seen on Professor Goodwitch.

“I appreciate the offer,” his frown softened, making Ruby sigh in relief, “but this is my business. You’re all free to handle your own matters,” he nodded at their surroundings, “as long as you keep collateral damage to a minimum.” Rin looked relieved at that, too.

Ruler X then noticed a hefty amount of attention directed his way and faced the bigger group. One of them seemed uneasy in his presence despite his armor having been restored, so he assured him, “You’re clearly not like those two, Saber X, and I know your origin as well as your place here. As long as you adhere to the Grail War’s rules, I won’t have a problem with you or your Master.”

“Thanks,” Bumblebee’s faceplate retracted to reveal a grateful smile, “but, uh, while you’re still here, that’s not the only thing we need to discuss with you.”

A black brow rose as the Saber’s native counterpart stepped up. “We have information you may wish to hear, Mace Windu,” she declared without preamble, “information that relates to this War as well as the last one.” She nodded towards their battered surroundings. “It’s perhaps all the more pertinent in light of all this.”

Rin had been considering quietly leaving from all this excitement, but now she was rooted in place. The last Grail War? She knew Emiya’s Servants were familiar with one another, but did they meet then? But how was that relevant to Ruler X? Emiya looked apprehensive all of a sudden, but curious, too. Like he didn’t know what they were talking about and wasn’t sure he wanted to know…

If Rin had looked behind her, she’d have found notice that exact same expression on Archer (though for slightly different reasons).

Maiya hadn’t noticed it, either, despite watching the other team warily. “Maybe we should discuss this in a private setting-”

“N-no.” She stopped and looked at her visibly conflicted nephew. “Tohsaka’s a Master in this War, too, and whatever you have to tell Ruler X, Aunt Maiya, it sounds like it affects all of us. Besides,” he coughed into his fist, “maybe this’ll square whatever debts are between us.”

Kakashi watched amused as the girl’s cheeks flared up for a split second before she composed herself. “W-well, that depends on the information!” Stifling a chuckle, he patted an exasperated Maiya’s shoulder. Ah, young romance. At least Shirou has a better shot than I do. Anyway, no objections save for (Archer’s scowl) were raised to Team Tohsaka listening.

Mace’s gaze traveled from one member of this group to the next while he opened himself to The Force again.

The youngest, the boy, kept glancing to the others with palpable confusion, but beneath that, he carried an honest, steadfast heart and a deep trust and concern for them. Along with a rather worryingly high desire to help, no, save others.

The foreign Servant, Bumblebee, was similar, though the confusion was traded by lingering pain from Eustass Kid’s power and some apprehension in the Ruler’s presence. Still, his first priority was standing by his allies.

His master, the woman who had taken a serious risk by going outside the Grail’s authority and knew it. Yet alongside the defiance in her eyes was an ironclad devotion and protectiveness towards the boy… and one other.

Kakashi Hatake. An intelligent, resourceful veteran of conflict who carried many weights on his shoulders, some particularly recent and heavy. Yet his every concern was for his comrades, one in particular. But it wasn’t attachment. Attachment wasn’t selfless, after all.

And finally, King Arthur. Or rather, Artoria; Ruler X had perused legends of her in the local library today. And he knew of more than one story throughout the galaxy similar to that which she had likely endured in life. Now she stood before him as a Saber, stalwart and still believing in the ideals she had upheld in life. Despite her trials… Despite her losses…

Even so, the Jedi Master had misjudged others before. He couldn’t take anything at face value, least of all as the appointed Ruler of this Holy Grail War.

Then what he saw became distorted and fragmented, the whole world seemingly like glass and shattering all around him… except where Saber stood. The “shards” hovered around her, some reflecting her image as broken, despondent. But others shone with an unyielding light and an absolute certainty that evil would not win, not now, not ever.

…I see. She’s another shatterpoint. Thus, Mace Windu decided on a little test.

“Saber.” The addressed Servant straightened upon Ruler X addressing her. “You seem to be the leader of your Master’s team. So, I ask you:” He stared into her emerald eyes. “What assurances can you offer to help me trust your word and that of your teammates?”

She didn’t need long to recognize the meaning behind this question. Even looking aside from her, Kakashi and Shirou associating with an “illicit” team, Ruler X still had no reason to take their word on anything. He couldn’t rule out them spreading slander to discredit others. That may’ve already happened with Kirei Kotomine.

And yet, the Heroic Spirit of Arbitration was giving her a fair chance. He surely knew her True Name but showed enough courtesy to reveal it to her rivals. But how can I convince him? Saber wracked her brain for the right words. Kakashi was always better at this- A mental nudge made her look to her best friend who simply smiled. She soon returned it.

Finally, the King of Knights gave her answer: “I swear on the memory of the kingdom I served in life and all of the lives who dwelled within it.” Her words were chosen with a diplomat’s guile and carried an even, dignified tone. There was no need to be bombastic, no point in trying to intimidate a man of Ruler X’s position and resolve. So, she strove for honesty and respect. “My comrades and I will tell you what we believe is the truth.”

A corner of Mace Windu’s mouth curled ever so slightly upwards. Artoria Pendragon… She would’ve earned herself a seat on the High Council in no time, he ruminated with a hint of melancholy. Hell, three years tops, and she’d have taken my place. Obi-Wan would’ve been in good hands once he became Grand Master.

A second later, he released such lamentations into The Force. No sense lingering on what-ifs and maybes. Besides, he had a new responsibility, and right now, it required him to listen.

Ruler X beckoned for Saber to continue, so she cleared her throat. “Kakashi Hatake and I were both summoned ten years ago during the Fourth Grail War.” That sentence alone hooked both Ruler X’s attention and that of Team Tohsaka. “We were partners then as well, and together we managed to be among the last Servants standing.”

This much, Shirou already knew- “Wait, what the hell are you all talking about?!” But apparently, Tohsaka didn’t. “The Fourth Grail War only had seven Servants, not fourteen!”

Rin had suddenly made herself the center of attention, but she didn’t care right now. Saber and Assassin X knowing each other was one thing, but what she was saying, she’d never heard of anything like it! “I… I know there were only seven…” And yet those three adults by Emiya all looked so sure of it. “I met Father’s Servant Jade,” her frown briefly slipped into a snarl that made Ruby flinch, “she was Lancer-”

“Yes, Lancer X.” Those three words from Assassin X stopped her in her tracks. “Your entourage is rather appropriate, Rin Tohsaka, because your father was the Master of the last War’s Archer and Lancer X, too.”

“And Lancer X was by far the more approachable of the two…” Saber added beneath her breath. That part, Rin didn’t register. She was too busy trying to weigh this information against what she knew, what- …What Kirei had told her about the Fourth Grail War.

As their Master stepped back with a quiet scowl, Archer gently nudged a worried Lancer X away from her, keen to hear more.

When no further interruptions occurred, Saber went on. “To keep a long story short, we ended up with Archer and Rider X as our final opponents for the Holy Grail,” Shirou listened knowing what she would say next, that Kiritsugu triggered the- “and only then did we learn that the Grail was… tainted.”

…It was as if all of Miyama Town was suddenly muted. Not a sound was made as everyone processed the King of Knights’ words. She in turn nodded to Assassin X who continued. “During the last battle, I was contacted by our Master, Kiritsugu Emiya. He told me about how while fighting the other last Master, Kirei Kotomine…” Shock rapidly became diluted with anger. “He… encountered the corruption inside the Grail. He realized then that it would twist wish made upon it into an excuse to wipe out humanity on this Earth.” Auburn eyes were locked on him, and he kept his cool. “To prevent such an outcome, Kiritsugu wanted me to destroy the Holy Grail and the corruption with it.”

Shirou’s thoughts came to a grind halt as the words kept replaying in his head, bouncing against what that priest had said. The Grail rejected him… No, He rejected the corruption in the Grail… “I tried to lure the corruption out and destroy it,” Kakashi continued in a more morose tone, “but in the process, the Grail was shattered and… We guess that’s when the Fuyuki Fire broke out.” Shirou watched him hang his head. “I… we tried to prevent it.” A weight suddenly loosened itself from Shirou’s heart. The fog that had gathered inside him this morning at learning about Kiritsugu started clearing, like back with what Saber told him. Kiritsugu… didn’t cause the Fire.

So, Archer mused curling his lip at the boy’s reaction, that event remains consistent despite there being more Servants. And that’s why he gets to be so chummy with her. Part of him bristled at seeing Saber reach up and squeeze the ninja’s shoulder while the woman gripped his other hand. Calm down, the Counter Guardian told himself. Now they all know about the evil sooner rather than later. That could help down the line.

Once reassured that Kakashi was in good hands, Artoria returned her attention to Ruler X. “We suspect the Grail had already been somehow corrupted before the Fourth War; Servants were summoned with obviously malevolent intentions, and a fifteenth Servant appeared in the second half. An Avenger X,” she gestured to the contraption by his belt, “with a double-bladed crimson version of your weapon.” She took a breath. “We realize this sounds far-”

“A double-bladed lightsaber?” Saber stopped as Ruler X’s stare intensified. “With crimson blades? This Avenger X… What did he look like?”

 “He dressed in dark robes and had dark skin with red markings on his face and small horns atop his head,” She answered truthfully, recalling that fiend’s details. “Both his legs were artificial, made of metal. He could move objects telekinetically like you, even strangle someone from afar, and was a deadly swordsman.”

Ruler X stiffened, a frown emerging on his lips. “Darth Maul…” Those two words came out laden with an anger cold as ice, a shiver drifting through all who heard it.

The Jedi Master took a breath, released it along with his emotions. “My apologies. That Avenger was an enemy of my Order when we both lived. He killed a good friend of mine and caused another a great deal of misery.” Guilt flickered inside him from the memory of failing to heed a warning, and he let that linger a little longer before releasing it, too.

Still, the other Servants recognized the moment of silence for what it was and respected it. After that moment, another thought came to Assassin X. “Excuse me, Lancer X? Ruby?” The silver-eyed girl turned to him attentively. “Pardon me a possibly private question, but during your summoning, did you arrive at the same time as your partner?”

Ruby Rose blinked at the question, visibly mulling it over, then she turned to a similarly confused Rin. Her Master nodded after a moment, permitting her to answer. “…Now that you mention it, no. Archer was already there when I showed up.” She looked at her partner. “And it looked like you’d been around for a while.”

“A minute, two at the most,” Archer agreed tersely; he still preferred not to converse with or divulge any more information than necessary to the masked man who was currently exchanging knowing looks with Saber.

“Same with me,” Kakashi noted to his friend. “You were already fighting Lancer solo before I arrived. I wrote it off as just another ‘glitch’ from the imperfect ritual, but…”

Shirou finally snapped out of his relief, eyeing one Servant, then the next. “What do you mean, Kakashi? Was there something different between now and… the first time?” he winced at his hesitation. Okay, I’m not completely to grips yet about Kiritsugu. Got it.

Saber regained his attention. “During the Fourth War, Assassin X and I were summoned simultaneously.” She paused in thought before adding, “And I don’t recall hearing of any delays for the other X Servants, either. You?” Assassin X shook his head before they turned back to a certain attentive Servant. “Apologies for the shift in topics, Ruler X, but you mentioned last night there was ‘interference’ when you answered the Grail’s call.”

“Severe interference.” Ruler X scratched his chin while his frown deepened. “I could barely ‘hear’ the Holy Grail’s petition for a Ruler in the first place, and if I hadn’t tapped into… my ally’s summoning ritual, I may not have arrived here at all.” His eyes wandered to the distant Mt. Ryuudou. “I am being sustained with clean mana from the Grail, and X Servants were still summoned to this War and the prior one, but… I’m finding it hard to disprove your story of this ‘corruption.’ And judging by all these disturbances, the Grail’s power remains tainted.” Ruler X folded his arms inside his robe’s sleeves. “And if I wasn’t convinced of your team’s story before, Saber, your description of Maul puts the last of my doubts to rest. This explains the darkness I've sensed hiding somewhere in Fuyuki."

Some relief swept through the two Servants and Maiya and Bumblebee. They’d feared this part would be harder, but Ruler X proved fairly reasonable after all. But that last tidbit of his wasn’t good at all, and he recognized it too. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“One more thing.” Now Maiya Hisau stepped up. “I worked with these two during the Fourth War but was incapacitated at the end, so I only know about these events from how Kiritsugu Emiya described them to me. But he also mentioned this corruption having a name: Angra Mainyu.” She suppressed a shiver at saying those two words and the things Kiritsugu had told her. She wouldn’t let it win. “It’s the name of an ancient Persian legend. A god of evil.”

God of evil…? Shirou stared at the rest of his team, largely shaken by the new facts on top of the old ones, yet somewhat amazed that two of them had tried to stop this evil. Bee traded a wide-eyed look with him, both thinking, What are these three and Kiritsugu up against?!

Lancer X was the most openly shocked at this revelation among “Team Red,” but Rin didn’t look much better, and even Archer was gripping his forearms rather tightly. The latter two’s brains were working in overdrive, trying to determine the best course of action (though the intended outcomes differed).

Ruler X alone seemed unfazed, but his mind was steadily analyzing and strategizing. “…Thank you for telling me all of this,” he finally said. “I need some time to meditate on your information.” He was met with a chorus of understanding nods; said meditation may’ve been good for everyone. “Until we meet again, may fate be with you all.”

But as he made to leave, one final time, he marveled at the many cracks and refractions around these gathered characters. So many shatterpoints walking about… Well, I suppose that’s to be expected when legendary heroes all gather to a single place. As Master Windu walked away in spirit form, he already reached one conclusion: They must all survive.

And with his departure, the familiars of those teams watching left as well. Their owners were all surprised at this turn of events for one reason or another and had different reactions. Bazett for example immediately began reviewing with Hiccup and Toothless the briefing she’d received about the Grail Wars, then factoring in this “Angra Mainyu.”

By contrast, a pensively frowning Illyasviel von Einzbern sat on her favorite couch, Saber X on her left side, Berserker standing behind them. Not a word was exchanged. For now.

That left two teams in the battered neighborhood. Three individuals stood in cautious silence, on guard for threats from outside this bubble as well as within, from the rattled rest. Assassin X and Maiya both kept an eye on Archer in particular, inscrutable as he stood, not even his concerned partner privy to his thoughts. Nobody really knew what to say or do next….

Suddenly, Lancer X perked up, sniffing at the air with a pleased hum. “Something smells good…” Her non-sequitur comment sort of burst the bubble, and Saber agreed with her after a moment of sniffing. Something did smell good.

Rin blinked as Emiya’s eyes widened like saucers. “Oh, sh-” He nearly cursed before waving his hands at her. “S-sorry, can we go over all… this tomorrow? Both of our teams need to recover from the fight, and, well, it’s not like this Grail War crap means school’s cancelled.” He sprinted towards his house. “Y-You know where to find me, good night, Tohsaka!”

…O-kay, Archer stared dully after the boy’s exit. Then he recognized the smell. Fair enough.

“Wha-?” Rin Tohsaka, proud of heiress of the Tohsaka line, stood gaping like a fish. As if being around that boy hadn’t played havoc with her expectations enough…  “Oh, whatever, let’s just go home.” It wasn’t like she could chase Emiya down anyway; the pawn shop woman was watching her like a hawk. Thus, she turned around and told Ruby and Archer, “Come on. The church will handle cleanup.” They dutifully dissipated and followed her.

She just barely rounded the corner before nearly bumping into someone. “Sor- Sakura?!” Rin nearly shouted before dipping her voice to a whisper. “What the heck are you doing out here?!”

“I-uh, well…” Sakura Tohsaka fumbled her words under her sister’s incredulous glare, “I was going for a walk, felt like checking up on the neighborhood… and I heard some commotion around here, and well…” She couldn’t think of any really plausible, not after everything she’d just witnessed, so she settled for at least one truth. “…I was worried about you, Big Sister.”

And with that, the last of Rin’s energy left her in an explosive sigh. “…I appreciate that, Sakura. But I’m fine. And this… really isn’t a safe time to be walking around at night.” She took hold of her little sister’s hand and pulled her along. “Come on. If you’re that worried, we may as well spend tonight together. But you’re telling Mother.”

Sakura winced at the thought but nodded. “Fair enough.” She discreetly looked her sister over for injuries and grew a little relieved at finding none. Protection spell worked even without my staff.

While the Servants were all faster than her, Maiya was still the first one inside the house. “Shirou! Where are you?!” She glanced desperately inside each room before fixating on the lit part. It led her straight to the kitchen. “Are you al- right…” Her voice trailed off as she spotted him Kakashi, Artoria, and Bee crowding behind her.

Shirou was crouching by the oven, slowly pulling something out. As they got closer, they saw it was a tray covered in piping hot, fresh chocolate chip cookies. He inspected each one before sighing in relief. “Man, glad I didn’t wait another minute…” Sure enough, they were a little browner than necessary, but the smell was reassuring enough.

Saber stared mesmerized at the steaming pastries, just barely retaining enough dignity to not drool from the smell. Not that Assassin X and Saber X were faring much better, and the latter didn’t even have a nose! (Or drool.)

Maiya for her part was too stunned to fully appreciate one of her favorite treats. “I, uh, already made the batter two nights ago,” Shirou explained under her stare. “I wanted to surprise you after you got back from your… trip.”

The ex-soldier felt like her throat had been punched. Preparing a gesture like this… when she’d shattered all of his beliefs. “Shirou, I- …I’m so sorry about everything. You deserve-”

“Look.” Shirou cut her off. He carefully set the tray down on the counter and faced her. “Before those Servants attacked… I did some thinking. And… I still wish you and Kiritsugu had told me more about yourselves. But…” Again, fire. Smoke. Screams in the distance. “I know talking about… stuff like that… is never easy. And at the end of the day…” Shirou flashed her that rare, earnest smile of his. “you’re still my Aunt Maiya.”

Her wide green eyes might’ve shimmered a bit, but the boy couldn’t be sure due to being pulled into a tight embrace. “I don’t deserve you,” she mumbled against his hair. “You’re too good for someone like me. But there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Know why? Because as much as Kiritsugu saved you, Shirou, you saved him. And me.”

Shirou breathed deeply and hugged her back… before her embrace shifted into a slightly painful neck hold. “But don’t think for a moment you’re out of the doghouse for that crud you pulled tonight, buster.” Aunt Maiya warned him icily. He tried to protest, but she was faster. “Cookies aren’t enough to get you a stay of execution this time. No less because I’ll be lucky if I get to enjoy two with Saber around,” she added grumbling.

One glance towards the blue-clad Servant who, despite listening and smiling to the two’s reconciliation, hadn’t taken her eyes off the tray of cookies, and Shirou saw where Aunt Maiya was coming from on that point.

Then she released him. “How about we just enjoy the rest of the evening? No talking about anything you don’t want to talk about, no more adventures tonight, just dinner and… a little peace and quiet.” Maiya Hisau would give her life to make good on her words.

Shirou nodded and smiled. “Sounds great. But I’m cooking.”

“We’ll-” Maiya’s words got stuck in her mouth as two hands gently steered her away into the kitchen. She inclined her head stiffly back to see… him.

“I’ll help him out,” Kakashi assured her with a chuckle in his voice, “you ladies can sit down and relax.” She and Saber deserve it after all the excitement, he added to himself.

Eventually, Maiya relented, enticed by the cookies which Saber had already assembled in a fresh bowl. “Don’t eat them all or you’ll ruin your appetites,” the Copy Ninja called over as they helped themselves. Bumblebee for his part was delighted at tasting his first cookies. Meanwhile, Assassin X slipped on an apron like Shirou assuring he wanted to help; both Servants had switched back to casual clothing. “Sweets aren’t really my thing anyway.” More for me then, Artoria decided for once unashamed of her own greed.

“Really?” Shirou turned to him in genuine curiosity while considering what tonight’s meal would be. “Then what are your favorite foods, Kakashi?”

He hesitated, not wanting to impose any more on his Master, but the allure of Shirou’s cooking proved too powerful. “Salt-grilled saury and eggplant miso soup.”

Shirou nodded at the familiar dishes while rooting around in the fridge. “Good to know. Ah, and look at that: we’ve still got some fresh eggplant.” While Kakashi brightened at the implication, Maiya was already planning her next trip to the fish market.

After he assembled the ingredients, the two males began working together quite together, though the older one noticed a stiffness in his friend’s movements. “Still shaken by everything, huh?”

“Is it that obvious?” Shirou sighed as he set up the rice cooker. “So many things… For one, I just can’t believe violent monsters like Avenger X or Gunner X could be heroes.”

Assassin X shrugged wearily. “Hero is a very flexible concept, Shirou. And it’s largely dependent on others’ perspective. In older times, a barbarian who killed a thousand warriors on a battlefield would’ve been called a great hero. Couple generations later, people would use the same moniker for a man who prevented a war with cordial words and a few handshakes.”

He cast a telling glance upon his Master. “A hero can be anyone. Even a broken man doing something as simple as saving an orphaned kid from a fire and then welcoming him into his own home.” He tried to smile at the startled boy but couldn’t help adding to himself, Or a useless “prodigy” who failed the people that mattered most to him time and time again.

But Shirou picked up on the intended message. Leaving aside that “Angra Mango” or whatever god of evil aside, the fights against those psycho “heroes,” watching Ruler X in action, that weird moment with Tohsaka…

At the forefront of his confusion was everything he’d learned about Kiritsugu. Everything he he’d known, now with even more, technically good stuff but still- Shirou sighed. Then Saber’s advice came to him again: “…if you really want to learn more about your father, you should talk to my partner.” And after a moment of thought, Shirou decided to do just that. “So… My dad was your Master. He was a father before he… saved me.” He stilled, bracing both hands against the counter. “And… He was a hired gun who targeted magi.”

“He was… complicated.” Kakashi shook his head before continuing. “I know that sounds like an oversimplification, but it’s the truth. Kiritsugu Emiya was many things, not all of them admirable.” The Copy Ninja met Shirou’s gaze and didn’t look away. “And not all of them terrible. I’m afraid, Shirou, that very few people in life are absolutely good or absolutely evil, though many certainly try.” A regretful sigh escaped him. “Kiritsugu would’ve rather saved a life than take it. And the happiest time of his life was in the days he spent with his family.”

The young Master tried not to blush from what his Servant inferred. To distract himself, he set a saucepan onto the stove and applied some oil, tofu already set aside. “He told me… he once wanted to be a Hero of Justice.”

Kakashi nodded. “He did. But… he was put too many times into a situation where he had to choose one evil or another.” He felt the inquisitive looks from the Sabers as well as Shirou, even a little from Maiya. He could still recall those vivid dreams of Norikata Emiya, Natalia Kaminsky and… Shirley perfectly. It didn’t feel right to speak of them, though. Not without the permission of those memories’ owner. So, he said, “Even so, no matter how much the world broke him, Kiritsugu’s deepest wish was to save it.”

Shirou nodded, quietly dicing up the eggplant. His motions were calmer now, Assassin X noted, but he felt like he could do a little more. An idea came to him as he filled a pot with water. “Why don’t you tell me how you knew Kiritsugu Emiya, Shirou? I’ll tell you about how I knew him in return, and you can decide for yourself what kind of man he was. Besides,” he flashed his Master an eye-smile, “I’d like to know how my friend spent his final years.”

So, in a way, I’d helping Kakashi, too... The boy who had survived the Fuyuki Fire mulled the offer over before returning his comrade’s expression. “Deal.”

From her spot at the table, Maiya Hisau silently observed the two with a rare, elated smile while Artoria and Bumblebee exchanged pleased looks (and not just because of cookies).

The front door banged open, and Taiga Fujimura’s voice rang through the house. “I’m hoooooome~!” A couple of loud sniffs, then, “AND I SMELL COOOOOOOKIES!!!”

Fist met palm. “Knew I’d forgotten something…” Kakashi muttered a bit sheepishly.

Ah, this was fun to write. For so many reasons.

Kudos to those who recognized Dabi’s involvement. Some might protest my choice of class for him, and I assure you, I’ve done the research about Avengers and given this due thought. And I’m not going back on my choice. It’ll make sense in due time. At risk of sounding like Dutch van der Linde, please have a little faith in me!

For those of you who may wonder, Avenger X’s flames aren’t hampered by Magic Resistance, but those who read Fate/Zero Paradox know the latter Skill does protect against The Force (provided MR is of equal or higher rank). Why? Because of their respective origins. The Jedi and Sith are considered “space wizards” by many in the SW galaxy, so with The Force seen as some esoteric hocus-pocus, it can be considered magic in the Nasuverse. It’s a similar case with Devil Fruit powers (just look at Wano residents), so Magic Resistance can dampen the effects; Gunner X’s power is a Noble Phantasm, after all. Quirks on the other hand, as flashy and logic-twisting though some may be, are basically genetic abnormalities. Like heterochromia. Nothing magical was ever linked to them save for some Heroes/Villains who went with a magic theme, so the Nasu-system can’t classify it as pseudo-magic.

And yes, Divine Constructs, even metal ones like Excalibur, are unaffected by Gunner X’s Magnet-Magnet Fruit.

Now then, the sheet some of you might’ve been waiting for:

Ruler X-

Class: Ruler

Master: None, Summoned by Sakura Tohsaka

True Name: Mace Windu

Titles: Master of the Jedi High Council, Champion of the Jedi Order

Sex: Male

Source: Star Wars

Region: Harunn Kal

Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: B

Mana: A

Luck: C

NP: A+

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

A+: A leading Master of his Order’s Council and among its most famous and respected warriors, Ruler X is naturally protected against even High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals. He can confront sorcerers from the Age of Gods with no hesitation and will do so for the sake of civilization.

True Name Discernment: Is a Class Skill of the Ruler class where status information such as one's identity, Skills and Parameters are automatically revealed to the owner of this Skill when directly encountering a Servant.

B: If summoned as a Ruler, during a direct encounter, a Servant's true name and entire status information will be automatically revealed. In regard to Servants with concealment abilities, a Luck Check is required to bypass those abilities.

God's Resolution: Is a Class Skill of the Ruler class and is the privilege of the Ruler presiding over the Holy Grail War: the right to use Command Spells against Servants. Each Ruler is normally granted two Command Spells for each Servant that participates in the Holy Grail War.

B: Ruler X may wield two Command Spells for each regular Servant at his own discretion but cannot repurpose them for any reasons.

Personal Skills-

The Force: Refers to the user’s innate connection to a special energy field which is formed and flows through all living things. Those who can tap into this power may be able to perform incredible feats including Mana Burst, Clairvoyance, Presence Detection, Throwing (Retrieval), and more.

A: Among other powers, Ruler X can sense other beings’ presence and potential threats, exert impressive telekinesis, bolster his own physical abilities, and even perceive the future to an extent. Additionally, he possesses a rare innate ability to determine “shatterpoints,” the precise vulnerable points of an individual, object or possibly even an event. He can then exploit these points to break apart the concept in question. Ruler X honed his connection to The Force from a young age and all throughout his life, eventually becoming Master of the Jedi High Council, the Order’s second-highest rank. In accordance with these achievements, he was second in authority, power and skill only to his Grand Master, a being several centuries his senior.

Voyager of the Galaxy: A variant of Voyager of the Storm for space travel. Because the ability as a group leader may also be necessary, high rank also has the effects of both Charisma and Tactics.

A: Ruler X has always believed in the peacekeeping aspect of his Order’s mission, but when galactic war loomed, he accepted this as another trial of life and became one of the galaxy’s most esteemed generals. He is an accomplished pilot of spacecraft, a shrewd strategist and an experienced diplomat, having once successfully mediated a dispute between a rebel leader and the senator of a world while it was under siege.

Vaapad: Refers to a rare and extremely deadly form of swordsmanship, as well as a state of mind. Its core concept is to draw upon one’s own ferocity and inner darkness while confronting that of the opponent at the same time, turning it against them in a sort of feedback loop. The wielder must essentially accept their own dark side and harness it during battle without succumbing to it. A powerful yet risky Skill.

A+: Ruler X created Vaapad to harness his innate aggression and is perhaps the one Jedi who fully mastered this form. His attacks become A-rank, potentially A+, while the probability of his opponent(s) losing self-control increases the longer the battle continues, akin to Mad Enhancement’s negative effects. It takes extreme discipline to resist this temptation, and even Ruler X may lose himself if he is not careful. Fortunately, Ruler X’s training and adamant dedication to the light serves as a counterbalance to Vaapad’s ferocity.

Protection From Arrows: Is the ability to deal with projectiles, an increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectiles' trajectories through exceptional means, such as hearing the sound of air being cut, or sensing the killing intent of the enemy.

B: Ruler X can easily parry most projectiles with Hurrikaine, his reflexes honed through decades of training, adventure and The Force’s precognitive powers. One of his final feats in life was redirecting a point-blank assault of magical lightning to its progenitor, an evil sorcerer who was left permanently scarred. Ruler X may even be able to deflect attacks without drawing his Noble Phantasm.

Noble Phantasms-

Hurrikaine: “Tact of the Violet Blade”: B~A (Anti-Unit): Like nearly all Jedi, Ruler X wields a personally crafted “lightsaber” for more aggressive situations. His, though, bears the unique (and famous) distinction of producing a blade of amethyst plasma rather than the more common blue or green. The color symbolizes how Ruler X taps into the dark side of The Force during battle yet remains committed to the light, and Hurrikaine’s cutting power equals the prowess with which it is wielded, befitting the Champion of the Jedi Order. Its rank rises to A when facing enemies with an Evil Alignment. Ruler X struggled in his youth with constructing his lightsaber, requiring a crystal greater than the average khyber with which the weapons manifest their blades. He travelled to the planet Hurrikaine and received a special crystal after a grueling adventure, the final piece he needed to build the tool he had envisioned. Hurrikaine has been wielded by Ruler X through countless battles (though he never actually named his lightsaber), even deflecting a vicious lightning attack back to its source in Ruler X’s final battle.

?: A++ (Anti-Army): ?

Special thanks to ActionTReaction on Fanfiction for inspiring me with the name for Windu’s lightsaber. On the subject of lightsabers, btw, in my mind, those wielded by Masters, sufficiently famous Knights/Padawans and Sith qualify as Noble Phantasms. Base level would be C-rank, but Saber-class Jedi/Sith elevates it to B. And those who were especially famous like Master Mothereffing-Windu here would wield A-rank lightsabers, plus they might have special tricks like in Hurrikaine’s case. Depends on the legends associated with them. Some long-lineage blades like Anakin’s lightsaber or the Darksaber ought to be especially potent.

I included Vaapad as a Personal Skill because he is credited as both the man who came up with it and the only Jedi who didn’t ever go bat-shit using it. Of course, he is also eligible for Berserker class thanks to this Skill’s volatility.

And some of you might ask which Star Wars lore I’m drawing inspiration from, Canon or Legends. My answer: Whatever I damn well please.

Chapter Text

“Those who abandon the mission are trash…" A pair of dark eyes glared at him from behind goggles, carrying a resolve he’d never seen in them before. “…But those who abandon their comrades are even worse trash!”

“You should consider your decision a little more before making it…” That voice made her pause for just a moment, if only because of how sad it sounded. Wasn’t this what he had been preparing her for…? “The moment you draw that sword, you'll never be human again.”

“But many would know relief and joy,” she replied calmly. This truth was what made her certain her decision was the right one. The people of these lands were without protection, without hope. Someone needed to take a stand. And this sword before her was the first step.

Her fingers closed around the hilt. "This path is true, I believe nothing else." This she swore as she pulled the sword from the stone without the slightest effort.

“No matter… what anyone says… You’re a… A great shinobi, Kakashi…” That smile in Obito’s Sharingan was the last he saw of it before it became his.

No… No, it wasn’t his. It would never be his, no matter what others may think. It belonged to the now blinded boy lying under tons of rock because of his screwups. He had to learn from this. He had to make Obito’s sacrifice count and let his… his comrade and friend live on through him.

So much else happened between the transplant and more Hidden Stone Shinobi attacking, the cave completely collapsing, but Obito’s final request burned itself into his mind: “Protect… Rin…”

“Being a team leader isn’t just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly,” her new headmaster told her. “If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?” Fair point, she had been goofing off a little too much. She got wrapped up in the excitement of attending Beacon and almost forgot she’s here, they’re all here to learn.

Being a Huntress was her dream, but it wasn’t hers alone. Weiss believed in it, too. So did Yang and Blake. She wasn’t in this for herself, not anymore.

So, she took Professor Ozpin’s next words to heart: “You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time to think about how you will uphold it.”

“Listen,” Dad gestured to the boxes with a frown, “it’s possible that these aren’t the right answer.” The Enchanted Blades he’d forged… the ones that had saved the country… “Don’t just get excited about making decent Enchanted Blades.” He turned away from the boxes and focused on Dad. The only other time he was this serious was when he was in the forge.

“You’ve gotta look, really look, at the world with your own eyes and think carefully about which katana you should make for it, and why. That’s something I wonder about every day.” Then Dad smiled. “Step by step, me and you will do that together.” …He would’ve looked a lot cooler in that moment were it not for the pun T-shirt.

Okay, he was back on the saddle, locks in place, but the sea was getting closer. And the stupid cheat sheet was fluttering about in his face, he couldn’t make anything out-

So, he threw it away and just flew. And fly, they did. His ankle moved without him thinking, opening and closing the fin just as they’d practiced, and Toothless didn’t even pause for breath. The same dragon he’d caught and crippled was now trusting him with his life, both of their lives! Past rocks, over the water and through the air they went until they were up in the wide sky. In the rush and for once a triumph, he threw his arms up and let out a “Yeah!”

Aaaand then Toothless shot out a plasma blast that they flew straight into. “Come on…”

Acidic saliva dripped onto the ground, burning its way through soil and rock. Sharp teeth snapped at him, and multiple eyes glared viciously down at him. He had struck out of reflex when the Hydra had attacked, easily ripping through the foul creature’s flesh with the strength his father had bestowed upon him. But the stump had barely spurted blood before two new heads sprang free, and because his arms acted before his mind could…

It was all he could do to fall back before the mass of Hydra heads overwhelmed him.

He should’ve been more cautious; Chiron had warned him of his own recklessness, and now he faced the consequences. But he couldn’t surrender. He had to complete this task. Both for his sake, for his family’s, and for those who would fall prey to the Hydra.

So, he stood his ground and clutched his bow as a new plan came to mind.

Every bone in his body ached. He could barely feel the rock wall digging into his back or the dried blood caking his face. “Hey, tell your buddies from the so-called ‘Worst Generation!’” His ears perked up at Kaido’s voice. “Tell them you were all just playing little pirate games!”

And just like that, he felt like his heart was beating again. His only fist clenched tightly, and he mustered a glare through the pain. Oh, he had a message to deliver, one to Kaido, Red-Hair, Big Mom, and every other old fart out there!

He’d take them all down if it was the last thing he ever did!

He eyed the bawling boy in annoyance. Cryin’ out for his mom when he was surrounded by aliens. Moms weren’t even that great, he learned that the day his sold ‘em off to the Kree for a couple of units. Terrans… so noisy. So primitive. He’d be glad to hand the boy off to Ego.

…Then again, some pretty bad rumors had been goin’ around about that jackass. And despite casting out a net or four, he’d never heard again of the other kids he’d collected. Not that it was really his problem, but hey, if he was gonna spit on the Ravager code, he should at least do it for somethin’ worthwhile.

And as that boy stopped sniffling ‘cause of some weird sounds coming from that “Walker” thing he bit Bozer’s hand to keep… For the first time, he wondered what the right call would be.

“This is your final chance, scout.” He could feel the claws digging into his torso, but somehow, those red optics boring into his seemed even sharper. He was reeled in close, and Megatron snarled right into his faceplate. “Where. Is. My. Allspark!?”

He couldn’t help but look away, to the bodies strewn all around them. Horror bubbled inside him, not just for himself but for his teammates, his home. Tyger Pax had been ripped to pieces, all because of the Decepticons’ rampage. All because of the bot holding him right here, right now. Ready to rip him apart for just a little more power.

And in that moment, he realized what Optimus, his hero, would choose. And he chose the same. Cybertron had to be protected. “I’ll never talk.”

“…Is that right?” That growl shifting into a grin that made his Energon freeze, and his other hand reaching up with the fingers sharpening against each other was the last thing he saw before pain overtook everything. “Then let’s make it official.”

She ran faster than she had, her boots carrying her up the last of Weiss’ glyphs. But now she’d reached the top of Beacon, she could help Pyrrha, she could-

Watch as Cinder fired an arrow into her chest, and she faded where she was kneeling away into a flutter of ashes.

She sank to her own knees, staring at the spot her friend had been. All the events of tonight suddenly… flooded into her: Mercury on his feet, Penny getting ripped apart, Yang unconscious and missing h-h-her right arm, Blake crying beside her, Jaune’s crying in his call…

“PYRRHA!” And her whole vision turned white.

Wind rushing. Fires raging all around them nearly as hot as the blood surging through their veins. Cries of agony, despair and rage sounding out across the area, both human and inhuman alike, mixing into something almost equal to the cacophony within. But it wasn’t enough.

For what they’d taken, it would never be enough.

He could barely hear Mr. Shiba’s words. All he could see was his father’s lifeless face… and the mark of these bastards who did all this. “They… They have to learn… Dad’s beliefs.” The words came, and he said them aloud, drawing strength as he uttered them. “I’ll make them.” His hand gripped Enten tightly, the last memento of Kunishige Rokuhira, his father.

“I’ll cut them all down.”

It was a cold and dry night up on Sekoto Peak. Leaves rustled a bit from the breezes that slipped through his coat, but he didn’t shiver. He could always make a flame to warm up if need be. But… he couldn’t make it yet. Not until… “Father…” His eyes wandered from where he huddled to down the path, waiting for Father, Endeavor, to arrive.

He’d come up this mountain so many times to train. He knew every route and how long each one took like the back of his hand. Father should’ve shown up by now, he had to! Well, maybe he was just busy with work or responding to an emergency or a Villain attack or or or…

Or maybe he was busy teaching Shoto… “Father…” He bit out, rubbing at his eyes. He wouldn’t cry, dammit! This wasn’t it for him, he still had to show his new power to- “Father, why won’t you come…?” The fire wouldn’t stop burning…

Wait. Fire? Where was all the fire coming from? “Ah, hot! Hot!” He patted on the blue flames, stumbling about. Did he make them? Oh, man, they were spreading to the trees! He had to put them out, but how he only learned how to turn up the heat they were all over him now he could feel himself burning no this couldn’t be it he couldn’t let it end here he still had to show Father hot so hot water-

The air erupted into fire, a great incandescent lidless eye bearing down on them. The Nine they’d just defeated hovered beneath it, ready to serve their one master. The slit iris shifted into the form of a dark, spiked armor which had been immortalized among paintings and statues across Middle-Earth. Yet none of them came close to representing the sheer power it emanated. Power that made his Elvish allies, veterans of the oldest and most grievous conflicts and well-versed in magics, seem like dim candles in comparison.

Yet he himself could not look away. Or stop himself from pondering if such power was for the Dark Lord alone.

A heavy, tired smile. “I can sleep soundly now.”

At night all across Fuyuki City, many slumbered with quiet, peaceful dreams, but for those who had involved themselves in the Holy Grail War, they were privy to such memories. Moments of figures who in life or later on would become heroes of renown, though how the word was interpreted could be a matter of debate. Nevertheless, these events and others like them would shape these figures into who they became and what they did.

In one particular case, though, the memories were depicted… differently.

Sakura stood in the clearing, gripping her staff uneasily as she looked about beside her Atto. On her right, she saw a series of flashing amethyst strokes. The movements were almost too swift for Sakura to keep up with but followed a certain pattern. Sometimes the violet clashed with blue or green, once or twice with red, and that color for some reason made her shiver.

On her left, there was someone sitting in the lotus position. The image was so blurry she could barely make out any details of them save for dark skin and robes and the impression of them being rather young. Her age, maybe, if that. But they were also radiating an odd sense of calm that was tinged with tension somehow. Like the two opposites were trying to… mesh.

And right in front of her, there was the biggest image. Inside a red room, a group of figures, all radiating a… spiritual presence, were sitting or standing in front of a broad desk. “…You must realize there aren’t enough Jedi to protect the Republic,” a powerful baritone she’d only heard for the first time just a night ago was speaking. “We’re keepers of the peace, not soldiers.”

As the mist faded away, Sakura nodded. “Yeah, that’s definitely Ruler X,” she motioned with her staff at the image. “But how is this possible? Big Sister told me once about a tidbit from Kirei, that Masters can see the past lives of their Servants while dreaming. But… Ruler X isn’t my Servant. I’m not supplying him with mana, there’s no contract between us… right?”

“…Perhaps not a contract as your sister has with her Servants,” Atto began after a moment of rumination, “but it seems your summoning of him forged some measure of a bond between him and you.” He stroked his beard. “During recounting the events you witnessed last night, Sakura…” A slight admonishment lay inside his words, the girl flinching inadvertently from it. She knew he wasn’t happy about the risk she took, especially with such destructive Servants rampaging about. “You mentioned hearing of a corruption within the Grail. One that may’ve sought to prevent Ruler X’s emergence.”

“Right,” her eyes widened as the words came back to her, “he almost couldn’t be summoned. It was only by, well, piggybacking onto my ritual, which was coincidentally happening at the same time, that he made it to Fuyuki.” The young wizard glanced up to the sky, some clouds drifting past the sun. Then she focused back on her teacher. “So… You think because my magic helped Ruler X appear, I’ve somehow connected myself to him?” She received a shrug and a nod, both of which made her gears in her head turn. “Do you think he knows?”

Atto’s attention shifted to a new gathering of mist to his right. “He may suspect as much, which could be why he agreed to help you on your search for answers.” The mist shifted into a scene of Ruler X sitting inside a sort of council room, his seat forming a circle with eleven others. “Based on these memories, I imagine Ruler X has the spiritual awareness, at least, to recognize his bond to you. And he strikes me as fundamentally a responsible man.”

The scene shifted to a sunset outside, and a teenaged girl with orange skin and a curious sort of fleshy blue-and-white horns growing from her head was standing in the center. Sakura winced slightly from the aura of hurt and betrayal around this girl. “Doesn’t look like he always made the right choices, though.”

“No,” Atto pursed his lips as he glanced between the girl and Ruler X’s stoic mien, “it does not.” The scene dissipated again, leaving behind a tinge of regret they both felt. “Still,” the elder wizard stepped over and offered her his arm, “from what you’ve described of the night’s battles, there are worse Servants you could’ve bound yourself to.” Softly conceding the point, Sakura wrapped her arm around his and let him guide her along to the patch on their left. Some flowers were depriving others of sun and water and needed trimming.

As they began tending to them, Sakura’s hand lingered around a red lily that had freshly bloomed near the center. Staring at its leaves reminded her that it had nearly been a month since she’d visited Uncle Kariya, causing a little pang in her heart.

And both the memory of his fate and the lily’s color steered her train of thought to another matter. “Big Sister… doesn’t know.” Her mumbling made Atto look over to her, prompting the young woman to clear her throat. “Uh, I mean, she doesn’t know about you or my powers or that I helped get Ruler X here. It turns out there was a bunch of things she didn’t know,” Sakura pondered the details about Father having also summoned two Servants in his time (had Uncle Kariya done the same…?) before huffing, “which might’ve spared me a deeper interrogation from her about me being so close to her battle. Not that it stopped her from treating me like I’m made of glass…”

“Siblings worry for one another,” Atto chuckled beside her. “And in light of everything she had learned, Rin surely needed some form of normality by fussing over you.”

“Yeah, me, her powerless baby sister.” With a click of her tongue, she conjured a ribbon of flames that danced and winded safely above the flower bed, gently combusting select leaves and petals that were blocking the sun over tinier flowers. Sakura snapped her fingers, and the flames were snuffed out. “If only she knew I shielded her and Emiya-senpai last night.” Her frown deepened. “Then again, given what else she said…” Those words to her Servants, that decision to kill someone like her not-so-secret crush Emiya, just for standing in her way…

It did little to inspire warm and fuzzy feelings inside Sakura Tohsaka.

A hand by her shoulder brought her back from such thoughts, and she managed a grateful smile at Atto. “Well, the fact remains your sister is alive,” he reminded her, “and though she may not know it, in no insignificant part because of you.” His blue eyes narrowed at her body trembling beneath his grasp. “And I see you will soon be heading to school alongside her.”

“For the first time in a while.” Sakura smiled just a little more despite the tug. “What… do you think I should do?”

“Appreciate what peaceful time you have with her,” her father figure counseled, “and come to your own conclusions on who can help you discover the truth.” Right… these revelations about Jade… Lancer X… the corruption of the Grail… they came from senpai’s Servants and aunt. Could she trust them, though? And shouldn’t she try and make something out of this… bond to Ruler X…? Another tug, stronger. “Until our next meeting, yelya.”

“Tenna enta lúmë, Atto.” The last thing Sakura saw before waking up was an encouraging smile from him.

While his beloved student was gone, however, the wizard noticed to his worry how the borders of the forest’s dark area had slightly expanded.

Kakashi Hatake, the man who had analyzed and copied a thousand jutsu with the Sharingan of a fallen comrade, staggered where he stood, nearly tumbling over. “Okay, easy, easy,” he pleaded chuckling with the eight hounds who had piled onto him, licking and pawing and cuddling like he’d disappear again. “It’s great seeing you boys, too.” They all returned the sentiment with barks and more snuggles, openly wearing their shinobi garb for the first time in a good while.

Then one hound with light fur and noticeable whiskers stopped and sniffed the air. “Saber…?” He turned in his spot before spotting the blonde Servant, squinting eyes opening wide, and leaped from Kakashi with a delighted bark. “Saber!”

Artoria snatched the little darling out of the air and twirled him once before pulling him close. She giggled from his whiskers and tongue against her face, “I missed you, too, Guruko,” before kissing his snout, then the two blissfully rubbed their cheeks together. Saber then beamed as Urushi, Biscuit and Shiba trotted over. “I missed you all.”

Maiya watched happily from the side, Bumblebee standing right behind her with a more open smile. Shirou had just left for Homurahara a couple minutes ago despite his aunt’s protests; a school was an easy target, and as last night’s skirmish had demonstrated, some of their enemies didn’t give a damn about collateral damage. But he’d argued back that he couldn’t simply skip school, especially with that Bounded Field that needed investigating, and after a lengthy battle of stubbornness, they’d agreed to him going but with back-up.

Taiga had left even earlier than her honorary brother after setting up a proper time for her duels with “Atria” and Kakashi; they’d all been too tuckered out to fight last evening. Therefore, with Maiya still having a little time before her shift at the shop, the Servant duo had a chance to freely reunite with some old comrades.

Assassin X laughed again as Pakkun clambered up his chest for more licking while Bull nuzzled him from behind. “You’re all definitely in top shape,” he commented amused before turning to their interim caretaker. “Thanks for looking after them, Maiya.”

“Truth be told, they did more for me than I did for them.” She stepped over to him to rub Uhei’s head, the greyhound happily lolling out his tongue at the touch. “Comfort snuggles probably aren’t the intended use for the Summoning Jutsu, but I never really did bother with conventional rules, did I, boy? Did I?” Uhei leaned into her side for more strokes, almost bowling Maiya giggling over. The sight made Kakashi beam beneath his mask.

Even Saber X was getting some attention as Akino trotted around him sniffing curiously. “Hey now,” he warned with a laugh, “I’m willing to submit to the ‘man’s best friend’ idea with you guys, but I am not a fire hydrant.” All eight paused in their activities to shoot the robot an affronted glare, prompting him to raise his hands defensively. “No offense, but I speak from past experiences.”

“Don’t worry,” Saber ruffled Urushi’s fur, “these sweeties are better behaved than that.” She rose again and addressed Maiya. “Given the kibble and doggie treats in the pantry, I take it you introduced Shirou to the pack, too?”

She nodded. “Not at first. Kiritsugu worried he’d ask too many questions about them, so we simply had the hounds tail him. It was right after Kiritsugu’s… funeral when he met them for the first time. Back then, I thought it was a silly idea, but… none of us should’ve had to grieve alone, least of all Shirou.” The dogs dipped his heads in mourning, Biscuit even scurrying over to the Servants to pass on a final message. Artoria was visibly taken aback to hear it but thanked him all the same; it seemed what respect she’d developed for her former Master had been reciprocated. This… heartened her.

As for Kakashi, he simply petted Biscuit’s head quietly wondering what Kiritsugu had to thank or apologize to him for. He was the one who’d screwed up at the final stage, after all…

He set aside these regrets. No time for them now, he had to support his new team. “Shirou clearly doesn’t know they used to be my pack,” Assassin X observed. At the very least, his new Master would’ve recognized the headband they all wore. “How much does he know?”

Maiya inclined her head towards Bull who regurgitated the dogs’ summoning contract, revealing Shirou’s signature and fingerprints. “He knows they’re familiars and can talk, and I decided to add him to the contract after teaching him the Summoning Jutsu. But that’s the extent of it.” She smirked slightly. “On that note, Kiritsugu and I never really… specified the difference between jutsu and magecraft.”

“Did you now?” Amusement returned to the Copy Ninja’s voice. “That explains why he always looks so confused and curious whenever I cast ninjutsu. I almost don’t want to spoil the surprise, but…” He nodded to himself. “Yeah, I’ve got an idea or two.”

“Already drawn up a training plan for him?” Saber smiled, too, the dreams of last night coming to mind, those moments of him teaching his genin bright spots among all the… pain. She made a note to herself to talk with Kakashi about Obito and Rin (Nohara; no wonder he addressed that Tohsaka girl by her surname) when they had more time. Sadly, business first. “That reminds me, I hope you may indulge me with a spar later, Bumblebee.”

Saber X straightened at being addressed, glancing between his Master who nodded and to his colleague. “I wouldn’t mind after we’re done with the shop, but you might wanna brace yourself for disappointment.” He shrugged. “Like I told Shirou yesterday, I’m not really good enough to qualify for your class, Saber, let alone hold a candle to you in a real fight.”

“You faced Megatron and didn’t back down even after what that tin-plated bastard did to you,” Maiya countered while she set up alongside Assassin X cameras and earpieces for the pack, all nine stiffening. “Hell, you’re the one who killed him, Bumblebee.”

The Autobot scout might’ve blushed from the praise if his cheeks worked like that. Besides, that name soured his good mood. “I got lucky…” Only then did he notice that the other two Servants and even the hounds had turned stock-still. What’s more, they all had looks of recognition to Bumblebee’s shock. “Wait… you all know Megatron…?” Those big eyes widened even further as he put the pieces together. “Oh, scrap… He was in the Fourth Grail War, too?!”

“As Rider X, to be specific.” Assassin X set down Pakkun and sighed. “Right, we didn’t mention that to you. Sorry about that, Bee, but with everything else going on, it’s getting hard to keep track of who we’ve told what.”

“He- he was in Fuyuki…” Bumblebee mumbled in a mounting mixture of horror and anger. His right hand drifted reflexively to his throat. “He was summoned… as a Rider… as a Heroic Spirit?!”

Artoria nodded, frowning herself at the recollection of that abominable alien tyrant. “Kirei Kotomine was the one who summoned him, another reason why we cannot trust that priest.” She still didn’t want to imagine what sort of soul could be compatible with someone like him, corrupted Grail or no corrupted Grail. “Megatron was a dangerous enemy, ruthless, sadistic and very cunning. He ended up one of our two final opponents and a personal one at that.” Her fist clenched while her mind flashed back to her final bittersweet memory of Lancelot.

She still had enough presence of mind to notice Bee mirroring her expression despite his metallic features. “Megatron started the War that practically killed my homeworld.” He tapped a finger against his throat. “He ripped out my voice box with his own claws when I wouldn’t give him what he wanted. He killed so many of my comrades…” That hand balled into a trembling fist. “And hurt even more…” The robotic Servant’s entire body shuddered with fury as he glared at the ground, his voice barely a whisper. “And when he got a second chance here… he did it all again!”

Any doubts Maiya, Assassin X, Saber or the ninja hounds might’ve had left about this Heroic Spirit were laid to rest as they watched him try to regain his composure. “…But you two… you stopped Megatron?” he finally asked.

“Kiritsugu dealt the crucial blow to him,” Kakashi clarified. Neither he nor his partner sought to take all the credit for such a feat. “He made Megatron scream… right before everything went dark.” He took a breath to not dwell on that part and added. “That monster’s probably stewing in defeat in whatever twisted corner of the Throne of Heroes he came from.”

“…Good.” Bumblebee then raised his head and nodded determined to himself. “I might not have much offer as a Servant, but I’ll help this team in every way I can.”

Maiya stepped past him to pat his shoulder. “Happy to hear it, Bee. I’m off to work, but you can come with me and patrol the area in spirit form.” She received another nod before turning to the pack. “You know the drill, boys. Spread out and pick up as many scents as you can.”

The hounds barked in confirmation before scattering in one smooth bound. Saber watched them go with token concern before reminding herself these sweethearts could take care of themselves. That said, she owed Lancer a few extra bruises… “I’ll remain near the house in case other teams try any funny business.” Her continued lack of a spirit form made little else possible, but Saber knew how to keep herself busy.

Maiya Hisau for her part was just glad she’d smuggled an extra pair of cookies into her bag if that glutton of a King was staying put.

“That leaves watching over and supporting Shirou to me,” Assassin X’s Shadow Clone concluded before releasing himself with a Poof! And so, the comrades dispersed for now.

Everything seemed pretty normal at Homurahara, Shirou noted, aside from the weird Bounded Field surrounding it, of course. As he walked on, he paused upon seeing a familiar face walking up the stairs with another girl. “Good morning, Tohsaka.” The girl nearly stumbled and turned stiffly to him with a shocked face, allowing him to see- “La- uh, Ruby Rose, right?” Shirou hastily amended himself lest anybody overhear.

“Hey, Shirou!” The silver-eyed Servant happily waved at him before pausing. “Wait, I’ve gotta call you Emiya, right? Sorry about that…” She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head as Shirou took in her appearance. She was dressed in typical Homurahara Academy uniform, with stockings covering her legs like Tohsaka and the addition of her cloak trailing behind her. Lancer X must’ve noticed him staring at it. “Yeah, old habits die hard.”

“Just don’t let Kuzuki-sensei catch you wearing it,” Shirou muttered before catching himself. “But, uh, why are you doing here?” He gestured to her solid form. It wasn’t like she couldn’t use spirit form like-

“Wh-what are you doing here, Emiya?!” Tohsaka’s hiss, only just quiet enough not to draw attention, sliced through his ruminations. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to just walking about?! You’re a Master!” She threw her hands up in the air, ignoring Ruby’s attempts to calm her down. “A Master whose Servants can’t dematerialize!”

“It’s not like my ordinary life gets put on hold just because of you-know-what,” Shirou whispered back. The others had tried to convince him not to go, but Shirou knew he couldn’t just duck out from class work. This Grail War was bound to pass over, and assuming he came out the other side alive, Shirou Emiya would still have to finish school like any other person. Explaining that logic convinced one who in turn convinced the others, and here he was.

Rin, however, was not in the mood for this. Not after the night she’d spent tossing and turning in her bed while replaying every conversation she’d had the past decade with that fake priest, trying to suss out what else he might’ve kept from her. The Holy Grail, the prize her father and ancestors had fought over for nearly two hundred years, corrupted? That caused the Fuyuki Fire? How long had it been like that? Had Kirei known this?

Had Kirei even told the truth about J- Father’s Lancer X? He had shown Rin the official investigation’s report once, complete with the Magus Association’s seals and signature… or had that been a fake?

But as she finally fell asleep, she reminded herself that two facts were irrevocably true: Father was dead, and his Servant had failed to protect him. Like she’d promised…

Waking up to the smell of Sakura’s cooking had lightened Rin’s mood a touch, but the sisters had argued pretty heavily over her being so close to active Servants fighting. Sakura had stormed off to Sojutsu practice in a slight huff, plus Ruby insisted on going with her to Homurahara, and not even in spirit form but wearing a spare uniform of her sister’s, so Rin had to come up with a plausible cover story and befuddlement charm for “Exchange Student Ruby Rose” and she still worried if Sakura had made it safely to practice and that hack’s Bounded Field was still up-

Yeah, she needed an outlet. And this dimwit of a magus had so kindly offered himself up. “It’s not going to just sit calmly on the side while you play schoolboy either, Emiya! You might as well hang a sign around your neck saying, ‘Please kill me,’ if you just walk about alone-”

“He’s not alone.” …Rin really needed to sneak some kind of tracking charm onto Assassin X. Or a bell.

She spun around to find the foreign Servant standing to the side in grey overalls, one hand raised in greeting and the other holding a mop. A cleaning cart was set up behind him. “You’re… posing as a janitor?” Rin blinked before mumbling, “Damnit, that’s… brilliant.”

Assassin X shrugged good-naturedly. “You’d be surprised how little people pay attention to a guy who picks up trash and sweeps floors for a living, Miss Tohsaka.”

“And with this guy’s reputation as the school’s unpaid handyman,” Emiya eyed her a little indignantly, which she ignored, “you have plenty of opportunities to meet up together…” Rin wanted to slap herself. Why didn’t I think of that? Archer pounces on every speck of dust…

“Slick thinking,” Lancer X complimented a little more nicely. “But uh, wouldn’t at least the staff wonder who their new janitor is?”

The Servant’s scarred left eye opened for just a moment in a wink. “I can be persuasive.” Rin realized what he meant upon registering that unusual shape. He can hypnotize people or cast illusions, too? Or both? She bit on her lip, trying not to glare at that stupid Emiya and his drawing the jackpot of a Servant team.

Shirou’s mood lightened again as his attention shifted to the silver-haired man playfully miming sweeping the floor, calm and collected as ever. Despite everything that happened to him in his life…

On the way to Homurahara, Shirou had brought up the strange “dreams” he’d been having the last two nights, so Kakashi explained they were another side effect of the contract between them. Apparently, Masters regularly saw the past lives of Servants while they slept, or at least the scenes crucial to their legends. The deeper the bond, the more the Masters learned. Surreal though it all sounded, Shirou actually came around to it pretty quickly. Maybe he was just becoming conditioned to all this insanity.

Regardless, the images and emotions he’d witnessed were… incredible. Saber’s steadfast, selfless commitment to her country and people. Kakashi’s perseverance in memory of his fallen teammate and decision to live for his sake. They resonated with him, making him wonder how he managed to summon someone as capable and collected as the undercover shinobi who was now standing beside him. And that wasn’t even considering how Kakashi had taken the time last night to sit down and help him sort his image of Kiritsugu with who he really was into a more… realistic picture. It all made the boy feel a bit… unworthy.

For that matter, the “jutsu” he and others used in those memories, they all felt so familiar. No, not familiar… They were pretty much the same thing, the Shadow Clones, Substitution, Summoning animals (and weapons, too. He wondered if Maiya knew that trick or if Kakashi could teach him) and other “jutsu” Shirou didn’t recognize. Was there a link between this world’s magecraft and Kakashi’s? Or…?

“Well, at least you have something capable enough to think for you.” That backhanded compliment brought him back to reality, where a still-frowning Tohsaka had crossed her arms. “Guess you can still go about your high-school fantasies safely, Emiya.”

Emiya frowned back at her but didn’t say anything. Probably for the better, lest he question why she was here, too. That question was already dancing in his eyes, and Rin was in no mood to answer it. “Come on, Rose,” she turned on her heel while addressing her “foreign friend” who was already attracting a number of curious looks, “we’ve enough time I can show you where Sakura’s class is. She’ll join you after her session’s over.”

“R-right.” Rin could picture the Remnantian wave her hand to Emiya, “take care, see you afterwards!” Questioning looks were shot their way, but the Tohsaka Master ignored them as well as the miniscule relief in some deep corner of her mind.

Shirou watched the girls go, somewhat worried about Tohsaka despite her jabs at his intelligence. She’d seemed like she had been pretty shaken by last night’s revelations, maybe more than he’d been. I hope she’s okay… Well, she’s at least confident she can take care of herself. No sooner did the thought cross the boy’s mind than it started to ache. What the-

A polite cough drew his attention to Kakashi who nodded pointedly to a clock on the wall. “Right, class-!” With a grateful nod, Shirou rushed off past fewer students than before. He couldn’t call himself ordinary if he played hooky at school!

The first class was luckily self-study, so it wasn’t that big a problem that he showed up a minute there, and the day passed rather quickly. And sure enough, barely anyone noticed the new masked janitor sweeping up the halls. Those who did made eye contact with him once, then shrugged and greeted him as if he’d been working at the school for years before walking off.

If anything, it was the other Servant who attracted more attention, particularly among the boys. They accepted Ruby Rose’s cover story about being an exchange student easy enough and were very quick with offers to show her around. Thankfully, both Rin and Mitsuzuri were quick to scare off anyone with less pure intentions. The latter happily used the chance to dole out beatings for those who had witnessed her little “moment” yesterday in the presence of a certain scarred beefcake visiting the archery club and wouldn’t stop bringing it up!

After quickly popping in by Emiya (which would probably generate rumors, too) and learning of the encounter, Rin relaxed and made a mental note to tease Mitsuzuri later.

Sakura, once her morning session was over, took Ruby under her wing for classes, and aside from a little cultural struggle with addressing others now and then, the Huntress was a well-behaved student, regularly participating in classes. She even took the stage in mathematics, practically taking over today’s trigonometry lesson. This netted her a lot of tutoring requests.

Sakura had been torn between hiding underneath her desk and bursting in laughter.

Lunchtime arrived with Shirou sitting in the student council’s room as usual, though its president had his head plunked on the table, glasses resting neatly beside him. “Not having lunch today, Issei?” he asked in between bites.

“Later,” he groaned against the wood. “Right now, I just want to sleep a little…”

Shirou sipped his tea in thought. This wasn’t like Issei. “What’s up, you didn’t go to bed last night?”

“I did, but I haven’t been getting much sleep lately. And to top it off, I had to talk to that exchange student Rose that Tohsaka brought along.” He shifted disgruntled at his spot. “As if I needed more confirmation that woman was put on this earth to make my life miserable…”

“Who, Rose? She seems pretty nice in general- oh, you were talking about Tohsaka, weren’t you?” Shirou got a tired, grumbled “yes,” as he leaned back. “I’m surprised you didn’t give her a lecture about the school dress code.”

Issei finally lifted his head to shoot him an exhausted stink-eye. “I tried. Then it was like those eyes of hers got twice as big and started shimmering and…” His head slammed against the table. “Buddha help me if word spreads about that…” Shirou patted his friend sympathetically on the shoulder. “Don’t patronize me, Emiya.”

The Master leaned back sympathetic at Issei’s plight yet trying not to smile all the same. Huh… that last part was new. Then came a knock at the door. “Someone to see you, Issei.”

“The student council’s closed for today. They can come back another time.” His friend must’ve really been sleep-deprived because Shirou never heard him sound so openly short-fused.

Then the door slid open, and Shirou quickly whispered, “It’s Kuzuki-sensei!” That made Issei bolt upright.

Lucky for him, their ethics teacher seemed more interested in Shirou, but when he spoke, it was as void of anything as usual. “Ryuudou, I need to speak with you.”

Issei quickly put on his glasses and stood up. “Y-yes, sir.” The door closed behind them, and the other boy waited patiently inside the council room, wondering idly what they were talking about among other things. Kakashi had picked up on the Bounded Field, too, and said he’d look into it. I wonder if he can shut it down. Shirou paused. When did he get so nonchalant about letting someone else solve a problem?

“Very well, if that’s the faculty’s decision…” Issei’s words snapped him back to reality. “Understood, I’ll let them know. And, er, my apologies about the new girl violating-”

“I’ll let it slide today due to this… ‘Miss Rose’ being new here, and with school ending early anyway…” Shirou frowned at Kuzuki-sensei’s words. “Excuse me for imposing on you, but the former matter is rather urgent.”

“O-of course. I’m grateful for your trust in me.” Footsteps that grew more distant, then Issei slid open the door and walked back in.

“Is there a problem?” Shirou asked. Aside from the magical War happening under everyone’s noses and potentially an evil lurking about Fuyuki…

The council president sat down first and sighed before replying. “It seems I’m not the only one low on energy today. The teachers have all noted a general state of exhaustion among the students throughout today’s classes. Nearly a tenth of the entire student body and some faculty members have called in sick.” They shared a frown. Shirou had noticed a couple of empty seats in all of his classes, Shinji’s among them. “There’s a concern of some contagious bug going around, and given the recent gas leaks, the principal has decided to end today’s afternoon activities.” Issei rested his elbows on the table and his chin on both hands. “I’m supposed to tell the announcer all of this, so you’re just the first to know, Emiya.”

“What about tomorrow?” He asked despite his own suspicions. “Will there still be classes?”

Issei nodded. “Apparently, they don’t want to completely close the school. This might just be a coincidence, after all.” He didn’t sound like he believed that, either. And both boys knew how others would react to still having to come in tomorrow. But it was out of the students’ hands.

Lunchtime ended, and the last few classes went as normal, but Shirou definitely noticed the number of yawns and groans throughout them. Even the teachers were moving sluggishly. And not once had he seen Shinji today.

Then the speakers activated. “Today’s after-school activities are all canceled,” Watanabe’s voice rang out, drawing both cheers and groans alike. “The library is also closed, and all students without urgent matters are all advised to go home and get some rest. Tomorrow’s morning classes will begin as normal, so please arrive on time if you can.” The groans increased, but nobody tried to argue, and soon enough, the school was nearly barren.

Only a handful of individuals were still hanging around, two of which were by the school’s dumpster. “It’s definitely a subtle thing, this Bounded Field,” Assassin X observed while tossing away a trash bag. “Its origin isn’t one I’m familiar with, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the cause of this ‘flu’ that’s made the rounds.” He put a hand to his face mask. “…I spotted a couple of interesting sigils while cleaning and erased them, but it’s still active.”

“So, maybe the best way to take down the Bounded Field is by going for the source,” Shirou concluded, drawing a nod from the Servant. “Is it a Caster or some magus?”

‘Can’t tell you, I need a little more intel.” With the last bag in the dumpster, Kakashi dusted off his hands. “I’m going to check the clubhouses and find out if they’re within the Field’s boundaries. Shouldn’t take me more than a couple minutes, so stay inside the school until I get back.” He held up a finger. “But be on guard, Shirou. If there’s trouble, call me or Saber with the Command Seals. If there’s big trouble, call us both.” His Master nodded at the instructions, but the Hidden Leaf shinobi wasn’t sure he’d follow them. Just like old times.

They went their separate ways for now, and Shirou walked back into the main building and up the stairs. He was about to conduct his own search when he heard steps from above. Reaching the next floor, he turned the corner to find a familiar face staring pretty contemptuously down at him. “Oh, right. You want to have that talk now, Tohsaka?”

“For goodness’ sake.” Rin crossed her arms, straining her senses to be sure Assassin X wasn’t about to sneak up on her again. “You’ve got guts straying so far from your Servant. Didn’t he come with you here so you would be protected?”

“Assassin X is close enough. Besides, you don’t have Lancer X by your side, either.”

She fought down the urge to smirk. “She’s inspecting the area as yours is, but we both know she could get here faster. Besides, I’m more than capable of defending myself.” She tilted her head, frustration bubbling inside her. “After everything you’ve learned, how are you still so stupid, Emiya?”

“Stupid?” He glared back at her, stoking the heat evermore. “I’m not helpless, either! Besides, Masters and Servants can’t fight with bystanders around. Not if they want to stay on Ruler X’s good side. So, school ought to be pretty safe.”

The condescending hum Shirou received rankled him. Aunt Maiya had told him magi tended to be high-and-mighty snobs, but this- “Then tell me, do you see anyone else here?” He paused and glanced from one side to the other. Empty hallways. I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

“So, you’ve finally caught on.” The edge in Tohsaka’s voice supported his prediction. “Honestly, I’ve been in the worst mood since your group dropped all those bombshells last night, and you and your blatant ignorance, Emiya, were the last straw. This Grail War grows more complicated each day, and you’re still worried about your everyday life?” She pulled up her left sleeve, revealing a set of turquoise glowing lines along her forearm. They were a lot bigger and more structured than ordinary Magic Circuits, Shirou noted. A Magic Crest? Aunt Maiya had shown him pictures, but the real deal looked rather ominous.

The wariness in those auburn eyes only made Rin more incensed at this point. Too little, too late. “That’s right.” She proudly raised her arm with the afternoon sun illuminating her from behind. “This is the culmination of my family honing their magecraft across generations. A little mana is all I need to cast any spell in these lines.” Her smirk faded. “Lancer X can keep your Assassin X at bay, and I don’t need Archer for this. Gandr is more than enough to take care of you.”

“Gandr?” Shirou shifted slightly, weighing his options. Tohsaka had the high ground and advantage in magecraft. This wasn’t a good spot for a fight. And how had it even come to a fight? He’d thought they were good! “Those blasts you fired at Berserker was some basic Nordic curse?”

“Right again.” And her smirk was back as she pointed her finger right at him. Not good. “Completely basic.”

“Are you nuts, Tohsaka, you can’t just pick a fight at school!” How pitiful, trying to reason with her. And here she’d thought Emiya was more confident… “What if someone hears us? Besides, I thought we were on the same side!”

“You thought wrong,” Rin corrected him. She was in no mood for another argument like this. “We’re settled our debts to each other, Emiya, so the slate is clear. Regardless of the Holy Grail’s state, we are both Masters. That makes us enemies.” Mana crackled inside her fingertip. “I’ve spent years preparing myself for this fight, and I refuse to let some ignorant amateur flail about, drawing my attention when there are real enemies I need to defeat!” She put on a smirk again, ignoring her doubts. “I don’t think my nerves can take you anymore.”

Emiya opened his mouth again, likely another futile attempt to talk this out… Then he was moving to her right, and Rin’s instincts kicked in. “Running away won’t save you, Shirou!” She steadied her left arm with her right hand, and her Gandr shot blasted into where the boy had been a second ago.

Shirou stuck the landing and chanced a glance behind him at the shattered floor. “That much power in one Gandr… You’re really trying to kill me, too, now?” He called while sprinting down the hall. He could hear her footsteps down the stairs.

“That’s what I said!” He heard her shout and ducked instinctively as the next Gandr bolts zipped past him, one grazing his shoulder. “Hold Still!” Pain shot through him, but Shirou stayed on his feet and kept going. He couldn’t just keep running, though, not if he wanted to help stop whatever darkness had taken root in this city. He couldn’t always count on Saber or Kakashi or Bee to bail him out, either.

…And Aunt Maiya would probably give him an even bigger ass-kicking for hesitating about fighting a girl.

Counterattack it is.

Emiya was a good runner, at least, and he had a head start. But Rin kept herself in shape, too, and she hadn’t even Reinforced her legs yet. “Someone could seriously get hurt by those things!” And idiotic comments like that only spurred her on more to get her hands on him.

“If you don’t like pain, hold still, and it’ll be over in a second!” The hallway was ending, and Emiya was about to be cornered. “One hit at a vital spot will kill you instantly!” To demonstrate, she fired another Gandr volley just as Emiya veered to the wall and grabbed… a poster?

Mana lines fluttered along its surface while he threw it behind himself, the paper connecting with the Gandr. Rin instinctively shielded her eyes from the resulting flash and smoke, but she could still hear Emiya’s steps- getting closer! “This is your idea of mercy!?” His shoulder rammed into her as she was aiming, then two hands grabbed her by the back of her shoulders before Rin found herself shoved against a door. “I don’t want to fight you, Tohsaka!”

“Too bad!” She slammed her elbow back into Emiya’s arm, freeing herself. He slipped into the open classroom, but she followed him and pinned him with an arm lock against the nearest desk. “Fair warning, Emiya, I’ve been training in martial arts for years now.” She smirked at her cornered prey. “The times where magi would be defenseless without magecraft are over.”

With a grunt, Emiya broke the lock, shifted his position and, before Rin could react, executed a perfect hip throw on her. Her back slammed against the floor, and the next thing she knew, Emiya’s right hand had pinned her left wrist down, and his left forearm was at her neck. She stared up at the boy she would’ve dismissed as harmless a week ago.

He shrugged slightly. “My aunt prefers Muay Thai.”

Irritation flickered inside Rin, but it was mixed with an odd sort of excitement. Beating down a defenseless dolt might’ve left a sour taste in her mouth afterwards, but to know Emiya could and would fight back… And she thought she could see a little grin playing along his mouth right now, too, kind of like the one she felt on her own lips. Oh, it was on.

She slammed her knee into his ribs, rattling him enough for her to snap her other leg up and kick against the back of his head. Emiya tumbled to the side conscious but shaken, and Rin threw a punch that was blocked by his elbow. He tried kicking at her legs, but she jumped over him, prompting him to roll away. But not fast enough for her to pin him from behind.

Shirou planted his right foot against the wall, channeling his od through the slipper until his foot was stuck, then he applied even more. The repulsion blasted him backwards, taking Tohsaka with him, as they crashed into the opposite wall. Her back hit it first, drawing a pained gasp from her and releasing her grip, as Shirou stood up. “A little more to the right, and you’d have gone out the window,” he warned. “Sure you want to keep going, Tohsaka?”

She rolled her shoulder before flashing him an eager grin. “Oh, I’m sure.” Tohsaka held her hand to the wall and chanted, “Das Schließen Vogelkäfig… Echo!” A crimson glyph emerged with a crackle of energy that spread across the inside of the room. A Bounded Field! Shirou realized as it washed over the windows. Nowhere to go, huh? He assumed his stance, a weird fire burning inside him. Fine.

As Tohsaka readied another Gandr, Shirou grabbed the nearest chair, muttering, “Trace on,” as he Reinforced it, and swung it at her. She ducked and rolled beneath it, the Gandr nearly blasting him in the face if he hadn’t kicked the arm away. She kicked away his other leg, causing him to fall to the floor, but he managed to clumsily shield himself with the chair from a Reinforced kick. It shattered, but Tohsaka yelped in pain, so guess that was a draw.

Rin stumbled back suppressing the urge to rub her leg. She saw Emiya reaching for another chair and lunged, her Reinforced right fist surging at his thick skull. But Emiya deflected it and countered with a right knee, forcing her to block, then they spent the next ten seconds trading and blocking blows. Rin could feel sweat gathering on her body with each grunt.

While she’d never admit it out loud, this was the most fun she’d had in a long while.

Shirou leaned back from another jab, noting the mana lines all over the arm. He couldn’t block Reinforced strikes with his own average limbs, not without snapping himself in half. But he was seeing the patterns in Tohsaka’s attacks. Jab, jab, left knee, right palm strike- He stepped into her reach and made for a front kick, the girl reading and sidestepping it, only for his leg to snap into her from the side. She barely half-blocked it, but for just a quick second, Shirou allowed himself a grin. Yes! I finally did the question-mark kick right!

His excitement faltered from concern as Tohsaka tripped backwards over a chair, and he made to check on her. Then she landed in a crouch and aimed her left hand at him again. Cheap shot, Tohsaka!” Shirou couldn’t help but yell as he dived to the side and behind a knocked-over desk on the other side of the room, the ceiling exploding behind him.

Despite the Gandr missing its mark and the bruise on her head from that last kick, Rin laughed. “All’s fair in war, Emiya!” She rose to her feet again and poured more mana into her hand. “Fixierung, Eilesalve!” Her next Gandr attack was released in a wide volley, shredding everything in front of her save for the Reinforced desk Emiya was cowering behind. Credit where credit was due, his magecraft wasn’t too shabby. But it wouldn’t last long.

“I appreciate the workout, Emiya,” she declared as her spell ended, “but enough is enough. We both know you don’t have a prayer of matching me.” She fingered a blue gem in her pocket. “Come out and accept it’s over.”

The desk spun away and Emiya was suddenly pouncing at her with a Reinforced rod in hand. “Nothing’s over while I’m still alive-”

“Dummy.” One Gandr blasted right into his chest. Due punishment for rushing her head-on. Rin ignored her trembling hands as she pocketed the gem. D-didn’t need it after all-

Poof!

Emiya’s body disappeared in smoke right in front of the magus. “Wha-?” She stepped back, nearly missing Emiya swooping in from the right side. An illusion?! No, he was solid- Rin’s thoughts ran over one another as he tried turning around before the boy reached her with his trembling rod-

And stopped. The rod hovered centimeters from her neck while her hand pointed at his face.

Both teenagers stood there panting, warily watching one another, trying to keep their faces straight as adrenaline surged through their bodies. “Are we… done here?” Shirou Emiya had no idea why his mouth kept trying to smile in a situation like this. I must be going crazy…

“Not until…” Rin Tohsaka huffed back, pushing down all the elation and relief inside her, “you… surrender… your Command… Seals to… me.” She took a deep breath, then spoke more clearly. “I’ll peel the nerves out of your arm if I have to. Either that or you die.”

“Not happening!” he said immediately. “Handing over the Command Seals would be the same as betraying Saber and Assassin X. They’ve accepted me as their Master and comrade, so the least I can do is honor their faith in me.” His grip tightened. “Besides, I can’t just ignore how dangerous the Holy Grail might be if it falls into the wrong hands.”

Dark-red energy swirled around her finger. “And now you think your hands are the right ones? Some self-defense and a handful of cheap tricks aren’t enough to make you my equal.” Her eyes narrowed. “This is your last chance, Emiya: Give me your Command Seals and walk away. You have three seconds to comply. After that, I won’t hold back anymore.”

Three seconds passed, and neither Master would back down. But before one or the other could make the next move, someone else spoke up. “Y’know, there’s another option.”

They froze and turned to find Kakashi Hatake leaning against the open doorframe, the room’s Bounded Field disabled. Ruby Rose stood right next to him, crossing her arms and imitating her partner’s glare pretty well as she directed it at her Master. “You could not break our teams’ truce and listen while we report our findings, and then,” she threw up her hands, “crazy idea, I know, but maybe you could agree to an alliance with another team. How’s that sound to next-generation’s magic super-genius Rin Tohsaka?”

Shirou stepped cautiously back as Tohsaka’s cheeks turned a deeper red than her Servant’s cloak. “D-don’t patronize me, Lancer X!” Her eyes kept straying to Kakashi, though, and how nonchalantly his hand rested on his pouch…

In that moment, the boy realized his Servant had been aware of his fight with Tohsaka the whole time. Rose, too, judging by her agitation. Either could’ve stepped in at any point… just like they had now.

Noticing Shirou’s expression, Kakashi shrugged. “We did caution you against fighting Servants,” he inclined his head, “but Miss Tohsaka here is a Master. You will have to fend for yourself against opponents like her, Shirou, so this was a good way to see you handle yourself.” Privately, he was impressed with his Master. A more limited skillset, but he’s resourceful, quick-witted and capable of using the unorthodox. All the more impressive given he wasn’t aiming to kill. His approval must’ve shown because Shirou looked blushing away.

His attention shifted to the other Master who still seemed rather peeved. But Miss Tohsaka’s own efforts were… potent, but half-hearted. The more Shirou resisted her, the more she wanted to fight, not kill. She doesn’t seem aware of it herself, but… she’s softer than she acts.

While she didn’t know what exactly the masked man was thinking, Rin was certain it wasn’t flattering. And as much as she just wanted to ignore a Lancer’s criticism, Ruby wasn’t too wrong. “Alright, so I may have jumped the gun.” She eyed them expectantly. “But you both seem to have lots of free time on your hands. Did you find the one who cast the Bounded Field?”

“It’s not that easy, I’m afraid.” Assassin X pushed himself off the frame and sauntered inside. “A convenient side-effect of this Field is that it muddies Servant signatures via these little sigils that keep it active. Makes it hard to discern the original source.” He rapped a finger against the window upon reaching it. “But the Field’s active. And it’s been slowly leeching the life force of everyone within Homurahara’s boundaries. Even the clubs are affected.”

“So, it really is the reason behind all this exhaustion? The absences? Then… how come we’re not affected?” Emiya’s attention was completely on his Servant now, seemingly forgetting Rin was in the room let alone had been trying to kill him.

This… irked her, but the adrenaline was wearing off. Probably because of the stink-eye Ruby was giving her. “It’s obviously the work of some magus or their Servant,” she explained. “Using others’ mana to fuel their Servants so they can fight stronger, faster and longer. It has been trying to steal our mana, too, but knowing magecraft or being Servants allows us to resist it.”

“But… the effects are pretty tame,” Lancer X pointed out, back to business. “Based on how you and Archer explained it to me, Rin, this life-sucking thing should be a lot gorier. Not that draining other people of their energy like this is okay at all, but it’s like drawing a little blood here and there. Nobody affected has really died yet.”

“That may yet happen over a longer period,” Assassin X theorized, gazing out the window. “You’re right, though, this seems to be a low-level setting. A trial phase, maybe, to see how subtle its effects can be.” The other three quickly figured out for themselves why anyone would want to be subtle when they could super-charge their Servant: Ruler X. The shinobi turned and nodded towards the door. “We’ve done all we can today. Shall we?” They walked out of the battered classroom, Shirou letting the ladies go first both as a courtesy and a precaution.

Outside, Assassin X immediately stepped closer to Emiya as Archer materialized in front of the quartet. It might’ve put the odds more in their favor, but Rin motioned for him to stand down. Disappointment rippled over their link, but she brushed it off. She’d already gotten a hefty dose of that from-

“What happened, are you okay?” Rin paused at Lancer X’s question and only then did she notice Archer’s disheveled state. Tatters in his cloak, some bruises, a cut by his right arm.

He waved it off. “I’m fine. I spotted Saber X approaching the school and chose to intercept him.” He frowned. “For some reason, I saw no sign of Berserker or their Master… Anyway, we tussled for a bit, then Gunner X showed up, too, and I managed to slip away.” A rumbling that didn’t quite sound like thunder could be heard in the distance.

Meanwhile, Chihiro Rokuhira and Eustass Kid were trading blows while sprinting through empty streets. “Quit running so I can crush ya, you gloomy bastard!” One raged.

‘I’m gonna be tied up a while, Illya,’ the other reported telepathically while strengthening his grip on Enten with Nishiki. He needed to in order to stop Gunner X from ripping the sword out of his hands. ‘So, I can’t meet up with Emiya’s group. What about you and Berserker?’

An annoyed sigh echoed over their link. ‘Still at the manor. Lancer’s being a total pain.’ This close to the forest, Saber X could hear the distant sound of cracking wood. ‘At least they’re clearing up the overgrowth. …Say, how close are you and Gunner X?’

‘Close enough.’ He changed direction, flinging a volley of energy arrows Aka had picked up from Archer to draw Gunner X’s attention. “I’ll feed you that fucking sword inch by inch!” From the roar and sound of metal clanking behind him, his gambit had paid off. ‘See you and Berserker soon.’ Saber X’s only regret was that he likely wouldn’t get another chance tonight between dealing with Lancer and the psycho behind him. So much for having another chat…

‘See you, Big Bro.’ Illya had been on the fence when he’d suggested it. She kept scowling every time Assassin X was mentioned, so maybe she’d refuse- ‘…And thanks. For trying.’

Saber X nodded before ducking under a colossal metal punch and leading the way.

Both Emiya and his Servant seemed a little disappointed about the news of Saber X, Rin noticed. Hoping to settle the score with him and his Master, perhaps? “So,” Emiya backed away to where Assassin X stood, “do we pick up where we left off in the school, or can we settle this by talking?”

Rin eyed him, noting both Archer’s irritation and Lancer X’s silent disapproval, then sighed. “Fine, my team and I will behave. Bullying you into giving up was a long shot, anyway.” She dusted herself off. “And given the circumstances, neither your team nor mine can afford to waste energy fighting each other. Especially with a Master having turned the school into a feeding ground for their Servant.”

“Because they’ll do anything to win the Grail War, huh?” Shirou relaxed again, though some tiny part of him was… disappointed their fight was over. He ignored it. “It’s crazy…” His gaze settled on her as he reviewed his knowledge about the Masters. Not counting Aunt Maiya, there were seven in the Grail War, but the only ones he knew were Tohsaka, himself and… Illyasviel. Kiritsugu’s daughter… Another item on his to-do list.

“H-hey, I’d never stoop to tactics that low!” He blinked back to reality. Apparently, Tohsaka had misunderstood his looking at her as suspicions about the school.

“I know that,” the boy quickly assured her, and damn her, Rin could tell he was being sincere and she… appreciated it? Ugh, this guy could be so frustrating…

Then Assassin X stepped forward. “Well, if you’re really interested in joining forces, I have a few suggestions.” He gestured to Miyama. “Why don’t we meet up back at Shirou’s house and continue this discussion there?” Rin got a nudge from Ruby and more silence from Archer, and after giving it some thought, she nodded.

A flock of dark crow-like creatures sat perched along Homurahara’s roof, all focused on the two Masters and their Servants. As the groups separated, they spread their wings and made to follow when a high-pitched whistle rang out. Then one was suddenly impaled with a pained croak, a crimson trail leading through it. Before its brethren could react, another was pierced, then another and another, until all were dead. They faded away into dust long before hitting the ground below.

Meanwhile, a golden arrow streaked swiftly across the sky too fast for even an Archer to spot. The red comet-like lines it left in its wake couldn’t be made out in the setting sun, then it was called back to its source and promptly zipped down to a bench by the field.

Archer X caught his Yaka Arrow without looking, his red eyes narrowed at the spot where the birds had been. “Gotta keep the skies clean a’ nasty critters.” He wiped the Arrow clean before holstering it with another whistle.

“You know those weren’t the only ones out there,” Rider commented beside him. “Caster X will surely spawn more, and he won’t appreciate you using them for target practice. Again.”

“This school’s our turf, Deuce,” the foreigner retorted. “The geezer can’t let his pets crap around here without our say-so, and we gotta remind him he can’t do everythin’ he wants just ‘cause of the other geezer. Ain’t that right, boy?”

Shinji Matou scoffed by his spot on the bench. “Pure poetry, old man… but you make a good point. Grandfather and Uncle said they’d let me do things my way, and I’m going to hold them to that in any way I can.” He cocked his head towards Homurahara. “I didn’t know Andromeda could hide our presences, Rider. Tohsaka’s Peppy Riding Hood zipped right by and didn’t even notice me.”

The pink-haired Servant shrugged minutely. “I know it obscures mine, but perhaps because you’re our Master, the same applies for you. Of course, once they discover our identities, hiding may become more difficult.” She turned her blindfolded eyes towards him. “The mana it’s acquired is… useful but a pittance compared to its full potential. You know I could fully activate with but a thought.” Beside her, Archer X frowned but kept silent.

Shinji shook his head. “Save that thought for emergencies. You saw how Ruler X laid down the law last night.” Rider winced; that had been enlightening. “It looks like we’ve escaped that monk’s notice for now, but turning every last person inside the school into a pile of meaty mush will probably put us on his radar.” He cocked his chin. “Besides, we’ve got other ways of stacking the deck.”

Archer X leaned against the bench’s back. “Still think you can get yer ol’ buddy Emiya to play on our team?” He nodded his blue chin towards the main building. “Looks like he ain’t as helpless in a fight as his girlfriend thought.”

“Don’t let Tohsaka hear you call her that,” the Matou Master chuckled before getting up and stretching. He tried not to wince as a couple pricks occurred all over him, but both Servants noticed. “All the better we stayed back and let them go at each other. It showed us what Emiya and Tohsaka can do, and they probably drew more of the spotlight on themselves.” He turned to them. “I know it’s not becoming of us magus gentlefolk…”

“Who ya tryin’ to fool, boy? We may all be pretty as angels,” Archer X snickered, “but we sure as hell ain’t ‘em.” Medusa flicked his shoulder. Despite acknowledging and maybe even appreciating their partnership, she still had little patience for him spouting such nonsense.

Yondu Udonta could be such an aggravating scoundrel…

“I see,” Saber nodded before remembering nobody could see it. She adjusted her grip on the handset and continued. “Nothing has transpired here at the house. I haven’t even sensed any foreign presences all day. …Right then. See you all soon, Kakashi.” She set down the phone back on its proper place, thereby vindicating herself against Kiritsugu’s skepticism that she could operate a phone correctly. The landline wasn’t even that complicated.

And thanks to it, she knew that Shirou and Assassin X (the only one Maiya trusted with a mobile phone) had already met up with Maiya and Bumblebee at the shop, and the group would be arriving at the house shortly, followed by Rin Tohsaka and entourage to discuss a possible alliance. It seemed like Kakashi already intended to put his idea into action… Best for Saber to be ready when everyone arrived.

She took a quick detour into the kitchen, though. Contrary to Maiya’s grousing, the former King of Britain had shown just enough restraint the prior evening to let others taste Shirou’s cookies. A few had even been left over, much to unanimous delight. And no one could blame her if she quickly replenished herself prior to a meeting, no?

But when she reached into a certain blue ceramic, her fingers only met air. Saber frowned as she took a peek inside, even upturning the jar which made mere crumbs trickle into her open hand. She sighed despondent; it seemed Maiya or Taiga had beaten her to the goodies. Or maybe Bumblebee, he’d quickly taken a liking to them. Who wouldn’t-?

Then she heard a little crunch.

Saber slowly set down the cookie jar and turned around. Green eyes narrowed as they scanned her surroundings, every sense on high alert seeking the enemy… Any sign, any clue no matter how miniscule… Her ears perked up upon registering a slight sound just behind the far wall. Someone was nibbling on something.

The lioness crouched at her spot with a frown, her trained muscles coiling as she readied her limbs, and then she pounced across the room upon her prey.

“Eeep!”

“I’m still on the fence about this, Kakashi.” The circumstances were just loose enough that Assassin X could enjoy a woman like Maiya Hisau whispering in his ear. Sadly, her words probably wouldn’t have made it into the Make-Out series. “What you have in mind is a serious risk.” Maiya shot a wary look over her shoulder at the approaching team.

“But a calculated one,” he whispered back as Miss Tohsaka promptly started teasing Shirou who in turn warded it off, an incorporeal Archer brooding behind her. “I understand your reservations about magi, but she’s not as cold-blooded as she makes herself out to be. We can at least trust her to hold her end to any bargain.”

Maiya looked at him so uneasily that he almost capitulated, but she sighed first. “Sometimes, I wish you didn’t have such a successful track record,” she grumbled. “Would make it easier for me to doubt your judgement.”

Kakashi’s heart lurched. Maiya didn’t know how times he’d failed so spectacularly, not even counting the Fuyuki Fire or the fate of Kiritsugu’s family he had on his conscience. But he just swallowed and said, “Well, if it turns out I’m wrong, I know you’ll keep the others safe.” And that wasn’t just buttering Maiya up, he meant it.

He turned back to the group (missing Maiya’s expression), running through the best ways to suggest his crazy idea. He’d already made a couple preparations since his and Shirou’s return to the house, a good number of them brought on by conversations with-

A crash sounded from inside, followed shortly by a high-pitched shriek. The voice didn’t sound like Saber, though-

“Ruby!” Before anybody else could react, Archer materialized out of nowhere and brushed past the boy’s group to charge straight into the house. His legs carried him in the direction of the scream, the others right behind him as his mind raced. Did someone managed to slip through its Bounded Field, like one of the Casters? Or another party, like Illyasviel? No, what could she want with Ruby? Hell, what was Ruby doing in here in the first place? Focus! Archer flung open the door to the dining room, summoning Kanshou & Bakuya-

“Nooo, stop it! Stop it! Hahahaha!”

Assassin X almost barreled into Archer’s suddenly still back but managed to catch himself as well as Maiya, Bee digging into his heels, too (Good brakes even in robot mode). Though Ri- Miss Tohsaka and Shirou were both a little less graceful. One by one, they all slipped past the red-clad Servant to gape alongside him at the scene in the dining room.

Lancer X was on her back, squealing out laughter as her opponent straddled her. With an odd mesh between a pout and a triumphant grin on her face, Saber mercilessly tickled the other girl’s sides while keeping her arms pinned underneath her legs. “You’ve been caught, you little burglar! Relinquish the cookies you’ve plundered, and I might show you mercy!”

“Nev-ahahahahahaha!” Ruby giggled out in defiance, her legs bicycle-kicking helplessly behind Saber.

“Then you leave me no choice…” The King of Knights’ grin widened as her fingers moved to under her captive’s chin. “I’ll teach you how we punished cookie thieves in my day!” Lancer X’s laughter reached a crescendo upon the tickling of her neck, but for all her struggles, she couldn’t escape.

Rin stared at the strongest Servant pinning hers to the ground, acting like she would when she and Sakura had been really little and fought over the last piece of mochi. So, this is why Ruby scampered on ahead… The puzzle pieces slowly slid in place for when she last saw Emiya before today. “You rushed off last night like the devil was hounding you…” She sought to clarify by a certain redhead, her brow twitching. “Because you were baking cookies?”

“Really good cookies,” the machine Servant added for the flustered boy’s benefit. “It’s kinda a shame that my first taste of Earthen treats was so good, I don’t think I could ever settle for anything store-bought.” Oh, she could feel the aneurysm digging its way into her skull…

Then Saber couldn’t help but join in the mirthful sounds as one of Ruby’s hands managed to wriggle free and promptly tickle her side, making her fall back. “Aha!” The Huntress sat up and triumphantly poked against the tender spot again. Her smile widened from the increasing giggles. “I’ve found your weakness, Saber! And soon I will claim the cookies for myself!” Both still kneeling, she sidled up to the laughing other girl, unleashing her tickles on her former captor. “Victory will be swift! It will be painful! It will be- Eep!”

Artoria Pendragon snagged the redhead by her cloak’s collar and reeled her in with a vindictive smirk that would’ve made Morgana vacate Britain within the minute. “It will be mine, Lancer X,” her other hand rose, fingers curled like claws, “for this. Means. War.”

And so, the real tickle-fight between the Servants began in earnest.

Shirou stared at the two supposedly venerable heroes rolling about giggling, bouncing from one wall to the other, rose petals fluttering about. Then he turned to Tohsaka and asked half-seriously, “So… what’s the appropriate response for a Master in this scenario?”

Rin just palmed her forehead as the situation settled in. “I’ll let you know soon as I figure it out.”

For once, though, Assassin X and Archer were actually of one mind as they happily watched their respective partners engage in their playful battle, though they were mostly cuddling by now. The sounds of Saber’s joyous laughter reverberated against the walls and inside their ears, putting their own minds at ease. Neither man felt any urge to break up the tickle-fight; it felt too good to see the King of Knights enjoying herself.

Archer owed his partner big for this. Guess it’s time for me to dust off that old cookie recipe I picked up in Utah, he told himself. And besides, this was one battlefield where the boy had no chance of ever beating him.

The “war” ended when Maiya marched into the room and separated the girls with practiced ease, keeping a tight grip on one ear each. “We’re gathered here this evening for negotiations,” the seemingly older woman drawled as she increased the Reinforcement in her fingers. “Not a slumber party.”

Saber winced both from the physical pain and the jab at her pride. To think she let her composure slip so easily, to find out she was ticklish, what an embarrassingly crippling weakness! It was bad enough she let her gluttony get the better of her, but… There was just something about Lancer X. Something that made the Once-and-Future King lower her defenses and bring forth the little girl she thought she’d laid to rest long ago. And the worst part of all these developments was, Artoria didn’t mind it at all.

Lancer X for her part tried in vain to escape, but wow, Shirou’s aunt could pinch! Better than Uncle Qrow… Okay, maybe she went a bit too far in trying to distract herself from all the worries about Rin’s coldness and Archer keeping his distance and potentially not being able to make a wish without the Grail turning it bad… But the cookies had smelled really good, and the tickle-fight with Saber reminded Ruby of back when she was little and she and Yang would mess around. Saber looked like she’d enjoyed it, too.

Maiya was therefore a little irked at how, despite both Servants uttering a chastised, “sorry,” neither actually seemed to be repentant. But the Tohsaka kitten was tapping her foot, and even Shirou was looking at her to let go. “Fine, these two aren’t my Servants,” she conceded while letting them slip free.

But not before adding a little twist that made both Saber and Lancer X yelp. “But this is my home.” Her eyes traveled from one set to another across the room. “Master, Servant or otherwise, behave yourselves while you’re on my property or suffer the consequences.”

“I live here, too, you know…” Emiya grumbled beneath his breath, stiffening as that frigid gaze landed on him. He raised both hands in surrender, a gesture Rin nearly (nearly!) found adorable. Inwardly, she rankled slightly at being lumped into a group with her (endearingly) childish Servant; leave it to a Lancer to give her a headache.

“Yes, you do,” Aunt Maiya crossed her arms and squinted slightly at Shirou, “though the ‘living’ part might not apply to you much longer if you keep picking fights with Servants.”

Shirou sighed to himself as just about everybody in the room shot him an admonishing stare; Archer’s was the harshest. Lancer X’s eyes were only worried, which twisted the knife a bit more. She shouldn’t have to worry about me… But as much as he tried to muster some indignation, Shirou couldn’t ignore the ever louder part of him that said they were right. “…There’s nothing I can say in my defense, is there?” he mumbled, ready for the next lecture. Some Hero of Justice I’ve turned to be.

“Not really,” Kakashi confirmed bluntly. “It seems that no matter what we tell you, you’re not going to stay out of trouble.” He hung his head trying not to let his frustrations out…

Saber and Assassin X exchanged a nod before the former added, “So, we have no choice but to prepare you for when you’re in trouble.”

Their Master snapped his head up in shock and naked hope, much to Rin Tohsaka’s exasperation, but before the latter could say anything, Saber stepped towards the door. “Let’s continue this discussion in the backyard.” One by one, they filed out (Maiya securing the remaining cookies again before she went) with Lancer X among the last. Her fluttering cape reminded Saber of a question that had been nagging her ever since they’d first met. “Pardon me, Lancer X, would you happen to know a man named Qrow Branwen?”

Judging by the way she spun about with her eyes wide as silver plates, she did. “Tall man with dark hair, red eyes?” Assassin X added beside Saber. “Drinks a lot, wields a sword-”

“That has a shotgun and scythe mode, yeah, that’s Harbinger!” Ruby squealed and zipped up to Saber, the latter staggering back from the cuteness. “That’s my uncle! He fought in the last Grail War?! You knew Uncle Qrow?” She paused, visibly walking through the implications. “Wait… Were you guys his enemies?” Did you kill him? needn’t be said aloud.

Rin and Archer both noted how the third member of their team had lost all playfulness. Even after knowing her for five days, it was still rather jarring how quickly Lancer X could stop fooling around and get serious. Then again, they understood and sympathized.

Assassin X was quick to placate her. “We were on rival teams, but we had an amicable enough relationship with you Uncle to cooperate a few times. There was never any personal animosity between us.” He paused. “Aside from Saber trying to kill him the first time they met.”

Lancer X shot Saber a more cute than threatening glare, but she still stammered, “H-He called me Sweet Pea!” After a moment, the foreign girl hung her head with a sigh, somewhat mollified.

Someday, Shirou was going to have to sit down and sort through all the characters his Servants knew and didn’t know about. But his eagerness was starting to override his manners, and besides, Tohsaka was clearly getting impatient. “Alright then,” she straightened as he addressed her, “we’re all here. What exactly do you have in mind for an alliance?”

Rin summoned all of her confidence and began. “For starters, we ought to exchange information about the other teams. The last nights have been eventful enough that neither of us can afford to be in the dark about any detail. And I think we can all agree not to count on the church.” No objections there. “Besides, our Servants have already developed good relations with one another,” she shot a pointed towards Archer standing furthest away from the other group, “for the most part. If we play our cards right, we could be the last teams standing.”

“At which point all bets are off, huh?” So, even he figured that possibility out. Not that it had to come to that… “But what if the Grail is corrupted?”

“…We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Rin ignored the triumphant gleam in Ruby’s eyes; she refused to acknowledge being influenced by a Lancer. Again.

Emiya for his part was showing some of that unexpected intelligence by quietly discussing it with his super-sized team. After about twenty seconds, they settled, and Assassin X spoke for them. “Sounds like a good start, and we on our side can offer you, Miss Tohsaka, a little bonus. We were about to start our Master’s training, and maybe you’d be interested, too.”

“Oh?” While intrigued, Rin hid it with a playful smirk. “And just what should interest me about a hack’s crash course?” Okay, that was a little harsh, but in for a penny…

Maiya wanted to give this girl the benefit of the doubt. Even if only for Shirou and Kakashi’s sakes. But so far, she was seeing pompous arrogance typical of any magus brat. So, while she was grudgingly committed to the idea of the man she loved, she privately wanted to take Tohsaka down a peg, too.

Her eyes trailed towards the house, then up, and inspiration struck her. “Shirou,” the boy turned to Maiya, “I thought you were going to patch up the eavestrough.”

Two teenagers frowned, one due to the non-sequitur, the other confused and a little affronted. “What are you talking about, Aunt Maiya? I fixed it four days ago.” Shirou peered up towards the gutter mounted on the roof (as did the others with varying levels of interest). Just as he made to reaffirm his statement, his eyes narrowed on one section. “Hang on…” Shuffling half a step back, Shirou sprinted towards the wall and hopped up, his feet gripping the surface as his od flared up automatically. He reached the roof’s edge in three strides and bent down to inspect the aluminum pipe. “Screws are a little loose here.” He tsked. “Sloppy…”

Below him, Maiya shook her head a little in fond exasperation. That boy’s an uncompromising perfectionist… Regardless, she noted that her inquiry had the intended effect.

Shirou had checked the rest of the gutter in that section and was about to head down for a screwdriver and some polish when he remembered their current discussion. He turned to head back down and found everyone staring up at him. He froze. “…Something wrong?”

“How are you doing that?!” The question burst out from Rin before she could think twice.

“Um… fixing an eavestrough? It’s not something most high-schoolers do, I guess, but-”

A vein nearly burst inside Rin’s forehead. “Not that, you dimwit!” This guy… he somehow pushed all of her buttons and drove her crazy without even trying. She snapped a hand at Emiya suspending himself against the horizontal surface. “That! What’s the secret behind this? You’re not adjusting your personal gravity, Emiya, nor are you applying pressure so you remain attached to the roof, so how the hell are you just standing upside a wall?!”

“It’s… just the Tree-Climbing Exercise. You know, concentrate your od at the bottom of your feet and pretend you’re a magnet so you can walk up walls? What’s your problem, Tohsaka?” Shirou was beginning to sweat a little as the glare she shot him grew more incredulous (or was it something else…?). “…Isn’t this a pretty basic trick in magecraft?”

“Actually, it isn’t.” Kakashi’s voice made him whirl around to find the Servant crouching right behind him on the wall. He might’ve fallen were it not for his practice and the hand steadying his shoulder. A grey eye winked at him, then Assassin X flipped nimbly off the wall to land on his feet. “The Tree-Climbing Exercise is a basic technique, yes. But it originates from my world, not this one. You learned it from Kiritsugu and Maiya, didn’t you?” The masked shinobi tapped his chest. “Well, they learned it from me.”

All of Team Red just stared from the Servant to the boy still standing sideways and back.

“…So, that’s it,” Shirou breathed as he pushed himself off the wall to somersault to the ground, landing less steadily than he’d have liked. Especially in front of a gob-smacked Tohsaka... “I thought those techniques, those… jutsu… in your dreams looked familiar, but I thought it might’ve just been a commonality, a parallel universe thing!”

Archer rubbed his eyes at the boy’s ignorance. Well… Can’t completely rule out, I guess. Out loud, he questioned, “So, you just showed up, Assassin X, and decided out of the blue to teach Kiritsugu Emiya and his crew otherworldly techniques?” His skepticism was tangible.

“Not exactly.” The shinobi shrugged. “I had no idea this was possible when Kiritsugu summoned me. It wasn’t even me who figured it out but Irisviel,” his eye softened, “Illyasviel’s mother.” Archer paused at the name, pondering if that was still the same before putting it aside to listen. “She experimented a bit and found out that the Throne of Heroes… ‘translated’ my techniques, I guess, into something similar to this world’s magecraft. From there, I started teaching her, Kiritsugu and Maiya a few tricks as a tactical advantage.”

More than one pair of eyes slowly turned towards the other veteran of the Fourth Grail War who shook her head. “Kakashi suggested I try, but I declined,” Saber admitted easily. “I’ve never had any particular talent or interest in magical techniques. Besides, I am not human, so it’s likely impossible for me to learn jutsu anyway.”

Well, that was one less mind-bender, but Rin’s head was already aching from the maelstrom inside. “So, a Servant’s powers being reinterpreted as something a magus can learn…” she muttered to herself, thinking back to all those strange tricks she’d seen Emiya do. The evidence was clearly there, but… She shook her head. “None of this should be possible, I just know it.”

“Really?” Assassin X inclined his head in her direction with a thoughtful mien. “Based on the intel I’ve got from the Holy Grail, fifteen hundred years ago on this world, everyone knew it was the center of its universe.”

Rin’s frown shifted a little, then Saber chimed in. “Until five hundred years ago, everyone knew this same world was flat. Myself included,” she added with a self-deprecating half-smile.

She subconsciously filed away that tidbit of information on Saber before her partner took over again. “And just last week, you knew that there would only be seven Servants in the Holy Grail War.”

“You also knew these Servants would all stem from stories of this world’s history alone.” While Saber had said this, both Servants were watching her very calmly now, their expressions prodding forth even more memories she had been locking away for ten years. “Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow, Rin Tohsaka.”

Archer’s jaw clenched as remnant irritation flickered anew. They even coordinate their pep talks? For goodness’ sake…

“You taught them this, too, right?” His thoughts came to a halt once again as the boy set his index and middle fingers into a t-formation, then with a puff of smoke, an exact copy stood next to him.

Then the copy spoke. “The Shadow Clones were another thing Dad learned from you.” He traded a look with his progenitor. “He always said this was the useful trick he’d ever learned.” A chorus of bitter smiles flitted across some of the boy’s group.

Rin slowly walked around the two Emiyas, searching up and down for any differences, anything that might help her recognize which one was real. Or was it in fact just an optical illusion? She prodded both of them simultaneously; nope, solid. Hmm, those archery lessons had really paid off, too… “T-Tohsaka?”

She paused and slowly looked to find both Emiyas blushed exactly the same way, too. …Probably because her hands were lingering on their chests. Heat rushing to her cheeks, Rin stepped back and straightened to regain her posture (idly noting the pawn-shop woman drawn a dagger). “W-Well, this is… interesting,” she conceded grudgingly. “So, this self-duplication allows you to be in two places at once, eh? Make yourself an army of one?”

“Hardly.” Maiya sheathed her Fang and walked over. She still wasn’t sure about letting a Tohsaka or any magus for that matter know about this, but Saber and Kakashi had vouched for the girl. Shirou, too, but given his crush, she had to take his word with a grain of salt there. “You create a Shadow Clone by splitting your od straight down the middle, which leaves you with a fraction of your normal strength.” Maiya then drove her elbow into the clone’s gut, Poofing it away while Shirou shot her a stink-eye. “And they’re more fragile than the original.”

“The nifty thing about Shadow Clones is that upon dispersing, everything they experienced is immediately transferred back to the original.” Rin’s eyes snapped back to Assassin X as he went on. “What they saw, heard, smelled, learned, everything. Useful for gathering intel.”

Shirou smiled a bit. “Tell me about it, plus it helps a guy get more training done while studying for a test at the same time.” No wonder this sp-jutsu had been Dad’s favorite…

He blinked as his teacher’s teacher froze, his neck turning creakingly towards him. “You use… Shadow Clones…” Assassin X’s eye grew wider with each word, “for… homework?”

The Master scratched his head. “Uh, sort of. I often do my homework myself, but I summon clones to handle chores at the same time, maybe assist me while cooking. Besides, I’ve never sent a clone in my place to school, I mean, one good hit makes them disappear again and anyone seeing that would get suspicious, but at home, having an extra set of hands or two comes in handy…” Everyone was staring at him now, increasing his discomfort.

Except for Maiya who had been using her own clones in similar ways after Shirou came up with the idea, and Assassin X who just seemed to be staring at nothing. He slowly walked towards the house, stopped when he was in front of a wooden beam-

THUNK. “Stupid.” THUNK. “Stupid.” THUNK. “Stupid.” THUNK. “Stupid.”

Everyone’s attention was now on the foreign Servant banging his forehead on the beam and repeating that one little word. Shirou made to ask if he was okay when Tohsaka found her voice first. “T-there you have it, Emiya! Even your own mentor sees how stupid you act with all this knowledge-”

“No, Rin…” Kakashi corrected her as his head lifted briefly again. THUNK. “What Shirou has been doing…” THUNK. “…is sheer genius.” THUNK. He then let his head rest against the slightly splintered wood. “The Shadow Clone Jutsu allows you to train at an accelerated pace. Creating one clone and training alongside it for one hour is equivalent to training by yourself for two. And a clone retains all of the original’s knowledge to when it is first created. Multi-tasking is therefore child’s play.

“The reason for my self-flagellation…” THUNK. “Is because I’ve known this jutsu…” THUNK. “…for over two decades…” THUNK. “And not once…” THUNK. “…did it occur to me…” THUNK. “…to use it like Shirou has.” THUNK.

“Illegal” Saber X traded a confused look with his Master. “Um, why would you need to-”

THUNK. “Do you have any idea how much paperwork exists in a professional shinobi’s life, Bumblebee?” Assassin X groaned while he slumped against his spot. “Every time I go on a mission, regardless of completion, I have to return home, sit at my desk, and write out a detailed report of what transpired. Any enemy shinobi I encountered, noteworthy anomalies or sightings, how many kunai I expended…” He moaned, his life energy seemingly leaking out of him with every word. “I understand and respect the minutiae of my duties completely, but…” The Leaf Village veteran was practically sobbing now. “…So much free time…”

Lancer X winced after a second of thought. “Yeah, I never liked doing my homework either…” Bee likewise shuddered at recalling the datapads Prowl would keep shoving into his servos after every mission.

Archer rolled his eyes at the melodrama. This is the man Saber places so much faith in? He glanced over to the King of Knights… and did a double take.

Saber hadn’t moved an inch from her spot, but her emerald eyes stared straight ahead with a disturbingly haunted expression. “Decrees…” she was mumbling nearly too quietly to hear, “Accords… writing up new policies and correcting old ones… no matter how many times I swung my quill… more would always follow…”

…Oh, brother.

Maiya for her part simply took her crush’s nigh despair in stride. Ten years ago, she would’ve had little patience for a scene like this, but truth be told… seeing Kakashi Hatake like this… It was refreshing. And a little adorable.

Finally, the Man of One Thousand Techniques got ahold of himself and turned back to his Master/newest pupil. “My lack of imagination aside, the good news is you’re already accustomed to training with Shadow Clones, Shirou. So, we’ll using your standard training regiment, but with a few adjustments.” He held up his left index and middle finger. “Working alongside two clones ought to be manageable for you, right?”

“Sure,” the boy nodded as Archer watched silently. “I can make up to four without burning out too quickly.” So, he’s not limited to just one duplicate. The Servant of the Bow studied him a little more carefully as two doubles of the boy Poofed into existence. And it looks like his Magic Circuits are in acceptable condition. Well, having an actually attentive teacher alone makes a world of difference. His fingers dug into his biceps a little more.

“Good.” Maintaining four Shadow Clones would be a suitable maximum for this kind of training when you weren’t Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake knew. But better to start small. “Then one of you will be working with Saber, so she can help you refine your Kendo. She’s twenty times a better swordsman than me.” And fifty times a hero, he added to himself.

Artoria accepted the compliment with a smile while a clone-Shirou stepped over to her. “Bumblebee,” her fellow Saber turned to her, “you may want to partake in our lessons. Having another around would help with demonstrations and sparring, and perhaps we can elevate your own prowess with swords to more than ‘barely mediocre’.”

“Well, if you’re got the patience,” the Autobot grinned enthusiastically, “I’m game.”

Archer could feel his fingernails through his coat’s fabric as a second Assassin X appeared. “Another of you will be coming with me,” the Shadow Clone explained, beckoning one boy to his side. “We’ll be working on tactics not related to swords, magecraft or jutsu. And seeing as you’ve already set the ball rolling for Shirou there, Maiya…” She promptly stepped over without hesitation.

Which left the original Shirou Emiya with the original Kakashi Hatake. “That leaves jutsu training for me, you,” the latter noted before turning to a third party, “and you.”

Rin stared at the pair, the latter not seeming so surprised. Did Emiya expect this…? “You’re offering to teach me these… jutsu?” She tried to clarify. Just as she’d been quietly fuming at how much this unwitting dolt had the deck stacked in his favor when she’d been preparing for the Holy Grail War for years, all under a sadistic false priest who’d been hiding things from her, and she’d known it! She knew he was a snake and she still-

“But of course!” Assassin X’s sudden cheer cut through Rin’s frustrations. “We’ve already proven that the magi of this world can perform them, after all. And this would be our team’s contribution to this alliance.” He patted Emiya’s shoulder. “Shirou admitted to me he’d want to improve on his magecraft,” a slight chuckle, “and even if jutsu isn’t quite the same thing, I think we can all tell he meant that, too.” He shrugged before leaning slightly towards Rin. “I don’t know much about this world’s magecraft itself, so, Miss Tohsaka, if you’d be willing to help him get a better grasp in this regard, you could consider my jutsu lessons, if you accept, a little quid pro quo.”

“Go for it, Rin, you’d be great at it!” Ruby cheered. She didn’t really get the finer points behind magecraft or jutsu, but all this talk got her thinking. She idly wondered if it was possible for her to unlock a person’s Aura on this world… Nah, that would be way too convenient. Besides, it was an advanced move, Pro-level, like Dad or Uncle Qrow. Just because you had Aura didn’t mean you could unlock it in everybody you touched. So, the Remnantian Servant quietly considered other ways to help out their alliance.

Lancer X’s encouragement settled inside her Master’s ears, appreciated but heard for yet another upheaval to her expectations, but this… This could work in her favor. A whole new kind of “magic” for Rin to learn… It would surely get recognition among the magus community, aside from winning the Grail War, of course! And the contributions she could make for future Tohsaka generations-

Whoa, slow down there, girl, Rin scolded herself. There was no such thing as a free lunch. Granted, they apparently expected her to help educate Emiya in return for the jutsu, but she wasn’t completely sure she could trust someone as crafty as Assassin X, but… she did trust Emiya… Emiya who was giving her that same weird smile from outside the church…

And what was it Father had told her the penultimate time she saw him…? “…Don't let opportunities like this pass you by but seize them with both hands-”

Then Assassin X promptly straightened before she could reply. “Oh, what am I saying? How could I offer a top-class magus like you such paltry tricks? If even a rank amateur like Shirou Emiya can master them, then they’re surely too simple for the likes of you. If you’re unwilling (or unable) to learn, well, it can’t be helped.” His sole open eye twinkled at an increasingly agitated Rin. “My deepest apologies for wasting your time, Miss Tohsaka.” And as the cherry on top, he patted her oh absolutely not at all condescendingly on her shoulder.

A grin stretched across the proud magus’ face, twitching in sync with her eyebrow. “…You’re playing me,” she ground out. “I know you’re playing me.”

“Yes, you do, and yes, I am.” Shirou found it exceedingly hard to keep a straight face as Kakashi eye-smiled shamelessly at her. Not helped by how Saber and Ruby were hiding snickers behind their hands or Bee behind his mouthplate. Even Aunt Maiya and Archer looked amused. “…Is it working?”

Rin Tohsaka’s hands balled into fists, and a vein made itself visible on her forehead. “Oh, it’s working.” After barely managing a stalemate against him today, she wasn’t about to let Emiya put any more distance between them. Not without a fight.

Saber and Maiya exchanged a wry look. Still a sweet talker.

“Archer, you can-” Rin turned to find him already storming off in spirit form. “…Guard the perimeter, I guess.” At least Rin’s other Servant was still around, bouncing on her heels. “Ruby… you’re free to join Archer or assist any of the lessons.” With her speed, she can be everywhere at once, Rin noted wryly.

As the Red Like Roses Huntress thanked her with a smile and zipped over to the Sabers, already chatting with the taller one about his True Name “Bumblebee,” Rin faced Emiya and his Servant with her most coy smile. “Alright, Assassin X. You’ve piqued my curiosity.”

“Splendid.” The Servant gently tossed something round and red over to the girl who caught it with both hands, his Master receiving a blue one. Both teenagers realized quickly they were holding water balloons and adjusted their grips while Assassin X held up a third. “In that case, here’s a little starter’s exercise for you and Shirou.”

Kilometers away, another Tohsaka was walking seemingly aimlessly along Mion River’s shore. Her schoolbag swaying with each step, Sakura still had some time thanks to the after-school activities’ cancellations, enough time for one little errand, then head home before Mother might worry. She closed her eyes for the third time since arriving at the river, and like the prior two, she sensed a presence. One far closer to her now.

She opened her eyes for a quick check; no one else around, and with a flick of her wrist, a low-level barrier would maintain privacy. Then at a seemingly empty spot near the water, she said, “Pardon me, master, but this isn’t the most inconspicuous of places.”

Amethyst particles danced about before her eyes, then a familiar dark-skinned man shimmered into a kneeling position at that spot. “Flowing water is often used to assist with meditation,” Ruler X explained calmly, his eyes still closed. “A fellow Jedi named K’Kruhk told me once of how he was fascinated by it. It’s a good representation of life being in perpetual motion, if you’re interested in metaphors.” His eyes opened to gaze at the river. “And I have no need or inclination to hide, Sakura Tohsaka. You ought to know that.”

The girl winced, tucking some errant black hair behind her ribbon. “So, uh, you do know…? Of the… connection between us?”

“I’ve sensed it,” that clean-shaven head finally faced her, “just as I’ve sensed you getting a glimpse of my memories.”

“Right… I-I didn’t mean to, they just-”

He raised a hand to gently stop her apology. “It wasn’t intentional, I know, and I appreciate that you’ve the decency to apologize.” The Jedi Master frowned. “The bigger problem is that others will eventually pick up on this bond. They’ve surely already sensed the magic that brought me here, even if they may not know it came from you. Not yet.”

His brown eyes narrowed at Sakura, making her shuffle a bit. “There’s… something hiding your magical presence. Some kind of enchantment. Even now, I can only see your potential because I’m consciously looking for it.” She blinked startled at his words. An enchantment? Is that why Big Sister or those Association magi never picked up on what I can do? On Atto? “But it’s already begun to weaken from summoning me,” Ruler X’s warning made her shiver slightly. “And the longer you spend time with me, Sakura, the more others will take notice.”

“Well, I was ready to reveal what I can do when I enacted that ritual,” Sakura sounded much less confident than she would’ve liked. Well, at least it matched her inner confidence level. So much for adhering to the “Always elegant” slogan. “I knew the risks, Ruler X.”

“Did you?” His gaze bore into hers, and despite her best efforts, she flinched. This was the warrior Sakura had seen in her dreams, the man who had represented his order’s leaders with unyielding conviction and dedication to their traditions. She could practically feel him seeing right through her, weighing his helping her against finding out the truth about the Holy Grail. The girl briefly wondered if he might cast her aside, a chill settling inside her stomach.

But then he sounded much… gentler than Sakura would’ve expected of him. “You’ve now seen for yourself how dangerous the Holy Grail War is. You’ve seen the worst of characters who can become Servants. If you stop now, if you deny this bond to me, there’s a chance you can return to a normal life. Just stay back and let this all pass you over, hopefully peacefully.”

“I’m telling you this because if you choose to keep pursuing these questions, there won’t be any going back. Your powers will come to light, for better or worse. And others might try to use you as a weapon against me even if you’re not my Master.” Those eyes softened. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you, Sakura. But I can’t put you above the Holy Grail’s mandates or my duty to preserve it. And…” Mace Windu sighed, seemingly aging ten years as he went on. “If I learned anything before my life ended, it’s that Jedi are not infallible.

“So, I ask you one last time, Sakura Tohsaka: Are you sure about this?”

Sakura swallowed as she thought of the battles she’d witnessed, of seeing Big Sister and Emiya-senpai fighting for their lives alongside their Servants.

She thought of the damage scattered across Fuyuki, of the chilling feeling that seemed evermore present now that she’d learned of the possibly tainted Holy Grail, the prize Big Sister sought.

She thought of the last time she saw her Uncle Kariya, giving her a teary, battered smile, and her family. Her Atto.

The young wizard’s sight inadvertently turned to Mion River flowing steadily past the two, then back to her new ally patiently seated. She knelt down in front of him and said two words: "…I'm sure."

Masao Matou strode across a stony path, the crunch of his boots echoing along its halls. His dark suit gleamed slightly under the torches that lit up the path he was going, and a pensive frown curled underneath his eyepatch. An irritating but necessary accessory, he reminded himself while fighting down an old urge to go out and murder every revolting human he could find. He’d been struggling with it for the last ten years, every time he put on clothes or dined or had to perform one of those disgusting rituals involving a white porcelain seat.

Damn you, Kiritsugu Emiya… That curse was practically a refrain for each and every one of these wretched moments. The former Servant’s fists clenched by his sides. If only he’d been able to kill that sneaky rat of a human himself, if only he’d could’ve stormed into his house, snapped the woman’s neck, beaten Emiya to within an inch of his life and then dragged him alongside his consolation prize of a “son” into a prepared chamber where he could-!

But no. Angra Mainyu had claimed that right for itself, and as much as he chafed under it, Masao had to respect his wishes… But his patience had been rewarded. The Fifth Holy Grail War was here, and Shirou Emiya was taking part in it after all. He’d even had the courtesy to call up two dear old friends as his Servants.

And even better, Emiya’s daughter had joined the War, too. She even filled the same role as that fleshy doll Emiya had become besotted with! Oh, the possibilities…

“You seem in a good mood, old friend.” Masao was snapped out of his daydreaming by the familiar rasp of his “patriarch” Zouken. The old magus’ cane tapped rhythmically against the stone while he sidled along his partner in crime, the latter actually slowing down for his sake.

The apparently younger human chuckled. “Merely imagining events that may yet play out. It feels good to be in a war again, even if I must delve more into shadowplay this time.”

Zouken cackled, a nasty, skittering sound much like the creatures that dwelled within him. “As someone who’s been fighting from the shadows a long time, I can assure you this approach has its little pleasures. For one, we get to watch others stumble about and try and outplay us.” They shared a grin at the thought of Shinji, trying so hard to prove himself and crush them when the time came.

“Every time I see my dear ‘nephew,’ I think of my old first lieutenant,” Masao sighed in a manner that almost seemed fond, were it not for the derision within. “A sneaky, ambitious little schemer whose every waking impulse was to thwart me, undercut me, overthrow me. With him around, I was always reminded to watch my back.” His grin widened. “Besides, I took a certain delight in following his string of failures.”

“It is rather entertaining, no?” Zouken then frowned. “Pity his uncle didn’t quite follow the path I’d laid out for him.” His grip tightened on his cane. “All those setbacks because of one damnable wizard…” That tiny, wrinkled body radiated hatred as the two walked on, but Masao said nothing. He’d felt much the same only a few minutes ago.

Then they rounded a corner leading into a broad room hewn from rock, thick water tanks attached to one wall. Seeing them and hearing the heavy thrashing inside calmed the head of the Matou clan back down, though his grin wouldn’t return. “And just when we think we’ve stacked the deck adequately in our favor, life tosses a boulder into the pond. From what I’ve seen, that Ruler X who slipped through the Grail’s blockade is strong and not easily venal.”

“And the King of Knights and her ninja friend wasted little time to bring him up to speed.” Masao bared his teeth in a snarl. “But to think Emiya’s little stooge would become such a nuisance.” It wasn’t enough to corroborate the duo’s story to Ruler X, but summoning Optimus’ meddling little scout out of all Heroic Spirits among the multiverse…

Masao hadn’t dealt with Maiya Hisau because he didn’t believe her a strong enough threat without her precious Emiya around. A grievous oversight on my part, he acknowledged bitterly before calming down. “Still, the Servants knew only so much of the situation, and they’ve not set foot in Fuyuki for ten years. The woman doesn’t know of me, either; she and I never crossed paths, and even if we had, she wouldn’t have realized my… circumstances.” He chuckled slightly. “Besides, her priority target is clearly dear Kirei.”

“You’re not concerned for your old Master and disciple, nephew?” Zouken teased, drawing a laugh from them both.

“Kirei’s a grown boy and clever enough to recognize how much enmity he’s garnered now.” Masao waved any concern off. “Between him, Shinji and this new generation of troublemaking Servants,” more mirth gathered in his tone at how Servants can go rogue even without him stirring the pot, “there ought to be enough noise made to draw the attention of the children playacting Masters and Ruler X while we make our final preparations.” The duo reached the other end of the room where two figures awaited them. “Speaking of which, how go your assignments?” The honorary Matou addressed his new pieces for the game.

On one side crouched Assassin atop a wooden beam, his left leg restored after his skirmish with the other Servant of the Shadows. His hood was pulled back, revealing his dark skin and the ever-present mask that represented his place among the Hashashin. He was inspecting a pair of dirks in his left hand while his right was all bundled up again.

On the other stood an elderly man taller than Masao yet far thinner as well. He wore clean white robes and held in his right hand a staff so pitch-black the wood could’ve been mistaken for metal. It was crowned with four points connecting to hold a large white crystal. The Servant’s face carried many lines and was framed by striking white hair running down his head and from his chin, though the beard also carried a dark streak. His eyes were similarly dark and long ago might’ve been kind, but now they burned with a cold cunning.

Masao smirked to himself upon remembering the summoning of these two. Oh, how shocked Zouken had been at the sight of Caster X… and then he grew delighted as the other old man quickly explained his origins.

His attention returned to the present as Assassin reached behind him and held up a small glass jar. “This was delivered as promised at the requested location, Master,” he reported with a dutiful bow to Zouken.

Ah, yes; much to their initial disappointment and despite Zouken’s best efforts, Masao was apparently considered ineligible for Mastership. Perhaps it was because he was (thankfully) not 100% human, or perhaps there was one tiny untainted part of the Grail that refused to let him gain such power and authority. The Servants he could’ve summoned…

Then again, it supported the illusion of Shinji being the one true representative of the Matou family. Besides, Zouken still qualified as a Master, and they both quickly came to acknowledge the chain of command (though Caster X was almost surely plotting something).

The elderly mage plucked the jar out of the Hassan’s grasp and held it up for Masao to see as well. Within was a reptilian creature with an interesting characteristic suspended in formaldehyde. “The genuine article,” Zouken noted pleased. “It’s not just about who you know, but how you know them. Makes it so much easier to have favors granted.”

“An impressively dangerous creature.” Caster X’s voice was a deep, rumbling sound that carried an ominous note with it. Like an approaching avalanche too late to be avoided. With his Master’s permission, he took the preserved specimen with an intrigued gleam in his eyes. “It will surely suffice for the task you have given me, Lord Masao.” He gestured with his wizard’s staff towards the doorway, and the others accepted the invitation, walking in step while he continued. “My crebain have scattered and are ready. We know nearly all of the other players and their locations.”

“Nearly?” A silver brow rose alongside Masao’s enquiry.

“The other Caster’s enchantments permeate the city, muddying certain signatures. And brash though this… Gunner X may be,” Caster X curled his lip in distaste, “his Master has enough wits to hide his presence. He also changes locations frequently.” He paused. “And… I still have yet to determine who aided this Ruler X’s summoning. Their identity is a mystery, like a blank spot on a written page. But there is… something about the emanation I sensed two nights ago. Whoever cast the ritual and hides themself wields ancient, powerful magic.”

Assassin tilted his head at his partner’s description. “There aren’t many mages in this city to begin with, and for what you describe… The only candidate who comes to mind is Caster. As she stems from the Age of Gods, she may have the capacity to do what you say.”

“No,” Zouken shook his head, “that Servant class tends to possess Magic Resistance at least as strong as that of a Saber. Caster can’t be foolish enough to risk trying to control one like Ruler X, not when he has the strength to counter her magics her and the Grail-given mandate to crack down on that sort of behavior.” He scratched his chin in thought. “This must be someone else, someone we’d have never considered.” As he said the words, though, one small, near infinitesimal possibility crept into his mind.

Thoughts for later. Zouken refocused. “Aside from Ruler X, the most immediate threat to our plans ought to be the Emiya boy’s faction. He himself is lacking in training, but he has a veteran of the prior Grail War who’s also a former student of the Mage Killer looking after him, along with three Servants. Two of which are Sabers.” A quiet growl from Masao.

“And Assassin X is equally as dangerous,” Cursed Arm Hassan unashamedly admitted. “While his strength is diminished compared to the state of which you described, Master, Lord Masao, he still held his own against me and quickly deduced my abilities. And from what I’ve gathered, he and Saber work perfectly as a team.”

“No surprise there.” The other veteran of the Fourth Grail War glared straight ahead, taking up the lead through the sparsely lit dark. “Unlike ten years ago, they have ample combat experience together and know and trust one another completely. We may know of their basic abilities, but those two will only continue to devise new tactics, especially with the scout and his Master joining in.” He still recalled that electric-chain combination attack that had nearly split him in half. “But neither is without weaknesses, and we have our own cards to play.”

The group came to a stop in the most recent section of their base of operations. On one end stood an extensive workbench with assorted equipment for Caster X to use. Some of which he’d crafted himself in the six months since his arrival to Fuyuki City. On the other end lay a collection of coffins dark in color but of different sizes. To an unknowing onlooker, even most magi, they would’ve seemed ordinary and harmless aside from the worms and insects that scuttled around them. Ah, ignorance truly is bliss…

“The energies have begun to grow stable,” Caster X noted, a slight tremor of excitement within his otherwise detached tone. “By tomorrow night, I believe we can conduct our first test.”

“Excellent.” Masao ran his hand over a coffin’s lid, a wolfish grin playing along his lips. “It would be such a pity if our old friends returned after ten years and didn’t receive the opportunity to meet some familiar faces.”

So, yeah, alliances have been made. With everything that’s been revealed, and the bad guys making their moves, Saber and Assassin X had decided to kick things into high gear to get the kiddies combat ready. What they, or rather, Kakashi, have in mind is surely different than what some of you might’ve expected, but hey, it’s my job as the author to keep you on your toes. And bear in mind they don’t know everything that happened in the previous story.

But just because they’ve learned a little more context, don’t expect Rin or Illya to let go of their respective bitterness too quickly. A broken promise still hurts, after all, especially when you made it to a hopeful little girl.

As for Servant dreams, I added the first part of this chapter to show that the Masters are still getting them while they sleep, and they’ll continue to get them throughout the story. But they won’t appear like this as often anymore in future chapters. I learned my lesson in the prior story with “What Dreams May Come.” There will be references to Servants’ lives, of course, but directly showing them may not occur as often.

I’ve got to pace myself in word count more, especially since there are so many more characters and ideals floating about. I haven’t picked up a beta reader yet, personal pride and all that, but I do need to think carefully about how much goes into each chapter. I may even have to cut out scenes I wanted to show in the first draft.

We’ll see. But without further ado:

Archer X-

Class: Archer

Master: Shinji Matou

True Name: Yondu Udonta

Titles: Captain of The Ravagers, Mary Poppins

Sex: Male

Source: Guardians of The Galaxy

Region: Kree Empire

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: D

Mana: D

Luck: B

NP: C++

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

E: Archer X had an alien sorcerer as a comrade before he was exiled from their crew; still, he remembers drunken “discussions” with and received a few magical blessings from his old comrade, thereby granting him some defense against low-level spells. He is vulnerable to High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.

Independent Action: The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the mana supply from the Master.

B: Archer X lived the life of an outlaw, shunned even by his old crew due to violating their personal code. He can last two days in the world without a stable mana supply and even survive the destruction of his spirit core for a short period.

Personal Skills-

Instinct: Is the ability to instantly identify “the best personal course of action” during combat. Because this Skill allows for the prediction of trajectory, it is possible to avoid attacks from firearms.

B+: Archer X has perfect control over his Yaka Arrow and can call upon it instantly. He has honed his reflexes to the point where his masterful control over such a weapon does not come from his mind but his heart. Even without using it, he is not easily surprised.

Voyager of the Galaxy: A variant of Voyager of the Storm for space travel. Because the ability as a group leader may also be necessary, high rank also has the effects of both Charisma and Tactics.

B: In life, Archer X captained a large crew of space pirates, “sailing” through the galaxy to plunder and loot. These outlaws mutinied against him just before the end of his life, but Archer X personally eliminated all of the traitors in a matter of minutes. He is a wily Heroic Spirit, able to assemble and manage the crew needed for a massive war vessel. Archer X knows how to use both Charisma and fear to keep his subordinates in line.

Honor of Pirates: Is a unique Skill derived from a pirate's peculiar sense of values. Low ranking Mental Pollution, Valor, Battle Continuation and others have been combined.

C: Though cast out from his original crew for betraying their code (dealing in child trafficking), Archer X deeply regretted his actions and especially the consequences that came with them. He has held himself to his own personal morals (what few they be) since then.

Cyborg: A Skill where parts of one’s body have been replaced or modified with mechanical components. These enhancements and their effects cannot be disabled by anti-magical methods, though may also raise vulnerability to electrical attacks.

D: Archer X wears a cybernetic fin on the top of his head that simply allows him to control the Yaka Arrow. Should it receive sufficient damage, the Noble Phantasm is reduced to an average arrow. With time and mana, however, Archer X can fully repair the fin.

Noble Phantasm-

Yaka Arrow: “One Whistle, A Whole Lotta Corpses”: C++ (Anti-Unit): Archer X carries no bow, but he does wield a single golden arrow to dangerous effect in battle. This weapon is forged from an extraterrestrial metal sensitive to certain sounds. The technology built within allows it to defy gravity and move at high speed through the air when Archer X whistles. The higher the sound’s pitch, the faster it flies, with light fluctuations allowing it to veer, turn, stop suddenly and even ignite. However, it requires the cybernetic fin atop Archer X’s head for operation. Despite its light build, the Yaka Arrow is sharp and durable (though not indestructible). It can easily pierce the hulls of spaceships and Servants who possess A-rank Endurance (higher defenses may be penetrated with more speed and power). But the true power behind this Noble Phantasm is Archer X’s skill in wielding it. He can instantly have it perforate others in a split-second while controlling it not to damage anything or anyone other than the intended target. Though technically classified as Anti-Unit, the Yaka Arrow could bring death to an army of thousands in approximately a minute under its master’s guidance.

I know, I know, not the most impressive sheet. I could’ve added Yondu’s old Ravager crew and fleet as a second Noble Phantasm, but on the one hand, that seems more appropriate for Rider class, and on the other, they did betray him at the end... But his comparative low-grade status plays well into Shinji’s plans. There is method to his madness and to mine, I assure you.

Now then, I’m gonna have to catch my breath after all this writing, plus I’ve a couple of responsibilities to take care of IRL. There’s one little goodie that’ll be arriving shortly, but don’t expect any more chapters this month. Hopefully, the next chapter will arrive in late June/early July, but rest assured, I fully intend to see this crazy story through to the end. Just gotta turn my half-baked ideas into something presentable for that.

Chapter Text

The sun shined brightly upon all today, though not everybody could appreciate it. Mace Windu, Jedi Master and Servant Ruler X of the Fifth Holy Grail War, surveyed his audience with a stony gaze. “Looks like your idea didn’t have quite so high a turnout, Assassin X.”

The Copy Ninja shrugged at his spot between Shirou Emiya and Maiya Hisau, their respective Sabers on the other side. “It was a long shot,” he admitted while glancing around, “but at least we weren’t the only ones who showed up.” He received more than one venomous look from Team Tohsaka and Team Einzbern and silently accepted them. In at least one case, he deserved it.

It had all started during a break from practice with Shirou and Rin, where they’d gotten to talking about the Fourth Grail War and the conversation led to a certain Banquet. Rin had been flabbergasted at such a ridiculous idea, rival Servants gathering for a philosophical debate in the middle of a War for the Holy Grail, but hey, it had been Iskandar’s idea.

Shirou, though, had openly wondered if they could set up such a thing in the present, an idea to which Ruby and Bumblebee had quickly shown their support. While somewhat irked at following in a rival King’s footsteps, Saber had acknowledged it would be a good chance to meet up with less antagonistic sides; she didn’t deny the merits of last time’s discussions. Then in a flash of inspiration, Assassin X realized there was someone who could facilitate such a peaceful gathering: Ruler X.

The Servant of Arbitration hadn’t expected Kakashi Hatake’s suggestion, but he came around quicker than expected to the idea and allowed the invitations to be spread. His only caveats were that the gathering take place at Mion River’s bank in broad daylight. This wasn’t official Grail business, and the timing was meant to discourage more overt displays of power. It went without saying that they would take additional precautions to safeguard bystanders.

So, the date had been set for Sunday at ten, and Shirou even put together a sizable brunch meal as a show of good faith. He got rather peeved that Archer had done the same, with his own meals being more varied and potentially more delicious. The rest among their respective teams sighed and quickly put a stop at the two’s one-upmanship before it could spiral into something serious.

Their efforts had been largely for naught, though. Aside Shirou, Maiya and their contracted Servants, only Rin and Illyasviel’s teams arrived, and the latter kept a noticeable distance. Otherwise, familiars buzzed around, and one particular Servant in blue (cursing his Master) was crouching among the trees with a slightly disappointed mien. Clearly, no one else had trusted the invitation despite Ruler X’s vouching for it, but they weren’t willing to chance a sneak attack on account of the daytime and said Servant’s presence.

(In truth, Bazett Fraga McRemitz would’ve liked to join in, but she and her friends were literally confined inside their hideout. Courtesy of Toothless roughhousing while she and Hiccup had been experimenting with barrier spells. At least they’d slipped out a clockwork familiar…)

Thus, the gathering consisted of solely eight Servants, four Masters and one extra participant. Sakura Tohsaka claimed she had just been out for a walk on a pleasant day and stumbled upon the commotion, but few believed her. Still, Ruler X permitted her to stay under his protection.

As for the food, it sat slowly cooling by a couple of picnic tables. No one was worried about it going to waste, though, not with the Servants (cough*Saber*cough) in attendance.

Rin stifled a sigh. She would’ve preferred if Sakura wasn’t so close to Servants and enemy Masters. Well, the Einzbern Master; she trusted Emiya wouldn’t wish harm upon her sister. Hell, Rin would’ve preferred using this Sunday to sleep in. But that plan had already been nipped in the bud thanks to a certain Servant of hers. ‘I’ll get you back for that damn cat if it’s the last thing I do,’ the Master vowed with a cold glare at Lancer X who sweated a bit.

Illya for her part had little interest in talking with other Masters, much less an up-jumped commoner like Rin. And least of all did she want to be around that slimy wordbreaker Kakashi. Big Bro Saber implored her to give it a shot; if Ruler X was backing it, then it was less likely a trap. Illya didn’t like the interloper much, either, but then Berserker grunted in support to his partner. And they both swore they wouldn’t let their guards down for a second.

Ultimately, she relented as a favor to them. And hey, Big Bro wanted to see Ruler X again. I can give him at least that freebie. Besides, Lancer X was here, too.

And the food did smell good…

“No offense,” Maiya finally said while keeping an eye on the other teams (Illyasviel and Archer in particular), “but I’m a little surprised you agreed to something this unorthodox, Ruler X.” She idly noticed Tohsaka strengthening the gathering’s Bounded Field so as to block out peeping familiars but made no move to stop it. You snooze, you lose.

Similar thoughts went through Ruler X’s mind before he answered. “It’s unorthodox but I found it appealing. Jedi should seek peaceful resolutions to conflicts.” He scoffed slightly at the wide looks he got. “Does that surprise you? We’re peacekeepers and protectors. Over the thousands of years the Order I served has existed, we’ve developed many different ways to defend ourselves and others,” Ruler X began. He then ignited Hurrikaine, the violet energy beam humming calmly beside him. “Our first lightsaber designs were… primitive. It took us generations to make their designs practical, but they have since become our primary tools for combat.” He held his lightsaber to the side before suddenly swinging it down and to the side, its violet blade flashing with the movements. “We use them to battle criminals and those who tap into what we refer to as the Dark Side of The Force.” He refused to elaborate more about this “Dark Side,” which was telling enough.

Saber then decided to sate another of her curiosities. “Would you care to tell us more about your Order’s ways of swordsmanship?” She shrugged off a pair of  shinai she’d carried; in case the meeting didn’t happen, she would’ve made a few practice spars with Shirou and Bee. “I think it would be enlightening, and I am happy to offer my services in demonstrating.” The offer visibly piqued his interest, and the other Servants all showed an interest as well.

Illya rolled her eyes at Berserker and her Big Brothers’ attention. Boys. Still, she found it endearing enough not to protest.

The younger Tohsaka was also visibly interested, though, much to her sister’s surprise. Well, as long as it doesn’t get dangerous, Rin thought as she relented. It was her job as the big sister to look out for and encourage Sakura, after all. Besides, her own curiosity was piqued.

Eventually, Ruler X hummed in agreement. “One should keep one’s skills honed…” With that, he shrugged off his cloak which dissipated in midair, then accepted a shinai offered by Saber. With a wave of his hand, leaves and branches were blown away, clearing much of the ground as the Champion of the Jedi Order traced a circle in the dirt. “Many Jedi have developed their own preferences and habits for wielding a lightsaber,” he continued his explanation between his strides. “I am no exception to that. But there are seven fundamental forms one can learn.” The circle complete, Ruler X gripped the shinai with both hands and held it in front of him.

(Team Bazett’s familiar had managed to slip inside the Bounded Field, and the trio decided to pause their efforts to undo the binding in favor of watching.

Lancer settled in his tree, lazily pretending he couldn’t make out a thing to his “Master.” This close, he could see if not hear those down below, which was enough for his own curiosity.)

Lancer X glanced briefly around, checking to make sure no one else was interested, then she accepted a training sword from her partner (who made and passed out one each to the other Servants, even Assassin X, at Ruby’s insistence) and walked to in front of the older Servant. An exchange of nods indicating they were ready, then both moved.

Swords weren’t Ruby Rose’s forte when it came to weapons, but she had picked up the basics at Signal and even briefly considered making one her main before her uncle took her under his wing. She made for a quick slash to Ruler X’s right, which he stopped with his own swing. He in turn raised his shinai up and swiftly brought it down, forcing Lancer X to block.

What followed was a series of exchanges between the two Servants while the rest stood at the edge of the circle and watched. A basic set of moves, Archer surmised while studying his partner’s efforts to break through. No thrusts, no feints, just broad swings all at ninety- or forty-five-degree angles. The swings remain the same, too, whether in offense or defense. He compared it to other forms of swordsmanship and decided: It’s functional but easy to read.

Similar thoughts ran through the other Servants’ heads, with varying levels of approval. Saber X studied the broad swings, idly finding them similar to his own movements, as he listened to the master’s next words. “This is Form I, otherwise known as Shii-Cho or ‘the Determination Form.’ And yes, it’s rather simple.”

Meanwhile, Ruby had gotten the hang of her opponent’s swings and timing. It’s kinda like how I fight with Crescent Rose. Just, y’know, without a gun component. But she wasn’t swinging a scythe now. When they clashed again, she pulled back her shinai as it was being batted away, forcing his weapon to veer off on the right, and shifted into a thrust straight for Ruler X’s chest. However, Ruler X slashed far faster and stronger than in his previous movements, sending the Huntress’ shinai flying out of her grip with a little yelp from her. It spun towards the audience, Saber catching it before it could’ve concussed Shirou and Sakura.

Meanwhile, Master Windu’s sword hovered in front of the girl’s silver eyes. “But in this simplicity lies its strength,” he added before relaxing his stance.

Assassin X made an understanding sound. “That Form doesn’t have any katas or structure, just a set of basic moves,” he exchanged a look with both Sabers, “which means any strike can follow another. It’s called the Determination Form because the practitioner needs to be patient and determine their own path to victory.”

“There is a little rhyme and reason to the Form, though,” the Cybertronian Servant noted after a little thinking. “You weren’t just parrying Lancer X’s blows. A lot of your attacks were actually aimed at the grip of her sword.”

Lancer X nodded while rotating her left wrist. “Yeah, it was like you were trying to disarm me, not hurt me.” She cocked her head a bit. “Wait, if this was the first form your group invented for fighting with lightsabers, and you were focused on protecting lives…”

“It would have been contrary to our roles as peacekeepers if we deliberately tried to eviscerate every criminal and dissident in our way, yes.” Ruler X agreed rather dryly, drawing a sheepish giggle from her. “Sun djem is what we refer to any blow meant to disarm an opponent. While it can and has been used in a more lethal manner, a core philosophy of Form I is that the greatest victory is to defeat your opponent without causing serious injury.” Shirou’s ears perked up at the concept, and Chihiro himself was visibly more interested.

Others, though, were less impressed. “If you hadn’t sped up on that last move, Lancer X would’ve won the bout.” Illya huffed; adjusting your speed just like that wasn’t really fair in her eyes. “Besides, those clumsy swings hardly seem effective for real fights.”

“They can be,” Saber X countered, drawing his Master’s attention. “Just imagine them being done with a lightsaber or any other sword that slices through almost anything.” The young homunculus promptly did so. A few seconds later, she silently conceded the point.

“Exactly. It may appear clumsy, but Shii-Cho is both suitable for getting used to a lightsaber and a reliable fallback when all else fails.” Ruler X repeated the swings but this time with more speed, granting them a sense of fluidity. “And those who fully commit to it can produce an unrelenting, stream-like swordplay. A fellow Master and good friend of mine chose Shii-Cho as his primary, and he was one of the finest swordsmen of my time.” A green-skinned face with tentacles spilling out the back, red bulbous eyes and an ever-present grin swam to the front of Mace’s thoughts. “Pure loyalty to his comrades, pure danger to his enemies.”

“I can think of a few people who also fit that description.” Saber smiled fondly at her partner, Assassin X rubbing his head bashfully as Maiya, Shirou, Bee and even Ruby nodded in agreement.

His good mood faltered, though, upon noticing Illya cross her arms and turn away with a frown. Berserker growled in warning beside her, but the shinobi wouldn’t have known what to do or say to her anyway.

Ruler X cleared his throat to regain their attention, privately noting the shame in the foreigner. He couldn’t do much on account of his neutrality, but the lessons could serve as a good distraction. “Now, let me show you Form II, Makashi.” He briefly snapped up his sword before him, then swung it to his right side, an action the Servants recognized as a salute. “The Contention Form.”

Ruby backed off, allowing Archer to take her place. Taking note of Ruler X’s straight stance, he opted for a decisive slash towards the neck, only for his shinai to be deflected with a simple twitch of the Jedi’s wrist. Then the tip was surging towards his face, a thrust he narrowly parried. Ruler X didn’t let up, stepping into a sequence of strikes that drove Archer back, and when the Counter Guardian gained momentum, his shinai was diverted or simply nudged just enough to not warrant any trouble. These techniques were far more compact and decisive, probing for weak points and not wasting time on flashy sweeps like Shii-Cho.

Rin watched the graceful, poised strokes and thrusts quite attentively. While Ruler X clearly wasn’t a savant of this Form, she found such elegant techniques much more appealing than the lumbering moves of the first.

Unbeknownst to most of the onlookers, Berserker’s eyes were locked keenly on the legs of the Jedi. He saw solid footwork maintained during a steady advance or retreat in a straight line. Not a step more than needed, the demigod determined in silent respect.

Finally, their shinai became locked together. Archer tried to disarm his opponent with a crescent twist, but Ruler X’s grip on his sword was too tight. Instead, its tip snapped against the Counter Guardian’s fingers, depriving him of his weapon. A more precise version of the technique he used to disarm Ruby, Archer recognized while flexing his bruised fingers. Still, he knew he was lucky; if Ruler X had used a real blade, all of his fingers would’ve been sliced off with that move.

“A fencing form. Precision, economy of movement, refined strikes.” Lancer X shrugged at the questioning looks shot her way. “My BFF back on Remnant, Weiss, had a rapier with special Dust functions as her weapon and fought a lot like Ruler X did just now. Only she was fancier, kinda dancey and showoffy, with it.”

“True masters of Makashi were regularly praised for their elegance in battle,” Ruler X agreed. “I’m fairly good at it, but an…” he frowned for a split second, “old friend always preferred it to later Forms. Said it was true swordsmanship. And he had a point: Shii-Cho was created in a time long before lightsaber duels were commonplace. When the first forebearers of my generation’s Order turned rogue, an alternative was needed to stop them.”

“And for the sake of innocent lives, the Jedi couldn’t afford to waste time or energy,” Saber X surmised. “They needed to finish the fights quickly and decisively.” He replayed both Forms in his mind side by side, comparing their elements. “…Shii-Cho is about rejecting complex structures in favor of simplicity and riding the current of the battle, whereas with Makashi, the goal is to visualize a structured battle strategy and establish order, for both yourself and your opponent.” Ruler X saluted the younger swordsman for his analysis.

“Mastering it would certainly be a fine testimony to one’s discipline,” Artoria praised. “Still, the self-restraint it epitomizes can be a detriment. A powerhouse like Berserker could batter right through Makashi’s tactics.” Or a veteran knight. she tilted her head slightly in thought before pointing out another detail. “And say what you will about the first Form, but its wide strokes would allow a swordsman to ward off multiple opponents, especially with a lightsaber.”

Her astuteness was awarded with another salute. “Makashi, by contrast, was specifically designed for one-on-one duels. A master of the Form would be able to battle more than one enemy, but it’s not as effective in such scenarios.” Ruler X mimed some parrying maneuvers again. “Also, its counters are for blades, not projectiles. As energy blasters became more commonplace in our galaxy, a new Form was devised to handle the problems that naturally arise with such a development.” He bent his knees a bit, held his shinai up to his forehead, and pointed the index and middle fingers of his free hand ahead. “This is Form III, Soresu.”

Now it was Saber X’s turn to step up. He took his stance and readied himself, but Ruler X simply stood there, watching him carefully. They spent nearly a minute sizing each other up, Chihiro feeling his Master’s impatience even without their mental link. Eventually, he feinted a jab from the right only to stab at the left. His opponent saw right through the trick and deflected the blow. Saber X reflexively spun around in an attempt to swing with all his might, only realizing mid-motion that he was leaving himself wide open. But Master Windu simply stepped backwards, letting the other shinai swipe at air. The younger Servant quickly rallied himself and transitioned into a series of powerful blows he’d seen his counterpart perform, all of which were deftly parried. No matter from which angle he swung or how much strength he put into it, Ruler X’s shinai never failed to counter his. Sometimes, he merely adjusted his footing, and Saber X’s blows would drift right past him. After a while, the student stopped to catch his breath, and the teacher finally added, “Jedi also call it the Resilience Form.”

The female Saber watching expressed her interest with a low hum. “Resilience as in defense,” she surmised, “and it certainly lives up to its namesake. The stances and positions of the sword are all centered around blocking or evading the opponent’s strikes.” She mulled it over before concluding, “The goal of Soresu is to not only protect one’s own life, but also preserve that of the enemy.” The Jedi confirmed her statement with a nod.

“Impressive showing,” Assassin X bent down to pick up some pebbles, “and if you’re game, Master Windu, I think I have an idea on how to test its deflection component.” Eyeing the rocks, Ruler X quickly understood and nodded in consent.

In the blink of an eye, the Copy Ninja tossed a pebble at him like he would a shuriken. Despite its speed, Ruler X knocked the projectile away as well as the two that followed within the second but aimed at different angles, his moves the same as in the match a moment ago. Meanwhile, Artoria, Maiya and Bumblebee had taken up different positions and threw their own rocks, the other Masters and Servants joining in after a while. Yet not a single pebble touched Ruler X. Those with sharper eyes discerned Makashi’s economy of motion and Shii-Cho’s effectiveness against crowds in his positioning of the shinai, and those launched by Berserker, he simply dodged. And just as in his match with Saber X, he made no attempt to counterattack.

Another Form and philosophy Shirou found appealing as the demo ended; it was perfect for protecting others and posed minimal risk for enemies. It made him recall something he’d heard in one of Saber’s memories: “You should truly value the sheath, not the sword.” This Soresu ought to have been close to what the speaker had in mind if applied to a swordfight.

Rin, by contrast, viewed it a little more critically. “I get why Jedi as you’ve described them, Ruler X, would appreciate a style like that,” she began as tactful as possible, “but it’s a little… passive. You let Saber X do all the attacking in your spar. Is that really… practical?” She chose her words carefully, well aware thanks to her own Servants how some didn’t appreciate their fighting style being insulted. Thankfully, the others appeared to agree.

“You make a fair point.” And Ruler X himself took her argument in stride, much to the Tohsaka Master’s private relief. “The greatest criticism levelled against Soresu is that it’s too defensive. It has no winning strategy to offer other than outlasting one’s opponent, and for those who lack the stamina to do that, it’s been argued Soresu merely delays the inevitable. Some Jedi decided a more offensive alternative should be available.” Ruler X gripped the handle with both hands and raised it to level with his chin. “Thus, they devised the fourth style of lightsaber combat, Ataru or the Aggression Form.”

Berserker stomped forward, the word, “Aggression,” apparently spurring him on to partake. He paused, though, when Saber X reflexively offered him his own shinai. The partners eyed the comparatively puny strip of bamboo before exchanging a red-eyed look that obviously said, “Yeah, this isn’t gonna work.” So, the massive Servant lumbered over to a nearby elm, ripped it free of the ground with one hand, then cupped the other over its trunk and swept it upwards, stripping away the branches in one fell swoop.

The other Servants watched as he made a few practice swings with his new “sword” but wisely chose not to argue. Regular conventions didn’t apply to Herakles, after all. A fact a preening Illya reminded Rin of with crossed arms and a smirk, much to the latter’s irritation.

Ruler X for his part didn’t so much as blink when Berserker stomped into the training circle. As it happened, his bulk made him an optimal opponent for what the Master of the Jedi Council had in mind.

The two Servants moved at the same time, Herakles’ larger size and reach instantly carrying his downward slash towards his target’s spot. Ruler X leaped, however, twisting around the blow in the process to strike quickly at the bigger Servant’s neck. Berserker didn’t even feel it, of course, and snapped his sword back up, only for Ruler X to roll in midair over the massive wood. He landed on his feet and sprang again, striking against Berserker’s guard before backflipping away with a kick to his foe’s chest. Berserker followed the Jedi in two broad strides, trapping him against the edge of the ring, and swung anew, but he rolled on the ground and came at the demigod from another angle. All this had happened within three seconds, and the battle had barely begun.

“It’s acrobatic,” Lancer X noted impressed to her teammates as they watched Berserker chase Ruler X across the field, the smaller Servant peppering him with swift attacks all the while.

Archer crossed his arms while studying the swings. “Quantity over quality.” He pointed with his shinai at the Jedi’s. “He’s mixing in kicks, might even use punches, too, in another match-up. No single strike has to be lethal or even that powerful, but all of them together, plus them coming from different angles, could probably overwhelm any opponent given time.”

His partner agreed. “The trick is to keep moving, don’t let up until the other guy’s beaten.” He exchanged a nod and a look; Ruby’s approach to fighting was similar in that the key to victory lay in agility and momentum. Rin seemed slightly interested in this Ataru, too, her eyes alight with Reinforcement to keep track. Sakura, surprisingly, was attentive, too.

The bout finally ended when Ruler X leaped impossibly high and brought his shinai down in a two-handed swing. Berserker blocked it, the impact releasing a burst of pressure that swept through the audience. Hair fluttered (and skirts were thankfully kept down) as Master Windu flipped away into a graceful landing, his shinai miraculously intact. Or rather… “Ataru is among the Forms where Jedi apply The Force more overtly,” he confirmed their suspicions.

The Master took a deep breath; said application was the only reason he’d managed to keep ahead of Herakles. Even when holding back, his strength, speed and reflexes are phenomenal. One misstep, and I’d have been sent flying... An exhilarating match even without Vaapad.

Shirou blinked a couple of times, his sight readjusting to the now normal movement speed of the Servants exchanging respectful bows. He had just barely been able to follow their movements during the match, now his eyes needed to cool down. There were a few things on his mind, though, especially when overhearing the commentary of Tohsaka’s Servants. “Excuse me,” he straightened slightly from Ruler X’s attention, “but I noticed between all of those acrobatics, you never stopped attacking Berserker. If Jedi didn’t seek conflict, why make a Form this… well, offensive?” Shirou doubled down. If he sounded stupid, so be it.

Some like Archer or Illyasviel eyed him pityingly, but Ruler X took his question seriously. “A bit hypocritical, I’ll admit, but is there an organization or a philosophy which doesn’t have its own private hypocrisies?” Frowning, the boy shuffled slightly where he stood. “Besides, aggressive combat isn’t necessarily the same as a state of aggression,” he explained before smirking slightly. “The Grand Master of our Order was over eight hundred years old when I began my training, and he was a mischievous green little troll not half Miss Einzbern’s height.” Everyone promptly tried to picture such a creature, especially with the next sentence: “But with Ataru, he was one of the greatest swordsmen of all time.” Again, that quiet fondness drifted into his voice. “My superior in every way, Master Yoda was.”

“I get it.” Just as Shirou made to ask for more, he turned to the speaker. Bumblebee’s eyes shined with recognition. “Fighting was a last resort for him, but if he was that small and needed to, he couldn’t settle for something defensive like Soresu or complex like Makashi. He’d want to end the fight as quickly as possible, and he’d use what advantages he had like his size and The Force.” Bee shrugged. “I’m kinda short by Cybertronian standards myself, so I can get behind a Form like that.” And so did Shirou now after his friend’s words. Saber and Ruby silently agreed. Heck, Bee wanted to give Ataru a shot.

Maiya pursed her lips slightly. “Not trying to nitpick,” she began, “but it feels like those Jedi unhappy with Form III overcorrected. All of that agility is better suited for evasion than actually blocking counterattacks. Plus, it’s got to be exhausting when the battle draws out.”

“Not to mention those flashy acrobatics only work if you have enough elbow room,” Kakashi concurred (a tiny part of Maiya’s psyche beamed). “Get cornered or backed into a tight space, and you’re pretty much defenseless. That’s less a problem for someone as small as your Grand Master, but for full-grown people like us, as soon as they tire out, they’re in trouble.”

Illya quickly gave Berserker a once-over as he stomped over to her and Saber X, but she needn’t have worried. All of those hits from Ruler X’s shinai were as effective as fleabites. If Ruler X’s opponent had been any lumbering thug, though, they surely would’ve gone down in the first minute from all those high-speed strikes. If Illya were one to bother with swordplay… then again, Makashi was more befitting a lady…

“Valid points about its disadvantages,” Ruler X’s voice drew her back to the present, “and of course, there’s the added risk for Force-users getting swept up in the adrenaline and tapping into the dark side. Proper training and discipline are good safeguards against that, though.” He turned to the woman. “As for your argument about ‘overcorrection,’ practitioners of Form III experimented developing more offensive techniques while retaining its virtue of defense, and this in turn led to the conception of Form V. The Perseverance Form has two versions: Shien, which is for long-range confrontations…”

The Jedi Master flipped his weapon around in a reverse grip and assumed a stance. Once again, onlookers bent down and picked up some rocks. They hurled them, and again, Ruler X’s sword countered every single one, adjusting his grip from regular to reverse and back between swings. But unlike Form III, he didn’t simply block the projectiles but took it a step further and tried reflecting them back to their sources. Rin, Shirou, and even Maiya had to dodge or risk getting a concussion. Illya for her part cleverly hid behind Berserker.

“…And this is designed for duels: Djem So.” He then assumed a stance much like Saber’s standard.

The King of Knights noticed this similarity but paused as Bumblebee shot her an inquisitive look. After a moment, she nodded, an invitation he took to step up, his metal fingers drumming along the grip of the longer practice sword made for him by his comrades. The two Servants crossed “blades” for an instant before Ruler X struck first. His shinai came down hard once, twice, then on the third slash, the Autobot twisted away and made for a thrust. Ruler X batted it away so hard the wooden blade nearly went flying, and his own stab carried him after his backtracking opponent.

“Pretty powerful blows,” Saber X determined, “doesn’t offer much for mobility, though. You need solid footing to swing that hard, which makes the advance a little sluggish.” He glanced up to his friend. “It reminds me a bit of your approach, just slower and more targeted.” Berserker rumbled in agreement, his thoughts drifting back to his lessons under Chiron.

On the other side, Assassin X and Saber were also discussing details about Djem So. “You can see some of Makashi’s parrying maneuvers in it, just with more force and less finesse.”

“Rather than wait for an opening, the fighter creates their own, sometimes by even forcing the other’s own weapon against them,” Saber finished her comrade’s train of thought. Such a strategy had also been common in her time, where many swords had been forged double-edged and power was needed to force the steel through an enemy’s armor.

“He attacks alongside his advance,” Shirou added, both attentive about the Form and apprehensive of being on its receiving end. “Each step’s a strike, and each strike’s a step.” Maiya nodded pleased with his understanding; she and Kiritsugu had used similar tactics on missions. They’d needed to keep their targets off-balance, overwhelm them.

That said, she was also reflexively worried for her Servant’s sake. Good thing those are just practice swords.

Sakura for her part eyed the heavy blows a bit uneasily. It reminded her of bouts in Sojutsu when she was paired with particularly enthusiastic opponents. “I take it the concept behind Form V is ‘Peace through superior strength’. Hotblooded Jedi must’ve loved it.” She suspected Atto wouldn’t be particularly impressed with such methods, either.

“Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense,” her Big Sister countered. “The best way to not get hurt when your opponent’s using that kind of style is probably to just surrender.”

“That’s assuming the other guy will stop after you’ve surrendered.” Rin side-eyed Sakura for that remark but didn’t refute it. Neither Ruby nor Archer had more to offer either.

The “illegal” Saber X rolled away in hopes of getting some breathing room, but his opponent stormed right after him, shinai barreling towards him like a truck. He could barely block. More than once, he suffered a hit from his own “blade” instead of Ruler X’s. If it hadn’t been for the latter’s self-restraint and the practice swords, he might’ve been sporting a couple dents. Soon enough, he lost his sword and raised both hands in surrender, at which point Ruler X relented. “You alright?” Bee nodded at the question, throbbing in his wrists aside.

Mace noted the flexing of his fingers and how the robotic being winced underneath his “breath” but kept his composure as he returned to his team. He definitely has a soul, he determined, and a strong one at that. To their audience, he said, “Form V, as you’ve all discussed, is a powerhouse sort of combat. It was fairly popular among Jedi who believed in protecting others proactively, but it could also be corruptive.

“Ultimately, Form VI, Niman, was created in an attempt to balance all of the prior Forms’ advantages. Hence its name, the Moderation Form.” He lowered the shinai before him but kept both hands on it while Assassin X approached. “It’s also been called ‘the Diplomat’s Form’ because this versatility allowed Jedi who had other pursuits such as negotiation, engineering or further honing their knowledge of The Force to not have all their time and energy spent on swordsmanship.”

Assassin X began to circle him. He feigned a swipe at Ruler X who twisted away before swinging two swift blows at his head. Assassin X ducked and counterattacked, but rather than dodge like before, the Jedi stood his ground to block his strikes. Then he stepped forward for an overhead swing which the ninja sidestepped and aimed for his head. That’s when Ruler X’s left hand let go and snapped towards him, a light Force Push driving him back. Kakashi landed on his feet and paused. “Jack of all trades, master of none, huh? And this lack of specialization lets you tap into other resources more easily.” He shifted to the one-handed Makashi stance from before just as Ruler X came in for a wide swing reminiscent of Shii-Cho. “Interesting.” Soon, the two engaged in a mesh of the previously shown styles.

Shirou as well as the Tohsaka sisters watched nearly mesmerized as the two warriors battled, the flow of combat changing again and again. Attacking, defending, mixing in tricks such as telekinesis or throwing pebbles or even a little elemental surprise in Assassin X’s case. And all the while, both their stances and their demeanors were calm. “So many different styles…” Sakura mumbled in awe, her Big Sister nodding in quiet agreement.

“It’s not all-powerful, though.” Saber cautioned them. “Blending multiple different styles makes Niman a versatile Form, but it’s not quite as effective as the moves of one specialized style.” She scratched her chin pensively. “The Diplomat’s Form… an apt name. Truly mastering Niman requires treating it as more than a stand-in for proper swordplay. Changing tactics mid-battle isn’t as simple as Kakashi and Ruler X make it look, either; the fluidity to adapt for different opponents and battlefield conditions takes time and training to develop.”

Stepping out of reach, Windu added his own two cents. “Our Order’s Battlemaster would agree with you on that point, Saber. He believed one would need to commit to Niman for at least ten years to fully master it.” He gestured with his free hand to Saber X for the latter’s shinai. The scarred Servant promptly tossed it over, and Ruler X snatched it up to assume a new stance. “On the flipside, Niman was the forerunner for Jedi learning how to wield more than one lightsaber in battle.” He proceeded to clash “blades” again with Assassin X, though this time with one in each hand. “Dual-wielding is referred to as Jar’Kai in our lessons. It’s not exclusive to Niman, but not all of the Forms work well with more than one blade.”

“And the ones who first came up with wielding double-bladed lightsabers were practitioners of Niman, too, I take it?” Kakashi received an affirmative in between parrying a slash and diverting a thrust. He noticed in passing Lancer X perking up. Heh, probably imagining a scythe-variant lightsaber.

“Form VI is essentially a blank slate,” the Counter Guardian concluded as the bout came to an end. “What you get out of it is what you put into it, be it bladework or alternate means.” Maybe it was the dual-wielding component, but this Form intrigued him the most. Some would criticize it as unimaginative or lacking in personal style, but that was the point. True Niman could be anything and everything in the right person’s hands, and even watered down, it could keep you alive, provided you used it properly.

As Assassin X stepped out of the ring and his partner took his place, Mace Windu drew in a deep breath. Now they’d reached the stage he was most apprehensive about. “The seventh and final form, Juyo, the Ferocity Form, was rarely used among Jedi.” He shifted his right foot forward, held his sword diagonally in front of him and raised his left hand close to his chest. “It’s the most dangerous and unpredictable of all ways to wield a lightsaber.”

Registering the warning, Saber raised her shinai both-handed and charged without preamble. Somehow, she just knew she needed to make the first move. Ruler X met her vertical slash with a horizontal swing… that suddenly transitioned into a thrust towards her right and then a swipe at her legs. Saber hopped away, narrowly countering the downward diagonal strike that almost knocked her to the dirt. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the bamboo and fought back.

Everyone watched with at least some trepidation as the two Servants battled. Shirou, Kakashi, Bee, Sakura and Ruby were particularly antsy with each step back Saber took or any time a strike managed to slip past her defenses. Even Archer was gripping his forearms tightly in an effort to keep calm. It’s just a sparring match, he reminded himself. She can handle this.

Saber X’s eyes were glued to the whirlwind of strikes that was Ruler X’s swordsmanship. The fluidity and seeming randomness of the man’s moves bore some similarity to the prior glimpse of master-grade Shii-Cho, but this was far more passionate, aggressive. Makashi’s refinement was nowhere to be seen, nor was Soresu’s restraint given any thought. Unlike Ataru, every single blow was meant to be decisive, but Ruler X wasn’t bogged down by Djem So’s sluggishness. No moderation like Niman, either; this was, Chihiro recognized, truly “the Ferocity Form”.

It was a testament to Artoria’s own prowess that she could stand against this assault, and even then, her Instinct was running full speed to keep up. There was no rhythm or pattern to be made out in Ruler X’s attacks. However, she managed to deduce one detail about his fighting style: its defense was weaker than its offense. So, she dug into her heels and reduced the damage as best as she could, weathering the storm until she saw its eye, then she struck.

Everyone watched amazed as Ruler X sliced through empty air while Saber’s shinai cracked against his ribs, the first solid hit he’d taken since the begin of these sessions. They stepped apart, the taller Heroic Spirit eyeing his adversary with unrestrained respect as he reassumed his stance. She did the same, her eyes gleaming unlike at the beginning.

Then they clashed again, and the sound of bamboo hitting together filled the area. It was a testament to the Bounded Field that no outsider would notice, though the magi in the group still eyed it cautiously. But for Shirou, Archer, Ruby, Kakashi, Chihiro and Herakles himself, all attention was on the second round. Something had changed in Ruler X’s style. The attacks were staccato and vicious as before, but more… targeted. More personal, somehow. And his usual stoic face had given way to a determined frown that deepened with every strike he gave and received. Saber, too, was fighting much more aggressively than before, putting less focus on her defense and channeling all of her strength into her swings as she glared at the other swordsman. The practice bout had seemingly become a duel of life and death.

Finally, their swords struck and shattered with a fierce crack that made the younger onlookers wince. Pieces of bamboo scattered as the two Servants glared at one another, their bodies still in post-swing. Worry rose in Shirou that either would attack again any second now…

Then Ruler X rose to his full height, took in a deep breath, and released it. Along with all of his aggression, apparently; there was no sign of the fury from before in his straight, even posture.

Saber blinked, then mimicked his actions two seconds after him as he watched her calmly. “Apologies for the drama,” Ruler X said coolly as ever, “but I thank you, Saber, for helping me demonstrate the variant of Juyo I created: Vaapad.”

Masters and Servants alike breathed a sigh in relief that the intensity was over, then one who was neither voiced the question on everyone’s mind. “What… what exactly is Vaapad, Ruler X?” Sakura dimly recalled a similar sensation of passion in her dreams, but not quite so vivid in front of her.

“There is a planet in my home universe, Serapin, and on its moons hunts a predatory animal from which this form’s name was taken. The vaapad is notorious for its deadly tentacles, no less than seven; the largest one ever seen had twenty-three. It attacks by whipping out its tentacles at ferocious speed and seemingly no rhyme or reason, too fast to count. Almost too fast to see.” Master Windu set aside the shattered wood and ignited his lightsaber again to repeat those swings. “With Juyo, you open yourself completely to The Force and with it, the rush of the battle, which makes for chaotic swordplay.” Hurrikaine’s blade soon became an amethyst typhoon. “My variation takes this a step further. Vaapad is designed to let your inner instincts and aggression take control of the rush. At a higher level, you stimulate your opponent’s fury, have them unleash it all upon you, draw it in, and then channel it into your own blows. Overwhelming them with both your passion and their own.”

Saber inspected the broken handle of her shinai, her fingers slowly uncurling from the wood. “I see what you mean,” she admitted. “Your moves were swift, powerful and nearly utterly erratic, Ruler X. And these traits only grew the longer we fought. If it hadn’t been for my Instinct and experience in dealing with… similar opponents, you probably would’ve won the bout within the first two minutes.” She frowned. “But… there was something else. It wasn’t only you who grew more aggressive… I, too, felt my frustration, my… anger… rising.”

“Tell me about it,” Bumblebee commented, “at the end of the fight, you looked like you wanted to rip his head off.” Saber blushed slightly and apologized for her lacking self-control. Inwardly, she mulled this over. It couldn’t have been because of her newfound openness. Artoria was more than familiar with the rush of battle, but never before had she felt such a drive to… lose herself to it. Vaapad… It may be the bane for all Berserkers.

Ruler X accepted her apology with a nod and continued to explain. “Form VII, be it Juyo or Vaapad, basically makes you surrender yourself to primal emotions. Passion, anger, your inner darkness. To truly use it, you have to enjoy the battle. You have to savor every moment of clashing blades, of attaining victory by cutting down your enemy. And aside from the physical drawback of your vulnerabilities becoming more exposed, that path pushes you into the Dark Side. It’s… very dangerous for everyone involved.” He sheathed his lightsaber.

Illya had grown curious despite herself, finding this description similar to Berserker’s Mad Enhancement. “Let me guess, these risks are why not many Jedi were taught either version of this Form?”

“Learners were… strongly advised against delving too deep in Juyo,” Windu confirmed. “As for Vaapad, there were only two besides me who truly committed themselves to it: Depa Billaba who was my apprentice and at least my equal, and a fellow Master named Sora Bulq who helped me create Vaapad. He knew it about as intimately as I do.” His words took on a somber tone. “But he didn’t master Vaapad. Vaapad mastered him.” Everyone, no matter how accustomed they were (or weren’t) to battle, understood the subtext of that statement. Rin had read and heard of similar “high risk, high reward” styles of magecraft in her workshop, usually with a warning from her father penciled in.

Similar recollections made Assassin X cock his head in thought. “Vaapad sounds a fair bit like techniques on my world that would be classified as forbidden. With respect, Ruler X, you don’t strike me as the kind of man who’d dabble in concepts contrary to your Order’s code.”

Sakura could’ve sworn Ruler X briefly locked eyes with her before he replied. “I wasn’t very… balanced in my youth. I was easily frustrated, and I had an aggression that threatened to spill out at any point. First, I tried to suppress it with training and meditation, telling myself it wasn’t there. But the more I denied it, the more it churned within me.” His words washed over the young girl, settling into her mind. “I developed Vaapad to channel my darkness into a weapon of the light.” She knew she’d be ruminating on this for a while…

A concept Berserker was quite familiar with; part of his efforts into developing Pankration had been to channel his godly strength into something practical for battle. He could also sense his partner’s preoccupation with such a swordsmanship and philosophy. Chihiro blinked as a broad, heavy hand clasped onto his shoulder and looked up to Herakles giving him an encouraging look (not that it was easy to tell for outsiders).

Shirou for his part mulled over the vicious, seemingly uncontrolled slashes, recalling a Jigen-ryu video Big Sis Fuji had once shown him, and the passion they represented. Ruler X’s advice from before, “Aggressive combat isn’t necessarily the same as a state of aggression,” came back to him, though he still wasn’t quite keen on taking to such an approach. “Form VII was the most dangerous out of all Forms, right? Then which one is the greatest?”

“All of them,” Ruler X paused for effect, “and none of them. Certain Forms were more useful in times of peace than wartime, and vice versa. And that’s without factoring in personal preferences. Members of large size and build tended to favor Form V with which they could fully apply their innate strength. On the flipside, older and shorter members like Master Yoda used Ataru’s agility to compensate for their physical limitations. And some Jedi had no particular advantages or handicaps, giving them free reign to choose the style they felt best suited them.” He turned back to Saber. “Like you inferred, Soresu was popular among many Jedi for its lack of aggressive tactics, regardless of the era. A good friend of mine, Obi-Wan Kenobi, took it as his primary and to a level never before seen.”

Artoria listened keenly, eager to learn more about this Form and its practitioners. “This friend of yours was a master of Soresu, then?”

 “Not a master,” Mace corrected with a fond half-smile, “the master. I can’t think of a Jedi of our time or before who could’ve been his better in Soresu, nor may there ever be one in the generations to come.” A hint of melancholy briefly slipped into his words before he chuckled, a deep measured sound that actually took his audience aback. “And Obi-Wan never realized this himself until I told him to his face. He always did sell his own talents short…”

“Oh, you think he could’ve beaten you in a duel?” Ruby leaned in, happy to hear about friendly sparring.

“Possibly,” he admitted easily. “I surely don’t need to tell any of you how a battle’s outcome is rarely ever set in stone.” The Heroic Spirits all nodded at his words before he continued. “Obi-Wan’s specialty was Soresu. Mine is Vaapad. Each Form naturally has its strong and weak points that serve better against some opponents rather than others, which is part of why I took to learning all of them. I was called a great swordsman because I helped create Vaapad, a lethal style.” His dark eyes swept over each member of his audience. “But as I once asked Obi-Wan, who do you suppose is greater: the creator of a killing form, or the master of the classic form?”

Rin and Shirou particularly mulled this question over, the pros and cons between devising a whole new kind of magecraft against mastering the basics. For Shirou, he leaned more towards developing one’s fundamental skills and taking them as far as they could go, while Rin would’ve preferred venturing into the unexpected, create something no one else could’ve.

(Cosmic forces snickered at the irony within these teenagers’ musings)

Finally, Berserker rumbled something incoherent to most of them, but Illya stared up at him like she understood and agreed, and Saber X nodded before translating, “Each path has its merits, but it all comes down to the individual.” More rumbles. “We all have to decide for ourselves whether to stick to the tried and true or forge a different path.”

“Very true,” Ruler X acknowledged with a bow of the head towards the biggest Servant. “And all of the Forms demonstrated just now are ultimately just foundations. Starting points for a practitioner to find the path that suits them the most, even if it’s a completely new one. And seeing as the day is young,” he beckoned towards the circle, “who wants to try their hand? Anything except for Vaapad is on the table.”

Even with that caveat, Shirou, Maiya and their Servants were more than happy to stay. Illya for her part found her own interest dampening and made to leave with a haughty sniff… only for Chihiro the traitor to snag her by the collar. Then as she made to demonstrate her extensive repertoire of German curses, Herakles picked her loose of his friend’s grip and plopped her down in front of Lancer X who smiled at her. “C’mon, give it a shot! It’ll be fun!”

Thus, Illyasviel von Einzbern changed her mind about leaving. She’d still figure out a way to discipline her mutinous Servants later, of course.

Rin sighed at her Lancer Servant once again going against her preferences, but a giggle drew her attention. “What’s the matter?” A playfully grinning Sakura was holding a practice sword at her in a ready position. “Can’t fight if it’s not magecraft or hand-to-hand?”

The elder Tohsaka feigned a gasp before smirking back. “Tsk, tsk, don’t think I can’t or won’t make you eat those words, baby sister.” She had wanted to give Form II a shot… As she took her own shinai, though, Rin couldn’t help but ask, “How many of those do you have?”

“How many do you need?” Archer snarked even as he walked over to Ruler X. Trying to “accidentally” kill the boy or Assassin X in a spar wouldn’t fly with so many watching, so he settled for improving his fundamentals and maybe picking up some new moves.

And so the day went by, a select few delving into a fundamental aspect of a galaxy far, far away.

I know what I said in Chapter 8’s notes, but this isn’t a real chapter. It’s just a little something I prepared in advance for today and can be considered canon. Or not, if you find the scenario too unlikely. The opening’s kinda weak, I know. I got caught up in the Forms’ demonstrations and analyses. Don’t worry, though, none of the bad guys got to learn any of this.

A big help for this bonus chapter and the discussions concerning lightsaber styles was a video I found on YouTube, “The Star Wars Philosopher’s Guide to Every Single Lightsaber Technique Form I-Form VII.” As the name suggests, it doesn’t just talk about each Form’s basics and notable practitioners, it also devles into the intent behind their conceptualizations and what beliefs they represent for Jedi/Sith.

This may be a good chance for me to specify in my story that Ruler X doesn’t utilize Vaapad every time he fights, only when he needs it. That’s why he learned the other Forms, to provide himself with options not as risky or, well, lethal. He’s a Jedi.

If any of you feel up to it, you can discuss which Fate Paradox characters would take to which Lightsaber Form(s) the most. All purely hypothetical, of course; I’m not saying that the other Servants or the Masters will suddenly be using this stuff, simply what if.

For example, I imagine Rin would fancy Makashi… but because of her temperamental nature, her results are more akin to Djem So. Hehe.

But wait, there’s more! The following scene would be later in my timeline, post-Grand Order Camelot Singularity, where Artoria decrees to her Knights of the Round Table that other Servants may be nominated as honorary members. Both to bolster their ranks and as a sign of respect. Her first candidate is, of course, Kakashi Hatake while Bumblebee is a close second. Lancelot considers nominating Gandalf but they both decide against it; the Gray Wizard prefers neutrality for the sake of diplomacy between Kings.

Gawain contemplated by his spot. He was admittedly a little apprehensive at allowing unknown foreigners into their circle, but then, they wouldn’t just be anybody. He had been rather impressed with the Copy Ninja upon his introduction and seeing his camaraderie in action. In fact… “Well, there is one candidate who immediately comes to mind, though he has yet to arrive in Chaldea. A man who is both an exemplary warrior and a humble, responsible protector of others, a fine ally no matter the situation: Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Recognition flickered in green eyes. “Ah, you know him already, My King?”

“I only know of him,” Artoria explained. “You have all met Jedi Master Mace Windu, yes?” She was met with a chorus of yeses or simple nods, then she continued. “In the Grail War when we crossed paths, we managed to share fighting styles and a few stories. Master Windu had nothing but praise for Master Kenobi’s abilities, and he isn’t one to give compliments freely. He named Obi-Wan Kenobi as the master of the most defensive lightsaber form in their universe. Not a master,” her smile shifted to a wry grin as she clarified, “the master.”

Her nephew chuckled fondly. “Now that’s a statement I can confirm. I encountered Master Kenobi as a rival during my time in the Moon Wars. Truth be told, I wondered initially how a Servant with an energy sword as his main weapon could qualify for Shielder class.” Those knights who knew little of the Negotiator started at that, prompting a nod from Gawain. “Then we crossed blades, and I understood. I have never faced another swordsman with a guard equal to his, let alone superior. Our battle began at 9:04 and lasted until 12:18.” Now everyone, even Mordred, directed their full attention towards the Knight of the Sun.

Gareth stared at him, her eyes alight with amazement. “He fought you at the height of your power and survived all the way through, Big Brother?!”

“From beginning to end, a complete and utter stalemate.” Gawain’s smile gained a layer of fondness as he ruffled his sister’s hair, prompting an indignant squeak from her. “I suspect that man immediately recognized he couldn’t outmatch me… but he ensured I couldn’t outmatch him, either.”

And as one last goodie, here’s a sheet of Master Kenobi to show how he pulled off this incredible feat:

Shielder X (Fate/Extra Paradoxes)-

Class Validity: Saber, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Ruler, Shielder, Gunner

True Name: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Titles: Jedi Master, Negotiator, Guardian of the Republic

Sex: Male

Source: Star Wars

Region: Coruscant

Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: B

NP: B+

Class Skills-

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

A: One of the single most famous Jedi Knights of all time, Shielder X has battled servants of evil throughout all of his life, having defeated a particularly deadly warrior at the age of twenty-five after the latter slew his Master. He is immune to High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, and even sorcerers from the Age of Gods cannot dismiss him as an adversary easily overcome.

Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals.

-: This Skill is incorporated into Voyager of the Galaxy.

Self-Field Defense: Is a Class Skill of the Shielder class. A power manifested to protect allies and ally territory. The higher the rank is, the larger the defensive area increases.

A: Shielder X was one of the most venerable Masters of the Jedi Order, considered by many to be the model Jedi. He supports his allies through times of joy and sorrow and thoroughly committed to serving justice, democracy and peace. A loyal and dependable comrade to have by your side in any situation.

Personal Skills-

The Force: Refers to the user’s innate connection to a special energy field which is formed and flows through all living things. Those who can tap into this power may be able to perform incredible feats including Mana Burst, Clairvoyance, Presence Detection, Throwing (Retrieval), and more.

A: While he began his legend as a comparatively average Padawan (apprentice), Shielder X trained diligently and persistently in the ways of The Force throughout his life. He earned the rank of Knight after defeating a deadly warrior of the dark side, was promoted to Master during his time training an exceptionally gifted Padawan of his own, and even became a member of the High Council, one of the highest positions in the Jedi Order. Shielder X can influence weak minds into carrying out his will, exert powerful telekinesis, reinforce his physical abilities, sense oncoming danger, and knows other advanced uses of The Force.

Protection From Arrows: Is the ability to deal with projectiles, an increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectiles' trajectories through exceptional means, such as hearing the sound of air being cut, or sensing the killing intent of the enemy.

A+: Soresu, the third form of lightsaber combat and Shielder X’s specialty, was created during a time where energy blasters were becoming more prevalent across Shielder X’s home galaxy. It emphasizes defense and is thereby suited for deflecting enemy fire. Through rigorous training and discipline, Shielder X came to be recognized as the undisputed grandmaster of Soresu. His reflexes are honed with The Force and the experience of many battles, allowing him to wade through entire onslaughts of enemy fire unharmed. There is no projectile Adegon in his hands cannot block and/or potentially reflect; he can even ward off some bare-handed. Not even wide-range attacks may be able to penetrate Shielder X’s guard in his current class.

Voyager of the Galaxy: A variant of Voyager of the Storm for space travel. Because the ability as a group leader may also be necessary, high rank also has the effects of both Charisma and Tactics.

A: He’s not a particular fan of flying, but Shielder X is nevertheless highly skilled and a deadly opponent in a dogfight. When war broke out in his galaxy, he quickly became one of the most well-known and respected generals for the Republic his Order served. Shielder X can command an entire battalion along with their transports and weaponry, and many knew him across his home universe as “the Negotiator” for his exemplary diplomatic skills.

Valor: Is the ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. It also has the bonus effect of increasing melee damage. Not usable under the effects of Mad Enhancement.

A+: Shielder X’s Master was killed before his eyes. He lost more than one person dear to him throughout his adventures and later war. His own apprentice succumbed to the dark side of The Force and nearly eradicated their entire Order. Yet in spite of all this, Shielder X has always resisted the dark side’s temptations and held himself true to his Order’s teachings and mission. His resolve is nigh unbreakable, and while his prowess with a lightsaber is the stuff of legend, Shielder X is far from helpless without Adegon.

Noble Phantasm-

Adegon: “An Elegant Weapon for A More Civilized Age”: B~A+ (Anti-Unit): An irregular Noble Phantasm for his current class, Shielder X continues to wield the blue-bladed lightsaber he personally constructed in his youth and was depicted with through his many adventures. Like all lightsabers, Adegon can easily slice through most substances, including Noble Phantasms of lesser rank, rendering it a potent offensive weapon. Shielder X’s specialty, however, is defensive swordplay. Following the death of his Master, he took to the third form of his Order’s swordsmanship and is famed for having no equal in its mastery among Jedi or Sith. In his hands, Adegon can weather endless assaults, outlasting nearly any opposing armament. Its true strength comes to light when facing an energy attack of immense power. By invoking its True Name and in conjunction with Protection From Arrows, Shielder X can deflect the attack to protect himself and others. Adegon thereby rises in rank to equal the opposing power if needed, and with a Luck Check, may even redirect it back to its source. However, its upper limit is A+-rank; anything higher can at best only be partially countered.

Appearance-wise, Obi-Wan would be in his prime (around ROTS), but his clothing would be first Clone Wars-attire (Seasons 1-3). It was his most armored appearance, IIRC, so it would suit him as a Shielder.

Note that Adegon’s “superpower” is exclusive to Shielder class. Otherwise, it’s a simple (high rank nonetheless, Obi was pretty famous, after all) lightsaber. Protection From Arrows would likewise only be A-rank if he were summoned as a Saber.

Edit: Chapter now comes with fanart!

May the Fourth be with you all!

Chapter Text

Darkness. Heat. Couldn’t move, couldn’t say or see anything. Couldn’t even breathe…

Only thing to do was see flashing images of raging flames and an eerily glowing violet, feel constricting pressures all over, hear a mixture of cries of agony and suffering mixed with the snarling and growling of feral creatures…

And the presence of another being, one nearly as massive as Herakles and clad in fearsome armor (or was he and the armor one…?) a single blazing eye leering down, a sharp smile just barely visible amid the darkness…

But despite it all, certain words could be heard:

“They left me to die.” Five words uttered in a voice sweet and soothing as ever, but with an undertone that chilled to the very soul.

And the voice went on. “They left you to suffer.” Those same words even as the pressure around her shifted. “Such are their sins. You know what must be done, my dear.” She felt arms wrapping around her like she could dimly remember in her youth… So long ago…

…But why did Mama’s touch feel… different? “You must make them pay, Illya…”

She could dimly hear someone else. Someone she knew… Someone she… trusted? “aster… Master… Master!” They… His words cut through the darkness like a sword… “Illyasviel!”

She couldn’t stop… shaking… “They deserve this, Illya…”

“Illya!”

Red eyes shot wide open as Illyasviel von Einzbern snapped awake with a panicked gasp. She might’ve tumbled out of her luxurious bed if it hadn’t been for the hand steadily gripping her right shoulder. Panting and drenched in a cold sweat, she wearily turned her gaze up from said hand to its owner, Big Bro Saber sans coat, standing by the bed. Berserker crouched behind him, his crimson eyes unexpectedly soft like his partner’s. For such fearsome warriors of differing origins, they currently had matching expressions of worry.

It was nearly enough to make Illya cry all over again, were it not for her pride. Appearance be damned, she was eighteen years old, the Master representing the prestigious Einzbern family! As a perfect homunculus, she had control over her body, not the other-

Her Big Bro’s narrow brows drew together. Berserker grunted out something the other two understood as, “What’s the matter, Master?”

Aaand cue the waterworks.

She tried turning away and burying herself sobbing into her pillow; maybe that would help her preserve some dignity. Instead, Illya was pulled into a rather stiff but gentle embrace. Two months after his summoning, and Big Bro Chihiro still wasn’t accustomed to touchy-feely business. But Illya knew by now he was every bit as kind and responsible as he’d been in his youth. “Another nightmare, huh?” he murmured into her ear while rubbing her back.

“…M-Mm-hm…” Illya didn’t trust her voice, crying as she did into her Servant’s shirt. A sliver of guilt panged inside her chest at imposing upon him, but Chihiro would assure her it’s okay. It always was.

She felt his hand leave her back and a much larger, stronger one take its place, and upon the familiar touch, it was as if Herakles was pouring his legendary strength into her. Didn’t really make sense; Caster was the only class for which the son of Zeus had no qualifications.

Nevertheless, her sobs became little sniffles, and the young girl finally lifted her teary gaze up to both Heroic Spirits’ heads. “I… It was Mama… again…” She sniffed, her arms tightening around Big Bro Saber. “She told me… It was all their fault… Kiritsugu… and Kakashi… I h-have to… I-I-”

As their Master succumbed to another crying fit, Saber X glanced behind himself to Berserker who nodded once, then moved away from the bed so the larger Servant could take his place. In a fluid, practiced motion, Greece’s most legendary hero scooped up Illyasviel and bundled her gently together within her covers in his broad arms. Despite the fabric, she could feel the heat emanating from his chest; not the madness-drenched blaze while Berserker’s Mad Enhancement was at full roar, but a soothing, near… protective warmth. Is this how Herakles’ children felt…? Illya wondered not for the first time, her grief wavering.

At the same time, Saber X was in the bedroom’s personal bathroom, filling a cup with water and retrieving a hand towel. He stepped out just in time for the door to open. Illyasviel’s two maids walked in, clean sheets in their hands. The one in front, Sella, made a beeline for her ward when she saw Berserker already had the (older) homunculus good in hand. She turned to Saber X, her mien shifting to a different kind of concern. “We heard a commotion.”

“Another Lady nightmare?” Her “sister” maintained an even more muted expression than the Legacy of Rokuhira, nodding to herself after a moment. “We change bedding while you care for Lady.”

Sella snapped her glare to her, but Leysritt was already headed for the way. She pinched her brows together briefly before conceding. “Very well,” she shot Saber X a cool look, “at least you’re present now unlike the skirmish earlier.” She turned demurely away with a parting shot. “But next time, try not to lead a deranged ruffian here. This manor is brand new.”

Chihiro accepted the criticisms with a nod; while they’d successfully driven Lancer and Gunner X off hours ago, the Einzbern mansion, its construction having only finished four months ago, had suffered some cosmetic damage. Besides, he recognized the head maid’s chief concerns. “Thank you, Sella. Thank you, Leysritt.”

Sella paused briefly to glare at the Servant again, but he was already beside Lady Illyasviel and Berserker. She suppressed an irritated huff. Condescending remarks, passive-aggressive comments, veiled insults… nothing made that scar-faced brat so much as blink. And Sella knew better than to trust him, she reminded herself while helping Leysritt with the sheets. Appearance-wise, he could’ve passed off as a bastard child of Emiya, another betrayal…!

And worst of all…! Worst of all was how carefully Saber X was drying Lady Illyasviel’s forehead in Berserker’s arms while he deftly helped Leysritt exchange the sweat-drenched covers for some clean ones… And how Lady Illyasviel would often pester him to prepare absurdly simple (yet delicious… according to Leysritt) meals instead of basking in the feasts her staff could whip up for her…

After he’d dabbed away most of Illya’s sweat, Saber X held up the cup to her mouth, letting her take slow sips. Finally, she leaned sighing away, somewhat calmer. “Wh-what time is it?”

“Just past four in the morning. Another two hours tops, and it’ll be dawn,” Big Bro Saber told her while taking back the cup, nodding towards her maid duo. “Sella and Leysritt ought to be done in a minute, so if you want to try…”

“No…” The little girl shook her head shivering. “Not right now. I don’t want to see… that again.” He nodded sympathetically while Berserker straightened again, all the while gently rocking their Master. As Sella and Leysritt approached, Illyasviel waved her hand. “Thank you for your work. You may retire for, well, the rest of the night.”

A little perfunctory, but more courteous than the two had grown accustomed to. Was it due to whatever recurring nightmares that plagued Lady Illyasviel? No, seeing her like this usually entailed a death sentence.

Sella bit the inside of her lip while bowing her head alongside her sister and left quietly. Yet another reason why she couldn’t relax around Saber X. He had been the most calming presence in Lady Illyasviel’s life. And Berserker was less likely to crush maids who upset her with Saber X around. All of this (as Leysritt loved pointing out) …made it all the harder to resent the foreign familiar.

Illyasviel for her part was idly gazing at the horrid scar adorning the left side of her Big Bro’s head. Its size and shape easily captured one’s attention, and unlike most such as that mundane shorthaired girl who’d had the audacity to flirt with him the day before yesterday (not that Big Bro Chihiro had recognized it), she knew its origins. She knew the pain and rage interwoven beneath that torn skin… And she knew why he kept it despite his world’s medicine offering the possibility of having it erased. He had told her so when she’d asked.

“Every morning, I look in the mirror as I wash my face, and I see this scar,” she could hear him say even now. “And that day comes back to me. That’s how I start off every day with fresh hatred.”

Well, Illya mightn’t have carried any physical scars, but she knew the experience well.

Then again… Ever since what she and her team had learned two days ago… About Mama, the Grail, Kiritsugu… No, it was already there in the night before… when that liar Kakashi had dared to stand in front of her again and say he was sorry…! Since then, the fury inside her had felt… perturbed. Disoriented.

Illya squirmed a bit inside her sheets. What if what Grandfather had taught… About the third Grail War… But Illya wasn’t supposed to talk about it, not even to her Servants. He’d made her promise. But then… what should she do? Who could she trust?

“You’ve gotta look!”

A face unfamiliar yet familiar flashed into Illya’s thoughts, black hair and goatee, red eyes, mouth gaping at her. A tiny yelp escaped her from the abruptness, causing Berserker to shift his grip in worry, but she reached out and patted his arm in reassurance while trying not to snort from the silly inner face yelling at her. “Really look at the world with your own eyes and find out for yourself!”

Illya trembled inside her nest but not from fright this time. Kunishige Rokuhira sure knew how to share his wisdom.

Her mirth settled again as she dared to peek out and study her Servants standing worried. Her mind drifted back to that awful dream, to the mother who had given her so much love and hate, to the father who had left with a funny man and never came back despite their promises. But exhaustion began to fog everything up, and Illya sighed to herself. She wasn’t finding out anything before morning came.

“Big Bro…?” Saber X leaned closer as she gave him a slightly pleading look. “Could you… you know?” She raised her left hand and waved her fingers.

Chihiro understood immediately, his eyes softening just a little more. “Of course.” He summoned Enten and thumbed the sword slightly open, concentrating his Magical Energy into the blade his father had crafted. Particles of energy bubbled up from the exposed metal before coalescing into three tiny constructs: a black, a red and a three-colored goldfish that floated in front of the Einzbern Master and her Servants.

Three sets of red eyes watched them “swam” gently about in the air, flowing into little circles before breaking off in separate directions, then coming together again close enough that Illya could’ve touched them, but she let them be. A weak smile drifted across the little homunculus’ lips as her eyes followed the fish dance with one another in the air. She managed to giggle when the multicolored fish swooped in close, its tailfins tickling her nose. Then she felt a soothing rumble from Herakles’ chest on account of the other two fish playing with each other atop his brows, the massive hero’s partner cracking a half-grin at his chuckles. Big Bro always added a little extra to each routine.

Then her eyes slowly fluttered shut again, and under the watchful care of the two heroes she’d called to assist her, the daughter of Irisviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu Emiya returned to a brief but rather peaceful sleep.

Crack! Cr-crack Crack!

The sound of bamboo striking against each other echoed across the Emiya household. A sheen of sweat glistened along Taiga Fujimura’s forehead thanks to the morning sunlight, the young woman lunging with her shinai pulled back. It was seemingly aimed at her opponent’s left arm before snapping up mid-swing towards the shoulder, but the blow was blocked, then she quickly had to parry a retaliatory strike to her stomach.

An excited giggle escaped the English teacher while she adjusted her two-handed grip.

“Atria Pembroke” for her part was barely winded as she sidestepped the next attack before engaging in a three-strike combo, but she, too, was sporting a small smile at this point. Her friend had already managed to earn Taiga’s approval through a four-minute-long match that ended in a clear draw, though Saber knew Kakashi hadn’t given it a hundred percent.

But even before her own bout began, the Servant of the Sword recognized neither had Taiga. She used classic Kendo stances and techniques, but all with only her right hand, and even then, the strength behind her swings was at least equal to that of one using both hands. Still, Saber had little trouble depriving her opponent of her shinai. Twice.

Taiga’s first reaction had been openmouthed shock… then she’d reclaimed her weapon, added her left hand to the equation, and flashed a broad grin that triggered an odd sense of familiarity in Saber and Assassin X for some reason.

On the sidelines, Shirou had never seen so much effort on Big Sis Fuji’s part before, but he’d never been able to get her fight him with more than one hand. And like many, he’d heard the horror stories of that one time she’d used both in a formal match. Her final one. And now he had a front-row seat to the Tiger of Fuyuki City cutting loose. She unleashed a staccato of bamboo slashes which Saber narrowly blocked or evaded, not letting up for an instant. Shirou was half-worried she’d lose track of time and forget she needed to get to school before him (Maiya had promptly left with Bumblebee after breakfast). But a bigger part of him was just marveling at the swordsmanship leagues beyond his mediocre attempts last night.

After about two minutes, though, Taiga’s arms were beginning to feel heavy. Never before had anyone make her work this hard during a spar (not counting her sneaky Big Sis), and that was when she was just going at them one-handed. But with every clash, she felt that Miss Atria wasn’t someone she could go at half-hearted. She hadn’t landed one hit on the blonde!

Finally, she twisted her shinai mid-swing to bat Miss Atria’s arms up to the side, leaving her wide open for a thrust… Then the other shinai came down like a hammer. Her own sword clattered against the wooden floor.

Taiga’s gaze remained on it for a couple seconds, her head bent so her brown hair obscured sight of her eyes. Suddenly it snapped up as she released a bellyful of laughter. “Whoo-hoo,” she called out after a minute or so, “that was the toughest duel of my life!” Wiping the sweat from her brow, Taiga beamed at her adversary. “You’re amazing with a sword, Saber!”

“Years of training and practice,” Saber explained with her own satisfied mien. “And you’re certainly no slouch yourself, Taiga.” Both Servants quietly suppressed an inexplicable urge to shiver from the adrenaline-filled, mirthful sounds still coming out of the young woman’s mouth.

(And inside a certain pawnshop, a chill traveled spontaneously up Maiya Hisau’s spine.)

Kakashi retrieved Taiga’s practice sword while his comrade put her own away. “I’ll say. That was pretty intense for my first swordfight in years.” He chuckled humbly. “Then again, I can’t claim to have the same dedication for this as you do, Taiga, let alone Saber.” After the shattering of his father’s Chakra Sabre, he hadn’t felt much incentive to wield a sword. His time in Anbu had helped him pick up a few more tricks, but the ninja was still kind of rusty.

“Oh, come on, Mr. Kakashi, you didn’t make it easy for me, either! You kept me on my toes!” That wasn’t empty flattery; Taiga could tell the silver-haired masked man was all-rounded and clever, what with how he’d baited her at first with some easy moves before picking up the pace. He came close to disarming her at least twice.

Taiga Fujimura thereby concluded he was worthy of being her Big Sis’ boyfriend.

(Back at a certain pawnshop, Maiya inadvertently felt a rush of heat and annoyance. I better not be coming down with something, not now of all times…)

Her next conclusion was that she reeked, her assessment backed up by a sniff at her armpit and subsequently recoiling. “Ugh, I’m gonna take a quick shower before I head out. Thanks for the spars, you’re both officially welcome here, see you at school, Shirou!”

The addressed barely nodded once before she zipped out of the dojo. Sighing, he adjusted his uniform and made to retrieve his schoolbag, but he couldn’t help but turn back to his native Servant. “You were holding back, right?” He whispered, fearing his Big Sis might somehow hear him and the consequences that would entail.

“Not as much as I might’ve,” Saber admitted in an equally low tone. In her case, it was more about preserving her sparring partner’s pride. “You have a fierce sister. I hope both that this needn’t be my last bout with her and that you were paying attention, Master.”

“Of course, sensei.” Shirou smiled back while checking to make sure he’d packed a little bag of balloons, too. Seeing it made him stifle a yawn from last night’s training regimen. Could’ve used another half hour of sleep, the Master nodded to himself, but I don’t regret it. Wonder how Tohsaka’s doing, his thoughts continued as he headed out with Kakashi beside him, Big Sis Fuji’s moped rattling past them a couple minutes later. Just like yesterday, Saber would stand guard. She’s probably popped her own balloon by now…

Bazett adjusted the overcoat draped over her shoulders. Rider X had intentionally bought one slightly too big for her, the better to hide her missing arm, but she wasn’t accustomed to this style. The Master was walking down the sidewalk at a much slower pace than usual, self-conscious at every gust of air caused by the winter weather or a car zipping past her. All this effort made her grumble mentally, ‘Why do people like the coat-cape look so much?’

‘Eh, that’s fashion logic for you,’ a familiar voice drawled back in her mind. ‘Why bother dressing yourself practically when you can look so cool to a bunch of strangers?’ She smiled at her Servant’s trademark wit. Hiccup was right beside Bazett in spirit form, the better he argued to help her conserve mana. He was clearly ready to materialize and summon Toothless at a moment’s notice, of course; not that anything was supposed to happen at 10:24 a.m., but well, neither was willing to take the chance in light of recent experiences. And even if Ruler X maintained vigilance during daytime, he couldn’t be everywhere at once.

It was due to this caution that Rider X couldn’t help but bring up an old topic. ‘Are you really sure about this, Bazett? You don’t even know this person, and, well after what happened…’

‘After what happened the last time I blindly trusted someone?’ His Master finished rather testily, sparing him from further putting his foot in his mouth. One prosthetic limb was quite enough. ‘Lord El-Melloi II told me this woman could be an ally in Fuyuki if need be, and you saw the familiar’s footage just as I did. At least we know for sure she knows more about what’s going on in this city than we do. She’s also part of a team with three Servants, two of them apparently participants in the last Grail War, too. And this story seemed to be valid enough for Ruler X.’

‘And she and said Servants are no friends of Kotomine.’

‘That, too.’ Bazett Fraga McRemitz was not the type of person to swear vendetta over everything like plenty highborn magi, but she felt she rightfully owed her former friend a little payback for what he’d done. Still, she knew better than to take Kirei lightly. Even if Lancer was the only Servant on his side, he’d proven himself a beast in close quarters the last time he and Bazett had sparred. And that had been years ago.

A lot had changed since then... ‘At least give yourself another day or two,’ Hiccup pleaded. ‘We might’ve gotten you back on your feet, but stepping out into the open like this runs the risk of other teams finding us. And you’re still not back to full strength.’

Bazett knew he was right. Her legs felt they had weights strapped on, her face still looked kind of pale reflected in passing windows, and she had to stop for the third time in an hour to catch her breath. And there was a nagging voice somewhere in her head telling her that she’d never get back to full strength. Not even with her Servant’s little project…

She stamped down those thoughts and leaned against a streetlight to pull out a bottle of pomegranate juice. ‘I can do this much,’ Bazett assured Hiccup as she unscrewed the lid one-handed. After a good drink, she went on. ‘I appreciate everything you and Toothless have done for me, Hiccup. Really, I do. But I’ve been hiding long enough, and I’m still a Master. I can’t stay cooped up when there’s so much going on. You know what I mean, don’t you?’

‘Unfortunately,’ Rider X conceded with a nostalgic laugh. ‘Well, at least there’s not a Dragon raid going on, and you’re not likely to be labeled the village screwup.’

‘You should hear what my esteemed colleagues think of me back at Clock Tower,’ Bazett shot back before stowing her bottle into her coat pocket. She checked the street; yup, right one.

A few more minutes of walking, and the member of the Magus Association stood in front of a particular shop. Its windows were filled with memorabilia, but the sign said they were open, and there was just enough space to make out at least one customer and one worker. ‘I’m not staying outside,’ Hiccup declared. ‘I think I can sense a Servant nearby, and no way are you going in there without me.’

Bazett’s smile returned. It seemed like knowing the sting of being societal outcasts wasn’t the only thing she had in common with the Dragon Rider. ‘Fair enough.’ With that, she opened the door and stepped inside to be greeted with a pleasant uptick in heat. A good start. A male customer glanced at her in mild curiosity before returning to the woman at the counter.

The pawn shop’s door closing with a jingle behind her, Bazett tried not to shift about as the other woman watched her. Those eyes green widened slightly before narrowing again; it was just for a fraction of a second, but Bazett knew why. She recognizes me. That cold gaze scrutinizing her carefully, in particular the way her coat was draped over her right side, her own hand lingering beneath the counter… A professional if Bazett had ever seen one. And as a Sealing Designation Enforcer, she’d met her fair share, including some non-magus ones.

“Can I help you?” The woman asked politely but didn’t budge from her spot. The arm to which the obscured hand belonged was stiff, too; with Bazett’s luck lately, it was probably gripping a weapon. Oh yeah, she’s definitely the one Lord El-Melloi (II) told me about.

She walked carefully up while recalling the phrases he had taught her just before leaving for Fuyuki. “G-good morning, I was hoping you could help me, miss? I’m looking for something special, something… legendary, and a colleague from England, he recommended this place.” Bazett took a breath and held it.

Maiya Hisau continued staring intensely for another couple seconds, then a smile appeared as she made a little sound of recognition. “Ah, of course! That was quite some time ago, but his…” she chuckled slightly, “attempt at Japanese certainly made the visit memorable. That, and my having to remind him to put out his cigar.” Her upper body relaxed as her left elbow braced itself on the counter so the hand could support her chin. The right hand hadn’t moved.

“He hasn’t broken that habit yet. Unfortunately.” Bazett faked a laugh herself at hearing the counter-code; so far, so good. What she said next would hopefully suffice to avoid getting a shotgun shoved up her nose. Again. “He mentioned purchasing an old jewelry box here at the time, carved from redwood and inlaid with black velvet. A gift for an in-law, I believe.”

At that, Hisau’s right hand came up… empty and with the index finger raised. “That was a rare piece. Almost wavered when I told him the price, but he came around, probably in the hopes it would impress his sister.” She turned away seemingly in thought while her finger tapped twice against the counter. “English folk aren’t always as mellow as their reputation suggests.” Bazett relaxed; she’d used all of the safe words. After a moment, she cleared her throat and returned to her current customer. “Apologies, Mr. Hagiwara.”

The gentleman laughed while waving his hand. “No offense meant, none taken, Miss Hisau. Every now and then, an English tourist or two pop into the bakery, and then Kyouko and I have to spend time deciphering their pronunciations.” He stiffened and turned to Bazett, taking in her appearance. “Oh, uh-”

Bazett flashed him a sincere grin. “No apologies necessary, sir.” She began browsing the shelves by the left wall while adding, “I’m a proud Irishwoman.” The two shared a laugh.

Even Hisau seemed genuinely amused, then she waved to the merchandise. “Please feel free to have a little look around while we wrap up business here,” she offered. “Foreigners don’t come by this shop often. Then again, I’ve noticed a couple new faces walking around lately.”

Bazett feigned a shrug. Apparently, the other woman wanted a little more information while maintaining the charade. After eight years under Clock Tower’s employ, she could respect that. “As one of said new faces, I’ll have to take your word for it. In my case, I’m just in town for a little conference.”

“Maybe it’s just that time of year. Last-minute meetings, sightseeing or something like that.” As a rule, Izumi Hagiwara didn’t like intruding in others’ conversations, much less when it happened to him. Privately, though, he was a little relieved at seeing his wife’s jogging partner engage in small talk. Especially since Kyouko had told him that Hisau seemed on edge these past few weeks. He still remembered the sullen woman who’d had a face like stone while making a damn reasonable offer for whatever trinkets he could spare when he feared going under, Shu’s best attempts at flirtation completely ineffective. Not that the latter detail had changed at all, but after ten years of coming together for drinks and/or a meal every now and then, the woman now offering him his grandmother’s pocket watch smiled a little more openly, participated in and even initiated conversations and displayed her spectacularly deadpan wit. Today, though, there was a bit of a… glow to her. A smidgen more happiness.

Izumi fingered the watch’s chain with a nostalgic feeling. “Just as I remember it, lagging ticking and all.” He sighed, his smile faltering a bit. “Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to buy it back… Thanks for looking after it, Miss Hisau.”

“Not a problem, Mr. Hagiwara,” she assured him, “and I’m just grateful your store’s still going strong. For more than one reason.” Her lip curled a little more as he laughed. “Care for anything else? Someone apparently pawned a knife set here while I was away. Slightly used but serviceable in any kitchen.”

“Thanks, but I’m good. And we’ve got a couple orders to wrap up today, so I can’t browse.” Izumi pocketed the watch carefully and made for the door before pausing. He faced Hisau again as she stepped from out of the counter. “If your nephew wants another pointer or two, I’ve got some free time next weekend.”

Hisau gave him an apologetic look. “I’m afraid he’s going to be busy himself. We have some guests in town and are trying to be good hosts.” She glanced towards the other woman before adding, “On that note, I don’t suppose you could whip something up? A late welcoming gift?”

“Sure, I ought to be able to squeeze in one more cake. Any requests?”

“One of m-our friends doesn’t have as big a sweet tooth as I do, so maybe something tart?” The man nodded at the request while Bazett listened and watched via a mirror. More codes? Was Hisau referring to the Servants seen with her, that robotic one and the blonde girl and masked man? Was she relaying instructions to some kind of hidden network? Or was it really just mundane, everyday chatting with an acquaintance?

Bazett suppressed a tired sigh. Shadowplay wasn’t her forte, and she lacked the energy right now to puzzle out the full truth. Just so long as she managed to get a little help out of this trip…

Boredom made her eyes wander across the assorted goods until they landed on a heavy-looking golden cross hanging on the wall. Her fist clenched involuntarily at her side, an action Hisau seemed to notice. “That’s a fake.” She turned around to see Mr. Hagiwara gone and the other woman waving a little outside before shutting the door. “Gold paint on top of copper.”

“I figured.” Bazett watched her warily while she joined her. “If it were real, no store would leave something so valuable just hanging in the open. But I do appreciate your honesty.”

“The owner Mr. Watanabe takes pride in running an honest shop with honest employees, and most of our inventory is forgery-free. That said, there are sadly a few items of questionable provenance like this,” Hisau tapped the cross’ center, “but they look pretty enough, and I’d be out of a job if I wasn’t upfront about such details. As a rule, I hold my end to any bargain so long as the other party does the same.”

“Can I tell you what a breath of fresh air it is to hear that?” Bazett Fraga McRemitz chanced one more look behind her, but no new customers had arrived. Meaning they could stop dancing around. “I’m afraid this cross isn’t the only Christianity-associated fake I’ve had to deal with recently.”

Maiya Hisau faced her, all of the prior affability gone. She scrutinized Bazett with a cold, calculating look, her eyes returning again to her left side. “I can imagine. If it’s any consolation, Miss McRemitz, you wouldn’t be the first person Kirei Kotomine played for a fool.” Bazett’s shock must’ve shown because she explained evenly, “Aside from the Christian part, that man is the overseer of the Holy Grail War, which backs my statement rather nicely. Now let me guess: As a Master foreign to this city, you decided to meet up with him to formally register your status and then summon your Servant with him around, thinking his neutrality would scare off any interference. Then when your native Servant arrived, he cut off your arm and stole your Command Seals, intending to let you bleed to death. Or worse.”

She crossed her arms, the motion showing the seemingly bare skin on her hands. Makeup, probably, to hide her Command Seals from normal people. “But the summoning of your X Servant was delayed, wasn’t it? Just like others in this Grail War. They appeared a few seconds later than their former partner, but in time to save your life and escape with you.” She tilted her head. “Am I wrong?”

“One or two details are missing,” Bazett bit out, “but that about covers it. Miss Maiya Hisau.” She gripped her left shoulder beneath her coat, steeling herself, before taking the next step. “So, how open would you and your team be to a little cooperation between us?”

Issei Ryuudou stifled a yawn behind his left hand while walking down the hall. Literature had just finished, and now he needed to walk up two floors to be on time for home ec. Normally, he wouldn’t have any complaints about this, but despite making sure to go to bed half an hour early last night and a hearty breakfast this morning, the president was feeling as tuckered out as he’d been yesterday. And it seemed like this odd flu going about was affecting others; he gauged that about the same number of students as yesterday had shown up, but they weren’t the same faces.

The only schadenfreude for Issei was that Rin Tohsaka appeared to be in a bad mood herself. But that didn’t change the fact that he still had student council duties from yesterday he’d procrastinated on, and then there was the matter of assisting- “Hey, Issei?”

A familiar voice snapped the student out of his ruminations, and he straightened while turning to his friend. “Ah, good morning, Emiya. Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts for a moment. How are you?”

“Pretty good,” the other boy shrugged before yawning into his right elbow, “just a little tired. No worries,” he quickly added as Issei made to ask, “I’m pretty sure I haven’t caught whatever bug’s been going around the school. I’ve been getting in a little more exercise since quitting archery, that’s all.” And likely doing more favors for others, Issei noted to himself. Still, Emiya seemed fine for the most part. A little preoccupied, but he wasn’t one to talk. “Oh, can you come with me for a second? I’ve got a friend who needs to talk to you.”

Not an unusual request or one Issei hadn’t heard from Emiya before. He often brought details or requests to the student council from other students who were too shy or otherwise to ask directly. He checked his watch before nodding. “Alright, so long as we make it to class on time.” Emiya nodded gratefully before leading him to a nearby supply closet and knocking on the door.

It opened to reveal a silver-haired man in overalls. “Ah, Mr. Ryuudou, thank you for coming. If you’d wait for a moment, please, I’m just refreshing my supplies.” He opened the door further and pushed out a cleaning cart while nodding to them. “Thanks for the opportunity, Mr. Emiya.”

Issei noted Emiya nodding back, familiarity in his golden-brown eyes. Well, he shouldn’t have been surprised his friend was on friendly terms with a janitor. According to the gossip mill, some custodians joked that they needed to give the boy half of their paychecks for all his work at Homurahara. “Pleased to meet you,” he inclined his head while checking his memory for the man’s name. It was easy to remember between the mask and the scar over his left eye. “Mister… Hatake, isn’t it?”

“That’s me.” The way the man closed his eyes indicated he was smiling beneath that mask. “I’m very sorry to bother you, Mr. Ryuudou. You’ve surely been entrusted with a great many responsibilities as student council president.” Well, his politeness seemed sincere, but for some reason, Issei couldn’t shake a nagging feeling that something didn’t add up with-

“But I need to ask you a few questions.” And with those words, the janitor opened his left eye.

Hisau had returned to behind the counter and was scribbling something on the back of a business card. “You’ve given me a fair bit to think about, Miss McRemitz,” she finally said between her writing. “I’d rather discuss what you’ve shared with my teammates before agreeing to an alliance, though.”

Bazett leaned slightly against the other side of the counter, resisting the desire to take another drink. She was already showing enough weakness in her state. “Well, you’ve already got one of them right here.” The magus nodded pointedly to her right.

“And you didn’t come alone,” the other Master countered while pointing her pen over Bazett’s left shoulder. “Don’t get me wrong, I approve. Walking about in your state without the only Servant you have left, even during the day, would be suicide. And you certainly have more courage than most magi I’ve known to take this risk.” Hisau finally met her gaze with a quizzical mien. “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t meet Ruler X first. Making sure everybody plays by the rules, including the overseer, is part of his purview.”

“I’ll seek him out soon enough,” Bazett replied. She chose not to explain how she and Hiccup had discussed asking the Heroic Spirit of Arbitration for help, recognizing thanks to the familiars’ footage that he’d make a powerful and honest ally. But Ruler X was one single Servant already dealing with rogue Servants and a potentially contaminated Holy Grail. The latter was another worrying detail, especially since Bazett didn’t want to consider her superiors’ reaction if they learned about it. At the moment, she had other priorities. “I just figured, maybe I could reach an agreement with you and your team.”

“Why, because of our shared antipathy for Kotomine?” Hisau’s eyes turned cold as a Siberian blizzard. “I’ve been waiting ten years to gut that dead-eyed bastard like a fish. And you’re still on the Association’s payroll at the end of the day, Miss McRemitz. If anything, you’ve officially climbed up a rank as competition.”

Bazett knew she wasn’t lying or trying to intimidate her. Everything in these past couple minutes confirmed her first impression of this woman: She was no stranger to fighting and killing magi. Maiya Hisau also clearly had some semblance of what Bazett was capable of, and the latter wasn’t even at her best. Facing an informed Master on her turf while knowing next to nothing about her, sporting a missing arm, recovering from blood loss, and her limbs and Magic Circuits all stiff from little action? Even with Hiccup and Toothless, Bazett Fraga McRemitz didn’t like her odds.

Even so, she didn’t look away. “You might want Kotomine dead, Miss Hisau, but you’re not sure you can kill him, are you? Not without putting your loved ones at risk. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have waited ten years for your chance. And given my… circumstances, I’m willing to share the chance of putting him in the dirt.” Her fist clenched by her side. “Better that than fighting each other while Kotomine sits back and watches, right?”

After a moment that felt like forever, the other Master’s lip curled ever so slightly. “A fair point. And I take it you’d want to get Lancer back if possible?” Bazett’s cheeks reddened slightly despite herself, but Hisau went on. “That and your employers are other things I’d like to discuss with my team, but I won’t deny you make an intriguing offer, Miss McRemitz.” She then offered the business card. “I added a phone number for you to text me for a meeting date, assuming…” She trailed off, Bazett quickly realizing the punchline.

She shot Hisau a look flatter than a punctured tire and plucked the card from her fingers. “Yes, I have a phone, and yes, I do know how to use it.” Bazett rolled her eyes. “Not every member of my… fraternity… is a stuck-up Luddite.” She spared a quick glance down to the instructions written on it, then gave her own.

Hisau quirked an eyebrow. “Can I tell you what a breath of fresh air it is to hear that?” The echo of her previous words drew a slight snort from Bazett as she was led to the exit. Her tentative new ally had donned an affable face again right before reaching the door. “I can put it in reserve if you want, but please don’t feel pressured into buying it, miss.”

“I appreciate your patience.” She, too, adopted a more relaxed persona as the door swung open. The two stepped outside to gauge their surroundings. One or two passers-by, better to keep appearances in broad daylight. Bazett turned back to her. “If I wanted to return and tell you my final decision…”

“Well, this old place isn’t going anywhere,” Hisau gestured laughing to the shop, “but I’ve written down which days I’m on shift if you wish to speak to me specifically.” She placed both hands in front of her and bowed to Bazett. “Take as much time to think our offer through. We appreciate the opportunity.”

Bazett bowed slightly back; she couldn’t overdo it lest she suffer a dizzy spell, but hopefully her foreigner status would be enough to forgive any cultural faux pas. “As do I. Again, thank you, and I’ll try not to keep you waiting, one way or another.” With that, she turned on her heel and sauntered calmly away. Once she rounded the corner, she telepathically asked, ‘Are we being watched?’

‘I can pick up a couple of different eyes on us,’ Rider X reported, ‘and I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one set’s from the shop. But that went about as well as we’d expected.’

‘She’s even warier, but at least what we’ve got is better than nothing.’ Bazett finally retrieved her bottle again and took steady gulps. ‘The Tohsaka girl mightn’t have been cooperative considering I brought Lancer into this world, and the Einzbern homunculus… she’d probably have her Servants eviscerate us for a laugh. And that’s assuming she hasn’t been told about the last time I crossed paths with one.’

She could tell Hiccup was nodding beside her. ‘The Matou boy’s been keeping his head down, leaving the only Master we know for sure besides Mr. Tall, Dark and Sacrilegious that guy with the two Servants who are doing this for the second time and the scary aunt with her extra X Servant. Not like we had a surplus of options to begin with.’ Doubt crept into his “voice,” then it gave way to a little forced optimism. ‘But hey, we’re alive, and we’ve learned a couple new things. So, what’s our next move?’

‘First, we head back home and try to shake our watchers in the process. Once we’re there, as your Master, I order you to call up Toothless for recuperation cuddles.’ Bazett shared a mental laugh with Rider X before taking a breath and squaring her shoulders. ‘Then come nightfall, we go look for Ruler X.’

Meanwhile, Maiya Hisau maintained her professional smile a few seconds longer as the shop’s door shut, then she turned around and let it slip away. Those code words… She’d told El-Melloi II she wouldn’t play host to Clock Tower lackeys, but he and their mutual “friend” convinced her to this system. And in this case… She pulled out a doggie biscuit. “Put a tail on her, Urushi.”

“You got it,” the hound barked before bounding from behind the counter to an open window and snatching away the treat, nary a sound made in the process. He had already donned his ninja garb along with a camera and microphone set; unusual accessories for a dog, but spotting him would be a challenge even for a Servant. In the blink of an eye, Urushi was on the opposite building’s roof, then he was gone.

Maiya watched him go before walking back to the counter. With no customers or colleagues present, this left her free to ask out loud, “What do you think, X?”

“She sounded like she was for real,” Bumblebee replied after he materialized. “Her Servant was right next to her the whole time, and I sensed he was as on guard as Miss McRemitz. Maybe even more. I guess neither’s so trusting anymore.” He propped himself with his left elbow against a bare wall. “By the way, I’m a little surprised you don’t have more… magical security for this place, Master. Why not set up a Bounded Field thing like the one back at the house?”

“Because the Bounded Field itself would tip off any half-decent magus the moment they set foot in the store.” Maiya packed up some knick-knacks she’d dusted off for an earlier customer. “I’m not good enough at magecraft to whip up one that can’t be picked up like that, and if I’d tried anyway, that Tohsaka hime would’ve sussed me out during her first visit. Locks, cameras, some strategically placed listening devices and weapons are simpler and much more effective.” The Cybertronian nodded at the logic. Overt security measures were at times a detriment since anyone noticing them would naturally wonder why they were necessary. And according to his Master and Assassin X, this world’s mages as a whole tended to underestimate the utilities of modern technology.

“Anyway, this could be a trap,” she continued while she worked. “A ploy to lure us into an ambush.”

“Illegal” Saber X eyed her skeptically. “You think McRemitz would go so far to chop off her own arm and stumble in here half-alive for a trap?”

“Maybe it wasn’t her idea,” Maiya offered. “She could’ve been captured, tortured and sent here by Kotomine or one of the Masters we don’t know yet. We don’t even know all of the Servants in play. One of them might be capable of setting up that kind of scenario.”

“…Maybe,” Bumblebee conceded after a moment’s thought, “but I don’t think anyone forced her to come here. If they had, would they have let her last Servant walk around in spirit form? Besides, she didn’t strike me as someone who’d surrendered.”

Maiya thought back to those magenta eyes, little bags underneath them, yet staring defiantly back at her. “…True.” Stowing away the last items, she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “And at least we’ve picked up some new information, like who’s pulling Lancer’s strings.” Maiya scowled slightly as she heard the words. She still owed that Celtic spear chucker some pain in kind for attacking Shirou and hurting Shiba and Bull in the process. The fact that Kotomine had ordered it netted him little respite; nobody threatened her boys and got away with it. And McRemitz didn’t necessarily need to get Lancer back intact, Maiya noted while thumbing her dagger’s hilt…

Saber X for his part was staring at the outside. “She mentioned she was Irish, and according to Saber, Lancer’s the ‘Hound of Ulster, Ireland’s Child of Light’ and all that. So, I’m pretty sure her story’s real.” He turned to his Master. “But like you told her, we ought to tell the others before making any decisions.”

She nodded. “We already have one tentative alliance on our hands, and Kakashi and Shirou still hope to talk things out with Illyasviel.” Her mood dropped a bit from knowing how unlikely making peace with that girl could be. But Maiya rallied herself. “For now, let’s just gather more intel.” And make sure Tohsaka and her entourage don’t get funny ideas, she added privately. Well, Shirou had all the protection he needed with Kakashi around. Archer was a wrinkle, but he seemed to behave himself when Lancer X was around.

And if last night was any indication, their hime Master had plenty to keep herself busy.

Rin glared at the water balloon churning and bubbling inside her grip before it suddenly evaporated in her face, rubber and all. She clicked her tongue and held up a hand to forestall any comments. “I know, I know, I added mana to the mix and triggered a spell.” Her hand rotated and a new water balloon plopped into it, slightly jiggling from the motion. “This is ridiculous…” The young magus grumbled.

“It is,” Assassin X agreed while tossing a green one from hand to hand. “But it’d be a shame if you just gave up.” She turned her pointed stare to him as he held the balloon in his left hand, its rubbery surface rippling from the water and od churning inside before it burst with a little Pop!  Again. “Simple, yet hard.”

“No kidding.” Emiya was staring intensely at the blue-spotted balloon bubbling in his own grip. As soon as the bell had chimed for lunch, Rin had tracked down her… ally? Rival? Fellow student? Cr-A-he-hem! With her escort in tow, she had led him up to the roof (their passing registered by quite a few students and already generating a fair bit of gossip) where Assassin X had already been waiting (or was he really one of those Shadow Clones…? Irkingly hard to tell) so they could eat together, talk strategy, and in the Masters’ cases, continue this vexing little exercise the shinobi had given them.

Like he’d said, it was simple: Channel your od into the water inside the balloon and make it spin until the whole thing pops apart. It was really, laughably simple, and yet neither of them had gotten it right on the first try. Or the second. Or the tenth. Rin watched as even bigger bumps appeared in Emiya’s balloon, causing it to swell… then a tiny leak sprang out from his left. “Damnit,” he dropped it and reached for another one, “the rubber was worn out.” A hand gently batted his away. “Oh, come on-”

“First, eat,” Assassin X advised his pupil/Master. “They’ll still be here when you’re done and have more energy.” Emiya opened his mouth as though to protest again, then shut it and picked up his bento and chopsticks grumbling. Rin hid her giggle behind a sandwich. Nice to know she wasn’t the only one who had to deal with an uppity Servant.

“Hey, don’t give up! You’re both already better than last night!” Lancer X sat across from her Master on a radiator, legs kicking up and down while she happily munched on some pink cookies. They were still so fresh that Rin could open her mouth and taste the diced strawberries in the goodies on her tongue, but she restrained herself from diving into her own. First, the rest of her lunch, tantalizing though they were...

She still remembered her own shock upon returning home last night with Ruby in tow, tired, richer in intel than before yet frustrated with her lack of progress concerning jutsu and finding Archer washing off bowls and utensils in the kitchen sink while delicious scents wafted from the alit oven. One bite after the cookies had cooled off, and Rin could no longer muster hard feelings about his absence. Ruby for her part had practically tackled Archer to the floor while assailing him with thankyous and asking how he knew strawberries were her favorite food. He’d simply patted her head and said, “Color scheme made it obvious.”

Emiya had apparently also recognized what a treat the cookies were, judging by his narrowed eyes at them. My, oh, my, is he jealous about them? Rin snickered mentally, some of her annoyance fading. As a test, she withdrew one of her own and took a bite, a little moan escaping her from the sensations. The sound wasn’t even fake, and Emiya turned away actually pouting. Between the sight and her goodie, Rin’s mood brightened further. Not that she would make him try one, she wasn’t that mean. And their teams didn’t have to share everything.

(Back at the Emiya residence, a watchful Saber sat on the front porch with a large but empty box (seriously, not even crumbs remained) beside her and a delighted sensation inside of her.)

As the Masters ate, Kakashi Hatake settled for leaning against the access point’s wall and watching them. He’d already finished his own lunch: delightfully salty saury carefully packaged alongside rice balls and a small thermos with leftover eggplant miso, courtesy of a certain someone who really needed to stop etching her way into his unworthy heart. He let his mind linger on the smile Maiya gave him before leaving for work before returning to his students. Shirou’s main struggle was building up enough od and putting in the violence, but he was definitely improving. Impressive, given the truth behind this exercise…

“Hmph, this shouldn’t be an issue in the first place!” Rin didn’t have such difficulties, of course. In her case, the problem was her advanced magus training. She kept reflexively adding mana or casting a spell, once even accidentally tapping into her Magic Crest; Bee still had a little scorch mark in his right door-wing. Presently, she stuffed the last of her cookie in her mouth and crossed her arms while chomping it to atoms.

And the more frustrated the young Tohsaka got, the more she overcomplicated the issue. As a former child prodigy himself, Kakashi knew the feeling well. “You’ve worked out this much even with your limited training, Emiya!” Not to mention a motivation that could transcend time and space: the power of rivalry.

Rolling with the jab, Shirou just shrugged. It was kind of fun witnessing this whiny side of Homurahara’s perfect student. “Well, Kiritsugu taught me how to channel my od before I turned nine, starting with the Tree-Climbing Exercise. I spent a lot of afternoons running up the same tree in our backyard, carving a notch right as I started to fall back down.” Two pairs of eyes blinked. “There were cushions on the ground.”

Assassin X smiled beneath his mask at the memory of him performing and supervising that same exercise. He then watched Shirou walk over to a nearby wall and took three struts upward in a seamless motion before lying with his back against its surface. A frowning Rin’s eyes were locked on the even spread of od across his body. “As the years went by, Aunt Maiya and I started coming up with more creative applications.” He then bent his knees and actually began performing sit-ups, slightly grunting, while still stuck to the wall.

“Inverted sit-ups, huh?” The Copy Ninja stepped closer with an impressed hum. “Makes you work your muscles while having to regulate your od at the same time. Clever idea, and I’m fairly sure this isn’t something anyone back in my world came up with.” Heck, I’m surprised Guy never did, he chuckled to himself. He’d have loved it.

“Th-thanks, it came to me,” Shirou explained between grunts, “when Aunt Maiya was considering training methods.” He finished his fourteenth sit-up while admitting, “Kept falling off the wall myself, but after a little trial and error, she figured out how to make it work.”

After the thirtieth, he began reverse crunching. Lancer X snickered a little at now knowing another exercise nut besides her big sister. But upon pondering the “spell’s” logic, she wondered, “Wait, shouldn’t any part of you not stuck to the wall be pulled to the ground? Or does this jutsu-thingy shut off gravity, too?”

Shirou shook his head while upside down. “It doesn’t. I’m just used to compensating after doing it for almost nine years. Same with nausea once I managed to climb upside-down surfaces.” He grimaced. “Wasn’t easy, though. And let me tell you, Rose, cleaning up your own vomit? Not fun.”

“Oh, I know. I didn’t figure out how my Semblance works just like that.” Rin side-eyed her Servant as she shuddered. “Stupid bugs…” Sympathy flickered inside her briefly, making her turn back towards Emiya still showing off. And just her (wretched, wretched!) luck, all that exercising made his shirt slip just a bit loose, exposing some of his chest. The young magus couldn’t help but allow herself to watch for a little bit; it appeared these silly workouts Emiya and his aunt had concocted were… useful after all.

The boy then stopped and climbed down, (unfortunately) tucking his shirt back in. “I’ve tried doing the same on water, but my success rate is fifty-fifty there-”

“Excuse me,” she couldn’t help but cut him off, “you know a technique that lets you walk on water?”

“Well, yeah. It’s kinda like the Tree-Climbing Exercise, but you’ve got to pay more attention and constantly adjust your output because water isn’t a solid surface.” Shirou scoffed as a certain memory surfaced. “Aunt Maiya taught me on the beach where even tiny waves were enough to throw off my concentration. There was a lot of splashing involved. I’ve gotten better, but I’d rather not try my luck in the middle of the ocean.” He then returned the frown aimed at him. “What? You can’t tell me walking on water isn’t anything a magus can do, Tohsaka.”

She picked up a red balloon with blue stripes but didn’t practice with it, instead simply studying it. “Well… I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. I can think of half a dozen methods off the top of my head: gravity negation, blessings against sinking,” she made an off-hand gesture to Rose, “moving too fast across the surface to go down…”

The red-hooded Servant waved her hand in a so-so motion. “Depends on how far the water stretches out and if I can keep Petal Burst going long enough.”

Rin acknowledged the detail with a nod before returning her attention to Emiya. “What I don’t get is what structure your father was using to teach you. You told me last night your only real skill is Reinforcement when it comes to magecraft, and there’s still plenty of room for improvement.” He nodded in easy acceptance, the sight oddly rankling for her. “And from what I’ve seen, you’re more varied with jutsu, but these things still seem like fundamentals, nothing as advanced as what we’ve seen Assassin X do.”

“I’m both older than Shirou and a veteran of quite a few conflicts, Miss Tohsaka,” said shinobi refuted politely. “I’ve had more time and opportunities to broaden my repertoire, plus my eye’s a big cheat when it comes to understanding techniques. And I couldn’t teach Kiritsugu, Maiya and Irisviel that much back then.”

“Even so, why didn’t he pass on everything he knew to you or your aunt?” Tohsaka glanced between Shirou and Kakashi, her frustration plain to see. “I get that passing on his family’s Crest wasn’t very feasible since you’re not directly related by blood to him, Emiya, but what about jutsu? He must’ve known he had limited time, so shouldn’t he have ensured you could carry on his legacy?”

Scratching his head, Shirou considered the question along with what the others had told him about Kiritsugu Emiya and what he himself remembered. “Well, he was kinda mixed about teaching me magecraft. No, wait…” He thought about it again before correcting himself. “Dad gave in because I wouldn’t stop asking, and he was definitely… happier teaching me handsigns and how to manipulate od than this world’s magecraft. And when he was gone, Aunt Maiya took over, but her lessons revolved more around countering magecraft than learning it.”

Rin recalled that cold-eyed woman with her quiet yet obvious disdain for magi and those strangely magical daggers. Sounds about right. She also felt the urge to scold Emiya for being so liberal about his training to an enemy, but Lancer X seemed to have read her mind. ‘It’s called faith, Master. He’s telling us all this because you asked and we’re currently on the same side.’ Rin bit her lip. Uppity little…

“…One of Dad’s first lessons was that I shouldn’t get too caught up on rules but figure out the best way to use this stuff on my terms.” Emiya’s sentence snapped her attention (and her ire) back at him. “And he always said I could quit if I wanted to. Same with Aunt Maiya.”

“Are you serious?! Your father wasn’t a magus at all!” She blurted out while rising before her brain caught up, but even then, Rin felt all the more certain about her conclusion. “You can call yourself a ninja if you want, Emiya, but if this is what he and your aunt taught you, I refuse to recognize any of you as magi!”

“Hey, that’s just harsh!” Ruby hopped off the radiator and leaned at her master with her fists on her hips and a disapproving glare. “So, what if Shirou’s training is incomplete or unorthodox-?”

“No need to get worked up about all this, either of you,” Shirou stepped between the girls. “I wouldn’t call myself a mage either, and I probably can’t qualify as one of Assassin X’s ninja, but my dad and Aunt Maiya both knew their stuff.”

Assassin X cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. “That’s not what Miss Tohsaka meant, am I right?” She nodded tentatively before he continued. “Kiritsugu would’ve been the first to say he wasn’t a ‘proper’ magus, nor did he have any interest in being one. He practiced magecraft but only saw it as a tool, same with my jutsu. To him and Maiya, magic is something that can come in handy or be used against you, but ultimately just another resource. Part of the world like the ground beneath our feet or the air we breathe.”

That last part triggered a memory inside Rin’s head, from a corner she’d been actively ignoring for ten years. With willpower fueled by anger and spite, she beat down the words of a false idol and returned to the matter at hand. “And that’s why I agree your father was no real magus,” she told Emiya as calmly as she could. Ruby was still disapproving, but Rin took a deep breath to say her piece. “Look, there’s only so much anyone can accomplish in a single lifetime, even a magus. They could die at any moment, which is what Magic Crests are there for. To pass on what they’ve learned in the hopes another can complete their work.”

She began to pace a bit, feeling the others’ eyes on her. Walking helped her mind work on picking the right words to articulate herself. “Our world’s magecraft is the culmination of lifetimes spent studying and devising, parents entrusting it to children, from generation to generation.” Other memories appeared, ones of her inside her father’s workshop, pouring through texts of past Tohsaka’s, learning about artefacts and spells… “From the moment a child is born into a magus family, they’re destined to be heir and successor. We live and die for the sake of this responsibility.”

Assassin X watched her quietly the entire time, noting both the pride and strain in her voice. Yes, more than her innate talent and intellect, this devotion was what made Rin Tohsaka the prodigy in magecraft she was.

And this exact same devotion was the biggest obstacle to her learning jutsu.

In her memory, Rin burst into tears. Now, though, she was strong enough to suppress the silly urge. “A magus family has the duty to prepare a human child born among them, turning them through training and dedication into something capable of upholding their legacy.” She paused and faced her rival. “I’m sorry for my earlier temper, and I won’t deny your aunt is a capable teacher.” While she’d easily treated her injuries, Rin still had a sore spot or two from their fight yesterday. Still better than those left by Kirei… “But this is why I don’t consider her or your father magi, Emiya. They prioritized being family over being magi.”

Lancer X stared back to her while she inadvertently thought about her own family: Yang reading her stories of Huntresses fighting monsters and saving lives, Dad telling the odd tale himself while pointing out there were other ways to help people, Uncle Qrow being a little more upfront about the dangers but teaching her all the same… Finally, she said, “Maybe. But I don’t see why that’s a bad thing.”

Rin tilted her head towards her, but there wasn’t any anger or derision in her eyes. “How nice for you, Ruby.” Or even in those words.

Shirou for his part mulled this glimpse into a magus family over. Maiya had offered her own opinion on their idea of upbringing: “Magi are commonly bred to be ruthless sociopaths. The worst of them have no problem committing the vilest acts imaginable if it means developing a new curse or expanding their box of tricks. I’ll be damned before I let that happen to you, Shirou.” Tohsaka, on the other hand, treated the magus family thing as a matter of legacy and honor. Something to be… well, she didn’t sound happy, but she sounded proud. It made Shirou wonder what Sakura’s opinion might be. Her older sister was the family head, right?

He decided against it. Tohsaka had insisted that Sakura wasn’t involved in the Grail War and wouldn’t get involved, and he could respect that. She was like a little sister to him, too. “Alright, thanks for explaining all of this, Tohsaka, and sorry. I didn’t mean to insult your way of life.” She’d apologized, the least he could do was the same.

The last of her frustration ebbing, Rin waved it off. “It’s fine, you didn’t really.” But you still have the decency to be apologetic… way to make me feel even more wretched, Emiya. A mental clap of her cheeks, and she refocused. “Let’s talk about strategy. Have any of you learned anything new?”

“Well, I haven’t managed to talk to Shinji, but we can take Issei off the list of possible Masters.” Shirou still began the balloon exercise while explaining. “Assassin X hypnotized him into asking our questions, and he didn’t know anything or have Command Seals.” Part of him felt ashamed for suspecting a friend, another part chastised him for having to impose on a comrade again, but Kakashi insisted he was happy to help.

Besides, the only alternative Shirou could think of was locking Issei into a closet after school and not letting him out until he revealed his Command Seals. So, maybe letting a professional handle it wasn’t so bad.

Tohsaka scoffed. “I told you someone like Ryuudou could never be a magus, let alone a Master.”

“You can be a Master and not a magus,” Assassin X refuted politely. “It’s not easy providing for a Servant when you don’t have Magic Circuits much less know how to use them, but depending on the Servant, there are workarounds. Like an Archer’s Independent Action which, by the way, isn’t exclusive to the class. And Casters by and large are all about manipulating mana to their advantage.” Rin accepted the truth of this with a grudging nod; at least Assassin X wasn’t condescending while giving advice like Archer.

The Hidden Leaf shinobi for his part shifted a bit where he was leaning. “And while Issei Ryuudou isn’t a Master, we still think he’s connected to at least one Servant out there.” His Master nodded in agreement.

Ruby cocked her head to them. “You found something out? Shirou, you mentioned last night that his family takes care of the temple up on Mount Ryuudou.” The spot where we kept tracking Caster’s spells was left unsaid. To show their good faith in last night’s get-together, Rin had shared the information they’d gathered from their investigations.

“Yeah, that’s why we questioned him today,” Shirou confirmed, his eyes briefly flickering down as the balloon came real close to popping for one moment. “He didn’t tell us much, but Assassin X picked up on… you called it interference, right?” He glanced up to his mentor.

“I did,” Kakashi agreed with a thoughtful gleam in his eye. “Getting him to show his Command Seals, or better put, lack of them, was easy, but the more we tried probing Mr. Ryuudou, the more he resisted. And I could pick up traces of mana on him, like someone was already manipulating his mind.”

Rin returned to her spot, visibly curious. “You mean whatever enchantments that were already planted in him started clashing with your efforts? Could you determine what they were there for specifically?”

Assassin X shrugged. “I figure Mr. Ryuudou was told to ignore whatever was happening near his home and clam up if somebody tried asking him, but it’s hard to say if there are any other commands. Then again, this confirms a Caster is behind his brainwashing. And now that I’ve seen her magical ‘signature,’ so to speak, I’ll recognize it when I see it again.” When, not if. Everyone else knew and understood the reason behind his choice of words. A confrontation with Caster was inevitable and likely very, very soon.

But the Servant of the Shadows wasn’t finished with his musings. “Maybe we should report our findings to Ruler X. He’s bound to have picked up on her spells leeching mana across Fuyuki, so he’d have a vested interest in putting a stop to her-”

“We should handle this.” Shirou gently but firmly interjected, drawing all attention to him now. He didn’t let it intimidate him from saying his piece. “Ruler X already has enough on his plate, and strong as he is, he’s just one Servant. How many more innocents will be put at risk until he finally decides to confront Caster?” Finding out about Issei’s brainwashing was the final straw for the boy after hearing of the horrid things that witch’s magic had done to others across Fuyuki. “And who knows? Caster might be able to talk her way out of getting punished, say she’s just playing the game or whatever and then use even subtler tricks behind Ruler X’s back.”

Kakashi said nothing, but he felt nothing but approval towards his Master. Not that he’d wanted to foist the matter with Caster into Ruler X’s hands, but it warmed his heart that Shirou had lost none of his compassion despite learning so much. Wait till I tell Artoria about this. And I doubt Maiya or Bee would opt out.

Neither would another. “Shirou’s right,” Ruby agreed with a similar fire in her eyes as the boy. “The sooner she’s stopped, the safer it’ll be for a lot of people in the city. And we’d have to fight her anyway!”

“Two peas in a pod,” Rin muttered, though she showed little disapproval. The looks from Shirou and Lancer X made her face away with a haughty scoff. “D-don’t misunderstand. My family are the Second Owners of Fuyuki City. That makes it my duty to keep the people here safe from fools who threaten the peace.” Cool logic and honest words, Assassin X noted. But he wasn’t the only one who could read their subtext.

Fluster rising in her again, particularly from the teasing Ruby sent over their link, Rin quickly tried to divert attention. “B-besides, can we really trust Ruler X?” That made them all pause, and she herself couldn’t help but think. The Grail War’s overseer was more crooked than scoliosis, and given the Grail’s supposed state… “How do we know he won’t try to twist the situation so he can claim the Grail himself?”

Assassin X tilted his head with a hum. “Well, for one thing, Mace Windu doesn’t strike me as the power-craving or manipulative type. Besides, getting ahold of the Grail wouldn’t do him much good, according to the general information I’ve got about Servants.”

“You’re talking about Rulers not being allowed to use the Holy Grail, right?” Lancer X clarified, drawing a nod from her friend and both Masters’ attention to her. She shuffled unconsciously from the sudden attention but kept her voice steady. “Uh, apparently as a trade-off for all the extra powers like their own Command Seals, a Ruler-class Servant can’t make a wish upon the Grail themselves. Most aren’t even interested in it. Probably because that would get in the way of being totally neutral…”

Shirou mulled this information over and saw the point; you couldn’t trust a referee to watch impartially over a soccer game if he planned to snag the trophy for himself, after all. This left him with a different question, though. “Hold on,” he glanced from one foreign hero to the other, “I thought Servants answer the Grail War’s call because they want the Grail.”

“Not necessarily,” a new voice chimed in before Archer materialized next to his partner. His typical aloofness softened for precisely two seconds as Ruby saluted him with a mostly eaten cookie. Though he did flash Shirou a decidedly smug look for a split-second, irritating the Master. He’d been sensing the silver-haired man’s hostility ever since they’d come up here for lunch. And not all of it was aimed at Shirou.

But then he was all business again. “Not every Servant’s wish can be granted with the Grail even if it were in proper condition. Some have unfinished business but are simply called to battle without a choice. They have to surrender their own free will and fight for their Master’s sake. For many Masters, a Heroic Spirit is just a disposable tool.” This idea rankled him even more; after everything Kakashi, Saber and Bumblebee had done for him and Aunt Maiya, how could Shirou dismiss them as mere tools? He turned to Tohsaka, but her face was giving off absolutely nothing but coldness. Do you think that way? He wanted to ask. The question wouldn’t leave his mouth, though; maybe he didn’t want to learn the answer.

His attention shifted to the other Servants. Kakashi was leaning calmly as ever against his spot, while Rose was staring at her partner with a thoughtful frown, like Archer was some kind of puzzle she wanted to solve.

But he simply went on. “And it’s not like every single Heroic Spirit cares about protecting humanity.” Another harsh statement, but Shirou couldn’t disagree when the memories of Avenger X and Gunner X still hung over him. Heroism was a matter of perspective, as Kakashi had explained to him.

“He’s right.” The aforementioned Servant spoke up, stunning not just Shirou. Archer himself seemed taken aback. “Viewing Servants as glorified tools is a common mindset among Masters. And yes, Saber and I knew Servants of the prior War who saw it as a chance to regain lost honor or just wanted to fight strong opponents. The Grail itself would’ve been surplus to requirements in such cases.” He chuckled to himself. “And there was Iskandar…”

“Iskandar…?” Shirou frowned in thought. “Where’ve I heard that name before?” His eyes widened as he recalled a particular history class. “Wait… You mean Alex-”

“Alexander the Great?!” Tohsaka spoke up at the same time, staring agape at Assassin X. “The Macedonian tyrant, the King of Conquerors? He was in the Fourth Grail War, too?!”

Another nod from the masked Servant. “As the native Rider, and he was every bit as loud and fearsome as his epithet implied. Pretty friendly, too, eager to invite others into his team. Your uncle was in for an exciting and exhausting time as his partner,” he told Ruby who perked up at the mention of her Uncle Qrow. “Anyway, Iskandar sought to conquer the world, but that wasn’t his wish. He was only after the Grail so he could reincarnate as a human into the modern world. The conquering part, he intended to do himself.” Rin processed this information while trying not to dwell on how little she really knew. Worst of all, she had to take the word of Assassin X, a rival’s Servant, on it, because he, his partner and that Hisau woman were the most reliable sources she had.

Not that Rin wasn’t tempted to ask about what really happened to Father… and… No. For all she knew, Emiya’s Servants could be running a long con. First, she needed to be absolutely sure she could trust their information. She’d already let her guard down too much with that reptile Kirei. It’s your own fault, Rin reminded herself bitterly. You knew he was a snake and you still let him in.

Archer for his part filed the information away. He’d have liked to cross-reference it against the events of… that timeline, but he could barely remember anything from back then, and he hadn’t really checked about the Fourth Grail War. It’s irrelevant anyway, the Counter Guardian snapped at himself. He’d let Assassin X steer the conversation away from his topic. “The point is, a Servant’s just a tool to be summoned, wielded to settle whatever fights are going on, and then disappear. Iskandar put his own desires ahead of his mission when he should’ve relinquished them and served his Master.”

“But then he would’ve stopped being Is-Kandy…” Ruby’s interruption nearly, nearly made Archer snort, but he bit on the inside of his lip and simply watched her fumble her words, “or Kandy Bar, o-or however you say his name!” She puffed her cheeks from the amusement rippling about in the group.

Get a grip. Those three words helped Archer refocus from his pouting partner. “That’s what a Servant is, Lancer X. We might have the memories and abilities of our past lives but we’re not them. We’re reproductions, spiritual creatures called ‘guardians’ called up for someone else’s convenience. Our old beliefs and regrets are irrelevant. All that matters is seeing our Master’s will through.”

Lancer X took a step towards him. “That’s-” But a surprising sound stopped her and made her look behind in a surprise shared by three others.

“Sorry about that,” Assassin X raised his hand in apology as he finished chuckling, “no offense meant, Archer. It’s just that what you were saying made me feel… nostalgic.”

Archer’s right fist clenched by his side. “Excuse me?”

The other silver-haired man pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over, hands in his overall’s pockets. “There was a time you and I would’ve been in complete agreement.” He nodded to himself. “So, this is what it must’ve been like for my teammates.” Another chuckle, then he patted Lancer X’s shoulder. “You are a very strong and patient soul, Ruby Rose.”

“Uh… thanks…?” Ruby’s conflicted face was the least aggravating thing for Archer in this precise moment, from Rin hiding a giggle behind her hand to the boy’s lips curling despite himself to how utterly nonchalant that damn ninja was gazing back at him.

“Enjoy your laugh and nostalgia, Assassin X,” he tried oh so hard not to sneer, “but if you’re so keen on playing teacher for your Master, you might want to prepare him for the dirtier side of these Wars. He’s not nearly cold-blooded enough to last long in this War.” And yet he’s still participating despite having so much more, Archer added privately. No matter the changes, this boy was just as foolish in every timeline.

Shirou frowned at the criticism, but Kakashi simply tilted his head. “You think so?”

“The extent of his training aside, a magus who’s not capable of shedding blood is worse than an amateur. That’s another edge Rin Tohsaka has over him as a Master. Despite her age and the odd soft spot, she’s of the right mindset needed to achieve victory.” The first compliment Rin had heard in a while from Archer, and it made her want to shower. What was he thinking, stirring the pot up like this when it had just settled? “Maiya Hisau of all people should understand the necessity of cultivating the ability to kill when needed.”

That was the last straw. “Oh, you son of a-” Emiya bolted to his feet fists balled, and Rin was honestly considering letting him take a swing. Not that it would be very effective, but Archer had crossed a line. Ruby was much more vocal about it, shoving her partner to make her look at him. Rin rose herself in an effort to stop the fighting when-

“Interesting.” A single word and a hand raised towards Shirou froze everyone in their tracks.

Archer had seen many different types of rage in his existence as a Counter Guardian, and he’d tasted quite a few flavors himself. There were the common ones that involved lots of shouting and swearing, often shown by cowardly blowhards. The next level was where violence came to play, bruised knuckles and bloodied blades. Passive aggressiveness also made the rounds regularly when one managed to retain some semblance of control over their emotions. That was probably his favorite kind.

But the coldness currently gleaming in Assassin X’s heterochromatic eyes, the stiff posture tighter than piano wire as he lowered his arm? That, in Archer’s experience, tended to be among the rarest and most dangerous types. Someone who showed that much restraint even when they were pissed off, they knew how to channel their anger. They knew how to use it effectively.

He still squared his shoulders and met that stare, keeping track of the kunai in the ninja’s right hand. Using the aunt against him and the boy was cruel, but he needed to have Assassin X’s measure. He needed to check that yes, this oh-so-incredible man did have weak points. He needed to make sure he wasn’t- “You’re a very interesting man, Archer.” It wasn’t the mask, either that made his voice come out so quietly.

“How so?” Archer congratulated himself for keeping his own voice calm. “Because I’m not intimidated by you, Assassin X? Because I don’t treat everything that comes out of your mouth like a pearl of wisdom?”

Another chuckle escaped Assassin X, a much duller sound than before. “Lots of people aren’t intimidated by me, and I’ve never thought of myself as particularly wise, either. My teammates and students, former and current, could probably give you a laundry list of all my shortcomings.” His head tilted again, causing his eyes to somehow grow sharper. Particularly the left one with its scar and tomoe. “But you’re pretty opinionated for a ‘disposable tool,’ Archer. You say a Servant’s past life is irrelevant, but your own weighs down on you, doesn’t it?” He nodded to himself, his left eye closing again. “Maiya understands far better than most what it means to bloody your hands at a young age… unlike some folks who can’t bloody them fast enough. Isn’t it interesting how much they pride themselves on leaving corpses in their wake?”

Archer’s nostrils flared and his vision blurred red as he grabbed the masked bastard by the collar. “You have no idea what I-” The Servant’s words caught in his throat as he realized he’d just fallen into his own trap. He was barely aware of his right hand outstretched behind him, mana already gathering to Project a blade, which one he wasn’t even sure. And he just watched him coldly; he hadn’t outright insulted Archer, after all.

Then one hand was pushing firmly against Archer’s chest while the other gripped his left wrist and tugged it off of Assassin X’s collar. “Stop it, Archer.” Lancer X’s quiet, scolding tone coupled with the disappointment in her gaze chipped even further at the righteousness propping up his anger. “You can talk smack about others, but you can’t handle somebody talking smack about you, huh?” Ruby’s eyes bored into his before they turned to Assassin X. “Sorry about this. After everything you and your team’s done for us-”

“It’s fine,” both Ruby and the Masters marveled at how Kakashi Hatake waved it off, back to his old tone, “our talk just got a little heated again. Archer raised a couple of good points, and I appreciate the criticism.” He tucked his hands back into his pockets. “And we all know he just got up in the excitement when he mentioned Maiya,” then his tone sharpened ever so slightly again, “isn’t that right, Archer?”

Archer forced down the last of his fury with a deep breath. “…It is. I overstepped and I’m very sorry for insulting Miss Hisau.” Yes, he recognized accepting the offer made him look weak, but he’d already made enough of a fool of himself. “And the boy isn’t my responsibility, so it’s not my place to question his… education.” He wasn’t sure what made him want to perform an impromptu murder-suicide more, having to say this or Rin and Ruby’s dual glares aimed at him.

Shirou for his part wasn’t completely willing to let bygones be bygones, not this time. And somehow, he sensed Kakashi felt the same. But he held his tongue while his teacher said, “An outside opinion can broaden horizons.” He’s being the better man here, Shirou understood, so as to not jeopardize our alliance with Tohsaka’s team. The boy resolved to take this as a lesson about not letting anger beat reason.

Just as he resolved not to let his guard down around Archer.

Rin, of course, recognized the same as the other Master, and she was honestly getting tired of owing him and his entourage. And after everything said in these past couple minutes, she just… wasn’t in the mood for proving just how cold-blooded she could be. “Archer, you interrupted your patrol to contribute, right? Why don’t you show us how a proper Servant conducts himself and continue your good work?” She fixed him with her coldest stare. “Clear your head a bit.”

“…Yes, Master.” Archer had lost this round. Completely and utterly. He’d come across as a total jerk, allowing Assassin X to swoop in and salvage the mess, the boy was probably even more enamored with the ideal of a Hero of Justice… “If you sense trouble-”

“We’ll manage.” Lancer X leaned against her old spot, face turned away from him. “I’m here, too, remember?”

…And this was probably the worst consequence of his screwup. “Of course.” A tremor nearly slipped in Archer’s voice, but he managed to keep it steady. Like hell was he losing his composure in front of those two. …Yet there was so much he wanted to say to Ruby, so much he wanted to explain to her…

But he closed his eyes, turned around and dematerialized.

Only after she sensed he wasn’t anywhere near the roof did a somber Lancer X turn back to the spot where her partner stood. “I meant what I said before.” She glanced over to Kakashi who stared sympathetically back. “You’re very patient with him.”

“…Yeah.” Ruby Rose managed to smile halfway, fingering her last cookie while Rin and Shirou began packing up their stuff. Lunch break was just about over. “And I’m really hoping that patience pays off.”

The door to the stairway had been propped open by Assassin X with a wooden block, a precaution in case he somehow got separated and the others needed to get off the roof (without breaking more school property). This allowed one particular person to sit on the stairs and listen to everything discussed. Not even the Bounded Field her Big Sister had set up against eavesdroppers had posed a hindrance.

“That makes two of us, Ruby Rose,” Sakura mumbled while she quickly slipped down the stairs.

And there was one more listener to the conversation, a tiny black beetle that had crawled up after Shirou and then remained absolutely still in the shadows, seemingly escaping even Assassin X’s notice.

Its owner detached himself from his latest targets for flirtation and slipped into an empty bathroom. “Trouble in paradise, Tohsaka?” Shinji Matou washed his hands and checked his reflection before ruffling his hair (hiding the odd bruise better), then stepped back out. A glance to his right revealed someone leaning by the door. “Remind me again why I decided to humor you?”

Rider stood in a dark neck top and blue jeans that did much to hide her attractiveness; hence the reason she chose the combination. Her purple hair was pulled back with a ribbon that touched the back of her shins. “Because we wanted to test how effectively Andromeda can hide one of your Servants, and Archer X refused to put on makeup.” Pink eyes with abnormal pupils glimmered amused behind her enchanted reading glasses. “For all the good that would’ve done anyway.” A small profanity echoed across their mental link.

“Right back atcha, old fart,” Shinji muttered at apparently empty air. “You at least been lying low, Rider?”

She shot him a slightly affronted leer. “As we agreed, I’ve been staying in the library or halls while classes are underway. Good thing, too,” Rider admitted with a small frown. “I nearly crossed paths with Assassin X a few times. It wouldn’t surprise me if he already suspects my presence.”

Shinji frowned back, and not just from renewed scratching beneath his skin. He gripped his arm while in thought. From what they’d seen so far, Emiya’s X Servant was crafty and had a lot of tricks up both sleeves. Plus, Tohsaka had her own X Servant walking about, and she at least was still in Assassin X’s good graces. The school was home field thanks to the Blood Fort Andromeda, but he doubted either would go down quietly. “Stay out of sight for now. What about the other assignment?”

“He’s kept to himself, but I’ve managed to come close twice in spirit form. Each time, he reacted to my presence even if he didn’t see me. And I could smell the violence on him.” Medusa, youngest of the Gorgon Sisters, narrowed her eyes in a very specific direction. “He’s Caster’s Master, I’m sure of it.”

“And according to what we’ve overheard, Caster is the hot topic right for the Tohsaka-Emiya alliance.” Shinji then shook his head after a couple moments. “Nah, Rider already got a warm welcome the first time she tried snooping at that temple. We didn’t learn much then, and if Caster really has turned it into her playground, who knows what kind of traps are up there.” Suppressing another tremor from his arm, he checked his watch; almost time for the next class. “Waiting and seeing’s paid off nicely so far, why stop now?” Shinji made for the stairs.

“They say the early bird gets the worm,” Rider shot him one last quip while heading down the hallway.

‘And Yondu says the second rat gets the goodies.’ That telepathic retort provoked a smile from both Master and fellow Servant.

And as always, students and adults alike headed home as day eventually turned to night, and the participants of the Holy Grail War readied themselves. Some headed out in search of their enemies, others waited behind their lines and prepared.

In Miyama Town, a certain Master paused while dutifully cleaning the pews of Fuyuki Church. A little beacon he’d affixed one block outside, one of many in a surrounding diameter as a sort of early warning system, just activated, alerting him to the approach of a Servant. No, two Servants, both of which he recognized, and a magus one, too, which he also recognized with a small grin. So, you told on me, Bazett?

To say Kirei hadn’t expected it would’ve been another falsehood, of course. He’d lost track of his old friend after that Rider X spirited her away on his Dragon (ah, what a sight!), and Lancer hadn’t shown much enthusiasm in tracking them down. A familiar of his spotted her earlier today making contact with a (not-so-friendly) face he hadn’t seen in ten years. No doubt pending for an alliance, and while Kirei had no idea what that woman had decided, the fact Bazett was headed his way at the same time as Ruler X, albeit from a different direction, seemed much clearer.

Well, it’s not like Master Windu wasn’t suspicious of me before, the priest decided while finishing his work. And with everything that woman and Emiya’s Servants confided to him two nights ago, a confrontation with him was delightfully inevitable. He sent a mental message to Lancer, including the promise of a good fight. 'This better not be just another one of your cleanup jobs...’ the Celtic Servant warned before getting all the details. '...Oh alright, I did want to see how I'd stack up against him.'

Now, it seemed, was the time for Kirei to step up. He’d hoped things would play out a little more before the time came, all of the other Masters heading off to the front, but alas, only a handful of them were willing to take such a risk. Dear Rin and her stubborn attempts to make her father proud, Shirou Emiya on an intriguing quest for heroism, the newest Einzbern doll seeking to share her pain with everyone… Meanwhile, the Matou boy was playing the waiting game, taking after his ancestor. Caster’s group seemed to have grown bored with it already. Bazett had been in recovery. Gilgamesh was still taking it easy. And others had yet to reveal their intentions, such as whoever Gunner X’s Master was, or old Zouken himself.

Kirei also had an increasing suspicion that someone was working with the old worm. A former acquaintance of his… One he’d long suspected of still being around but not daring to show his face for one reason or another… Ah, my old friend, how I’ve longed to see you again and show you how I’ve grown.

Yet another reason why he didn’t feel that disappointed about this turn of events. It wasn’t how he’d planned this to play out, but then, Kirei Kotomine had entered the Fifth Holy Grail War with very little planning.

He smiled before kissing the cross by his neck in gratitude. Along with his true nature and desires, Kirei had learned a valuable lesson during the Fourth Grail War. As one of his more recent favorite authors had so aptly phrased, plans can break down. You cannot plan the future. Only the presumptuous plan.

A wise man steers.

A street… A ship sailing on the waters… A spiral staircase… Traffic lights… An armored figure in the distance… A dagger stained with blood…

Golden-brown eyes shot wide open to stare at an old-fashioned Japanese courtyard. “What the…?” Shirou Emiya mumbled while glancing about in obvious confusion. “Is this… Ryuudou Temple?”

“Indeed,” a female voice spoke up behind him. He turned around with some difficulty, noting the barely visible strings wrapped around his neck, wrists and legs. Shadows gathered into a spot on the ground before flashing red, then a hooded woman was smirking at him. She was clad in an opulent, old-fashioned purple dress under a dark and purple layered robe with golden outlines. A golden clove-like crest was affixed over her hood where her forehead ought to be. Blue strands of hair poked out to frame her cheeks and purple lips.

Given the spell binding him and the magic radiating off of her, Shirou could only conclude: “A Caster Servant, huh?”

“Correct, Master of Saber and Assassin X.” She waved a hand to the side as two other presences materialized. “I believe you’ve already met my partner…” Berserker X flashed on her right, axe at hand and a growl already coming from her own hooded face. “And my vassal.”

At her right appeared Avenger X with a lidded deadpan expression and both hands in his pockets. He clicked his tongue. “I thought I told you, just because you summoned me and have those discount Seals for me doesn’t mean you can talk down to me, witch.”

Caster’s smile sharpened as the mana in the air spiked. Despite being at least ten centimeters shorter than him, she turned her head towards him in a distinctly condescending manner. “And I’ve warned you to mind your tongue, my little firebrand. Especially when we have guests.” She returned her attention to a bound Shirou. “Save your strength. My spells once cast cannot be overcome with sheer mana. Even if those paltry Magic Circuits of yours could muster it.” Despite her words, she sensed something off about their captive.

“It’s that easy to snare me and bring me home, huh?” Shirou growled between his efforts to escape.

“Yeah…” While appearing droopy, Avenger X’s eyes were in fact locked on the boy’s twitching figure. “A little too easy even if you’re the lousiest Master around.” Berserker X snapped her head to the temple’s exit with a hiss. “You’re right, crazy. We’re about to get more company.”

Other than shooting him another warning glare for Berserker X’s moniker, Caster looked unconcerned otherwise. “Of course, we are.” She hummed quietly. “Sooner than expected, too. And here I hoped to suck you dry of mana without killing you. It took me long enough and plenty of attempts to get it right, especially when the emergence of that meddlesome Ruler X forced me to postpone my efforts.”

Shirou paused to glare at the three. “So, Tohsaka was right. You’re the one responsible for all those comas.”

“Did no one tell you?” Caster asked playfully while waving a gloved hand to Berserker X, no spell needed. The Viking woman grunted before turning towards the exit. “The first objective for Caster-class Servants is to establish territory, such as this temple which shields me and my allies from prying eyes.” The boy’s glare turned to the ground. “Ah, now you can see it, no? Mana plucked from hundreds of people and settled into the soil… Fuel for me and the others.” She giggled. “Providing for our group offers little chance for frugality, and even with the reduced Servant cost in this Grail War, it’s prudent to stock up.”

“But you’re breaking the Grail War’s rules,” Shirou snarled. “You’re endangering innocent people.”

Dabi shrugged, his attention shifting between the approaching signatures and their supposed hostage. “Tough luck for them. And if they didn’t hightail it out of this city when the first of them started keeling over, that’s their fault.” That assessment garnered him a fair bit of anger, and not just from the “boy.”

Caster for her part was more interested on the markings on his hands only to stop at the approach of engine noises. “Sooner than I would have wished,” she muttered as Berserker X charged for the stairs. Twin lights flared upwards before a rather small sportscar roared up into view.

A fourth Servant’s presence made itself known and slashed at the approaching vehicle, only for it to hit the brakes before the increasingly corporeal blade could connect… And the shape that had been riding on top of the car’s hood launched itself over the guard and into the yard, locking weapons with Berserker X that drove her back. “Remember me?” Saber coolly questioned, drawing a snarl from her maddened adversary. She briefly glanced behind her. “Are you alright, Bumblebee?”

“I hate driving on stairs…” “Illegal” Saber X swerved away from a flurry of wide slashes before transforming with a sweeping kick. His opponent skipped away while he deployed his battle mask and blasters. “Mind if we join the party?”

“By all means.” A male Servant stood in front of him. He stood of equal height to Avenger X and was much easier on the eyes between his slender, handsome face and the long indigo hair framing it, a long ponytail dangling behind him. His clothes were of traditional Japanese design, hakama and kimono combo both of a light purple, black sandals over tabi sharing that color. He wielded with both hands a slender nodachi even longer than its wielder’s height. Slung over his right shoulder was its scabbard. His eyes were as indigo as his hair, and his mouth was set in a playful, though not malicious, smile. “It was becoming rather dull up here.” The swordsman rested his weapon on his shoulder. “Ah, but where are my manners? I am Sasaki Kojirou, Assassin-class Servant under the witch’s command.” Ears perked up at his words.

Another “illegal” Servant, huh? The most alien Heroic Spirit noted before saying, “Bumblebee, technically a Saber X. You seem the most decent out of this bunch, so maybe you could sit this one out?”

“After I couldn’t partake in the last one? Not a chance.” Assassin advanced. “But fair to warn you in return, my metallic friend…” he brandished his sword to the side. “I, too, am only ‘technically’ an Assassin.”

Shirou appeared significantly calmer at the appearance of his comrades, but this new revelation was noteworthy. “A third Assassin? And… Sasaki Kojirou?” He flashed back to a story read years ago. “As in, the rival of Miya-”

“Don’t get him started. Trust me.” Berserker X grunted in agreement with her pyrokinetic teammate. Meanwhile, Assassin’s right brow twitched ever so slightly.

Avenger X then turned back to their captive. “A couple of meters between you and the exit, and you still hear what he’s saying. Not to mention you’re awfully calm considering you’re strung up behind enemy lines…” Blue fire snapped to life in his right hand. “I think they’re trying to punk us.”

“Yes, let’s cease with the charades, shall we?” Caster’s smile dimmed a bit as she gave a mental tug. The strings promptly tightened around Shirou. “You put on a convincing charade, but you are not the Master of Saber and Assassin X. How arrogant of you to think you can trick me inside my seat of power.”

The boy struggled against his bonds… before giving a carefree shrug. “Eh, it was worth a shot.” Poof!

While all four Servants had inhuman reflexes and experience in unexpected situations, their captive suddenly emitting smoke caught them all off guard for one single second. Long enough that a spread of shuriken and kunai hurtled out of the man-sized cloud. Reflexes compelled Caster and Avenger to destroy the projectiles while Berserker X focused on Saber; only Assassin noticed the little pieces of paper affixed to them all and instinctively dodged.

Thus, when the paper bombs went off, he was the least affected by the chain of explosions. Saber had positioned herself so that her opponent unwittingly shielded her from the blasts, and she capitalized on the resultant unsteadiness to deal a strike to Berserker X’s head. It was only through the latter’s reflexes that her skull wasn’t sliced in half.

A shape sprang out of the smoke and landed crouching on the temple’s roof. “While we’re on the subject of arrogance,” Assassin X glared down at a slightly singed Caster with both of his eyes, “did you really think you could just kidnap our Master right under our noses?”

After the residents at the Emiya house had dinner, Shirou had eagerly continued his “private tutoring sessions” only for Kakashi to notice via the Sharingan magic threads slowly winding through the house. That they could slip into the Bounded Field without being detected was bad enough, but he could tell they were definitely targeting the youngest of their group. So, he’d assumed Shirou’s place and form with a Transformation Jutsu and let the threads ensnare him, leading him to Ryuudou Temple while the Sabers followed discreetly behind.

“Deceitful…!” Caster uttered a rather foul Greek curse. “I should have guessed you would attempt such trickery…” Then she forced a smile. The explosions had… inconvenienced her, but she could easily heal herself. “Bold of you all to march headlong into my territory. But I assume your Masters are not far away?” She giggled cruelly to herself. “Oh, I shall relish stripping the Magic Circuits and Command Seals for Saber from that boy’s body after we’ve dealt with you lot!”

Assassin X drew a set of shuriken, but Avenger X shot a blast of flame at him, forcing him to flip off the roof. The scarred Servant side-stepped the stars thrown his way while his “Master” prepared a spell. “Kudos for your acting, but you should’ve lured us out of this place. Now you’re outgunned and outnumbered.”

“Count again,” Bee shouted before opening fire. Assassin was forced to dodge or slice the energy bolts, drawing his attention from a cluster of rose petals that shot past both Servants into the courtyard. The Autobot scout quipped between his shots, “Why do you think we took so long to catch up with Assassin X?”

The petals landed in the courtyard before scattering to reveal Lancer X and Archer back-to-back with weapons at the ready and matching smirks. “Alright, I’ll admit it,” the taller Servant snarked following an elbow from his friend, “this isn’t such a bad idea.”

“Yup.” Ruby twirled Crescent Rose before pointing it towards Caster. Here was one witch that could be destroyed. “So, which of you wants to go down first?”

“Some guard dog you are,” Avenger X drawled towards the exit.

“You should be grateful I’m sharing! Have some exercise!” The Bluefame Villain simply responded to his “teammate’s” shouting with a gesture involving one finger.

And that was the tamest reaction Assassin’s comment netted among his group. “You useless little…!” Caster glared towards the stairs. “You better eviscerate that automaton if you wish to survive another day!” Then her hood whirled to the most recent newcomers, her eyes lingering on the smaller (cuter…) one. “So, you thought you could bandy together, come into my temple, crush my allies of questionable competence,” she emphasized at Avenger X and Assassin, “and vanquish me like some conjurer of cheap tricks?”

Archer and Lancer X traded a look with each other, Saber and (only in Ruby’s case) Assassin X before nodding in unison. “That’s the plan.”/“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Fools…” A vicious smirk played along her lips. “You still underestimate me and my partner.” Attention inadvertently drifted to the Servant in question.

Berserker X’s hood had been cut and knocked back from Saber’s blow, revealing the face of a formerly beautiful young woman. Now it was twisted and warped from unbridled insanity and hatred: sharp teeth gnashing against each other, platinum blonde hair tied into a messy braid and hanging like rope down her side, a headband over her forehead speckled with dried blood, and two fiery blue eyes rimmed with crimson. There wasn’t a trace of fear or concern anywhere on her. Just the fury that had led to past slaughter. She threw her head back and released a blood-curdling howl. “AWOOOOOO!!!!”

Saber instinctively backed away with a wince, but she didn’t dare drop her guard. She realized from past experiences that the maddened sound emanating from Berserker X wasn’t just a battle cry. It was a call.

A call that echoed fairly far across the city, far enough to reach a certain Viking Servant and his Master atop the Dragon he’d befriended. Toothless froze in midair so abruptly Bazett nearly slipped off. She barely managed to wrap her only arm around Rider X’s body and steady herself, at which point she noticed he was even stiffer than their mount.

“No way…” Hiccup mumbled so softly Bazett almost didn’t hear him. “It can’t be…” A concerned warble from Toothless made him straighten and shakily pat the Night Fury’s head, wings beating a slightly less steady rhythm to keep them airborne. “I-I don’t know, bud, sure, it sounds familiar… B-but c’mon, it was never that-”

His attempt to reassure his friend (and himself) was cut off by a second sound, a bestial screech just as vicious and furious as the howl. And yet it was still one both Rider and Dragon knew intimately well. The latter’s head was already tracking the source to the mountain while the former slowly craned his head backward. “…Master, I, uh… We-”

“It’s okay.” Bazett watched her Servant with nothing but sympathy in her magenta eyes. She had just recognized both of those sounds herself; distorted though they now were, she’d heard them before. So, she reached down to pat Toothless’ warm scales. “I don’t mind a little detour.”

She received two strained but grateful smiles; there was no way they were going to let Kirei get away with what he’d done. But Ruler X could take care of himself and probably wouldn’t kill the priest too quickly.

“AAAWOOOOOOOOO!!!!” A second howl soon followed and melded together with an answering screech.

Mana gathered and swirled into a turbulent vortex beside Berserker X, then a sudden flash erupted at its epicenter, forcing most of those present to shield their eyes. When they looked again, there loomed a large reptilian creature over the Servant that had called it. It stood over nine meters tall on two powerful legs that cracked the tiles beneath its claws. The blue and gold scales covering much of its body might’ve been beautiful once, but they had since become muddied with dark crimson streaks matching the webbing of its wings which remained furled like that of a predatory bird. A long tail thrashed about like a thorny whip, nearly impaling Assassin X with the spines that flared out and flattened again between seconds. Bony spikes ringed its head with a sharp nasal horn positioned between twin blazing yellow eyes.

It opened its mouth to snap at them, revealing its sharp teeth and a gust of heat from its throat. The combination made Saber chance another step back from a healthy amount of caution. In that action, she somehow recognized what sort of Phantasmal Beast now stood before her: “…A Dragon?”

While still keeping their attention on the frozen opposition, Avenger X and Assassin carefully widened the distance between them and this mythical beast, and even Caster was visibly a bit wary. Ironically, Berserker X was the calmest in its presence, her left hand brushing its neck below the spikes. The tenderness of this action ought to have been soothing, but neither Viking nor Dragon’s rage was abating. If anything, it was being directed toward their targets.

Then in a swift motion, she mounted her dearest friend and spurred her on with a war cry. Saber barely rolled out of the way and Lancer X and Archer were forced to split apart before they took to the skies. Everyone present at the temple couldn’t help but glance up at the duo hovering a couple meters above. The Dragon’s wings beat a steady, powerful rhythm while Berserker X held her axe aloft.

Caster was the first to react, and it came in the form of a triumphant sneer as she levitated up to a (safe) distance from her friend. “Now then…” Violet circles of light gathered around Medea, the Witch of Colchis.

Wonderful. Archer forced down his tension and took a stance with Kanshou & Bakuya. As if one woman’s wrath wasn’t bad enough. His eyes traveled from one airborne Servant to another, then to those on the ground, to help him calculate his odds of success. Then they narrowed at one particular enemy.

Dabi enshrouded both arms with blue fire. “Alright,” he muttered, “let’s wrap this up before those three kill us all.”

Even kilometers above the rooftops, in the dead of night, Toothless found his way effortlessly. His keen eyes allowed him to easily pick out the people currently battling atop Mt. Ryuudou… which sadly wasn’t a blessing right now. A forlorn warble rumbled from him, prompting Bazett to stroke his head. If the Night Fury saw what they all feared… her heart ached for both of her Servants now.

Rider X didn’t have quite as sharp sight as his mount, but he made up for it with his own handmade spyglass that was aimed with a slightly trembling hand at the mountain. “That’s… Stormfly…” he murmured, his hand numbly lowering. Living or familiar, only one person could ride the Deadly Nadder with such grace and ferocity. His mind saw the evidence and pieced it together, forcing his heart to recognize the truth.

“…Astrid?”

Anything else he might’ve said got drowned out by a crack of thunder.

Welcome back, ladies & gents, and thank you all for your patience!

First, let me assure you that I don’t want to bash (or nerf) Archer. I’ll readily admit that I am NOT among the fandom who’s absolutely in love with the guy, and there are in fact a good many points I disagree with him about. But I don’t believe in ragging on a character’s negative traits just because I don’t like them. I recognize Archer has nobler qualities (even if he does his best to smother them) and have been trying to show them in previous chapters. Fair to warn you, though, I’m not going to go easy on him. Not with the story I have in mind, and he won’t be the only one taking hits.

The meeting between Maiya and Bazett was inspired quite a bit by certain… antique scenes from Andor; man, I love that show! Plus it offered a glimpse from a total Muggle’s point of view. Not too many of those in this story, of course, so I figured at least one wouldn’t be too bad. Certain avid manga fans might recognize the names Izumi and Kyouko… And their surname Hagiwara belongs to manga author Daisuke Hagiwara… Let’s just say I’m not above enjoying the odd romance.

For those who might think Bazett still could’ve wiped the floor with Maiya if they fought, do keep in mind that she, while a master combatant with a badass Sorcery’s Trait, is not at her best, and she’s not stupid enough to pick a meaningless fight. Besides, Maiya lacks a trump card in general.

As for Kirei’s little quote, a bit of an anachronism, admittedly. But I couldn’t resist. (Gilgamesh enjoys his works as well)

But back to business:

Berserker X -

Class: Berserker

Master: Souichirou Kuzuki, formerly Atrum Galliastra

True Name: Astrid Hofferson

Titles: Dragon Valkyrie, Wrath of Berk

Sex: Female

Source: How to Train Your Dragon

Region: Berk

Alignment: Chaotic Mad

Strength: A

Endurance: B

Agility: A

Mana: C

Luck: C

NP: A

Class Skills-

Mad Enhancement: Raises basic parameters and strengthens one's physical abilities in exchange of hindering mental capacities and/or in exchange for their sense of reason.

C+: Berserker X was the only survivor of an assault on the island she was born and raised. The loss of her home, her friends, her family, her comrades, and above all, the man she loved turned grief to rage and then to madness. All parameters except for Mana and Luck, plus her Noble Phantasms, are one rank up but at the cost of Berserker X's ability of speech and much of her reason. Only one person might be able to reach her in this broken state.

Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals.

B++: Berserker X would normally be perfectly qualified for Rider-class, and though Mad Enhancement has downgraded this skill, she can pilot any vehicle or mount nearly any animal, except those of the Phantasmal Beasts, with the passion and grace as she did before her fall to madness. She can ride Dragons such as Stormfly, however, due to their unbreakable bond.

Magic Resistance: Grants protection against magical effects.

E: Berserker X's defenses against spells and the like only come from her bond with Stormfly and are further degraded by Mad Enhancement.

Personal Skills-

Double Summon: Is a rare Personal Skill possessed only by a few select Servants, permitting them to simultaneously possess Class Skills from two distinct classes. It is limited only to some of the extra classes, the cavalry classes, and "modern classes" like Gunner.

B+: Berserker X possesses Class Skills and Noble Phantasms of both the Rider and Berserker classes.

Eternal Arms Mastery: Prevents degradation of fighting skills when under the effect of mental hindrance.

A: Berserker X was the best fighter of her generation and one of the greatest warriors among her Viking people overall. Mad Enhancement may cloud her thoughts, but her battle instincts remain sharp as ever. Though axes are her preference, Berserker X can wield the weapons of her time with equal grace and ferocity. Even barehanded, her battle prowess is more than sufficient to stand against and potentially defeat enemy Servants.

Throwing (Axe): Is the expertise for throwing projectile weapons; in this case, axes.

B: An axe thrown from a sane Berserker could cut through an oak tree; in her current state, it can split an armored vehicle in half a kilometer away. She still retains her excellent accuracy and technique thanks to Eternal Arms Mastery.

Noble Phantasms-

Valkyrie's Edge: “In the Name of Berk's Fallen”:  B (Anti-Unit): Berserker X's primary weapon is a double-edged axe her lover once forged for her. The blades are made from a special alloy a certain Dragon of her world regurgitates when eating a combination of key minerals, displaying razor sharpness and near indestructibility despite its lightness. Due to the fiery legends it has been associated with, it can even ignite with the flames of Stormfly to burn others with every swing. Originally of a shining silver color, the blades have been crimson and jagged; at the height of her rage, Berserker X hunted down and slaughtered as many of the raiders who had massacred her home as she could. This bloodshed twisted Valkyrie's Edge from a symbol of a noble warrior into the tool of a rabid killer.

Stormfly: "Eternal Partner Through Blood and Madness": A+ (Anti-Army): The Dragon Berserker X befriended and has ridden for many years, now a part of her legend. She is of the “Deadly Nadder” species, a beautiful but deadly kind of Dragon that Berserker X's people used to kill. They possess natural great strength and impressive speed on land and airborne, magnesium fire-breath hotter than nearly any species, and deadly poisonous spikes on their tails that can be launched at distant targets. Stormfly is even swifter and stronger than most of her brethren thanks to the training alongside her rider and Mad Enhancement; her spine shots are so accurate that when two are shot consecutively, the second one can pierce the first straight through the middle. She can control her flames from a concentrated magnesium blast to a low-level light source for dark places and generates waterspouts by flying in a spiral manner over a large concentration of water. Mad Enhancement further increases her abilities due to her bond with her Master at the cost of furthering her fury. But Stormfly retains enough sense to understand non-verbal commands from Berserker X and will always come when she hears a certain call. She and Berserker X are the last loved ones either has left; their bond is unbreakable, and if one were to be injured, the other would unleash their full wrath upon the guilty party.

I know, a rather cruel and unoriginal decision. For the latter point, I’m afraid there simply aren’t that many original ideas left. For the former, I have to be a little cruel with my players for the story’s sake. There is reason behind my choice, though.

Oh, and I should clarify: Valkyrie’s Edge didn’t have the flame-on gimmick in life, but thanks to all the stories of a Deadly Nadder-riding Berserker wreathed in flames in life, it became part of the Noble Phantasm.

This is the Holy Grail War, kiddos. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

Just to make my stance clear, two X Servants max from the same franchise per Grail War. I have to keep this self-imposed limit lest I swarm a War with two many characters of Star Wars or Bleach. Grand Order stories, of course, are a different matter (should I ever get that far).

Chapter Text

[Just as a heads-up, this chapter features a little writing experiment. I’m trying to include mini flashbacks related to concurrent events by writing them italicized and in brackets like this. If they work, it’ll help me not impede the story flow while also showing important scenes, like in this case, the Servants learning from each other. Longer flashbacks will naturally be written the same way I did them in the previous story. Naturally, I welcome feedback.]

Ruler X strode purposefully in corporeal form towards the church, his face set in a determined frown. He could sense the movements of other Servants elsewhere in the city, some like Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Master Yarael Poof would’ve been delighted to meet the Rider simply for the sake of his name, Mace suspected.) simply watching over their Masters. Others, though, were definitely making for imminent clashes with one another, and Ruler X hoped they’d remember to keep civilians uninvolved even without his direct presence. His thoughts were racing through so many different topics: the darkness hanging over this city, sensing multiple life-endangering enchantments, Miss McRemitz’ testimony just a couple minutes ago, the mounting accusations towards Kirei Kotomine, all of which were increasingly plausible and backing his suspicions.

He’d even brought up the matter with Sakura in the previous night, who’d told him of her sister’s consistent and distrust and disliking of their legal guardian. When Mace asked her what she thought of Kotomine, she paused before saying, “I’ve always felt like he’s hiding something. And… not something good.”

Sakura Tohsaka… Another complication. Ruler X fully recognized that he mightn’t even be in this world without her assistance, and the young lady in turn needed help, perhaps more than even she realized…  But he shouldn’t let gratitude keep him from concentrating on the larger scheme, especially when there seemed so many obvious problems for him to deal with.

Then the Jedi Master’s thoughts coalesced into a familiar feminine face with dark hair, two Chalactan beads on her brow and a chiding stare aimed his way, along with words he’d heard in another lifetime. “If we truly think that allowing even one innocent to suffer to stop another harm is the will of The Force, then perhaps we do not understand it at all.”

He almost wanted to smile; only Depa Billaba could transcend time and space to give her obstinate old master a reality check. I imagine you’d appreciate the help I’ve already arranged for Sakura.

Said check was sorely needed right now. The church stood in front of him, and Ruler X could already detect another Servant’s presence. Cú Chulainn perched atop a streetlight with the effortless grace of a feline predator on the prowl. One hand balanced his spear on his shoulder, the other was raised in greeting. “Yo. Nice to finally meet you, Mister Ruler.” He sported a grin that looked just a little too easygoing to be real.

“Servant Lancer,” Ruler X stepped out of spirit form and dipped his head once, “I’ve heard that you had a change in loyalty prior to my arrival.” His senses told him they were currently the only two Heroic Spirits in the vicinity. But that didn’t mean there was no danger.

The grin turned into a slight grimace. “Wasn’t my idea, I can tell you that much.” The church’s front door opened with a slight creak, a sound both Servants’ ears easily picked up on. “Speak of the devil…”

Kirei Kotomine approached the gate with no haste or discernable concern in his posture. “Master Windu,” he greeted cordially while the doors swung open, his hands placed in front of him and a slight bow in greeting, “it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Ruler X was promptly assailed with a series of images and words all centered around a man he had once known, he had once respected, and who had proven to be the worst enemy of the Jedi. This, he realized, was another shatterpoint. A warning for the future punctuated by fragments of the past. And at the center of this shatterpoint was this supposed man of faith.

In an instant, he acknowledged these memories and the feelings interlaid with them, guilt at the top, and released them into The Force. “Father Kotomine,” the Champion of the Jedi Order returned the greeting with more stoicism and alertness. “I’ve learned some interesting stories since our last meeting.” He cast a pointed look up to Lancer. “And given the company you seem to keep, I’m having a hard time not believing them.”

“Even a man of my position has enemies,” Kotomine answered in the smooth tone of many diplomats and senators Ruler X had dealt with. “Surely, you understand how I may feel the need for more support.”

“And yet you saw fit to hide your connection to Lancer when I introduced myself.” Ruler X took a step towards the church. “Not to mention you neglected to share other pieces of information with me.” Another step. “Information I would consider vital for performing my duties properly.” Another, and he could reach out and touch the gates.

Despite the decreased distance between them, Kirei maintained his placid smile. As he thought, this man of faith before him surely recognized the truth, but he had been taught to believe in justice. Due process. And like his respected teacher Tokiomi, he was giving Kirei a chance to explain himself before passing judgement. Ah, what comfort the world of order and justice offers… Out loud, he said, “My apologies. I was trained in the ways of the magus, so being… omissive of details to acquaintances is a bit of a bad habit I’ve picked up. And I suppose I worried you wouldn’t approve of the… precautions I’ve taken.”

A scoff from above. “Precautions…” The Hound of Ulster snarled in a manner that did his epithet justice. “Is that how these days they call chopping off a young lass’s arm, stealing command over a Servant and forcing them to attack his comrade who’s just arrived and has enough brains to realize the victims of the situation?” He would’ve said more, but mana prickled across his body, forcing him to hold his tongue.

Kirei invoked a bit of his “insurance policy” without even glancing up to his uppity Servant. “A bit dramatic, the retelling, but I won’t deny it any longer.” He stepped forward, slightly away from Ruler X but close enough for either one to strike. “Still, the responsibility for a Master’s Command Seals over a Servant lies primarily with the Master themselves. If they’re stolen, then it’s the original Master’s own fault according to the Grail, no?”

“Claiming the position of Master isn’t in itself against the rules,” Ruler X acknowledged calmly, “and while I personally don’t approve of your methods for acquiring a Servant, they’re still within the guidelines set by the Holy Grail and its creators.” Privately, Cú Chulainn gritted his teeth at these words. Even centuries later, mages and their customs were so infuriating…

Then his worries were alleviated by the other Servant’s next words. “But now that you’re a Master, you’re a neutral party no longer. The overseer of the Holy Grail War can’t be a participant, too. It’s a direct conflict of interest.”

“Oh?” Kirei spread out his arms in a (barely) polite shrug. “And what if the Holy Grail believed I could only function properly as overseer with a Servant at my disposal?”

“Then you would’ve been chosen by the Grail in the first place and not needed to rob an existing Master. And if you’d been chosen, you’d be expected to fight for it. Ergo, you couldn’t serve as overseer anyway.” Extending an open hand with its palm up to the priest, Mace declared, “That position is now forfeit, Kirei Kotomine, and with it is your claim to the excess Command Seals. You can relinquish either them or your Mastership over Lancer. Your choice.”

Kotomine clasped his hands behind his back and hummed faux-thoughtfully. “Hardly an easy choice to make, Master Windu. Seals are an undeniable boon to any Master in a Grail War, and the ones I acquired from Bazett can’t last forever.” Any sincerity his voice might’ve offered was undermined by the playful grin resting on his face. “But it’d be a shame to give up Lancer after all the trouble I went through to acquire him… Hmm. No easy choice at all.”

“And yet it’s the only one you get. Decide now.” Those fingers curled back into Ruler X’s fist, knuckles cracking audibly. “Or I’ll do it for you.” He had learned patience by sitting through, moderating and even partaking in the most grueling hours-long debates with senators and representatives. But this wasn’t Coruscant. And patience wasn’t always the answer.

Kirei stood there seemingly mulling it over… Even as the Jedi activated his lightsaber.

But Hurrikaine’s blade wasn’t aimed at the priest. Not yet anyway. Rather, it rose to meet the rifle round that zipped near-silently for Ruler X’s bald head, but even that wasn’t enough to slip past his Protection From Arrows Skill. Much like the slugthrowers from his galaxy, the bullet had been fired at such a high speed that his lightsaber’s plasma reduced it to molten sprites of slag flying past him. One grazed his right cheek, and that alone sufficed as a lesson to adjust his swings as more followed and were melted harmlessly away.

Lancer was already turning half-curious towards the source when one sped his way. He batted it aside with a casual twirl of Gáe Bolg and tilted his head to avoid the next one. “Aren’t there enough spineless cowards in this Grail War…?” Cú Chulainn grumbled, his red eyes narrowing at the dark shape lying at least ten blocks away on a rooftop.

Ruler X had spotted that same shape as well, but there was something… unsettling about it. For one, he still couldn’t sense a Servant’s presence in that direction, and the sniper was almost certainly a Servant. No human could hope to consecutively fire each and every shot with lethal accuracy at that distance. Even with magical or technological enhancements. But even Presence Concealment diminished in effectiveness when the Servant moved to attack.

Then again, he did sense something. A dark presence surrounding his attacker, like an aura of violet miasma. Now, purple and its various shades had always been his favorite color, but this kind… There was something dark about it. Something corrosive. The Jedi Master gauged his options while continuing to parry shots, either confront the shooter and hopefully come closer to unraveling the secret behind all this Grail War’s darkness-

“Oh, Master Windu?” Despite his ruminations and the slight whine and sizzling sound of the melted bullets, he still registered Kotomine’s voice. “Consider this my decision.”

Six thin blades appeared for a moment behind the hidden Master’s back, then his arms snapped forward. Three of the blades suddenly hurtled for Ruler X right as another round was shot at his jugular. He leaned out of the latter’s path and splayed his left hand at the former, halting the blades in midair. This allowed him to slash with Hurrikaine as Kotomine tried to rush him with the other trio gripped in his right hand. Shards of burnt metal clattered to the street.

Kirei ignored the neutralization of his Black Keys; they had only been a diversion, anyway. He quickly closed the distance before Ruler X could bring in that energy sword of his and punched at his foe’s chest. But the Servant’s left knee rose just as quickly to intercept his right fist, knocking it high, before the leg extended into a kick that knocked the air out of his lungs and sent him back to the gate. The metal rattled loudly from his impact.

Mace Windu lowered his boot back to the ground, Hurrikaine already parrying the next shot overhead. The intact blades fell to the ground as he released The Force, but his attention was drawn to the broken ones still in Kotomine’s grip. With a flicker of violet energy, they extended and glowed ominously. “You’ve omitted quite a few details about yourself, Father Kotomine.” The Heroic Spirit of Arbitration pointed his saber straight ahead, now clearly seeing the dark power within his enemy. “But do you really want to challenge me?”

Kirei straightened against the gate, blood dripping from his smirk. After behaving itself for ten years, the Dark Energon inside him beat with excitement. It sought violence and destruction, particularly the destruction of this champion of the light. “As enticing as that would be, I suppose even at my best, I couldn’t offer you a real challenge.” He cracked his neck, the fallen Keys returning to his hand. “So, let’s make this more interesting. Lancer.”

The streetlight broke as its occupant leaped off it, and Ruler X swiftly deflected the blood-red lunge and retaliated with two deft strikes. Cú Chulainn blocked one and stepped out of range from the other, reach clearly in his favor. Not that this deterred his bald opponent from calmly shifting into a stance with his left foot forward, his right knee bent, that sword raised one-handed over his shoulders while the free hand rested on the other bicep. Not a style Cú was familiar with, but he knew the posture of a master swordsman when he saw it. This spurred him on all the more to slash low with Gáe Bolg, a feint seen through and countered.

Staring at each other over their locked weapons, Lancer managed to smirk. “Might as well make the most out of this.” Ruler X didn’t even bother responding as he drew back his lightsaber. The two Servants then engaged into a series of clashes speckled with parrying bullets shot at them.

And atop the church’s roof, a third Servant watched the duel with an invisibility cap on his blonde hair and a curious smirk on his lips. Well, now, Gilgamesh settled onto a summoned pillow of unmatched comfort, let’s see how the monk performs against you and your dog, Kirei.

His smirk flickered, though, as he noticed another presence on the streets below. One now heading towards that interloping mongrel attacking from afar. …I see. The King of Heroes’ red eyes flickered from one figure to the other. You really are the one who brought the monk into this farce... He smirked, again, but with less bite, and decided to trail after the younger, seemingly human one.

The battle at Ryuudou Temple commenced with little fanfare but an abundance of blazing fury. Between herself, Avenger X and Berserker X’s Dragon, Caster’s team quickly demonstrated their superiority in long-range attacks. The invaders were forced to scatter and scramble lest they get blasted to pieces. What’s more, (False) Assassin had inverted his role of gatekeeper and now was barring the way to the stairs. Saber X had already experienced his swordsmanship firsthand; if it hadn’t been for Lancer X swooping in, he might’ve lost an arm. The temple’s courtyard was rapidly turning into a kill box.

That wasn’t to say any of their targets would be going down easy. Shirou and Maiya’s Servants had already known they’d be stepping into the lion’s den, and with “Team Red” around, the odds were a little less against them; Lancer X was happy to team up and even Archer recognized the current necessity for cooperation. So, they quickly established their respective opponents but kept an eye open for their respective teammates.

Saber had willingly taken on the task of facing the Dragon-rider; not an easy task, given her dual enemy had the perpetual high ground, forcing the King of Knights on the defensive. She struck where she could while fending off not just alight axe swings, but claws, fangs, a spine-covered tail and the odd fireball. Moreover, Saber had to keep moving, but the Dragon when flying easily outpaced her running speed, and she couldn’t overuse Mana Burst in her present state.

Good thing she wasn’t on foot, then. “Heads up!” Saber X warned her in advance before swerving left in his alt-mode and suddenly reversing, taking Saber, who braced herself on top of his roof, for a quick drive underneath Berserker X’s Dragon. She took the opportunity to leap high and strike for her underbelly, but the X Servant spurred her ride high enough so that only a toe claw was lost. Saber let herself fall, Bee speeding in time to catch her on his hood.

[“Say, uh, Bee?” The Servant turned to Shirou’s clone; they were having a quick break in their sword lessons, and the kid sported a slightly tired but curious expression. “Not to be offensive or intrusive, but… why do you turn into a little sportscar?”

He waved off the worry. “Oh, as a Cybertronian, I can naturally change form between this,” he gestured to his bipedal form, “and an ‘alt-mode’ for well, different things. Some Cybertronians were like me and turned into vehicles for land or air, others could turn into equipment like telescopes or blasters.” Shirou nodded before taking a sip from a water bottle, and Bumblebee noticed Saber listening attentively, too, to his explanation. “As for the car form, back in my old life, I traveled alongside my team to my universe’s version of Earth. We scanned local vehicles that matched us enough so we could blend in while looking out for the humans there.” He smiled and flapped his door-wings a bit. “Robots in Disguise.”

The duplicate boy set down his bottle and retrieved his shinai. “So, you were a lot bigger when you… lived, right? Big enough that your… ‘alt-mode’ would turn into a full-sized car?” Saber X confirmed it with a nod.

“But you cannot assume your original size, correct?” Artoria sought to clarify. “The Holy Grail must have decided to re-format your Servant form, Bumblebee, to the size of a human for the sake of a level playing field.” This limit made sense in hindsight; spirit form or not, a robot walking about Fuyuki would be even more conspicuous if it were as tall as a house. Megatron had already been the largest Servant of the Fourth Grail War, but he surely wouldn’t have missed a chance to tower even more over his opposition.

“Looks like it.” Bee shrugged. “I’ve checked, but this is as big as I get. Too bad, I would’ve been able to drive you guys around in vehicle mode.” Then he paused, his big optics narrowing. “Hang on…” After a moment, the Autobot scout snapped his fingers with a metallic clang. “You’re a Saber, so you’ve got the Riding Skill, too, right?” His blue-and-silver counterpart nodded. “I think we can work with that.”]

Sure enough, for all of the turns and sudden stops the car made, Saber’s footing on the hood remained steady as ever because Saber X was technically a vehicle right now. And that was evidently enough for Riding to works its magic. Her only real concerns (aside from the rabid Dragon and her even more rabid rider, of course) was her tromping all over a comrade in this arrangement, but Bumblebee had reassured her that it was alright given the circumstances.

Another good thing was that she could use her arms freely without compromising her balance, seeing as she needed both to counter Berserker X’s fiery strikes. Invisible Air helped with the latter part, too, as the maddened Viking still mis-timed her moves, allowing the veiled blade to score one or two glancing blows. But crazy though she was, she learned fast. And she had other resources at her disposal.

Stormfly ascended at her rider’s behest before swooping down again, releasing a stream of magnesium-hot flames that burned a straight line across the ground. (Bumblebee privately compared it to a laser beam even as he accelerated and veered right to avoid being sliced in half.) The car’s passenger chanced a slash at the Deadly Nadder’s wings, but Berserker X struck it away and directed her friend upwards. As they gained altitude, the spines along Stormfly’s tail flexed and shot out at the Saber duo, prompting the vehicular one to spin the wheel. He whirled about at high speed, narrowly dodging the spines as they struck the ground and left craters in their wake. Saber deflected those few who might’ve hit their mark. An increasingly irate Berserker X vented her frustrations in a manner she was well familiar with.

Artoria’s eyes widened, and she barely got out, “Incoming!” before flattening herself against Bumblebee’s hood. A second later, Berserker X’s blazing axe sliced through the air where her head had been and narrowly missed Archer as well to strike the wall. And smash right through it. And spiral down the mountainside, cleaving trees in its wake.

Still in car form, Saber X eyed the smoldering hole in the temple cautiously before taking a stab at optimism. “Well, at least she doesn’t have that thing any-” Then he instinctively hit the brakes at a distinct cracking sound that heralded another part of the wall being blasted to smithereens.

Berserker X caught Valkyrie’s Edge in one deft motion before spurring Stormfly on, a purplish haze flowing for a second along the axe’s handle.

Down below, Saber adjusted her stance with a sigh. “…Unless Caster enchanted the axe to return to Berserker X’s hand once thrown.”

“Sure, there’s always that possibility…” her ride grumbled beneath her.

Meanwhile, Lancer X had taken Saber X’s place as Assassin’s dance partner, and it was a rather challenging match-up for either side. Never before had Sasaki Kojirou faced a foe who wielded a large scythe, much less one that was half-rifle. His dear Monohoshi Zao was for once up against a weapon whose length nearly equaled it, and that crimson-lined blade had superior mass. He didn’t dare try to outright block its swings lest his blade shatter, limiting him to simply redirecting the blows. Not to mention the girl would at times utilize the gun component, forcing him to either dodge a bullet or the recoil-powered scythe blade. The latter had already come dangerously close to claiming his left arm; the resultant gash had only been healed by Caster as an afterthought. With him not having the high ground unlike his prior bouts, Assassin was, for once, the one at a disadvantage. All in all, he was delighted.

On Lancer X’s side, she wasn’t ashamed to admit that this guy was good. Really good. His swings were lightning-fast, and he had already figured out her attack patterns. Crescent Rose could keep his sword at bay for the most part, but he was getting used to it and finding gaps in her defense. If it weren’t for her Aura, he would’ve already sliced open her stomach at least once. Plus, Ruby just couldn’t figure out his style for some reason. Every time she thought she’d gotten the hang of his rhythm, Assassin would swoop in with a slash of thrust from out of nowhere; she should’ve seen them coming, but she didn’t. So, she couldn’t out-skill him in a traditional fight. She needed to think outside the box.

She still reserved one teeny-tiny part of her mind for mulling over fighting a nodachi-user. The only one on Remnant she could name off the top of her head was… Raven, but this guy was pretty chill compared to his teammates. His sword doesn’t seem to have any special powers, though, Ruby theorized while trading blows. Blade’s too long and thin for a gun feature… Oh, what about a serrated mode? You could turn it from blade to whip and still use it much the same way…! A swing that clipped some of her bangs brought her (reluctantly) back to reality. Yeah, I know, Yang. Fight now, geek out later.

Her partner was engaging Caster in a long-ranged duel, arrows and bolts of magic zipping past each other or even colliding in mid-air. Archer nocked back and fired as fast as he could at the airborne witch; blurry though his memories were, he knew that he couldn’t let her have any breathing room, not here on her turf. Caster’s agitation was a double-edged sword in that regard. Sure, it made her sloppy, but it also gave her that much motivation to obliterate them all as she demonstrated by unleashing multiple blasts at once, forcing Archer on the defensive; he could vaguely recall thinking way back then that any single beam was packed with three times the Magical Energy he could’ve produced. Back then, that is. And he wanted to test the waters a bit more before unveiling his newest weapon.

Archer rolled across the ground, neatly evading three separate blasts in the process, and fired four arrows in a wide spread. Caster smirked and adjusted her position in the air to let them miss before preparing a devastating lightning spell. “It appears the legendary aim of the Archer class has been exaggerated!”

Back on the ground, Archer dispersed his bow and manifested Kanshou & Bakuya, or rather, one set of them. The other two sets suddenly looped around and shot for the witch’s back… only to be shattered by one spine each. Caster’s smirk widened as her partner passed her. “Many thanks, Berserker X. Allow me to return the favor.” Violet lightning streaked from the sky, deliberately avoiding the Dragon but nearly electrocuting Archer if the Sabers hadn’t streaked by and snagged him along. Still looking out for me… the Counter Guardian thanked Saber bittersweetly in his thoughts before slipping free of her grip and swinging himself onto Saber X’s hood, blades in front as Berserker X swooped in for them.

Blue fire shot over the native Servants’ heads and nearly scorched the Dragon; Berserker X barely blocked the blast with her axe. She snarled in warning behind them, to which a familiar voice rasped, “Oh, shut up, you crazy bitch! You don’t want your pet to get burned, stay out of my line of fire!” Archer’s mood soured again as the Viking woman threw her axe over them. His gut told him someone had deliberately set up this infighting.

Eyes still stinging from an earlier smoke bomb, Avenger X swore while ducking before that damn axe nearly embedded itself in his skull. He might’ve almost mistaken the cracking sound that followed for it hitting something behind him if it hadn’t sounded so close, meaning he barely recognized Assassin X popping out of the ground like a damn gopher, knife-first. He managed to reduce the intended uppercut to a grazing cut against his right shoulder, flames swelling in his left hand for his own punch, but that masked smartass twisted in midair to kick him away. Dabi stumbled backwards while expelling fire from both hands, his target flipping away.

Assassin X landed on his feet and quickly treated some light burns on his left elbow. He’s already gotten used to my speed… The matchups had naturally concluded with Avenger X as his opponent. So far, their battle consisted largely of the pyrokinetic villain trying to corner and subsequently immolate the ninja who weaved and dodged the flames while returning shots where he could. Kakashi had the upper hand in close quarters and skill range, but the firepower Avenger X sported was nothing to sneeze at. He’d already closed off their corner with walls of flame that were too hot to be snuffed out with average Water Style jutsu, and Assassin X didn’t dare try Wind Style.

“Trying to make me take out my teammates for you? Slick move.” Straightening even as smoke wafted from his arms, Avenger X sauntered to the right, Assassin X reflexively moving to his left. Both kept an eye on the flames entrapping them. “Looking at the blonde cosplaying a knight and the gas guzzler on two legs, you’re obviously the crafty one, so this little ambush was your idea, wasn’t it?” He flashed a nasty smirk. “Great hero, aren’tcha, playing all these tricks while the knights in shining armor get to keep their hands clean.”

Another detail Assassin X had picked up between their first encounter and the current clash: despite his attitude and proclivity to setting things on fire, Avenger X was a thinker himself. He kept his eyes open and adjusted to situations quickly. If not for his blatant disregard to his team, he would’ve done even more damage by now.

Huh… The dark hair, the bitter, scathing words, the talent for making fire, the cunning… To Kakashi, this guy was like a psychotic Sasuke. …Well, a more overtly psychotic Sasuke.

Nevertheless, he kept his cool. He already had suspicions about one glaring weakness this “Dabi” might have. “Well, I may be called a hero, but I never considered myself one, let alone a good man.” He drew a fresh kunai and discreetly tied a paper bomb to it while rolling under another fireball. “But what about you? You sure you want to box yourself off from your comrades like this?”

Avenger X drew back his sizzling right arm with a scoff. “I don’t need their help to roast you, buddy. And the discount Assassin’s mostly good for fancy swordplay and quips, but if that witch or her lunatic duo get themselves killed despite the home-field advantage, then they’re even more pathetic than I thought.”

He then released dual blasts from opposite sides before drawing his arms together, crossing the streams to trap Assassin X even further. But the latter had already been moving as soon as he saw the first sparks and ducked under the crescent wave to throw his kunai. He then detonated its paper bomb even as Avenger X dodged the blade, the explosion small but enough to knock him closer to his own flames. He only barely managed to catch himself.

“What’s the matter?” Dabi snapped his glare to Assassin X now crouching a few meters away from him. “You know, these flames you create are seriously hot.” The smartass’ eyes narrowed at the fresh smoke from his damn arms. “Maybe a little too hot… Is it just me, or do you smell something burning, too?”

“Yeah,” he growled before blasting himself forward with flame jets, “you!” His right hand snagged Assassin X by the collar and ignited, setting the sneaky little rat on fire- Poof! Or not. Smoke for once caused by him curled about before revealing a sizable hole in the ground behind where the damn stunt double had been. Avenger X dimly made out the sound of cracking earth and whirled about, but Assassin X popped out of the earth on the other side of the flames with a sly salute.

Leaving a smoldering Avenger X alone in a field of blue fire. Irritation rising at being tricked, he blasted another payload into the damn hole, but not only had Assassin X already dug himself free, he’d also angled the hole just so to make the flames shoot up and almost hit Berserker X’s Dragon. “Smartass,” Dabi grumbled as the two wheeled on him again.

Assassin X for his part quickly summoned a light mist to cool himself off before regrouping with his comrades (and Archer). He traded nods with the two even as the Dragon snagged Avenger X by its claws, lifted him out of the blazing area and unceremoniously dumped him on unburnt ground. “So much for letting him melt away under his own heat,” Kakashi muttered, already considering new tactics. It wasn’t as if they’d come here expecting an easy fight, after all.

And at least their Masters weren’t in the middle of this debacle.

“Remind me again,” Aunt Maiya grumbled as she leaped over an uprooted tree and landed on the other side with nary a whisper, “why didn’t I just chain you up inside the shed and stand guard while our Servants were out?”

Shirou followed her, managing to avoid snapping a twig but still rustling some leaves. She makes it look so easy, he groused before replying as loudly as he dared, “Because I could probably slip free and go after them anyway?” He tried not to fidget from the cold stare she shot his way. “What? You encouraged me when I figured out how to pick locks.”

“Damn my pragmatism and your apt at mechanics…” Despite her irritated tone, a smirk was clearly trying to fight its way onto her face. “Times like this, I really wonder if I’m good enough to be your role model.” Her hand shot up even as he opened his mouth. “That’s a question I think has no reassuring answer, so let’s just keep moving.”

The younger (and “legal”) Master nodded as they continued up the mountain path. Finding Caster’s magic in their home had been pretty jarring, especially for Shirou since he’d almost been snared and mightn’t have even noticed it. Even though Kakashi decided to investigate, with Saber and Bee assuring they’d look out for him, Shirou couldn’t shake off the urge to try and help. He practically begged Maiya to let him go after their friends, and his aunt had only caved after making him swear he’d stay by her side and they go about this smart. (And that he put a quarter of his next batch aside just for her) None of which the boy argued against; after these last few nights, he was more than willing to heed the advice of those with more experience.

Hence their silently trekking up Mt. Enzou on a path not many knew. It led among other things to Kiritsugu’s grave, so both Shirou and Maiya could find their way even in the dead of night, and the temple was still close enough for them to reach.

A sharp crack snapped their heads around, only relaxing upon seeing it was Tohsaka in her personal attire, her foot having snapped the twig avoided by Shirou. “I can’t believe I agreed to this nonsense…” the teenage girl muttered, frantically avoiding a hanging branch lest it catch her left tail.

“I’m surprised you did.” Emiya’s comment earned him an unamused brow, making him quickly add, “I-I mean, this plan is kinda reckless and spur-of-the-moment, I’m not above admitting that. That’s why I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

“Oh,” Rin kept her voice low but couldn’t resist grinning slyly at him, “once again, you exceed my expectations by acknowledging your idiocy, Emiya.” She feigned a shrug while matching his pace. “Well, this ‘plan’ of yours is so idiotic no sane person would see it coming, so I might as well see if it works. Besides, better I stay close enough to keep an eye on my Servants and support them.” She spared a quick moment to check on the battle via the familiar she sent ahead. What better way to focus on two situations at once?

“Uh huh…” Despite her condescension, Emiya smirked back (and for just an instant, Rin could’ve sworn she’d seen that face before) and nudged a branch aside so she could pass first, gentleman that he was. “Ruby dragged you into this, didn’t she?”

Her brow twitched, but despite her annoyance at his (ridiculous) accusation, she also felt an urge to keep… whatever this was going. “What can I say? You seem to share her thought process, Emiya. And about the same braincell.”

Something almost resembling a chuckle rippled from him, and that sound sporadically made Rin want to hear it again, louder, from Shirou Emiya. “Saying I’m like a Heroic Spirit… that’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Tohsaka.”

 “Don’t get used to it.” Tohsaka did that noblewoman’s laugh behind her hand Shirou had always thought was just an urban myth. Not that it bothered him; honestly, he wouldn’t have believed he’d get the chance to banter with Homurahara’s ice queen. Hell, he rarely ever bantered except with Aunt Maiya, the pack and Big Sis Fuji, but now, in the last couple days… His nerves were sturdier, and he was quick to quip back.

It shouldn’t have felt right for Shirou Emiya, being this playful, this… comfortable around others. His family, sure, but so many strangers and people who normally would’ve had no business with him. But selfish as it surely was, he still wanted to keep sparring with Tohsaka (if only to distract himself from how short that skirt of hers was). Besides, keeping it verbal was safer than letting fists fly again, right?

Similar thoughts had been going through Maiya’s mind, and while she wasn’t overjoyed about her ward’s taste in girls, Tohsaka was being rather tame with her barbs. Plus, she had almost drawn a laugh out of Shirou, so, another point in her favor. The banter actually reminded Maiya of how young they both were. They weren’t yet used to these life-and-death struggles. Unlike her… Ugh, maybe I’m just getting sentimental because Kakashi’s back.

A sudden crackling sound drew the trio’s attention to the sky. Despite the lack of rain clouds, lightning flashed sporadically above them. “Those aren’t coming from the temple,” Emiya mumbled as he tried tracking the flashes amid the darkness, “and they don’t… feel like Assassin X made them. Another Servant?”

“Most likely,” Rin frowned at hearing a whistle that heralded a bright streak across the sky, “though I can’t say for sure which one. Well, I’d be more surprised if our Servants and Caster and her cronies were the only ones fighting tonight.” She turned away. “Let’s keep moving.”

All three Masters promptly continued on the path, though Maiya couldn’t help but lag behind the teenagers a little. She cast a suspicious gaze over her shoulder at the aerial conflict; there was something about the lightning, even if she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

 High above, Rider X was directing his friend and chief Noble Phantasm out of the way from yet another charge. With a swoop and twirl, the Servant checking behind himself to make sure his Master was secure, they veered around to get a better look at the larger vehicle. Giant black and purple bulls pulled along what must’ve been a magnificent war chariot in life. Now, it was as dark as the creatures leading it, with purple lines stretched irregularly across its features, and the blades mounted over the wheels still glinted with electrical sparks.

But what really had (most of) Hiccup’s attention was the chariot’s rider. It looked like a man. A big one, at least as tall as his dad (but not quite as hefty), but all the shadows covering the guy made it hard to pick out any specific details aside from the cloak billowing behind him and the sword he was swinging in his right hand. The left one gripped the reins to those crazy bulls trying to run them down in midair.

By all accounts, this guy ought to have been a fellow Rider-class Servant, but- “I can’t sense him,” Rider X told his Master. “I mean, I can see him and hear him, I smell his bulls, and I’d probably feel getting hit by his sword or chariot, but I can’t recognize him as a Servant.”

“I can… at least, partially,” Bazett corrected herself, not daring to take her eyes off their attacker. While down one Servant, she was still a Master, complete with Master’s Perspective. “I can read a Servant’s stats on this guy, but they’re… blurry. It’s like trying to make out distant shapes through a London fog.” She bit her lip before asking, “Can you get me any closer? Doesn’t have to be long, just a couple seconds.”

Rider X smirked beneath his mask. “Toothless, I think we’ve just been issued a challenge.” The Night Fury rumbled in reply, Bazett feeling some of the vibrations even through the saddle. The sensation soothed her even as they suddenly turned right and accelerated. The Dragon’s dark scales allowed them to easily slip out of sight, and even the beating of his wings could barely be heard. Both bulls and Rider(?) turned about in a futile attempt to spot their quarry.

A cloud on the left lit up before a plasma blast struck the right bull, spurring it and its compatriot on into an angry charge. Then a second flew a little higher to hit the chariot’s right blade. This rattled the trajectory as a dark shape zipped out of the clouds towards the passenger. He made to raise his sword arm when something shot out with a whipping sound and wrapped itself around the big being’s bent arm and chest. A bola. The shape passed by while a burning blade appeared to slice at his throat. He barely avoided getting decapitated.

Toothless ducked back into the clouds even as Hiccup retracted Inferno’s blade. His fingers tightened around the special sword he’d crafted for both taming Dragons and fighting the wrong kind of Vikings, and he reached behind him with his free hand to retrieve from Bazett a weapon he’d crafted even earlier in life. The Gronckle Iron Guard fit snug as ever in his grip, plus his Master had given him a couple ideas during her recuperation. “I’ve got his stats,” she confirmed, and he paid attention even while steering them away from whoever the other guy was.

Said guy cut himself free of the bola with his sword and snapped the reins, spurring on the bulls as they pulled the chariot into circling the area, sparks leaping from the ensemble like a thundercloud.

Despite the current threat, however, the Dragon-Rider couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to the temple below them… Where she was fighting…

Berserker X bounded from her saddle straight at Saber. The latter blocked her axe, but the momentum within the strike forced her off of Saber X, and she landed back-first in the dirt, the madwoman on top of her. Sparks flashed from their weapons as they pitted their strengths against one another, then the small car’s headlights flared into Berserker X’s face, blinding her as the Autobot transformed and spin-kicked her off of his friend. Saber didn’t hesitate to return the favor by tackling him out of the way from the Dragon’s fiery breath.

Noticing how Berserker X’s beast made to hover by its master, Archer hurled Bakuya at its wings, only for a stream of blue fire to melt the blade away. “Uh uh.” Avenger X stepped into view. “Believe me, I did you a favor. Berserker X gets pissed when her scaly gal pal’s hurt.”

“She’s a Berserker,” Archer snarked while rushing him with Kanshou. “When isn’t she pissed?” He chased the charcoal-skinned familiar even as he tried to keep up the distance; he didn’t need a Master’s stat-reading ability to recognize Avenger X couldn’t take hits well, not with how he kept trying to ward foes off and the burnt-skin smell coming from his already battered body. “If you’re any saner than her, you better surrender in the next three seconds.”

“Oh, good,” Avenger X backed away from another swing, flames crackling in his left hand, “I only need two to turn you into a pile of ashes.” He released a massive volley that Archer evaded with only a few embers tickling his coat. Yet the other Servant still smirked. “Sure you wanna do that?”

Only then did Archer realize he’d been unwittingly steered towards another duo facing off.

“Ruby, look out!” Lancer X barely heard her friend’s warning even as she felt the oncoming heat and glanced behind her. Uh oh. Assassin’s own eyes widened at the approaching mass of fire, and he hastily backtracked from it. A wall of earth sprang up between them and the inferno and was quickly incinerated by the latter, but it provided Ruby with just enough time to invoke her Semblance.

The result was a smoldering hole in Ryuudou Temple’s southern wall and one Sasaki Kojirou grilled just shy of medium rare; he’d been lucky the flames had merely grazed him but understandably unhappy about his state. “I don’t suppose you lot could show some consideration with your attacks?” he called out, particularly to his fellow summonee.

“We wouldn’t have to get rough if you hadn’t let them slip past you in the first place, sword-for-brains,” Dabi shot back. “Besides, a pasty guy like you could use a tan.” He inspected his sizzling arm; not that he felt a thing, but releasing all this heat surely wasn’t doing him any favors. “Hey, how about a little pick-me-up, Caster?”

The Witch of Betrayal sneered at the mouthy self-burning wretch even as she unleashed a deadly hailstorm upon Assassin X. Nevertheless, she invoked a light healing spell that still restored the two’s health and mana with ease. “You and Assassin would have faded away long ago without my generosity. Try to keep that in mind, roasted though yours may be.”

“I light a pyre in your name every day.” She scoffed at the remark; as though Avenger X needed any excuse to start a fire and force her to keep his body in one piece. Her real partner was far more reliable even in all her madness. And what a cruel lover she must’ve had…

In the meantime, Lancer X petaled herself to a much more cooperative Servant. “Thanks for the save… Wow, second time I’ve told you that.” She spared a giggle before grabbing Assassin X and reactivating Petal Burst to get them both out of Caster’s storm.

“Who’s counting?” Kakashi joked upon him and Lancer X becoming corporeal again beside Saber. The King of Knights had been separated from Bee upon Berserker X mounting her Dragon again and deciding the two should chase after the Cybertronian Servant. He was managing to stay just out of reach between his blasters and alt-mode. For now.

Assassin X glared over his shoulder to find Avenger X was back to keeping Archer at bay; confrontational though the latter was, his concern for Lancer X (currently trying to snipe down Caster) seemed sincere. The same couldn’t be said for Avenger X given how he didn’t hesitate to attack even when Assassin had been in his line of fire. Hell, there was a distinct lack of teamwork in general among this group. Caster and Berserker X showed some level of cooperation, but only between them. Otherwise, it was every Servant for themselves.

That could work in our favor, Assassin X surmised while shuffling over to Saber. But first things first. “We need more range.” He withdrew a scroll from his flak jacket and unrolled it with a flick of his wrist, his other hand making a simple sign with index and middle finger. Then in a double burst of smoke, twin absolutely massive shuriken appeared from the scroll, each one nearly as big as Kakashi was tall.

Assassin X snagged one fuma shuriken by its ring and hurled it in an arc towards their airborne enemies. Berserker X batted it away with Valkyrie’s Edge and contemptuous ease, only for the second one to race straight at her, and this one carried enough force and velocity to actually unsettle her from her saddle. In mid-fall, some part of Astrid Hofferson’s mind less tainted by Mad Enhancement recognized that it hadn’t been sent by the masked man.

Down below, Saber stepped out of her throwing stance. “I said I have neither ability nor interest in learning Assassin X’s techniques,” she noted calmly to an unashamedly impressed Bumblebee and Ruby Rose. “But I’m not above experimenting with foreign weaponry.”

“…And when exactly did you ‘experiment?’” Saber X asked while ducking underneath a stream of flame from Avenger X and returning fire with his right wrist blaster, Lancer X doing the same to Caster via sniper rifle. “I’ve never seen you with- Hold on… Is this another Last-Grail-War thing, too? The scrap were you guys up to back then?”

Assassin X shrugged between his attempts to pin down the downed Berserker X. “When you don’t need to sleep, you’re left with a lot of free time. Even in a Grail War.”

Archer bit on his lip so as to fume in silence even while he nearly took Avenger X’s smug head off. How nice to have a right bastard in front of him for a little misplaced aggression.

As for Kakashi, his new dance partner snapped free of her bonds with a roar and a flex of her muscles, backflipping from her axe swing and vaulting over Saber’s shoulder when she rushed the madwoman. Once in the air, he flicked out a pair of smoke bombs into the oncoming Dragon’s blood-rimmed eyes, blinding it and allowing him to snap its gaping jaws shut with a double kick that made him somersault over it and toss one end of a chain around its left wing.

Back on terra firma, Saber X spotted the chain’s other end, caught it and transformed before punching it. The car-shaped hero zipped forward, taking the chain along and tugging the struggling Dragon towards the ground. Berserker X furiously strained against Saber’s guard, shouldering her aside before throwing her axe at the chain. It easily split the links in two, but the lack of resistance made Stormfly spiral up into the air. Moreover, it left Astrid temporarily weaponless, an opportunity Saber and Assassin X wasted no time to exploit.

She rolled away from Saber’s attack, blood dripping down her arm where that hidden blade had caught her. Another misjudgment followed by Assassin X aiming for her exposed back, Lightning Blade crackling in his right hand. Any other opponent might’ve been skewered.

Too bad the Dragon Valkyrie twisted away just enough that the electrified hand only grazed her ribs. Then Valkyrie’s Edge was finally back in her hand and swinging towards her enemy’s masked face. That lightning-filled hand shot up to meet it, flames and bolts lancing out from the clash, and much as Berserker X hated to admit it, she felt that his move might’ve damage her axe were it not for Caster’s enchantments. They staggered back from the impact.

 Saber had hoped to press the advantage, but someone else intervened. “I can’t have you cutting down ironically the most amiable among my allies,” Assassin noted a smidgen apologetically even as he unleashed a staccato of slashes and thrusts, “and I would’ve been disappointed if I didn’t have at least one proper swordfight this evening.”

“A sentiment I’d reciprocate more,” Saber backed away while fending off the other blade, “were it not for my own responsibilities.” She adjusted her footing and lunged, slicing part of Assassin’s sleeve and nearly knocking that sword from his grip. Nearly wasn’t enough, though, and it appeared this swordsman could read her style better than Berserker X. This may take a while.

Caster registered her gatekeeper’s efforts, though her attention was more on Astrid trying to behead that meddlesome ninja while Stormfly traded projectiles with the metal one. She would’ve lent her aid were it not for the red-cloaked girl shooting at her with that scythe contraption. Not that Medea couldn’t easily counter her shots, but… She couldn’t help but be inspired by that adorable face… Those delightful silver eyes… Ohohoho, yessss…

Ruby swore she heard a weird sound coming from the witch above her, but she ignored it. Let’s see if she’s still laughing after this! Swapping ammo clips, she aimed Crescent Rose at the ground and hopped onto the blade before pulling the trigger. The Gravity Dust round launched her upwards and Petal Burst allowed her to slip through another round of magic blasts until she was just a bit higher than Caster, at which point another shot powered her swing straight for the chest. Caster brought both hands together in a powerful burst of energy matching Crescent Rose’s attack, the resultant clash blowing her and Lancer X back.

Righting herself after a brief tumble, Caster found herself in good spirits. That girl looked even more delightful up close- She stiffened as a magical signal traveled through her, then smiled. Ah… It appears our battles have an audience after all. Splendid. With a flick of her fingers, she invoked a particular defense charm. Perhaps even a captive one…

While the witch’s activities would’ve surely earned her a stern talking to (at minimum), Ruler X was concurrently preoccupied. He’d faced his share of long-staffed warriors before, but Lancer was in a whole other caliber. He lunged, slashed and whirled about with never-ending zest, clearly seeking to make the most out of a rotten arrangement. Not to mention he wielded a spear mighty enough that a lightsaber couldn’t just slice it in half.

He had yet to invoke Gáe Bolg’s true power, though, and while Ruler X had some idea of how to prevent that, the delighted grin Lancer sported made it clear that he simply didn’t want to use it. The battle itself was thrilling enough; a feeling Mace admittedly knew well.

And the Servant’s Master was visibly enjoying himself as well. Oh, Kirei Kotomine had the good sense not to remain too close to the heroes while they fought, but he tossed those thin regenerative blades of his, sometimes without physically touching them, and even darted in to attack himself before slipping away like a Corellian ghost viper. His combat prowess was impressive, too, a martial arts form Ruler X didn’t recognize and delivered deadly blows from practically every limb.

Windu kicked Lancer aside and advanced towards Kotomine, only to stop and melt three more bullets aimed his way. Not much of a problem, but they allowed Cú Chulainn to return and drive him back. And finally, there was that mysterious shooter who now directed all of his attention to Ruler X. Given time, even a Servant might’ve been overwhelmed by this collective assault.

But he was no ordinary Servant. He was Mace Windu, Champion of the Jedi Order, Ruler X of this Holy Grail War, and he had responsibilities too great for him to perish in this battle.

Cú Chulainn suddenly faced a fresh bout of aggressive slashes that made his heart soar. As much as fighting alongside the rat who had usurped the role as his new lord made him want to skewer himself, this dark-skinned man with robes and a light-blade was truly a fighter of the highest caliber. The Hound of Ulster couldn’t help but meet his attacks with a laugh, forcing him back-

Then that brown cloak was suddenly wrapped around him, and he felt a powerful pressure pushing him back. Ah, a feint. Despite the cloak, Lancer’s body moved on instinct to intercept bullets headed his way. And he put me right in the path of the back-shooter. Nicely played, Ruler X!

With Lancer temporarily tangled up, Ruler X proceeded to reengage his Master. Hurrikaine battered the many slim blades arrayed to stop it; not only weren’t they Noble Phantasms, but their design made them more suited for throwing, not melee. The only factors keeping them somewhat serviceable against the lightsaber was Kotomine’s prowess and the power he poured into them. He strengthened and expanded them as much as he could before growing vicious spikes along the broadened blades, one nearly taking Ruler X’s eye before they collectively shattered. Both human and Heroic Spirit drew their weapons away, then their elbows slammed together with such force the air rippled slightly. Ruler X heard nasty cracking even as he felt the bones in Kotomine’s arm, Reinforced or not, fracturing…

Right before they swiftly repaired themselves amid even nastier cracks. The priest’s veins (or were they these Magic Circuits?) pulsed violet beneath the torn frock. “Interesting feature,” the Jedi Master commented; much as violet had been his favorite color since before he could remember, just looking at this shade sickened him.

“A little souvenir from the Fourth Grail War.” Kotomine straightened and flexed his fingers audibly, dark energy highlighting his knuckles. “It’s really amazing what sorts of lessons can be learned from alien Servants such as yourself.” He then threw a roundhouse kick that the Jedi countered by grabbing the leg and throwing him for a flip. He landed on one hand while the sound of fabric shredding heralded Lancer jumped in again, then back to the old routine.

Any pain lingering from his broken bones was swept away in a euphoria Kirei hadn’t felt in ten years. Yes, he probably would’ve fallen by now without Lancer, but the uphill struggle made this all the more worthwhile. With his fasting now broken, the taste was intoxicating.

So, the darkness inside the priest is another remnant from that event, Mace determined in between parrying Gáe Bolg. It certainly explained how Kotomine could keep going strong despite providing mana for Lancer at the same time, lesser expenditure or not. This power was also why Ruler X was using Vaapad sparingly at the moment; he could feel the pull, the small but insistent temptation to give into the rush and tear these two to shreds. Couple that with Vaapad’s usual drive, and better to not chance it yet with so many different factors.

Another bullet struck the ground where his left boot had been. Such as the mysterious third opponent still trying to snipe him from the shadows.

Far away, said opponent had briefly paused their firing to reload their sniper rifle (complete with silencer). The fresh clip was inserted into place, the next round ratcheted ready for fire, it took aim, only for the barrel to be sliced in half with a flash of green.

The woman was clad in brown robes matching her hair and eyes, and she was twirling an energy sword like the one its target sported, only this one emitted a green blade. Said blade was thrust at the shape, only for it to roll away with impressive agility for its burly appearance as the roof sizzled from the plasma’s touch. It stopped into a crouch and reached with both hands towards the woman, twin shorter firearms manifesting in its grasp. A flurry of projectiles erupted from the weapons at a much faster rate than the rifle from before, but the woman defended herself with her lightsaber and practiced motions. However, she was forced to swing more carefully than usual lest hot slag drip on her. This added concentration might’ve cost her, for the shadow lunged while maintaining fire with its left slugthrower, the right one being exchanged for a knife.

White light shot across the night and into the shadow’s face, halting it in its tracks for a crucial second. That was all the woman to first bifurcate its firearm, then slice off its right wrist. A violet ember of energy leaked from the wound with a rather vile sensation.

She warily chased after her opponent as the latter gave ground. The shadow drew its- no, her shoulders, the woman recognized after a moment, together in what could’ve been frustration before stiffening, then she disappeared in a swirl of purple-tinged darkness.

The woman held her stance a moment longer while scanning her surroundings, then she deactivated her lightsaber and stepped off the roof, flipping onto the sidewalk with nary a sound. Remaining on high alert, she walked around a corner, stopped and bowed her head to the shadows’ occupant. “Thank you for the assistance, Miss Tohsaka.”

“W-well, given that you indulged me, it was the least I could do.” The young girl returned the bow if a bit awkwardly, careful not to drop her staff. She didn’t know what she’d done to earn the older woman’s respectful tone. Then again, Ruler X addressed her similarly, so it was probably typical Jedi courtesy. “And you can just call me Sakura, Master Labooda.”

“Then it’s only fair you call me Sar, dear.” But given the gentle smile the Jedi offered her right now and the sickening feeling she’d picked up from that shooting shadow, maybe Master Windu’s escort idea wasn’t overkill after all.

Mace for his part registered the sudden lack of shots aimed his way, and even amid his dance with his opponents, he had a good idea of where the help had come from. Discussions and gratitude would have to wait for later, though. Especially since he could already sense more presences approaching. At least now he had a chance to think.

The next time Master Windu swung his sword at Lancer’s spear, Kirei darted in for another attack, his right fist laden with Black Keys and poised for his back. This probably wouldn’t kill one such as him, but he was tempted to see what effect Dark Energon might have on a Ruler.

But the corrupt priest hadn’t anticipated a little move known in the Jedi Order as Tràkata:

In the very instant before Hurrikaine met Gáe Bolg yet again, Ruler X shut off his Noble Phantasm. The violet blade dissipated, causing the crimson spear to swing on unimpeded, and the Jedi Master was already ducking and turning as it passed harmlessly over him. At the same time, he reignited Hurrikaine in a rising slash that severed Kotomine’s entire right arm.

(High above Miyama Town, Bazett Fraga McRemitz felt an odd tingle from her stump. She couldn’t dwell on it at the moment due to imbuing one of Rider X’s arrows with runes, but she did register a sense of… vindication.)

Searing agony ripped through Kirei’s thoughts, and he staggered away reflexively grasping at the burnt stump by his shoulder. His gaze wandered down to the street where an arm… his arm lay, the wound cauterized by that damned plasma blade. It was only by sheer willpower that the Master managed to beat down any scream from escaping him. He’d been taught better than to let his enemies witness him in pain.

(Kilometers away, Rin Tohsaka spontaneously gained a spring in her step.)

“Lancer,” Ruler X asked coolly even as he reached out for that severed arm with The Force, not taking his eyes off his enemy for a moment, “is it enough for me to ask you to restrain this man?”

Cú Chulainn tilted his head in pretend-thought before baring his teeth in a vicious grin. “Seeing as a man of your stature is asking so nicely…” He instantly crossed the distance to pin Kotomine against the wall one-handed. His other hand held Gáe Bolg’s tip to the bastard’s throat, daring him to try anything funny. “I don’t suppose you’d let me drag this creature to my real lord so I can make amends with her?” Lancer asked hopefully.

“I’ve got some questions for him first, but after that, I won’t stand in the way of justice.” And as much as he believed in proper trial and prosecution, Master Windu recognized Miss McRemitz deserved to decide her assaulter’s fate. His immediate attention was on the arm carrying so many Seals, floating over to his waiting hand-

He shifted and his arm moved by reflex, lightsaber activated to slice through the streetlight that had just hurtled towards him, followed by more bits of metal. Then a shadow enveloped him as well as Lancer and Kotomine as a familiar voice rang out. “Slam Gibson!”

One loud smash later, Fuyuki Church’s front gate was reduced to rubble. The building itself received mostly cosmetic damage, which fortunately meant its Bounded Field was still active and keeping bystanders from noticing the cacophony. But that was about the only good news Ruler X could think of in that moment as he watched the figure with massive, deformed fists slowly straighten himself amid the dust clouds.

A vicious swipe revealed Gunner X in all his violent glory. “Time for payback, you stuck-up bastard,” the pirate promised, scraps of twisted metal rising amid purple sparks to affix itself to his already encased arms.

Ruler X straightened from his crouch with a cold frown and his lightsaber humming at the ready. “Stand down, Eustass Kid. I’ve got other business right now.” Registering Kotomine on one knee to his right and Lancer right beside him (visibly gauging which of the two he should skewer first), his eyes wandered about in search of the priest’s arm; Gunner X’s assault had disrupted his concentration, and the power that limb carried was too dangerous to-

There. It had landed on the sidewalk in front of a residence… with someone else standing over it.

“Tough luck-” Gunner X’s challenge was cut off by a sharp whistle and a red streak he only narrowly avoided courtesy of a certain Personal Skill. Blood trickled from the straight cut by his neck, but before he could exert the Magnet-Magnet Fruit’s power over it, a chain-linked dagger lashed out at him, drawing his attention to the one cartwheeling over his scrap-covered fists. The arrow that almost gave him a tracheotomy wheeled about in mid-flight to return to its owner.

Archer X caught his Noble Phantasm off-handedly while picking up the arm with a smirk. “Looks like we’re a little late t’the party,” he commented.

Rider nimbly slipped away from Gunner X’s strikes despite her blindfolded eyes and backflipped to land a few meters in front of her partner. “Apologies for the intrusion, Ruler X,” she tilted her head slightly towards her current opponent, “but our Master noticed this one was trailing a bit too close to this place, so he felt we could provide assistance.”

“I appreciate the offer,” she detected a hint of skepticism in his otherwise stoic baritone, “and you and Archer X can fight Gunner X as you please. But I’d prefer if you don’t interfere with my work with Lancer and Father Kotomine.” Ruler X raised his free hand to them. “And I’ll be taking that arm. With the Command Seals it bears.”

“Sure,” Yondu juggled the arm slightly, “but howzabout a little ‘Good Samaritan’s’ fee? One or two extra Seals to compensate for our selfless and timely intervention?”

Ruler X narrowed his eyes at the smirking fellow alien. “This is not a time for negotiation.” Back at the former entrance, Gunner X was stalking towards the group, his eyes drifting towards Kotomine’s arm. No doubt his Master’s imagining all the benefits of those Seals. Why else would these two have stepped in? Rider shifted in her spot so she could confront either man, and Archer X was fiddling with his arrow. Not an ideal setup, but Mace had faced worse odds in his time.

“Yeesh, is it just Masters who are vultures, or do you lot like to scavenge just as much?” Lancer hefted his spear, his easygoing smile contrasted by the disdain in his eyes. He nodded once to Ruler X who nodded back, then pointed Gáe Bolg at Gunner X. “You and I still have a bout to finish, my bolted-” He froze, his words catching in his throat.

“Master… Windu…” The addressee quickly turned to the speaker. During the Servants’ commotion, Kirei Kotomine had been kneeling at his spot, his remaining hand near his elbow. “Surely you … You didn’t think… I’d keep all the… the Command Seals…” He raised his head to reveal a defiant smirk. “On only one arm?”

He turned back to Lancer. “Lancer, don’t listen-”

“Lancer, prioritize the rescue of my entire body with the power of three Command Seals!” Crimson energy washed over the blue-clad Servant’s body, causing him to stiffen and stagger slightly. Realizing what was to come, Rider snapped her chain at him while Ruler X raised his hand, but the ground cracked where Lancer vaulted over them, spear whirling about him to fend off the many strikes of Archer X’s arrow. He landed and kicked the Heroic Spirit of the Bow into Rider as she whirled about, the partners sprawling on the street.

Cú Chulainn glared down at the arm he clutched, his own body at war with itself. “Damn you…” Then he became a blue blur that snatched up the priest, hefted him over his shoulder and bounded away before anyone could stop him.

Ruler X made to pursue when a colossal aggregation of metal smashed down in front of him. “No way any of us are catching up to that speedy little rat,” Gunner X snarled bitterly as he retracted his fist, “not when he’s juiced up like that. So, I might as well make the most out of this fucking mess by getting that payback after all.”

While he certainly didn’t fear facing a short-tempered thug like him, the Jedi wasn’t about to give up the chase just yet. So, he turned to the duo who had just gotten up. “You still want to prove your good intentions?”

A grumbling Archer X dusted himself off. “Don’t see what’s in it for us.”

“Too bad.” Ruler X’s Command Seals flared around his shoulders. “Rider, Archer X, deal with Gunner X.”

Power crackled through their bodies, drawing a frustrated sigh from Rider. “Very well.” As the Jedi began to assume spirit form, Gunner X tried to attack again, so the native Servant cracked her chained dagger like a whip. A deep crack split the ground in front of him. “Like it or not,” the youngest of the Gorgon Sisters retracted her chain while her… friend joined her side, “you’re our problem now. Now come quietly; he didn’t explicitly order your death.”

“I don’t do quiet.” Eustass cracked his neck before rounding on the two. “It’s your own faults if I kill ya.”

“We’ll take our chances,” Rider answered for them both before breaking into a sprint, the Yaka Arrow flying over her.

Back on Mount Enzou, the banter of two teenaged Masters quickly ended as the temple’s walls came into view. They’d already begun to hear the sounds of the struggle inside a while ago, but now, it felt that much more tangible. “So,” Rin eyed the still-smoldering hole not far away, “do we have a plan for slipping in? Because I’m frankly not keen in trying the front entrance.” A feral screech rang along with a skyward jet of fire.

Emiya stepped next to her with a thankfully thoughtful expression. “We wouldn’t have bothered trekking through the forest for that.” He pointed to a couple of trees. “Issei told me once how hard it is to keep the larger trees’ branches from dangling over the walls. Some of them ought to hold our weight, right, Aunt Maiya?” Ah, their tree-climbing trick…

“That might work,” the eldest of the group said quietly but firmly, “but it has to be done slowly and quietly. And remember, we’re only slipping in to find the Master behind these Servants. Reconnaissance is our primary goal; if an opportunity presents itself or we’re backed into a corner, we neutralize him or her.” She held up a finger to Shirou. “No. Fighting. Servants.” He sighed but nodded in consent.

“Let’s see how long that lasts.” Tohsaka by contrast had regained her haughtiness. “But Caster has no doubt set up all sorts of magical countermeasures, so I’ll be taking the lead from here on out.” To emphasize her point, she marched right past Maiya to the tallest tree.

The ex-mercenary only barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Just when she was ready to cut the girl some slack… “Do try not to break a nail, hime.” She turned back to the trees, ignoring the daggers Tohsaka’s eyes shot at her. She carried far sharper blades, after all.

And Shirou, of course, stepped between them like the peacekeeper he sought to be. The pack’s contract probably served as a catalyst, but he’d have been able to summon Kakashi with that attitude alone. Such thoughts were saved for a more appropriate time, of course, so they quickly settled on a tree with branches long enough to stretch over the far walls and sturdy enough to hold them.

Rin found a low branch and made to climb when a hand stretched down in front of her. Startled, she looked up to find Emiya standing halfway up the trunk, his aunt already at the branches they sought. Rin’s pride, rankled as it was by seeing such a simplistic spell (she didn’t know), almost made her bat the hand away when she spotted something. “Watch out!”

A branch suddenly bent on its own and snapped like a whip at Shirou’s face, but Tohsaka’s warning helped him twist away. He pulled his foot back from another branch trying to wrap itself around his ankle, and a Gandr from Tohsaka vaporized two more. His gaze snapped worriedly up the tree to find Aunt Maiya sliding down to him. Pieces of bark and wood rained around her while her daggers gleamed in the moonlight. “One of Caster’s games,” she growled before slicing through a thorny group that shot out from the trunk at her.

A thicker one snaked around Maiya’s elbow, hauling her off of the trunk before she could cut it with her Fang. She turned her fall into a roll on the ground and whirled about in worry to find Shirou hacking his way off the tree. Reinforcement circuitry ran along the kunai in his grip. Kakashi must’ve given him a few just in case. Maiya quickly stepped to her nephew’s side, Tohsaka doing the same as the tree’s neighbors came to life, too.

Multiple branches snapped out towards the trio, two warding them off with their knives while the third provided cover fire, but the sheer density and speed of their movements made them back away instinctively until they reached Ryuudou Temple’s wall. At which point the section lit up with a violet Magic Circle. “Scrap,” Maiya cursed right before a bright flash.

Assassin X slipped under a swing and blocked a kick that still pushed him back. He used the momentum to roll away from Berserker X, buying himself another second by tossing some (regular-sized) shuriken, then released a Water Bullet Jutsu from his mouth. Berserker X easily blocked it, but the stream from his water meeting the axe’s flames still blinded her.

At the same time, Saber retreated step by step, granting Assassin the offensive which he took to eagerly. He weaved a lethally unreadable pattern with Monohoshi Zao that slipped past her defense three times; a trim of her left hairs, a nick just above her right gauntlet, a slim cut by her dress’ lower part. Nothing to write home about, but he had already determined the bulk of her sword style. But just as he contemplated showing her his greatest technique, she ducked…

And then a very angry Berserker X was hurtling his way. “…This is why I prefer one-on-one bouts-” was all Sasaki Kojirou managed to complain before the Viking crashed into him.

Saber righted herself while Assassin X breezed through a collection of signs beside her. The ground cracked and crumbled beneath the two fallen Servants, slowly swallowing them up. A trap like that wouldn’t hold them for long, but hopefully long enough to deal with the biggest threat in this temple.

Caster didn’t seem bothered, though, even as the duo joined Lancer X. If anything, she looked more confident. “I give you all one final chance:” she enhanced her voice so everyone present could hear her. “Surrender. Pledge yourselves to our side, and all will be forgiven.”

Bumblebee transformed while driving in order to flip over the Dragon and kick its back with both legs to come down. “Big talk seeing as your side’s on the backfoot.”

Her grin widened beneath her hood. “Is that so, little automaton?” She snapped her fingers.

In a flash of violet energy, three humans were suddenly teleported to the ground above which she hovered, and all five of the intruding Servants stiffened however much. Saber, Lancer X and Assassin X instinctively stepped to only to be blocked by two streams of differently colored flames. Simultaneously, Berserker X launched herself out of the dirt and landed before them, Stormfly beside her a second later.

Shirou blinked away spots in his eyes, barely making out a glint from a knife, a red that turned out to be Tohsaka’s coat, before his vision cleared enough. What he saw didn’t inspire confidence: Ryuudou Temple, blue and white flames in front of them, Saber and Kakashi on the other side facing a crazy Viking and a… Dragon? Oh, and a hovering witch.

“Clever little rascals,” Caster taunted, “trying to scurry into here while you lot had our attention. They even decided to climb up the mountain itself, knowing its Bounded Field bars spiritual beings like Servants from accessing any part except the path.” She lazily flicked her wrist, forcing the Masters’ wrists behind them with magical bindings. “But even if I cannot dispel the Field, I can tap into it and be made aware of any trespassers.” She also sent a telepathic message to one particular person on the grounds; it was obvious as to what these three had intended in coming here.

Rin struggled in vain against her bonds. She noticed Emiya trying to break free with simple strength, but that was obviously a waste of time. Not that I’m doing any better, she admitted bitterly. My Magic Circuits… my Crest… They feel so… dull. Caster’s work, of course!

Ruby immediately tried to reach them, but Berserker X snagged her by the wrist and reeled her in for a slash she barely blocked. Crescent Rose whirled against that flaming axe while she noticed Saber warding off the Dragon and Assassin X trying to slip past the whirlwind of steel Assassin was making. Archer and Bee were held back, too, by Avenger X and Caster.

The latter smirked in triumph as she pushed the bowman and the automaton towards Avenger X’s conflagration. Another minute or so of futile struggling, and they’d either see reason or be crushed. But she neglected to realize her captives, while human, were far from helpless.

Maiya rolled backwards which brought her to a crouch. Her hands still bound but now in front of her, she snapped out her leg to her Fang embedded in the dirt and concentrated. Od rippled through her foot and out the boot’s sole, causing the dagger’s hilt to be stuck to it. She then lifted her leg with the Fang still attached, twisted her hip and snapped a kick towards Caster while maximizing her od output.

Medea could therefore not simply blast the dagger away as it raced like a shooting star at her. But she had plenty of time to conjure a defensive Magic Circle in front of her, scoffing at the foolishness of today’s pretend witches. As though a sharp little toy could-

Down on the ground, Maiya allowed herself a tiny smirk as her other Fang suddenly appeared in her left hand. With a prick of its edge, the magical bindings around her wrists shattered.

Meanwhile, the airborne one struck Caster’s shield, causing both magical sparks to fly and a keening wail to emanate, one of a marginally higher pitch than what Caster herself released a second later. She couldn’t help herself; feedback from the weapon’s impact was somehow being transferred into her body, and it hurt. “Wh- What in the name of the Gods-?!” She screeched out before her shield shattered, actually dropping through the air for a moment before regaining her levitation.

More than one set of eyes stared gob-smacked between the visibly shaken Servant of Sorcery and the woman slicing through an amazed boy’s restraints (“…You’re teaching me that.”) before turning towards a rather twitchy girl. Archer’s own were locked on the dagger that suddenly vanished midair in a tiny spatial warp. That fleeting glance was still long enough for him to Trace it, and the results stirred some contradictory feelings in him. That blade… Its foundation…!

I knew it. A quietly chuckling Assassin X’s Sharingan shifted from empty space to Maiya as she stepped away from Rin and turned back to Caster, holding both daggers in a reverse grip before her. Kiritsugu, you sly dog…

Kiritsugu Emiya had opted for cremation following his passing, but he’d also imparted a special request to Maiya beforehand: to remove what remained of his ribs and put them through a special process he’d described to her very carefully. Even though he’d rapidly lost the ability to use his world’s magecraft or the jutsu taught to him by his best friend, the former Mage Killer still carried the dual Origin of “Severing and Binding” in his bones. And while he mightn’t have known the dangers still lurking about in Fuyuki City, he’d still wanted to protect his family in some way. Besides, it’s not like a dead man needed his bones.

Maiya for her part had done far worse things in her life, so her hands had only slightly trembled while carefully performing the operation herself. Then with a quick flight to London and a certain acquaintance’s help, the bones had been ground to powder, enchanted and became the key ingredient for fashioning a pair of combat knives capable of both recall teleportation and replicating the effects of the Mage Killer’s dreaded Origin Rounds.

Thus, Maiya Hisau had been in possession of her very own Mystic Code for five years now: The Anti-Mage Fangs (patent pending).

Okay, now I’m really glad I’m on her side, Bumblebee decided as he took advantage of Caster’s shaken state, transformed and drove full speed towards their fiery prison. Veering and hitting the brakes kicked up a large mound of dirt, and with a quick water blast courtesy of Assassin X, the newly made sludge splashed down on the flames, smothering them.

Medea seethed as the Masters hurried out to the metallic Servant now back on two legs. “There is no escape!” Manifesting her staff, she willingly dropped to the ground and drove its pommel into it with an old Greek incantation. Cracks formed instantly before skeletal creatures burst forth from the dirt. Some crawled about on all fours and snapped their jaws, others rose on two legs and carried weapons like swords or spears. Dragon Tooth Warriors.

Only one team had actually encountered these familiars, but Team Emiya quickly recognized that despite their barebones appearance and individual mana cost, they were still dangerous, especially if they managed to surround you. Still, Saber and Assassin X simultaneously thought, Better than tentacles.

Bumblebee for his part had the odd Terrorcon flashback as he swiftly opened fire, blasting a dozen boneheads to dust in seconds. His Master went to town on them with those daggers, and even Shirou fended them off with a practice sword he’d brought along. The others helped out where they could despite being caught up in their own battles.

Shirou grunted before thrusting like Saber had taught him, his shinai’s Reinforced tip crushing one’s ribcage. Then he drew it right and broke another’s elbow. But more kept coming, like a fresh group on his left. He turned to them when Tohsaka hastily dug into her coat pocket and tossed out a trio of little gleaming things. More gems, the boy initially figured. But with a second look, he realized they weren’t gems. They were rifle rounds. Why should she-

Then Tohsaka’s Gandr hit the middle one slightly off-target, but the heat and mana from the curse triggered it, which in turn triggered the others. The end result was a detonation of three fireballs that incinerated the Warriors. “…That wasn’t just gunpowder,” Shirou mumbled.

“Like I’d resort to something so droll,” she cheekily replied before blasting another away. “You’re not the only one who’s picked up new tricks, Emiya.”

By now, the temple’s yard was becoming rather crowded, and even Caster’s own teammates found their movements a bit restricted. Avenger X immolated a cluster in his way to spot the Masters and made to let loose another blast when he spotted out of the corner of his eye an oncoming arrow. He twisted his body just enough for it to miss him and hit the ground… then with a purple flash, he was sent sprawling from the concussive force.

Archer kept his bow up but took a moment to shake out the pain in his fingers. Note to self: Gravity Dust packs a wallop.

[After about half an hour of alternating between munching away strawberry cookies and profusely thanking Archer (who kept trying to wave it off as a spur-of-the-moment thing, not important, but his eyes gave him away, the softie), Lancer X had slowed down enough that they could talk business. Though Rin privately feared the sugar rush that was soon to come…

“So, pretty crazy stuff we learned tonight, huh?” Her cheery voice brought Rin back to reality. The Remnantian Heroic Spirit was scratching her head. “X Servants teaching this world’s humans how to do cool tricks they can do…”

“I don’t think I’d believe half of what we learned if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” the heiress of the Tohsaka family admitted, pensively chewing on her lip. Even now, skepticism tugged at her, and she pulled the last water balloon Assassin X had given her for practice. “But… it does answer a few questions.” Particularly about Emiya…

Unbeknownst to her, Archer was having similar thoughts, but with a fair bit more agitation. He should’ve been satisfied that the boy had such a different upbringing than he had, but for one, that look in his eyes… that selfish desire to “help” people… If he had stayed any longer, watching that imbecile stumble about and be spoiled by his oh-so-perfect Assassin X would’ve made the former Hero for Justice try to achieve his objective on the spot. “Patrolling” had helped him blow some steam, baking even more so.

He took a breath and reoriented his thoughts. “But they’ve inadvertently given us an opportunity to keep a better eye on their abilities and actions. That ought to give us an edge over the team if we play it right.” Ruby, of course, looked like she didn’t agree with Archer’s pragmatism; shocker, but Rin seemed half-on board. Likely her conscience and not-crush on the boy making her hesitate. Again.

Seeing their Master’s thoughtful face pushed Ruby into applying the consumed sugar for her own brainstorming. Okay, fair enough, they couldn’t and shouldn’t always count on Shirou’s team lending a hand (even if she really didn’t like how Archer’s go-to was “kill them all when they aren’t looking”). So, Team Red needed to get stronger. Servant teamwork was looking good, so what else could they do? Lancer X was the only Servant from Remnant still around (Aw man, I miss Uncle Qrow, no matter how mopey or drunk or mopey and drunk he’d get…). She probably couldn’t give Rin or Archer Aura, but what about…

Lancer X’s eyes shot wide open as she slapped her forehead. “I’m a total doofus!”

“…Yes, I’m sure we’ve already established that,” Rin snarked. “Now, are there any other interesting little tidbits you’d like to share?”

Lancer X pouted rather cutely at her before shaking it off. “Look, just come with me. I’ve got an idea!” Then she grabbed her teammates’ arms, and it was only experience with this sensation of being zipped away that kept Rin from yelping.

One application of Petal Burst later, and the three were down in the workshop. Rin waved away disintegrating rose petals to see Lancer X summoning her prized weapon in its compact form. “What are you…?”

“I was thinking about how my being from Remnant could help us out,” the Red Like Roses Huntress explained as she set her sweetheart to rifle mode, “and then it hit me. Crescent Rose uses Dust ammunition,” she removed the ammo clip and held it up to them, “and as long as you keep me supplied with mana, Rin…”

“You can convert it into as much ammo as you want,” Archer finished, his eyebrows rising as he put the pieces together, “and then you can give us the ammo so we can use Dust.”

Rin’s gaze hung on the red boxes Lancer X kept calling up out of thin air. Her thoughts traveled back to those recent dreams, the many, many applications of this mysterious mineral (like a floating colosseum), and she could feel the excitement rising in her. “Dust normally requires a catalyst like Aura to be activated… But seeing as you’re using mana to produce it, this kind probably just needs a little extra mana.” The Master considered out loud, fighting to keep her voice even. “How many different types of Dust can you provide us with?”

Ruby quickly began summoning more clips and checking them. “Aside from normal rounds, I’ve got Fire, Lightning and Gravity. Probably because I was seen using those the most… Oh well.” She pointed out each type’s corresponding symbol on the clips as she passed them over to her partner, then paused. “Wait, you’re a bow-and-arrow guy. Obviously.” She cocked her head in thought. “Soooo… You could try throwing the rounds and setting them off with your arrows…”

Archer removed a bullet from the clip Ruby had labeled “normal” and held it up to the light. “No worries,” he finally declared, channeling his mana very carefully into the rifle cartridge. It stretched out before their eyes into the shape of a very slim but serviceable arrow (Reinforcement magecraft, Rin realized almost instantly). Its owner then summoned his bow, lined up the new ammo, took aim at a nearby training dummy (that had a crudely drawn caricature of a certain false priest for a face) and let it fly. The Dust arrow blasted the head and some of its neck clean off. The wall behind it merely received a light dusting of soot.

The Servant of the Bow smirked at the results. “Oh, yeah, I can work with these.”

Lancer X’s awestruck eyes kept darting between the bowman and the headless target. “This is gonna be awesome…” She squealed to herself before noticing their Master had taken out another round, set it on the worktable and retrieved a small hammer and chisel. “Uh, ya might wanna watch it, Dust is pretty-”

“Sensitive, I’m well aware.” Rin flashed her fri-Servant a haughty look. “Even without seeing your past, I know better than to sneeze on it.” While Ruby started pouting again, the young prodigy aligned the chisel against the cartridge and brought down the hammer. Clink!

FWOOM.

Both Servants instinctively covered their eyes from the flash of energy. Then as one, they turned back called, “Rin-” and paused upon seeing their Master still standing at the workbench. Her face and shirt collars were covered in ash while her twin tails had been blown crazily to opposite sides, smoke wafting from them. It was nearly impossible to make out her expression or complexion beneath all the soot, but her turquoise eyes gleamed with an odd mixture of hot embarrassment and unspoken threats.

Rin Tohsaka pointed her hammer at Archer and her chisel at Lancer X and intoned very quietly: “Not. One. Word.”

The two wisely restrained their mirth to over their link.]

Fortunately, subsequent experiments were much more successful.

And even better… Archer glanced down to a standard Dust round in his right. It was only a quick glimpse, but enough for his eyes: Judging the concept of creation.

Hypothesizing the basic structure.

Duplicating the composition material.

Imitating the skill of its making.

Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.

Reproducing the accumulated years.

Excelling every manufacturing process.

Like clockwork. All I needed was a sample to cross-reference. Rolling the bullet and its new Projection along his knuckles before Reinforcing them into new arrows, the Counter Guardian shot a brief but grateful smile towards the familiar sound of Crescent Rose’s recoil ringing out. You’re one hell of a partner, Ruby Rose.

Then he sobered and returned his full attention to his opponent(s). Dragon Tooth Warriors were pulverized en mass from Archer’s Dust arrows, but more just kept getting spawned. And even if the Servants could keep this up all night, now they had an added risk factor of keeping their Masters alive. Archer scanned the clusters for a familiar redhead and gauged privately the odds. This wasn’t much like how he recalled, and given the circumstances… especially since he figured it was the boy’s stupid idea to come up here…

He took aim and fired.

The Lightning Dust arrow blasted apart a bestial Warrior charging towards the boy, the remnant electricity shocking others around it. The Masters were forced to split up anyway, Maiya actually finding herself back to back with Kakashi after he’d escaped Assassin’s range with a well-timed paper bomb. And while her first priority was trying to find Shirou amid the chaos, a tiny part of her was… in good spirits as the pair shattered bone after bone.

Kakashi for his part kicked apart one skeleton, pivoted to throw a trio of shuriken at the paws(?) of two more rushing towards Maiya, and then traded places with her to blast away a group as she in turn impaled two loners. All while his mask hid a smile.

Rin Tohsaka backed away from a disintegrating Warrior at the same time as Shirou Emiya rolled under the lunge of another. The two Masters thus happened to step into the same temporary clearing and chance a look upon each other, at which point their eyes narrowed.

She channeled a Gandr. He drew forth a dagger. Their projectiles flew simultaneously.

A beast-like Dragon Tooth Warrior was blasted to bits as it pounced towards Emiya.

A bipedal Dragon Tooth Warrior had its head shattered before it could spear Tohsaka.

Both teenagers glanced behind them and back at one another with matching faces of shock. Then Berserker X crashed between them with a pained howled, crushing more Warriors in her wake. “Come on, guys!” Lancer X stepped up, retracting Crescent Rose from when it threw the madwoman with a Dust-powered slash. “We’ve got to get you out of here!”

“She’s right.” Saber X ran down two Warriors before changing to robot form, blasters lighting up, as he covered Shirou. “This place is getting too hot for you to be here. The best victory we can go for is if you make it out safe.” The boy almost protested; they hadn’t even figured out if the Master of these psychos was in the damn temple, let alone who they were! But one look around, a glance to a similarly reluctant Tohsaka before she was swept away amid rose petals, and Shirou understood Bee was right.

And not a moment too soon: Berserker X sprang to her feet and came at him, but Bee tackled her, trying to wrest her axe away. The Servant’s Dragon smashed through a plethora of Warriors, inadvertently clearing a path for the Master, and Saber continued fending her off while she called, “Go, Shirou!”

Gritting his teeth, he rushed through the opening, swinging his shinai and throwing daggers on sheer instinct. “You guys better make it out of this alive, too!” Both Sabers permitted themselves a quick smile at the tone of his words.

Caster had taken to the sky again, both pleased and infuriated that the rats were scurrying off. After what they had done, what they had intended, she wouldn’t let them off so easily! Her eyes landed on the woman still furthest from the exit, that cur who dared harm her… Well, she was braced against the backlash those wretched daggers caused and more than willing to return the favor. And with the masked blackguard beside her as well, oh, yes…

One swing of her staff, two little words, and that spot was sundered with mana. And yes, quite few of her creations were destroyed as well, but a small price to pay. When the dust settled, all that remained was dust in the wind… and a hole big enough for two adults.

The ground by the temple’s entrance cracked open, then out popped Assassin X and Maiya Hisau like a twin flower. “Someone doesn’t sound happy,” the former commented upon hearing a feminine screech of fury behind them. “Been a while since I’ve used the Hidden Mole Jutsu with a passenger.”

Maiya (reluctantly) pulled away from him. “Here I hoped I wouldn’t need you to come to my rescue anymore.” She shook her head thereby not noticing how Kakashi flinched at her comment before focusing. “Now where’s-” She whirled towards a white-and-blue shape tumbling out of the masses. “Shirou, over here!”

Archer heard the woman’s shout even as he reached Rin’s spot, Ruby slicing or sniping anything that got too close. The boy was a little stronger than he recalled. And that wasn’t a good- He paused. Wait, where’s… His eyes widened upon spotting a familiar face.

Shirou slashed through the last skeleton in his way and stumbled to the stairs, gasping for breath-

“You’re not in the clear yet, dumbass.”

Then screamed in agony from the torrent of azure fire that suddenly surrounded him.

“SHIROU!” Maiya couldn’t be sure if it was her who’d screamed her boy’s name; she dimly noticed Tohsaka watching in naked horror, and Assassin X had already pulled his scorched body back while Saber furiously tried to chop off Avenger X’s smug head. Bumblebee barreled out of nowhere to crash into him from behind, and as he tumbled in his battered state away, the Heroic Spirits of the Sword obviously wanted to follow, but a glance at the smoking boy in Assassin X’s arms drew their attention.

Archer by contrast had no problems rushing the burnt-up bastard. Even as he gained his bearings, Avenger X tilted his head towards him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did you want to do that?” Archer didn’t waste any words in favor of slashing at him. But the Servant of Vengeance stepped out of range with another burst that kept him from pursuing, a strange look on his face that unsettled the Counter Guardian for some reason.

“Let me over to him, damnit!” Rin struggled against the stronger arm, Hisau glaring down at her in stony fury and unshed tears. Assassin X had laid Emiya gently down in front of the stairs, his partners standing guard (Ruby was doing the same). “I-I know healing magecraft, probably more than you do! A-and what m-more can I do to h-him like this?!” She didn’t even know why she was so keen, and frankly, she didn’t care right now, not when seeing those burns all over Shirou’s back and his unconscious face and-

The arm fell away, causing her to stumble. “Try anything, and you will beg me to kill you.” Rin barely registered Hisau’s warning, chilling though it was, and crouched down with a light blue jewel in hand. Mostly surface burns, good… Assassin X got him not a second too late… She couldn’t hope to heal his burns, not like this, but at least save his life-

Just as Assassin X breathed a sigh in relief, he heard the heavy beating of wings. Berserker X’s Dragon landed atop the entrance, her rider slipping off on one side and Assassin the other. His Sharingan detected Caster hovering on the other side, readying her magics. He turned to Artoria who coincidentally did the same; and he probably had that same desperate look in his own eyes. He also saw her mana building, Invisible Air slowly beginning to fade. To use that in her state… Well, it’s not like we’ve got a surplus of options. His own mana reserves were depleted, but he concentrated on his Sharingan all the same.

“Apologies, but it’d be such a shame if you left so soon after-” Assassin halted in his tracks, his eyes widening, then hastily brought up his nodachi in a defensive stance. Then with a gust of wind, a metallic clang rang out as blood spurted out from his left shoulder. A dark shape appeared at the same time behind him, sword in both hands. Many stared at him.

Unsheathing Enten in front of his body, Saber X turned his head back with a disappointed click of his tongue. “Still haven’t got the hang of it.” He then reactivated Nishiki and spun around to parry Assassin’s retaliation. The two swordsmen promptly engaged into a flurry of slashes faster than a human eye could see even with Reinforcement.

Not that everyone present wasn’t already stunned at the third Saber’s intervention.

“A bit unpolished, but your technique has a sturdy foundation and potential.” Despite the wound in his shoulder, Kojirou couldn’t help but smile in honest appreciation. “The same can be said for your iai attack just now. Quite unlike any other I’ve encountered before, but something tells me it isn’t of your own creation. Perhaps something you observed from another and seek to replicate?” His opponent simply continued to parry his blows with a stony expression. “Ah, not a conversationalist, I see.”

Saber X couldn’t have replied if he had anything to say. All of his focus was on countering the nodachi, a rarity among swordsmen. Dad had mentioned crafting a few in the old days, usually in reference to how hard it was making a sword like that. Fluid, lethal, nigh-unpredictable… all adjectives to describe this guy’s technique. But at least he could still parry it thanks to Nishiki… He noticed in his peripherals  the other Sabers tackling Berserker X and the Dragon(?), Lancer X supporting Archer from afar against Avenger X while she and Assassin X guarded the three Masters. That left Caster and her skeletal army, but...

“Well, seeing as you demonstrated such a fabulous attack…” Chihiro snapped his attention back to his foe. Assassin had stepped out of range and turned his back to him, his sword held horizontally level to his smirking mouth with both hands. “It’d be rude if I didn’t return the favor.

“Hiken: Tsubame Gaeshi!” He then slashed with blinding speed, but Saber X could still see the lavender blade swooping in from the left and made to block it…

Then his eyes widened. “Kuro-” Blood splashed.

A few steps below, Assassin X was torn over helping Rin help Shirou, but he couldn’t help but stare at the swordfight. He could hardly believe what the Mangekyo Sharingan had just seen: Assassin started with an attack from the left… but there was an overhead slash… and a diagonal swing from the right… three completely different attacks in the exact same instant.

Assassin studied the slight nicks on a bloodied Monohoshi Zao before flashing a half-grin at his young foe. “My, what reflexes,” he praise a panting Saber X, blood dripping from the top of his head, his right abdomen and his left shoulder. Black goldfish floated around him. “You perceived all of my strokes and then recognized a way to mitigate the damage.” He removed the blood with a single flick of his blade. “I guess a technique that can catch a swallow isn’t quite as effective for catching a fish. Oh well, we can keep the bout going a while longer.”

If I’d been just half a step slower, he would’ve killed me. Saber X steadied his breathing then retracted his fish. “No,” he finally said. “No more playing around.”

A heavy rumble approached, steadily growing more resonant until those in the temple’s courtyard could feel some slight tremors through the earth. Medea swore underneath her breath in ancient Greek. “Of course, he arrives now. And in typical fashion, no less…”

Those outside Ryuudou Temple hastily moved to get out of the way as Berserker charged up the steps with all the grace and fury of a derailed train. An incomprehensible roar emanated from him as the force behind his first swing nearly blasted everyone off their feet; Saber X had seen his partner’s move coming and rolled with it in order to not lose momentum.

Stormfly screeched angrily and dived at the massive intruder, flames gathering inside her mouth. But Berserker snarled back before moving at breathtaking speed to swat her out of the air, his axe actually dislocating the Deadly Nadder’s jaw. She tumbled to the dirt thrashing about in agonized fury, an emotion shared by her friend. Astrid roared her fury as she dashed towards her counterpart and swung Valkyrie’s Edge with all her might. Berserker countered the blow which caused another shockwave to wash over the temple.

Saber X pressed the advantage his friend’s entrance had caused by hammering at Assassin’s defense. Archer seized the opportunity to send Lancer X a quick telepathic message, followed by them both launching Gravity Dust-enhanced projectiles at the shaken Caster. Even with a hastily constructed barrier, she was flung into her bony minions, leaving Archer free to fend off Avenger X again.

Artoria and Bumblebee simply fell back to where their burnt young friend lay, more than a little perplexed, a feeling Rin Tohsaka clearly shared. As did a barely conscious Shirou.

“You’ll catch flies with your mouths open like that.” Up the stairs skipped the Master of Saber X and Berserker, keeping a safe distance from where her Servants fought. She flashed her audience a proud smile. “Being fashionably late is a must for the true stars of any party.”

[“Yup, Big Brother, Kakashi and their friends are definitely up there,” Illya noted while shifting focus from her familiar’s perception to her physical location. “Doing surprisingly okay given who they’re up against, but it’s not like we should expect Rin to be of any use anyway.” She swayed slightly in her spot, her usual smile flickering.

This team had already headed to the Emiya residence, but upon finding no one there, they determined their quarry was embroiled in a fight somewhere. A basic tracking spell easily revealed three different trails, one of which curved towards the Tohsaka abode, but they all ultimately led to Mt. Enzou. Little surprise, given that Illyasviel had noticed the many mana-draining effects across the city as well as their source. They would have to face Caster’s entourage sooner or later.

Her gaze shifted slightly to a commotion in another part of Miyama before returning to the mountain. She had no reason to care for whatever that spoilsport Ruler X was involved in. Especially since Kakashi and his new Master were in trouble… Good. He deserved to pay, him and all his friends… So, why didn’t this feel right? Why wasn’t Illya more excited, why…?

Berserker’s grunt cut through her thoughts, and she looked up at him, the turmoil in her ebbing. And he wasn’t the only one willing to help her out.

“Guilty or innocent, if Shirou Emiya and his companions die now, at the hands of someone else, would you be alright with that, Illya?” Her Big Bro asked matter-of-factly, no judgement or inclination in his words.

But he knew her well enough. Illyasviel von Einzbern huffed before smiling at them. “…I suppose I’m not.”]

The homunculus stepped over to the Emiya group, silently pleased (yes, please, how else should she feel) at how Kakashi flinched under her stare. She noted Kiritsugu’s new kid lying all burnt by a very wary Rin, the woman standing protectively in front of them with knives in trembling hands… And with a flick of her wrist, she sent a healing dove to her Big Brother. A little something she came up with thanks to Big Bro Saber. “He dies when I say so,” Illya explained to the stunned group, “not a minute sooner.”

Not the most comforting promise, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Some like Archer, though, channeled his frustration at yet another potential complication into his strikes, one cutting through Avenger X’s fire and nearly slicing his left fingers.

“That’s it,” Dabi grumbled before clapping his hands together and concentrating. “Flashfire Fist…” Azure fire erupted around his body, temporarily halting Archer in his tracks, then he was suddenly in front of him with his right fist cocked back. “Jet Burn!” He punched and released his fire just like he’d seen Endeavor do so many times, emitting a super-concentrated beam of pure heat. Those damn blades absorbed the blast before shattering, but the silver-haired shithead was still sent tumbling down the stairs. Then Avenger X whirled around to the rest. “Hell’s Curtain!” His fists snapped forward to unleash a wave of flames so dense and swift they drove all of the other intruders back. Well, except for the walking steroid advertisement, but he was busy fighting the bitch and protecting that twerp of a Master.

Archer’s fall was stopped by Ruby catching him, a nasty burn on his shoulder. “Bet you thought I didn’t have any technique to my flameslinging, huh?” He simply growled at the other Servant’s taunt before getting up and nodding to Ruby. They needed to keep Rin safe.

As the two red Servants darted over to their Master, Kakashi checked to see his own was still breathing, even looking a little better than before. But this still wasn’t a safe place. They needed to get out of here. But with Avenger X spraying his fire everywhere and giving Caster the chance to rally her familiars, they needed to offset this situation.

So, he threw two kunai with paper bombs at Assassin’s feet, driving him back from Saber X. His eyes landing on the young swordsman, Assassin X quickly shouted. “Avenger X isn’t immune to his own flames!” What happened next indicated his gamble had paid off.

Chihiro registered the other X Servant’s words even as he jumped in front of the next flame blast. “Aka.” A red goldfish emerged anew from his sword and swallowed up the attack before receding again, a dim blue glow now running along the blade. He wasted no time in pointing the tip at the source and intoning, “Aka. Fire.” The flames shot out to cremate the first skeletons and force Avenger X and Caster back, Saber X then moving Enten about like a blowtorch to spread the fire.

That left the two Berserkers who were going at each other with every bit of fury they had. Berserker X wasn’t as strong as her counterpart, but her shorter height helped her utilize her agility more, allowing her to flip and weave around the burlier brute’s swings, scoring hits where she could. However, Berserker who had endured so many grueling challenges in life was barely troubled by the shallow (burning) cuts, and with one double-handed swing, he released a shockwave powerful enough to blow her to the ground. His burning gaze drifted briefly to his enemy’s shaken comrades, one in particular sparking a memory

Then the feral woman growled defiantly where she lay, regaining his attention. Herakles raised his axe high to cleave her in half, Caster frantically preparing a spell to stop him, when a blue fireball came whistling out of nowhere to strike the axe. It crushed the steps next to Berserker X; a narrow miss, but her partner used the opportunity to teleport her to her side.

Medea wasted no time in treating her wounds, though she couldn’t help but ask, “Was that your blast?”

“I thought you did that,” Avenger X retorted between shooting flames at his opponents again, Caster’s confusion only increasing.

The Viking woman barely moved, though, save to summon Valkyrie’s Edge back to her hand. Her eyes were oddly clear and locked on the scorch mark her native colleague’s rock-hewn weapon now sported. Even as instincts pushed her back to focusing on the fight and her madness swiftly resurfaced, a tiny part of Astrid Hofferson’s mind wondered if that mark, the plasma blast that had made it, might’ve looked… familiar.

“Haven’t lost your touch, bud.” Toothless leaned into his friend’s palm with a bittersweet rumble. They had continued their hit-and-run approach against the chariot guy until he suddenly stopped and vanished in a puff of pitch-black smoke, unable to be tracked by even the Night Fury’s senses. Still, it gave the two a chance to swing back to the mountain.

And when Hiccup saw what was about to happen to Astrid, his first thought was to have Toothless fire a plasma blast.

They couldn’t go down there, though. Not with all the craziness going on, so many different Servants, another one swooping in with his Dragon and semi-healed Master would be torn to pieces. Even so… He wanted to…

“…We can try.” He snapped his head around to stare at his Master. She nodded towards the temple. “A quick visit wouldn’t do any harm.” Even Bazett didn’t sound convinced.

So, Rider X shook his head. “Nah, we’ve… you’ve been put through enough tonight. Let’s get you home safe.” Toothless was already turning around while glimpsing up to him like he was trying to say There’s always next time. Oh, how Hiccup hoped that was true. “Thanks,” he mumbled to their friend. “For… for...”

Bazett shot her friends a sad smile. “No problem. Believe me, I understand.”

The scramble down Ryuudou Temple’s stairs wasn’t particularly elegant or coordinated, but Rin for once couldn’t give a rat’s hairy ass about that. Her and Ruby’s focus right now was on the boy nestled as carefully possible in the robot Saber’s arms… and the trio that came down last.

The three teams promptly came together at the foot of the stairs with token caution towards the mountain. Everyone knew they couldn’t afford to stick around given the tempers of the Servants they’d just escaped, but they couldn’t leave together. Nor may the fighting have ended yet…

Berserker then snarled something unintelligible, or at least unintelligible to everyone except for his Master and Servant (accustomed as they’d become to Herakles-speak). Illyasviel bit her lip in obvious thought, her eyes wandering from Saber X to the bigger Servant who both stared neutrally back, then sighed. “Berserker recognized Caster,” she explained grudgingly. “She’s a fellow Argonaut: Medea, exiled Princess of Colchis.”

No one gaped more at the young girl than Assassin X. Sure, that identity made sense and would a great help, but… But why… “…Why tell us this?” Artoria asked for him.

She simply turned away with a huff. “You revealed Avenger X’s weakness along with a great deal of other things, so consider this evening the score.” Her red eyes narrowed at a very still man. “But don’t think I’m done with you or your Master, Kakashi. I haven’t decided yet how guilty you really are, but until then, you don’t get to die without my permission.”

He slowly nodded. He wanted to apologize again and again, hell, he was tempted to offer her his head on the spot if it meant letting Shirou and the others go… Maiya squeezed his hand. Right, Assassin X scolded himself. I can’t do that. Not right now. Not yet, anyways…

So, he simply said, “I understand.”

Satisfied for now, Illya turned on her heel and marched off before she lost control of her tears, her protectors on either side. Her left hand inadvertently reached for Chihiro’s who took it in his right.

As for Team Red, Lancer X stepped towards the other team, but Archer held her back. “The boy’s condition is stabilized,” he told her (and Rin) not unkindly, “we’ve done all we can as allies. But we need to replenish our own strength.” His voice softened. “Look at them. Assassin X would no doubt sacrifice his own life to save that boy’s.”

“…You could sound a little less bitter about that.” Despite her words, Ruby backed away but not before nodding to Saber who returned it. If nothing else, they had her hopes.

Thus, the teams dispersed, and Rin Tohsaka’s Servants knew better than to question the repeated glances over her shoulder.

All of this was witnessed by a little moth fluttering about near a man with wizened eyes and an abnormally elongated head.

Sakura opened her eyes, releasing the shared perception with a sigh. “They’re all right…” she mumbled to herself in relief, her mind lingering on that last look her Big Sister had, the struggle between cool indifference and naked concern…

“Is something the matter?” Her guardian’s gentle voice brought her back to reality.

Sakura put on a smile. “No, I’m fine, thank you, Mas-” She couldn’t help but giggle at the chiding look she received. “…Sar. Just a couple things to process.” She nodded towards a pair of oncoming lights. “My bus is here. You should return to Ruler X and deliver your report. He needs to know about that… thing you fought. It was trying to kill him.”

The older woman nodded. “I will…” But she made no move to leave. “…After I fulfill my first duty and ensure you reach home safely.” Her tone brokered no argument, and as the bus door opened, she stepped inside and waved her hand at the driver already eyeing her robes. “I am just another passenger.”

“You’re just another passenger…” the man repeated dully, and Sar turned around and waited.

A huffing Sakura stepped inside and sat down. Everybody treats me like I’m some delicate flower… Even so, she quietly uttered a prayer of safety for more than one person during the ride home.

Maiya nearly broke her key in the door’s lock before flinging it open and ushering the other inside. “Med kit…” She staggered through the house in a slight daze. “Antiseptics… gauze…”

“A-Aunt… Maiya…”

“Don’t talk, Shirou, I’ll be right back!” She called while Kakashi rushed to her side, both of them grabbing as many medical supplies as possible. He’d saved Shirou from getting completely roasted, but the burns he still sported needed to be treated as soon as possible, lest he pick up an infection and die anyway…!

“Uh, guys…?” X called out. “You might wanna come and see this.”

“See what?” Maiya all but snapped before stumbling back anyway with the med kit in her hands. She dropped it all at the sight that greeted her.

Shirou had propped himself with less difficulty than he’d expected, already bracing for any scolding he deserved. Instead, he was met with wide eyes from both Saber and Bee. “Your burns…” the human Servant whispered before her volume increased. “They’re already healing!”

Sure enough, to everyone’s astoundment, the charred skin was vanishing before their very eyes. He turned his arm around to watch the burns receding and touched the healthy skin to convince himself he wasn’t just going crazy. “What the heck… How…?” He probed his back. “I feel… tingly,” he almost snorted at his own words, but he couldn’t think of anything else. There was a tingle throughout his body, warm and comforting. Like a refreshing bath.

Shirou looked about, but Bumblebee’s optics were wide as can be, and Aunt Maiya, Saber, Kakashi… Well, they were staring, too, but… differently. Like they recognized this miracle.

Assassin X numbly pushed up his headband again, allowing the Sharingan to lock onto a perplexed Shirou Emiya. The wounds were almost completely gone, and with them, the mana that had brought about this miraculous recovery… but yes, now that he knew to look for it… There it was. He could never forget the energy signature, the sight, of that treasure which had once brought him back from the brink of death.

So, at a mute nod from Kakashi, Saber stepped over to their Master and first checked that his injuries were completely gone before asking, “Shirou… could you try and… recall this feeling you just had? If you can’t, that’s alright, just… stay still.”

“Uh, sure…” He took a breath and closed his eyes to concentrate. At first, nothing aside from a slight pressure on his chest… Then there came… streams of golden light… curling through the dark. Leading towards a thing… A sheath… Blue and gold… Immaculate… Letters of a language he didn’t recognize engraved near the top… A feeling of peace… Protection.

Shirou slowly opened his eyes with an almost reverent sigh; he’d probably burned every last detail of that sheath into his memory until the day he died…

…That same sheath that was now in Saber’s hands. “Wha-?!” He gaped down at the object a very still Saber was cradling like a baby, then to an awestruck Bee, and finally to Maiya and Kakashi who had matching expressions of shock. “How…? I just saw…” He pointed at it.

“Saber just… pulled that… out of you…” Bumblebee explained half-convinced his voice box was busted again. His optics were locked on the treasure held by his counterpart and leader… and it was amazing. It felt like those scant times he’d seen the Matrix of Leadership. “Is… Is that…?”

“It’s the fabled sheath and shield to match the peerless sword of King Arthur,” Kakashi Hatake confirmed for the young ones’ sakes. “Avalon… The Everdistant Utopia.”

…

…

…

Maiya was the first to break the silence. By slapping her forehead with a more frustrated than hurt groan. “Damnit, Kiritsugu…” Her palm slid down her face so she could grumble into it. “You couldn’t have mentioned this little detail to me?” Relief bloomed in her nevertheless.

His aunt’s complaint triggered Shirou’s brain into working again, and it latched onto that name Kakashi had uttered, a name even a Japanese bumpkin like him knew. King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot… The Knights of the Round Table… The sword he had seen in his dreams, the one embedded in the stone. And all this time… he’d been carrying around a direct link to his-her legend…? With all these details swirling about, Shirou couldn’t help but ask, “So… King Arthur was a girl?” Then a moment later, he nodded. “Huh.”

Kakashi snorted despite himself. “Sorry, but we’ve come to expect a more… dramatic reaction than that. More incredulity.”

Shirou shrugged sheepishly. “I guess I’m all tapped out on shock for today.”

“Aren’t we all…” Bee agreed. He’d heard stories about King Arthur himself, or least the version of King Arthur’s stories from his universe’s Earth. Raf and Miko had been very enthusiastic about filling in Team Prime about the legendary King of Camelot following the discovery and recovery of… that sword.

Saber might’ve giggled at the reactions (or lack thereof) to her identity if she weren’t preoccupied staring at her Noble Phantasm, one of her most precious possessions, now resting once again in her hands. “All this time… inside Shirou…” she mumbled half-dazed while running a finger along the Fairy Letters. “And I didn’t realize…”

She then wordlessly passed Avalon to her bemused best friend, who asked hesitantly, “Um… Artoria?” (So, that’s her real name, Shirou noted quietly.)

“Please hold this for a moment, Kakashi.” The King of Knights took four brisk strides to the other side of the room, positioned herself before a wooden beam, and…

THUNK. “Stupid.” THUNK. “Stupid.” THUNK. “Stupid.” THUNK. “Stupid.”

The others simply watched their leader in all but name continue to beat her head against a slowly but steadily indented beam. And again, it was Maiya who spoke up first. “You know…” THUNK. “I can’t decide…” THUNK. “…if you’re a good…” THUNK. “…influence on her…” THUNK. “…or a bad one, Kakashi.” THUNK.

Assassin X simply nodded in response. THUNK. “Stupid.”

“Those wretched, insolent cretins!”

Caster stomped about the temple’s halls, energy crackling about her. To think that no less than seven Servants tromped up into her territory, caused all manner of trouble, and escaped with their blasted lives! Worst of all were those mortals who dared think they could come in here and attack her beloved-!

“Caster,” that soothing voice stopped her in her tracks. She slowly turned around to see her beloved in his green suit, those clear eyes as strong as his body behind the glasses. “They didn’t spot me. I’m alright.”

She launched herself into his arms, letting herself melt from the warmth he showed only her. “Yes, beloved… You’re safe. And that is our victory.” She confirmed her statement by tapping into her surveillance, finding only Servants allied to her.

Assassin was back at his usual post, albeit with a group of Dragon Tooth Warriors as backup (and a friendly reminder for him not to slack off on his duties).

Berserker X was curled up with her Dragon in a corner, both uncharacteristically quiet. Sulking, maybe. She’d try to have a word with Astrid later.

“Save the rom-com crap for a better occasion.” And Avenger X was barging in like the rude brat he was. “With our luck tonight, the idiot I torched is probably still alive and kicking.” Violet energy prickled along his body, restoring tonight’s damage largely caused by himself. But even Caster couldn’t heal the scars he already carried. Not that either cared. “So, we didn’t score a single kill and ending up showing a lot of our cards for nothing.”

“But not all of them.” Souichiro Kuzuki let Caster shift about in his arms so she could look at both of them (well, mostly him). “They still don’t know my identity. And as much as you revealed your powers, so, too, did they reveal theirs.” His old training surfaced with each word. “We take into account what we’ve learned and prepare ourselves better for the next confrontation.”

“And that confrontation will not be at our doorstep again,” Caster vowed, leaning her uncloaked head against her love’s shoulder before meeting his eyes again. “They will all learn the consequences of invading my territory.”

“Then let’s return the favor.” They turned back to a fully healed Avenger X. “Now that we’ve just had our teeth kicked in, the teams that didn’t pay us a visit yet are likely gearing up to swoop in and take us down. So, we ought to do something and do it fast, teach everyone you don’t screw with us and get away with it.” He pulled out a shuriken left behind and fiddled with it.

A smile slowly grew across Medea’s lips. “Yes…” In a rare occasion, he could follow the charred lunatic’s thought process clearly. And even rarer, she agreed. “And who better to teach than the rats who challenged us already?”

“Rule of the street: When somebody hits you hard, you hit back.” Dabi summoned his Blueflame with a smirk, the metal star melting through his fingers. “And hit ‘em harder.”

Oh, we’re cooking now, aren’t we?

Seeing as this was a recurring debate on Spacebattles, allow me to clarify two things about Archer’s abilities in this story. First of all, he can’t properly Trace weapons from alternate universes that have materials exclusive to said universes. He could substitute with similar materials he already knows, but then the results wouldn’t be exact replicas. But if he manages to acquire a pure sample of whatever elements are missing, that’s all he needs to fill in the blanks for his “hypothesis” and BOOM. Proper Projection.

And yes, Crescent Rose is now somewhere in the plains of Unlimited Blade Works.

Second, this was always the plan; I was always going to have Ruby share her Dust with Archer. That’s who she is. Look, this limitation of Archer wasn’t meant to nerf him so much as it was to symbolize his character arc in this story/timeline.

I also became a lot invested in the Windu vs. Kotomine fight than I expected. The clash between their characters is just so appealing. Anyways:

Avenger X-

Class: Avenger

Master: Caster

True Name: Touya Todoroki

Titles: Dabi, Blue Flame Villain, Endeavour’s Greatest Sin

Sex: Male

Source: My Hero Academia

Region: Japan

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Strength: D

Endurance: C-

Agility: C

Mana: B

Luck: E

NP: B+

Class Skills-

Avenger: Is a Class Skill of the Avenger class, representing the state of an Avenger as one that gathers people's hatreds and grudges onto oneself. It is easier for one to accumulate hatred and resentment. The rate of mana generation becomes higher when receiving damage.

C: Avenger X has a keen eye for mental insecurities or sensitive points and will often taunt or rile up his opponents with target accusations to make them careless at crucial moments. Even with such derision, most would dismiss him as a witless pyromaniac from his wanton use of Blueflame, thereby underestimating how clever he actually is.

Oblivion Correction: Is a Class Skill of the Avenger class. People are creatures that forget many things, but an Avenger never forgets. The critical effect of Avengers who attack from beyond one's memory is strengthened.

A: Avenger X’s mind has been warped and ravaged by the burden placed upon him as a child and then being subsequently cast aside when a better candidate was born. After nearly burning to death from his own power, requiring excessive medical treatment merely to stay alive and spending three years in a coma, he refused any other assistance which did not come from his father and rushed home, only to find his father had moved on. The ones who rescued Avenger X believed he would not last a month in his current state; yet he persevered for eight years through sheer hatred and willpower. Avenger X will never forget the faces of those that set him down the charred path he walked in life. And he will never forgive.

Self-Replenishment (Mana): Is a Class Skill of the Avenger class. One's Magical Energy endlessly surges until their revenge is accomplished. Recovers a minuscule amount of magical energy every turn.

C: Avenger X’s flames are fueled by strong emotions, and the hatred blazing behind his deceptively calm demeanor allows him to continue wielding the immense firepower while sustaining his physical form.

Independent Action: The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the mana supply from the Master.

A: Though he joined a group of dangerous individuals bent on upending society, Avenger X openly stated he had no interest in the other members or their leader’s goals. As a Servant, he can remain in the world for a week without a stable mana supply, Self-Replenishment (Mana) aiding his expenditure in combat. He can even weather lethal damage to his spirit core and continue to function for some time, though death is assured.

Personal Skills-

Blueflame: An innate ability to create and wield blue flames that are of far higher temperatures than an average fire. While supernatural, this fire originates from basically a genetic disorder in life, with no connection to magic; Magic Resistance can thereby offer no protection.

A+: The upper limit of Avenger X’s flames is at least 2,000°C (3,632°F), and strong emotions fuel the heat further. As a Personal Skill, they are powerful enough to burn and, if extensively exposed to them, kill other Heroic Spirits. Avenger X generally releases the flame from his hands in large bursts as an offensive maneuver, but he can also create encompassing walls to trap others, smaller blasts to only harm or scare, emit fire from his entire body as a defense, or exude flame jets from his legs for limited flight. However, Avenger X cannot reduce the heat of his fire, nor does he possess complete immunity due to Protection From Cold. Should he summon too much flame without giving himself time to cool down, his skin will burn, and eventually, the rest of his body could follow. Blueflame could very well be the death of Avenger X himself in a too lengthy, spirited battle. But not without possibly burning everything and everyone in his radius to ash.

Mind's Eye (Fake): Is a natural talent to foresee/sense and avoid danger on the basis of an innate 6th sense, intuition, or prescience. The accuracy of this instinct can be augmented by experience. The ability also grants an effect of offering resistance against penalties caused by visual obstructions.

B+: Avenger X possesses a sharp mind and keen sense of danger. It is possible to ambush him but quite difficult, and he can read patterns in an enemy's stance, allowing him to aim for an opening or misstep with little time to spare. Avenger X can deduce important details of others with a mere glance and logic. He learned his father’s most powerful techniques simply by secretly observing him when he performed them on missions.

Protection From Cold: Allows for battle in climates with and against attacks involving extreme low temperatures.

B: Avenger X inherited a high resistance to freezing temperatures from his mother. This trait, combined with Blueflame, allows him to battle with little diminishment in his performance should even a raging blizzard be summoned against him. Ironically, this Skill actually lowers his own tolerance to Blueflame.

Noble Phantasms-

Flashfire Fist: "The Father's Twisted Dream": B (Anti-Unit (Self)): The pinnacle fire-manipulation technique of Avenger X's world, created by his father's desire to become his home's greatest hero. As a Noble Phantasm, Avenger X raises his internal heat to the highest temperatures possible in conjunction with Oblivion Correction’s grants, thereby maximizing Blueflame’s firepower. The result is far greater, concentrated flame attacks and a blaze around Avenger X that incinerates nearly anything around him. His speed also increases dramatically, allowing him to rapidly assault his enemies in mid-air. Few defenses can resist its heat, especially at full power, and he can enter this state near-instantaneously. Flashfire Fist remains a power not born of magic, rendering Magic Resistance useless as protection. However, this level of heat generated in turn means Blueflame’s self-destructive properties have also been maximized. Avenger runs the risk of completely immolating his own body by overusing Flashfire Fist. It may therefore qualify as a Suicide Noble Phantasm.

?: A+ (Anti-Unit (Self)):

Upon first envisioning this story, I immediately decided that Dabi would be perfect as Avenger X, nuances about how “righteous” his anger really is aside.

For those of you who might nitpick about him having Self-Replenishment (Mana) and Independent Action, I asked someone I consider a reliant source on Fate material about whether or not they have the same function. rafuki22 from Spacebattles explained to me the Skills are not really the same. But I felt Dabi’s loner nature should be properly represented, so I included Independent Action. It’s also how he can move about freely and isn’t bound to the temple like False Assassin.

Moreover, I believe I mentioned that Archer is basically the Batman of the Nasuverse, and before the trope was dewicked, Dabi was an example of “Practically Joker.” Just a little heads-up about the… interactions between these two, past, present and future.

Oh, and uh, about Caster’s… interests… Keep in mind, this story isn’t rated R. I’m too chickenshit to try and cross that line into writing.

Chapter Text

Okie dokie, today’s my birthday, and to celebrate with all my avid readers, here’s another bonus chapter! Three weeks ago, I issued on Spacebattles a little challenge for Paradox Carnival skits, and it was quite a lovely turnout despite the limitation of keeping this to the Zero Paradox/Paradoxical Blade Works timeline. I’ve also been preparing a few of my own which are scattered among this collective chapter. The order is when I received/wrote these skits, and I sincerely hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Starting off with this lovely opening courtesy of the one-and-only kreuzritter:

An overcast, potentially stormy day in London, England, as an inexplicably Taisho-era-looking Japanese candy shop sits nestled amongst its peers on the street. It sits incongruously disconnected from the, as if something had firmly but gently convinced the row buildings about to keep their distance and leave a respectfully wide U-shaped alley around the premises.

Inside, an old-fashioned rotary phone, before the handset is picked up by the thin, pale hand of the shop-owner.

"Oh," the shop-owner answers, a tall, scruffy man known as Urahara Kisuke, his eccentricity obvious in his antiquated Japanese clothing, tall geta sandals and ever-present striped bucket hat. "A Carnival you say? I see, very good then."

Walking with his cane Benihime in one hand, a wooden signboard in the other, Urahara steps out of his shop, taking a moment to bask in the anticipation.

"Oh-ho," asks the winged, circled star that is the infamous Kaleiostick Ruby, appearing suddenly from over his left shoulder, inexplicably free from her prison in the bowels of Stately Tohsaka Manor. "What's this, Mr. Totally-Normal Candy Shop Owner?”

"Be Nice, sister," chides her sister, the also suddenly appearing Kaleidostick Sapphire over Urarahara's right shoulder, equally inexplicably free from her own prison in the bowels of Stately Edelfelt Manor. "He's channeling a Not-Suspicious-At-All Ramen Cook."

"I have wisely chosen to stay out of all this nonsense," he says, musing more towards himself than the two magical wands, "perfectly content to run a traditional Japanese candy store here in the heart of London."

"It's a miracle you're still in business," Ruby remarks.

"However," he continues, "with a once-in-a-lifetime carnival upon us, I'm willing to cast aside my fastidiousness. So! for today only, I adorn my store with this open invitation!"

He slams down a message board, with WARMEST WELCOME written on it in Japanese, declaring, "I shall welcome any customer who walks through!"

His words met only by the rustling of a stiff breeze, he re-enters the shop, ominously intoning, "Now, what kind of people will they be? I can't wait to see."

The two Kaleidosticks left hovering in the street, Sapphire turns to her sister.

"Sister, I have a bad feeling about this."

"I know,” Ruby replies, fluttering with worry, "It’s as if the karmic balance of the world is thrown off, like the author was too lazy and is just cribbing the opening to Kaleid Festival, which we can detect through our connection to the Second Magic. and I just know this heralds an equal pandemonium, where time, parallel words and even sanity have no meaning. The Carnival has come upon us once more, sister. All we can do is watch."

~FPC~

Flurry of stars, followed by the title card of PARADOXICAL CARNIVAL

KIMI TO (HAI!)

Closeup of MAIYA, singing the lyric waving her finger to the beat, PAKKUN popping up behind her

ISSHI GASHI ICIBAN (IEI!)

IRISVIEL & MAIYA singing side by side, extending their hands to the viewer, two NINJA DOGS jumping into frame

SUKI YOTTE MOTTO GYUTTO NE

SOLA, MAIYA and IRISVIEL doing bouncy dance moves, NINJA DOGS waving back and forth in the foreground, paws in the air

KIMI TO (HAI!)

SABER, mirroring MAIYA's finger waves, PAKKUN bouncing into frame

ATARASHII BASHO E TO (IEI!)

SABER and RIN, mirroring Maiya & Irisviel, two NINJA DOGS bouncing into frame

HIPPATTECCHAU

SAKURA, RIN and SABER doing bouncy dance moves, NINJA DOGS waving back and forth in the foreground, paws in the air

RURANRA

THE GIRLS huddled together, shaking their fists as they sing poutily,

OKURENAI DE NE~

BUMBLEBEE drives across, chased by a flurry of NINJA DOGS

WOAH-OH-WA! WOAH-OH-WA!

Panning shot of HALF THE CAST waving their hands in the air, in the background, GILGAMESH sits perched atop the giant head of HERAKLES, throwing confetti that rains down on everyone. opposite them is the floating golden sun-head of KENPACHI!

YAY-YAY!

Title card of PARADOXICAL CARNIVAL dances to the beat

WOAH-OH-WA! WA-OH-WOAH!

Panning shot of OTHER HALF OF CAST waving their hands in the air, in the background, GILGAMESH sits perched atop the giant head of HERAKLES, throwing confetti that rains down on everyone. opposite them is the floating golden sun-head of KENPACHI!

YAY-YAY!

WOAH-OH-WA! WA-OH-WOAH!

YAY-YAY!

Title card of PARADOX CARNIVAL continues dancing for the rest of the chorus

TONDEKE SUGOI NA

SABER and SHIROU look on amused as MAIYA and KAKASHI get ready to go out

[DARE GA? WATASHITACHI DESU YO!

Closeup of MAIYA taking KAKASHI by the hand as they start running

SENBEKI WA NAI NO IYAHOO~

DIARMUD walking with TEX, as SOLA jumps into frame to tackle-glomp him

TANOSHII UTAGE

SOLA & TEX cat-fighting over Diarmud.

ZETTAI OWARANAI MAHOU KAKATE

Montage of RIN's exasperated madness of trying to comprehend the Blu-ray player

DOKIDOKI NO ZANYASAI

ARCHER & RUBY sighing and shaking their heads in the foreground as RIN Gandrs the hell out of the Blu-ray player

ASONDE ASONDEA BAKARI GA II NA

Montage of WAVER's exasperation as QROW & KENPACHI! goof off and drink

DESHO? YAPPARI YAPPARI SOU DESHO?

ISKANDAR scolding QROW & KENPACHI!, a smiling WAVER nurses the comic bandage applied to his forehead

OMATSURI YOISHO DE

KIRITSUGU & IRISVIEL at a carnival shooting gallery, he's about to win her a SABER figurine

NAKAYOSHI (NAKAYOSHI)

INTERRUPTING KIREI & MEGATRON burst through the stall!

KIMI E NO YOISHO WA

HICCUP tries to placate an increasingly angry ALTSTRID

JIZENTAI (AFEKUSHON)

BAZETT and MEDEA look on in at ALSTRID smiting HICCUP with STORMFLY, showing respective expressions of fear and amusement

ODEKAKE NO JUNJO WA

ZOUKEN lecturing his evil plan to MEDUSA, YONDU and SHINJI, who has fallen asleep. CREST WORMS pour down on SHINJI as punishment

SUICCHI HAITTE

MACE WINDU wearing MEDEA's cloak, pulls the hood up as Sith cosplay, GANDALF & SAKURA watch from the door, quietly amused

HAI NI NATTE

RUBY jump-dances

KANRYOU DA!

SHIROU throws a triumphant thumbs up, the kanji for [TRANSLATION HERE] on his thumbpad

AMAI DERIKASHII DE

TAIGA, dressed sexily, mugs for the camera, to the onlooking ILYASVIEL'S horror

HONNORI

HERAKLES roars

SAPPARI

KARIYA, GANDALF & LANCELOT driving and doing the Roxbury guys headbop

ASSARI

BAZETT in a maid outfit, taking MAIYA's order

PITTARI

ILLYASVIEL atop CHIHIRO'S head & shoulders like he's her pony

KOISHICHAU!

CU CHULLAIN GA SHINDA! KONO HITO DE NASHI!

KIMI TO (HAI!)

IRISVIEL & MAIYA, singing the lyric waving theirs finger to the beat, NINJA DOGS popping up behind them

ISSHO GA ICHIBAN (IEI!)

SABER, RIN, MAIYA & IRSVIEL singing in a row, extending their hands to the viewer, more NINJA DOGS jumping into frame

SUKI YOTTE MOTTO GYUTTO NE

SAKURA, RUBY, RIN, MAIYA, SABER & IRISVIEL doing bouncy dance moves, NINJA DOGS waving back and forth in the foreground, paws in the air

KIMI WO (HAI!)

BAZETT & TAIGA singing in the foreground, waving their fingers to the beat, IRISVIEL & MAIYA in the background doing the same. NINJA DOGS popping up all around them

ATARASHII BASHO E TO (IEI!)

ILYASVIEL & SOLA singing in the foreground, SABER & TEX in the background doing the same. SOLA is scowling at TEX. more Ninja dogs bounce in

HIPPATTECCHAU

ALL THE GIRLS doing bouncy dance moves. through their legs, the NINJA DOGS can barely be seen waving back and forth

RURANRA

ALL THE GIRLS singing poutily and shake their fists adorably at the camera

SHITE

Generic human silhouette next to EUSTASS KIDD, the words WHO ARE THE FORK ARE THEY? written on the blank background

HONTO (HAI) ISSHONI ITAI NA (IEI)
JAMA SARETAKUNAINDA MON

Blade Works students walking to school, Rin comes running up to Shirou and drags him along

KIMI NI (HAI!) HIMITSU
NO BASHO DA WA (IEI)
HARIKICCHAU YOICCHAU

Montage of OTHER-OTHER-OTHER SABER ASSASSIN KOJIRO establishing his home at the Ryuudo Temple gate as the seasons pass, he and ALTSTRID using DABI as a bonfire during a winter snowstorm

RURANRA? RURANA! DA YO!

BUMBLEBEE comes racing across the screen diagonally, pursued by countless NINJA DOGS

WOAH-OH-WA! WA-OH-WOAH!

Panning shot of HALF THE CAST waving their hands in the air, in the background, GILGAMESH sits perched atop the giant head of HERAKLES, throwing confetti that rains down on everyone. opposite them is the floating golden sun-head of KENPACHI!

YAY-YAY!

Title card of PARADOXICAL CARNIVAL dances to the beat

WOAH-OH-WA! WA-OH-WOAH!

Panning shot of OTHER HALF OF CAST waving their hands in the air, in the background, GILGAMESH sits perched atop the giant head of HERAKLES, throwing confetti that rains down on everyone. opposite them is the floating golden sun-head of KENPACHI!

YAY-YAY!

Final title card reading PARADOXICAL CARNIVAL!