Chapter 282 - 4

Chapter 4: Hit the Ground Running

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Most likely." She nearly jumped out of her coat at hearing the voice of Saber's partner behind her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"If you can call getting pummeled all over the place 'fighting'."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"So long as I manage to keep them? What's that supposed to mean?"

Rin noticed both of Emiya's Servants watching her attentively, no doubt ready to stop any falsehood she might've offered. Not that she'd stoop to such cheap tricks, but honesty was the best policy here. And simplicity, judging by Emiya's expression. "Command Seals are orders of absolute obedience. They can exert control over your Servants' actions, even if it means going against their own wills. Remember how you made Saber freeze in her tracks?" His brown eyes drifted down to the faded part of Saber's Seals. Looks like he does have some brains. "One set of three for each Servant, so be mindful of how you use them."

And now she felt Ruby side-eyeing her, the cheeky little…

Meanwhile, Shirou sought a second opinion, so he turned to Assassin X. "She's right about the power of those Seals, Shirou. With them, you can theoretically make me and/or Saber do anything. The more vaguely you word your commands, though, the less effect they have over us. And you can't just interchange Seals for either of us." He pointed to the boy's hands. "Your left ones are for Saber, your right ones are for me. And Miss Tohsaka was right, too, about using them carefully. They may save your life in a pinch."

"My life?" The Master stared at his Servant.

"True enough." Tohsaka drew his attention again. "The purpose of the Holy Grail War is for Masters to fight Masters. One who has defeated the other six would win the Holy Grail, which will grant whatever you wish for."

Shirou Emiya blinked; did he just hear that right? "Whoa, slow down a second… What do you mean with the 'Holy Grail'?"

Rin Tohsaka stared back at him completely straight-faced. "To keep it short, you're now part of a ritual: The Holy Grail War, where seven Masters wage battle. Magi fighting to the death."

"Are you listening to yourself right now?!" He looked around, but everyone else seemed totally unfazed by her words. So, this… This craziness that almost got him killed… What Tohsaka was saying was all real?!

"Sorry, Shirou," Lancer X looked at him apologetically, "but that's pretty much what's happening right now. I know it sounds crazy, but…" she shrugged. "Everything that's happened tonight is super crazy, don't you think?" He really wished he could deny the truth in her words…

"Lancer X, I'll handle this." As her Servant leaned back, Rin smiled calmly. "Like she said, even you can recognize the truth, Emiya. A Servant almost killed you twice in a matter of hours. Believe us now?" He looked away with a grunt but didn't refute her.

The kettle on the heater started whistling, drawing her attention, but Ruby hopped to her feet. "I've got it."

Pleased with her Servant's initiative, Rin went on. "I, too, have been chosen as a Master. Lancer X here is one of myServants," he held up her hand with the rose-like Seals, "just as Saber and Assassin X are yours, Emiya. They're basically familiars assigned to you by the Grail to give you a chance of surviving the War."

Shirou eyed first Saber, then Kakashi, comparing them in his mind to the pack. "They don't look much like any familiars I know."

And how much would a doofus like you know about familiars? Rin thought but chose to say something more polite. "But of course, not. Servants are classified as familiars, but they're actually spiritual beings with powers far beyond any human. Heroic Spirits of the past."

"Heroes…?" He stared at the two again, the girl sitting straight and composed, the man slouching just a bit but watching them attentively. "From the past?"

"I stem from this world's past," Saber specified, drawing his attention. "Or more precisely, I stem from stories told in the past and carried down through the years. With Assassin X and Lancer X, it's… different."

"Exactly." Shirou turned back to Tohsaka, fighting off the dizziness welling up from all this. "Servants are Heroic Spirits, the characters of legends originating from the past and present, drawn to our time and made tangible." She sighed a bit. "Normally, the sources of these figures are limited to our world alone, but in this Grail War, there are twice as many Servants participating for some reason." She nodded pointedly to Kakashi and Ruby who was pouring fresh water into her cup. The latter offered him, but he declined politely. "And Servants who carry an X with their class all originate from alternate universes."

…It was a good thing Shirou wasn't drinking any tea because he'd have spit it all over the table. And Tohsaka. "A-alternate universes?!" He didn't try to hide his disbelief. If he'd been in a better mood, he might've laughed his head off. "First talk about the Holy Grail," he started counting off his fingers, "then heroes of stories are fighting for magi, and now this?! Kakashi and Lancer X are from another world?!"

"Other worlds," Assassin X corrected calmly. Neither he nor Saber were fazed at all by Shirou's reaction; it was very much an appropriate response. Kiritsugu, a man with an ironclad grip on his emotions, had taken time to roll with this development, too. "I know this sounds ridiculous, Shirou, but take a look at Lancer X, then me. Do you spot anything similar about us?" Brown eyes darted between them, skepticism warring with truth within them, as the ninja continued. "No, we're not of similar origins. I've never seen or head of a warrior like her in my life."

"Same here," Lancer X shrugged, "I have no idea who you or Saber could be. No offense."

The ninja and the knight assured her, "None taken," in synch, baffling the others a bit.

Then the former tilted his head. "And have you even heard of anything like what we can do, Shirou?"

Shirou opened his mouth and closed it again while he considered the question. In Lancer X's case, the answer was a definite "no." That scythe-rifle lovechild of hers was unlike anything he could've ever imagined, and he doubted anyone could build such a weapon, let alone wield it. But… he couldn't be sure about Kakashi. The Substitution, the Shadow Clones… sure, there were other things like the fire-breathing and his attire and equipment. Well, if parallel words existed (outside of a manga), maybe there would be some similarities…

Assassin X for his part noticed how a little recognition flickered in Shirou's sight when he focused on him. And Saber kept peering at him the same way. Something stirred inside him as possibilities rose.

Unaware of Emiya's contemplations, Rin decided to bring the topic back on track. "Regardless of their origins," she said, capturing his attention again, "Servants are summoned by Masters. Once they've materialized, the Grail stabilizes their physical forms. They can travel about in spirit form, thereby remaining invisibly by your side…"

Picking up on her cue, Lancer X dematerialized with a sparkle of red mana before Emiya's eyes for a second before reappearing again with a little wave.

"…Or they become tangible to assist and fight for you." Rin finished.

Shirou leaned back in his cushion, his frustrations and doubts beginning to ebb. Either he was completely losing his mind, or this was slowly starting to make sense. Of course, there was the possibility it was making sense because he'd lost his mind… "And the guy in red who came here with you, he's another Servant? Lancer X's partner of… this world? Our world? He's in spirit form right now but could materialize whenever you or he wants?"

"Yes, he's Archer. He's standing guard outside while we talk." While Lancer X is here and ready to fight if "my" Servants were to attack her again… Shirou surmised. He felt Tohsaka also sounded a little pleased. No doubt she wanted to wrap this up. "I take it you finally understand?"

"Trying to… But I'm getting there." He was running out of ideas to disprove this stuff, anyways.

Rin's lip quirked. This boy's reaction, while a little trying, was honestly a breath of fresh air. Or maybe she couldn't get that frustrated with him taking so long to process this because everyone else in the room was being so patient. Of course, that made way for a different type of frustration.

"If you want a more expansive explanation, you should talk with the overseer of the Holy Grail War." Shirou noticed Tohsaka's fingers tighten just a bit around her mug. "But let me make something clear," she leaned forward in her seat and dropped whatever playfulness or annoyance gathered in these last couple minutes. "Your only option now is to fight, and the Servants are powerful familiars. Make good use of yours." He sighed a little at that while she drank tea again; familiars or not, they were still people, weren't they? But Tohsaka was talking about them like they were just lackeys, or worse, inanimate tools.

Setting down her mug, Rin focused on the one behind Emiya. "And as for you…" Saber calmly stared back at her. "Based on what I can tell from Emiya, you two are incomplete right now, Saber? Assassin X?"

"Yes," the Servant of the Sword answered while the Servant of Assassination nodded. "I cannot speak for my partner, but I am presently not at full strength. Shirou's training as a Master is lacking, which makes restoring my mana rather difficult for him, even with the current amendments."

Rin blinked, a little shocked by this. "I didn't expect that."

Shirou needed clarification, though he was well-aware of his inadequate training. "Amendments?"

Kakashi took over. "First of all, as a spiritual being, a Servant's body is comprised of mana, Shirou. So, naturally, we expend mana by fighting or simply existing and thereby need mana to sustain our forms in this reality." He patted his chest before prodding Shirou's arm. "That's where the Master comes in. Miss Tohsaka here is providing both Lancer X and Archer with mana from her own reserves," he gestured from one girl to the other, "and normally, you would do the same for us. But it doesn't work so well in your case."

"Because I'm not much good with my Magic Circuits." That much, he realized himself and was met with a slightly apologetic nod.

Saber coughed politely, drawing his attention to her again. "A single Servant naturally expends a sizable amount of mana, more so when they or their weapons are extremely powerful, and under normal circumstances, having to manage two would be a rather… trying effort for even a master mage. But in this Grail War, the replenishment for each Servant has been reduced to half that of what would regularly be necessary. Otherwise, trying to provide for us both might've killed you by now." Shirou gulped slightly, earning him a silent apology from her as well. This deal is getting better all the time… he snarked to himself.

"Can't you guys go into spirit form for a little while?" Lancer X offered. "It costs a lot less mana than to be all solid." This coming from the Servant who keeps popping out of spirit form, Rin snarked mentally.

"Spirit form is currently inaccessible for me," Saber admitted. "Despite my best efforts, I cannot step out of my corporeal state." She ignored the stares Tohsaka and Lancer X shot her to eye her partner. "Assassin X may be of better help for Shirou." Kakashi always was the dependable one between the two of us.

Same as when we were with Kiritsugu, Assassin X noted amid his concentrating. Not that it could stop her… He glanced down at himself after a moment. "Curious… I can't seem to shift into spirit form either."

That made Artoria's eyes widen slightly, something nearly no one noticed. But he could in the previous time… "So, you're stuck in this state, too, Kakashi?" She dully registered Shirou's question.

"Looks like it…" The Copy Ninja inspected his arm half in thought. "It could be because of our unorthodox summoning," he theorized. "Shirou wasn't actually intending to call us up in the first place, so maybe there was some kind of… short circuit or something that locked us in our physical forms." He shrugged after a moment. "I'm no expert about Servants, but it's the only explanation I have to offer."

Emiya's head sank a bit in light of this while Ruby glanced between the two in slight worry. Too compassionate for her own good, Rin sighed to herself before speaking up. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting either of you to be casual about this, especially in front of me and Lancer X." Sure enough, neither looked particularly perturbed about their limited states.

The partners traded another look before Assassin X explained. "You're obviously smart enough to figure out this abnormality, so why bother being coy about it? Our priority right now is bringing Shirou up to speed, and our apparently mutual situation was bound to come up." He might as well have been talking about the weather, Shirou listened in slight awe.

Saber nodded before continuing. "In light of the circumstances, revealing this to an enemy team is among the lesser risks. We are still capable of fighting for and protecting our Master, after all. We simply need to adjust our tactics a bit." Again, the boy was amazed. No bluster from either of them, just confidence.

"Wow, you guys really are pro heroes, huh?" Lancer X's eyes sparkled slightly at their coolness. If they were back in Remnant, she might've asked for their autographs.

Rin for her part raised her mug again. "Inspiring character and conviction…" She calmly took one last sip… and slammed her mug on the table.

"Give me a break, damnit!" Shirou could only stare as Tohsaka, the most admired girl at Homurahara, jumped up and whined with her hands behind her head like a petulant child. "I could've had this whole War in the bag if I'd just been Saber's Master!" She fell to her knees and slumped her face against the mats. "Even Assassin X would've been okay…"

Nice to know she considers me a consolation prize in comparison to Artoria, Assassin X drawled inwardly.

Shirou sat a little straighter while his Servants eyed the wriggling girl passively. "What, I don't deserve them in your eyes?" He tried not to focus on which shaking body part of hers was currently closest to him.

Rin snapped a glare over her shoulder at Emiya. "Of course not, you two-bit!" Just a lucky handsome- Wh-N-no, s-stupid! Stupid hack… She snapped her burning face away even as he made another s-stupid sound!

Ruby huffed faux-haughtily at her spot. "Oh, I'm Rin, I'm so smart and totally a pro who deserves the best Servants ever, of all time!" She was more than a little peeved at her Master selling her and Archer short again. "Better listen to her, Shirou, she's so awesome a Master that she blew twoSeals not even three minutes after summoning- Owowowowowow!" Her rant cut off on account of her Master suddenly pouncing on her and pinching her cheeks viciously.

"You know, I haven't had a chance yet to appreciate how soft your cheeks are, my dear sweet Lancer X." Tohsaka's smile twitched rather savagely as she pinched a little harder on the other girl's face. Shirou noted bemusedly the circuit-like glow along her fingers: Reinforcement magic, and so casually applied, too. "Oh, they're so gentle and stretchy!Like fresh mochi…"

"I'm made of mana, not candy, ow!" A teary-eyed Ruby squeaked as she waved her arms in capitulation. She could've easily tossed Rin off, but thanks to the pain and her increasing panic… "Okay, okay, I won't say anything else, you're the best Master ever! Owie!"

Rin twisted her cheeks just a little more, her eyes boring into her Servant's scrunched-up gems, then she released the now quite bruised flesh. "And don't you forget it, brat…"

Shirou was so caught up in their bickering he didn't notice how Assassin X had tensed ever so slightly at hearing Tohsaka's name.

Saber had, though, and watched sadly as her friend recomposed himself just in time before Shirou turned to him with a question on his lips. "No, this is not standard Master-Servant communication," he said drily, Saber's icy gaze backing that statement up. The masked man then addressed their guest. "Your frustration is noted, Miss Tohsaka, but please respect that I am quite satisfied with my current Master, flaws and all." Casual though his tone was, the praise still made the boy feel a little flustered.

"I concur." Saber quietly bit down on the inside of her own cheeks when Lancer X flopped sulking onto her cushion, nostalgia washing through the native Servant. Is she an alternate Gareth…? This was just like back in Camelot, where the King of Knights would draw upon all of her willpower just to keep her face straight whenever her niece skipped happily up to the Round Table.

And when she found herself the focus of those shimmering silver eyes, Saber felt her Dragon-powered heart stop. Maybe she is made of candy, for I'm one step away from going into sugar shock… "You guys hit the jackpot…" Lancer X whined barely audibly, tempting her fellow knight class to pat her head in sympathy.

It was still loud enough for the humans in the room to hear, which Rin reminded her familiar with a stink-eye. But the magus decided she'd been punished enough (for now) and returned to the matter at hand. She rose to her full height. "Alright, are we going then?"

"…Going? Going where?" Emiya blinked at her like a fish before turning to his Servants, but Saber just stared back, and Assassin X shrugged. Well, even Ruby was looking at Rin like she didn't know what she was talking about, so fair's fair.

"If you want to learn the reason behind the Holy Grail War, then you should talk to the man who knows about it all," Tohsaka explained. "You want to know why we're fighting, right, Emiya?"

Shirou groaned. "Well, sure I do, but this late?" He looked up at the clock; it was just almost two at night. He'd scrubbed a whole dojo clean, been stabbed through the heart and gotten the shit beaten out of him by a superpowered spirit, summoned two more of that kind and apparently contracted himself to them, learned from his secret high-school crush that he's gotten himself mixed up in some magus war, and now Tohsaka wanted to take him out for a walk and more mind-blowing stuff?! …Shirou Emiya really needed a break.

"Oh, you don't want to go?" Tohsaka's eyes softened; maybe she'd realized that… "Well, that's up to you, Emiya." She flicked her right tail a bit. She leaned a bit to look past him. "How about either of you two?"

…Or maybe she'd been setting up for a punchline. "Hey, don't just bully Saber or Kakashi into this!" Shirou sprang to his feet in indignation. "You can't strong-arm them or Lancer X into doing whatever you want!" Familiars or not, these three had been the nicest to him all night. Treating them as less didn't feel right.

Such a sentiment raised all three's opinion of the earnest unwitting Master a bit higher.

Rin for her part faked a gasp. "So, you can think like a Master after all!" Part of her was actually impressed and pleased. Nice to know Homurahara's resident gofer had some backbone. Didn't stop the girl from turning slightly away from Emiya with a hand over her smirk; this was the most fun she'd had in a good while. "You don't like it when I talk to your Servants, and you're interested in my cute one, eh? Tsk, tsk…"

"T-that's not the point!" The flush in Emiya's cheeks suited him. Matched his hair color. Rin's smirk widened as the boy looked away while scratching his head. "Something's just not right with this girl…" She could hear him mutter; though technically an insult, it only amused her more to see him like this.

Assassin X chuckled slightly at his seat. "People who live extraordinary lives tend to have extraordinary personalities. Guess you could call it a coping mechanism."

That would explain so much about Big Sis Fuji… Shirou grumbled to himself.

"At least Shirou knows how to treat Servants with respect," Lancer X grumbled. "Maybe you should ask him for a couple pointers, Rin." She then flinched and shielded her cheeks as Rin shot a glare at her.

"Maybe you should keep your stretchy little mouth shut!" She made to grab at Ruby who ducked away.

"See, there you go again! I don't know how you think you could've gotten along with Saber 'cause there's no way she'd put up with your crabbiness and know-it-all stuff and cheek-pinching!"

"Really?! Well, why don't we find out? If you're so unhappy with me, Ruby, then go swap Masters with Saber and try keeping our resident dipstick here alive at only half strength!"

"Maybe I ought to, better a dipstick than a moody brat!" Shirou was just about to join in the argument himself, not at the "dipstick" moniker; Shinji had called him worse. What bugged him was how they were dragging Saber into their decisions without her permission. But he was stopped by a loud clap echoing across the room and a hand on his shoulder. While Toshaka and Lancer X, Ruby, stopped yelling at each other, a glance back revealed the girl of question standing behind Shirou.

Saber recognized the look in those auburn eyes, and while she appreciated his chivalry, she was more than capable of speaking for herself. First things first, "Thank you, Assassin X." The addressee inclined his head towards his partner and lowered his hands. Then Saber addressed the third Servant present. "Ruby, was it? I'm sure every relationship between Master and Servant has its… hurdles, but could you discuss yours with Miss Tohsaka in your own time? And as I said before, I'm quite satisfied with my current standing, thank you." She punctuated the last two words with a finality that nipped any further argument in the bud.

Lancer X slumped a little but mumbled an apology to both Tohsaka and Saber while Tohsaka simply turned away with a slight huff. Guilt did flicker in her eyes when they drifted back towards her Master, so Assassin X guessed these two would make up eventually. Tohsaka… Rin… He took a breath. Rin was more compassionate than she pretended to be.

And Shirou had calmed down enough, too, providing him with an opening. "As for your question, Shirou," he began, snagging the boy's attention, "Grail Wars are supposed to be kept out of the public eye, which is why all fights and Servant-related business are typically done during nighttime. You could talk to this overseer when the sun's up, but then Saber and I might attract attention while walking around with you."

Shirou sighed, recognizing where this was going. "And seeing as I'm your Master, you two would prefer watching my back as often as you can, is that it, Kakashi?" A nod.

"You know," Rin huffed at his persistent faux-pas, "you should really stick to addressing your Servants by their class names, Emiya. Seeing as they're based on figures of famous legends, knowing a Servant's True Name increases the chance of knowing what powers and weaknesses they have." Of course, I'd like to know Archer's myself…

"Does that mean knowing your Servant's name is Ruby automatically increases our chances of beating her?" The masked Servant cocked his head, reminding a reddening Rin of her own slipup just now. "It's a serious problem for the local Servants, yes, but in our case…" He eye-smiled and waved. "Kakashi Hatake."

Lancer X waved back. "Ruby Rose." She then stuck out her tongue when Rin leered at her. "What? Level playing field."

Shirou still received telling glances from both of his Servants to keep this name-business in mind. He didn't like addressing them by such inhuman monikers, but from the sound of it, it really was important. "Okay, Assassin X… but what about you walking around the city at all? Saber's a hero of the past, and you're not even from this world. How are you supposed to comprehend anything about a modern city like this?"

"A valid question," Kakashi acknowledged easily, "but if that were an issue, how is it we could understand each other this whole time, Shirou?" Shirou blinked as he realized that while he still had trouble wrapping his head around this whole Grail War insanity, he understood everything the Servants said language-wise. "It's another feature of being summoned by the Grail. We come into this world with an innate knowledge of all its concurrent languages and concepts." To demonstrate, he tapped his foot twice. "Saber, what do the locals call the panels that cover this floor?"

"Tatami mats," the blonde knight answered without missing a beat, "traditional ones, too, sewn with rice straw." She turned to the red-haired foreigner. "Lancer X, what technology is used to illuminate this room?"

Ruby took a cursory glance around before saying, "Probably lightbulbs. They're copper wires kept in glass bulbs and light up when charged with electricity." Pretty much like the ones back home. She grinned as an idea came to her. "Sais-tu quelle langue je parle, Assassin X?"

"Naturellement," he laughed, "ton français est adorable, Mademoiselle." With that, the Copy Ninja turned from a giggling Ruby back to Shirou. "See? This might not be our world, but we won't get caught flat-footed if a car drives in front of us or something." He contemplated adding that this wasn't the first time he'd been summoned to this world's specific era but decided against it. For one, Shirou was barely managing to process everything. For another, the shinobi didn't want to give too much away.

At least, not before finding out if he alone remembered…

Saber then stood up as well. "Shirou, I advise you to find out what awaits you as soon as possible." He nodded a bit resigned but also determined. "Then where exactly are we headed, Miss Tohsaka?"

"Shinto's church." Rin told her without playing any games. It was time to bring this talk to a close, even if she wasn't looking forward to seeing him so soon.

"Alright…" Assassin X stepped to Emiya's side. "I don't suppose you have any coats Saber and I can borrow? Seeing as we can't avoid attention with spirit forms, and in case there are a few late-night wanderers out on the streets, our current attires …"

Shirou nodded. The knightly armor and ninja-soldier gear was pretty inconspicuous, he didn't need anyone explaining him that. "Closet's right next to the shoes, feel free to borrow whatever works for you two. I'm going to go change myself." Both nodded back as he stepped out and headed for his room. In there, he shrugged off his bloodstained, battle-weary uniform and slipped on one of his tees and some jeans. A jingle in his pocket made the boy stop and pull out that pendant back at school. Huh, he inspected its jewel idly, guess I stuck it in my pocket without noticing.After a moment, Shirou tucked the pendant in one of his desk's drawers and put on his jacket.

He zipped it up while stepping out to find K-Assassin X by the closet, holding up Kiritsugu's favorite coat. That one eye of his seemed to be staring at nothing, though, before he started and turned to Shirou. "This was your father's? Would you prefer I didn't…?" Shirou shook his head, prompting Kakashi to slip one arm after the other into the black coat and shrugged it on without closing it. "…Bit snug, but I can't complain."

Both then watched bemused as Saber stepped into view wearing a big yellow raincoat. Registering their stares, she simply said, "It's large enough to accommodate all of my armor while hiding it from view."

"Function over fashion," Kakashi conceded with a shrug, and Shirou understood he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. He just hoped the streets really were deserted because this would make for one heck of a scene.

Tohsaka was waiting outside for them with her own coat on and apparently alone. But now that he knew about that spirit form thing, Shirou guessed Ruby and that other guy were around. In fact, he had a… feeling. Like he could tell or at least have a general idea where they were. If she was surprised by Saber's choice of outwear, she didn't let it show. "Good, if you're ready, let's go."

"Hang on," Emiya frowned again. He does that often, come to think of it, doesn't suit him… "Are you planning on us walking all the way to Shinto, especially with how dangerous the city is these days? What if another Master attacks or something?"

She scoffed. "Oh please, we have four different Servants with us, one of which is Saber. She's of the strongest class." She began walking untroubled towards the newer part of Fuyuki. "No one would be stupid enough to pick a fight with a group like ours."

"Yeah, but-" A hand clapped down on Shirou's shoulder, cutting him off.

Assassin X nodded to Saber who walked a little ahead, then turned to their Master. "If it's about protecting them because they're girls, don't worry." He huffed in good nature at the stare he got. "I was raised to be a gentleman, too, Shirou, so I get it. You're not comfortable about young women wandering about streets in a time like this." The boy nodded to these words, a bit of protectiveness shimmering in his eyes. "But don't worry. I'm a fair bit stronger than I look, and Saber and Ruby are each twice as strong as I am. The only thing you'd have to do for any mugger that crosses our path is pity them." Thus, he let Shirou go, privately amused. A stubborn kid… Strong morals and doesn't believe things easily… Dedicated look in his eyes…

It was as if Kakashi Hatake had stumbled upon an amalgamation of Team 7. Shirou's voice sounds a bit like Sasuke's, too, come to think of it.

The older man's confidence seeped into Shirou, and his doubts slowly dispelled when he remembered what these two girls were capable of. Tohsaka was human like him, though… but she was so confident… and her tongue and playful cruelty probably made her dangerous enough. "My dad once told me that any boy who makes a girl cry will end in ruins," Shirou mumbled even as they made to catch up with the others.

Kakashi chuckled at that, an odd look flitting across his eye so briefly the boy almost didn't spot it. "He wasn't wrong, but trust me, there's a fine line between chivalry and condescension, and girls generally don't appreciate the latter." He patted his Master's shoulder. "Best not chance it with these three, methinks."

Shirou snorted slightly (a rare sound for him to make). "Reminds me of what my aunt said when she heard my dad's line: 'If you use that as an excuse to let a girl walk all over you, I'll make you cry'."

"…She sounds… outspoken."

"You have no idea…" That look appeared again and lingered long enough that he tried puzzling out what it could be, but the familiar… man… Servant… simply gave him an eye-smile and nudged him along.

As they walked, Shirou's eyes wandered about, his paranoia uncomfortably heightened from both his company and what they had told him. And it didn't help that the "Servants" he could see were all subtly but carefully monitoring their surroundings. Tohsaka was marching on confidently ahead, but even she seemed a little on guard. Shirou then noticed something like words hovering in front of his view of Saber or Ruby or Kakashi. When he quietly commented on it, the masked Servant explained, "Those are our stats. Our physical, magical and other abilities are listed in a way that Masters like you or Miss Tohsaka can read. It helps you gauge how we stack up to each other and gives you an idea of what we're capable of specifically."

"It's kinda like the stats of RPG characters," Lancer X piped up. "You play video games?" Shirou nodded; he'd visited the arcade with Shinji and been pulled into an odd session with Big Sis or even the pack and Maiya. Uhei was one heck of a gamemaster. "Our parameters and skills follow a rank system, E for lowest and A for highest rank. Sometimes, there are plus- and minus-factors that mean the rank there can be even higher or lower in certain situations." He understood, noting the plus by her Agility stat as an example.

Otherwise, the trek across was thankfully uneventful and rather quiet. It gave Shirou some more time to think over the load of information dumped over his head. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of everything, but the way these Servants could do the things they did, Tohsaka's comfortableness with these concepts; like she said, it felt like deep inside him, he knew all this stuff was for real. Crazy but for real.

As the church came within view, lit up by three lights, he asked, "This overseer, what's his name?"

"Kirei Kotomine." Tohsaka frowned while reciting the two words. She then turned to Saber and Assassin X who were both pretty tense despite the lack of visible danger. "Sorry, but Servants aren't allowed inside the church. An explicit rule made by the fake priest for this Grail War." Both nodded after a long moment and stopped in front of the iron gate. They continued to watch the two teenagers as they made for the building.

The church was pretty much as Rin had always remembered it, right down to its coldness. Kirei's still too stingy to turn up the heat in here. She didn't have a problem with Christianity itself, but this guy… "What kind of priest are we meeting here, Tohsaka?" Emiya's question snapped her out from most of her anger.

Most of it. "He was once a student of my father," Rin explained while they walked through the church. "Then when Father died, he became my and Sakura's secondary guardian." And thank whatever God exists that Mother was still with us, she added to herself. "Ergo, he's basically my senior as a student and my second mentor."

Shirou frowned at her words. "Wait, he's a priest and a magus?" He thought he heard a clapping sound up ahead.

"Yup, and he's definitely he's a fake priest." Tohsaka opened the last door with that declaration, revealing the main hall lit by sparse candles. Inside, a man with his back to them was placing a book onto the altar.

"Always refusing me when I invite you for a personal meeting," his booming voice echoed along the walls, "and when you do come, you bring along an unusual guest." The man turned to them, allowing Shirou to see him completely. He was tall and had broad shoulders, clad in typical priest's robes and an overcoat. A golden cross hung around his neck, illuminated by the candles' light. His dark brown hair reached the back of his shoulders, and a small smile was on his lips. But his dark eyes… they seemed almost empty but stared at Shirou so keenly. "This is the seventh, then, I presume. Rin?"

Shirou glanced behind him to Tohsaka with her arms crossed and clearly not interested in saying or doing more than needed. He stepped cautiously closer to the altar. Something about this Kirei Kotomine... about the look in his eyes… He didn't know why exactly, but Shirou didn't feel good about this man at all.

Outside the church's gates, two Servants stood silent vigil. They seemed to be calm for the most part, except that they kept stealing glances at one another. Other than concern for their new Master and who he and Rin were currently conversing with, one question was at the forefront of both minds: Does he/she remember?

In theory, when a Servant was summoned, it was as a blank slate. They shouldn't be able to remember any prior battles, and the odds of one being summoned more than once, much less one of an alternate universe, were… unlikely. But the King of Knights and the Copy Ninja had picked up plenty of hints from the other's actions to suggest a familiarity. Their battle with Lancer, for example: they had adjusted to each other's styles and even assisted one another, and it had all been reflexive. Not a word or even a look had needed to be exchanged. Saber still felt her absolute confidence in Assassin X handling Tohsaka's team, even when she couldn't have assisted him easily. Assassin X had easily known when to step in during their discussion and when to let Saber take the reins.

But… what if it was all just a series of coincidences? What if only one recalled everything they had gone through together? Trying to bring forth memories, experiences they had shared fighting side by side, with one not having a clue what the other was talking about… It was precisely such worries that kept their tongues tied. And neither showed their emotions easily, making their predicament just a little harder.

Kakashi was racking his brain for a way to be sure; he owed her so much, but if she didn't know him, would that be okay…? Should I talk about Britain? No, if she doesn't remember me, hearing me quote trivia about her beloved home would just make her suspicious. I need something else, a shared memory. That's when an idea clicked in his mind.

Saber had been mulling over what to say herself, and when nothing came to mind, she turned to her partner in time to see him draw something from his pocket. As a certain shade of green became more visible, her eyes narrowed to slits sharper than her blade. "Assassin X…" the addressed froze upon hearing the King of Knights' growl, "if you even think about reading that disgusting filth in front of me, no God will save you."

Assassin X slumped and reversed his actions, though not without a little grumbling. "Sheesh, I just wanted to pass the time a little. But you always act like I'd unleash the apocalypse by simply turning a page or two."

"Kiritsugu gave me very specific instructions." Saber shot back. "And need I remind you there are certain books very well capable of that? You and I faced a madman with one such example!"

"Oh, please, you can't seriously compare the Make-Out series to Caster's recipe collection for unholy seafood platters!" He huffed at her refusal to budge. "Guess it's no surprise someone of your time and fame would be so prudish over one mature novel…"

"I'll show you prudish…!" Saber glared indignantly at Assassin X who gazed back with aggravating calm…

Until neither could keep their faces straight any longer. The duo burst simultaneously into a bout of laughter. It wasn't the kind that rumbled up from the belly and rang out across the streets, nor was it a high-pitched giggle little children would make while playing with each other. No, this type of chuckling was soft, maybe a little quiet, but it carried an unrestrained relief which stemmed from both Heroic Spirits' cores:

It was the sound of a camaraderie that had been forged in fire and was now reunited.

After a moment that felt like forever and yet was also too short, Kakashi Hatake regained his wits first. "You remember everything, too?" He offered her his hand with his trademark eye-smile.

Artoria Pendragon's face lit up like the sun as she grabbed hold of his forearm, him instantly copying her motions. "Like it was only yesterday," she breathed happily while they shook. "I didn't dare hope I'd have the luck to see you again, let alone that our partnership would be restored."

"Same here." Assassin X's eye opened again as his joy fell away. "And I didn't want to make a big scene in front of everybody, but… I was hoping I'd get a chance to say sorry. For how… last time ended."

Saber blinked confused. "Sorry…?" Then her emerald eyes widened as she understood, his shoulders in turn slumping. "Kakashi, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for! You gave everything you had in the final battle, more than I gave!"

"And yet my best wasn't enough…" The Man of One Thousand Techniques muttered while looking away from her, his eyes traveling to the Shinto district. He almost felt like his Sharingan could see the place of his greatest failure even through his forehead protector. "I tried, Ar- Saber, I swear. I thought I could… cleanse the Grail for both of us… maybe help Kiritsugu finally have some damn hope again, but…" He hung his head in shame. "I blew it at the last step. If it hadn't been for me, you could've made your wish-"

"Kakashi." Two hands gripped his forearms tightly but not uncomfortably and steered him back towards his partner. "Look at me." He hesitantly lifted his gaze to meet Artoria staring full of resolve and compassion at him. "Now listen carefully: What happened wasn't your fault. I won't deny I was nearly crushed by the prospect of failing my people…" He saw guilt flicker in her own eyes at the confession, but Saber didn't look away. She always was stronger than me… "But what gave me strength again was remembering you. You, our allies, and all those words you gave me over the course of that blasted War."

"But if it hadn't been for me-"

"If it hadn't been for you, we mightn't have even made it as far as we did." Saber didn't like interrupting others as a rule, but this exception was clearly needed. She refused to let this man she admired and treasured as a dear friend dig himself deeper into his self-loathing. "You carried our team every step of the way. You supported me and Kiritsugu in equal measure, guiding us into actually cooperating. Do you think he would've heeded my words like he did yours?" The Once and Future King of Britain smiled again at her comrade. "Don't you dare disparage yourself for trying to salvage a hopeless outcome. I won't have it."

Assassin X stared at her, her strength and trust seeping into him via her words, then he finally released a tired but grateful chuckle. "Usually, I'm the one giving you a pep talk," he noted wryly.

Her smile softened as she remembered those many times. "Well, it's high time I started returning the favor. And this is but a pittance compared to what I owe you."

"There are no debts between comrades," he reassured her only to get a pointed look saying, "You better keep that in mind yourself, mister." He laughed a little more while patting her arms to concede to her point, the turmoil he'd borne in his heart since that battle receding. …For now.

They then pulled apart again, his gaze drifting to the church's door. "Our new Master's a decent lad, wouldn't you say?"

"I find his personality… refreshing," Saber nodded to herself. "Shirou's rather straightforward and openly compassionate. Not much in common with the last man we knew with Emiya for a last name." She winced at her own words. "Sorry, that wasn't fair of me. I know you had a better rapport with him than I did." Assassin X accepted her apology with a nod. "But to think Kirei Kotomine is still alive…"

She noted how her partner's posture tightened ever so slightly. "Kiritsugu implied in our last talk he had killed Kotomine," Assassin X surmised, "and he wasn't the type of man who'd confuse someone alive for dead. To have survived the worst Kiritsugu had to offer and walk about untroubled for ten years… I can't say I'm comfortable leaving Shirou in the same house as him."

Saber was of a similar mindset but didn't her own worries show. For more than simply her stoicism. "Which is why your clone's been shadowing him and Rin ever since they set foot in the building." He tilted his head towards her, prompting her to smirk slightly. "I haven't forgotten how that brain of yours works."

"Forgive me for underestimating you, good sir," Assassin X joked. True enough, he had secretly summoned a Shadow Clone during their walk to the church who had slipped into the shadows and infiltrated the church. Even with his current lack of a spirit form, Kakashi Hatake was still an Assassin and knew every trick in the ninja handbook to avoid detection. "No signs of any trouble, and it sounded like R- Miss Tohsaka doesn't like or trust Kotomine much either. She may take Shirou's side if a fight breaks out in there." He cocked an eyebrow at the space in front of Saber. "What do you think, Lancer X?"

Red particles shimmered in the night air as Rin Tohsaka's Servant took on a tangible, slightly shy-looking form. "Guess I'm really no good at being subtle, huh?" Lancer X's hood was down, allowing her to scratch the back of her head. She had been patrolling the church's perimeter while Archer watched from above: tactically the best use of their strong points. "But yeah, Rin told us we could trust this priest to play by the War's rules but didn't sound too convinced herself." She glanced from one Servant to the other, a question in her eyes.

Trading a look with her partner, Saber answered for them both. "This isn't the first time we've been called to this era, nor is it the first time Assassin X and I were partners. You probably determined as much from overhearing our discussion."

The other girl giggled nervously, conceding to the accusation and inadvertently rising her "adorable" level further in the venerable knight's eyes. "You're, uh, not doing much to hide this friendship of yours."

"Well, our last time together had been hectic, and I suppose we both needed to know as soon as possible…" Saber sheepishly admitted with a laugh her friend echoed. She hastily refocused on the prior topic. "I never encountered Kirei Kotomine personally, but I know him to be a dangerous man. Very dangerous."

"I faced him once," Assassin X elaborated, "while he was about to kill m-our comrade." Only Saber picked up on his word-swap, but she settled merely for a tiny smile as he hastily continued. "Our Master at the time believed Kotomine was the most dangerous Master in that War, and, well… Let's just say there was a lot of evidence to support his judgement." He didn't want to reveal more than necessary at the moment; endearing though Lancer X was, she was also technically a potential enemy. Better to keep a few cards close to the chest.

Something she seemed to recognize, judging by how her brows furrowed temporarily. Still, she nodded. "Got it, thanks for the warning. But hey," Lancer X injected some optimism in her words, "if things get rough in there, Rin and Shirou can call for us with the Seals and we can back each other up." She bounced a little on her heels with an eager grin. "Maybe then I'll get to see your sword for real, Saber…"

"The situation would have to be rather drastic for that," Saber smiled back, "and I won't simply trot it out because you ask nicely." Tempting though it may be… "But you seem rather enamored with weapons in general!"

"Of course, I am!" Ruby didn't even try to deny it. "Our weapons are an extension of ourselves. They're a part of us!" She swooned, even manifesting Crescent Rose'scompact form to cradle it like a child. "Oh, they're so cool…"

Saber couldn't help but giggle at her enthusiasm, it was so infectious. And as the conversation went on, she flashed back to a time where she too had been eager to wield her prized blade and meet other warriors, matching her skills against theirs. A time before she was confronted with the reality of a knight's life… the burdens of kingship… Betrayal. Failure. Despair.

However, Artoria also sensed a sort of… pain behind the other Heroic Spirit's exuberance. Lancer X's smile seemed a little forced at the edges from time to time. She knows, too, Saber deduced as her own smile softened. She has faced her own trials. Her ideals have been challenged… but she hasn't given up on them. She still finds the strength to openly celebrate the beauty of life. A glimpse to the side confirmed Kakashi had come to the same conclusions as her, and like his partner, he was impressed with the red-cloaked girl.

Ruby for her part had been paying attention to the duo in front of her. Like them or not, she wasn't blind to the possibility of having to fight them eventually; she had her own wish, too. The Assassin guy was pretty nice, if a little mysterious. The former Beacon student couldn't help but see some of her old headmaster in him: silver hair, green clothes, eye that looked so old and sad… even their voices sounded kinda similar.

She sighed to herself, not wanting to get stuck on her inner conflict about Ozpin. Saber, on the other hand, Ruby's first impression of her was just… Wow. She had looked so strong and confident back when they first met, and that invisible-sword-trick made the weapons nerd in her all the keener on seeing her blade for real. Saber was sorta like Weiss, with her manners and cultured talking, but Weiss had grown up learning that stuff to lead the Schnee Dust Company. But with Saber, it all felt… natural.

Ruby Rose had needed to learn how to lead, but it was as if Saber had been born to lead.

It was kinda hard to look at her without going all awestruck, but with a little effort, the leader of Team RWBY saw hints of her other teammates in the blonde knight: she was a bit distant at first, but like Blake, she got friendlier the more you warmed up to her. And there was definitely some of Yang's warmth and protectiveness with how she acted around Shirou and even Assassin X a little.

End result? The two female Servants were already starting to consider each other friends. Or at least, friendly rivals.

Assassin X rapidly settled for listening to them converse in silent content; it warmed his weather-beaten heart to see Artoria loosen up like this. She deserved it. From the corner of his eye, he noted Lancer X's own partner standing tall atop the church's roof. Archer was glaring down at them; no, the Copy Ninja amended his observation, he alone was the target of Archer's apparent ire. Perhaps it was simple protectiveness over Lancer X being so close to the duo, but shouldn't he then be watching Saber, too, especially when she was right in front of Ruby? Come to think of it, Assassin X had been picking up some anger aimed squarely at him ever since the two had first met. Maybe he just doesn't like Assassins…

Still, Assassin X sensed there would be tension between the two of them, regardless of their Masters' relationship. Huh, he realized after recalling Diarmuid and his partner. As they say on this world, déjà vu.

The doors to the church opened, drawing their attention, and Kakashi sensed his clone release himself. Memories and words flooded inside his mind, a good number of which rattled him. It took all of his willpower not to let it show, and he'd make sure to sort them out later.

Like Saber and Lancer X, the Heroic Spirit of the Shadows scrutinized their Masters. Shirou was walking very slowly with his head down, as if a heavy weight was pressed onto his neck. Rin appeared less shaken, but her fists were clenched tightly, and her jaw was set too tense to be casual. Well, Assassin X had some idea via his Shadow Clone what had been discussed in there, so their reactions were expected… And then the priest standing behind the kids locked eyes with him.

At first, those dull brown orbs widened in surprise, and then a cool, pleased smirk drifted across his lips. Assassin X's own eye narrowed at him, a kunai already in hand. If Kotomine so much as touched them…

Kirei couldn't have imagined greater fortune smiling upon him. A boy with the surname Emiya… The legacy of the man he'd hunted with such passion ten years ago… And now, the same two Servants Kiritsugu Emiya commanded standing in front of the church… And they recognized him. Oh, the Lord is generous!

But he restrained himself. Either Servant could clear the distance between the gate and the church's entrance within a second; the Bounded Field he'd set up could only delay them if they were serious, and much as he'd savor the exercise, patience was of the essence. The best wines acquired their flavor with age, after all.

"You ought to be delighted, young man." This was a fine chance to begin the process, though. As Shirou Emiya glared warily back at him, Kirei elaborated, "You must surely understand by now that for your heart's deepest wish to be realized, there must be a clear and distinct evil. Deny it if you want, but no Hero of Justice can exist without an evil to defeat." Ah, how the boy walked away, trying not to let his inner conflict show. The roles were set again, the real battles would surely begin in earnest. Thank you, Lord…

As soon as they approached the gate, the Masters' X Servants promptly drew open the metal bars, a slight whine coming from their hinges. Assassin X hadn't stowed the dagger away yet, nor had he taken his eye off the priest. His parting words to Shirou were another matter to worry about, but maybe Kakashi could help.

One thing was perfectly clear, though: Kirei Kotomine had grown far more dangerous in the ten years since they'd last met.

Saber watched her comrade reach this conclusion even as she stepped to their Master's side. "Shirou, have you found the answers you sought?"

"Yeah…" Shirou walked past her while deep in thought, Ruby closing the gates behind them. He kept replaying the things that priest had told him, about the Holy Grail, the last War fought for it, what it could do if it fell into the wrong hands… The Fuyuki Fire.

"So…" Assassin X's calm voice cut like a lightning bolt through the imagery arising in him. "What do you want to do?"

The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya faced them. "Fighting as a Master isn't something I want to do…" His hands balled into fists. "But I'm going to do it anyway." Regardless of his own trepidation, he couldn't let something like the Fire that ravaged his life and so many others happen again. He refused to let a scumbag for a Master get their hands on the Grail, no matter if it was omnipotent or not.

But… he wanted to do this right. "Saber. Assassin X. Are you both really alright with having an amateur like me for a Master?"

"You know you don't have to ask us that, Shirou." Assassin X found his eye-smile again. "Your experience with magic doesn't matter." Doubt flickered slightly in the boy, so the Copy Ninja spoke the words engraved in his being. "Those who abandon the mission are trash, Shirou. And those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash."

Comrades… That single word rippled through Shirou's mind and pushed aside everything Kotomine had said for the moment. "And while our comrade here was more informal about it," Saber's grin and words, "Our comrade…" kept the ripples going, "we swore our loyalty to you from the beginning, remember? Our bodies are your blades. Our fates are as yours."

They acknowledge me… as their comrade… And in that moment, an old memory stirred inside his mind, something his dad had once told him: "There's only so much you can do on your own, and your options may be even more limited as a Hero of Justice. But… so much more feels feasible if even a single comrade stands with you."

"Well, in that case…" His fists loosened… "I'll be your Master." And Shirou Emiya raised both of his open hands towards them with newfound strength. "Let's support each other no matter what." They stared at his hands before trading a look with each other while Shirou grew a little sheepish. "Uh… Aren't we supposed to shake hands?" Maybe he had gotten carried away with the whole "comrade" stuff.

"No, no," Saber assured him even as she adjusted her position, Assassin X doing the same. "We simply weren't expecting it, though we should've from you."

"You won't find many Masters who treat their Servants as equals," Assassin X concurred. "But seeing as you're giving us the chance, let's try something a little different."

Thus, the knight grasped Shirou's left hand with her own left, and the ninja grasped the right hand with his own right. And then the Servants' free hands bent by the elbows to meet one another as fists.

Artoria Pendragon smiled serenely as she made a new vow. "As the one who brought us here and made this partnership possible, our loyalties are to you. The Command Seals on your body alone are the catalyst but not the extent of our service. We fight as one team, supporting each other through whatever fate has in store for us. We serve as your blades, your shields, and your comrades, Shirou Emiya."

She side-eyed her best friend, her smile deepening. "Nothing to add?"

Kakashi Hatake shook his head content as can be. "It's your world. I'm just a visitor. Besides, you've said all that needs to be said, partner."

Standing there holding both of their hands, Shirou Emiya felt their resolve flowing into him again. Even as he released them and turned towards the overlook of the city, he knew for a fact he wouldn't let a thing like the Fuyuki Fire ever happen again. Even if he had to fight alone… But something inside him just felt… warm at the fact that he wasn't alone.

Rin watched all of this without comment. Truth be told, she'd hoping to learn just a little more behind the reasons why twice as many Servants were running about, hence her taking Emiya to the false priest. But Kirei was of course maddeningly unhelpful. And it looked like the boy she'd deemed an amateur was showing actual resolve to fight in the same Grail War he'd called insane. It should've been a further headache… but seeing Emiya like this… and the Servants so happy, too…

She shook her head to focus and turned to her starry-eyed Servant. "Do stop drooling, Lancer X, you're supposed to be a venerable Heroic Spirit."

"But that was so cool…" Ruby hastily wiped her lips. "Wish we had done something like that…" Before Rin could voice her refusal for such a silly ritual, the Servant happily called over, "Congratulations, guys! Good luck with your team!" The trio nodded at her words, the Servants with their own smiles. Even Emiya's mouth twitched a bit. Damn that girl and her dorky adorableness… …Adorkableness?

So, they began walking back to Miyama Town. As they stepped along the church's graveyard, one suddenly halted in her tracks, making Shirou and the others stop. "Tohsaka?"

"Sorry for being blunt," she kept her back turned to him and his Servants, "but go home on your own now." Then Tohsaka faced him with a dispassionate face. "I brought you to the church because we weren't official enemies yet. But now you've embraced being a Master, Emiya."

"That doesn't mean I want to fight you, Tohsaka." Her warning was met with a ridiculous statement.

"Should've figured you'd say something like that," Rin grumbled while rubbing her forehead. "Why did I even bother leading you here, for crying out loud?"

Assassin X snorted beneath his mask. "Something about repaying a debt, I believe, Miss Real Master?"

That much was true, but before Rin could flip about his teasing, Lancer X piped up again. "Hey, we don't have to fight each other right now," she pointed out even while stepping between Rin and Saber. "Can't we keep our truce going a little longer? Like for when we bump into another team?"

"That's naïve, Lancer X." Archer materialized a little behind his Master and partner, arms crossed and eyes staring coldly at the three. No, Assassin X discerned, he wasn't quite looking at Saber… "When a target that's easily neutralized is standing in front of us, Rin, we ought to seize the opportunity. Don't let sentiment get in the way."

"An interesting statement, Archer." His gaze sharpened as the masked Servant cocked his head slightly. "And where exactly is this target you believe to be 'easily neutralized?' I don't see it anywhere."

"Then maybe you should stop covering your eye, Assassin X." His words became a sneer as he took a step towards the man standing there calmly, behind the boy, next to Saber.

But a hand against his chest stopped the Servant of the Bow. Lancer X frowned at him while Rin eyed him disapprovingly. "I don't need you to explain something so basic, Archer," the latter huffed.

He stepped away from his partner's hand. "I expect such sentimentality from Lancer X, but if you understand, Rin, then act on it. Why keep being charitable to this boy and his mummed-up lackey?" Archer scoffed. "Oh, don't tell me you've-"

"Cut it out, Archer." He glared down at the red-cloaked girl in front of him shaking her head. "Shirou and his Servants might not be on our side, but that doesn't make them enemies. And seeing as we helped them, they probably want to help us in turn. Somewhere down the Grail War, we might need their help. That's not being naïve, it's being practical. And don't pretend that's what you're doing." Archer forced himself to meet Lancer X's silver eyes, refusing to let the disappointment in them cow him.

Assassin X and Saber were impressed and pleased to see their initial judgement of Ruby Rose seemed spot-on. Beneath her adorableness stood an outspoken hero with a strong moral compass.

"E-exactly!" Rin was so flustered by the jerk's insinuations she almost hugged Ruby in thanks for cutting him off. It gave her a chance to calm down and regain her cool tone. "I owed Emiya a debt in the first place, meaning I couldn't fight him without my conscience interfering. Any further aid would put him in my debt, and while he's not of much use, his Servants seem to be pretty competent. We need to take the long view."

Archer glared between the two of them before finally scoffing. "You're both overcomplicating things." He backed away from Ruby all the same and retook his prior stance. "But I'm not pretending anything, Lancer X. If you want to drag this out, be my guest. Just don't expect me to blindly trust others like you do." He shifted back into spirit form. "Call me when you start making sense, Rin."

Shirou eyed the spot where the man had stood; there was something about the guy that rubbed him the wrong way. And it looked like he didn't get along that well with his partner, what with how Ruby's shoulders slumped a bit. Guess she's the only one who feels bad about that… But another thing stuck out to him. "Hey, Tohsaka? What 'debt' do you think you owed me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rin relaxed as she turned to him. "Accidentally or not, you stopped Saber by expending a Command Seal and convinced Assassin X not to engage us. So, I have to return the favor by going easy on you for now."

"That's a pretty weird thing to worry about, Tohsaka."

"She takes debts and commitments seriously." Both turned to Assassin X as he stepped into view. "We all have our own morals and codes of honor, and the least we can do is hold ourselves true to them. Right, Rin?" She hummed an affirmative; a Tohsaka always repays their debts. Father had taught her as such.

Still, Rin flicked her head away. "Besides, I don't like owing anyone in general. Least of all some novice who's been a good friend for my sister..."

Shirou couldn't help but smile, both at remembering Sakura, and at seeing a different side of the raven-haired school idol. "You really are a decent person after all," he noted in thanks.

"Flattery won't protect you from my wrath," Tohsaka warned while leering at him from the side.

"Maybe not." The warning didn't bother Emiya as she'd hoped, and that smile he was wearing… "But I'd rather avoid having you as an enemy if possible." He turned to his Servants. "How about you guys?"

"Same here," Assassin X replied cheerily.

Saber concurred with a smile, "She's a good ally to have."

Ruby's mood improved enough for her to giggle as her Master's face steadily turned redder. "Yeah, I might've given Rin a hard time before, but she's really nice when you get to know her! It's fun being her Servant, especially when she's flustered like right now. I think you'd make a good friend for her, Shirou!"

Having just about reached her boiling point, Rin glared at her mutinous Servant. "Ruby…" Her index fingers and thumbs snapped together like lobster claws.

"Eeep!" Lancer X suddenly turned into a blur of rose petals and reappeared behind Saber, hands over her cheeks. Straight face, King Arthur schooled herself trying her hardest not to look behind. Straight face…

Shirou just smiled; after her antics earlier tonight, he couldn't complain at all about Tohsaka losing her composure. He kinda liked her this way… "Well, be seeing you girls." He made to walk past a still-blushing Tohsaka…

"If you're all done talking now…"

He stopped in his tracks and spun around, Kakashi and Saber already facing the speaker ramrod straight.

Further up the street, three sets of crimson eyes were locked onto the group amid the gathering mist.

Shirou gaped in shock as he recognized the one in the middle: The girl from two nights ago?!

Rin, on the other hand, was focused on her entourage. Specifically, the monster radiating anger: "Berserker?!" Her eyes drifted to the other Servant and the weapons he carried. "And… Saber X?!"

The smaller figure stood a little taller than Shirou and didn't look much older, either. He wore a pitch-black trenchcoat over pants and a sweater of the same color, the sweater's zipper pulled all the way up to his chin. He had tanned skin, broad shoulders for his apparent age, short black hair, a mouth set in a straight line and a nasty X-shaped scar all over the left side of his head, a tiny additional cut over the point by his mouth. Aside from the scar, this Servant's most notable features were the twin swords holstered on his right hip (not a common trait for swordsmen) and twin red eyes that stared coolly yet with no actual aggression at the assembled teams. A stark contrast to his partner.

The other Servant was less a man and more a titanic mass of muscle. Heavily tanned skin, arms and legs wider than tree trunks, pillar-like bones jutting out from his elbows, and a chest broad enough to make every last bodybuilder in the world give up and go seek solace in a couple dozen ice cream tubs. His only clothing was a grey, armor-studded belt and skirt combo that covered his upper legs while thick silver and grey manacles were strapped around his wrists and ankles. The right hand gripped a colossal slab of sharpened rock that was somewhat shaped like an axe. Wavy black hair spilled out from the back of his head, a contrast to his partner's neat cut, and two red orbs glared from a lined face that seemed ready to growl at any moment.

And yet, somehow, the heat in his eyes still didn't come close to that coming from the girl's as they widened and locked onto one particular person.

"Kakashi?" Her smile broadened, but there was absolutely nothing reassuring about that expression. "It really is you, isn't it, Kakashi?! I thought you looked familiar…" She giggled while her red eyes narrowed at the very still Servant. "You gonna show me your face this time? Or was that another of your lies?"

While their reasons ranged from confusion to worry (except in one case), all among the two teams glanced between the foreign girl in purple and Assassin X who simply stood there. His hands were in his coat pockets, and between his mask and the forehead protector, it was difficult to make out what exactly was going on in the Servant's mind, but his sole visible eye was fixed on the asphalt, seemingly unable to make eye contact with her.

Finally, Saber X's gaze shifted to his Master. "Is this what you wanted to do tonight?" His voice was rather deep but still young enough to confirm this Servant's biological age was eighteen at most. However, it was dry and without any anger, bluster or worry despite the fact he was facing four different Servants. Of course, that may've been due to the hulking Berserker that was his partner, but he himself seemed no slouch.

The girl giggled, a sound that should've been innocent but only made both Masters even warier. "Sorry, Big Bro Saber, I guess I got caught up in nostalgia." She tilted her head to the right while her smile became sharp as a blade. "Remember the fun we had together in the snow, Kakashi? You playing your little tricks on me?" Another giggle when a guilty silence was her only answer. "Ah, but where are my manners?" Then she changed targets. "Good evening, Big Brother. It's the second time you and I meet like this."

Rin noted Emiya's intake of breath; so, he'd encountered this girl before? And survived, but she clearly hadn't been serious back then. If her hair and eye color was any indication… She took three steps closer to them, theoretically increasing the risk for herself now that she wasn't bunched between her Servants, but even a novice like Emiya recognized either could ward off any attack with ease.