Archive of Our Own ^beta

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).