Shirou could barely hear anything anymore. His vision faded in and out, so he couldn't really tell much of the girl crouching over him except her red hair… and silver shimmering eyes. He hadn't felt the girl's hand, and he couldn't feel anything at all except agony. It was like that stab had sent a bolt of lightning through every last part of his body and frying him alive. His heart, though, there wasn't any pain there… He was dying. He knew it, and he knew nothing could stop it… no matter… how hard… he tried to… fight…
By the time a panting Rin made it up the stairs, she found Archer in a hallway, standing over Lancer X who in turn was kneeling beside someone, her back to them. "You did everything you could." She couldn't say who the silver-haired Servant was addressing.
"But it wasn't enough…" Ruby seemed to think she was the addressee, and from her quiet, broken tone, it wasn't good. Rin steeled herself and wiped any expressions from her face as she approached. The closer she got, the clearer the boy was in his uniform and the pool of blood surrounding him. She couldn't see his face yet, but she noticed Ruby's shoulders shaking slightly. "I should've been faster… I-I should've stopped Lancer…"
"Archer," the Tohsaka Master spoke with a calm, stoic demeanor, "go after Lancer. We need to see his Master's face at least, or else this evening will have been for nothing." Archer nodded and left in spirit form. That left two girls and one doomed boy in that hallway, and the human girl moved to her partner's side. "Don't blame yourself, Ruby." Her voice softened a touch before she adjusted it. "This is my responsibility."
The girl's red bangs shivered as she shook her head. "I let Lancer run him through," she replied dully. "His heart's been skewered, and I can't do a thing to fix it." Her eyes shimmered with such sadness it made Rin's heart wrench. "Some hero I turned out to be…"
Rin knelt beside her, picking up a pained wheeze from the boy in the process. A compact Crescent Rose lay beside its wielder, she noted, and she knew it could easily be unfolded in an instant. Ruby's hand hovered trembling over it. She doesn't know if she should… finish it, Rin realized with another twist of her own heart. She doesn't want to see him suffer, but she can't work up the nerve to put him out of his misery.
Her hand reached out and squeezed Ruby's tightly as they sat there together. "I'm sorry." Rin didn't know who she was apologizing to, maybe both of them… She locked eyes with Ruby who studied her before nodding sadly. "We'll stay with you until it's time." Rin then lifted her gaze up his body; the least she could do was memorize his face…
Ruby was trying not to think of Pyrrha when she heard a horrified gasp escape Rin. The Huntress glanced worriedly between the dying auburn-haired boy's face and her Master's, her eyes wide enough to fall out of her sockets and panicked breaths shooting out of her. "No… Not you…" Cool, collected Rin whispered, almost whimpered, her eyes not leaving the unmoving boy. "Don't… Wh-Why did it have to be you…" her whole body shook like a leaf. "What were you e-even doing here…t-tonight of all t-times?"
"Rin, what's…" Then it clicked as Jaune's call inadvertently rang inside her brain. Ruby gripped the other girl's shoulder. "You know him, don't you?" Rin hugged herself trying not to cry but managed a nod. "He's… a friend?" Another, more hesitant nod.
"W-What am I supposed to tell her tomorrow…?"
Rin covered her eyes so as not let Ruby see her like this- no, because she couldn't stand this sight anymore. Not of Shirou Emiya bleeding out. So much red- Red…
She dug into her pocket until she felt the silver chain there and tugged on it. The ruby pendant left behind by Father was just as Rin remembered it, still practically reverberating with mana. So much potential…
The Heroic Spirit with the same name watched her movements carefully and how she seemed to be hopeful again. Just a tiny bit. Her eyes landed on the gem, and even she sensed what was inside. "You've got something, Rin? Something to save him?"
"Y-yes…" Rin blinked at the sudden intensity in Ruby's voice. "There may still be a chance…" But even as she said the words, doubt crept in. Was this right choice? Doing this would probably expend all of the mana Father had left behind for her, and the Holy Grail War had only just begun. If all the other battles, the other Servants, would be like what she saw tonight, could she be so liberal with her resources…? Even if it was… for his sake…?
"So, do it."
Ruby's voice sliced through her thoughts, and Rin found those silver eyes staring once again into hers, nothing but determination in their irises. "If you can save his life, then do it, Rin! Don't just sit here worrying about what-ifs and maybe's, he needs you right now!"
A voice less familiar rang out just as the last of his embers seemed to ebb out. "What's the point of having power if you don't use it to help those you care about?!"
"…L-Like I need you to tell me what's right…"
A pendant with a red jewel jingled over Shirou. Glimmers of light, then he felt a pressure on his ribs. Not too heavy, though. It was the least painful sensation for him… this… night…
Rin concentrated, funneling the mana into his body and feeling the individual cells and blood vessels inside Emiya's body. This spell was a delicate process. One wrong move, and the energy could do even worse damage or something. She dully registered Ruby standing guard behind her, the girl's confidence and valor seemingly flowing into her. It was painstaking work, but… she thought it was working. Almost done. Before she knew what she was doing, she dropped the pendant and pressed her right ear to Emiya's chest despite the blood, trying to tune out her own hammering heartbeat. After a far too long stretch of nothing…
There it was. A weak but steady rhythm growing stronger the longer she listened. And Rin herself finally felt like she could breathe again.
Alone in the hallway, Shirou Emiya gasped for air. He still felt like his insides were on fire… but he was alive. Somehow. Panting, he managed to prop up his arms and turn over so he was all fours; every breath of air was a battle. "What happened…?" He patted his chest and found blood all over his hand. So, that stuff… those people… Dying… it hadn't been some dream. Shirou tried to get up and stumbled back to his hands. His legs were still so heavy.
While the boy's lungs worked feverishly to suck in oxygen, his eyes were drawn to something glittering on the floor: that red pendant he saw just before blacking out. Shirou grabbed it without thinking and tried standing up again, wobbly but upright this time. Got to get out of here…
Shirou somehow managed to stagger his way half-dazed back home before finally collapsing in the dining room. He flopped on his back and sucked in one lungful of air after another. "Bull… Shiba…" He wheezed to himself with one hand over his chest wound. "Gotta make sure they're okay…" His fingers lapped up some dried blood, but his od was in too much turmoil for him to summon. "The blue guy and the white guy… and the red girl…Who the hell were they? Not normal humans, that's for sure…"
Remembering his lessons, he took an effort to slow his breathing, steady his od. He also ran through the facts. "The blue man really almost killed me. No," he flashed back to that agonizing stab into his heart, "he did kill me." Shirou painfully sat up, the effort of this action confirming his next statement: "But I'm still here alive. That red girl… she tried to protect me, but it wasn't her who saved me…" He shut his eyes to pick out the memories.
"No… someone else showed up after her… they argued… then they saved my life… But who?" Shirou shook his head. Too much noise between his ears to figure out if he knew the voices. "Least I should do is thank them… and the other girl…" He perked up. "Right… the boys." He prodded the stains on his shirt; too dry. He needed fresh blood to summon-
Shirou stilled when bells chimed. They were a signal from the Bounded Field Kiritsugu had set up, a signal of intruders-
The blue man appeared right above him, spear aimed at his chest.
Rin didn't really recall returning to the manor. She simply laid stretched out onto a couch in the living room, exhaustion seemingly gluing her to the cushions as she stared up at the ceiling's patterns. Guess I'm all tapped out of adrenaline, she thought, tonight's events running through her brain again and again.
Then Lancer X stepped into view with a white damp cloth in hand. "Here." Rin just blinked at her. "For your face. You've still got some, uh…" Ruby waved her free hand at her right ear, and the pieces slowly slid into place. Panicking, Rin bolted into an upright position and checked the cushion. She sighed, no bloodstains. "Do you need me to-"
"I've got it." The Master snatched the cloth away from her Servant of the Spear and began dabbing at her right side. Flecks of dry blood dirtied the warm cloth the more she worked, and the sight of it made her stomach turn. It was probably a good thing she hadn't eaten dinner. Another couple seconds, then running it through her hair, and Rin turned to the girl standing beside her. "Am I clean?" Ruby nodded, and she relaxed again. "…Thanks."
"Oh, well, I figured nobody likes that, uh, stuff clinging to-"
But Rin shook her head. "Not for the rag, you dolt…" Her insult lacked any sting or fire. "For… supporting me. Tonight."
Ruby watched her while accepting the rag, then eyed the spot beside her. At a nod from Rin, she sat down. "I'm your Servant, it's my job to have your back." Her smile softened as she took in the girl's heavy sitting, her face away. In that moment, Ruby Rose saw for the second time the truth about Rin Tohsaka, the same truth she'd seen back at the school over the boy: She was a magus and a seventeen-year-old human girl. "Hey. You did the right thing."
"Did I?" Some of Rin's usual coolness returned, a Tohsaka's way of distinguishing oneself from the rest. "That pendant was… valuable. I can't just rustle up another just like it. Maybe I could've put it to use later down the line. I might still need it, and now I don't have it…"
"We'll deal with that if and when we have to." Rin stifled a laugh before turning to see Ruby grinning at her. "You saved someone's life tonight. I don't know what's okay and what's not for mages on this world, but even if what you did isn't okay, I don't care. That boy will get to go home, go back to school tomorrow, play video games, be with his family," she pointed a finger at Rin, "and it's thanks to you. Not me or Archer or Lancer or any Heroic Spirit. You saved his life, Rin. Don't go second-guessing yourself about that."
The Tohsaka heiress stared at her. For a moment, Ruby's face seemed to grow older, her skin darkened, her eyes shifted from silver to hazel… Rin shut her eyes for a long moment and opened them again. There, back to normal. Honestly, she felt a little looser after watching Lancer X… Ruby battle tonight. Maybe it was because of her skill, maybe because she used a scythe, not a spear or a… staff.
"Besides," Ruby had yet to pick up on her thoughts, "me and Archer just gotta put a little more oomph in our efforts to even out whatever you lost with that necklace!" Rin couldn't help but giggle. Or maybe it was because the Servant was so damnably endearing. If she could bottle this girl's optimism, she'd make a fortune.
"Is that metric or imperial oomph?" Archer materialized with a half-smirk behind the couch.
Lancer X hopped to her feet and made to check on him. "Are you okay? You were out for a while…"
He waved her off. "I'm fine. Unfortunately, my mission was a failure. Lancer's Master is very careful."
Rin huffed while leaning against the couch's back. "Well, I guess that would've been too easy." Metal jingled, and then a familiar ruby (not the Servant) dangled next to her. "Oh, you recovered it for me?" She held out her hand for him to drop the pendant into. Though powerless now, it was still a last gift from Father.
Archer simply stared straight ahead. "Try not to lose it again. You're… the only one it suits, Rin." He put on his smirk again when his partner looked at him. "Well, maybe Ruby could pull it off, too."
"Present!" Rin sucked in her cheeks so as to not join with her giggles. She inspected the pendant. Yup, not a speck of mana left in it. But I put it to good use…
The Servants stopped their banter upon seeing their Master stiffen again. "Rin, what's wrong?"
"Lancer's Master…" Rin muttered half to herself, half to them. Her frown was back. "If he finds out the witness thought dead is still alive…"
Lancer X's eyes widened as she picked up on her train of thought, and Archer voiced the conclusion. "Most likely, he'll dispatch Lancer to finish what he started."
"Not if I can help it!" By the time Rin stood up, Ruby was already halfway to the door. "You guys coming?"
Rin didn't bother giving a redundant answer as she retrieved her coat, but Archer frowned at them. "You're both getting really worked up about something unnecessary." Lancer X stared back at him, but he stood his ground. "That boy isn't our responsibility."
Rin tugged her hands through the coat sleeves and marched to the front door where Lancer X waited. "I'm not about to let him die after what I paid to bring him back!" She snapped while flinging open the door.
Lancer X let her step outside as she continued to stare at her partner. When he simply stared back, she sighed. "If you really don't want to help, stay here, Archer." She didn't even give him a look goodbye before heading out after their Master.
Then just as they made to shut the gate, a disgruntled Servant of the Bow joined his partner's side. "I didn't say I wouldn't help…" he grumbled deliberately averting his eyes from Lancer X's relieved smile.
Rin was busy orienting their location and the Emiya house. She had gone there two or three times to pick up Sakura after the odd cooking session… "This way!" She pointed in the direction and gauged the distance. "Lancer's probably already there…" Her shoulders slumped as an idea came to mind, and she turned wearily to one of her Servants. "…How far can you transport all three of us with that Semblance Noble Phantasm of yours…?"
Her heart sank at the grip on her and Archer's arms and the plucky grin on Lancer X's face. "Let's find out!"
Shirou braced himself before tackling the screen in his way. Glass shards fell around and on him as he rolled onto the yard, his fingers briefly coming together. He barely kept a grip on the Reinforced poster, his only weapon at the moment. He struggled to stand up when the blue guy was suddenly next to him and kicked him away.
Lancer scoffed at the boy writhing slightly in the dirt, his pain plain to see. He must've tried blocking it with that paper, but good luck with that, magic or not. "You're not putting the chance I gave you to good-" The air whistled as that same boy was suddenly on his left swinging for his head. He stopped the swing easily but puzzled, a state that grew when he registered the boy again behind him. Three of them…? Lancer instinctively parried their clumsy attacks, noting how they all looked, sounded and even smelled exactly like the boy who was slowly getting up a couple feet away. "Oh, some kind of duplication trick? Interesting." He slashed once, and both disappeared with a Poof! "Bit fragile, though."
Well, the Shadow Clones had lasted about as long as Shirou had expected, but he managed to limp his way inside the shed. "Yeesh, you're a man, aren't you?" The jerk called out behind him. "At least die with your pride intact." Shirou ignored the taunt as his eyes searched the interior for anything that might work as a weapon.
He didn't notice the magical glow on his right, too busy unfurling the poster to stop the spear from skewering him a second time. Mana flashed, and it burst apart while Shirou tumbled backwards from the aftershock.
"This is it." The blue man wasn't even winded. "You've got a few tricks up your sleeve, kid." Shirou pushed himself trembling off the cement floor. "But I don't get you. You're a quick thinker, but you don't seem any good at magecraft aside from those doubles, and I'm not sure that even wasmagecraft. Who knows, you might've been the seventh…" He could feel the bastard getting ready for another lunge. "But that's not the case for you anymore. You're done."
That spear almost sounded ready to kill him again, but at the moment, Shirou couldn't feel any fear. "Like hell…" He rolled around to glare at the intruder and tapped his battered chest. "Someone saved my life. I was given a chance to live again, and I'm not giving it up that easy!" Images of his big sister, his aunt, his dogs, his friends at school swelled inside his mind, ending with an image of his father. "I can't die yet, not when I have so many responsibilities, things I can't fulfill if I'm gone!
"No way am I dying here," Shirou Emiya barely noticed his left hand tingling, "for no good reason," or a prickle in his right, "by some guy like you!" as he glared defiantly at the spear hurtling towards him. "By some guy who couldn't care less about taking lives!"
A golden sheath lit up amid a spiraling lake of od, then lines like Magic Circuits stretched out forming shapes until they reached first a certain sword, then a carving of a leaf with a spiral.
Lancer stopped his thrust to stare in shock at the torrent of mana blazing before him. He could make out a shape inside it, no, a presence. "The final Servants?!" The attack he only just blocked sent him flying back out into the yard.
Shirou stared dumbstruck at the person that now stood in front of him. Blue winds seemed to whirl around the body clad in silver armor on top of blue robes. Their arms were stretched out to the right in post-swing, he realized, though he couldn't see any trace of a sword. Just more winds curling around one another and leading down to be gripped by sturdy silver gauntlets.
He was facing their back, so the battered, uncomprehending boy couldn't make out their gender, but then he heard a feminine voice. "I ask thee…" The figure (shorter than he thought at first) straightened and turned to him, the motion revealing that the robes were actually a dress. A breastplate emblazoned with some blue design curved outwards, suggesting it wasn't guarding a boy's chest.
"Are you my Master?" And the face staring dignified down at him, framed by blonde hair tied back in a bun with a single strand poking out front, smooth cheeks, shining green eyes… This was definitely a girl.
Shirou blinked, trying to get his brain working after all the excitement of the night, the path that led to him bleeding, sore and on his butt in front of a beautiful girl who was expecting some kind of answer. "M-Mas…ter…?"
A blonde eyebrow rose on that face, but the girl otherwise seemed unfazed by his confusion. "Servant Saber has arrived in response to your calling me, Master." Again, that word, but a flash of pain from his left hand cut off whatever questions he might've asked. She didn't look like she wanted to wait for them, either, as she turned towards the yard. "Setting's a bit unorthodox, but from this moment on, I shall swing my sword in your name. My fate is as yours." Winds gathered again in her hands that she held to the side. "Thus, our pact is complete."
She then shot out of the shed like a rocket, Shirou scrambling after her. "What're you talking about?! What 'pact'?" But the girl was already swinging that wind-sword at the guy who'd killed him, trading blows almost faster than he could see. The man was looking pretty happy, too. Despite the many questions on his mind, Shirou recognized he shouldn't get involved.
The girl charged first, her weapon meeting his too many times in one second for a human eye to count, then a particularly powerful strike sent him skidding backwards. The blue man twisted gracefully with the impact and began shifting from side to side before thrusting at her, but she sidestepped and hit his spear upwards. The ground shattered from their clash. Soon, the guy was being forced back as she pressed the attack, showing amazing strength and speed for her height. One blow came dangerously close to his head, his spear actually bending a bit, before he launched himself up and over her.
Maybe it was because of the fight's intensity, but Shirou didn't even realize someone else was inside the storehouse until he heard his voice. "Hm, looks like a battle's already started." He turned just as a hand clapped down on his shoulder and froze, but the single grey eye peering down at him from a masked face showed no hostility. Moonlight reflected off the metal headband he wore, an odd leaf-like symbol mixed with a spiral glimmering in the night. It fit his silver hair well. "I take it you're to be my Master then?"
"Wh-what?" It was the second time someone had asked him that question tonight, and he'd made little progress in understanding the situation. "First that blonde girl asks me after appearing out of nowhere, and now you show up, mister…"
"The blonde girl? Well, well…" The man turned his head as his gaze traveled towards the fight, and Shirou could've sworn he was smiling underneath his mask. "Still plowing courageously into battle at the drop of a hat…" He pushed his headband up, revealing a scar over his closed left eye. It opened, allowing Shirou to see a red eye with three tomoe.
Then the man blurred.
Shirou blinked again, and just as the blue guy maneuvered around the girl, six whirling things suddenly hurtled towards him from different angles. He batted them all away with two swings of his spear, a shuriken embedding itself in the doorframe by Shirou. The man's red eyes darted about in search of his attacker… nearly missing the other man appearing behind him. He ducked before his throat could get slit and rolled away with a slash the man evaded.
The blue guy landed with his back to Shirou, but the boy could still hear his anger as he yelled at the girl. "How cowardly, first hiding your weapon, then having an Assassin try and stab me in the back! How do you think you are?!"
"Sorry, but I saw a chance and took it." Now that he was out in the open, the moonlight illuminated the interloper's features for all to see. He was tall, only a little shorter than the blue guy, and wore a dark-green flak jacket, a red spiral on his back and pouches on the front, over blue clothes. A white pouch hung off the back of his waistline, and a slimmer black one was tied around his right thigh. His feet were in sandals the same blue as his pants, and fingerless gloves with metal plates covered his hands. A kunai gleamed in his hands.
The girl had adapted the quickest to the newcomer. "Your assistance is appreciated." It likely helped that he appeared to be fighting on her side, but for just a moment, so fast Shirou thought he might've imagined it, her stoic demeanor had shifted to silent but blatant joy upon seeing the man. "May I assume you're my partner in this War, then?"
"By all means." The masked man, too, sounded rather happy. He inclined his head to her. "Assassin X, at your service and our Master's. A shame this is how we get acquainted, but you weren't in the circle when I opened my eyes. Hope you don't mind if I lend a hand?"
"You won't have any hands left after I'm done with you!" The blue man cleared the distance to them instantly, his spear aimed at the green man's chest… But it was batted aside by the girl's sword, her suddenly between the two. Shirou watched amazed as she tilted her head left, allowing the man behind her to grab her shoulder, flip forward and roundhouse kick the other guy's head faster than he could react. "The hell?!" His cursing was cut short when the man landed in a crouch while pulling the girl along, allowing her to roll atop his back for a vertical strike. The spearman stumbled away, blood trickling from his shoulder. "How'd you do that?"
Her only answer was another slash that he sprang over and landed on the other side. This gave Saber a chance to recognize what she instinctively had just done with Assassin X: Maneuver 7… But this wasn't the best time to air her questions. "Something wrong, Lancer? All spearmen would be shamed if you simply stand around." Saber kept her tone cool and unflappable as ever.
"Oh, there's no need to get personal, Saber." Meanwhile, Assassin X acted as casual as she'd always known him while he sauntered to her left. Lancer's crimson eyes tracked him warily even as his own red eye gazed back. "We all have our ways of dealing with difficult situations. I as a foreign Servant have no right to judge you two on how you wage battle."
"Before we get back to that, can't you allow me a few questions: Do your blonde friend really have a sword as your Noble Phantasm? And are you, Mask Man, really only an Assassin?"
The duo exchanged a look, the man shrugging before the woman nodded to him. "Oh, I'm Assassin X straight up," he twirled twin kunai, "and you may not want to meet me alone in a dark alley. But where I come from, we learn how to battle out in the open as well as from the shadows. I'm no knight class, of course, but I wouldn't consider myself helpless."
"And speaking of knight class…" Saber took over. "Maybe I do wield a sword," she hefted her invisible armament, "or maybe not. It might be an axe or a spear. Who knows, Lancer, it might even be a bow or a mere frying pan."
"Now that, I'd like to see in a Heroic Spirit," Lancer snickered a bit before wincing from his wound. He was still a bit sensitive about the bite from that mutt earlier. Despite the pain, he spun his lance before shifting his right foot back and taking a left step forward.
Shirou had been trying to follow along with whatever these weird people were talking about, but now his eyes widened at the blue man's actions. "That stance…"
Assassin X watched cautiously, his demeanor stiffening. He could already detect a prickle of mana around Lancer's weapon, a prelude of what was to come. He's getting serious. "Let me ask one last thing: Seeing as this is the first time we've met, would either of you like to end it here as a draw?"
Saber stepped forward. "Considering the cards are in our favor, I refuse. This is where you die, Lancer." She halted, though, upon noticing Assassin X eyeing her. He tilted his head in a way that she recognized, making her halt in her tracks and ready her guard.
"Really?" While the odds weren't looking good for him, Lancer showed no worry at all. "Damn, I was supposed to just observe, but let's see if I can't draw a wild card." He stiffened, and the tip of his spear blazed crimson with energy that wafted up its length. Saber braced herself, but Assassin X's red eye widened as it focused on that weapon. Oh, that's not good…
Shirou warily watched the blue man glowing red with power; it was just like back on the track field, except this time, this "Lancer" looked ready to follow through. What do I do…? Phantom pain flared up in the boy's heart as it recalled getting split in half by that spear. He almost doubled over clutching his chest. I-I've got to stop him. Somehow- But it turns out the guy with the mask had the same idea.
Lancer smirked at Assassin rushing him, multiple kunai already flying his way. "Attacking me while I'm readying my Noble Phantasm? Nice try…" He shifted his stance, Protection From Arrows allowing him to evade or knock away every knife easily, "but you're too late-" The rustling of paper cut him off as he noticed some knives had sheets tied to them.
'Assassin X's' hands blurred together in a series of signs that still struck a familiar chord in Shirou, then the man briefly fiddled with his mask to breathe a stream of fire. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" As soon as the flames touched the papers tied onto the knives, they detonated simultaneously. Shirou threw up his hands from the sudden heat and fire that enveloped the blue man.
Assassin X adjusted his mask back in place, not taking his eyes off the burning cloud before him. No way this would've been enough to finish off a Servant of Lancer's caliber. His Sharingan alerted him to danger, allowing him to prepare before that dreaded lance shot out of the flames. "Looks like I'll take your heart first, Assassin X!" Lancer stomped to a stop even as he continued his thrust one-handed. "Gáe…" The shinobi leaped back and the left, moving out of reach just as the thrust ended-
"Bolg!"
Steel seemingly turned into a pronged lightning bolt that bent and curved at impossible angles to chase its target. A baffled Assassin X twisted in midair to shift around it… Then it was as though time stopped and was rewound. It was homing in on him again despite his dodging, the boy and Saber's eyes wide open in worry. The crimson bolt ripped into his chest- Poof!
Lancer stared in shock at the smoke that had erupted from his target's body instead of blood, followed by a heavy cracking sound. The cloud dispersed to reveal not a perforated Servant, but a wooden log Gáe Bolg had reduced to splinters. He had no time to puzzle this out, for Saber was already attempting to behead him. The bluenette Servant jumped away to a safe distance, a thin line of red appearing along his neck.
Saber drew back her invisible blade with nary a speck of emotion on her face. This Lancer was nearly as fast as the last one she had dueled, and though he lacked a second spear, that meant his concentration wasn't split between two weapons. Even so, her comrade (she nearly smiled) had unearthed a vital clue about him. Assassin X landed in a silent, mostly graceful crouch behind her save for a light stumbling. He panted a bit, holding one hand over his chest where his heart would be.
His heart that had just been grazed by that red tip. It still felt like a thousand thorns of metal were wriggling between his ribs. And the ninja instinctively knew he had been right to plan ahead with his Sharingan and lucky; if he hadn't initiated his Substitution Jutsu prematurely, the spear would've run him through, no matter how Assassin X might've tried to dodge. "An attack that flips cause and effect around… That's one scary weapon you have, Mr. Lancer."
"You're pretty scary yourself, Mr. X," Lancer quipped as he backed away from Saber, a hand at where his neck had been cut and his face's veins bulging. "That's the first time anyone's managed to avoid my unavoidable spear like that. By the skin of your teeth, but a near miss is still a miss." He smirked at the Servants before him. "What a terrifying pair you make, maybe more terrifying than the one I already met tonight. You're certainly better coordinated."
"And just where is your partner?" Saber shied a step forward while maintaining her stance. "Or do you still think yourself capable of taking the two of us down all by yourself when you've just revealed your Noble Phantasm as Gáe Bolg," her eyes narrowed at him, "Ireland's Child of Light?"
Cú Chulainn clicked his tongue before smirking in a sort of self-deprecating manner. "Guess this really isn't my night. I have to score a kill with that move, otherwise, I've got a problem." He relaxed his stance and began walking away from the two. "See, I've got a total coward for a lord, and I didn't have the good sense like my former partner to bail when I had the chance. Now I'm on my own, and X here survived my spear, so he's calling me back."
Saber glared after him. "Running away? After what you've done?"
"Go ahead and chase me if you want." He stopped and shot a feral glare over his shoulder. "But if you do, you're putting your life at stake!" With that, he leaped effortlessly on top of the wall and off it into the night.
She almost made to follow him but stopped; this could be a trap. A chance to split up the freshly formed team after a hard battle. "Hey!" On that note… her sword still out, Saber shifted to see her (their, she corrected herself) new Master running over to them. "Are you okay?" Assassin X, for his part, simply repaired his damaged flak jacket with a flare of mana. "What are you people…?"
"We are your Saber and Assassin-class Servants." Shirou frowned at how matter-of-factly the blonde girl said that. Like that was all the explanation needed for her slicing up the place with super-sharp air or the fire-breathing guy dodging a freaking lightning bolt. Hang on… did he use a Substitution Spell? Like Maiya would? "I'd prefer if you called me Saber." The smile she gave him rattled him out of his thoughts, especially as it got a little bigger when she turned to the other "Servant." "And…?"
"Assassin X is my class," The silver-haired man flashed them a kind of smile with his closed eyes, "but given the circumstances, telling you my own name shouldn't be too much of a risk." He rose a hand in Japanese greeting. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, but feel free to call me what you like." He began straightening only to stagger slightly. He prodded his chest with a wince. "Wound's still fresh and frankly a little worrying. Plus, I don't feel as strong as I could be." He sighed before pulling his headband over his left eye again, the other fixing on Shirou. "You wouldn't be willing to patch me up, by any chance?"
Shirou got a little flustered, having to admit, "I… don't know spells that complicated." His eyes dropped to the ground in shame at his lacking abilities. "I can do some first aid, but that's probably not much help with a wound like that…"
"Well, not ideal circumstances, but I've been in worse…" A hand patted his shoulder, making him look up to see the man… Kakashi… eye-smiling at him again. "Can you at least tell us your name?"
Between their hopeful looks and the fact they had just saved his life, the boy couldn't help but tell them: "It's Shirou. Shirou Emiya."
That eye opened to stare at him thoughtfully, and Shirou thought he heard Saber mumble, "Emiya…?" But neither gave any impression of what they might be thinking in that moment.
"The house-uh…" He scratched his head, trying to get his thoughts sorted out. "Wait, that's not what I ought to ask first…"
Kakashi nodded in understanding. "It's okay. You look like you've been through a rough night already, and then we fall into your lap." His gaze drifted to the inside of the shed. "You didn't realize you were summoning us in the first place, right?"
"I… have no idea how that happened or what's going on…" Shirou admitted.
"Proper Master or not, you are the mage who called us here." Saber seemed to prefer the straightforward approach to conversations. "Ergo, you are our Master."
Shirou held up a hand. "Hold on a second, isn't weird that either of you keep calling me 'Master' when you can do stuff like this?!"
"Right, looks like we've got a fair bit to bring you up to speed on," Kakashi concluded, though Shirou felt like the masked man was studying him. "Would it help if we call you Shirou, or is that too familiar?"
The boy shook his head; an earnest one, Artoria noted. More than the last man she'd met with the name "Emiya," though she didn't really have it in her to judge that one. "Shirou it is, then. Yes, that is a good name for you." Kakashi nodded even as his eye drifted to their surroundings. This house, the shed, the Magic Circle… it seemed as familiar to the ninja as it was to the knight. Does he… remember like I do?
From the way these people seemed to be glancing at each other, Shirou wondered if they were acquainted. But right when it seemed someone was about to say something, pain flashed through both of his hands. "Argh!" The boy brought up his hands thinking he might've scraped them against something, but what he saw baffled him: on his left hand was some kind of sharp red markings that reminded him of a sword, and on his right was a bigger red version of the symbol on Kakashi's headband. "What… what are these things…?"
Assassin X's attention snapped back to his new Master. "Time for your first lesson, I suppose: Those are what we call 'Command Seals.' They are your connection to us and need to be handled with care." Shirou just stared at them confused, a sight that triggered some nostalgia in the jonin. We've got a bit more to cover than I thought… but I think I'm going to like him. He turned towards a certain wall. "We've got company."
"Three of them this time," Saber, too, was alert. She then rose up to the roof in one bound while Shirou tried to follow their words. "Two are Servants. But I can confront them myself. Considering your injury, Assassin X, you may want to stay back and watch over Shirou."
"Watch over me? Company? Servants?!" Shirou watched her drop over the other side and turned to Kakashi who shot him a rather sheepish look.
"…Yeah, next lesson: There's never a dull moment when you're in a Holy Grail War."
Eyebrow twitching at yet another thing to process, Shirou settled for running out to the street where he found Saber locking blades with the guy in white and the red girl who'd tried protecting him from that Lancer guy.
Rin Tohsaka was kneeling in shock. After another stomach-turning petal-powered trip across Miyama Town, she had just about reached the entrance to the home when Archer called out to her about sensing more Servants' presences. She'd turned to him, thereby almost missing someone chopping her head off if it hadn't been for Ruby. She managed to fend off her attacker and Archer quickly joined her to provide support, openly stunned at their opponent.
The magus couldn't blame him, she, too, stared at the blonde girl in blue and silver armor. The power radiating from her, her solid stance despite her height… There was no doubt who this ought to be. "A Saber Servant…" Rin whispered amazed.
Saber blocked a slash from the red-cloaked girl's scythe, twisted and counterattacked, making her skip backwards to the man's left. She made to press the attack when the girl pointed a finger at her, making her stop. "Quick note: That sword… is… AWESOME!" She blinked befuddled at the high-pitched squeal that rippled through her. "All that air hiding it from tip to handle, wow, it just looks so cool, and I haven't even seen it for real yet!"
Archer sighed to himself at his partner's gushing. If I spend too much time with Ruby, I'll end up a diabetic, I swear. His eyes inadvertently lingered on the proud, stalwart Saber in front of him. But at least I get to see her again…
"Er… thank you?" A little red dusted her cheeks from Lancer X's comment, a feature the Servant of the Bow quietly decided looked good on her. "You wield quite an impressive weapon yourself." She then coughed and straightened. "B-but don't expect mercy from me."
"Whoa, there, we really didn't come here looking for a fight… But I do kinda wanna see your sword for real now…" Lancer X swayed her head a bit in thought, unwittingly endearing herself just a teensy bit more to her current opponent. Even so, they were both warriors.
Behind her, Shirou, too, had been a bit caught off guard by the red girl's excitement, but then, she lifted that crazy scythe of hers, and Saber leaned forward like she was about to charge. This was happening all too fast again, and he thought he could see a girl on her knees behind the two in red. So, as Saber made to attack, the boy reflexively raised a hand after her. "Saber, wait!"
The markings on his left hand lit up in front of Shirou's eyes, and he felt like a wave of energy washed out over Saber. She froze in her tracks shivering. Even the motion of turning her head back to stare at him was so stiff. "That's not helping, Shirou!" She chided him. "I could have driven them off by myself, but now your command hampered my movements." Her body kept twitching like she wanted to move but couldn't.
"Just hang on, Saber," Shirou pleaded. "I haven't a clue what's going on! You two called me your Master, so can't you take a few minutes and explain this whole mess clearly?!"
Archer narrowed his eyes at the boy. She dimly heard Lancer X repeat, "Two?" as he weighed his options. Twice as many Servants… Unknown divergences in the timeline like… Sakura's situation… But the boy was the same… Perhaps he should act now-
Whatever decision he might've made was put on hold when he registered a blade at his jugular.
"He was referring to Saber…" Lancer X suddenly felt someone besides her holding Crescent Rose, "and me." Only then did she notice the silver-haired man standing between her and Archer, one hand gripping her baby near the top, the other holding a knife to her partner's throat. "Good evening, ladies, gentleman. I'm afraid you're standing too close and too hostile near private property."
Archer glared down at the kunai, then at the red tomoe-encircled eye staring levelly back. His hand tightened on Kanshou's handle when he noticed Saber relaxing despite her frozen state.
Shirou made to speak when Kakashi preempted. "Uh, please be careful with your words, Shirou. Thanks to those markings on your hands, your words have a certain degree of power over us." His eyes drifted to Saber apparently unable to move, finally beginning to understand some of this insanity. "I know we have a lot to being you up to speed on, but this really isn't a convenient time for explanations." He understood that much, too, but did these guys really need to just jump into fights to the death?
Before he could say anything, Shirou heard a rather teasing hum. "What a good little amateur for a Master… This is how things are, then?" The girl he'd noticed was up and walking around Archer so he could see her clearly, and once again tonight, he was left in shock:
"It's my turn to say good evening, Emiya." Rin Tohsaka smiled demurely at him.
Not too far away, a single red eye peered into a crystal ball showing these events, a devilish grin widening at what it saw. "Face both new and familiar… And so, the final pieces have arrived …" Masao Matou cackled into the dark surrounded by his allies. "The board is set.
"Let the War begin."
And further still, Sakura Tohsaka was taking action herself.
Aoi had long since gone to sleep while her daughter slipped out quietly into the backyard. Clad in a sky-blue sweater and a grey dress over black tights with sturdy shoes, the night air didn't bother her at all, nor would it even if she were in her nightgown. She had carefully watched her device for all of last night and into this one, and at this very moment, the jewel remained alight without the slightest dimming. It was as sure a sign as any that the leylines underneath the city and her power were at a compatible wavelength. There was little time to waste. Fortunately, Sakura had prepared herself and her tools in advance.
Some fleeting doubts surfaced in her mind again only to be brushed aside just as quickly. Her lost memories were tied into the Holy Grail War, Sakura would've bet her staff and what magic she had on that. In order to recover them and find out why Uncle Kariya had to die, she needed to get involved. Rin could go after the Holy Grail and honor of winning and all that stuff; that was her business, and it looked like she had Servants good enough for that. Sakura only needed to participate. But for that, she required a Servant.
She glanced around to make sure the backyard was safe, then unwrapped the long parcel, revealing it to be a staff almost exactly like the one in her dreams. Sakura had found it in similar circumstances to her "real" one: while ambling through some woods and stumbling (literally) over a long tree branch that must've snapped off by its own weight. It wasn't exactly the same, though, she reminded herself while running her fingers along the Elvish runes etched along its surface. Sakura had carved them in along with the bud-like shape at its tip, her way of making the wood feel more… comfortable to use in conjunction with her magic.
Channeling spells through it still didn't feel as natural as it did with her dream staff, but Sakura could make it work. As Atto had instructed her, both staffs were ultimately mere tools to help her focus. The magic came from her.
Thus, the young girl began dragging the wooden base through the soil into the shape of a magic circle. She'd memorized the design and the rest of the summoning ritual via peaks snuck into her sister's notes. It weighed a little on Sakura's conscience, but Rin really needed to stop falling asleep in the workshop and leaving her research papers lying about. Isn't it usually the elder sibling who carries the younger one to bed? Sakura giggled to herself amid her preparations.
And while the notes were written in code, prodigious though everyone believed her to be, Rin's cryptographic skills weren't exactly Enigma-grade. It had taken Sakura a little under three hours altogether to puzzle out the necessary steps for summoning a Servant. Once the circle's last lines had been carved in, she withdrew a bottle and began pouring a mixture of mercury and water she'd enchanted herself one afternoon in one of the school's labs. Blood would've been simpler, but Sakura didn't like the idea of killing some helpless animals. And it wasn't like she could just take out a loan from the blood bank. Still, her mixture ought to suffice as she traced it along the lines in the soil.
Once the last drops filled the symbols she had drawn, the physical preparations were complete. Now came the hard part. Sakura backed a few steps away before planting her staff with both hands into the ground. Final doubts flared up in her mind: What if this wasn't enough? What if she did summon a Servant, but they wouldn't heed her because she didn't have Command Seals? Could she really do this without Big Sister…?
Sakura Tohsaka closed her eyes, drew in a breath and expelled it along with these questions. Her sister was busy forging her own path. She needed to do the same. Thus, she began to chant. "Quant. Quant. Quant. Quant. Quant. Care- so en- an lempe, mal yare ilya termáre- quanta, rucs- tien." Her fingers fluttered along select sigils even though her eyes remained shut; having carved them herself, she knew where each and every one of them lay. She could sense them lighting up in a particular sequence while the magic inside her swelled. "An i talma telepse ar angaina…"
It had taken Sakura weeks to transcribe the chanting into Quenya. There were so many words that didn't quite match with the ancient Elvish language, and more than once, she just wanted to rip her hair out in ragged clumps. Luckily for her black/beautiful white strands, Atto had lent her a hand and his wonderful mind.
And their efforts had paid off. She sensed powerful energies swirling before her. Excitement flashed inside the girl, but she forced it down with effort. "Bime mime vére, ni indóme n- ilya i mára- esse i nór." This was a delicate process, Atto had warned her. She was already bending great forces to her will. Bend too far, and they'd break. "Ar ni indóme termáre- yenya ilya i na- ulcu- -esse i nór!"
Sakura's eyes finally opened to find the circle alight with gale winds and bolts that crackled loudly into the night. However, the light was flickering even as she watched, and she could feel a… dullness at the center. Panic flared inside her that soon gave way to determination, and she gripped her staff all the tighter. "Menel -o otso mana na- -esse i valief quetta -o tur…" She'd come this far, and she wasn't giving up now!
"Túl yenya i corin yare ni líre- ana le, ohtatimeáro tavári -o menel!" Sakura Tohsaka, unwitting nascent Istar, raised her staff high as her spell reached its apex and then stabbed it into the ground.
Something shifted among the planes of reality. Darkness swelled around so much of Fuyuki City, and yet nearly no one recognized it. Not even prodigies like the Tohsaka girls or seasoned experts such as those employed by Clock Tower to infiltrate the Holy Grail War. And this was by design, of course. Angra Mainyu had not spent the last ten years simply twiddling its form-lacking thumbs within the Holy Grail. It had been waiting, gathering its energies in preparation for the scheme its allies had concocted. And it naturally continued its own efforts of corrupting the rules, keeping a certain type of Servant out of play.
And now all fourteen standard Servants, plus a few… additions, were out and about. The War had begun. Everything would soon end as those who worked with All the World's Evil had envisioned…
Except.
Deep inside their respective domains, two Servants of a certain class snapped their heads up in surprise, for they detected a great ripple of magic that washed over Fuyuki.
Sakura Tohsaka was not supposed to become a Master. Something had… interfered with that. No matter, she would certainly play a part in the grand scheme. Only fate had a different plan than the Grail War's schemers and even the Grail's corruption had anticipated. One for which she had just taken the first step.
Powerful safeguards that had been established seventy years ago were suddenly struck by a spell carrying otherworldly, holy magic and fueled with raw willpower. This wish struck against the barriers, battering them just enough to allow something… someone… to break through.
Once again, the fate of Fuyuki City met with an unexpected development.
Sakura's strength gave out quickly, and she fell to her knees. She'd have faceplanted into the dirt if not for her staff. Sucking in deep breaths, her gaze slowly crawled up to where the circle was…
And it was empty.
Tears began to gather in her eyes. "No…" Sakura's head sank into defeat, her black hair falling all around her. Another sign of her weakness, maybe? "Why?" The ritual would've worked in her dreams… Was this why she always felt so disappointed in the waking world? Because she couldn't do anything here?
So distraught was the poor girl over her apparent failure that she at first didn't notice the inhuman presence beside her. But even through her crying, she eventually made out a hand on her shoulder and a second one held in front of her as an offering.
And as she reached for it, Sakura heard a powerful, resonating baritone: "May I help you, young one?"
There we go, part 3 of this story's beginning as a present on Boxing Day!
I hope you like this little trilogy, dear readers, because I'm afraid this will be the most I have to offer for a while. I've got a fair bit of work on my hands despite it being the holidays, and I can't say for sure when I'll be able to post the next chapter. Maybe in February 2025, but I can't say for sure. I just thought I'd do something nice and get the ball rolling for now, and I absolutely intend this through to the end, no matter how long or many the chapters get or whether I happen to lose all my readers in the end or not. So, I humbly ask for patience and truly hope you have as much fun reading this extended Christmas present as I had fun writing it.
Rider is the same as canon, even though Sakura's not the one who summoned her this time around. Shinji used a catalyst in this timeline. Rest assured: I have a plan that isn't completely dependent around canon. Unlimited Blade Works is just a basic framework, and I'll be constructing my own divergent storyline step by step. As I said, patience, please.
…Aaaand Sakura wasn't the only one who struggled with translating the summoning ritual into FURSHLUGGINER… Elvish. I am not a linguist by nature; while I studied Latin and Ancient Greek in high school, that was mostly so I could learn about the respective mythologies. Ergo, if anyone finds fault with my efforts, please note that this was the result of my best efforts with a Quenya online translator and a thesaurus. Though my struggles were similar, it didn't take me weeks, so hopefully Sakura can forgive my dishonesty, but as for the rest of you, I'm trying my best here! Sue me!
Assassin X-
Class: Assassin
Master: Shirou Emiya
True Name: Kakashi Hatake
Titles: Copy Ninja, Man of One Thousand Techniques
Sex: Male
Source: Naruto
Region: Konohagakure
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: C+
Mana: C
Luck: B
NP: B+
Class Skills-
Presence Concealment: The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant. It is a common skill to the Assassin class.
A-: Despite his current inability to assume spirit form, Assassin X is extremely difficult, if not impossible to sense. He has been trained to assassinate people and carry out missions stealthily ever since he was four years old.
Personal Skills-
Jutsu: A Skill which originates from an alternate world, where the shinobi can harness their inner energy (chakra) to perform feats similar to magic spells or curses. Special handsigns are required for more complex abilities, but not mandatory for all.
A: Assassin X is practically a walking library of jutsu. Thanks to Sharingan and his own prodigious mind, he is well-versed in all variations: ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, nature transformation of all five elements (with a natural affinity for lightning), summoning of a ninja-hound pack he trained since they were pups and formed a special contract with. The only true limitations are those techniques which require specific bloodline traits to perform and his own relatively average Mana reserves which limit the number of high-level jutsu he can perform. Assassin X compensates for the latter drawback with creative and carefully considered use of his resources.
Expert of Many Specializations: Access to and use of many expert skills.
A+: Assassin X was known as "the Copy Ninja" in his lifetime due to his ability to successfully imitate techniques across a wide variety of styles and forms. He is said to know more than one thousand techniques and is at least a B-rank expert in all forms of combat- physical, ninjutsu, illusions, tracking, trap-making, etc. He is also a first-rate teacher.
For One's Comrades: Rank-up in stats when fighting to save or protect one's comrades.
B+: Assassin X's philosophy in life has always been that "those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash," having learned it from a fallen comrade. All stats besides Luck increase by one rank, perhaps even Lightning Blade if he gets a Luck Check, for the duration of Assassin X fighting to protect an ally.
Noble Phantasms-
Lightning Blade: "One Thousand Birds that Cut Lightning":B (Anti-Unit): Assassin X's signature technique in life, it is a condensed form of lightning that envelopes his hand and is then thrust at his opponent at high speed. It causes a sound that resembles a thousand birds chirping. The technique is said to be able to penetrate anything, and it is rumored to be able to even split a lightning bolt in half. Assassin X himself is the one who invented Lightning Bladeand has also experimented with broadening its usage to the point where he can wield the technique in both hands, flow the charge into a kunai to enhance its piercing power and project the jutsu, and link it with a Shadow Clone to cut through multiple targets with the current of electricity. However, the immense speed with which Lightning Blade is performed can cause Assassin X to develop tunnel vision when charging at his target. Heightened visual power, such as that of Sharingan, is therefore necessary to safely perform this technique.
Sharingan: "A Gift from a Fallen Brother": B~A (Mystic Eye): Assassin X's left eye has been replaced by the Sharingan, a bloodline limit unique to his closest friend. Assassin X obtained his eye when his friend was on his deathbed on a mission. Among its many boons, it allows Assassin X to predict the movements of his opponents, and to see into the future to a limited extent. It also allows him to copy the physical techniques of his enemies, save for a limited few. Though technically of the Mystic Eye skill, Assassin X was not born with Sharingan. The unique way he obtained it and how it has added to his legend increases its nature to that of a Noble Phantasm. Since he was not born with this optical power, however, Assassin X's body lacks the stamina to use it eternally, hence his covering the eye with his headband to avoid unnecessary mana loss. It holds a second, A-rank form called Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kamui: "The Authority of the Gods": A+ (Anti-Unit): The signature technique of Assassin X's Mangekyo Sharingan, it creates a temporary, small warp that can be summoned in Assassin X's line of sight. The dimensional warp then absorbs whatever it touches before dissipating. This can only be used safely once per day; Assassin X lacks currently enough mana for more and will collapse from any overexertion. Requires Sharingan to be active.
I don't think I need to hide any of his Noble Phantasms seeing as he's essentially the same as in Zero. His stats, though, are a bit lower much like Saber who is currently sporting canon FSN-starter stats due to the circumstances of their summoning.
As for Kakashi being Assassin X once again, yes, I planned that from the start of writing Fate/Zero Paradox. Shirou did have a sort of catalyst to summon him after all, albeit not a physical one: the jutsu he'd learned and honed for years now, techniques taught by Kakashi Hatake and only one other living person in this Fate universe knows. Given their origin, I say they qualify!
But this catalyst could've called up someone like Naruto for Shirou. There are two other factors: Someone very powerful and very evil has been veryinvested in Kakashi Hatake's return, and he's not quite the same man he was when first summoned in FZP.
Oh yeah, I've got one last Christmas bonus for y'all.
Paradox Carnival: I'd Never Forgive Myself If I Didn't Add This Scene
Flashes of light and sounds of clashing could be heard inside a nondescript building somewhere in Fuyuki. Then the nearest wall suddenly blew apart into smithereens as a certain Servant duo was flung outside. They landed hard onto the ground, covered in bruises and ash, and the building slowly collapsed in on itself. Soon, all that remained of it was a smoldering pile of rubble, and anyone still inside was dead or at least very, very unhappy.
A grunting Kakashi Hatake, Servant Assassin X, got up onto one knee to start dusting himself off. "Just like the good old days, huh?"
"Indeed." Behind him, Artoria Pendragon, Servant Saber, rolled her shoulder while smiling/wincing in the opposite direction. "No wonder I hated them so much."
Assassin X shared a bitter chuckle with his partner. "Tell me about it, plenty of new aches on top of…" He trailed off as both of his eyes widened at something in front of him. "…Uh oh."
Saber's mien flattened, her back still turned. "Don't tell me. There's a whole new faction of evil Servants about to strike."
"Yup," her best friend confirmed in a similar deadpan.
"And they all have our incompletely trained, rather naïve new Master in their sights?" She rose to her feet.
"Most likely." She heard a familiar chirchirchirchir behind her and the crackling of lightning.
Invisible Air swirled in anticipation around the King of Knights' treasured blade. "…Bring it on."