Fate/Clusterfuck (Fate/Stay Night)

[Erien]

[Refuse]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

She was… amazingly attractive, and not with the put upon way of the woman you'd see when you were making your way downtown. This wasn't makeup, this wasn't the clothes… not that she wasn't wearing a particularly large amount of clothes to begin with. This was a seductive, sirenic beauty that took your breath away. You couldn't find it within your ability to look away from her eyes as she leaned forward, close enough that her forehead was almost touching your own. Despite her entire body being on display there was just… something about her eyes.

Circe was beautiful, generally amusing, and had been a great teacher for you. But… as much as your body wanted to. Your mind, Shirou Emiya, didn't. It was too soon, and beyond that, you had a girlfriend, one you were still rather worried about. "No…" You say, reaching out a hand to her shoulder.

Circe blinks, once, then twice, then her eyes narrow as they flit to the hand on her shoulder. "No? You have a beautiful Grand Witch right here, and you say no? Perhaps that was, 'no, how could I have been missing this all my life? Or 'no-thing will keep me from ravishing you'. Is that it?" then she shifts her position, standing up and looming over you, every inch of her body on display as she stares down at you. "Perhaps the piglet thinks he's too good for the meal set out in front of him, so he 'no-ingly' turned down a lovely and beautiful, not to mention kind woman who has been helping him!?"

The light played with her hair, the flickering flames causing her orange locks to turn a shade of gold. Mixing that with the water dripping off of it made a beautiful, almost otherworldly sight. But then, when had Circe and her island been anything less than otherworldly? But… you couldn't. "This is fast, too fast, and I have a girlfriend. I… would like to keep training with you Circe, and what you've taught me is invaluable, but… this is too fast."

Circe continues staring down at you, saying nothing.

…

…

You were about to die.

That's what was the main thought going through your mind. You were about to die, your dream would be unfinished, and you'd be leaving ever-

Circe smiles, crouching down again as she placed a hand in your hair and ruffled it, the witch smiling from ear to ear. "Good answer."


View: https://youtu.be/xb3UmzOqios

… What?

The woman scoops her hands down into the water, then gently pours it over your head, causing you briefly lose the ability to see as the warm water runs down your body. Then, letting out a soft hum, she moves to sit just beside you, the smile still on her face as she begins to lightly wash your hair. She leans forward as she works, inadvertently, or entirely deliberately, pressing her breasts against your shoulder and head. "I… you're not upset?"

"Loyalty is not a bad thing piglet," Circe says, shifting down so that her face is level with your own again, certain distracting parts of her anatomy swaying side to side as she does so. "And regardless, we shall continue to be working on your magecraft." Then she leans closer still, her forehead pressing against your eye and her eyes boring into yours. "Nor am I done attempting to seduce you, the silly little witch who follows you around is averse to her own feelings, and she will continue to be as such until she finally opens her heart to you, at which point she will turn from a crow, to a small puppy that follows you around licking your face." Circe says.

You process that image, for some reason you had a rather hard time imagining Medea being… an adoring sort. If she was ever in a relationship with someone, you felt it would be more like a chancellor or a spymaster. She had that air to her, but you suppose that was a bit unfair, you still hardly knew the woman. Furthermo… "Wait, you are still going to try and seduce me?"

Circe frowns. "Of course, I teach you, I feed you, don't I deserve something out of all of this?"

"I never said you didn't, but I fail to see what about me could possibly fascinate you."

Circe gives you a look, it was a look you were becoming rapidly familiar with as just about every woman in your life had made an effort to give it to you recently. It was a look that called you an idiot without a sign or word. Then, she raises a finger and flicks you in the forehead.

—

You awaken sinking into a pit of quicksand. Only instead of fine grits of crushed rock, it was made out of plush, spring, and feather. The effect in any case was remarkably similar, as you found that since laying in the bed the night before you had sunken a good half foot into the thing, almost enough that you couldn't see over it. You do not know why Raiga believed that a bed this soft was necessary, but with some effort you bring yourself up into a sitting position, the morning light casting rays over the bed from the… completely closed curtains. You blink, processing that for a moment, your mind catching up to your senses as you realize the golden light of the morning was coming from your left, not from the window. Turning your head slowly, you take in the form of… Berserker. The woman was standing there in the dark, not further than a foot away from the bed.

She was staring past you towards the window, not moving, certainly not breathing. Her blonde hair unkempt and hanging partially down her back, the rest of it draped over her shoulders and front. She was in her armor, damaged and broken as it was, and the golden wound in her stomach was just enough to faintly illuminate the bed and a bit of the wall beyond, blood dripping from it to land on the (thankfully red) carpet below.

"Good… morning Berserker," you say slowly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Berserker blinks, turning her head slowly towards you. Then, as you watch, just… turns around and trudges over to the door. She stops at it for a moment, staring at it, then slowly pulls it open and steps through, revealing the form of Caster on the other side. You both watch the Berserker go, then Caster turns her head towards you. She was bedecked in her usual robes, the hood drawn down to cover her face. "Is… everything alright?"

"Indeed, extricate yourself from bed when you are prepared, Master, there are things we must discuss." Caster replies, then floats, literally, into the room. Having apparently deemed the carpet too plebian to walk on.

Shifting yourself, you move your legs off of the bed then stand up. You were only dressed in your night clothes, but considering how you first met her, you doubt she cared much. You still needed to bathe however, and after seeing what the bedroom was like, you were rather frightened by the concept of the bathroom. "Yeah… did you sleep well?"

Caster tilts her head, her eyes still hidden from you. The room was dark, causing her normally shadowed hood to conceal nearly everything about her. Some magic you are sure, some innate witch urge to be dark and mysterious. "I have rested. But in regards to this place, it is further from the leylines than our previous abode. However, it is also remarkably better guarded. The men and women here will prove utterly worthless against a servant, however, they would buy us precious seconds of warning should that beast from before show up again. I have begun work on putting up a bounded field to warn us of any intruders."

"Thanks," you reply, moving a hand to rub at your face. "You… alright, since yesterday?"

Caster straightens herself up. "I presume you mean the conversation we had? You are my master, if you wish to keep secrets from me that is of your concern."

You frown. "I wouldn't if I didn't have to," you reply. "I do trust you Caster."

Caster says nothing for several seconds, simply staring at you. "Be that as it may, it does not change the fact tha-"

The sound of thudding feet cut the witch off, and you both look towards the hallway as a squad of goons rush past. Each was dressed in suits and notably drawing their weapons. "... Caster, your field?"

"It has not alerted me, if they are responding to an intruder they would have had to conceal their presence, or have no magical energy to speak of."

You frown, then step past Caster. "Come on, let's check it out."

—

"You take your fucking hands off of me or this arrow is going straight up your ass!"

… You knew that voice, you knew that voice quite well was the thought going through your mind as you ran out the front door. Sakura, Taiga, Raiga and the rest were already outside as well, drawn by the commotion. The voice was familiar to you, as was the tone, it was something you had heard directed towards Shinji more than once. Ayako stood in the center of the compound, currently being pushed back towards the entrance by no less than three fully grown men. She was, also you note, carrying a bow in one hand and a bundle of arrows in the other.

You were running before you even thought about it, running over to the men and forcing yourself between them and Ayako, the goons struggling for a moment then immediately halting once they saw that you were in the way.

"Shirou!? Where the hell have you been!?" Ayako shouts, rather unnecessarily right next to your ear.

You look back at the woman, the archery captain looking more than a little angry at the moment. "... Busy?" you offer.

"You weren't at school, then I come by your house to find it wrecked. All the neighbors could tell me was there was a gas leak," Ayako says, crossing your arms. "But they also said you got picked up by the Yakuza."

"... And so you immediately ran to the compound in the center of town with weapons?" you ask incredulously.

"You'd do it for me!" Ayako retorts.

…

You were having trouble refuting that argument, but then, it wasn't something you would ever refute to begin with. You would, though how Ayako apparently knew you well enough to guess that surprised you. "Absolutely, but that doesn't mean-"

"And who is this little miss?" Raiga's voice speaks up, interrupting you.

The men step aside immediately as the old lord of the clan moves forward, his can tapping against the stone floor of the compound.

"Ayako Mitsuzuri," Taiga says, "one of my students."

Ayako looks towards Taiga in surprise, having apparently not noticed the woman before, but before she could say anything Raiga continued.

"Is she now? And do you not teach your students manners?" Raiga asks, sounding more amused than angry. "Tell me girl, what did you plan to accomplish with this?"

"Rescue my… boyfriend?" Ayako answers.

Raiga stares at her for several moments while Taiga looks surprised and Sakura looks… shocked. Then the man smiles. "Oh? Truly now? How very bold, and now that you have him, what is your plan? I would suggest looking behind you."

Both you and Ayako do so, to see another goon holding onto the bike she had apparently used to get here. With the cars parked outside, even if she had managed to successfully kidnap… er… rescue you, you doubt she could get very far.

"The house got damaged so he's staying with me for a bit," Taiga explains, a frown on her face. She was also dressed in her sleeping clothes, the assassin standing next to her however was dressed in her usual attire, and seemed to be looking over the whole affair with bright amusement on her face.

The other servant, the one that came with Sakura, for his part, looked more than a little confused by everything going on.

"Is… that true Shirou? Taiga didn't kidnap you?"

Taiga lets out a squawk, and you ignore it to look at Ayako. "Yeah, it all happened yesterday so I didn't have a chance to go to school, was going to go this morning."

Ayako blinks, then blushes, her eyes darting to the side. "... Oh."

Raiga laughs, the sound carrying audibly over the compound. "Shirou, you didn't tell me you had a woman of your own! This is great news, come, little miss… Ayako? Was it? Join us for breakfast."

"I…" Ayako starts, looking between you and the patriarch. "Thank you sir."

—

It was what you would charitably describe as an… awkward breakfast. Not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination, Raiga hired good people, and they knew how to cook a good meal. But the meal was awkward regardless, not the least of which because of the fact that few people were talking besides Raiga peppering Ayako with questions, the student for her part doing her best to answer them all.

Taiga had zoned out almost immediately when the food arrived, eating slowly and returning to the process of waking up. Her servant meanwhile was eating at roughly the same pace, seemingly enjoying the food while shooting curious glances towards Ayako and Sakura. Sakura for her part… had been very quiet, saying little and eating less. If you had to guess, she was still thinking about the situation back at her home. Her servant was staying just nearby her, giving you curious looks the entire time, something that was starting to make you more than a little uncomfortable at this point.

You were just eating, Caster was sitting just beside you, eating, not having said a word this entire time while Berserker was nowhere to be seen. That was likely a good thing at the moment, you would like to avoid telling Ayako about magecraft if at all possible. Of the servants here, the one that stood out the most was Assassin, but Ayako seemed to be paying her… or anyone else here besides you and Raiga little in the way of attention. If you had to guess, she was likely afraid of the fact that she was in the middle of a Yakuza compound.

That… awkward yet present peace however, lasted about as long as it took for Raiga to take a drink and Ayako to focus her attention towards you. Or more specifically, the woman sitting just next to you. "So… who are you exactly?"

Caster looks up from her food, dabbing at her mouth briefly with a napkin before turning her full focus onto Ayako. "I am his attendant."

Ayako narrows her eyes. "What?"

"His attendant," Caster repeats. "I follow his orders and serve him."

You are somewhat grateful that Caster did not call herself your servant, but you aren't sure this was much better.

Ayako's eyes flit between you and Caster for several seconds. "I wasn't… aware you had attendants Shirou."

You give Ayako an awkward smile. "It's something that only started recently?"

"Indeed, a gift from myself," Raiga says.

You turn your head towards the old man to find him smiling, a cold, calculating thing with little warmth. "And tell me, how long have you two known each other?"

"Since… I started going to the academy. She taught me archery," you reply. "We've been friends since."

"Yes, 'taught,' when was the last time you missed the target?" Ayako asks.

You hardly kept track, but you couldn't honestly recall either. You used archery more as a means to relax and focus than as a sport, though the club enjoyed keeping you around for all the trophies regardless. "I couldn't say," you reply.

"You were quite good as I recall, yes," Raiga says, hand moving to his chin as he remembers. "Though I thought you quit?"

You nod your head. "I did, but Ayako asked me to continue… and I didn't really have anything else club-wise to work on."

Ayako lets out a little hum of satisfaction. "Well, I hope you've got things in order now, we've got that tournament coming up that you aren't going to be skipping out on."

You hope you weren't either, not out of any particular desire to participate. But because that would mean the school had avoided burning to the ground. With each passing moment that seemed more and more likely. You didn't say that of course, merely nodding your head, but the thought remained regardless. "I didn't plan on it." You reply.

Ayako grins, then returns to eating. Little else in the way of conversation happened until Ayako set down her plate. "Actually, Rin was asking about yo-"

Ayako paused, her gaze going unfocused, then, as you watch she fell face first against the table, a clonk sounding out before she slumped to the side. Caster's hand was raised, one finger extended in a gesture you now recognized.

…

Recognized but didn't like. Jerking your head towards Caster, ready to shake her until she stops knocking people unconscious, you pause as you find the woman has a finger raised to her lips. "Another Magus has arrived."

Taiga is under no such restraint however. "Ayako!?" The teacher had crossed the distance between her spot and where Ayako was resting in the span of a few seconds, her hands on the students shoulders to pull her back and away from the floor, Ayako lolling like a ragdoll in her arms.

Then you heard the sounds, grunting and shouting coming from outside, and you rushed from your seat towards the window. Standing outside in the midst of the compound, surrounded by a group of unconscious… or worse men, was a… priest?


View: https://youtu.be/dtJANdl3PBY

He was the Magus? That… didn't make sense. By their very nature, a magus and the church cannot exist together. The magic association and the holy church… work together from what your father taught you, but they spend most of that time trying to kill one another. They see magic as heretical and inhuman, and they spend most of their time hunting down heretics and inhumans.

He was tall, bedecked in black. His arms, despite the fact that he had just finished with a fight, were motionless at his side, and the moment you looked at him… he looked at you, his head turning to meet your eyes through the window. A smile graced his face then, a slight, hollow thing that had little in the way of emotion.

"It would seem," Raiga said, standing from his seat, "we have a guest." Then as you watched, he almost nonchalantly walked over to the door and opened it.

You chased after the man a moment later, everyone else in the house following behind. The priest… magus, is smiling a touch wider now, looking you over in turn. "The fifth, sixth, and seventh masters. I see my trip was not wasted."

You step back, almost without realizing and almost walk into Caster in the process. The man… wasn't threatening, despite the fact that there were several unconscious people around him. But he had a presence that made the very air feel heavy.

"I had a feeling you would be involved in this," Raiga says, standing in front of us all.

The priest's looks towards Raiga. "Greetings Raiga." Then he looks towards you, Sakura, and Taiga in turn. "I am Kotomine Kirei, the one entrusted to oversee this Grail War. What are your names?"

The overseer? The church was overseeing all of this? … You suppose if there needed to be a neutral party watching over something done by the Magus Association, the Holy Church was a logical option. "Shirou Emiya," you reply.

"Um… Sakura Matou," Sakura replies, standing just beside you.

The man's smile drops for a moment. "Is that so? I was informed by the Matou that they were submitting Shinji Matou for this war. Is that no longer the case?"

"I-"

"I'm sorry, who do you think you are?" Taiga asks, stepping in front of you and Sakura both, her arm stretched out to cover you.

The smile returns, and the weight to the air turns to a chill. "As I stated, I am the overseer of this Grail War, and due to that I must record the participants. I am here to collect the three of you to bring you to my Church, where you may be formally recorded." Kirei then stretches out an arm. "The Church in this grail war serves as a neutral ground, any master who loses their servant may seek shelter within it, however, after the act of formal registration entering is forbidden as long as one has a servant.

"Since when does a priest work with the Magus Association?" you ask.

The man's eyes flit over to you, and in that moment you can tell you are being judged. "The Holy Church does not support the Magus Association, this is true, however, I follow God. What the Church wishes is of no concern of mine."

"Nor is it mine," Raiga replies. "Do not think you can simply come in here like this Kirei. I have dealt with the church's executioners before."

Kirei nods his head towards the patriarch. "I meant no offense, I had merely come here to talk when they accosted me. None of your men are dead. However, I must take these masters if the Grail War is to officially begin."

"... Caster?" you ask.

"I have heard this mentioned by another," Caster says after a moment.

You ponder who that could be for a moment, as Caster had hardly spoken to anyone besides you since you arrived, but then, you had yet to ask her why she was in that park to begin with. You figured she would tell you when she was good at ready. You had debated asking her, back when she had knocked Sakura unconscious that morning… but you didn't save Caster just to interrogate her.

Still, "why come like this?" you ask.

"Normally master's come to me," Kirei says, moving his hands behind his back. "However, you haven't, and in addition I had to spend most of the previous night weaving spells in order to cover up the battle your servant was in the midst of."

… Ah.

"Shirou?" Taiga asks, looking towards me with a confused expression.

"Berserker chased after another servant last night… Berserker is the blond woman with the hole in her stomach." You explain.

Taiga opens her mouth as if she understood, then just looks rather more confused.

"Come masters, so that the Grail War can begin," Kirei says, drawing the conversation back over to him.

…

If it was the way things were supposed to go, fine. Of course, you'd likely miss out on school again, and something about this priest was setting off warning bells. You looked back towards the group. Sakura seemed… fine, while the man with white hair standing next to her had no expression at all on his face. Taiga was confused, while the Assassin was clutching Taiga's shoulder. Caster, as usual, stood motionless beside you, while Berserker was nowhere to be seen.

… You had no interest in participating in this bloodbath, you had seen too much damage already. But at the same time, involving yourself may also be the only way to properly stop it. The only other master you knew besides those standing beside you was Rin and Ilya, and you had yet to fully process how you felt about that.

This whole situation was only growing more confusing by the moment, more concerning. And nothing seemed willing to give you a moment's peace to process whatever had just finished occurring before. You drew in a breath, forcing yourself to calm as the priest stared at you, that same smile still plastered onto his face. He had an air to him, one you couldn't quite identify, but then, you could hardly say you had much experience with speaking to Magus that you didn't know personally, either.

You-

—

[] [Agree]

[] [Refuse]

[] [Write-in]

 

[Erien]

View: https://youtu.be/5dMC5pi4rHY


[Meanwhile.]


Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!


—


Arthur… where?


Ar… th…ur.


Door… door? Unlocked, sunlight, too bright, why? Why are… here. Where are you? Master… Where is your master? Shirou, Shirou? Master… where? You turn your head this way and that, looking around. You were… you didn't know where you were. You vaguely recall a house, a… where was that? But this was somewhere else, somewhere unfamiliar, somewhere surrounded by noise with yet more within. A surge of magic caught your attention, and you turned your head to see… a group of people, masters and servants, including your own master standing in the center near… another man.


He was smiling at them all, who… was he?


You blink, trying to… focus…


Shirou?


You start to move towards him, a hand moving to your stomach. Then, the magic faded away, as did the tension in the air. The man bowing then turning around. There isn't… a fight?


Master?


You pause, blinking, staring at Shirou, trying to understand him. His face was… wrong, but his magic felt familiar. Why was that? You didn't understand.


… What didn't you understand?


Where were you?


Master?


What's… a master?


Arthur?


You need to find Arthur.


You have to find Arthur.


Mother said you have to.


You turn your body, turning towards the gate. Arthur… is out there.


You take a step forward, then another.


Arthur…


Arthur…


Where are you…


Arthur…


Ar… thur.


Ar…


…


…


…

 

[Erien]

[Postpone going to Church until after school]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

Your life had been… normal, once. That was the thought running through your mind as you stared at the priest. You were a magus, that in itself was abnormal. But you were a third-rate one, barely having more magic capabilities than a non-magus would, and even then, what you did have was far from impressive. The only thing particularly interesting about yourself, was being one of the few survivors of the Fuyuki fire, beyond that, you were just Shirou Emiya. And, in the past week, you had found yourself consulting with multiple people from millenia past, fighting monsters, discovering secrets about one of your dearest friends, gained a girlfriend, discovered your guardian has some form of magical potential…

And now you were living in a Yakuza compound being ordered around by a priest that you didn't trust in the slightest. He had invited you, formally, to participate in this bloodbath for the prize of a wish. It was something you had little interest in, you had but one desire, and you could do that without killing people. In any case, the man had barged into your home, attacked people… presumably, and then tried to command you to go to the Church. Which church was rather simple, there was only one Catholic church within Fuyuki. You weren't much in the mood for being ordered however. "I-"

That was as far as you got, before you were completely drowned out by Taiga. "How dare you!?" the woman shouts out, stepping forward and jabbing a finger towards Kirei.

The man blinks, his smile faltering a moment before he focuses his full attention onto Taiga. He opens his mouth to respond, but she beats him to the punch.

"You can't demand of my students, or me for that matter, anything! Just because you dress in black doesn't mean you are threatening. If you want to talk to me, or my students, you can wait until after school. Sakura and Shirou have missed enough classes in any case." Taiga says, lowering the finger so that she can cross both arms underneath her bust. She is glaring at Kirei, daring him to argue, a rather amusing sight considering the priest stood a full foot taller than her.

Kirei, for his part, seems to not be as weak to Taiga's admonishments as her class. "You are a master yourself, I would suggest the three of you report, especially if you have formed an…" his eyes flit to you and Sakura. "Alliance."

Sakura shifts beside me, her hand clenching and unclenching at her side. Not in anger, but worry, if the stricken look on her face was anything to go by.

Taiga shakes her head. "If we have to report due to the rules, fine, rules exist for a reason. But you took your time getting here so you can wait."

Kirei blinks, slowly. His lips curling for a moment as the smile drops from his face. Then, like nothing had even happened, it returned. Only, it wasn't a smile. The lips turned upwards, a small amount of teeth showed. But there was no warmth there, no… happiness. It was like someone had described a smile to an automaton and it had done its best to mimic it without emotion. "So be it," Kirei says, nodding his head slightly. "I shall see you three masters tonight then." He sounds… amused, he starts to turn, then pauses, his eye locking onto my own. "Boy."

"My name is Shirou."

"Try and keep your servant under control." The priest says, his smile now a thin, tight thing. Then he finishes the turn, making his way out of the compound.

"Boss?" a goon asks, the question clear even without phrasing it out.

"Allow him to leave," Raiga replies, staring after the priest as he calmly walks out past the groups of guards. A tense silence fills the air until Kirei fully leaves the compound, and Raiga lets out a low breath before turning his attention onto you and the rest of the group. "Shirou my boy, do you truly plan on taking part in all of this?"

You think on the question for a moment, not long, you already know the answer. "Yes, if only to stop it from getting out of control. I don't care about a wish, but I don't want people to get hurt."

Raiga thinks on my answer for a moment, then nods. "Still wish to be a hero then?"

To wish for something means to want something to happen that is generally unlikely. To seek something impossible, or at the very least out of reach. Your life was dedicated to the idea, therefore it wasn't a wish. Not as such. It was what you were meant to do. "Yes."

"Then I would merely suggest being careful," Raiga sa-

"You there," Taiga interrupts, and both Raiga and yourself turn to look at Taiga pointing a finger at Caster. "Wake my student back up, I have to get her to school."

… Taiga was nothing if not brave.

—


View: https://youtu.be/xb3UmzOqios

Caster had done so, then quickly moved away as the entire lot of you went off to school together. You normally walked to school, that was not the case today. Both in part that it was a far, far longer walk from the center of town towards where the school was located, and that Raiga would hear absolutely none of it when you brought it up. So that's how you, Sakura, Taiga and Ayako all wound up in the same vehicle, being driven by a rather sharp looking woman in a black suit across town until it parked in front of the gates. Whereupon opening the doors, you did indeed manage to get exactly as much attention as you expected to get.

You liked Raiga, you truly did. The man was a criminal, but had done so much for you over the years you had chosen to willingly ignore that. Instead you treated him as an out-of-family grandfather that would frequently dote on you. But at other times… as four suited people stepped out of the vehicle to open the doors, as the black limousine glinted in the morning sunlight, as someone handed you your bag in front of the entire school. It was easy to recall why you tended to avoid Raiga's choice in lifestyle. Namely, you didn't much enjoy standing out.

Raiga, and by extension the Yakuza, enjoyed standing out as much as a man on stilts. You ignore the stares and the whispers, which only increase in intensity as Ayako leans against you once you actually start to walk into the school. The girl had been more than a little loopy once Medea had woken her up, but the explanation that the excitement had worn her out was easy enough for her to believe at least. Caster had also, helpfully and privately to you, explained that the lethargy the girl was feeling would fade away in the course of the next hour or so. But in the meantime, you had an archery captain latched onto your arm, allowing herself to half walk, half be dragged into the school. The stares were to be unavoidable you suppose, but at the very least people seemed to be keeping to themselves. You would imagine it would only be worse if the servants were visible.

Caster was back at the house, shoring up the magical defenses there using methods you couldn't even begin to understand, with a strong understanding between the two of you that at the first sign of trouble you were to call upon her. She was… very insistent upon that. Mordred was in the house as well… you hope, you had searched for her, but she had wandered somewhere in the mansion after you had awoken, and none of the staff had an inkling of where she was. It was something you were, admittedly, rather worried about, but you also had other problems to focus on.

Namely that you had no idea how the meeting would go tonight, and that Taiga had a servant. Said servant was thankfully invisible at present, much to your relief as her appearance would likely cause the student body to change from 'whispering rumors' to 'shouting accusations'. As to what those accusations were, you chose not to think about it too heavily. But the woman was rather distracting. As for Sakura, the girl was walking just beside you, a neutral expression on her face, her servant, the rather friendly man, invisible as well.

"How long… till homeroom?" Ayako asks, mumbling into your shoulder.

"A half hour or so," you reply. Shifting your shoulder so that she has a more comfortable position to rest the side of her head.

"Gooood," Ayako says slowly, wrapping her arms around your own. She was blinking slowly, taking in the world around her, then, suddenly, her eyes focused and a grin came across her face. "Morning Rin."

You jerk your head forward to indeed see Rin Tohsaka, standing just by the entrance of the school. Her arms were crossed, an annoyed expression on her face. You presume she was rather angered at being chased off the property yesterday, you couldn't care less, you just were just happy that she was alright.

"Ri-" you begin.

Ayako cuts you off. "Don't… be…" Ayako blinks, her eyes go unfocused again. "No glaring at my boyfriend."

Rin's eyes narrow further, then, without a word on her part, she walks into the school, turning her nose up, literally, at the lot of you. You watch her leave, your hand partially raised after her.

Beside you, Ayako giggled, and the whispers only grew in intensity. Sakura, for her part, was looking rather upset.

—

"Pay attention!" Taiga growls, slapping her ruler down against her desk. Several of the students jump, going ramrod straight, as the Tiger threatens to start eating students. They still kept shooting you glances however.

The rumor mill, as it turned out, was worse than you thought. You had missed several days of school, that started it, as you had never been tardy before. Then, your house had burned down, that sparked it more, and that one was rather fresh as it had started only yesterday. Then today, you arrived in a limousine, surrounded by Yakuza, and, as far as you could gather, taiga was your owner, Ayako was your girlfriend, and Sakura was your mistress. How one could have both a girlfriend and a mistress was a mystery to you. But, unlike most Magus, you knew well enough to leave a mystery alone.

Sakura at least ignored them, listening to Taiga and ignoring the stares and the words around her. Ayako was… actually, you didn't know how Ayako was handling it, she was in a different class. Knowing her however, it was quite possible she was bragging about getting a boyfriend. Though you didn't exactly consider yourself much of a prize. You were, at the moment, just hoping for a normal school day before you had to meet that priest again.

You glance down at the paper in front of you, wondering, briefly, if Circe could teach you math. You let out a breath, forcing yourself to relax.

—

"Emiya?" Issei asks, looking up from his table as you walk into the student council office.

"Morning Issei," you greet, closing the door behind you. The table was, as always, filled with papers around the man. Though he was at present in the midst of eating his lunch. You raise your own lunchbox into the air, showing your intent to the student council president before setting it onto the table.

Issei eyes it for a moment, studying the small box. Then looks at you. "Hiding?"

"Partially," you admit. "I also still have a heater to work on."

A look of palpable relief comes onto Issei's face. "Thank you."

The man then looks at his own food, staring at it silently for several moments while you begin to unpack your lunch. Then apparently finds himself unable to contain his curiosity. "So are… the rumors true, Emiya?"

"You'll need to be more specific," you reply, pulling out your sandwich as you do so. "They change by the minute."

"The latest one is that Fujimura Sensei has claimed you as a husband."

You stare at the sandwich, wondering if it could possibly get you out of this situation. It can not, for there is precious little mercy in this world. "... No." You finally respond, then take a bite.

"And Ayako being your girlfriend?" Issei asks.

… If he believed the first to possibly be true, you were rather insulted that a man you considered a friend thought you would have a mistress as the case may be. You weren't Shinji, you weren't a playboy. Nor did you have Issei's look to attract a gaggle of women following him around, even if, unlike Shinji, Issei didn't do anything with that ability.

Sighing, you nod your head. "That one is true."

"How did that happen?" Issei asks inquisitively.

"She asked." You reply. Then take another bite, enjoying the fact that you couldn't hear whispering for the first time in a few hours. "I said yes."

"Ayako." Issei repeats.

"Is it being Ayako a problem?" you say slowly.

Issei shakes his head. "No, of course not, just surprising."

"How is it surprising?" you ask, not particularly paying attention.

…

…

…

"If you don't know, then don't worry about it." Issei responds after a good half minute. Then turns back to his food. "We have some more heaters if you have the time."

"I can work on them after lunch," you reply. "Won't have time this evening."

Issei nods, and the two of you eat in relative peace.

The rumors of course, started again the moment you went back to class. As apparently you had claimed Issei as a mistress as well.

—

Your exit was as grand as your entrance, in a way, that should not surprise you. What did surprise you was there was a definite more in terms of the amount of flash. Where before you were riding in a single limousine into the school. Raiga had apparently seen fit to give you a literal escort to the church, which comprised a full five vehicles around the limo, three in front, two behind. Each you would imagine filled with his goons. Given what you had seen Kirei do to them before, and the fact that this Grail War featured… some truly horrifying things, you weren't sure what they were there to do besides offer some form of peace of mind.

You suppose it did in some small amount, but you didn't much like their chances either. Nor did you much enjoy the thought of someone protecting you. Ayako had waved you off at the gate, leaving you to get into the limo with Taiga and Sakura, the latter having decided to sit next to you, fidgeting unsteadily as you made your way through the city towards the far eastern end. The servants had appeared almost immediately after as well, with Archer taking up a spot just to Sakura's left, Caster sitting across from you, and Assassin sitting by the window, still near Taiga, but taking the time to look out the window in apparent fascination.

Taiga, for her part, seemed more annoyed than anything, in contrast to your slight worry and Sakura's apparent nervousness. The teacher had her chin perched on her shoulder, idly staring out the same window Assassin was as the limousine made its way through the city. It was silent for a good few minutes, until finally, almost mercifully, Taiga spoke up. "So, all that fire and everything else for a wish?"

"Yes." Sakura replies, the first thing you've actually heard her say… since this morning in fact. "The Holy Grail can grant any wish."

Any wish was a powerful statement, the magecraft to make that happen… didn't exist anymore, at least, not in the hands of modern Magus.

"Wonder if I could ask it for a day off?" Taiga muses, then lets out a long breath. "Shirou, did you mean what you said this morning that you would take part in… all of this?"

"I don't want a wish myself," you reply. "But Caster does, and if I participate I could keep people from getting hurt."

Caster tilts her head, but says nothing, while both Archer and Assassin look towards you. The former with a slightly… consternated expression on his face, the later with a small smile.

"And only one winner?" Taiga replies.

"Yes, one master, one servant." Sakura says quietly.

Taiga drops the hand, leaning back against the plush seat. "So that's how it's going to go, is it Shirou? I feed, cloth, and house you for years, then you kill me?" Her other hand moves to wipe away a nonexistent tear from her eye. "It's enough to make me cry!"

"... The temptation is there." You say slowly.

"Bad Shirou! No killing your guardian!" Taiga commands.

A giggle gets your attention, and both you and Taiga look to see Sakura covering her mouth, a blush on her face. Her eyes flit between the two of you, then she looks down at the limousine floor. "Um, sorry."

"I don't plan on killing anyone," you say, turning your attention back to the matter at hand. "Of the masters, I know of you two, Rin, and another I ran into the other day." You say, not mentioning Illya by name. You still didn't know what to make of her, but you would also rather not add onto Sakura and Taiga's worries for the moment.

"Neither do I." Taiga says firmly, a rare, completely serious expression on her face.

"That's… not how the Grail War works Shirou, and… Taiga Sensei." Sakura says. "For it to end, there can only be one left. We could work together but, we would still end up having to deal with each other." Sakura explains, fidgeting.

"You mentioned that to me when you woke me up in the house," you say. "And my answer is the same now as it was then. I didn't plan on taking part, I helped out Caster because she was hurt. I'll participate so that people are safe, and I'll help her out in anyway I can. But I'm never going to hurt you Sakura, or Taiga for that matter."

Sakura stares at me for a few long moments, then smiles a sweet, and relieved smile.

—


View: https://youtu.be/dtJANdl3PBY

The church was… a magnificent building. An elegant, multi-story structure placed on top of a hill. Though, perhaps that was the wrong way to describe it. It wasn't placed on top of a hill, it was the hill. The church wasn't a particularly large structure, but situated atop a flat field that makes up the top of the hill, the church had an aura of it, towering over the six of you as you made your way towards it.

The air was still as you approached, little wind was present, and you could neither hear birds… or the rest of the city around you for that matter. It wasn't magic, at least, you didn't believe so, and Caster didn't seem to be more on edge than normal. But it was a palpable tension, like the church had imposed its will upon the land around it. It didn't halt you however, nor did it halt Taiga or Sakura. The Yakuza stayed behind in the cars, a short distance from the entrance of the church itself.

It was still strange to you, very strange in fact that the Holy Church saw fit to involve itself in the grail wa-

*BANG*


View: https://youtu.be/qIEk0U782rM

You heard the explosions the same moment that Medea grabbed you by the arm and yanked you to the side. The night illuminated a split second later, a wave of heat and light washing over you. You turned your head to see the limousine, along with the rest of the vehicles, aflame, people screamed, flames melting their clothes and igniting their flesh as they danced amidst the wreckage. Your heart slammed in your chest, pumping so hard it physically hurt at the sight, and you felt yourself moving once more, away from the church and back.

"Greetings." A voice, soft, yet somehow carrying over the sound of the screams spoke up. You were a good fifty feet from the church now, hovering slightly above the ground, but you were able to pick out the figure standing just in front of the church due to the light of the flames. It was a woman bedecked in white, a color that flashed gold in the light cast by the flames, playing off of her deep brown skin. Her hair, long and brown, draped down past a cloak to land around her hips, and in her hand she wielded a very long bow. "I am Brihannala. I regret to say this shall be the end of you."


View: https://i.imgur.com/4tamsJl.png

The scent of magic was in the air, overpowering, far far more than what you experienced around Circe. Whoever this servant was, she was powerful. You cast a glance around the battlefield as the woman lifted her bow again. Taiga was on the ground, having been pulled aside by Assassin, the brown-haired woman kneeling defensively above her. Sakura for her part was standing, a hand raised in front of her, Archer standing in front of her wielding twin swords of white and black.

"Master, we are at a disadvantage." Caster says, the calmness in her voice at odds with the sweat on her face. "Your orders?"

—

[] [Flee]
You could teleport out, but you'd leave Sakura and Taiga at Caster's mercy.

[] [Hold the Line]
Try and buy time while Sakura, Taiga, and the rest flee.

[] [Fight it out]
This servant is powerful, but there are three of you.

—

This chapter was remarkably difficult to write for some reason, I think Kirei is rather tricky.

 

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbMtNx9DxBs

[Hold the Line]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

Well, I suppose you haven't had… one of these in a while.

—

This was bad.

You have encountered many situations lately that have not developed to your advantage. But this was beyond all of this, this was beyond the monster, this was beyond Rin, this was beyond anything else you had seen so far. This was… awful. The being staring down at you dispassionately said nothing further beyond her introduction. But there was a weight, a painful, crushing weight to her gaze. There was nothing in it, no judgment, no interpretation, no feeling. But it was enough to make every synapse in your brain scream one word over and over.

Run.

Run.

Run.

If you run, you just might get away. If you run, you just might live. If you run, you just might see tomorrow. If you run, this thing may not kill you. Your heart hammered in your chest, your breath quickened, and your senses tightened, making the sounds of the rapidly dimming screams behind you only more intense before they fade away, the heat turning them into little more than piles of ash. Anyone would run, something like this… it wasn't something people were meant to deal with, meant to face.

Anyone would. Human or Magus. There was just too much power, too much crushing weight, too much… too much. You didn't understand how servants worked, not fully, you weren't a good enough Magus for that. You knew how familiars worked, you knew how spirit liners worked. But Heroic Spirits like this? That was far beyond your understanding, and, honestly, you didn't care. All that you cared about was that the Grail War was causing chaos and death, and you were going to see it ended. But even that ideal paled in the shadows cast by this… servant.

Sakura was stepping back, Taiga was as well. Your body screamed at you to do the same, to avoid this fight however possible. To flee, take Sakura and Taiga with you and just get out of there. Sacrifice yourself to save them if possible, but get away.

…

You stepped forward. How could you not? You couldn't ask Sakura and Taiga to fight here, not against this. But you could, you could at least buy them time to get away. The scent of magic only got stronger as you took another step, a far more practical example of the power you were approaching.

Run.

Run.

Run.

You draw in a breath, then stop, well in front of the group. The servant atop the church now fully focused on you. "Why'd you have to kill them?" you ask, forcing yourself to talk. "They weren't a threat to you."

Brihannala cocks her head, pausing for a moment as if trying to process that question. Perhaps she was surprised you were daring to approach her. "I was told to do so." Brihannala answers simply.

"By who, your master? Is that enough of a reason to kill people!?" you shout, taking another step forward. Behind you Caster hisses out your name, you ignore her. The weight was still there, the crushing presence of magical power. But the fear was gone, replaced by anger. Maybe… maybe this was a stupid move on your part, but hurting others is never the right move. You weren't going to let anyone else die here today if you could help it.

Brihannala continues to stare at you, studying you. It's a dispassionate look. She's giving you the same look you might a bird sitting on your lawn. Fascination at the occurrence, but at the same time it was something fleeting and not something to be overly studied or obsessed over. "Master," Caster says, now having caught up to me. "What are you doing?"

You don't look away from Brihannala, the longer you stare at her, the more you have her attention, the more you have her attention, the more time you can buy. "I won't let Sakura or Taiga come to harm. I want to buy time for them to get out of here."

"They are your enemies, Master."

The corner of your lip twitches upwards despite yourself. "We've had that conversation already, Caster. Can you teleport them out of here?"

"I cannot, at least, not at the moment Master. But this servant will easily slay us both as we are."

You draw in a breath, somewhat grateful that Brihannala was giving you the time to talk. Somehow you doubt it was any kindness on her part, she likely felt that it didn't matter. "Then leave with them."

"... Master?"

"I don't want anyone else to get hurt today, take Taiga and Sakura and get out of here, I'll buy what time I can." You say firmly.

Caster says nothing for several seconds, then you hear the rustle of fabric. "No Master, I shall not flee. If you are certain of this course of action."

Are you?

Of course.

You wouldn't call it being a hero, being a hero would mean those men and women wouldn't have died to begin with. But you could stop more from being hurt, or at the very least try… no… not try, it wasn't an impossibility, you would do it. That was your purpose, that was why you were here to begin with. You came to this church to stop this madness, and even if this wasn't the madness you expected… you would stop that too, and anything else.

You turn your head back, looking towards Taiga and Sakura. "You two get out of here, we'll hold her off!"

Taiga opens her mouth to argue, and going by the expression on her part it would be a tongue lashing of legend. But Assassin, with little hesitation picks up Taiga and leaps off the hill. Sakura reaches out a hand for you, panic clear as day on her face, but her Archer shows only slightly more hesitation than Assassin did before they both as well are out of sight. The fact… that they got away that easily surprises you, and you look back towards Brihannala. "Not stopping them?"

Brihannala shakes her head slowly. Then, from behind, you hear a loud, terrible, familiar phlegmatic growl, and Sakura screaming. You jerk your body around, only to be yanked to the side by Caster. Wind whistles in your ears as the two of you rapidly shift from one side of the hill to another, the side of the church now in view as the spot you were standing in turns into a smoking crater roughly the size of a small car.

Damnit.

Then the scent of magic grows in intensity, as beams of purple light erupt past your head, curling through the air towards Brihannala. The woman leaps, the light briefly trying to turn to follow after her before impacting the roof, masonry and tile exploding in puffs of gray smoke. A shriek like a jet engine erupts from all around you, and you and Caster separate at her push, you bouncing along the ground and Caster flying to the side as an arrow collides into a tree behind you both and splits it in half. You watch in mute fascination as the tree hangs there a moment, like the world had not quite caught up to what happened to it, until, with the sound of cracking wood it topples over in a splash of broken branches and flying leaves.

Then there's another shriek, and you find yourself running on instinct. Your palms slapping against the ground momentarily before you gain your feet under you. The arrow misses you by an inch, your clothes slapping against your body and wind tearing painfully across your cheeks before it crashes into the forest. Brihannala was standing in front of the church now, a flat, almost bored expression on her face as she raised the bow towards you once more, a black arrow placed against it.

Then there was a shout from Caster, and you found yourself surrounded by company. Skeletons clawed themselves up from the earth, tall, gray things that only vaguely resembled a human. The ribs were curved oddly, pointed sharply and downwards, in their hands were 'weapons', cleavers, rusted swords and bows, and their heads were little more than a pair of razor sharp teeth fused to the collarbone. There was no brain, no eyes, and yet as one they all faced towards Brihannala and charged.

They shambled, but they were far faster than they had any right to be as they closed onto the church. Brihannala studied them for a moment, perhaps even less. Before the position she was standing in disappears in a burst of smoke as several dozen beams of light lance into it. She reemerges a second later, bow drawn, and aimed past you. You jerked your head back to look, only to see Caster floating above the battlefield, her cloak billowing out behind her, staff raised as she glared across the battlefield towards Brihannala.

Then the staff swung, and the sky lit circles of arcane symbols forming in the air before magic erupted out of them. Beams of brilliant purple, with a force putting any modern magecraft to shame launch like with all the rapidity of gunfire towards the leaping Brihannala. Then, she screams a word in a language you now recognize, even if you couldn't translate it. "Ατλας!"

Brihannala twitches, just for a moment, but that moment is enough. One beam, two beams, then a dozen all collide against her. The front of the church explodes as she hits it, then she's gone from view. Not that it stops Caster in the least, beams continue to pummel the spot. Her arm outstretched, sweat pouring down her face. Your body was… rapidly feeling the pull of magic already. Then it stopped, first the beams, then the pulling of magic, and finally Caster's flight. As the sound of a cannon going off fills the air. The smoke explodes outwards, filling the hill as it is rapidly dispersed. Standing in the middle of it was Brihannala, she was scratched up, and had obviously taken hits that would have killed you and any other human thirty times over. But beyond damage to her clothes, she was fine. Blood welts and tears of the skin were rapidly healing.

The same could not be said for Caster. A strangled gasp yanks your attention back, and you look to the side to see her tumbling to the ground. Blood pouring down her front. You sprinted without thinking, diving to catch her before she hit the ground, her cloak pooling on the ground beneath you both as Caster stared up at the sky. A large, gaping wound was present between her breasts, but there was no arrow. Instead the hole went all the way through, the arrow having gone clear through her without stopping.

Caster was gritting her teeth, not dead, nothing surprised you in that regard after seeing the state Berserker was in. But she wasn't having a great time either. You heard the draw of the bow before you heard the arrow fire. And you leapt, one hand wrapped around Caster, the other pointed towards the ground behind you. "Αερο!" you couldn't hope to shoot that arrow out of the sky, but the blast of air that ricocheted off the ground pushed you away, clearing the space between you and the crater of the arrow's landing with inches to spare. You skidded, stumbling on the ground for a moment, but you didn't allow yourself to tumble, not when you were carrying Caster. You couldn't hope to get away, not now, and the screams of the monster were still clear to your ears from down the hill.

… You could buy time for Caster.

You skidded behind a tree, another nearby exploding before Brihannala's interest was taken up by the skeleton's now getting within melee distance. Placing Caster gingerly against the tree, you look into her eyes. "Try and get back to the house, I'll buy you time."

Caster's gaze, unfocused, snaps to lucidity. Her eyes searching your face. "Shirou?"

You had no idea how well she could move, but even if you bought her seconds of life… that was enough. You emerge from behind the tree to find… all of the skeletons lying in heaps of bone on the ground. Brihannala looking none the worse for wear.

This was all your fault you suppose, the fight… certainly didn't last long. But what did you honestly expect? You were no great magus who could supply Caster with the mana she needed, your magecraft was a joke. You had hoped to buy Sakura and Taiga a few minutes, you had bought them only one, and now you were going to fight tooth and nail to buy Caster maybe a dozen seconds.

… You suppose that was better than nothing.

Brihannala begins to lift her bow, and you draw upon… what little magecraft you do know. Then… there's a twinge, a little… pulling, stabbing pain in your brain. It's nearly instantaneous, but it leaves something behind. A phrase, something that had been hammered into your skull repeatedly. 'Ο κόσμος αλλοίωσις, ο βίος υπόληψις'. Something Circe had taught you, there was a foundation to everything, a building block that built up worlds. It wasn't dissimilar to your own projection magic, flawed as that was.

Judge the concept of creation… hypothesize the basic structure. Brihannala's bow is almost fully raised now. Duplicate the composition material, imitate the skill of its making. A black arrow appears in her hand, and in one smooth motion it is placed against the bowstring. Sympathize with its growth, reproduce its history. Finalize the manufacturing process… the world is in decay, life is simply a perception.

SNAP

A scream tears from your lips, so loud, so sudden that you at first don't even recognize it as your own voice. Your magic energy surges outwards, forming, churning, coalescing and taking shape. Matter comes into existence, folding neatly into your hand, a weight, unlike anything you had ever projected before. Within your left hand was a long, curved bow made of exquisite white wood. Inlaid with streaks of gold. Held taut by a silverine bowstring connected via either tip. A jagged prong made of the same material juts out the front of the bow, connected to it via a beautiful twisting helix.

You stare at it, the fight momentarily forgotten. You knew the name of this weapon, but you didn't know why. You knew its history, its purpose, who wielded it, who created it.

Agni Gandiva…

A black arrow appeared, then drew itself back against the strings. You only realized it was you pulling it back a second later. You looked forward towards Brihannala, her eyes were wide, confusion clear as day on her face. She still hadn't said anything since your 'interrogation', but it was by far the most emotion she had shown this entire time.

Then she loosed her arrow.

You did as well simultaneously.

You don't know if they met, or if they merely interacted by getting close enough to each other. But the space between you both disappears in a massive ball of fire. White hot heat washes over you and sends you flying back, your body tumbling through the air before you collide backfirst with a tree. The pain from that however, is only a brief, slight distraction by the utter agony of your hands. You slide down the bark, the bow dissipating into specks of magic. The smell of cooked flesh hits your nose, and you feel more than see the flesh melting off of your hands and arms. Where your fingers had gripped the arrow your bones had melted around it, where your hand gripped the shaft your skin had lit, and from the wind of the bowstring snapping, your flesh had torn itself asunder and lit like a match.

Smoldering, blackened skin covered your arms, burnt through in places to reveal the bone underneath. Your hands shake as you look at them, the fingers twitch, skin flaking off of them to land on the ground, and you force your head up to see… Brihannala standing just a few feet in front of you, none the worse for wear it would appear. You watch, your body rapidly growing numb from the shock as she notches an arrow, pointed directly at your head.

"Let… caster… go…" You hiss out, every breath like a stab.

Brihannala says nothing, the last thing you see being what looked to be a small… pig? Starting at you both from just behind her.

—



"A suicidal last stand? Did you honestly think that was going to work? What, you, a no name Magus against a demigod? Not even a children's story would have tripe like that."




"Mm… there's nothing like that back in America, but still… maybe a bit too muc-"




"NOT ON MY WATCH!"

...

...

...



"What!?"



"!?"

—



View: https://youtu.be/jnJqGLnc49M


—

The ground shook, and Brihannala jerked her head to the side just as a boar materialized out of nowhere to slam itself against her side. Her eyes briefly widen before she goes tumbling away, the archer catching herself against a street before righting herself atop it.

A horde parks itself in front of you, pigs, boars and birds, and… sitting in the middle of it, sat atop one of them was… was…

"THE GRAND WITCH IS HERE!" Circe bellows, her staff raised into the sky. "Rejoice! For your salvation has come!"

You stare at the scene, Circe, now standing atop a horde of pigs and boars. Her eyes flashing, her mouth locked in a grin. She turns her head towards you and gives you a wink. "How's that for an entrance my cute little piglet?"

That was enough, your brain decided.

It wanted to follow your magic circuits now, into dim… uselessness.

—

What, you thought those visits to Circe were just dreams? Please, have a little faith that the Clusterfuck can always grow in intensity. And yes, I've been waiting to reveal this little twist now for a while. Since the first Circe 'dream' in fact.

Now then.

For gaining a series of small victories that lead to this particular event happening. Perhaps a reward is in order.

… Where's Shirou waking up? This may raise a few flags. Red and otherwise.

[] [Illya's Castle]

[] [Rin's Mansion]

[] [Taiga's Room]

[] [A Witch's Island]

[] [Next to a Golden Sheep]

 

[Erien]

View: https://youtu.be/rYKGiLM1wJQ

—

Tick, tack, topple and renew…

Fill, fill, fill to the brim, make a wish upon the grail. Is that what all this is about, a pitiful wish? As pathetic a bauble as the Holy Grail. You knew of it, you knew of it well. It was nothing, it was paltry, it was for drinking wine, little else.

The moon laughs and whispers…

But that was why you were called, that was why the humans of this era pleaded for your help. Begged and pleaded to the void, then had the gall to act above those they summoned. That was fine, you could… play along with that. A smile, a caress, a laugh. Put them at ease.

Hydra's venom, twice stirred, thrice killed.

"Are you… sure about this?" the man asks, no. Not a man, a child, perhaps a pitiable one, but a child nevertheless.

You smile, reaching a hand out to brush the boy's hair out of his face. "My dear Kadoc, did you not speak to me of your desire to become a hero? One who would save this world?"

Kadoc takes in a breath, his eyes shifting from me to the door. "Yes but… this is…"

You lean forward before he can speak another word, your lips press against his, the boy stiffening for a moment before he calms. You pull away a few seconds later, a thin line connected your mouth to his, a far off, distant gaze in his eyes.

"You have to trust me Kadoc, I do this for you my love."

Devilry dancing in the blood…

Kadoc blinks, a blush on his face before he pushes forward. "Yeah… Yeah, let's do this." He slips the key into the lock, then turns it. With a creak it swings opening, revealing…

You smile, walking past Kadoc you step into the room, various magical wards setup dispersing with a thought, traps fading into nothingness, alarms fading away before they could begin to call their masters. Behind you Kadoc nervously followed, the boy playing at confidence as best his fragile sense of self would allow.

You ignored it, you ignored the unnatural chill in the air as you placed your hand against a mound of bone. "Hello, Albion."

Double double, toil and trouble…

---



View: https://i.imgur.com/tyA34Ij.png

 

[Erien]

View: https://youtu.be/gMOLrTNdTlU

[Next to a Golden Sheep]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

You felt… warm, and delightfully comfortable. A small, niggling part of your brain was poking that that was unusual, tugging and prodding much like a small dog would at a large scrap of meat. But much like the efforts of the dog, it was remarkably pointless, as for the most part, you just wanted to capture this warmth and hold it for eternity. Your thoughts were muddled, slowly coming back to you, you tried to hold onto them, but you just fall deeper against the warmth.

"Oh my Medea, he seems quite fond of your lap."

Your eyes snap open, and the haze that normally comes with awakening is quickly erased by the spike of adrenaline that shoots through your body. You were laying back on… something you couldn't quite see, but your head was at the moment resting on Caster's lap, the woman in question staring down at you, one of her hands running slowly through your hair. You process this for a moment, your mental faculties slowly coming together like the guest room television warming up to life. Then you move to sit up on instinct, only to feel a heavy weight on your chest preventing you from moving.

Snapping your gaze downwards you see… an entire sheep, fluffy and of golden fur resting on your lap crossways. It's head pressing against what appeared to be a deep red couch of a style you couldn't recognize, while its feet hung off the side, swaying back and force lazily with every breath it took while it slept. It, upon further inspection, was the cause of the warmth you were feeling. The heavy but not painful weight of the sheep, mixed with the thick golden wool it was covered in, was far better than any blanket or heater you had ever dealt with in your life. You blink, slowly, processing that, then look past it to see Circe standing just off of the couch, a smile on her face, hands behind her back. With her height she towered over you, looming and only adding more to the confusion of the situation.

"Where… am I?" you ask slowly, your mouth parched. Your entire body felt… numb and alien, like you had just come off anesthetic.

"My room within the compound," Caster replies simply.

"And… the servant we were fighting?" you ask, blinking again, trying to get your senses in order.

Circe giggles. "Away, I took you away from that fight as to avoid putting you in further danger, do free to compliment this grand witch."

You stare at her. "Why is… Circe he-"

It was at that moment that you being held down by sheep no longer became an issue for movement, and nearly as fast as you could process you were flailing in the air, hooves flailing beneath you as you started to fall down towards the couch. You appear to have lost a good five feet of height and had turned pink. But any such observances were rendered impossible as a certainly grand witch snatched you out of the air to hug against her chest. "Oooh! You make just the most adorable piglet, I knew it!"

You oink in protest.

At the very least it gave you an actual view of the room. The dimensions of which were… equal to your own space, though while yours was done up in an almost princely fashion, Medea's was far more ancient in design. Long couches covered in pillows filled the space. Surrounded by decorative fountains, glyphs of gods you didn't recognize, tilework of places you didn't recognize, plants hanging from the wall you didn't recognize, and a flabbergasted expression on Caster's face you once again, didn't recognize.

The woman was staring at you, wide eyed, then they narrow as if she was only just now realizing something. "Shirou, my Master, is this why you were secretive regarding your training?"

You oink an affirmative, exactly how one does that, you frankly had no idea, but you gave it your best regardless with all the dignity being a third rate magus allowed you.

"She cursed you not to say her name?"

You oink again, adding a bit of sarcasm to it.

Then Caster points a finger at Circe and says something in Greek, exactly what, you once again do not understand. But it causes Circe to respond in the same language. The two witches quickly beginning an argument that, much like any argument between girls you had seen in highschool, you failed to make heads or tails of. Here though at least, you could make a point that you didn't speak the language instead of just being dense. You glance down, your forelegs… forehooves? Were wrapped in bandages, faint bits of burnt, blackened pig flesh poking out beneath them along the edges. Whatever the bandages were made of smelled strongly of herbs, which, to your current pig brain, also smelled absolutely delicious.

You look up again and around once more, this time past the furniture. The bed was identical to your own, though surrounding it were numerous tables and cauldrons, full sized, actual cauldrons like you'd see in a fairy tale book. And a second sheep, this time white, lounging in the corner, a pig sleeping atop it. The golden sheep from before, you note, had taken the opportunity caused by the chaos to fully integrate itself into the spot where you had been previously laying.

Then, with the distinctive scent of magic, you find yourself suddenly a man again, and before you can even utter a syllable of surprise you are snatched out of Circe's grip and into Caster's the woman pressing you against her, one hand against your head as she presses you into her shoulder. The other moves around your back, protecting and… in a move you didn't think Caster was quite capable of, hugging you.

The arguing is continuing, and you clear your throat and raise your voice. "Hate to interrupt," you lie, "But would someone mind explaining to me what is going on?"

Circe grins. "Why of course, I arrived, saved you and Medea from that servant, and caused enough chaos to drag the two of you out of there with my adorable piglets." Circe takes a step forward, the various little ornaments she wears clinking and tinkling as she moves. "Then I rescued your other two friends."

"They were fighting that bestial servant we ran into previously," Caster fills in. "Losing badly, Taiga for her part is injured and is recovering after taking a blow meant for Sakura."

"And so I," Circe continues. "Rescued all four of you, and at my darling little Medea's insistence took you to this place."

You note that Caster twitches every time Circe says the name 'Medea', but you don't comment on that. Instead you focus on a different subject. "There isn't a room like this in the compound. We're… back at the Fujimura's?"

"Oh, I simply brought some of Medea's things from home, she didn't mind."

You blink, thinking about that, and with that… your brain finally wakes up, putting everything that happened and had been happening into its proper place. "I thought… you were a dream."

Circe grins even wider. "I am dreamy, yes, but also quite real, thank you."

"And yet you put on that… excessive appearance," Caster replies. "Who are you trying to impress exactly?"

Circe's ears twitch, and she places a hand against her chest while glaring at Caster. "I am a beautiful witch and I have no idea what you are talking about Medea."

The hand that was pressed against your head shoots forward, and with a brief flash of light Circe loses… about a foot of height, three cup sizes, and a fair bit of dignity as her clothes now partially hang off of her.

Circe's eyes narrow, and with a wave of her own hand the dress she wears reforms itself along her body. She was still a striking figure, though she was nearly a full head shorter than you now, and was far more… petite, would be the kind word. Still beautiful regardless, but far, far less voluptuous. Circe raises her own hand, pointing it at Caster.

But you speak up before she flings her own spell. "How did you… get here?"

Circe's eyes flit to Caster, to you, back to Caster, then finally settle on you permanently as she lowers the hand. She clears her throat, then smiles a sweet smile. "I simply traveled from my island of course, making sure to arrive when it was most dramatically appro-... When you most required my aid. Now I shall aid you from here on out, as you still require much in the way of training, as your hands would attest."

You aren't one to look a gift witch in the mouth, but you still have questions regardless. "Why… are you so willing to help exactly?"

"Because Shirou, she is bored and old." Caster replies dryly.

The smile on Circe's face cracks slightly, but to her credit she maintains it. "Your hands, Shirou, were damaged by divine magic, and will take some time to heal, even with our magic."

You raise the hands, they were completely numb, and bandaged to the point that you couldn't actually make out your individual fingers, indeed, you had white blobs for hands at the moment. With grecian phrases covering the bandages in random spots. At least, for the moment, it didn't hurt. Though with how bad the burns were you might not have the capability of feeling pain in your hands.

"Shirou, you are going to sit and eat now." Caster says, then before you can get a word in edgewise you are dragged back onto the couch, held firmly, then a spoonful of something… frankly you didn't know what, was shoved into your mouth. You glance down to see that Caster had produced a small wooden bowl filled with something that looked vaguely like ramen… but you didn't recognize any of the ingredients. At the same time however, it was amazing on your stomach at the moment, so you let your mind rest and ate… or rather, were fed.

—

It was a good ten minutes later that the bowl was set aside, and Caster took a spot sitting just just next to you on the couch. Circe watching over you both with crossed arms and a flat expression on her face.

Compared to what you saw in the dream, the two of them didn't seem to particularly enjoy each other's company. But then, you hardly knew much about either of them. Medea's past, at least part of it, had been revealed to you. That of blood and fire, but you had never dug deeper into it. The same went for Circe, now though… it was mostly glares and stares between the two of them. You had expected Caster to have more questions, but given by the clock on the wall revealing that it was ten in the morning, they likely had already had several discussions. That also helpfully revealed that you had missed school, again.

You suppose you could be forgiven for that if your teacher was also down for the count. "Could you explain… what those dreams were then?" you ask, getting your thoughts together.

"Your soul wandered over to my isle while you slept, likely due to your connection to Medea. You seemed to need the help, and I wished to help both you and my darling former student. Then you continued to interest me." Circe smiles, a very impish smile, one that looks honestly more natural on her than you would expect. "Very interesting."

"You didn't." Caster hisses.

"I did," Circe says, her wings curling around her. "But your master turned me down. Did you?"

Caster doesn't respond, and you don't dare turn your head to look at her face. But whatever was there caused Circe to grin so hard she shows nearly her entire mouth of teeth. "The boy has remarkable restraint I see."

"Yes, restraint. As demonstrated by his hands." Caster quips.

"There are many forms of restraint, and he did that to protect you and others lest you forget." Circe replies.

… Oh, that's right. You turn your head towards Caster, the woman glaring at Circe. At your look, she turns her head towards you, blue eyes meeting your own. "Are you still hurt?"

Caster frowns. "I am still healing, neither of our magic could fix your hands immediately, and I am allowing myself to simply regenerate to avoid using more mana."

You glance down, but her robe was fixed, and covering the spot where the wound would be. "Fix that before you fix my hands. I care more about that."

"... Be that as it may, master." Caster say slowly. "It doesn't change what happened regardless. I would ask that you show more caution."

"I wasn't exactly planning on fighting last night, did the servant not chase us?"

"Briefly," Circe says, "but I was able to avoid her, she stopped chasing shortly after we left the grounds of the church."

"I have double checked our wards as well, we are not under watch, nor have we had visitors. However, Berserker has yet to return."

"Return?" you repeat, then jerk upright to a fully sitting position. "She's gone?!"

"Indeed, it would seem she wandered off yesterday. I have been unable to track her. I would suggest summoning her."

"... How?"

"Simply channel your magic through your command seals, then give her the order to appear before you." Caster explains.

You nod, raising your hand. Hopefully… she was alright. You stare at the markings the-

… You stare at where the markings should be beneath the bandages, then draw in a breath. Focusing on your magic, the bandages start to glow faintly red. "Berserker, come here please."

Then, like… she was always there, Berserker is standing just across from you. She was covered in soot and ash, her armor burnt in places. She stared at you blankly, her eyes unfocused and her sword held limply in her hand. The room almost immediately smelled of smoke and burnt wood, and you rose to check on her a moment later.

The Berserker made no motion at your sudden approach, though her head tracked you as you briefly looked her over. Beyond the ever-present wound on her stomach however, and some faint cuts across the armor. She seemed uninjured. But… "Why are you covered in so much soot?"

Berserker tilts her head, no expression on her face. "Ar…. thur."

Then, without a word, she turns around and begins trudging towards the door. You watch her for a moment, then turn your head back towards the couch. "Caster can you… make sure she's alright?"

Caster's eyes flit between you and the servant. Then she nods her head. "I shall."

Moving past you, she places her hand on Berserker's shoulder and leads her out of the room, leaving you alone with Circe. You stare at the closed door for a moment, then turn your head towards the 'grand witch'.

"Are you enjoying the Grail War Shirou?" Circe asks, innocently.

…

No. "Are you alright?"

Circe blinks. "Yes? Should I not be?"

"That servant last night was… a monster, I thought I was going to die."

Circe opens her mouth, closes it, then nods in understanding. "I see, no Shirou, I am quite alright. Though I would suggest avoiding such fights until your hands are healed. Though I must say, you have certainly made Medea quite smitten with you."

Caster? You doubt it. You just hope she saw that you were trying your best as a master. You haven't done anything in particular that would earn 'smitten' however. "Sure…" you say non-committedly. "Will you be staying here?"

"Oh yes, I've gotten a room just next to yours in fact." Circe replies.

Well, that will make training easier at least. "Thanks for the help Circe."

The witch beams, and you turn your head towards the door.

… You had some people to check up on.

Maybe then all of this would make sense.

Maybe.

—

Choose two.

[] [Check up on Taiga]

[] [Check up on Sakura]

[] [Check up on Caster/Berserker]

[] [Continue speaking to Circe]

—

And so Circe arrives, Medea seems rather wary… also she doesn't like to hear her name spoken aloud. Wonder what that's about. Ya'll enjoy?

 

[Panory]

Like Father, Like Son
​

Medea ushered Berserker into the other room, letting out a sigh of relief now that she was out of the presence of her overbearing aunt and her… vexing Master. Honestly, the man was somehow better at getting under her skin than Jason, and entirely well meaning, so she couldn't even be justifiably mad at him!

"Okay, let's get you fixed up." Medea groused, wiping the Servant of Madness down with a wave of her hand. "You're of limited use as a beat stick in the best of times, the least you can do is not be injured."

"Ar…thur…" Berserker growled.

"Riveting." Medea deadpanned. "Lightly singed, minor wounds, for a Servant at least, a cursed hole in your chest that persisted even in death and a complete lack of priorities. I can do something about the first two, but naught for the latter. Apologies."

"Ar…thur…" Berserker grumbled, ignoring Medea's biting snark.

"Hecate damn it, I don't why I even bother with you." Medea groused, muttering high speed incantations to begin the magic doing its work. The spells chosen were slower than her best, which was punishment for not responding to her properly, but also largely automatic, allowing her to turn her mind to better things.

"Caster can you… make sure she's alright?"

Medea glowered at the memory of her Master's endlessly self-sacrificing nature. Had that nightmare of an Archer stubbed her toe in the midst of trying to murder them all, Medea was half convinced Shirou would drop everything to go kiss it better.

Hmm… maybe she ought to stub her own toe…

Medea shook her head to rid it of unhelpful, if pleasant, thoughts. Though the memory and fear of Archer stuck a bit. "Honestly, the one thing you Berserkers are good for is running right at the enemy and swinging with abandon, and where are you when your Master is confronted by a powerful Servant? Falling down chimneys like Santa, apparently with the fires still lit."

"Ar…thur…" Medea ignored the response, finally able to vent at the perfect combination of human and brick wall.

"And who knows what trouble you actually got up to. I ought to tether you to Shirou, if just to insure you don't go making enemies every time that we turn our backs. I only refrain because I'm not sure if you could even comprehend what was happening. Perhaps a more literal leash would be more appropriate."

Medea paused a moment, mind filled with the image of herself and Shirou, walking arm in arm down the sidewalk, with Berserker ahead of them on all fours, tugging at the collar and leash as hard as she could to no avail. With noticeably heavier breath, Medea turned to consider Berserker again.

"Ar..thur…" Okay, not a sparkling conversationalist, but she was beautiful in a rugged sort of way. A tomboyish charm in that spiky blonde hair, green eyes that might be piercing if they weren't dulled by madness, clear skin as smooth as marble where it wasn't marred by jagged scars in an appealing contrast.

"There's definitely potential here… Perhaps I ought to make you some more casual outfits so Master doesn't have to lug around two tons of armor. Now let's see…" Medea mused, eyeing Berserker up and down. "Maybe we should really play up the Servant angle. You're a little too rough around the edges for a maid outfit, but… oh yes, I think you could pull off the butler uniform."

Of course, if she were justifying it as part and parcel of being a Servant, Medea would herself be expected to wear a maid outfit around Shirou… Would he prefer classical Victorian look, a traditional Japanese twist, or maybe the short skirted French look? Perhaps she'd shelve the aesthetic for now, until there was more data.

Perhaps instead of running counter to her strengths, Medea could lean into Berserker's strong points. There was a certain appeal to going full caveman, putting Berserker in furs and bone. Turn that horned helmet into an ox skull. Accentuate with golden ornamentation in tasteful amounts and places. Feral, but cute. Especially once Medea remembered that in combat Berserker would often smile manically, revealing a downright adorable little fang.

Or Berserker looked young enough to pose as a fellow student and follow Master to Homurahara Academy. Medea would need to get one of those serafuku to see if Berserker could pull the look off. To better protect their Master of course, and keep Berserker from running off whenever. No other reason. Of course.

Which brought her full circle to the leash idea. Of course, Berserker's look would need updating for that. There was no issue with a simple pair of cat ears, attached by either magic or headband, but Medea could get so much more… dangerous with the look. She'd want Shirou's permission before making such a radical decision though.

Still, there was merit to showing a little more skin than a full suit of armor did. Maybe some short shorts, a little crop top… Hmm, maybe a bit too much skin. Ooh, a leather jacket to complete that tough gal look Berserker had going on. Yeah, that would be a good look. Still missing a little something though.

Medea snapped her fingers as the epiphany occurred to her. What could add spice to any outfit, improving it instantly? Glasses. Indeed, a little megane tied the whole thing together in her mind. The only question now was which outfit she would dress her little doll, Medea shook her head, Berserker, her Master's Berserker up in. What outfit to dress Berserker up in?

With endless possibilities before her, Medea could only settle on one course of action. Make several copies of Berserker in miniature, each with their own outfits, so she could compare them all at once. She could even repurpose one of her old potion cabinets into a display case!

"Ar...thur..." If Medea had been paying attention, she might have noticed the looming dread seeping into Berserker's tone.


A/N: Medea gets a hobby. It will be Shirou's duty as her Master to support her in this endeavor, while never asking questions.

P.S. I went to look at the quest's Mordred art for reference, and the naked hole-in-the-chest one in 2.7 is just a broken link atm. Dunno if that's just me or something QM side.

 

[Erien]

A/N: Medea gets a hobby. It will be Shirou's duty as her Master to support her in this endeavor, while never asking questions.​

P.S. I went to look at the quest's Mordred art for reference, and the naked hole-in-the-chest one in 2.7 is just a broken link atm. Dunno if that's just me or something QM side.

Click to shrink...

That'd be because it's hosted on Imgur sadly.

Spoiler: Nude Mordred

In any case, thanks for the omake... not used to getting those.

Also bad Medea, very bad.

 

[Erien]

Bonus reached. Would you rather.

[] Have another POV Sidestory

[] Have an extra selection next interaction chapter.

 

[Rancorious]

[x] Have another POV Sidestory
Waaaaay ahead of you, buddy.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQC0DcXFxvE

Day 3(?) - Rin's Manor

Saber: *inaudible rambling*

Rin: "So, since you got your arm cut off by a second Berserker and we'll probably be stuck here for the next few days, I thought this would be a great chance to get to know more about eachother! Anything interesting you'd like me to know about you, Saber?"

"--------Saber?"

Saber: "I am not crazy! I know he swapped those servants. I knew it was Heracles. One after the Twelfth Labor. As if I could ever make such a mistake. Never. Never! I just - I just couldn't prove it. He covered his tracks, he got that robo-bitch in the tamagotchi to lie for him! You think this is something? You think this is bad? This? This author? He's done worse. That timing! Are you telling me that my illegitimate daughter just happens to show up like that? No! He orchestrated it! Erien! Mordred cut through my arm! And I jobbed to her! And I shouldn't have. I took her into my own army! What was I thinking? She'll never change. she'll never change! Ever since she was 8, always the same! And he couldn't keep his hands out of the clusterfuck drawer! But not our Erien! Couldn't be precious Erien! Stealing us blind! And HE gets to be a writer? What a sick joke! I should've stopped him when I had the cha-"

"Saber."

"You saw th- Yes, master?"

"------where's my phone?"

-Charred remains of a coffee table, with a fully intact cellphone in the middle, muffled laughter can be heard.-

".....I took it on a walk?"