Rancorious
Continue? Yes or No.
And lets him personally copy some of his lower-grade phantasms. Okay more like, a few. Okay maybe at least some mundane weapons? Gilgamesh is quite the hoarder.
Fate/Clusterfuck (Fate/Stay Night)
- Thread starter Erien
- Start date
- Mature Fantasy Modern
- Location
- Texas
Yep, Gilgamesh would be absolutely omboard with debating the gods like that,, especially if Shirou managed to do rip off something related to Ishtar.
"This modern age is pathetic, but your transgressions against the gods amuse me mongrel. Continue!"
- Location
- Germany
Don't threaten me with a good time! Umu!
2ndThought
Eternal Ponderance
- Location
- Astral Plane
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Postpone going to the Church until after school
3.15 - Lucidity
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
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…
…
…
…
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
ah, fuck, Mordred's running off
- Location
- Texas
I mean, it reads more likely slowly wandering off than running off. But yeah, it's a problem.
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So Mordred is a few platters short of a feast....
- Pronouns
- Reader
I feel this so much. Damn it shirou, stop attending school and go buy Mordred some sunglasses!
No mordred. You just need to go to the church, and smash it, keep smashing it till you can't tell where the crater starts and the church grounds end. Sooner or later, Arthur will find you from the sound.
Dragontrapper
Homeless Draconis
- Location
- A Tower in the middle of nowhere
Well... this should be interesting. Which is a recurring motif so far.
- Location
- The wrong battlefield
- Pronouns
- She/Her
MORGANNNNNNNN
MORGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN
I LOVE YOU BUT YOU GOTTA STOP GIRL
Evangelion F/SN: You can (not) go to school
- Location
- Texas
At this point I'm pretty sure Mordred is also shy afew plates and is eating off the floor like a coyote.
Poor girl needs help and hugs...preferrably by someone who could survive.
Spart117MC
Amateur human
- Location
- Cali
Good thing then that Shirou has Avalon.
- Pronouns
- Reader
Hmm. You think Mordred's Madness enhancement is called Curse of the Witch Queen?
Last edited:
- Location
- The wrong battlefield
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I think Best Girl needs a hug. A good, long hug
- Pronouns
- Reader
Well there is always some good old fashion spooning for avoiding being squeezed back to hard.
Dopplerdee
Accident Prone(Yes the caps are necessary)
- Location
- Happy Place
- Pronouns
- She/Her
She kinda can't. Like...it's not as crazy as the Lost Belt, but all indications show that by the time Moe was born Morgan didn't really have any say in how thing where going to go.
Is this Mordred noticing, in some level, that Archer is Shirou?
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
And yet he has four servants on his side, so... could be worse.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
A Magus from when they were mid-tier historically in power, a Counter Guardian, a Saberface-seeking missile without its Guidance System, and a pervert who needs an escalation after putting 8008 on their calculator stopped 'working'.
The only reason Archer's playing along is he knows this is the timeline where he can kick back, relax, and pass the time until Sakura and Gil appear by watching his idiot self get his ass kicked.
Rancorious
Continue? Yes or No.
Hey, that's a perfectly fine church you're smashing! Also, I feel that a certain golden guy (or his current counterpart) wouldn't be very happy about that.
3.2 - School Day... and Church Night.
Erien
God's Weakest Soldier
- Location
- Georgia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[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.
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?"
—
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.
