Despite not ever meeting the original owner of that myth's name, Shirou sensed there may be some truth to the history between them and Saber. Though, he highly doubted he'd get an answer from her right now.
Reconvening with their guide, the unfading cheer in Kaguya's smile persisted as she spoke.
"In this room, I ask your Servant to stand by with her fellows. Worry not, while my master and lord may ask for you to temporarily part with her, he promises no harm shall befall either of you. He has impressed this ruling upon the others as well in their invitations and trust that their participation is a confirmation of the truce being upheld."
"That won't be a problem, Miss—I mean, Lady Kaguya." Shirou tried not to stutter before the girl, however she actually giggled, politely and demurely hiding her mouth behind her sleeve.
"You need not be so formal with me, Sir Master. I am but a humble girl merely doing this under orders of my lord and love."
"And who, pray tell, is this 'lord' of yours?" Saber stated from the side, arms crossed and unamused. "To invite us to a den of Servants, fully trusting we don't raze the place to the ground and without even stating their name, your master is quite the cunning snake."
If she took offense to that veiled insult, Kaguya didn't show it. In fact, she seemed… amused at Saber's retort. Shirou didn't know if he could relax or panic at his companion's attitude, but the little girl beat him to it.
"Worry not, Madam Servant. My master and husband shall introduce himself soon. While he does prefer quite the level of secrecy, know that it is primarily for the sake of keeping the peace that he chooses to don a mask."
"Hmph, typical of those who would claim as much as they unashamedly skulk in the dark…"
"S-Saber, could you please… not now?" He was met with a very annoyed side-eye, but he could sense it was more frustration for not being on her side and trying to be polite to someone she openly suspects of malicious intent… But then again, this was neither the time nor the place, especially if there were other Servants nearby. "We can talk about it later and… Er… … Eh—? Wait… 'Husband'—?"
Before the boy could turn around and question the girl, she merrily opened the door and walked in… right into that den of Servants for there was no other word to describe the intimidating aura that permeated the room.
Four Servants. Four, aside from Saber. The anxiety that hit Shirou was not quite like anything he'd ever felt before.
For one, he didn't think the giant that attacked his school gates would be there, sparing him a glance before returning to eating his meal. In just two seconds, what seemed to be a whole roasted chicken was suddenly scarfed down his throat like the bones weren't of any concern.
Another man, a familiar one with his eye-catching blue spandex-body-armor, kept his eyes forward. Absent was the red spear Shirou came deathly close to getting killed by, the guy didn't even look his way as he sat opposite Berserker on the long table. Arms crossed, the man lazily watched the bigger guy munch on his food.
Then there was Assassin. He knew who she was. He tried to pretend he didn't know who she was, but he let out somewhat of an audible sigh when he saw she was snacking on sweets like she wasn't sitting next to his would-be killer AND a giant statue that was scarfing down rotisserie fowl like they were Tic-Tacs. She acknowledged their presence with a glance, Saber got a mocking smirk, but went back to eating candy like a schoolgirl as if she wasn't one of the deadliest individuals in the room.
And lastly, there was the source of the actual tension. A silver-haired man. Wearing a red coat and donning black for his pants and what seemed to be body armor underneath, the dark-skinned handsome individual kept his arms crossed as he stood, leaning against the wall furthest in the room as he studied them on entry. And yet, despite them supposedly being someone Shirou wasn't aware of until today, the man's eyes seemed to convey… something else. Something… more… when he looked at Shirou and Saber.
Shirou could tell he received the brunt of the animosity. Maybe it's because with the mask on, the Servant could tell he was the one to be targeted during a fight… Yet the gaze the man turned to Saber was not quite as hostile. And while Shirou wouldn't be the first to say he was dense, he was self-aware enough to know something was… weird about that Servant.
"Mister Master!" Kaguya's voice drew Shirou's gaze to a side room door. "You shall be waiting here. As we discussed earlier, I request your Servant make herself comfortable here for the time being."
"I… erm…" He tried not to look Saber's way for confirmation, but she wasted no time in sitting down at the table along with the other two currently-eating Servants before looking to his guide. "Alright…" He spared a glance to Saber. "I'll be back."
"You need not concern yourself with me, Master. Hold your head high." She said that last part quietly just for him. Was it to instill confidence? Perhaps reassurance?
Shirou didn't know. It was difficult given her perpetual scowl hardly conveyed much emotion apart from disdain, but he appreciated it very much. A few paces behind Kaguya, he found himself entering a study or lounge of sorts.
Expensive carpets and expensive curtains decorated the room colored in red. Classical modern was the theme for there was a fireplace with a mantle with a giant flatscreen TV mounted above it. Across from that was a bookshelf that reached the ceiling and a desk before it. Between either side were a few couches surrounding a tea table.
The walls were adorned with frames of more runic artifact-looking pieces. Parchment-like material dried and framed in glass while the indecipherable markings drew his eyes as to their intricacy as much as the comfy room had in its grandness.
"Please wait here, Sir Master. I and my husband shall meet with you shortly." The girl was swift to retreat to another adjacent room. And only when she vanished behind the automatic sliding door next to the bookshelf did he realize they hadn't been alone. Turning away from Kaguya's fleeting figure, he was met with three other individuals all quietly milling about. All of them were masked like him, though theirs differed slightly.
"Ara, a new arrival. Please, have a seat."
The one sitting at the center of a three-seater couch quietly spoke, gesturing to the other three-seater across them. The voice's gender was hard to distinguish due to the mask's obfuscation enchantments as well as that not a single lock of her hair was visible, but giving their pale skin a fleeting glance, it wasn't hard to tell they were a woman. Or a girl. A frail-looking one at that given how smaller her frame was compared to his.
'Don't be fooled, dummy! They're likely fully-fledged mages. And you aren't.' He could've sworn those would be Saber's words for him, but he couldn't make a fool of himself. He sat across from the young lady in a dress and what seemed to be a… rook-chess-piece mask?
The crown-like structure atop her head had four raised points. It could be mistaken for a queen's crown on a chessboard, but given the raised points flattened out and were only propped up in the four cardinal directions, front-back and left-right, he had some confidence he was right to call her the rook.
To his right, he tried not to relax as a young man as young as he sat back relaxed in a single-seater armchair. The miter-looking top of his mask reminiscent of a catholic bishop's headpiece was the same one his best friend brought to his home so he was sure of it. Nursing a glass of gin on the rocks, Shirou spied the lower-face of Shinji's mask part to reveal his lips. The impromptu auto-open mouthpiece allowed the boy to take a sip before closing back. The Matou boy shuddered a bit, but Shirou could tell…
His friend was trying his darndest not to cough and wheeze after taking too large a swig of the unfamiliar drink.
'I don't think alcohol would take the edge off, buddy.' Shirou kept his thoughts, and chuckles, to himself knowing full well he can't expose anything.
A snort had him glancing to the left. Spotting another Master in red, he heard a faint throat clearing before she went back to staying quiet in her own armchair. And he was sure this was a woman this time. A young lady older than the one sat across from him at least.
Dark hair slipped out from the back of her mask, the layered back of which was shaped like a helmet The resulting single ponytail made it clear she was the designated knight piece. Setting aside the mask, her dress was fuller and more frilled at the chest and waist, neither of which hid her curves. Heck, they accentuated it in a teasing manner. Her exposed shoulders befitting a formal gown was made to draw eyes, but Shirou couldn't help his gaze slipping down to her legs which she had one crossed over the other. Her posture hid the provocative slit that ran down her left side, but the spot of visible flesh where the thigh-high stockings met the… was that a garter belt keeping it in place?
CLACK
Shirou's attention snapped back to his front as the young lady in a rook mask placed a cup that clattered against a saucer. Loudly, at that.
"Tea." She spoke curtly.
"N-no thanks, I'm—" he tried to refuse.
"Please. I insist." She pushed the saucer closer to his edge of the table. Her voice was distorted, clouded by magecraft, but he could sense she wouldn't back down.
Being pressed to accept a drink by another Master who he wasn't sure was as murderous as was expected, he could see Shinji lean back in his seat. Knowing what he did about the plan, the guy was as nervous as he but unable to interfere lest they give the alliance away.
To drink or to offend the one who offered… The boy was uncertain and sweating buckets under his mask.
What exactly were his options here?
"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're worried about, kid."
A voice behind him had Shirou almost snapping his neck to whirl towards the fifth Master stood by the doorway. Due to having stayed silent and still this entire time, Shirou was certain he didn't notice her when he first entered the room.
Disguised like the rest of them, he couldn't see the unique features of her mask as she leaned against the wall. Arms confidently crossed under her breast, the confident tone of an adult chuckled as she added.
"The little lady was the first to arrive before the rest of us. She decided to prepare it while waiting. Not really my type of tea, but it doesn't taste bad at all."
"My own blend. It's a bit different every time, so I cannot guarantee the taste."
It came off as a weak defense, perhaps even a bit miffed, but the girl who made it took a cursory sip from her cup, letting her mouthpiece stay open as she waited on him, on Shirou to accept her gift.
The ball was in his park. But seeing no obvious threat, the boy took the plunge. Forgetting he was even wearing a mask, the mechanism seemed to detect a cup approaching his lips and automatically parted for his convenience. A split down the lower jaw hissed quietly before pulling back to his cheeks like they were mandibles. Oddly high tech, but there was no whirring so it was likely just more magecraft built into it. But he couldn't stay distracted.
Taking in the scent wafting from the cup, he sipped…
Then he very-nearly forgot to breathe upon tasting it and practically inhaled the drink down in one go. Coughing from the sudden warmth going down his throat, he managed to compose himself after a few seconds to give his thoughts.
"It's…. Ahem… It's good! Very delicious."
"Hmm… The polite flattery is appreciated."
"N-no, really… It's… great. Thanks."
"… You're very much welcome, young man."
He nodded to the girl, feeling a bit more… relaxed. And just before her mouthpiece resealed itself, he swore he caught a faint smile.
A tingle ran down his spine. He wasn't sure if it was the tea, but it was… comforting. It was as though he could relax a bit now. And while he wasn't sure she didn't mix any sedatives or some other magic-related things in it, her momentary smile… made it seem like… she wouldn't mean him any harm…
It was… strange.
The oddly accurate choice of words didn't fly over his head, though. To call him young when neither could see each other's faces… Then again, he couldn't judge her by her frailty or short stature.
"It seems like everyone is here."
He didn't allow such to distract him. Not when the hissing sounds of an automatic door drew all eyes to Lady Kaguya as she reentered the lounge from the adjacent room. Behind her strode in a new domineering figure. One whose voice was as similarly distorted as the rest of theirs behind his own enchanted mask.
The key distinction however was that the newcomer was dressed as black as the night sky compared to the porcelain-like cream that was their masks. But Shirou sensed there was also something… more.
The air about him was… commanding. Not stifling, but almost…. Regal. Shirou couldn't accurately place it, but it reminded him of his Servant's own presence.
And then, they spoke again with a bow.
"Greetings, Masters of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Serving as the Arbiter for this grand ritual, I welcome you all to my humble abode."
The stranger's cape billowed behind him as gesticulated a welcoming flourish of his hands. His tone was noble but also held a theatrical flair.
"And who, pray tell, might you be?" the Knight-mask lady in red asked flatly. "I was under the impression that we were invited by the CEO of Sumeragi Industries, Lady Kaguya herself."
"That is indeed correct, however, the one to arrange for my hosting you all was my dear husband." The CEO-girl in question giggled, amused and seemingly giddy. "Let me introduce you. This is my soon-to-be husband and lord of my home—"
"You may refer to me as Zero." The masked man cut her off, sparing them each a glance as he surveyed the room. "A delight to make your acquaintances, dear Masters. I see five of you were able to attend. Berserker, Assassin, Lancer, Archer, and… Saber."
Zero's mask turned to survey them. Shirou could feel a tingle, or maybe a hostile chill surge up his neck, as it took great restraint to not flinch when the man faced him. And it seems like he wasn't the only one.
Shinji sat up a little straighter. The knight girl in red had shifted her legs so that she had both hands on her knees, as though ready to jump out of her seat. Though the girl with a rook-like mask seemed to take it easy with another sip from her teacup, the older lady behind Shirou had seemingly pushed away from the wall to stand closer behind the couch. Behind Shirou.
The air was heavy, tense. Nothing at all like he expected.
'Is this what it's like to face a magus for real?' he couldn't say out loud but the boy took a deep breath as he looked to the black mask whose owner's gaze seemingly bore into his own through the facades.
"Please, let us all have a seat." And then, Zero sat behind the desk. Like a window being opened, all the heavy air and tension was suddenly dispersed, allowing Shirou's fingers to relax from digging into his palms. Zero continued. "As your Arbiter, I have a lot to go over with you all before the night is done. A simple overview of the established rules as well as… a few notable things."
"Am I to assume the other two are not attending, then?" said the woman behind Shirou.
"I could neither contact one of our missing guests. As for the others, I believe they're a little preoccupied at the moment. Now please, take a seat. Though, I wouldn't require you to sit down. I'd like to keep our conversation brief, and I'm sure you would as well, Master of Lancer."
Zero waited until the lady behind Shirou took a seat adjacent to him, allowing the boy to actually note the shape adorning the top of her mask: that of a crown almost similar to the smaller lady's rook-like one.
"Now then. Let us begin the first dialogue of the Fifth Holy Grail War."