Fate/Clusterfuck (Fate/Stay Night)

[Erien]

Coverart courtesy of Savadava on Twitter.

Welcome to Fate/Clusterfuck!​

Some may know me for other stories, on this forum notably On Angel's Wings and By The Homeworld I'll Someday Be Banned From.

I have been a fan of the Fate franchise since I was about eleven years old, but this is my first foray into writing for it beyond some oneshots. I am no expert in the lore of the franchise, few really are, but I will be doing my best with this zany universe. As for canon, I have played the original visual novel, Ataraxia, and Extra, though I have never paid much attention to Grand Order pre-lostbelts. As such, if I mess anything up that involves Grand Order shenanigans, please let me know… though it likely won't affect much.

This story will have adult content on par with the source material.

In any case, please enjoy!

Oh, and,

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb3UmzOqios

January, 2004.

Fuyuki City.

Your name… was Shirou Emiya. That wasn't… really your name, but it was the name you had always known, or rather, only known for yourself. You had another name once, but it was lost and, you suppose, rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things. You were seventeen, just turned seventeen in fact, and you lived a relatively uneventful life in Fuyuki City. Every day you went to school, met up with your friends, then returned home for study, practice, and sleep.

It was, as a whole, ordinary and monotonous. One might call it boring, but then, you never mind being boring to begin with. One step forward at a time, making your way through life, chasing your goals, but never losing sight of the present in order to obtain them. That's how you did things, that's how you had always done things.

Of course.

Things changed… that night. Well, that wouldn't be fair either. You'd say it was a rather rapid series of nights in a row all coalescing into one gigantic mess of screwups and explosions. Demigods, heroes, villains, creatures from other worlds and everything else you might have not even begun to imagine.

But it started with that night.

—

"Shirou! Remember to get the good stuff, the good stuff! Wagyu!" Taiga calls out from the living room.

You glance back from the threshold of the door, where your guardian was all warm underneath the kotatsu while you were about to walk out into the snow.

"Sure sure." You reply, then slide the door closed behind you. "If you want the good stuff then maybe you shouldn't eat everything in the pantry," you grumble, quietly so that Taiga doesn't hear you. With a sigh, you begin making your way out of the Emiya residence and into the city proper. It was evening, late in the evening in fact. Eight o'clock on a Wednesday evening, the best time to go grocery shopping.

But… you couldn't complain, besides your part-time job she was paying for this herself, and she has been taking care of you so long that it would be very ungrateful for you not to spend her dinner money the way she requested.

… Can't help the cold though.

You press your body in against yourself as you walk, your shoes clapping against the wet, frozen sidewalk as you make your way through the night towards the nearby grocery store. It had been a cold winter, and it was, paradoxically, only seeming to get colder as January turned to February. But still, there was a beauty to it, with the lights spread about the city in the rolling hills, it almost gave the appearance of twinkling christmas lights, even a full month past the season as the reds, blues, yellows and whites of the city flicker and fade in the darkness of the evening.

Your body moved on autopilot, winding your way through the streets. The grocery store was familiar, and luckily still open for another half hour. You had gotten a few odd looks at your arrival, but you were beyond the age of curfew, and besides… not a lot of crime one could get up to with a pound of steak on a Wednesday evening. At least, nothing you want to be privy to.

With the bag slung over your shoulder, the meat wrapped in ice, you begin to make your way back.

"Need to talk to Taiga about doing some of the grocery shopping herself from time to time…" you mutter, shaking your head as you make your way past the park. The snow had stopped, transitioning to a faint, but cold rain, just enough to annoy you but not enough to make getting an umbrella worth it. A cold, wintery, rainy evening in the boring life of Shirou Emiya.

But then… you saw something there in the part, something laying on the ground.

The bag loosened in your fingers, and your legs were moving before you even recognized what you were doing. Running across the park, nearly slipping on the icey wet cobbled stone of the park, you come to a stop next to the figure. It's-

—

[] [A woman in blue, bleeding on the ground]

[] [A woman with white hair, laying next to a tree covered in dirt]

[] [A woman in a suit with red hair, she's missing an arm]

[] [A girl with pink hair, she is… sprawled on top of a shield?]

—

Next chapter will be much longer. This was just the setup.

 

[Erien]

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

[A woman in blue, bleeding on the ground]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

There were many fates possible for Shirou Emiya, many of them resulted in his death. While a few, shining examples showed him becoming the Hero he always wanted to be and changing the world, however insignificantly, for the better. For those times he fought, bled, and died. And after his death he would only keep doing so, for that is what it meant to be Shirou Emiya.

There was a woman of gold, a proud knight and woman both. Less than human, but more human than most all the same.

There was a woman of red, a magus of talent… and kindness, hidden behind a porcelain shell built by her own beliefs.

There was a woman of purple, a hurt, cursed child. Whose existence was torment held together by a sliver of hope not yet torn away.

This is not any of those.

This fate is of a woman betrayed, cast away by those she loved, used and then thrown away like a plaything of the gods. This fate is that of a knight, great and powerful, yet who has suffered failure caused by belief and madness.

This is the story of how it all went wrong.

This is but one possibility amongst many.

This is Fate/Clusterfuck.

—

You're running, slipping, sliding a little, your breath coming in pants as you finally come to a skidding stop next to the woman. She's dressed in robes, heavy ones… but not the kind people normally wear to keep warm. These are almost… priestly? From the temple? No, not likely. Something else, something not important. What's important is that the woman is hardly breathing, her eyes are glassy, unfocused. Her purple robes are darker in places, surrounding spots where the cloth is torn.

She's been stabbed, more than once. A mugger? Maybe. No. Not important. Her eyes vaguely look in your direction, like Taiga after a long night of drinking. Before, once more like Taiga, they drift off to view a tree with particular fascination.

Bending down you hoist the woman up into your arms, she's light, very light. And she's as cold as the water around her.

"N-..." The woman says, faintly, weakly.

It was less than a word, but more than a sound, as you glance back down to see if she is becoming more cognizant her head lolls to the side.

"Miss?" you ask, shifting her slightly, only to get no response.

…

You are running again a second later, back out of the park, your hand stabbing out to grab the bad of food along the way. If you don't hurry, the woman may die. If you don't get the wagyu, you may die. It was lucky the streets of Fuyuki were abandoned this time of night, as the year cooled down people became less and less active on the streets, at least, in this part of town. The hills and ice made walking out at night a bigger pain that it was worth.

Which was good for you, as you sprinted back to home with a bleeding unconscious woman in your arms, you don't think you could explain that to the police quickly even if you wanted to. Your house was closer than the hospital, a lot closer, and at the very least you could get her somewhere warm. Your feet crunch through the snow, and you do your best impression of a figure skater more than once as you go sliding along the pavement towards the far north-end of town once more.

—

"Shirou! Did you get me the wagyuuuuu have a dead woman!" Taiga screams as you slam open the door to the Emiya Residence.

There's a loud clatter as Taiga upends the table she was sitting under in her haste to stand, shock painted across your guardian's face as she points an accusatory finger at you.

"She was unconscious in the park," you say quickly, moving to set her down by the heater. "She'd been stabbed."

"Wh-what?" Taiga says, the finger dropping. She then crouches down next to you, her hands moving to the torn open sections of clothing. "We need to call the hospital, how long has she been like this?" Taiga asks, more serious than you've seen her in… a while.

"No idea," you reply. "I only found her ten minutes ag-"

"No… hospital." The woman croaks out.

You both snap your heads down to look at her, she's still pale, her eyes still unfocus as she gazes up at the ceiling. "No… hosp…" she says again, her head lolling to the side once more halfway through the word.

… "Blankets, I'll get blankets and bandages. Shirou, soup!" Taiga orders, then gets up in a scramble running back towards the hall.

"What!? Why aren't we calling the hospital?" you call out after her, only to get no response.

You grimace, then look back down at the woman. Her hood has fallen back, revealing her damp soaked hair. It was an off-color blue, almost purple, and sticking out the sides of it were two… elfin ears. Body modification? Not unheard of in Fuyuki, even if such a thing was usually seen as distasteful. But then between that and the clothes…

Not important, getting back up onto your own feet, you spare the woman another glance before you make your way over to the kitchen.

—

"She's warmed up," Taiga announces.

You look back from where you were setting the bowls of soup down on the countertop, small chunks of wagyu floating in it along with some spinach and carrot. Taiga had pulled most of the robes away, revealing pale, cold skin littered in wounds. Most were scratches, but amongst them were a few notable deep cuts and… burns.

She had since been cleaning and bandaging all of them, slowly turning the blue-haired woman into some form of mummy. A small part of your brain wondered why Taiga knew how to bandage severe burns and stab wounds. A larger part of your brain guessed it had something to do with Raiga and it was best not to think on that further.

Especially when you had soup to feed to people.

Coming back around the corner you take a seat neat to Taiga, setting her own bowl beside her while you gently start to stir the bowl you would feed to the rapidly warming woman with a spoon. You glance over at your guardian, a look of consternation is on the woman's face, a not unusual look, though the situation definitely was. Your guardian was a silly sort of person, a prankster that tended to act far younger than she looked. Now though, she was panicked when you came in, and now she had hardly said a word for the past half hour it had taken you to get the food together.

"You can be serious when you want to be Taiga." You say, trying to lighten the mood.

Taiga purses her lips, a faint hint of a smile coming on. "I'm always serious, it's my students that don't show me the respect I deserve."

A groan from the woman causes you both to look towards her, almost banging your heads together in the process. She's still laying back on the floor, bandages on her stomach, arms, neck and legs. Not everything was bleeding, but Taiga seemed more than a little eager to get every spot that was injured possible. The woman's eyes open slowly, no longer having their glassy haze. They were blue, almost the exact same shade as her hair in fact, and as you watch they go through a series of miriad phases.

Confused.

More confused.

Then panicked.

The woman lurches upwards, flailing, and Taiga dives to catch her before she falls forward. You heroically move as well, sliding the bowls of soup out of the way as the woman dangles in Taiga's arms.

"Woah there!" Taiga says, wrestling with the woman like a flailing cat as she struggles and fights in a blind panic. "Shirou, her hands!"

You dart forward, grabbing onto the woman's wrists. It takes a moment of struggle, but you manage to hold them in place, and come face to face with the woman in the process. Her panic starts to lessen, then cease entirely as she stares into your eyes, before she finally comes to a stop, panting ever so slightly. "Boy. Kill me." The woman says, her voice hoarse.

"... No." You say after a moment. "What happened to you?"

The woman pulls back, slowly, a smile on her face forming that isn't really a smile at all. "Betrayed someone." She says simply, like that explains anything.

It doesn't, actually. At all. But instead you point down at the bowl. "Well, I made some soup. Would you like to be taken to the hospital?"

The woman looks down at the steaming bowl, eyeing it warily, before she reaches down for it. Taiga pulls back, as do you to get her some space. The woman lifts the bowl, staring at it for several seconds like she expected it to be poisoned. Then as you watch she simply lifts the thing and downs it. A loud slurping sound fills the room as both you and Taiga stare in amazement as the woman drinks the entire thing over a period of several seconds, her throat moving rapidly as she apparently tries to make up for a week's worth of lost meals in an instant.

She eventually stops, placing the bowl back down onto the floor where you see it is now bereth of broth, vegetables, and meat. Taiga you note, is slowly moving her own bowl away, she then grabs it and stabs up. "Shirou, I'll be borrowing some of the tupperware, I'm heading out."

You blink, then jerk your head towards the woman. "You are? What abou-"

Taiga turns her head to give you a look, it's not one you like. It's like the one she gives to students who anger her, but this one actually looks like she might tear your head off if you question her. "I need to head back home, don't do anything untowards."

Then as you watch, your guardian pours the soup into some tupperware and… leaves the house, leaving you alone with the mystery woman. Slowly, you turn your head back, only to find yourself staring eye to eye at the woman, who is… not exactly glaring, or doing anything in fact. She's just staring at you, a blank expression on her face as she watches your every move.

"I'm Shirou," you say with a smile, trying to break the tension. "What's… your name?"

"... Caster." The woman says after several moments, her tone flat and even.

You blink, slowly. Staring at the woman, before you slowly reach for your own bowl of soup. "Alright Caster, how are you feeling?" a codename? Maybe. With those stab wounds she could be one of Raiga's… friends. Those friends who you weren't supposed to pay attention to that you sometimes caught watching the house out of the corner of your eye.

The woman… Caster, doesn't respond regardless, instead she just stares at you.

Smiling at her as best you can, you quickly eat your own soup, trying to ignore the fact that she never stopped watching you the entire time.

You eat your meal in record time. Grabbing your own bowl, along with hers and Taiga's, you quickly deposit them in the sink and clean them. Then, making your way back into the dining room you offer her a hand. "Do you think you can walk? Otherwise I can carry you to a guest room you can use."

The woman stares at the hand for a moment, unblinking, then as you watch she calmly gets up and onto her feet, stumbling slightly for a moment as she ignores your offered hand, before standing strongly as if her wounds didn't bother her.

Your smile cracks a little, and the woman pulls her robes back around her body once more, leaving her head exposed, as she waits for you to… lead on you hope. Nodding, you walk past her down the hallway, glancing back as you pass the threshold to see the woman following along behind you like a wraith.

Your father's house was large, larger than most of the other's at school. This came with the benefit of having plenty of rooms to use at least, even if the vast majority sat unused and gathering dust that you had to clean every weekend. "Here's your guest room," you say after a few moments of walking. Opening the door to the unused room. It held little more than a made futon and an empty desk, but you kept it prepped on the odd occasion Taiga asked to stay over for the night.

The woman peers past you into the space, saying nothing. You take a step back, allowing her to look inside. You move a hand to your cheek, scratching it awkwardly. Then gesture down the hall towards another door. "That's the bathroom, if you want to take a bath I can give you some spare clothes. They're… mine, so sorry about that, but they should fit you. Taiga keeps her products here though so you can clean yourself up withou-"

"I'll be fine." The woman says simply.

She doesn't sound annoyed, nor does she raise her voice. Instead she turns her head to look at you, her expression blank. Which you are starting to suspect is her default expression. She says nothing however, just staring at you, studying you.

"... Well, tomorrow's a school day so I'll need to be heading to bed. I'm just outside that door and in that room." You say, pointing off in the opposite direction. "Feel free to knock if you need me."

The woman steps forward into the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Leaving you to stand in the silence and darkness of the hallway. You find yourself standing in front of the door for several long moments afterwards, wondering what you are supposed to be doing. Before your legs start doing what your brain doesn't, namely, carry you away from the door and towards your room by consequence.

The cold night has only grown colder with the passing of time, and you quickly make your way across and into your bedroom. The room was, thankfully, as you had last left it, and you didn't so much lay as fall onto the futon, one hand moving to your head as you stared up at the ceiling… you forgot to practice today, you'll need to make up for it tomorrow. Once in the morning, one in the evening, to make up for lost time.

Shifting your body, you tap your alarm to adjust it to be an hour earlier, then, with a surprising speed despite the excitement of the evening… you find yourself drifting off to sleep.

—

It was almost too early when you woke up in the morning, the sun had yet to rise beyond the faintest embers of orange light in the distance, not yet enough to illuminate the city, and certainly not to illuminate your room as you slowly got dressed. Yesterday was an… odd one, something that almost felt unreal. To the point where you were starting to wonder if it happened at all when you were opening the door leading to the outside.

Only to come face to face with a figure completely draped in a blue robe.

You screamed, quite loudly.

Caster for her part, as usual, just stared at you, standing a mere few inches away from your face as she observed you. She was different this morning, you realize as you slowly calm down. There was no slouch to her pose, something you noticed yesterday as she walked around, indeed, she was standing with no apparent difficulty at all. In addition she smelled of… oranges, which told you she actually did bathe this morning, using Taiga's shampoo in fact.

"Good… morning?" you offer, not quite sure how to respond to the fact that the stranger you rescued the previous night apparently took up camping just outside your bedroom.

She shifts slightly at your speech, her head tilting, though her eyes remain hidden underneath her robes. Her robes that are completely free of damage you note. "Why didn't you let me die?" she asks after a few pregnant seconds, a faint hint of curiosity in her tone, but no emotion otherwise.

"Why would you want to die?" you ask back, not deigning to answer such an idiotic question properly.

The woman tilts her head back, saying nothing as she continues to observe you.

Shaking your head, you put a smile back on. "I was going to go work on something in the shed, would you like breakfast afterwards? You're welcome to stay here as long as you feel the need to."

The woman reaches up, then slowly pulls her hood back. It reveals to you once more her light blue eyes and hair, and the two pointed ears on either side of her head. She has lost some of her paleness however, her skin gaining a far more healthy hue than the night before. She's still pale, and is rather… unnatural looking, but far less unhealthy. "Do you know what I am?" the woman asks.

"A… girl?" you say, confused.

The only sound that passes for the next few seconds is that of the morning birds, and the sound of snow sliding off the roof to pile on the ground. Then she stabs her hands forward, grabbing your hands and pulling them forward. You yelp as you are almost pulled off your feet, she isn't necessarily strong, but took you by surprise regardless.

She's studying the back of your hands, her thumbs running over them as she looks them over. She's apparently satisfied a half minute later, as she pulls back once more. "Fine." She says simply, then turns around on the spot and makes her way back into the building.

… Fine?

You stare after her, then glance down at your hands. "... What?"

—

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

—

You hiss in pain as you feel the iron rod in your spine slide into place. "Dammit…" You grunt, trying to control your breath. One fatal step, one wrong move, and the Magic Circuit will devour you like a hungry dog.

You sit there, sweating, concentrating in the dim confines of the shed. With a snap you feel it form in place, and you let out a long, shuddering breath as you feel the magic circuit, correction, artificial magic circuit form within your body. You were not a magus, you were hardly even a magic user. You had no crest, no natural magic circuits. So each you had to create manually, and with agony.

Your father was a magus, but he was not… your father, you were an adopted son. Or, more bluntly. You were a normal human. But if you trained enough, you may just become like Kiritsugu. So that you could use it for others, so that you cou-

"Why are you doing it like that?" A voice says, a familiar voice at that.

You help, dropping the pipe you had just grabbed. It falls to the floor with a clang and a clatter, and you jerk around to see Caster standing on the threshold of the shed. Her eyes are hidden underneath her hood, yet you can tell she is staring at you, and, given the light amount of snow on her shoulders, had been staring there a while.

… How you weren't aware, as you swear you didn't leave that door open. But regardless. "Doing what?" you ask, lamely.

"An artificial magic circuit." Caster says, "a suicidal way of gaining power. Who taught you that?"

On the one hand, Kiritsugu stated to never reveal your magic around normal people. On the other hand, this woman has pointed ears, is apparently none the worse for wear despite repeated stab wounds… and has now snuck up on you twice.

You are willing to take a leap if need be. "My father…" you say slowly.

"Then your father taught you poorly, what are you even attempting to accomplish with that pitiful circuit?" there's actual emotion in her voice now, annoyance.

You look at her, then down at the pipe still rolling across the floor. "Structural reinforcement."

Caster lets out a hum, then steps into the room. Her hand moves behind herself to slide the door closed, hiding from view the now early morning sunlight. "Boy, do you have any training as a magus?"

… This was not how you expected this morning to be going, but at the same time it fits with how weird the last twelve hours have been regardless. You shake your head. "My father taught me the basics."

Caster stares at you, then at the pipe, then towards the door. "I shall be disappearing soon."

You blink. "Without breakfast?"

The woman turns her head back towards you, and she is smiling, slightly. "I am nearly out of mana, and as a servant I cannot be sustained without it."

"I'm sorry… a… what?"

"Do you not even know that much boy?" Caster asks, now sounding angry instead of annoyed.

You open your mouth to respond, before Caster shakes her head. "So much mana but… no. I am… like a familiar, a spirit of the past given form again. Heroes."

You blink. "Reincarnation?"

"Of a sort," Caster says. "Though normally such a thing would be impossible, there are circumstances where they become possible. I am a recreation of a soul, I am a spirit, but as alive as you are. And I need mana to exist, I require… a master, someone to draw mana from. In turn, they would be able to command me."

So she's not human, that doesn't actually surprise you at all given everything you had seen so far. Many myriad thoughts had come and gone as to what you thought she might be, but a reincarnated soul was… supposed to be impossible, at least from what little Kiritsugu told you. But then, with Magic, you had rather quickly learned that few things actually were impossible, even a third rate like yourself could attest to that.

But still, this had all come on rather quickly, from a woman being stabbed in the park to now stating she was a reincarnated spirit that required a master in order to exist. What kind of magic could make such a thing like that possible… you had no idea, and you had nobody to ask either. A million and one questions ran through your mind, but as she stood there, still pale, you found that you didn't have any questions you wanted to ask except one.

"Can I help? My magic circuits aren't the best, but do I have enough?" you stand up as you speak, taking a step towards Caster.

The woman takes a halting step back, the action causing her hood to shift to reveal… surprised eyes. "Just like… that?" Caster asks, in seeming disbelief.

You shrug. "I can do it, and if it would help you like you say… I don't see any reason not to do it."

Caster stares at you… at least, you can tell she is for a few moments longer before her hood shifts to hide her eyes once more. Caster straightens, recovering from her backstep, then offers a hand forward. "Then swear you shall guide me, servant Caster, to my wish."

You stare at the hand for a second, then grasp it. "I don't know anything about wishes… but I'll help however I can."

That's when the pain starts. A horribly hot stabbing pain through your left hand, like you had slapped it down onto a stove. You gasp, grabbing onto your left hand instinctively as red runes form on the back of your hand.


View: https://i.imgur.com/vGCH74f.png

It is lines, thin red lines like the scribbling of a child. But it is a rune, one of great power, that much you can guess, even if its function is unknown to you.

"Then from this morning forward, my knowledge shall be yours and your fate will be bound to mine." Caster says. "Our contract is complete."

You grimace, the pain still fresh. "Contract?"

Caster smiles, thinly. Reaching up to lower her hood once more. "Do not tell me you have forgotten already, I am your servant, you are my master."

You blink, forcing yourself to lower your hand. The pain was still fresh, and the scent of magic was heavy in the air. But otherwise… you felt fine. "I don't… really know about that, but do you have mana now?"

The woman cocks her head, her blue hair shifting on her head and catching the light coming in through the window in a rather dazzling way. "... Yes, thank you."

That was different from her last 'thanks' you note, in that this one sounded genuine, and that she sounded unused to saying such a thing.

"Now, show me what you were doing before." Caster says, gesturing towards the pipe on the ground.

… Done with the odd contracts already then and back to business? You have somehow more questions than you even did less than a minute prior, double, at least. But at the same time you…

Oh dear.

You sink down to your knees, a dizziness filling your head, a familiar exhaustion. The same kind you felt whenever you did too much with your magic.

"That would be your lack of Od. I had to take a great deal, would you care if I fixed your circuits? They are unused and out of line."

You blink, trying to keep from falling down face first onto the floor. "Fix… my circuits?"

"All of those magic circuits you discarded while creating new ones, they are atrophied, and can be repaired. Made better and grander."

"That's… possible?" you ask.

"To most in this era it would be an impossible task," Caster says, moving to kneel down beside you. "But not to myself. I would leave the decision up to you."

Functioning circuits? Without even needing a crest to rely on? "If it wouldn't be a burden to you." You reply, still not believing quite what she is saying. You should probably be thinking about this more, but as the seconds pass it becomes harder and harder to concentrate… and with proper magic, you could be more like Kiritsugu.

Caster nods, then moves a hand to your back.

The next thing you saw was the floor as you promptly passed out, the last thought going through your head as a searing pain filled your back was that you were probably going to be missing morning classes.

—

Shirou dreamt.

[] [Of Swords]

[] [Of an Island]

[] [Of Battle]

—

Shirou is having a confusing 24 hours. Thoughts?

 

[Erien]

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

[Of an Island]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

Fun fact, Medea is not Greek, she's Georgian! … The Georgia just south of Russia specifically. Though in her time it would have been known as Egrisi to most everyone else except the natives! Not a ton is known about the Kingdom of Colchis, except that it was apparently both wealthy and busy, with dozens of local languages.

I'm using Greek themed music however, as the tale of Jason and the Argonauts is well, Greek, and for that matter it is far easier to find Greek (or faux-Greek) music than samples from a long extinct kingdom.

Also I like Age of Mythology.

Oh, and of the three options.

Good work picking the one that comes with the biggest Clusterfuck.

—

You had never been to the beach. Not out of any particular malice or dislike on your part, you had 'been' to the beach, Fuyuki had two separate from the docks where people would regularly go during the summer to frolic and cool off. But you had never been to the beach, you had merely walked by or viewed it from a distance. Swimming never held any particular interest to you beyond exercise, and for that the pool at the school was more than enough for anything like that. As for entertainment? Taiga never showed much interest, and Kiritsugu seemed to have a virulent dislike for the beach so intense that you never thought it wise to ask him why.

You had never been to the beach, but… it was nice.

Though this was most definitely not Fuyuki. You stood on a shore that was a mix of gray rock and sand that deep blue water washed against in a slow pattern of pushing and pulling. The air was heavy with the scent of salt… but none of the oil that tended to cling around Fuyuki's shores. It was also remarkably warm in comparison, while back home the chill coming off of the Pacific would force you to wear a jacket, here you felt overdressed even in your relatively light winter uniform.

You were standing in an alcove, maybe twenty feet or so across in either direction, with a large wide endless deep blue sea that stretched out as far as your eyes could see. On either side of the alcove were tall cliffs, an almost silver gray due to the glint caused by the seawater that painted them. Further back behind… the beach quickly disappeared, instead replaced by tall and proud pine trees, their light brown barks complimenting the white sand as they cast long shadows across it. Between them, running from the beach through the forest is a path made of paved stone, almost invisible at first, you catch it by light reflecting off of a single stone, then the rest becomes slowly visible as your eyes adjust to picking out the stone amidst the leaves and dirt.

The path leads deeper into 'woods', little more than a copse of trees going back several acres before they fall away before a… temple? Perhaps of a sort, but certainly not Buddhist. This was built of white marble with columns you haven't seen outside of a school history textbook. It sat atop a rocky knoll, it's front facing out towards the beach, standing just in front of it was a statue of a woman, probably a good dozen feet high, in each of her hands is a torch, a real one at that, each burning faint with orange ligh-

You had never been on a roller-coaster either for that matter, but as you find yourself yanked across the island to the front of the temple like the unfortunate last-stander in a tug-of-war competition, you find you may have at least a small inkling of what it may feel like. You double over, whatever you ate last night threatening to com-

Wait.

Where the hell are you? The last thing you remember was working in the shed on your magecraft… if you could even call it that, then Caster said she needed mana and offered herself as your… servant was it?

Right.

A servant, a soul trapped in a human bod-

"You are looking rather ill piglet, did the sea not agree with you? Or perhaps you were so blinded by our temple's magnificence that you find yourself ill at ease to find yourself spellbound to such beauty. Or perhaps you are but simply sick, and require good food and request. Medea, go girl, make yourself useful and fetch food and drink for our guest, this is also within your duties as a priestess."

You blink, your vision swimming momentarily before your new position comes into focus. You are now standing behind the statue, where something previously hidden behind it is now revealed to you clearly. A colorful rug was laid out of red and blues, and sat upon it were several bowls of incense and herbs. Two girls sat upon it, or one with blue hair, and the other an orange. It was the one with orange hair that spoke to you in particular. She looked maybe Sakura's age, if not a year or so younger. Her hair was done up in a cut not dissimilar to those you had seen on office workers around town, though the length of her hair and the style of it was perhaps the only thing in common with any of those ladies.

Namely because, much like Caster, she had pointed ears, though these stuck out to the side a good several inches away from the head, unlike Caster's who had a more upwards tilt. She also, possibly far more obviously, had large wings coming out from around her shoulders, a deep brown, they wrapped around her and made what was already a rather small looking girl even smaller. Her clothes however were beautiful, fine white clothes detailed in gold, though… rather distractingly open around the center, revealing the fact that the woman was rather clearly not wearing a bra.

She's also grinning at you, though your attention is drawn to the side as the other girl shifts. She's a fair bit smaller, though to her credit the orange-haired woman is wearing platform shoes of a height you haven't seen outside of a traditional play. She is also, for a lack of a better description, dressed not much unlike the shows Taiga used to shove in front of you when you were younger. A light blue dress that flowed around her, bedecked much like the other girl in golden ornaments.

Her hair was long, even done up in a ponytail. It was enough to reach all the way down her back to drape onto the rug, and it was a very familiar light blue. You felt a twinge of recognition, the ears, the eyes, the hair, and a moment later you knew you were staring at-

"Auntie, there isn't anyone there?" Caster says, tilting her head and looking rather confused.

"Truly now… how very interesting," the orange-woman says.

You draw your gaze back towards her, and with little clicks of her shoes against the flat marble ground she walks towards you, amusement clear as day in her gaze. You stand still, letting her approach, and she eventually comes to a stop just a few inches away, her gaze traveling over you for several long awkward moments before she nods with a small smile. "So it's finally time then for you, is it?"

You blink. "Time for… what, exactly?"

The girl grins a pleased, but predatory grin. "Medea dear, your training is done for now, return to the temple and enjoy a day off."

"But what ab-" 'Medea' starts to say.

"That was not a request, go along now dear." The girl says, her tone a touch firmer.

Caster nods rapidly, standing up quickly and jogging off towards the interior of the temple. Leaving you alone with the other girl a moment later.

You jerk as she suddenly moves, her hands landing on either side of your face as she gazes into your eyes. "What an odd man she has chosen, but my Medea was always an odd little girl." The girl says slowly and quietly. "So much pain has yet to come to her, will you protect her from that?"

You look towards where the girl ran off into the temple. "Is she in danger?"

The girl in front of you smiles just a touch wider. "Oh, how very driven. What a good little piglet. Tell me boy, what is your name?"

"Shirou," you say, bringing your gaze back down. "Shirou Emiya."

"Shirou…" The girl says, popping her mouth as if tasting your name. "Do you want to become a hero?"

You stiffen.

"You don't need to answer," the girl continues. "My name boy, is Circe, and I know everything about you." Circe then hops back, her wings outstretched even as her hands clasp in front of her chest. "And you are going to help my darling little Medea aren't you?"

"... Yes." You say firmly. "Though I don't know what happened to her yet."

Circe giggles, a hand moving to her mouth. "She'll tell you in time, or she won't. That girl does so love her secrets." She then moves it away to wave it airily. "We shall have to discuss more in the future, for now you are returning to where you belong. But fiiiiirst." She then steps forward again, an impish smile on her face. "Would you like a boon from this Grand Witch?"

You open your mouth to reply, but before you can she reaches up a finger, and… pokes you on the forehead.

—

[] [Clairvoyance]
You will receive dialogue samples in all vote options moving forward.

[] [Lessons for the Piglet]
Circe is a great teacher, you just need to visit her in your dreams from time to time… and keep it a secret from Medea at her request.

[] [A Blessing]
Sometimes, a blessing from the gods is all one needs to get out of danger. Though in what shape they may come, or how, or when, is but for the oracles to divine and the gods to decide.

—

Sorry for the shorter length, but I figured the content made up for it. And if you feel like these options may or may not be over the top.

Well.

It's a Clusterfuck.

 

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ylVack2VvM

[Lessons for the Piglet] From the cutest witch, the wisest, the smartest, and definitely the most clever! Who is lovely and lovable and would never ever abandon you. So don't you even think of abandoning her!

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

You stare, slightly cross eyed at the finger currently poking you on the forehead. Unlike before with Caster there is no rapid change, no painful opening of your circuits. In fact, there's nothing at all, only the distant sound of windchimes and the scent of saltwater on the breeze as Circe grins at you. The finger makes a little circle on your forehead before she pulls it back with a giggle.

"You, my little piglet, are going to be my newest student~" Circe then hops back, hands behind her back with her staff sticking out either side. Leaning down, slightly, it emphasizes how short the woman is, even with the massive pumps she is wearing. "That is the gift from this grand witch, are you interested in becoming a magician?"

You blink, slowly. "You'll teach me magecraft?"

Circe smiles just a touch wider, then she starts to walk around you, her fingers move out to poke and prod at your body much like one might a science experiment. It's an uncomfortable feeling, and you crane your neck to watch her as she moves around. "Some circuits… not many, and you come from that boring age of humanity. But I can work with it." Her eyes flit up towards you, "I can work with it~"

"Where… even is this?" You ask slowly, trying to make sense of what is going on.

"This?" Circe parrots, then stands up straighter, her little ornaments jingling like bells as she does so. "This is the temple of Hekate, if you mean what you are standing on. The past, if you are asking when, far away if you are asking where, and dreaming, if you are asking in what form."

The 'witch' continues to circle you, a far more serious expression on her face. "You, little piglet are dreaming, a side effect of my dear protege draining you." She then shoots you a smirk. "You'll be fine, but consider it a consequence of the modern era. Little boys and girls like you have thrown away everything just to sniff at the past."

"I'm not really a magus to begin with," you say slowly. "My father was hesitant to train me…"

Circe waves her hand dismissively. "Ignore that, you have Circe now to train you whenever you dream. Just make sure to never skip any lessons… and stick out your tongue."

You blink, slowly. "My tongu-" you start to say.

Only to be interrupted as her hand snatches out to grab it. You fall forward instinctively, your face just a few inches away from Circe. Her fingers squeeze down, and the inside of your mouth tingles, like you had drank something with far too much carbonation. She releases it a moment later, allowing you to snap your hand back and cover your mouth.

"Oh, don't look so scandalized boy. This will just allow you to keep this a secret between us. You will not tell Medea about my lessons, am I clear?" Circe says, a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

"Medea is… Caster?" you ask, still not uncovering your mouth… it still tingled.

"Medea is a caster, and Caster is Medea." Circe says, shrugging her shoulders. "Though I would suggest not using her name around her, the girl has a paranoid streak as wide as the Aegean." A look of sadness briefly flits across Circe's face, before it is replaced with a smile. "Now, we shall start with the most basic of lessons. Repeat after me." The witch raises a figure, adopting a far more regal stance. "Ο κόσμος αλλοίωσις, ο βίος υπόληψις."

…

"... Can you repeat that?" you ask slowly.

—

You couldn't say how long you were on the island, it could have been hours, it could have been minutes. Dreams tended to be rather funny that way, though compared to your dreams normally, that was almost rather pleasant. A comfortable warmth surrounded you, and you stirred slowly. You were back… in your bed, had Caster put you there? What time was it, and why were you shaking?

You blink slowly, turning your head to look up at the figure shaking you. It was… a girl, you could tell that via their outfit despite your blurry vision. And they had-

—

[] [Purple Hair]
… Sakura.

[] [Black Hair]
… Rin?

[] [Brown Hair]
… Ayako!?!

—

Last short chapter for a bit, next chapter is a school day, but the start of this quest was always going to be multiple shorts in a row to set some things up. Expect a sidestroy in the next couple of days to go over a Clusterfuck happening… elsewhere.

 

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y1yGfFtMeM


This is the first of several sidestories that will be going on in the background, not all of them will have multiple chapters. But all will be plot relevant… eventually. This one is one of the main stars of the clusterfuck.

No, nothing else has qualified so far as to the extent I'm going for.

—

Solomon would not answer. No matter how he was called, no matter with what catalyst, the great king of Israel would not answer so little a mage as that of Marisbury Animusphere. A mage of middling power, one who had their dream taken away in a chase for an impossibility, 'Chaldea', no funding, no resources. His pleas were ignored until he was but put away in a corner of the false utopia that was the clock tower. The walls, ancient, proud, brick that had weathered the storms of the world and of man mocked him as much as they protected him from the world at large, casting deep shadows instead of pleasant old comfort as he stood in his study.

The curtains were drawn, allowing only the faintest amount of life granted by that of an oil lamp to light up the space. Revealing a room filled with books, texts, tomes and scrolls both mundane and eldritch in origin. They fluttered and flitted about as the magic circle in the room activated, alien lines of red runes erupted with power both physical and metaphysical, causing the curtains around the room to snap against the walls, their old wooden rods cracking against the brick as countless tomes tore themselves open. The books swung their pages, fanning out like a spectral hand was perusing their contents.

Then the magic flared again, tossing them aside in a windstorm of paper as the circle was given everything the mage had to offer. He was just that, a mage, a trifling thing that claimed to have mastery of spellcraft in a world lacking mystery. The overabundance of technology made them weak, too weak for those from the age of gods to pay any attention without a promise of some reward.

There was no reward here, just the desperate attempt by a mage, stricken from others of his kind, casting his power into the void to try and summon another, a caster of grand stature and status that would allow him to seek his goals in other ways. Ancient knowledge, promises of power, a being from the age of gods. To achieve his dreams, his… desire.

Solomon would not answer, nor would Merlin, Zhuge, Longshanks, Da Vinci, and Hattim. None would answer. None would, not for such a wish, not for such a paltry master… But one, one took notice.

The room exploded with heat as the summoning took hold, causing Marisbury to take a stuttering step back from the power unleashed. A fire, a piercing fire fanned over everything, effervescently bright and hotter than the sun itself, yet it did not burn. It was a black, balefire that washed over everything… and brought it all to a deathly calm. Books feel shut with a clatter, the curtains stilled, and the oil lamp flickered before coming to light once again. But a dimmer light, like it was… afraid.

A man stood then in the center, or, perhaps an elf. With long flowing robes of black with decorative golden trim. His hair, white, trailed down all the way past his waist, and it faintly shifted as he stared down Marisbury. A small smile was present on his face, and his eyes glowed with a faintly golden light that seemed to flicker almost in sync with the faded golden hue of the lamp.

"Servant," Marisbury said, standing himself straight once more. "I am your master, declare yourself."

The servant stared at the man, the mage, then his eyes flickered down to the mark on the back of the man's hand. The contract that bound them both together. The servant then smiled a small, sincere smile.

"Greetings my master, I am Oberon." Annatar lied.

 

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm8uSnDW9pE

[] [Purple Hair]
… Sakura.

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

"Shirou, are you awake?" Sakura asks, perhaps with a bit more urgency than you usually hear from her in the mornings. The fact that she is currently shaking your shoulders, not roughly, never Sakura's style, tells you that she is rather perturbed. About what, you couldn't rightly say. The play of light through your eyelids told you it was morning, and it wasn't unusual for Sakura to show up at your home to eat breakfast and join you for a walk to school.

But why would she be… this excited? You grunt, opening your eyes slowly to see the form of Sakura sitting just beside you, her hands on your shoulders. "Caster? Where's Caster?" you say slowly, moving a hand to your face.

"Caster…?" Sakura repeats, tilting her head. "What's Caster?"

You blink, slowly, feeling sensation return to your body as you force yourself away. The sunlight coming in through the paper walls revealed the room quite well, showing Sakura in her school uniform. It wasn't a scene unfamiliar to you by any stretch of the imagination, you had been friends with Sakura now for years, and she had been visiting you in the morning for years as well.

"Is anyone else in the house?" you ask slowly, bringing yourself up into a sitting position.

"... No?" Sakura asks, then her eyes widen. "Were you attacked!? Is that why you weren't at school this morning!?" her head jerks right and left, searching for a phantasmal attacker only she could see.

"No, I… wait, school. What time is it?" you ask, but don't wait for her answer, instead you turn your head towards the nightstand where the old alarm clock rested, the digital display, red and mocking, proudly states the time was ten in the morning, a good two hours after the first class of the day.

Needless to say, in the intervening moments it took you to recognize that number, and to process it. You become fully awake, your heart hammering in your chest as you turn your head slowly back to Sakura.

"Shirou, are you okay?" she asks.

… You move a hand to your face. "Long night Sakura, sorry for making you worry. Did you come back to check on me?"

Sakura nods. "Taiga asked me to come check on you, she said you were feeling sick."

Taiga did? Why did… the last thing you remember was her getting out of the house as soon as possible and leaving you with Caster. Did she know something you didn't? No, no not likely. Taiga was many things but, no. No you doubt she knew anything about what was going on with Caster, it was likely a misunderstanding. But it does mean she didn't check on you in the morning, you weren't sure if that hurt your feelings or not.

"Yeah, I was." You say slowly, then rise to your feet. "I'll be fine, er, rather, I am fine. Is it too late to go to school? And aren't you in trouble for stepping out yourself?"

Sakura looks briefly put out for a moment, before shaking her head. "You can still make the afternoon classes, and Taiga gave me permission to go. But are you sure you are feeling alright?"

Are you sure? No, not really, your head ached a bit, and your tongue felt… funny in ways you could describe. Like you had just eaten a lot of overly sour candies and it felt alien and numb in your mouth. You also wanted to know where Caster was, but you have no idea where to look, frankly the whole thing felt like a dream anyway. You glance down at your hand, pulling the sleeve of your shirt up to see…

The mark was there, which means it wasn't a dream.

"Shirou?" Sakura says quietly, causing you to look towards her.

She was staring at the back of your hand, her eyes wide, her mouth was open, like there was more that she wanted to say but she couldn't quite find the words. Her hand was partially raised towards you, frozen in midair and… shaking slightly.

You start to pull the hand back, only for her to snap out and grab your fingers, pulling you forward as she studies the mark. Her fingers trace it, disbelief clear as day on her face.

"It's… a burn," you say, lamely.

Her head snaps up to look at you, and… to your surprise she is crying. "No, not you Shirou. Why you?"

… Pardon? "Sakura?"

"You weren't supposed to be a master!" Sakura cries out, then scoots back, her eyes wide with seemingly fright. She's panicked, more than you've ever seen her panicked before, but it's not that she is visibly scared of you, it's something else.

Sakura moves to stand, or at least, starts to. She runs into an apparent wall in midair, and before your eyes Caster appears behind Sakura. She's dressed in the same robes you saw her in previously, her face shrouded by the hood. Sakura turns her head to look back in shock towards the woman, before Caster's hand taps the side of her head.

Like a ragdoll Sakura slumps, falling down to the floor. You lunge forward, crying out Sakura's name as you move across the floor to catch her before her head can hit the mats. You succeed, though how limp she is in your arms doesn't express much in the way of confidence. The girl hangs limply in your arms, her eyes open and staring at the ceiling with no sign of life to them. "Caster?! What did you do?!"

"Calm yourself master," Caster says, staring down at the two of you. "I have merely put her to sleep, she will be fine, though she is a loose end."

You look back down, and… thankfully, the rise and fall of her chest does reveal Sakura to be merely asleep. You let out a breath at that, one you didn't realize you had been holding. "How… how long have you been standing there?"

"Since she arrived," Caster admits. "I was curious as to her purpose, to think she was a magus."

Sakura? What? The disbelief you were feeling must have been visible on your face, as Caster visibly frowns.

"Truly master? You could not tell?" Caster shakes her head, then moves closer, getting down on one knee she grabs the wrist that bears the mark. "I have cast an illusion to hide this from all but other magus, and even then only powerful onesl would be able to see it."

"That's… not possible." You say. "Sakura can't be a magus."

Caster tilts her head. "And whyever not? In your time magus exist in secrecy, and she recognized the command seal, face it boy."

You process that, it makes sense, it does. But you don't actually want to believe it. Sakura… never showed any hint of being a magus. She was quiet, and shy, and a good friend of yours. She's never shown even the slightest hint of magecraft, or interest in it. Though you never brought up the subject with her anyway. "I just… can't believe it."

"Whether you believe it or not," Caster says, sounding an interesting mix between annoyed and amused. "She is a loose end, I can tell by your actions you do not wish for her death… though with her talents she could easily become a master as well."

"Why would I ever want to kill her?" you reply, not bothering to hide frustration in your tone. "And why would she become a master?"

Caster pauses at that statement, then straightens back up, still sitting, but no longer hovering over you at the same time. "She has the possibility, nothing more." Caster replies. "As for why, to protect your secrets. Servants are powerful things, and outing yourself as a magus is dangerous."

You clutch Sakura tighter to yourself. "We are not harming Sakura. No secret is worth that." Your father had told you to keep that hidden, but you would never hurt someone over it.

Caster stares at you for several moments, before simply nodding. "So be it, then instead I shall just wipe her memory of this morning's events." Caster starts to reach forward.

And you yank Sakura back. "Why?!"

Caster tilts her head. "As we just discussed, outing yourself as a master is dangerous. If you do not wish to kill her, then I shall merely remove her memories. From her point of view she merely had a dizzy spell upon entering the house."

You…

You look down at Sakura, then back at Caster. Kiritsugu told you to keep your status as a Magus secret, and you still don't know what this is about Masters and Servants anyway. You-

—

[] [Let Caster go Ahead]
Wipe Sakura's memories, you don't like it. But if it's safer it's safer.

[] [Refuse]
Under no circumstances are you messing with Sakura.

—

Sorry for the shorter chapter, I lost my job and have been a bit frantic lately. Second half of this is coming hopefully soon.

 

[Erien]

[Refuse]
Under no circumstances are you messing with Sakura.

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

Caster tilts her head. "As we just discussed, outing yourself as a master is dangerous. If you do not wish to kill her, then I shall merely remove her memories. From her point of view she merely had a dizzy spell upon entering the house."

You…

You look down at Sakura, then back at Caster. Kiritsugu told you to keep your status as a Magus secret, and you still don't know what this is about Masters and Servants anyway. But at the same time, at the same time it is still Sakura, and you aren't going to let her come to any harm, and you won't tolerate messing with anyone's mind while you can help it. To be honest, even if you can't help it.

"No, don't." You say firmly, staring up at your 'servant'. "So what if she's another Magus? I've known her for years now, there's no reason to wipe her memories."

Caster stares at me for several long moments, saying nothing in an uncomfortable silence as she studies me. "Doing so will put you at a great risk, Magus do not tend to get along with each other." Caster says slowly, like she was trying to explain a concept to a small child. "There is no telling how she will reac-"

"So what?" you interrupt. "Even if she reacts poorly I'll deal with it, it was my mistake that let her see it to begin with, that's no excuse to mess with her mind." You look down at the sleeping Sakura in your arms, your hand moving to close her eyelids for her. "She doesn't deserve that."

Medea smiles slightly, whether from amusement or something else you couldn't fathom a guess. Without being able to see her eyes her expressions were rather hard to read, on top of the fact that you barely knew the woman to begin with. "Very well master, then shall I wake her?"

"Yes." You reply, perhaps a bit too quickly. Then a thought returns, a treacherous one perhaps, but it is something that bothers you regardless. Sakura reacted poorly, very poorly, and you don't exactly know why. You… could ask Sakura, but you don't know how she would react, all the while your 'servant' was rather deliberately quiet about it.

That frustrates you. Why all the secrecy? What exactly have you gotten involved with? Still clutching Sakura to yourself you stare at Caster. "What exactly is all of this about Caster."

The woman pauses, having been starting to reach for Sakura. "In what manner is that question?"

"Masters and servants, my father taught me enough about Magus that I know most would see another Magus as a threat or a tool. But Sakura was scared. Why?"

Caster pulls back a bit, her smile that she was wearing gone like it was never there at all. "That is unimportant. If I had to form a hypothesis, she was frightened by me due to servants being naturally powerful. Most Magus are not capable of managing one such as myself."

No, no, that isn't true at all. You know it isn't. Even if you can't read Caster's expression. Sakura would never be frightened by you, it just isn't her. She knows you wouldn't hurt her, and she was worried about you, not scared of you. But why? Why would Sakura be frightened? What happened with Caster, why was she bleeding in the park, why was Taiga rushing off, so many whys and whats fly past your brain that you have to draw back a moment, drawing in a breath as you close your eyes. No.

No, Sakura would never be threatened by you, nor would you ever even think of threatening her. Even if the revelation that you were a Magus, even a third-rate one, was a shock to her. There is nothing you have ever done that should make her feel remotely threatened… and if that's the natural to a Magus discovering another you want no part of magecraft. No, she reacted to the symbol on your wrist.

And yet Caster does not want to talk about it, why? Is it connected to how you found her at the park? You need answers.

… But with how she has acted, prying them from her may not be the best idea all the same. But if you don't, you won't know what is actually wrong with Sakura until you wake her up again, and she'll be in a panic once more.

Shaking your head, you open your mouth-

—

[] [Caster, explain.]
You saved her life, she owes you one, and you have little patience for secrets, magical or otherwise.

[] [Wake Sakura]
Drop it, Caster has been quiet about this more than once, and you could tell she was leaving something out back at the shed. If she is uncomfortable about it… you'll find out in other ways.

 

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-obPL9WW6Q

[Wake Sakura]
Drop it, Caster has been quiet about this more than once, and you could tell she was leaving
something out back at the shed. If she is uncomfortable about it… you'll find out in other ways.

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

It has been an odd… day, you guess. Twenty four hours, things had started weird and had only gotten weirder and more strange the longer and longer time had been allowed to pass. Masters, servants, a bleeding woman in the park, a strange dream that left you with a tingling tongue. Ancient magicians, a new teacher, a screaming Sakura… and Caster was keeping information from you. Why? You had no idea, you had no idea about a lot of things at the moment.

That was rather something you didn't like. But you also have no reason to press her, the woman is powerful, that much you can tell by scent alone… and by how much she drained from you last night. But it was more than that, you never made it much of a habit to dig into people's secrets, and she seemed bound and determined to keep it hidden from you. And so, until she was ready, she won't have to tell you, you were never that kind of person. If she wants to tell you, she will, and if not, well, you have a feeling you'll be learning a lot in the upcoming days regardless. Still, masters and servants, the precious little Kiritsugu taught you didn't mention them at all. You understood the concept, but why? And why was Sakura so scared.

You hadn't thought to ask Circe, and she had been mostly focused on foundational magic theory. You just… don't know, and no matter how much you bounce it around in your head you are coming up blank on a dozen different questions and more. But at the end of the day it doesn't change the present circumstance at all. You aren't going to drag Caster for information, and you won't harm Sakura. "Wake Sakura back up," you say, looking up at Caster once again.

Caster tilts her head. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." You reply. "I'll deal with the consequences, it was my fault."

Caster stares at you for a moment, then nods. She extends a hand, her digits slowly glowing purple, then taps it against the side of Sakura's skull. Sakura groans, her eyelids scrunching together as she comes back to wakefulness, and somewhere distant out of your focus you note Caster disappearing from view once more. You shift Sakura so that she is laying down against the floor, one hand still behind her head to support it as she slowly opens her eyes.

"Shi… Shirou?" Sakura says slowly, blinking in delirium. "I had an awful dream."

You frown, wondering how to best put this. "It wasn't a dream." You say slowly, then raise your hand to flash the symbol on the back of it.

Sakura says nothing, her face goes through an interesting series of emotions before she eventually settles on what you would call 'blind panic', her breathing rapid and her eyes wide.

"I'm not going to hurt you," you say. "My… right, look, I don't know everything that's going on here, but that woman, Caster. I found her injured in the park near here and I took her in. She was dying, it only happened last night."

Sakura looks back to where Caster was standing, only to find herself looking at the small collection of shoes you kept near the door. She then looks back, her eyes searching your face for several long moments. "You're… a magus?"

You nod. "My father… my adoptive father, was one, and he taught me a little. I'm third rate, if anything. I don't know much about magecraft, I just saw someone that needed help so I did so."

Sakura continues staring at you, then closes her eyes and lets out a sigh. "That… Shirou." Sakura then squirms a little in your arms, and you move your hands away so that she can sit up herself.

She still seems rather out of it, kind of jumpy and more than a little nervous and worried. "I…" Sakura draws in a breath, like she isn't sure of what she was about to say. It wasn't an unfamiliar mood from your friend to say the least, though the present circumstances make it marginally more awkward than it normally is. As you watch she extends a hand, and a small blue light flashes of it to paint the room. It isn't anything fancy, just a light, but it is magic.

It's also enough to take your breath away and set your heart to hammer in your chest. Sakura… She had never given any sign, any hint that she was a magus, but… was that important? No, it didn't really change anything. So what? Magic was supposed to help people, and Sakura helped people whenever she could. You draw in a breath, watching as the blue light fades from view, then focus on Sakura's face, the girl is searching your expression, looking not awkward or embarrassed, she looks scared.

"... Alright," you say slowly. "So, we're both magi." You then lift up your hand again. "I don't know what this means, were you panicking because I was a magus? Or because of something else. She mentioned that I was her master. Kiritsugu taught me about Familiars, but I shouldn't have the magic circuits needed to control one shaped like a human."

Sakura blinks, this time in apparent surprise. Before she straightens herself where she was sitting. Pulling herself around so that she was sitting on her knees, she takes in a halting breath then speaks. "It's… the Holy Grail War." She looks down towards my hand, and the mark there. "Command spells, they allow you to give your servant an irrefutable order." She then shakes her head. "I don't know all the details, but it's more than a familiar, it's more… a spirit, of a past being. Summoned here to fight for the Holy Grail. It provides the magical energy needed for us to summon servants."

The… Holy Grail? Surely it can't be. But beyond that, she said 'us'. "Do you,.. Have a servant Sakura?"

Sakura shakes her head. "I… will be participating, but I have not summoned my servant yet."

You frown. "You said earlier that it was the Holy Grail 'war', is that why you were so frightened about it?"

Sakura bites her lip, then nods her head. "Seven masters, seven servants, the war will not end until all the servants are… killed."

"In return for what?" you ask.

"The Holy Grail," Sakura replies. "Once the war is over… I was told it would grant a wish, any wish."

A… wish? You'll come back to that. "You said earlier they were like spirits, the servants. Of people that once lived, I thought magic like that was impossible."

Sakura frowns. "I… don't know how, but the Grail makes it possible."

It must be a magical artifact of some sort, you had never seen one in person, but from what little you understood they could be amazingly powerful. Especially something like the Holy Grail. "So it's a contest, why were you so frightened then?"

Sakura freezes, like I had brought her back to the very beginning of this conversation. "Because… masters kill masters Shirou. And it will not end until there is just one left."

… Oh. It's a blood game. Seven masters, seven servants, possibly one pair surviving over all, Sakura never liked seeing you get injured to begin with, the possibility of you dying… or the possibility of you having to come to blows must have been a shock to her. But, "I have no plans on taking part." You admit.

"W-what?"

You shake your head firmly. "I rescued Caster because she was injured. I didn't summon her, if she needs me mana I'll supply it, but I don't plan on hurting anyone for a wish."

Sakura looks away, her hands wrenching together. "Shirou that's… not how it works, even if you don't fight, you have a servant now. Other masters will target you. I would…" She cuts herself off there, unable to finish her statement.

"No you wouldn't," you finish for her. "I'd never hurt you Sakura, and you'd never hurt me."

Sakura stares at you, her hand clutched before her chest, then she hiccups, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. "Shirou!"

You barely catch her before she collides with your chest, crying in… you hope relief, you fear worry. Your hands move around her back, pressing her against you as she sobs, one hand slowly moves through her hair as you let her vent, your eyes however, stay focused on the corner Caster disappeared into.

—

"I think it's too late to head to school," you say, now sitting comfortably next to Sakura. She had been shaking and crying for the better part of a half hour, terrified, if you had to guess, that you had been about to maul her, or be mauled yourself.

Sakura looks at the clock, her eyes widening in surprise at the big red 1:00PM printed there. Before she lets out a giggle. "I think so."

You smile at the sound, glad she was feeling better. "Want me to make a lunch?"

Sakura's head snaps to look at you so fast you think you hear a whip crack. "Oh, I'll help!"

You smile a touch wider, then lead her through the house towards the kitchen. Your eyes dart about, looking for any sign of Caster, but you don't see her anywhere. Ever since she woke Sakura up she has disappeared, the only thing remaining of her being a faint magical trace that just barely tickled your nose… she'll miss lunch. "Caster, do you want to eat?"

As Caster pokes up from your shadow like a wraith, half of her body still phased through the floor. You do not scream, but the thundering in your chest shows your surprise regardless. The woman hangs there, looking up at you. "I do not require food with your mana supply."

You blink. "I… wasn't offering you mana, I was offering you food. Would you like to eat?"

Caster's head tilts, her blue hair shifting underneath her hood. Then as you and Sakura both watch she floats out of the floor, her body hovering a good two to three inches off of the ground before she lands onto the wood gently. "Yes."

Smiling, you turn back to the kitchen and take stock of your supplies. You don't have much, you had planned to go grocery shopping after school today… but that opportunity was robbed from you. "After lunch we'll need to go out, I need to get groceries." You pause then, looking back at Caster. "Do you… have other clothes?"

The woman was dressed in the same robes you had first met her wearing, and beyond the bit of male clothes you had bothered her, you doubt she had anything else to wear. You'd ask Sakura, but Caster was a good half a foot taller than her, her and Taiga were about the same size… but you didn't rightly know what was up with Taiga at the moment. Or, ever, honestly. But now especially.

Caster says nothing for several seconds. Then answers simply. "No. I do not. Nor do I require them. If I have need to leave I can hide my form."

You frown, ignoring the sound behind you of Sakura getting some pots and pans out. "Well, I am going out after lunch if you want to… go out and get some clothes, or anything else you need."

Caster tilts her head again, a rather favorite pastime of hers. "I do not require anything, but I shall follow in your shadow to monitor."

… Good enough. Turning back to Sakura you shrug your shoulders and start to cook.

—

"Hey Sakura?" you speak up, sitting next to the woman at the table. Sakura had elected to take a seat just to your right, while Caster sat across from you both eating in relative silence.

"Yes?"

"When you saw the… command seals earlier, you immediately surmised that I was a Magus, why?" you ask, genuinely curious. The markings were draining your Od, you suppose if your guess was correct, and even non magus had those, so just about anyone should be able to support a servant if the grail was handling the finer details.

"Oh," Sakura says, looking down at her plate and frowning. "Uhm… well," her hand moves to fiddle with her hair, something she always does when nervous. "You sometimes left stuff laying around in the shed, and I found you out of it there more than once. I just… hoped I was wrong."

Frowning you turn your head to focus fully on her. "My father said that magic should be kept secret, is that why?"

Sakura fidgets. "Something… like that, yes. I'm not really comfortable talking about it if that's alright Shirou."

You stare at her for a few moments longer, before dropping the subject. Instead you turn your focus onto Caster, the woman still silently eating, at a far slower pace than yesterday thankfully. "Enjoying lunch?"

The woman, sans hood so that you can see her eyes, nods minutely. "It is good, thank you Master."

"You… can just call me Shirou." You reply.

Her eyes flit up to lock with your own, then she nods again. "Understood, are we leaving shortly?"

You glance down at your bowl… you had emptied it without even really paying attention. "Yes, groceries and clothing."

"I stated I did not require clothing." Caster says evenly, no emotion in her tone.

"It would still get tiring being in those robes all the time wouldn't it?" you ask, "at least some stuff to wear around the house, or that you could move around outside without needing to hide yourself. Of course, her ears are pointed which would still be a problem, but there she could at least say it was body modification… or hide it with magic or something.

"... If my agreement would cause you to cease suggesting it, then I shall do as you wish Shirou."

You smile. "Thank you. Sakura, you ready?"

The girl makes a noise of surprise, having been apparently lost in thought regarding another subject. Jerking her head towards you she blinks, then nods rapidly. "Oh, uhm, yes!"

Grabbing the bowls you drop them into the sink, pouring a good amount of soap and water into them to let them soak, then the three of you head out together, Caster slipping into your shadow as you cross the threshold.

…

If you knew it would be one of the more eventful days of your life, you may have never left.

—

Shirou, Caster, and Sakura are out shopping for clothing and food. But other incidents are occurring elsewhere, the question is, who do you want to focus on?

[] [Rin]
In which a girl's dream comes true.

[] [Illya]
In which the hunt is on.

[] [Kirei]
In which a pact is formed.

 

[Erien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o_Fm1VegxU

[] [Illya]

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

---

You hated the castle, you had ever since momma died. It was cold in Germany, here in Japan it was hardly warmer. It was… too roomy, too much empty space, it was just you and the maids for the longest time, and they couldn't even slightly replace momma. At least the bed was nice and warm, it called to you like a siren, begging you to just forget about everything you had to do today and just melt away in it. What did you have to do today anyway?

Breakfast, then….

Then!

Your eyes shot open, and you jerked up in bed. The covers fell to the floor, ignored and forgotten as you leapt over the side. Today was the day! You sprint over to the rack, grabbing the fresh clothes Leysritt prepared for you. Then you were out the door, a startled gasp coming from one of the maids, you didn't check which as you ran down the hall, you pulled your clothes on as you went, hopping and jerking as you got your pants and jacket on. You have to look your best, what will he think? Will he even remember you?

You turn another corner, then almost immediately fall back onto your butt, your hands moving to your nose as sharp pain announces itself and ensures that if you weren't already awake you definitely were now. You stare up at the tall servant you ran into, the Greek was an imposing figure to say the least, far taller than you were and with the strength to match. An apologetic look flitted across the servant's face before they reached down to help you back up.

"I'm fine," you grumble. "Take me to breakfast!"

The servant nods, scooping you up in their arms before making their way down the hall towards the dining room. You lean back against them, savoring their warmth, even with your clothes on the castle was chilly, it was always chilly. Turning your head up slightly, you search their face. "Are you sure he'll be excited to see me?"

Rider looks down at you, her purple hair shifting slightly from the motion. "I believe you should try."

You nod, ignoring the worry in your gut that was in a deathmatch with the hope and excitement in your heart. Breakfast, some planning, then… trying to find your brother. You just hope Rider was right, you had… planned to kill him, but she had convinced you to give him a chance.

You just hope he will.

—

It was a hard thing to describe someone living inside your shadow. You would expect a weightlessness to it, and in truth, there was. You had taken a few seconds to process Caster literally melting into your shadow, you had wanted to ask questions, many questions in fact. But it was arguably not any weirder than anything else that had been happening to you lately.

In fact, it was rather distressing that that wasn't the weirdest thing in the last twenty-four hours of your life at all. You were a magus, even if you were third rate, by definition that meant your life was apart from other people, you had another whole half to your existence that had to be kept hidden, that, in itself, was by most definitions weird and strange. As while everyone kept part of themselves hidden, hell, your race was rather famous for the 'three faces' ideal that was rather idolized. A Magus had to be secretive to everyone, even those in on the secret to begin with.

So to find out a whole new section of that existence, in addition to the fact that your best friend was a Magus as well… was a shock, to put it bluntly. Or to put it even more bluntly, you were still not over it, but both you and her were doing your best to just not broach the topic further besides halting snippets of conversation before you both returned to talking about the weather or the like. It was incredibly awkward. But back to the point.

Having someone living in your shadow was an odd feeling. It was like… there was an extra weight tied to you as you moved. Not heavy, almost imperceptible, like a toddler pulling on your sleeve. Apparently not debilitating in the slightest, and light enough that if you weren't paying attention you might forget it was there entirely. You can sense her there, it's a faint thing, a slight warmth against your back from her presence, yet nothing more. Her magical signature was gone, and you doubt most people would notice her unless she wanted to be particularly noticed. You glance back down at your shadow, plainly visible in the afternoon light of Fuyuki.

It was… just a shadow.

"Shirou?" Sakura's voice calls out to you.

You look back, smiling towards your friend. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought, Sakura. Are you sure it's alright for you to be skipping school as well?"

Sakura nods, smiling that wonderful smile of hers. "I'll be fine Shirou, are… you still feeling alright?"

You rotate an arm, it wasn't hurt to begin with but it's a good showcase at least. "Yeah, I'm fine, I won't be if I don't get groceries."

"Wouldn't Miss Fujimura be more upset at you not being at school?" Sakura asks, one hand moving to poke at her chin.

"That is that and this is this," you reply. Frankly, with how things have been going lately Taiga can just deal with the fact that you are playing hooky today anyway. Your grades were good enough to get by on missing a day regardless. Still, an apology for Taiga was in order for later. That's, of course, if she doesn't kill you, which was always a possibility.

You let out a breath, pushing that out of your mind as you instead look ahead. Fuyuki in the afternoon on a weekday, besides the odd holiday it was something you hardly ever saw. In truth, little was different besides the notable decrease in car traffic. Those who would be driving are at their destinations already, and with school still being in session, that would remain true for quite a while. You idly reach up to squeeze your tongue, it still tickled.

"Shirou?" Sakura speaks up again.

You glance to the side to see her looking ahead, not at you as you let your tongue go again. "Yeah?"

She looks down, a blush on her cheeks. "Thanks for… earlier, not freaking out about me being a Magus."

She was worried about that? No, never. Even if it was meant to be kept secret… which it was, her being a Magus doesn't change how you viewed her at all. "You're my friend Sakura," you reach over to ruffle her hair a bit, causing the girl to let out a little squeak. "I would never."

Sakura lets out a hum, leaning into the hand a little before hopping forward, a bright smile on her face.

—

The store was one of the newer ones in Fuyuki. That, in itself, was probably a bad thing to say however given that in this part of town, everything was new due to the fire. But of the new things, it was one of the newest. Far from the little meat market you had stopped by to get the Wagyu for Taiga, this store was built in a decidedly more American fashion. Clothes, jewelry, food, electronics. Heck, the entire front of the store was dominated by a large display just for batteries.

You had, in truth, never been to this one before, and a small part of you was rather eager to see what they had as far as food stocks went. But before that, you and Sakura had walked over to a corner of the women's clothing section, luckily the store was rather empty besides the odd employee given the fact that it was, once again, in the latter half of a school day. After checking once more that the coast was clear you look down at your shadow. "Caster?"

Your shadow rippled, shuddering against the earth like it was a still pool of water someone had thrown a rock into. Then, rising out of it rapidly came Caster, the woman dressed in the robes you had become accustomed to seeing her wearing. She had forgone the clothes you had offered her previously, having apparently decided walking around in public wearing your clothes was beneath her, which… well, you get it. You had found them neatly folded in front of your door as you went to leave, but regardless.

Caster just stares at you, not a word escaping her as her visage is hidden from you by her hood.

"Pick out whatever you want, I can cover it." You actually could rather comfortably, some people at the school had insisted on paying you for your repair work even if you argued otherwise.

"I would emphasize again master, that I do not require things," Caster replies.

"You may not, but you should have them regardless, and I can't exactly borrow Sakura or Taiga's clothing for you." The only one that would vaguely fit would be Taiga, and for some odd reason you feel like that conversation would end in your death. Though, despite your better nature… the idea of Caster, from what little you've seen of her, in Taiga's relatively form fitting clothing is rather interesting to you.

You immediately squash that thought like a bug.

"Fine." Caster replies. "You shall just be annoying about it otherwise if I do not, master."

You smile, then look over at Sakura. "Mind helping her while I get the groceries?"

Sakura blinks in surprise, then nods. "Oh, uhm, sure!"

In truth, you couldn't say why you trusted Caster around Sakura, or why you trusted Caster in general. An after effect of the dream perhaps, but something about her… was just rather trustworthy to you. Perhaps that was just your naivety, but she hadn't run out this morning, that meant a lot… also she trusted you, for what that was worth.

Caster walks off, not waiting for Sakura, leaving the girl to catch up to her, and you watch them go for a moment before you make your way over to the food.

You had been called an idiot in the past for it, but you frankly just didn't know enough about Caster… or Medea, that gave you a reason to distrust her as of yet. Time would tell if that would change of course, but for now, as she stared at a particularly frilly dress with an unreadable expression, you don't think she's a threat to Sakura at least… and if worse comes to worst you always had your command seals.

—

You had zoned out for… you suppose a good hour, perhaps more as you wandered throughout the store. You had entered a sort of zen reserved for those that were trying to memorize the position of everything in the store. While the store was certainly more… you didn't want to say upmarket, but it was less traditional than what you normally used for sure. Not that there was much 'traditional' left in Fuyuki besides those old-timers getting hammered at Copenhagen. No, you were mesmerized due to the frankly good deals, your basket was loaded with what would normally be an entire week's worth of meals… possibly less, given you have seen how much Caster can eat. But still, you can't judge the amount being offe-

You blink, your train of thought lost as you round a corner to see a woman. Not just any woman, and not either of the women you came with. But a woman nevertheless. It was Rin, dressed in her usual attire of a red shirt with and… the usual distracting mix of tall stockings and short skirt. She was just leaving the store, several bags wrapped around her arm absolutely filled to the brim with food. A wide, confident grin on her face as she gives a cheery wave towards the cashier. You watch her go, curious as to what has her so happy. Does… she also like good deals?

Well, you suppose most people do.

Still, you wouldn't peg Tohsaka for the type to just drop by a grocery store. Tohsaka reeked of money, sometimes literally. Her choices of perfume could be… cloying at times, to say the very least. You stare after her, watching the door until she is well out of view, before you were taken from your observations by the voice of Sakura behind you. "Shirou, we're done."

You blink, then turn around.

Medea had… definitely changed her appearance, in all sorts of ways. The first thing you notice was her ears, namely that their points had been trimmed back to something more… 'human', you would have to say. Compared to Circe Caster's ears were relatively normal, if elfin. But they still stood out in a literal sense. Now, likely due to some form of magic, they didn't stand out at all.

Beyond that, she had changed in other ways. Gone was the robes, instead she was wearing an ensemble made up of a blue jacket, a white undershirt, and a pair of jeans that finished off in a pair of tight black shoes that wouldn't be out of place on an office woman. It was a smart, modern look, and going from the robes to that was whiplash. You also couldn't help but wonder how much of that she picked out, versus what Sakura picked out for her. Though you also knew better than to ask. Instead, a different statement, or question, rather, came to mind.

"Did you… already pay for that?" you ask, staring at the clothes.

Sakura nods, and you turn your head to see that she is carrying several bags filled with clothes and… feminine products of the sort you have precious little knowledge of. It appeared that despite her complaints otherwise, Caster had no shortage of choices. Or Sakura got stubborn and forced some onto her. Despite her rather shy nature at times she had a rather nasty habit of a stubborn streak.

"I need to to pick up some things for myself and… well, uhm." Sakura moves to brush some hair away from her face. "I wanted to thank you for today."

"You didn't need to do that," you counter.

Sakura nods again, looking away from you. "But I wanted to."

"... Fair enough." You look over at Caster, not quite sure what to say, if she even wants you to say something. She's just kind of staring at you. You aren't even sure if she has blinked in the past thirty seconds.

You decide to say nothing, lifting up your basket. "I have the food, so we can checkout."

—

Night had begun to earnestly fall once you had started to head back home. The day had passed quickly, more quickly than you expect. But then, you had gotten up rather late. Nights in Fuyuki at least were always pretty, though the amount of foot traffic was preciously little given how colds the evenings had gotten. Sakura for her part had scooted closer to you as you walked, nearly pressing her shoulder against your own in order to stay warm, while Caster walked along without issue.

… At least she wasn't in your shadow this time around, though she had also said little ever since you left the store, and by little she only said 'are we returning to the home,' then nodded when you informed her as such.

The woman didn't talk much, but nobody at the moment was talking regardless, just enjoying the silence of the evening. With luck, any luck at all, the night would be quiet, Sakura had indeed shown no desire to head back to your home, though with your luck Taiga was waiting back at the house to kill you. Frankly, for once, you couldn't blame her. Though you were also rather annoyed at her yourself for the fact that she left you with an injured woman to take care of.

… Even if her wounds had closed on their own.

You both were likely going to start yelling at each ot-



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


CRASH

Your thoughts were interrupted by a sound roughly congruent with that of a train crashing a parking lot. A crash sounds out to your right, and you jerk your head to see an alley, it went down about fifteen feet before disappearing off to the right. From it you heard the sound of crashing and breaking metal, and the sound of something scraping off of the ground. Like someone was dragging a metal pipe or the like.

To your side you could see Caster tense, and her robes appeared over the clothes she had procured earlier. Her hand shot out to block both you and Sakura, her eyes locked onto the alley.

Then there was a scream, a feminine one at that, that sounded for but a few moments before there was the sound of a wet squelch. You didn't bother to see if anyone else around you was reacting, or if there was even anyone else on the street. You were already running. You shoved Caster's hand out of the way as you sprinted across the street, ignoring traffic as you made your way down the alley. Your hand shot out to grab the corner, then you swung yourself around to see-

To see…


View: https://i.imgur.com/qTUhBzg.jpg

A monster.

It was a man, you think. But his form was wrong, and shifting more and more the more you looked upon it. He had short blue hair, sometimes black. And there were remnants of what appeared to be a blue bodysuit on him. Jutting out of the fragments, pushing them out of the way, was flesh, it jutted, shifted, moved unnaturally as if something else was alive inside his very skin and trying to push its way out. It bulged outwards, and it stared. Eyes dotted his back, his neck, the sides of his face. Red eyes, bloodshot, looking out wildly in all directions without rhyme or reason.

In his right hand was a wicked looking red spear, but it was in a grip more fitting to that of a baseball bat than to one accustomed to wielding a spear. The tip of it dragged along the ground as it walked, sending up sparks and making the sound scraping noise you heard earlier. Bits of blood and gore dripped off of the man, some bright red and fresh, others bits, greyer bits of flesh look like they had been there for quite some time. He was also not paying attention to you, despite the numerous eyes all over his body he was fully focused on what was in front of him, that being…

Minori?

He was a member of the track team, and was a guy you didn't interact much with. But you did know him, and he was laying on the ground just ahead of the man, bleeding onto the ground. You start to move forward, before a hand grabs onto your shoulder and yanks you back. You flail for a moment, before the figure slams you back against the wall and cups your mouth.

You find yourself staring at Caster, the woman's eyes boring into your own. "Master, we must flee. This servant is beyond us."

That's another servant? It barely even looks human. But regardless. You struggle against the hand resting over your mouth. And Caster gets the hint and removes it a second later. "It's a classmate of mine, we have to help!" you hiss out.

Caster shakes her head. "I do not have the mana as of yet master to deal with such a threat."

You stare into her eyes, then glance over at Sakura standing just nearby, fright clear as day on her face.

—

[] [You have to rescue Minori]

If Caster can't defeat the creature, then she can get Sakura out of here while you rescue Minori.

[] [We have to rescue Minori]

Working together, you should be able to get Minori out of here, it puts Caster and Sakura in danger however.

[] [Take Caster's advice]

Not an option.

[] [Write-in]

 

[Erien]

[] [You have to rescue Minori]

If Caster can't defeat the creature, then she can get Sakura out of here while you rescue Minori.

Thanks to @Armoury for the beta!

—

You find yourself staring at Caster, the woman's eyes boring into your own. "Master, we must flee. This servant is beyond us."

That's another servant? It barely even looks human. But regardless. You struggle against the hand resting over your mouth. And Caster gets the hint and removes it a second later. "It's a classmate of mine, we have to help!" you hiss out.

Caster shakes her head. "I do not have the mana as of yet master to deal with such a threat."

You stare into her eyes, then glance over at Sakura standing just nearby, fright clear as day on her face. Is she right? You don't know, but what matters at the moment was that someone was in danger, and if Caster couldn't help you… she could at least help Sakura.

You nod, then turn back towards the alley. "Caster, get Sakura out of here. I will handle Minori."

"Shirou!?" Sakura cries out, no longer hiding her voice.

"Are you… certain master?" Caster asks.

You nod, drawing in a long and slow breath as you stare up at the monster. It was still just staring down at Minori, apparently uncaring about Sakura's outburst. "I am."

"... As you wish." Caster replies. You can dimly hear Sakura letting out a yelp, or perhaps the start of a scream before it is cutoff.

Good, now you can focus on… this situation. The beast was hulking, a good three heads taller than you were, but with any luck it would be slow. Reaching down slowly, you grab the nearest object, a broom laying perched just beside the backdoor of a shop. Holding it in your hands, you draw in another breath, then begin the reinforc-

Its eyes are looking at you, all of them in fact. You watch in horror as yet more eyes erupt from the skin to stare at you, the lidless pupils focused entirely on the broom within your hand. Then, slowly, it turns its body to face you. The face is locked in a rictus grin, a tongue hanging out of its mouth and drooling saliva onto the ground.

Your eyes shift over to Minori, he was still not moving, but… if you just get this thing out of the alley. Right. Rearing back, you swing the broom for-

*CHUNK*

Your breath explodes out of your body, as does part of your lungs. The broom falls from your hand, clattering against the ground as you are lifted off of the ground. The thing's spear was piercing straight through your stomach, and your skin was tearing as it lifted you via your impalement. Your hands, twitching, reached for the spear, desperate to do something, anything.

You can't die here.

You can't!

Not yet!

Then, the spear slammed against the wall, and Shirou Emiya had no further thoughts.

—


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y9WWwuFjug

—

Bad End #2


"Hola hola! That was quick! Hello all my cute little masters, was that a Topé suicida? No bueno!"

"Welcome to the… no no, not tiger dojo, lucha dojo yes! This is the backstage that saves the estúpido masters."

"But eh… as for Shirou."


"Squashed against a wall? No bueno. I'm thinking this enemy is beyond just Shirou alone. Any ideas?"



"Of course, in such a situation one must understand the limits of their abilities. This Cú Chulainn, he has truly become the hound of Ulster in a way. His abilities are greater than we have ever seen before. Perhaps if you can't beat him in a straight fight you can lure him somewhere else at the very least.


"Retreat? Si, sensible, but boring."


"Boring, perhaps. But sensible as the case may be. One cannot see the end of a story without avoiding some risks however. Let us look at this from another angle and try again."


"Si! But don't be too cowardly!"


—

[You have to rescue Minori]

[] [We have to rescue Minori]

[] [Lure the monster out of the alley]

[] [Take Caster's advice]

---

Expect bad ends, but everytime you do there are random servants/characters.