Part II.5
> continue: iteration 26, day 5, early morning
I'm standing a few blocks down the street from the Matou house, holding an umbrella. Intact and unharmed, I'm happy to say. It's drizzling slightly, though I know it won't last long. Somewhere behind me, the sun's just starting to rise.
"Where are they?" Illya grumbles from beneath the umbrella. "I'm getting cold."
I glance at my cell phone. "Shouldn't be long now. They're probably just getting into position."
I have to admit, she's kind of starting to grow on me. Didn't expect that. It's like there's a switch in her head that goes between 'adorable little girl' and 'evil mastermind.' So far, I can't tell which mode's real and which is the mask. Maybe both, maybe neither.
> i thought she irritated the crap out of you
In my defense, that was before I found out she and the maids were basically organic robots. Speaking of which. "Back to what you were saying before," I say to her. "So you're all replicants?"
"Homunculi," Sella corrects me sharply. She and Leysritt stand behind Illya in the rain.
"Right, magical replicants. Got it."
"And yes, essentially," Illya says. "The von Einzberns abandoned traditional reproduction methods centuries ago. We prefer a more... precise approach."
"Okay. So it's like you're using cloning and genetic engineering to perpetuate yourselves. Gotcha." Seems pretty straightforward to me. "But you're still pretty much human, right?"
"More or less." Illya shrugs. "It depends on the purpose we're built for. Some of us are modified to live for hundreds of years. Others are more specialized. Leysritt here, for example, was created to be my bodyguard. She's nearly entirely geared towards combat. Since she was made specifically for this conflict, she most likely won't live to see her fourth birthday."
"Birthday," Leysritt echoes dreamily. I'll try and put this as tastefully as I can: I've been getting a... special needs kind of vibe from her. But if what Illya just said is true, it makes sense. They probably engineered her brain to hyperfocus on fighting at the expense of all other functions. Neat, huh?
> putting aside the part where it's completely fucking horrifying yes
Oh. Right, yeah. There's that. I mean, come on, a lifespan of only a few years? Who would do that? It's not like they're lightbulbs or iPods. I scratch the back of my head and glance at the maids. "That seems... kinda short. Are you really okay with that?"
Leysritt just gives me a blank expression. Sella, looking chagrined, opens her mouth to say something. Before she can respond, Illya says in a distant tone, "Berserker reports that Saber has arrived. I've told him not to kill her. For now."
"Sweet." I feel my cell phone buzz. It's a text from Shirou: TWO MINUTES. "They're about to start," I say, stuffing the mobile back into my pocket. "Wait for it."
"I remember the plan, thank you."
> also did you catch the part where you were calling a two-to-three-year-old girl funbags
Was trying not to think about that, actually. But thank you. Thank you, as always, for bringing out the guilty/squicky feelings exactly when I don't need them.
> i live to serve
Around ninety seconds pass. We watch the deceptively normal-looking manor down the street, its turrets and copper roofs rising above the brick walls encircling the property. Unless you know what to look for, it might never occur to you how much it resembles a prison.
A blue bolt streaks down from the sky. Archer's Caladbolg lands precisely in front of the Matous' front gate.
The wards take most of the blast before they shatter like glass and dissipate. I wince and look away until the fireball fades. When I open my eyes, the entire street in front of the house -- the gate, the trees, the brick walls -- has been obliterated. Flames spread across the copper roof.
Then Berserker leaps in from the tree line down the hill and smashes into the house like a wrecking ball. Saber charges in close behind him. I see Shirou and Rin following right at her heels. They look different, somehow. As in, uh... shinier. But before I can figure out what's up with that, they all vanish into the building.
I take a moment to enjoy the view. Frankly, I'm finding the sight of the Matou residence on fire extremely therapeutic at the moment. Hopefully, Sakura will feel the same way.
You know... once she's outside the burning house.
Um.
In my defense, I didn't realize Archer's thing would do that.
> live and learn i guess
> unless you die of smoke inhalation
Speaking of potential errors in judgment on my part... it only occurred to me after we finished working out our strategy on the phone yesterday that -- if we just waited until tonight instead to attack -- Rider would already be dead at the school and our job would be that much easier. I didn't know how to bring that up in front of Illya without explaining about the time loop, though. Seemed like that might've been pushing what little trust I'd earned a bit too far. And I couldn't come up with a good enough reason to wait another day.
> also if rider's already dead you lose your excuse for the alliance
> besides this way we get to see more of what she can do
I guess. Tell you what -- if anyone asks, let's just pretend I thought of all that ahead of time, all right?
"Well. It seems the door is open." Illya snaps her fingers. Two of her bird puppets materialize in the air and take up point in front of us. "Shall we, then?"
"You're the boss, TMM," I say.
Illya eyes me. "TMM? What does TMM mean?"
"Tiny Murder Machine."
Sella growls. "You will address my lady by her proper title, cur, and with the appropriate respect. Or once this alliance is complete, I swear I will --"
"No." Illya cocks her head. "No, I think I'll allow it."
"My lady --"
"It's entirely accurate, when you think about it." The little girl shifts her eyes away. "Besides... I've never had a nickname before."
Then there's this other side to the kid -- one that just feels sad and lonely. Again, what's real and what's the mask? Does it even matter?
I keep the umbrella up over her as we walk down the street to the crumbling house of Matou.
"And what even is a replicant, anyway?!" Sella abruptly blurts out. She's kind of fun, too.
"O.G. Blade Runner, dude," I say. "Gotta represent."
***
> there's too much confusion
> i can't get no relief
We enter through the vaguely Berserker-shaped hole in the side of the house. It plows through a lounge and what might have been a small private cinema -- hard to tell, though, since things got a little extra smashed in there -- before emptying into a corridor leading deeper into the mansion. I can smell smoke in the air, but it still seems distant.
Illya points down a portion of the hallway that looks more mangled than the other. "That way."
I collapse the umbrella and follow her. Leysritt and the birds silently take the lead as Sella drops back behind us as rear guard. A sensible party formation.
"So I was gonna ask," I say. "I don't think I saw Berserker's ribbons."
"Those are for company, not combat," Illya says primly.
We turn a corner into an ornate dining room which looks remarkably untouched. Until --
"You're here. Good." Saber rises from behind the big table that dominates the room. She doesn't even seem to notice herself deflect Leysritt's halberd as it swings towards her neck. Illya waves her maid back with a frown. "You move more quickly than I would have expected."
I glance around. "Where's everyone else?"
"I'm not certain." Saber steps out around the table. On top of her usual gear, she has the door to the broken minifridge in Emiya's tool shed strapped to one arm. Its front has been spray-painted chrome -- with a reflective finish. Improvised mirror shield. Nice, Shirou. "We encountered Rider shortly after we entered. I managed to wound her, but she retreated further into the structure. Rin and Shirou broke off to look for Sakura while Berserker and I gave chase. I am honestly not certain how I lost track of them. One moment I was ten paces behind Berserker, the next..."
I look at Illya. "So what does the big guy have to say? Where is he right now?"
She closes her eyes. "Dark place. Stone walls. No windows or obvious ways out. He's also lost track of Rider, but he's still fighting. He's surrounded by these... small annoying bitey things."
I sigh. "That sounds like the Bug Room. He's down in the basement." How'd he end up there?
"Then he seems to be playing exterminator." Illya opens her eyes again. "Shall I tell him to stop and make his way back up here?"
"Yeaaahhhh, I vote he stays where he is for just a bit. I'd really prefer not having what's down there following him upstairs." Also, really wasn't looking forward to dealing with that place myself. "Just tell him to keep smashing. Smashing good. A.B.S. -- Always Be Smashing."
Illya shrugs. "Fine by me. Those things look icky."
"I should continue after Rider," Saber says. "She couldn't have gone far."
> something feel off here to you
Yeah. The way Saber was talking, it sounds like she thinks we're way deeper into the house than we really are. Not to mention, how'd Berserker end up in the basement anyway? Sure, maybe he fell through a trap door or something, but what'd stop him from just jumping straight back out?
I go to one of the windows and take a peek through the curtains. "Oh, hey, guess what. Looks like we're on the second floor." I turn back to the others. "I don't remember going up any stairs. Does anyone else?"
Everyone -- minus Leysritt, who seems to be distracted by her reflection in a particularly shiny candlestick -- shakes their head. Illya glances at the maids. "Sella?"
"Yes, my lady." Sella mutters some words and draws a glowing sigil in the air. She studies the light from the phantasm carefully. "We seem to be within at least one bounded field. I am unable to identify the exact class or nature of the spell being used. My best guess is that it's either some form of illusion or material transmutation magecraft."
In other words, the place can either rearrange itself or make us think that it can. Dammit. I hate it when Dungeon Masters pull these kinds of bullshit mind games.
> who could have guessed invading the home of a centuries-old practitioner of the dark arts would be so complicated
"All the same, I should move on." Saber looks at me. "Tom -- try to find Shirou and Rin if you can. Otherwise, be on your guard."
She exits the room. It occurs to me that, after all this, it might be a good idea to sit down with everyone and have a little talk about maybe not splitting up the party. Then again, I suppose it's not like that particular maxim worked out great for me the last time I tried it...
I look at Illya. "So now what?"
"Hmm... let's keep going for the moment. I want to see if we can find some kind of library or workshop in here."
"Looking out for that sweet, sweet mage loot, huh?" I take one more glance out the window and let go of the curtain. "I can respect that."
***
> skip forward
Naturally, we run into Rider first.
We pass through a series of hallways and assorted spaces -- a crumbling art studio, some sort of greenhouse, a coat closet, a kitchen, a garage containing an old horse-drawn carriage up on concrete blocks -- until we enter what looks to be a billiards room. And there she is, sitting on top of a pool table, nursing a cut on her upper thigh.
This is the first good look I've gotten of her with my own eyes. True to Sakura's memories, she's absolutely gorgeous, to the point that my brain almost refuses to believe she's real -- long pink hair, dressed in a skin-tight black corset and long evening gloves. None of the snake-like features or life-ending ugliness I would've expected from her entry in the Monster Manual. She wields a pair of metal spikes, connected by a long chain. (What would you even call those? Chained spikes? Nail-chucks?) She also wears this leather blindfold thing over her eyes, I assume to keep the petrification effect from going off when she doesn't want it to. Lucky for me.
She immediately jumps to her feet, looking just about as surprised as we are. I turn away and drop back as she tosses one of her spikes at us. "Watch the eyes, watch the eyes..."
"We know," Illya says, sounding cross. She shuts her eyes tight. Doesn't seem to slow her down, though -- one of her birds blasts the weapon in midair, sending it spinning away. I see a blur in my peripheral vision as Rider leaps at Illya. But Leysritt steps in her way and meets the Servant's fist with her own. The shockwave their impact sends through the air is enough to make me stumble back into a wall. No one else appears to so much as flinch.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'm feeling a little out of my league here. If I stick around, chances are good I'll just wind up getting in the way.
> yeah
> might be a good time for an ignoble retreat
Way ahead of you. "So I'll go check in with the others," I mutter. If anyone notices or cares, they don't say anything. I flee through the door we came through and back down the hall.
At least until I trip on something. I steady myself with the umbrella and look down.
Turns out I'm not the only coward here. Shinji Matou shrinks back from me, his eyes practically bulging in terror. He's down on the floor, huddled behind this gigantic clay floor vase set against the hallway wall. He clutches a destroyed, half-burned book in his arms. From the smell in the air, I'm guessing the pants he's wearing are a write-off at this point.
This fucker. I step back and point the umbrella at his face. He looks up at me in mute terror.
I glance down the hallway. I can still see Illya's group fighting through the doorway. All I need to do is call out to them that Rider's Master is here, and one of the maids will rush over and gut him like a fish.
So why am I hesitating?
> time for today's bioware interrupt
> paragon or renegade
> make the call place your bets
Not going to lie. Just looking at this asshole makes me feel sick to my stomach. The things I saw him do in Sakura's memories... the rest of us didn't realize the hell she was going through. But this guy? Not only did he know, he participated. He helped. Hell, he even laughed about it.
On the other hand... I try to imagine how being raised by a total monster would twist someone. Sakura had, what, five or six years with her real family, right? But what kind of guideposts could this jabroni have had? If someone's raised in a place where what's wrong is the norm, is it fair to expect them to figure out what's right on their own? Sure, a crime is a crime. Punish him, institutionalize him, lock him up and throw away the key. But skipping straight to execution?...
... fuck. Who am I kidding. "Go on," I growl. "Get outta here. Don't make me regret it."
He gets up and flees, whimpering. I can't help but try to get the last word in. "You're a disgrace to Shinjis everywhere, you know that?!" I yell at his back. He doesn't respond, quickly vanishing into the labyrinth.
> good
> that was the right choice to make i think
I hope so. I'm half-expecting this whole thing to end with him stabbing me in the back or fucking us all over somehow. You know, the whole ironic twist ending thing. Still... cliché as it might sound, I guess he just didn't feel worth killing to me.
> sucks to be the good guy sometimes
Only sometimes? Anyway... let's go see if there's anything I can do to help with this whole rescue business.
***
> skip forward
After a few more empty rooms and another detour through the greenhouse, I come across a staircase leading up. Not sure I see the point of it in a place where a first-story door can lead to a third-story whatever, but okay, why not. I head upstairs.
The smoke is a little thicker up here, enough to sting my eyes. (How does that make any sense?) I reach the top of the stairs and turn the corner...
... where I almost immediately run into Shirou. Startled, he raises the metal pipe he's holding. "Guah!" I drop the umbrella and raise my hands in surrender. "Wait, ID friendly! ID friendly!"
"Oh, it's just you." Relieved, he lowers the pipe. "You okay?"
"So far. Forget about that, though. Where did you get that gear?!" I gesture to the makeshift breastplate he's wearing over his clothes and the small buckler strapped to one of his arms.
"Oh, this stuff?" He glances down. "I just threw it together from some scrap yesterday. I didn't have time to paint everything, though, so we just wound up using this instead..." He scratches the edge of the shiny tin foil the shield is wrapped in and shrugs.
"You made your own armor? Dude!" I give him two enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Heh, thanks." He grins and awkwardly scratches the back of his head. "It didn't really work, though. I mean, it kept us from getting paralyzed by Rider and all. But it didn't seem to reflect the attack back at her, like in the story."
I shrug. "Still. That was good thinking..."
"Will you two shut up?" Rin hisses, leaning out of a nearby door. "We are in enemy territory here. Flirt later!" I can't help but notice she also appears to be wearing a foil-wrapped cuirass, albeit one that looks a bit lighter and more patchwork than Shirou's. Dammit. I really missed out this time.
I wince. "Sorry." She vanishes back inside. We're in a hallway with three doors on each side, all of which have been thrown open. There looks to be another staircase leading back down at the other end of the corridor.
"Any sign of Sakura?" I mutter to Shirou.
He shakes his head. "We haven't even found her room yet."
"Ever been there before?" Not that it sounds like he and Sakura are that close, but it doesn't hurt to check.
"Nah. Anything about it in the memories you got from her? It'd help if we at least knew what to look for."
"I don't... think so?" Most of the background details in those memories seem fuzzy or indistinct, unless they're specifically relevant, like in the case of the Bug Room. Not much of a surprise, really, considering how upset Sakura is in most of them...
> focus
I'm okay. I think I'm getting a handle on this whole deal. Feels like I'm having an easier time keeping the flashbacks in check, anyway.
Rin walks into the hallway. "Anything useful?" Shirou asks her.
She shakes her head with a disgusted grunt. "All decorative books. Fake copies of Jane Eyre and Tolstoy, that kind of thing." Glancing behind her, I see what looks like a small library or study. "Let's go."
I follow them as they head down the hallway. I glance through each of the open doors as we pass by. Bathroom. Some kind of spa? The garage again. A trophy room, with a number of moldy deer heads mounted on the walls. And...
I stop by the last door on the left. "Hey," I say. "Hold up."
"What is it?" Shirou glances at me.
I walk slowly through the door into what looks like your bog-standard guest bedroom. Nothing on the walls. Bed, nightstand, lamp, a pair of dressers with the shelves pulled out.
But beyond all of that, though... there's a narrow door in the back corner that clearly should belong to a linen closet or something. I would've walked right past it without a second glance normally. If it didn't seem weirdly familiar for some reason...
I reach out with my gloved hand and try the handle. Locked.
"You got something?" Rin asks. I turn to see her and Shirou standing behind me. I can only shrug.
"Okay..." Shirou puts his pipe down on the bed and limbers up his shoulder. "Just gimme a second here -- I'll get it..."
Rin steps past me and kicks the lock with a perfect roundhouse. The door bursts open.
"Open," Shirou finishes lamely.
"There," Rin says. She walks into the should-be-a-closet.
Huh. Skills. She's got 'em. Shirou and I look at each other. I raise my eyebrows and shrug. Wearing a slightly miffed expression, he picks his pipe back up. We follow her in.
***
It's not a closet, of course. Instead, we find ourselves in a wide passageway that leads to a set of double doors. This house, I swear.
When we reach the end, something clicks and I know we're in the right place. "This is it," I murmur.
I look at them. Rin looks at him. Shirou sighs and nods. "Yeah, okay. I've got it." He steps past me and opens the door.
Sakura's room is bright and airy, if a little spartan. The only pieces of furniture I can see are her bed, a desk and a chair. There's a bookshelf set in the wall, though, and a potted flower plant sitting on the window ledge. It's the first room I've seen in the house that feels anywhere close to natural. Well, sort of -- appropriately enough, the passageway seems to lead out of what should be her closet. Aside from the windows, though, I don't see any other exits. Did her grandfather just kinda... seal her up in here?
Sakura herself sits in the middle of the bare floor, wrapped up in a blanket. It actually looks just like the one I have on my bed at home, except mine's beige instead of lime green. She peeks out from beneath her impromptu hood. "... Shirou." She doesn't sound surprised.
"Hi." Shirou takes a deep breath. "Can I... yeah." Looking embarrassed, he steps into the room.
... he's not any better at this than I am, is he.
> nope
Sakura slides back away from Shirou as he enters, her face flushing bright red. I'm getting the feeling this isn't going to be the quick in-and-out she-grabs-a-blaster-and-jumps-down-the-trash-chute kind of scenario I'd been hoping for. "You shouldn't be here," she says. "Grandfather won't like this."
"I know, sorry..." Shirou scratches the back of his head.
So... um.
It occurs to me -- at what I would like to fully acknowledge is a fairly late stage in the game here -- that it might have been a good idea for me to actually ask Sakura about what she wants. Before we... you know. Busted our way here in like a magical SWAT team. Tried to kill her Servant. Set her house a little on fire.
> gee
> you think
I know, I know. It's just -- the memories, and Rin's whole bit, and the shock... I guess I just got swept up into things, you know? I saw a problem and it hurt, so I tried to fix it.
> but she isn't a problem
> she's someone who has problems
> you need to learn the difference
I get it. I really wanted to help, though. Doesn't that count for anything?
> i don't know
> why don't you ask her after mr. superhero here finishes selling this 'rescue'
Shirou tries to rally. "So, look... we learned some things. About you."
"We?" Sakura looks directly at me. "Who's that?"
"Oh, uh. That's Tom. He lives down the street."
I timidly give her a small wave. She returns the gesture, her expression trapped somewhere between confusion and apprehension.
"But that doesn't really matter right now," Shirou says. "The main thing is -- we know you're Rider's Master."
"Oh." Sakura looks away. "Are you here to kill me?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Shirou hesitates. He very carefully places his pipe down on the floor and steps a few paces away from it. "We heard what your family's been doing to you. So we came to get you out of here! ... God, why didn't I just say that in the first place?"
She blinks. "And... take me where, exactly?"
"Wherever you want. Though... just to start with... maybe your sister's place." Emiya steps away from the door.
"My... what?" Sakura looks past him into the passageway.
Slight hitch, though: Rin's hiding to the side of the door, her back pressed against the corridor's wall. She glares at me, as if daring me to say something.
I hold up a finger to Sakura and sidestep out of the frame. What are you doing? I silently mouth. Get out there!
Screw off! Rin furiously mouths back. It's none of your business!
Oh, for fuck's sake. I shake my head and mouth, just talk to her already. Before she can stop me, I grab her by the shoulders -- or, at least, the metal plates over them -- and shove her through the door.
"... Rin?" Sakura stares at her. "Okay, first, what the hell are you wearing? But second -- you can't be here. You know it's against..."
"There's a loophole," Rin grumbles. She gives me another glare, then turns away to Sakura, arms folded behind her back. I guess that's her default stoic-adult-mode pose.
"Look... I don't expect you to forgive me. I probably wouldn't, if I were in your position. If I'd been... well." Rin swallows. "It was a mistake to abide by our agreement with the Matous. I see that now. As family head, I should have broken the pact years ago, consequences be damned. God only knows I thought about it... especially after Mom died..."
"I don't know why Dad chose you for this and not me. I'll probably always wonder. And... I really don't know how to even begin finding a way to make this all up to you. But... if you can... if you're willing to give me a..."
And that's when she stops, because Sakura is standing behind her. Putting aside the hair and eye color, you can really see the family resemblance. Seems kind of obvious now, in fact.
"... are you real?" Sakura's voice trembles. She tugs lightly at the elbow of Rin's sweater. "Are you really here?"
Rin stares out into space. "... I'm here."
Sakura hugs her, pressing her face against her sister's back. She lets out a strangled sob. And Rin -- Rin just completely fucking loses it.
> awwwwwww
Takin' it all back. All those regrets I just mentioned. Worth. It.
Shirou and I just let them have the moment. Fortunately, Rin pulls herself out of the hug after a few minutes. "Okay, okay, come on. Game face. Game. Face." She sniffs and wipes her eyes on her sleeve. Slaps herself lightly on the face once or twice for good measure. "Okay. We need to get you out of here. And we are getting you out of here, got it? Is there anything you need to take with you? Clothes or -- or --"
Sakura shakes her head.
"Okay." Rin straightens her hair. "Let's move."
She sets off down the hall. Sakura hesitates, then goes after her. Shirou and I exchange grins -- yay! we helped/were vaguely useful! -- and follow.
***
The euphoria lasts until we run into Rider.
For some reason or another, I'm in the lead -- I don't know why, guess I just wasn't thinking. Stupid. One second I'm walking out of the guest bedroom, the next someone frigging punts me down the hall. I land on my back and skid down the carpet a meter or so. So, initial reaction: ow.
> are you okay
Yeah. I mean, been better, but I think I'm just surprised more than anything. I raise my head and there she is.
I don't know if it was Illya and company or if she ran into Saber again or what, but man, since I last saw her, Rider's been fucked up. There's this massive, bloody wound where her stomach probably used to be. Her gloves and one of her thigh-high boots have been shredded. Cuts and burns across her arms, legs and face. Don't see any sign of the spike-chucks. I guess she lost them? She's limping, seems to be having trouble staying on her feet -- she's actually driven her right hand straight into the wall next to her as a way to root herself in place.
Also, her blindfold is off.
Her eyes are still closed, though. That's the only thing that saves me. I curse and cover my face.
"Tom, what -- shit!" Shirou's the next one out of the door. He immediately raises his tiny shield in front of his face and holds up his pipe. Rin comes out low behind him. She kneels down, her arm pointed out -- but she has to be keeping her eyes closed, so how could she aim? This one's gonna be rough...
"Rider, stop."
Or maybe not. Sakura steps out of the guest bedroom in her lime-green blanket, behind her sister and her friend. She looks straight at Medusa. "It's all right. They're not going to hurt me."
"... Master," Rider rasps. Huh. Pretty voice. "... you are uninjured? You're safe?"
Sakura hesitates, then nods.
Rider lowers her head. I peek through my fingers and catch the tiny smile on her face. "... I'm glad."
The Servant immediately dissolves into mist, which spreads and fades out of the air. Like dust in the wind. Sakura bows her head and looks away.
I pull myself off the ground. "Is that what happens when they..." I've never seen it happen up close like this before, come to think of it.
"When they go home," Rin says quietly. "Yeah."
Sakura looks up. "... oh."
Wait, is she looking at me? No. Behind me. Oh, great. Already dreading what I'm about to see, I turn around.
All the other doors we saw in this hallway -- the ones leading to the spa and the garage and so on? -- are gone. Like they never existed. So's the staircase I used to get up here. The corridor just dead-ends four or five meters down from me.
Sakura looks back to Shirou and Rin. "He knows."
***
When we look back in, the guest room closet is -- well -- just an actual closet now. So our only option is to go down the remaining staircase, which ends at a single closed door at the bottom.
> that bodes well
Oh, this is so totally a boss fight. No need to even guess. I mean, only one path forward? All the previous areas we've visited blocked off? The only thing that could make it more obvious is some ominous chanting in the background. Or a save point. I could really go for one of those right about now, honestly.
But here we are anyway. As the guy wearing the most armor, Shirou takes the lead. He puts his hand on the doorknob and glances back up the stairs at us. "Ready?"
Rin gives him a tight nod. Sakura looks ready to throw up, but doesn't say anything. I just shrug. "Not gonna change anything if I say no, is it?"
"I guess not." Shirou takes a deep breath. "Okay..."
He opens the door.
"Finally," a voice grumbles. "Get out here and face me already. Damn hooligans..."
Yep. Boss fight.