Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I wouldn't suggest trying to shoot Dionysus.
Fate/Clusterfuck (Fate/Stay Night)
- Thread starter Erien
- Start date
- Mature Fantasy Modern
Rancorious
Continue? Yes or No.
Smh, can't believe we live in a society where people can't appreciate this level of dedication to one's grind.
Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING.
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
You would think that he would be used to it by now.
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
.... maybe!
Look we also need to deny Taiga, Rin, Mordred, Sakura and Ayako : P
- Location
- The wrong battlefield
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Let shirou have a harem!
Although this does leave room for Mata, which would be an optimal outcome......
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Deny them all then accept them all at once : P
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
When you say "Let him Cook" about Shirou, it has a triple meaning.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Polygamy FTW! Just do what Rex did in Xenoblade and love all of them!
- Location
- La Serena, Chile
For Shirou Emiya, annoying a woman might as well be the same as charming them with his goodness, lack of self-love, and pretty much being suicidal for anyone who needs to be helped.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
With our luck, this is going to be more like that one Bad End you get in the Fate route if you don't interact with Saber enough....
You forgot Seiba!
How dare you to forgot one of the best gurl in franchise?!/not serious
I see that these immortal take "no" like a catnip/aphrodisiac
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
She is best girl! Hence why I'm torturing her in this story.
Panory
The Omake Dragon
- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Shirou: I don't want to have sex with you.
Medea/Circe: Fuck, that's hot.
Rancorious
Continue? Yes or No.
Last edited:
He turned the last lot into dolphins
3.1 - Birds of a Feather
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[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]
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]
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[X] [Refuse]
It's not gonna win, and would probably make things worse (cause Kirei), but....creepy magus priest. Also Ayako deserves better and Shirou would want that for her so yeah.
Also wow, Circe.
Edit: Changing vote, I kinda like this one better --> [X] Postpone going to the Church until after school
It's not gonna win, and would probably make things worse (cause Kirei), but....creepy magus priest. Also Ayako deserves better and Shirou would want that for her so yeah.
Also wow, Circe.
Edit: Changing vote, I kinda like this one better --> [X] Postpone going to the Church until after school
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- Location
- Texas
No, no, the very possessive lonely witch wouldn't possibly do anything bad for you turning her down.
I must be wired differently from Shirou, because my mind definitely went to Medea actually coming up licking Shirou's face.
Man, Medea's reaction when/if we're finally able to explain this is going to be so satisfying. And resigned.
Ayako relationship + 10.
Notably, none of her students considered this to be at all an odd assumption.
[X] [Agree]
I'm curious about what female Servant Kirei picked up, and I think this is the best way to get some early intelligence on that. And I think Ayako is about as safe as she could be for the moment.
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
What about her?
Thanks for the quote!
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
So... how does one explain to their girlfriend that several other women want to seduce him and at least one might turn him into a pig if rejected?
Well, it is covered in blood now, so...
Ha! I like it.
And Ayako continues to impress.
Archer: "What even is this timeline..."
[X] [Agree]
Spart117MC
Amateur human
- Location
- Cali
What about seeing about trying to postpone the trip until after school? That also gives Shirou a chance to find and talk to Rin first.
