Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Sadly no. Besides, that would take him or Musashi out of the fight, since they'd attack each other the moment they realized who the other was.
I'm Not a Regular Mom (FGO OC)
- Thread starter Blinktwice13
- Start date
Sadly no. Besides, that would take him or Musashi out of the fight, since they'd attack each other the moment they realized who the other was.
- Location
- Not here
You've said he is an original servant, mayhaps you speak of Goemon?
How many lives of God Hand would Matthew's Np take out? I'm not entirely sure they would have won the fight since Matthew's armour doesn't give him the ability to get through God Hand, Mushashi is limited to only NP for damage, Mash is defensive oriented and Archer would have to UBW to avoid collateral.
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Annwyn Ataraxia would have less effect on Herc due to him existing in the Age of Gods. It would shave off a life or two, but it's stronger against younger Servants. That said, it is focused, hence still doing enough damage to matter.
Now what Matthew doesn't know (because 'What is God Hand?') is that he has a repertoire of spells just good enough to bypass God Hand. Fairy Runes are Rank A, and can do all kinds of crap. His Hairpin is Rank A, and can meddle with the four classic elements near the level of Marble Phantasm. Even if each shot only takes one life, he can wear Berserker down. Even if they have the same 'source', they are still different 'effects' for taking out lives and when applying resistance. Essentially one source, many spells. Necrotizing Herc's heart isn't the same as exploding his head isn't the same as melting his torso with lava isn't the same as shredding his lungs with a vacuum.
That said, Berserker has A+ Strength and can whittle him down just as much, and it takes way less focus to bash repeatedly than chainspell. He is also fast enough to catch Matthew unless he's very, very clever. It all boils down to environment and external allies. If Matthew's alone, he'll get a few shots off before being beaten unconscious and then, eventually death. If he has distractions (and a whole lot of mana to burn), he might be able to eke out a win.
If he uses Aegis Titania, merging his wand and hairpin into his armor and amplifying everything through the roof? His chances go up drastically. That said, it eats mana on par with Troias Trageodia, so of course something like that would be an ace.
Edit: That would also add the Fisher King knife and Matthew's gloves, so even more shenanigans. It'd probably kill Matt, but the armor is actually the win button. If he had Ritsuka as a Master, he'd be burnt out but fine, but the difference in secondary mana between Ritsuka and Shirou is that drastic.
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Ah, okay. Wasn't sure if Herc would get through the armour before Fae spell shenanigans.
In Which Pest Control is Called
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
A/N: ...please do not expect this length consistently, I just had a lot I wanted to get done... No content warnings, I don't think? Next update (whenever that is) should end the Event. Maybe.
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Shirou calmly prepared the omurice, folding the egg neatly. Fuji-nee, Sakura, him… He paused, frowning slightly. Matthew would likely need to eat.
He couldn't say he liked the other man, and the abuse that was heaped on him was definitely less than endearing. But Shirou knew what fear felt like, and what it looked like. He remembered, vaguely, about learning about fight-or-flight responses. Matthew's gear seemed to be stuck in 'fight' where Shirou was concerned, and 'flight' for Lancer.
...unfortunately, his questions had been answered considering the 'why' of Lancer being so dear to him. Shirou, having mostly raised himself, assumed sex was for tightening the bonds between a man and a woman, and to make babies.
Having a back seat as Lancer - then 'Caster', then Lancer again - courted Matthew had somewhat broadened his horizons. Clearly there was more to the murderous spearman than Shirou had thought, though the idea of anything intimate with him made his skin crawl.
And then there was Beryl Gut. Shirou shivered unconsciously. No, that explained a lot about Matthew and his insistence on prioritizing his more recent bonds.
That was only one dream. The other… Shirou had learned two things from that.
The first was that Matthew's conscious life and raising had been at the hands of someone that could only be called 'human' in the most generous sense. At least she was mostly 'humane'.
The other was that Matthew was right. There were worse things than death.
So no, Shirou did not hate Matthew - he decided as he folded a fourth omurice. But he didn't understand all of him either, and there was definitely a gulf between them.
...for all his bluster, Matthew still needed saving too. But if Shirou misstepped… the prior night showed that the Caster was not generous with his interpretations of others' actions. He was so used to being hurt that everything became personal, unless it was painfully obvious that it was a mistake.
At the very least, he could be counted on to do the right thing, so long as it didn't take precedence over his own safety. Though, from what Shirou felt in that dream… he might prioritize his loved ones the same way Shirou did everyone else.
"SHIROU! THERE'S A FOREIGNER IN THE GUEST ROOM!" Fuji-nee yelled.
"He's a guest, Fuji-nee!" Ah, good. Musashi had hidden herself.
Shirou looked into the dining room as Fujimura Taiga dragged Matthew in by the neck of his pajamas. Matthew looked half-asleep, thoroughly rumpled, and utterly bewildered.
"Listen freeloader!" Fuji-nee said with a fist on her hip. "You better not make trouble for Shirou, got it!?"
The Caster blinked up at her. "Who're you?" he slurred.
Shirou sighed. "Matthew, this is Fujimura Taiga. She's a teacher at school. Fuji-nee, this is Kyrielight Matthew. He's…" Crap. Normal people weren't supposed to know about magic…
"On vacation. I got mugged and all my stuff got chunked in the river because I look different." Matthew gave Fuji-nee a plaintive look with his big, green eyes. "Red was nice enough to take me in last night after I beat up a robber. Though I did mess up his door…" He frowned slightly. "Sorry…"
Three… two… one…
"Awww! Well, if you two are helping each other out, then that's fine! Wait, how'd you beat up a robber then get mugged?" Fuji-nee put a finger on her chin.
"Five muggers, one robber."
...this was a good story. Shirou could work with it. It neatly explained the lack of identification, funds, or clothes.
"He had pajamas and maybe another outfit or two, but I agreed to lend him my old clothes," Shirou chimed in.
Matthew actually shot him a look of gratitude.
...maybe Shirou would keep Fuji-nee around, if only to establish harmony. Maybe it'd give him a chance to unravel the prickly Caster without getting stabbed or blown up.
'Yelled at' was probably still on the table.
"Ah, and Fuji-nee? Maybe don't scold strangers about freeloading?" Shirou offered in a mild tone.
Matthew made a sharp coughing sound. Hm… Shirou had some tea he could steep, it would be bad if he caught a cold.
A sharp knock echoed at the door. Shirou sighed. "Ah, Matthew-?"
"Yep, yep, on it," he said in a neutral tone.
Please let this be a sign of things to come. Things were hard enough without an angry Servant.
Shirou looked at the leftover eggs and got ready to put them away.
"Emiya-kun!"
Orrr not.
"Ah… Tohsaka…" Shirou's eyebrow twitched.
"Ehhh? Tohsaka-kun?" Fuji-nee looked over. "And who's this?"
"Fujimaru Ritsuka. Pleased to meet you. I'm Rin's cousin from out of town."
...so Mash hadn't come. Hopefully Archer was taking care of her. Berserker lashing out at her was scary.
What had happened after that? Musashi wouldn't tell him, but he lived somehow. It was fine, but he really hoped Mash was okay.
Though he was also completely out of it by the time they got home. He'd been killed twice in one night, and still didn't die! A man had to be excused for being a little loopy!
"Ritsuka's a friend of mine. He got mugged too, but luckily Rin put him up," Matthew explained.
Two more omurice… Yeah, Shirou had enough ingredients.
"Eh? Eh? You're on a first-name basis with both of them?"
"...oh, oops. Sorry, I forgot."
"He's very Western," Ritsuka said apologetically.
Something was… familiar about Ritsuka. Shirou couldn't put a finger on it, but Matthew's claim that he 'was important' to Ritsuka had… implications. As did his frankly unsettling about-face from raging against Shirou to taking the utter piss out of Kotomine.
Somehow managing to shut the fake priest up had, surprisingly, given Shirou some small happiness. It was rare that he could feel it without helping someone, but that was nice. Well, more that he had things that made him content, like tinkering, cleaning, and cooking. His life wasn't devoid of good things. But genuine joy was vicarious from the people he helped.
There. Six plates of omurice. Now for the ketchup…
Another knock. Ah, Sakura didn't…
Matthew stuck his head in the kitchen. "You expecting someone else?" He was now clad in a comfortable-looking sweater and jeans with socks. It wasn't Shirou's, so who knew where it came from.
"Sakura-chan. She doesn't know about," he waved a hand aimlessly.
"...right." Matthew fidgeted. "I…" He cut himself off. "You'd better go get her, then. I'll start walking the plates out."
Shirou blinked. "Ah, thanks. I appreciate it."
Matthew gave him an odd look, but stepped aside as Shirou walked by.
He opened the front door to Sakura's smiling face, and felt a small kick in his chest. "Sakura-chan," he greeted. "Breakfast is ready, and we've got a lot of guests, just so you're warned."
"Oh? Okay, Senpai." Her smile didn't dim, exactly, but she seemed a little unsure.
"Hey, Red! Where do you want to sit? I stuck Tohsaka by Fujimura, and I'm by Ritsuka. Oh, and uh… Mat...ou…?" Matthew blinked as he came into view.
Shirou's eyes widened as the Caster's pupils visibly dilated and he gave a full-body shudder. That… didn't look good…
"Yeah, yeah! I bet you want to sit next to Red, right? He told me all about you, his favorite kouhai! Apparently it makes him happy when you drop in for a visit!" Matthew chirped.
...none of that was untrue, exactly. In fact, it was very accurate. However, he hadn't told Matthew any of that.
...Matthew heard things. Secrets and memories and he couldn't shut them out. When they were in the church, he was visibly overwhelmed with negative emotions. What did he know about Shirou that he hadn't been told?
Sakura went pink. "H-he- really? Oh, um. I don't…?"
Matthew grinned and gave a cheerful wink. "Kyrielight Matthew, charity case. A bunch of thugs chucked most of my stuff in the river, so your Senpai's putting up with me for a little bit. He's… an okay guy. And a good cook, so let's get seated before it goes cold!"
"Goodness-! Well, okay…" Sakura gave Shirou a confused look, but she didn't seem dismayed. Though when she saw Tohsaka and Ritsuka, she did stop short in surprise.
"Here, here! Matou-san can sit between Fujimura-san and Red, and then-" Matthew plopped down next to Ritsuka. "Well, it's pretty explanatory!"
"Your Japanese is very good for a foreigner," Fuji-nee offered with a smile. It'd be backhanded if it weren't for the fact it was true.
"Oh, I practiced a lot! The modern architecture and the way the cities work are fascinating, so I always wanted to visit!"
It wasn't a lie. Matthew wanted to escape Chaldea so badly, but… from the examinations Shirou had seen… Well, the practicing was a lie. Matthew was effectively an omniglot, if he was to be believed.
"Uh, how does it go… itadakimasu?" Mathew blinked with an innocent expression, putting his hands together.
This earned giggles from Fuji-nee and Sakura, while Tohsaka just looked dead inside. Ritsuka was sheepish, and Shirou…
Didn't really know how to react, so didn't. It was like a completely different person from the guy who saved him last night. He'd half expected biting vitriol at everyone who wasn't Ritsuka or maybe Sakura (because being angry at Sakura made no sense) but… anyways.
He blinked at the sound of pure happiness that sparked from across the table, and looked up from his meal.
Bites of omurice started vanishing rapidly down Matthew's gullet, the Caster's eyes gleaming with joy. From the look on Ritsuka's face, this was a common enough occurrence, but even so.
Shirou couldn't help a slight smile at the sight.
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Okay, alright, after some sleep I can admit it. Gunning for Red because his mindset is utterly horrifying was a bad deal. That doesn't make us bosom buddies, but if Pepe had dropkicked me every time I lead in with 'I can't trust anyone!', he'd never have gotten anywhere.
The idea of giving up my freedom was still utterly horrifying, considering what I'd endured to get it in the first place. But after some sleep and good old dream-o-vision…
This guy was literally nice to everyone. To a terrifying degree, but still. Though, there were still traces of the snark that could mature into Archer - that I appreciated.
Scenes of him wandering after his savior, and learning how to cook and clean to look after him had filled my sleep. Kiritsugu was a sad man, and Shirou was his sole joy once he truly gave up on Illyasviel. It… shouldn't surprise me that Shirou would respond to that with such devotion to his ideals and memory.
However I sliced it though, I couldn't cope with him as he was now. He represented every nightmare I ever had of becoming a yielding, pliant victim for whoever was nice enough to me on the surface. Even if there were differences, the concept…
Well, that left me with two choices. One, avoid him until we go home. Not very feasible thanks to him most assuredly butting into whatever I got into. Violence was off the table, since he was at the least a relative of Ritsuka's, even if he never became his dad in this timeline.
From Rin's reaction, that looked pretty unlikely.
So here we are at option two: make him into someone I can tolerate, if not outright like. The existence of Matou Sakura lended itself nicely to that, as if I could give him a reason to live outside of his ideal it would leave him with a solid anchor that would be less likely to destroy him as a person.
Using the Universal Language would be the simplest variant, but I don't think I could ever forgive myself for using it on someone who, after some… necessary reflection… was an innocent. Not in that manner. Using it to make Kotomine shit himself every time he said the Lord's Prayer or did a baptism, sure. He had it coming. Shirou… didn't.
He was as much a victim as I was, if in a very different way.
Also, side benefit: the nicer I was to him, the more of this awesome food I got to stuff in my face. I build him up into someone who can put on and take off the hero hat, and I get fed until I go home and life resumes as normal! Win-win!
...this all ran into one major problem, however.
Enter Matou Sakura. Good grief, this girl's been through it. Her circuits were infested with worm familiars, and the blackened pitling of a soul was curled around her heart. Let's not forget the shards of whatever the fuck was masquerading as a Grail jammed in her for good measure. If I had the Shroud of Avalon, it'd be a matter of rolling her up in a healing blanket burrito and hitting the power button. As I definitely did not have it, I had to improvise.
Rin kept glancing at me, then Ritsuka, then Sakura, all as she ate. Honestly, she should focus on her food, but okay.
"You will give life to the next generation of Matou, and revive our family. Shinji. Go prepare yourself for when the modifications are complete."
Ohhh, that's why she was looking at me. Well, in the words of a great woman: 'tis time for rampant slaughter!
...but how to go about it?
Hm. Hm. Hmmm. Ritsuka wouldn't… no. I wouldn't let him be involved. He's my friend, as much as we clashed last night. I love him too much to let him be hurt by that wormy bastard.
And even if I did nuke the house with Sakura out, that wouldn't solve the problem of Zouken's little soul-worm.
Boo!
I slumped with a distraught frown.
"Senpai, it looks like Kyrielight-kun wants more food," Sakura said in a breathy voice. Disturbingly soft-spoken, that one. But hey, a lifetime of horrific unwilling body modification and sexual abuse can do that!
"Oh, uh, I'm fine! Just had an intrusive thought. I'll be fine," I hurriedly assured her.
"Intrusive…?" Rin asked with a frown.
"You know how you'll go about your day and remember something embarrassing from like, five years ago out of the blue? Like that," I explained.
While that worked for Taiga and Sakura, I got a clear look from Rin and Shirou to cut the bullshit. Ritsuka just looked worried.
"Ah, Matthew-kun. Can you help me with the dishes?" Shirou lifted his plate. "We do need to get to school before too long…"
"Oh, sure!" And I can probe his brain for useful information. Maybe.
I helped him pick up the dishes as the ladies got ready to go.
"Kyrielight-kun, can you look after Ritsuka for me? He's not enrolled, but I don't want to leave him at home. Someone from my house might be over later to keep him company." Rin gave a serene smile.
Sakura glanced at Rin, then down at her feet.
"Sure, sure. Have a good day at school you two!"
"What about me?" Taiga asked with a pout.
I blinked. "What about you? Don't you have a job to get to?"
Shirou stumbled as he made a soft wheeze, managing to get his dishes in the sink.
"Wh-!" Taiga's jaw dropped.
"Oh, Red can tell you - I'm only nice when I want to be. You literally dragged me out of bed. Expect some payback." I winked.
"He's not the worst person I've met," Shirou said solemnly. "He's still a brat."
Ritsuka gave me a hopeful look.
Taiga huffed. "Fine! You two deserve each other!" She marched out. "And I work at school!" she called as she followed Rin and Sakura out.
After the door closed, I slumped against the counter. "So that was a lot."
Shirou hummed noncommittally.
Ritsuka poked his head in. "What was?"
"Oh, judging by the tiniest expressions he was making, he picked up on an entire suite of Matou-san's issues." The golden kid appeared in the middle of the kitchen in a swirl of light, smiling brilliantly.
"...Sakura has issues?" Shirou asked, pausing. He looked at the kid. "And who are you?"
The little 'prince' smiled.
Ritsuka tilted his head, then went pale. "Ah."
"You're not Assassin, because Musashi wouldn't have been ready to gut you for sneaking into my bed," I mused.
Shirou made a confused look as the kid giggled.
"I mean, it wasn't anything like that. He's like, eight or something," I said dismissively. "Anyways, my money's on Rider. If I had money."
"No, I'm not Rider. Nor am I Ruler." The kid smiled.
"There's a Ruler?" I squawked. "Okay, fake priest is on some shit for sure, then!"
"...I admit to being surprised that you turned on him instead of me," Shirou said lowly.
"I will admit to being a horrible gremlin last night. I was in a horrible headspace, and today isn't much better. However, with some distance, reflection, and rest, I will own my shit behavior. Pepe would cry if he saw me acting like that." I pouted.
"...who?" Shirou blinked.
"Someone who taught me a few things about being a person. I think you'd like him." I nodded. "But anyway, we got a long list of things to get started on and only a little bit before you need to go do school." I pouted. "I want to go to school. I've never been."
"You really don't," Shirou deadpanned. "So does this mean we're friends now or something?"
"Pff! You wish! What you pulled last night, while not as shitty as my behavior, was still inexcusable!" Ritsuka slumped as I pointed my nose in the air.
Shirou stood to his full height. "How so?"
"I'll admit to playing into the shit-priest's hands until the end and goading you into holding onto my seals. My fault, I'll reap that consequence. However. You traumatized Mash badly." I glowered at him.
"I saved her." Shirou's brows knit together.
"And if she had been in genuine danger I would be grateful," I said with a stab of my finger. "Hell, that would probably be enough for me to table my issues and actually be your friend."
Shirou let the dishes fall. "Berserker was going to strike her down," he said slowly.
"Berserker is good at punching, true. But Mash's entire kit revolves around taking those kind of hits so others don't have to. Her defensive power is absolutely incredible, even before the shield itself is brought into play. What tore you in half before the scabbard of King Arthur fixed you would have just sent her for a tumble." I narrowed my eyes.
"She's a girl."
I slapped my forehead. "Red."
He blinked at me as the little guy held a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking.
"For the sake of any working relationship we hope to have, please do not say that to her face."
He opened his mouth.
"Setting aside the casual sexism, she's a fighter. My sister's pride is in protecting normal humans from things that would turn them into pulp with a look. Intentionally or not, you spit all over it last night, and again right there."
Musashi appeared with her fists on her hips. "What's this about women?" Her eyebrow twitched despite her pleasant smile.
Shirou looked away. "...she shouldn't have been on her own."
"Well, each of us had our own plan. Musashi had gut Heracles, I had diplomacy because it had worked in a similar yet drastically different situation, and Rin decided to pull an alpha strike on the little girl. Which, I could do as a last resort, but I'd rather not kill a child right off the bat."
Shirou gave a pensive nod. "Yeah, I can see that."
"Anyways. Ritsuka, do you have an Auntie Illya you didn't tell us about?" I turned to him.
"No. I never heard of her before now," he admitted.
I sighed. "Okay. She likely won't try anything during the day, so I'll keep an ear to the ground for her and try to talk to her then. If this goes long enough, I'll drag you along on the weekend for help." I nodded at Shirou.
"Eh?" He frowned. "Wait. You said that the old man was her father. Is that why she's after me?"
"Kiiiind of. She thinks he abandoned her, but evil grandpa kept him from bringing her here to you. And filled her head with bad info, so there we are there. She obviously has suspicions given your actions last night, so that's a chink in the armor we can work open and maybe get an alliance." I rubbed my chin. "Everything was so chaotic then, that's all I could pick out of the voices."
"This doesn't sound healthy. The voices," Ritsuka clarified.
"It's not to the point where I'll go nuts, but no," I agreed. "It only gets really intense when there's danger nearby I need to know of… I think. Otherwise it's background noise." I perked up. "Hey Musashi, want to take Ritsuka and show him some kata?"
Ritsuka frowned. "What?"
Musashi gave me an odd look. "Really?"
Hm.
I stepped forward and gently took one of her hands in both of mine. "Please? I'd really appreciate it." Flutter the eyelashes…
She went scarlet. "Y-yes! Right away!" She bolted, dragging a loudly complaining Ritsuka in her wake.
I turned to Shirou, clicking my fingers as I threw up a wall of silence using my illusions.
"Um?" He looked… worried.
"This is a conversation he does not need to hear," I said coldly. I pursed my lips. "And no, it does not include violence against you. Just against several someones who have crossed lines I can't ignore."
Shirou's expression turned focused. "Ah. What did you find out?"
The one bright side to Shirou's twisted headspace? He might actually let me off the leash where Ritsuka might dither and ask for 'hard proof'.
...oh that's not good, is it. Wait, why…?
The kid leaned against the other side of the kitchen, smiling enigmatically. "Go on. Chances are I already know. I'm local, after all."
A local spirit? Anyways…
"For starters, we need to get Sakura out of that house."
"Why?" Shirou frowned.
"Where to begin… maybe it's the fragments of evil artifact her grandfather jammed into her shortly after the Great Fire years ago? Maybe it's the regular sexual assault her brother performs on her?"
Slowly, Shirou paled.
"Orrrr it could be the pit of rapeworms her grandfather throws her into every few days as training, and has since before the last Grail War - weeks before the Fire at the very least, maybe longer."
Slowly, he put a hand on his stomach as his expression turned to horror at my faux-lackadaisical litany of blasphemies. The growing ears, fangs, and claws might have communicated my own stance on things.
"Oh, it's a nasty business. The worms have melded into her magic circuits and flesh, and… you know what? Rapeworms is descriptive enough. I don't hate you enough to subject you to details of how messed up it is, just that it's a situation we need to fix. Also that the worm containing Gramp-Gramp Badtouch's soul is wrapped around her heart as a measure of protection for the old bastard." I placed my hands together as though in prayer, giving a wide, fanged smile. "So. Operation save Sakura and obliterate her horrible family is acceptable, yes?"
Shirou leaned heavily on the sink, eyes wide.
"You might have overwhelmed him," the kid offered.
I lightly poked his shoulder. "You… really don't have exposure to the way magi do things, do you? From what I gather, Tohsaka is unconventional in that she's pretty damn humane. Most of them… think mad scientists given magic. At best."
After several seconds, he looked at me with pain in his eyes. "...I'm aware of your experiences with them." He took a deep breath. "Sakura… why…"
"Zouken is a worm golem and nigh unkillable even for someone with training. He's practically a vampire, and only his power and vague usefulness as a deterrent from morally worse characters getting you guys' Grail keep the Church off of his back. He literally regenerates by eating people with his worms. As you are, there's nothing you can do directly." I tilted my head. "Also, in Ritsuka's timeline… Ritsuka has a trait that gives his children superpowers. It was found through testing. Somehow, worm-gramps found out, and his line is practically extinct. Think very hard about what might have almost happened, and why I wanted him out of the room."
Shirou looked ready to vomit, hand over his mouth.
"But I can make that all go away," I said soothingly. "It has to really hurt, having someone so close to you, unable to help them. But I can fix that. I can help you, help her. Help you, protect him. All I need… is leeway. I can open the gates of paradise, create a rite to undo the damage done to Sakura's body, unleash curse after plague upon his house. You just have to let me."
Shirou slowly closed his fist, and let go of his face. "And there's nothing I can do?"
"Mm, depends on what you mean by 'nothing'. Sakura is mostly broken, but not all the way. You are her pillar of support." I tilted my head. "It's not saving 'everyone', but you seem to have done a good job saving her thus far."
He turned his face to me, a question in his eyes.
"Taking care of Sakura, even after we save her, is a lifetime commitment. Running off to play hero will take time away from her, time better used to help her heal. If I give you power… I want a deal. And you, I hope, know the perils of breaking faith with the fae."
"...it's probably like breaking a deal with a yokai. I'm listening." Shirou's eyes gleamed.
Hook.
"Now, I'm not saying to turn your head away from nastiness when it comes to visit or becomes painfully obvious. But… don't seek it out. Put down roots. Tell me, how important is Sakura to you?"
The child smiled.
"She's… one of the few friends I have. Her, Issei, and Shinji… they were the closest to me. Shinji and I grew apart." His face hardened. "Are you going to kill Shinji?"
"Might. Might make him wish I had. I'll let you determine the scope," I offered.
Slowly, Shirou nodded.
Line.
"So. My deal, if you accept… I can use the Universal Language to dig up memories. There is a future memory in existence that I can easily facilitate your growth with. It'll require a little tinkering, and alone it won't be of terrible use… but it will give you a base to work from. In exchange?" I hummed facetiously. "Don't be a wandering hero. There's too much for any one person to do. Be Sakura's hero. Be Rin's friend and supporter. Keep your bonds with Issei and Taiga. Put down roots. Connect as best you can with others. Find your happiness with them. And if something from the world of magic comes to call that you can handle while keeping the rest of the bargain… handle it with those who can help. Let others inform your knowledge and help you grow as a person."
Shirou slowly turned to face me. His eyes held suspicion, but… he was tempted. Very tempted.
The kid kept smiling.
"So what will it be? Which dream of your father's will you answer? His dream for himself, of saving a world with hands too small to grasp its entirety? Or his dream for you… of finding happiness outside of endless carnage?" My eyes gleamed as the light dimmed. A half-truth, but one any 'normal' parent would want for their child.
Shirou slowly held out his hand.
Sinker.
In another world, Emiya Shirou made a contract with Alaya, becoming a blade that danced without end, culling the cancers that sprouted from the human condition and suffering for it.
In this world, his contract was with me, and no point of reference existed. The future was uncertain, and it was exciting.
I shook his hand.
"Well Partner," I purred. "I'd better catch you up on our enemies. The Church for one. That man has done unforgivable things to your fellow survivors, and he's evaded paying for it for far too long."
Shirou lowered his head, but didn't let go. "I don't hate you, but I don't know if I can trust you."
"You still scare me, but I don't know if I can hate you."
Our eyes met.
"You'll have to change too," Shirou said finally. "You can't just threaten people whenever they do something wrong, or attack them. You need restraint. We're including that in the deal."
I thought of the sorts I'd need to work with back at Chaldea, assuming our enemies came. Thought of that golden bastard…
The child twitched, a look of displeasure on his face.
He was right. It sucked, but there it was.
I sighed. "If you insist."
Shirou smiled. "I do." His smile dimmed as he dropped my hand. "I'll come back after school. If I don't get here by half an hour after it lets out, come after me. I… Miyama isn't as safe as I thought."
As he left, the child leaned next to me. "So what will you do next?"
I smirked. "Recon."
____________________________________________________________________________
I smiled widely at Ritsuka, my face twitching. "What."
"That," he said, gesturing at the brat, "is Gilgamesh."
I looked at him.
He smiled winsomely back.
I didn't sense a drop of predation, of ill intent, of anything but… the kid was cute as a button. I wanted to hug him.
I wanted to throttle his grown self.
"How does one go from you… to him?" I squeaked.
To his credit, the little guy blushed. "Puberty."
"Did his puberty not stop at adulthood?" Ritsuka crossed his arms.
"Also boredom and a view that went beyond what god or man could see," he admitted.
"...right. I'm not going to borrow trouble. Don't threaten me, don't try to rape me, and we're good," I said flatly.
Gilgamesh wrinkled his nose. "I like you. Why would I do that?"
"Ask your older self," I retorted.
Musashi looked back and forth between us like watching a tennis match.
Gilgamesh grimaced. "Ah. Yeah. He wouldn't… force you, but he'd definitely be a pest. From what I see? He likes you too. He's just…" He searched for the words.
"Himself?" Ritsuka offered.
The young boy sighed. "How about we call me 'Gil' and pretend we're different people for while it lasts?"
I perked up. "I can do that!" I scooped him up and squeezed him, getting a startled sound. "Welcome to the team!"
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.
"He's adorable! And nice! ...any chance we can replace-"
"No," Gil said sadly. "You might be able to wake up my memories in him, but with his ego you probably won't notice much."
He gently pat my head as I let out a long whine.
The door opened, and Mash snuck in wearing a cute dress. Her Servant armor was nowhere to be seen, though I figured she could invoke it at any time. It made sense, given that moving around in normal clothes would be easier than her armor or labcoat which she preferred.
"Hello- who's that?" She blinked.
I put Gil down, and he turned. "Hi!"
"...why is gold-plated rape-tyrant an adorable child now?" Mash asked in a dead tone, eye glazed over.
Gil's expression turned to sheer dismay.
"Sorry, Gil. Your adult version has a reputation among the other Servants." Ritsuka scratched his cheek.
"...Chaldea sounds completely crazy. I wanna move in!" Musashi clapped her hands.
"Once we establish a summoning circle, I can contract with you," Ritsuka said. He paused. "Wait. What do you actually know about Chaldea?"
"Uh… you guys are there, you're trying to save the world, and…" She trailed off. "And it sounds like a good place to hone my skills! Yeah!" Musashi planted her fists on her hips with a wide smile.
"Kojirou Sasaki is there," Ritsuka warned.
Musashi's eyebrow twitched. "It's fine! There's definitely still good people there!"
Mash looked from her to me. I smiled pleasantly.
"Please tell me you're not seducing her," she said flatly.
"The more the merrier!" I chirped. Ritsuka choked.
Musashi went scarlet. "W-well, that, I-"
"C'mon. Imagine if Lancer wasn't trying to kill you. And a beautiful woman with legs like-"
CLANG.
OW.
I rubbed my head from where I was on the floor as Mash put her shield away. "Please ignore my brother. His boyfriend has been an awful influence, and Medusa hasn't been much help either."
"W-well… there is another issue…" Musashi fidgeted. "I used to wander timelines, but I'm stuck here now! I don't know why!" A look of fear crossed her face. "It's just not working, and if I don't go with you-!"
Ritsuka held his hands up. "I… have no idea what you're talking about. But if you need our help, then you'll get it. Even if you weren't strong enough to hold Berserker's attention."
Musashi's eyes watered. "Thaaank youuuu-!" And she launched herself- at me.
Mash sighed. "Aaaand she's gone."
"Mash, she's kind of been gone," Ritsuka muttered.
Gil just giggled behind his hands.
I smirked as she squeezed me tightly.
"W-wait. I figured you had an alternate version of Lancer, but Medusa? What's she like?" Musashi gave me a confused look.
With a click of my fingers, I summoned an image of her, standing assertively with her beautiful hair flowing in the wind. "So as you can see," I began with a proud grin.
"Why do you have the Matous' Rider as a lover?" Gil asked with a small frown.
My face froze. "Eh?"
"Oh, yeah. The guy drags her around and feeds her random innocents to keep her mana up since he can't provide any. There's a book he uses to control her," Gil noted.
Ritsuka's face was a study in horror, and I felt my blood begin to boil.
"Well. If I hadn't promised Shirou judgement on his head I'd definitely butcher the little bastard now," I said lightly.
"You did?" Ritsuka frowned. "You seemed… last night…"
"Oh, we made a pact. I'll be honest, I can't stand him as he is now, but with my careful guidance and sculpting, he'll be someone I can tolerate. It's my masterful plan, of course!" I grinned. "And all it will take is using my voice to transfer some of Archer's skill over to his past self, and maaaaybe a little twist. He can already gain contentment from his bonds with others, but if I can add a capacity for genuine joy and happiness…" I gave a wicked chuckle.
"...on the surface, that doesn't sound bad… but is it really ethical?" Mash frowned.
"You're asking me about ethics?" I goggled at her.
Ritsuka sighed. "If that's the case… then what price would I have to pay to get you to behave around the other Servants, assuming we call forth someone like Shirou?"
My face twitched. "Er." I sighed. "Part of the deal is that I would… try… to adapt to others' differences. So as long as they don't push me too hard… I'll deal. Somehow."
Ritsuka's relieved and happy expression made the forfeit a little easier to bear.
"So… what are we supposed to do with all this free time?" Mash tilted her head. "Archer went to tail Emiya and Rin at school, so that leaves the five of us with free time."
"How strong are you compared to your adult self?" I asked Gil.
"I don't have his power, but I take things more seriously because I have to. And I still have the Gate of Babylon, just… with less variety." Gil rocked from foot to foot. "I wouldn't want to fight Berserker like this, but I could handle probably anyone else." He looked at me. "That said, I could probably hold him down long enough for you to peel his lives away."
"Lives!?" I squeaked. "Plural!?"
"Your point, Matthew?" Ritsuka tapped his foot.
"Right. Well…" I sighed. "I can't mince words. Part of what I used to goad Shirou into accepting my deal was details on the Matou family. They're my first target. I have every intention of leaving Sakura - and hopefully Rider - as the sole survivors. Matou Shinji will pay his pound of flesh one way or another."
"Why?" Musashi asked with a frown.
Mash glanced at Ritsuka, who had gone pale with a pensive look. "So you want to take little Gilgamesh-"
"Gil!"
"Gil, then, with you to scout in case of trouble, leaving Musashi and I here to protect Senpai."
I nodded. "I'm gonna tune the barrier so supernatural insects get repelled, but beyond that… it's safer if you two stay."
Musashi frowned. "Will you be safe?"
I looked at Gil. "He gives a good aura, so I think we can trust him. Also, he hasn't started shitting weapons like his adult self would do."
Gil grimaced. "On the one hand, true. On the other, that's a scary mental image."
We all paused in thought.
I couldn't suppress the snicker that escaped me. "Ahem. But yeah, I don't want to go without backup, but we need someone with good offensive power to supplement Mash to protect Ritsuka." I looked at Gil. "Also, I want to talk about this 'Ruler' you mentioned."
"A Ruler?" Mash frowned. "How would they function with a corrupted Grail?"
"Badly." Gil's expression darkened.
"Alright. Matthew, Gil, you two patrol. I'm giving you full discretion short of engaging combat. Mash and Musashi will remain here, and Musashi can fill me in on what I need to know about the territory." Ritsuka swallowed. "I…"
"My highest priority is keeping you safe." I looked at Ritsuka. "The best chances of that happening are if you stay here."
Mash looked pensive. "Are you sure? If we move him to the Tohsaka residence, Rin has much stronger defences…"
"We're further from the Matou house here," Gil offered. He paused. "And we cannot let the men at the Church get ahold of Ritsuka."
I nodded. "Yeah. Kotomine… he's got prisoners in the basement of that building. There's some sort of od-siphoning effect he's using to fuel someone."
"Ruler," Gil growled.
Ritsuka looked faintly ill.
"So even if there's not a powerful barrier, this is the most defensible place?" Musashi asked.
"And thanks to the simplicity of the bounded field - compared to my own magecraft - adding addendums and enhancing it is easy for me. It'll take a bit of mana and a few minutes, but my Runes can add to the defenses by a huge margin."
"Alright. But if you need more mana…" Ritsuka trailed off. Then he turned to Gil. "And what about you? If you need a contract…"
"Even though I'm a Servant, I'm incarnated. Ruler hoped to use me, so he used his Grail… with the caveat that I'd be changed to this form." Gil tapped his chin. "I have enough to fight well, and recover on my own. It's nowhere near my adult form's, but anyone who underestimates me is in for it."
Ritsuka shook his head. "You guys should get going. Give Matthew the full story, he'll tell me later."
"Aye, aye, boss." I gave a lazy salute.
Gil nodded. "I'll bring him back safely." He took my free hand in his and smiled brightly.
Aww-!
Wait. His Grail? As in, more than one!?
____________________________________________________________________________
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Ruler-class Servant.
Foreigner to this timeline.
He gazed over the solid gold cup in front of him, turning over the plan given him by the King of Magic.
He agreed. He agreed with his desire, his want for mankind. The need for humanity to be saved from their condition and selves, to end suffering.
To that end, he had been gifted a fragment of that power, and allowed access to a timeline where he could bring the full power of the Grail to bear. With the minor Grail before him, he could circumvent the key held by Einzbern, surmount the power of the nascent God of Evil, and enact the miracle from his memories. The miracle the homunculus prevented.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
New pieces had appeared on the board. The new Master was worrying in and of himself. He had no visible stake in the contest, and his 'Shielder' wasn't even on the spirit board. A complete wild card, and from what Lancer could report, allied with Caster and Archer's Masters, not to mention the rogue Saber.
But the Caster. That presented a problem. Lancer had kept watch as ordered, and he was able to communicate with Berserker. Not only that, with words alone he had taken control of Kirei's body, not even showing the slightest strain. Emiya Shirou had no visible talent as a magus, but his Servant might have enough raw power to carry his Master alone.
Between Caster and the rogue Master, there were a litany of concerns. However...
The mantles for Saber, Assassin, and Caster had snapped back to the Grail. Once two more followed suit, he could transport his key to the site beneath Ryuudou Temple, plant it, and create the world he desired. A just world. A perfect world. A world without suffering. The other Servants would be consumed in the wake of the change, and be of no real concern.
A world where the hell of Shimabara need never repeat. He had let go of his hate, and only pity remained. Pity for a world where the cycle of oppression was held as absolute.
...if possible, Caster would need to be eliminated early. However much Kirei enjoyed toying with his master, he was too great a threat to the Masters at large. The last thing he needed was that one in position to fight back when the ritual began.
He had avoided Kirei before, but the use of the Grail to enthrall him had proven effective. With the excess mana from the siphons in the basement, and the King of Heroes in the form of a child and more easily leashed… yes, it was an ideal situation. His distortion was a powerful weapon when aimed at threats to Amakusa's plan. And the best part? When the new world came, that distortion would be wiped away, saving Kirei along with everyone else. Just as he had wished in his own timeline.
The point being…
"You seem contemplative, Nii-san."
Ah, he'd come.
"Yes. Caster will not fight Lancer unless forced. If he were made to kill him, it would weaken his resolve immensely." Amakusa smiled. "Send him out to face him tonight."
"Hm." Kirei appeared pensive. "If possible, I would prefer for Caster to dispose of Matou Zouken first. Given his disposition, all that would be needed would be an encounter with Rider."
Ah. The worm. Amakusa had discarded his hate, true… but disgust was still an emotion he held.
"I see. A decisive end for him would ensure success for our plans…" the 'saint' mused.
Kirei smiled. "And further, a victory would make the little alliance cocky. Embolden them. All the better to break their spirits when Caster shatters on the spear of his beloved."
"Pride before a fall, hm? I see." Amakusa nodded. "It seems a touch indulgent, but that cruelty of yours is still needed to deal with obstacles before us. I accept this." He would commit any sin, twist any heart to achieve his dream.
The priest smiled. "Then we will watch for tonight, and should no progress be made… Caster loves Lancer. Feigning that sort of emotion is difficult. If nothing else, allowing Lancer to 'ally' with him for that purpose would lower his guard."
Amakusa sighed. "So cruel. But an effective means of direction." He looked upwards at the cross before him. "One such as Caster would never accept our vision. We will make use of him while we can, but once that is done…"
Kirei chuckled. "Yes. Once they wear each other down, it will be a simple thing to end the contest and claim the world humanity deserves."
Unbeknownst to either, Lancer leaned against the wall just outside the room. His arms were crossed, and his head lowered. His eyes burned with indignation as he bared his teeth.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Hm-hm." Merlin smiled. The transfer of Emiya's memories to his counterpart in the pseudo-singularity was a rousing success. At least two more targets remained, once Matthew managed to suborn them. Neither were outside his reach, assuming he lived up to expectations.
Roman and company were running around like headless chickens, which was fun. After all, Ritsuka and his Servants had been kidnapped! Well, Gilgamesh was mostly furious. A tolerable Master was in short supply, given the state of the economy. And he was set on having Matthew as his.
And Emiya hadn't left his chambers since the entire ordeal began, since his body had no mind to animate it. Luckily, Servants were good at keeping fresh.
Still! What a fun mess!
"You're on the right track, Matthew. Now… will the voices overwhelm you? Will you learn what there is to teach you? Will you save everyone?" Merlin chuckled. "The second night will come soon. Good luck~!"
____________________________________________________________________________
I scowled at the huge house in front of me.
It felt evil. The squirming darkness below was almost palpable.
The strangest thing was… none of it was insurmountable. The exterior bounded field would unravel at a single rune, even as old and strong as it was. Though, the simplest tactic was to open Annwyn Ataraxia beneath the compound and let Avalon handle the lot. The overwhelming light might even sear the old bastard's mind away.
"There's a chance it would work, but his soul is still tied to the Matou girl. Not to mention her Rider is in possession of her brother." Gil paused. "He's… complex. There are aspects that aren't terrible, but what he's done can't be forgiven either. Not by you, I don't think."
I sighed. "Complex is a good word for 'does things that benefit some, and destroy others'. I hate complex."
"Some would say Emiya Shirou is complex," Gil offered.
I rubbed my forehead. "I'm working on him. Isn't that enough?"
"Giving him access to his older self's Reality Marble is a step. Using the process to manipulate him into a shape you can accept is a step back." Gil tilted his head. "What is it that frightens you so much?"
"He helps everyone. He values everyone more than himself. If it was for everyone's sake, he'd happily die." I kept watching the house from beneath my glamour.
"Some would think that's the sort of person you'd like most. Someone you'd protect from themselves, while helping them with their aims."
I gave a mirthless chuckle. "Do you know what I value?"
Gil tilted his head, sitting atop the high wall outside the Tohsaka residence as I stood by him, hidden from the myriad defenses in the neighborhood.
"First are my loved ones. Affection, loyalty, love… it's amazing. The statement 'you matter' is a rush to me. Second is my own personal freedom. The idea of wearing chains that I myself don't choose is…" I shook my head. "Shirou gives up his freedom to his ideal. An ideal of being a perfect hero for justice, fighting to preserve mankind. His execution is flawed, because the World is flawed, but it's his aim. To be happy in service to the needs of the World."
"And you fought for your freedom, such as it is. To you, he represents a possible vision of what could have been."
"Joy in service to Animusphere." Venom entered my voice. "Even if it's to 'everybody' rather than a mission or person…"
"No offense, but you're projecting pretty hard." Gil side-eyed me.
"He's incapable of being happy if he's not a servant," I retorted. "That's fucked up."
"Actually, he's capable of contentment. He just finds fulfillment from helping others." Gil smirked. "You like protecting Ritsuka and Mash, don't you?" He drummed his fingers on his leg. "I think what frustrates you the most is that you're aware he's been mistreated… and he lets it happen. He won't let anyone kill him, but he's insulted, belittled…"
"Aaanyways," I said quickly. "Let's-"
"No, no. This is… huh. Not all slights are equal, but you are ready to unload on anyone who mistreats you in some form or fashion. Shirou rolls with it, and it drives you crazy."
I bared my teeth. "Watch it, squirt. You're cute, but that only gets you so much leeway."
Gil giggled. "Well, my subjects did say I was wise and sagely before I grew up." He smiled. "I'm not saying you need to accept everything that's done to you. But maybe… like picking the fight with Fujimura Taiga. Did you need to?"
I scowled.
"Or going after Shirou without really talking to him or trying to understand him. Especially after you accepted Lancelot… after he broke a boulder on your head."
"Ugggh. How- no. How do you know things?" I squinted.
"I have eyes that see beyond gods and humanity." Gil shrugged. "Even with your diadem, I know how to read context from those around you."
"So you cheat." I pouted, crossing my arms.
"Doesn't mean I'm not right~!" he chirped.
I looked away, scowling.
"Hm… Lancelot had little true control over his actions, so part of it is how much agency a person has. Ignorance isn't an excuse unless the offense is more specialized than general…" Gil kicked his legs idly.
I let out a gusty sigh. "Fine. Okay. I'll… work on it."
"So you'll talk to Shirou and apologize?" Gil smiled.
"Why does it matter to you?" I whined.
"Because it might be too late for me to get better. You have a chance." Gil stared at the Matou house, smile dimming. "Who I am, who I was… the wise king didn't answer your call, and now I can't. If there's a chance for Gilgamesh to truly help save the world, it's going to lie between Ritsuka and you. If Ritsuka proves himself worthy of that power, that helps. But you're me, if only with different origins. That might get… not his friendship, but a level of value and care that would reveal a gentler side. Maybe." Gil smiled at me again. "It's a gamble worth playing."
"Well, I'm dead in two years tops, sooo…" I trailed off.
Gil shook his head. "I don't think that's the case."
My eyes flicked to him. "What?"
He looked into the distance. "Einzbern's out and about. Do you want to check in?"
"No, seriously-"
Gil hopped down and began walking.
I stared after him in frustration, then huffed.
...well, if what he said is true, he's a less haughty wise king. ...probably something to what he's saying. The rest can wait.
I followed and quickly caught up. "We're still under glamour."
"Hm?" Gil looked up at me.
I scooped him into my arms, bridal-style. "Wanna fly?" I grinned.
Gil's eyes sparkled. "Yeah!"
My wings shot out of my back, and I lunged into the air, Gil's innocent laughter filling my ears. The world passed by under us, oblivious to our existence.
____________________________________________________________________________
Illyasviel sat in a small cafe in Mount Miyama, eyeing the menu. I changed my outfit to something normal, and dropped the glamour. We walked in, and she spotted us immediately. Her gaze was questioning, but unafraid.
I made no effort to hide our approach. "Sorry to keep you waiting! Gil takes forever to get ready, but he was excited for your playdate." I winked.
Gil gave me an indulgent smile as he rolled his eyes. "You're just bitter that Dad made you bring me. And that I get to keep the wallet."
"Oh, I do bitter pretty well," I agreed as we sat at Illyasviel's table.
Her grip on the menu tightened slightly.
I flicked my fingers, distorting whatever we said into chit-chat to passerby unless they were addressed. "Seriously, though. I do want to talk. Non-confrontationally."
Illyasviel watched me with suspicion.
"And also have cake. The stuff in the case looks pretty good."
Her lips twitched unconsciously. "Well, if you're here to negotiate your surrender, then I'll listen," she said magnanimously.
"Does allying with you count as surrender?" I pondered. "My mantle's gone to the Grail already, even if I'm still stuck with Shirou. Assassin and Saber are free agents, and their mantles are gone too."
Illyasviel clenched her fists again. "Three already?" she whispered. Her eyes narrowed. "But why haven't I felt anything?"
"...the mantles are going to a Lesser Grail in the hands of Ruler," Gil said after a moment. "He intends to use it to unlock the Greater Grail. He appeared after the Fourth War, and ensnared Kotomine Kirei in a mix of hypnotism and manipulation. For the past ten years, he's been preparing for his wish."
"So the existence of corruption is false?" Illya frowned.
"No, Angra Mainyu is quite real," Gil murmured. "Ruler just thinks he can use his power to connect and overpower the nascent being, and force his wish on the world. To enact salvation."
"Shimabara was hell. Death on death on torture on rape. A miracle occurred that led to victory, which lead to defeat, which lead to hell. But he resolved… if he had one more chance, he would change this world. Remove the cycle of oppression. Perfect humanity. Bring salvation. He loved mankind, but hated its folly."
And in anyone with a shred more power my dear, that would be the recipe for a Beast.
Morgan!
For a little while, yes. Merlin and I are setting something aside for you. If you can align your lovers with you… well. We might be able to give them a bit of context for your behavior, so to speak.
...you guys are behind Emiya!
Right in one, darling!
"Are you alright?" Illyasviel squinted.
"Yeah, just talking to the Faerie Queen who lives in my head."
She stared.
"More like 'rents part-time', but he's quite serious and telling the absolute truth," Gil chirped.
"...how?"
"Long story. I'm a designer baby and survivor of tons of experiments that had a Heroic Spirit crammed in me." I shrugged.
Illyasviel kept staring.
"You get used to it."
"I… see. Wouldn't that put a lot of strain on your body?" she asked.
"I'm probably going to die in a couple of years." I shrugged again. "I'm trying to make the most of my remaining time."
Illya broke eye contact and studied the menu for several moments. "How so?"
"Well, the world is on literal fire. Someone or something upended my timeline and is incinerating human history. By going through singularities and correcting them, we get a little closer to stopping the blaze and saving mankind. I'm not, strictly speaking, supposed to be here." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Ruler's someone from Shimabara…?"
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada," Gil muttered. "Sanctimonious, self-righteous…"
"Yeah. He's foreign to this timeline… maybe he's connected to the 'King' behind it all?" I sighed. "Though if he's anything like the last guy, he has a power base we need to wear away."
"He's allied with Kotomine Kirei, and their salvation will wipe out mankind and replace it with something entirely different. Not evolved, but replaced." Gil crossed his arms.
"And no matter what, since he's already rigged the Servants to go to his Grail, the Einzberns can't get it." Illyasviel's tone was mild. "Can that be changed?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. I'm not terrible at theory, but that's beyond me."
"There is one timeline where it works, and the entire world sinks into a pit of curses. Heaven's Feel is revealed in creating a Beast-level threat." Gil narrowed his eyes. "Everything else ends in failure on that front."
Illyasviel's hands shook. "I see."
"Then what is it for? What did Mama and Papa die for? Why do I…?"
I shifted my weight. "I want to destroy the Grail. But even with the alliance we have, it's not enough. Not if Amakusa's supercharged from his own."
"And the orphans," Gil added.
"Orphans?" Illya blinked.
"Survivors of the fire who were converted into mana batteries for Amakusa," Gil explained.
A flicker of disgust crossed her face. "I see."
"Is Fuyuki just fucked up, or…?" I trailed off.
"No, that's magi," Gil said dismissively. "The more desperate they are, the less conventional morals hold them. Or sometimes they're just warped."
Illya looked down. "Yes. Sometimes."
"If I can't get what they want… I can't go back. Could I… even if it's only for a little while… could I…?"
"Illyasviel."
She looked up at me.
I folded my hands. "What is it you want?"
Gil smiled.
"I wanted the Grail for Einzbern. I knew I was going to die if it manifested, but that's changed here. My body could have been normal years ago, but it was changed to be a vessel."
I clenched my fist.
"Now… I can't get it. If there's only one chance, then…" She looked up. "I'm going to die soon too. A year, two at most. I don't want to die alone."
"The modifications-"
"Circuit change-"
"Install-"
I placed a hand against my head as the whispers battered my skull.
"Caster?" Illya gave a worried frown.
The modifications… I could…
With my gloves, the Hands of Dullahan, I could remove the Grail harmlessly. With my runes, I could re-route her power…
The Hands of Dullahan. A phasing Mystic Code of B-Rank. It allowed for selective grasping, removing foreign bodies or simply reaching through barriers.
I could give Illyasviel a life. It wouldn't be hard. It wouldn't even take much of my power. The components were all in place; all I needed to do was move them around a bit. It was simpler than what needed to be done for Sakura by far.
When I looked up, I blinked at the slice of green cake in front of me.
"I ordered for you while you were tuned out," Gil explained. "I saw you liking that one."
Illya frowned, taking a bite of her own cake.
"Sorry. The whispers… they can be overwhelming sometimes." I picked up a fork.
"Whispers?" Illyasviel tilted her head.
"I speak the Universal Language. With it, I can hear everything."
Illya's mouth opened in a small 'o'. "That's…"
I sat up. "I can fix what they did to you. I can make it so your body grows, so you can have a life of your own. Shirou… he's the kind of person who'll accept you, even with what happened. As long as you can speak with him and hear his words, you have a place after the War. A life."
Gil's smile returned.
Illya looked to him, face slightly paler than normal.
"He's telling the truth."
For a long moment, there was silence. I took a bite of my cake.
Then there was a sniffle.
"Why…?"
Illya hid her face behind the menu, her shoulders shaking.
"Honestly? I'm of the Fair Folk. Because I can. Because I like it. And above all… I don't hate happy endings. Why wouldn't I do such a thing?"
Gil sighed. "He's a work in progress," he said in a stage-whisper.
A watery giggle came from behind the menu.
"...a fairy would ask for something."
"Don't pick a fight with us while we save the world and live a happy life? An alliance would be nice, but…" I shrugged and took another bite of cake.
"That still sounds like something a human would ask for." The menu fell, and I saw Illya wipe her eyes with her sleeve. She let out a deep breath. "Tomorrow."
I tilted my head.
"Tomorrow… bring your friends to my Castle during the day. You can work your miracle then. After… I'll join you. We'll stop Ruler together." Illya's smile grew in confidence. "Tell my big brother I look forward to seeing him. Hopefully with his insides in the right place, this time."
"...how about I leave that last bit off."
"See! He can be taught!" Gil teased.
Illya giggled as I took another, larger bite of cake, scowling.
"How is it?" Gil asked.
"Awful," I drawled.
"Liar!" Illya sang.
"Mrr…"
Even though I was laughed at by two little kids… the cake was still pretty good.
And Gil paid for it, too, so that was a plus.
____________________________________________________________________________
I landed on the roof of the school, and scowled at the bounded field there.
"How about no," I said flatly, flicking my wand out. Three runes for purification, echo, and dispelling later…
"Blood Fort Andromeda. A Noble Phantasm of Rider." Gil giggled. "And you just blew it away."
"What, like it's hard?" I blinked.
"Oh you sweet summer child." Gil shook his head.
The sun slowly began to sink beyond the horizon.
"...on the one hand, we should get back to Ritsuka and Musashi. On the other…"
Archer materialized. "Rin and Shirou are inside. They were fighting Rider alongside me when she suddenly collapsed."
I felt my eyes widen. "Shit."
Archer turned on his heel. "Follow."
The three of us went through the stairwell, heading into the school. I glanced around, seeing several unconscious students.
"Uh. Isn't that illegal?" I asked aloud.
"Technically, yes," Archer replied bluntly. "However-"
"Useless! Useless, useless-!"
I rounded a door, and-
Some blue-haired brat held a book in his hand, kicking Medusa in the side.
I saw red.
"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU SUBHUMAN SACK OF SHIT!"
I threw myself across the room, slamming into him as he screeched in terror. The scent of ammonia filled the air as I latched on to him.
"C-caster!?" Shirou gasped.
I tore the book from the boy's hand, still snarling. My mana trickled slightly into it, and I heard Medusa gasp.
I leapt off of the bastard and scooped her into my arms. "Medusa? Speak to me, c'mon," I begged.
Her breath slowly steadied. "Who…?"
Shit. Right, alternate timeline.
"Someone who loves you in another life," I said softly.
She stared at me through Breaker Gorgon, breathing slowly.
"Give her back."
I slowly turned my head. "And you must be Matou Shinji," I purred around my fangs.
He stepped back, eyes jittering in his head as he looked around the room.
"Shirou? Did you ever decide how we were going to handle this little worm?" I looked to Shirou as Rin helped him to his feet. "Also, you look like death."
"Sh-shirou! Call him off! W-we can still-!" Shinji stammered out.
"Do be quiet for once in your loathsome life."
I admit it. I reveled as Matou's jaw slammed shut, his breath quickening in audible panic. The stain spreading across the front of his pants was equally gratifying, if disgusting.
I gently ran a hand over Medusa's hair. "He won't hurt you anymore. I promise."
She was silent, expressionless.
Damn it. At least she wasn't trying to kill me.
"So… she's your girlfriend," Shirou mused.
"Am I?" she muttered, finally speaking up.
"Not here, but… elsewhere. We're not as close as Cu and I are - or you are to him - but we trust and care for each other."
Archer cleared his throat. "They'll start to wake soon. Caster shut down the Blood Fort almost instantly after it activated. She hasn't had a chance to absorb anything."
"Can confirm!" Gil chimed in.
Rin glowered at Shinji. "We should just get rid of him and be done with it."
"Can I?" I asked, eyes shedding viridian light in front of me.
"...no." Shirou exhaled. "We were friends once. If you can stop him from hurting other people without hurting him…"
I felt myself smile. "Physically, yes. People react badly to having their autonomy taken, however."
Shinji began to tremble.
Shirou blinked. "Maybe he should have considered that before raping his sister and trying to melt our classmates into mana." His tone was calm and without inflection.
"He what." Rin's eyes sharpened.
I set Medusa in a chair. "Will you be all right?"
She rolled her shoulders. "I'm fine. ...what do you intend to do with me?"
"Uh. Keep you around? Treat you with compassion? Honestly, my main concern is saving a girl from this asshat's grandfather-"
"What girl." Medusa's tone sharpened.
"Matou Sakura. She's been… well, if I can get the mana, I can undo a lot of what she's suffered physically over the years. Mentally, she'll need the help of loved ones." I turned to Shinji.
"I see." Medusa's voice returned to a state of calm. "If you can do that, you may count me as an ally."
I looked at Rin, and her eyes went wide.
"Okay, cool." I stepped to Shinji, causing him to quake and fumble for the windows.
"Stop."
He froze.
I looked to Shirou. "Any specific requests?"
Shirou took a long look at him. "He has to be punished."
Archer sighed. "We should just-"
"Make him a better person. Can you do that? Will your spell last?" Shirou looked at me curiously.
Gil coughed. "It can." He gave me a meaningful look.
...yes, yes, object ethics lesson, do it to assholes and not to allies. God dammit.
"Treat others with respect and compassion. Do not denigrate or harm them where no true harm has been done to you. Cease your ill treatment of Matou Sakura."
Shinji's eyes glazed over as my words sank into him, burrowing into his soul.
"Do not speak of our involvement to Matou Zouken, once known as Makiri Zolgen. If asked, you sent Rider to patrol. Send Matou Sakura to the Emiya Residence as soon as you can. Uphold the masquerade to the old worm, and do your utmost to convince him it is truth."
I didn't taste the slightest bit of blood as I finished my commands.
"Did I miss anything?" I wondered as Shinji swayed on his feet.
"That was pretty comprehensive." Shirou exhaled.
Rin looked to me.
"Oh, Zouken's burning," I said brightly. "Seaweed here is Red's friend, so I gave him discretion. It's part of our deal."
"Thank you," Shirou said somberly.
Shinji collapsed to his knees and began to sob. His nose ran and his body shook as he crawled away from me.
I clapped my hands. "Anywho! Let's go home, I'm starving!" I grinned. "And then we can go to Ryuudou!" I paused. "That's a secret, Matou."
He let out a soft wail.
Rin gave me an appraising look. "Alright. Let's go."
At this point, Medusa was upright, back to her graceful self. Her skin looked a little less pale as well.
The book continued to take a thin trickle of my mana, but it was actually pretty negligible. My armor's more passive powers took more than what the book asked.
Meh.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ritsuka sighed as he collected the last bit of ingredients he'd need for dinner from the market.
"O-oh. Fujimaru-san…"
He looked up to see Matou Sakura, arms drawn close to her body nervously.
"Matou-san. Just getting stuff for dinner. Matthew's sister's joining us tonight, and we're all eating at Emiya's." It was weird to use a surname for his Dad, given he'd always called him… well, 'dad'. But telling him was… yeah. Mom was Mom, but Dad… he was different from home, but even if the wall was different, it was there.
...Archer being his Dad in yet another form was a surprise. He must have figured it out at some point. Funny that the version of his father he was most comfortable being open and emotional with was the supposed killing machine Counter Guardian.
"Oh. Maybe… I shouldn't…" She looked away.
"I'm sure you're welcome." Maybe he could bend the truth a little… "Rin speaks fondly of you. I don't know how much she actually agreed with you leaving the house."
Sakura's hand went to her mouth. "Th- what? I- ah-"
"You'd be welcome. Matthew's an imp, but he seems to have taken a shine to you. Mash is like… nice. To almost everyone. Emiya obviously likes having you around, and Rin… she's bad at talking about her feelings because she feels like she's gotta be a hardass." Ritsuka winked. "You know. Family business."
Sakura's eyes dimmed. "I see…" She looked up. "Um, I usually have dinner with Senpai anyways… so it'll just be a larger group, right…?"
Ritsuka offered his hand. "Yeah. Besides, I want to get to know my cousin better."
She stared at it for a long moment, then gently placed her hand in his. After a heartbeat, she let go. "Y-you're… not our cousin, are you?" she whispered.
"...I'm related, but not that way. Family stuff is weird."
Sakura gave a soft hiccup. "That's an understatement," she breathed.
Ritsuka sighed. "We can talk about it back at Emiya's. For what it's worth… I don't think I'm going to 'exist' here."
"Eh?" Sakura looked confused.
He turned. "Shall we?"
Behind him, Sakura's expression firmed into something like determination. "...alright."
____________________________________________________________________________
"...so you almost went through what I…? Oh."
I blinked and looked behind me at the rest of the group. We quietly shucked our shoes, went inside-
Sakura hugged Ritsuka, gently patting his head as he rubbed her back.
"So I guess you filled her in some, huh Master?" I tilted my head.
Mash shot me a look.
"So… you're Caster." Sakura looked up, and the two of them broke apart. "...Nee-san?"
Rin's lip quivered.
"As someone who had issues with their younger sibling, sometimes showing emotions is a good idea," I stage-whispered to her.
With a palm strike, I was bowled over as Rin stampeded over to Sakura, wrapping her in a tight hug. "You better have an idea to help her, you jerk!" she snapped.
I grumbled as Archer, Gil, and Medusa stepped into the room.
"Oh, food's in the fridge!" Ritsuka called as Shirou made his way into the kitchen.
"Thanks, son."
I blinked.
Ritsuka froze. "I- uh-"
"Matthew let it slip last night. It took me a little to figure it out, but…" Shirou shrugged. "I don't think your mother and I…"
"No." Rin's vehemence was flat.
Archer coughed, placing his fist over a smirk.
Sakura blushed a little, eyes downcast. "I don't know how…"
Rider knelt next to Sakura quietly.
So Sakura was her true Master…
"Nii-san… is he…?"
I hummed. "He won't be hurting you anymore, at the least. And he isn't maimed or dead." I held up the odd book. "I assume this is yours?"
Rin's eyes narrowed.
"...I didn't want to fight. Not Nee-san, and not Senpai. Nii-san wanted to wish for the power of magecraft, so…"
"What's his deal anyway? Every echo I've heard about him screams how unpleasant he is," I muttered.
"He… he has magic circuits, they just…" Sakura looked at the table.
"What, are they duds?" Musashi asked, materializing.
Sakura startled, edging behind Rin.
"Oops."
"Ah, good. So everyone's here?" Shirou asked. "...I'm gonna need more rice."
"Servants, as a general rule, do not need to eat," Archer pointed out. "Matthew and Mash are exceptions due to their unique status."
"Mmhm. Anyways, I'll just…" I plucked my wand out, and flicked a pair of runes at Sakura.
"What are you-!" Rin aimed her index finger at me, a black sphere gathering as the runes made impact.
"Holding up my end of the bargain. I know you're listening, old worm. Keep your familiars to yourself, and don't try to activate the ones in the girl's body. Leave well enough alone."
Rin blinked a few times, letting her spell go.
Shirou stumbled out of the kitchen at the noise. "Matthew-?"
Sakura placed a hand over her heart. "What did you do?" she asked.
"Well, it's a temporary fix. To completely undo what's been done to you, I need a leyline. Fortunately, we're going to go visit one after dinner, and pushing humans around is far less draining than Servants." I smirked. "Even if the 'human' is more of a 'wraith' at this point."
"...you want to tap the Ryuudou leyline?" Rin asked with a frown.
"Uh. Yes?" I folded my arms.
"...using it for a summoning circle is one thing, but appropriating for mana is another," Rin explained. "If the Greater Grail is compromised, then the leyline itself will be as well."
"Honestly, I was surprised you didn't suggest the leyline under the house. That's here in this timeline, right?" Ritsuka frowned.
Everyone looked at Rin.
"It's also practically next door to the Matou house, and…" She looked at Sakura. "It's not you, it's Zouken."
"I understand." Sakura nodded.
"So how will this work?" I asked. "We still have to meet Assassin, and he's at the Temple."
"Seeing as you're making a connection by triangulating using ley lines, the Temple is safe for that," Rin explained. "So we send Ritsuka with Mash, Saber, and…" She paused. "Who is this child?"
"I'm Gilgamesh!" He smiled brightly.
Rin twitched. "Right. You're going too."
"Okay!"
Rin inhaled, and exhaled. "If Ritsuka's information about how this works is accurate, using the leyline at the temple will be safe for triangulating with your home base. So…" She leveled a look at me. "How much room do you need, and how much preparation time?"
"Perma-runes take a while. Single-use far less. I'll need about ten minutes to siphon mana, five to etch, the rite takes like… a minute?" I shrugged. "And the entire ritual is written out, so… roughly as long as Sakura is tall, and and five feet across."
Rin perked up.
"Also as close to the leyline as possible."
Rin deflated.
"Bounded fields are also a plus…" I mused.
Sakura folded her hands. "I don't want to be any trouble…"
Ritsuka glared. "It isn't trouble."
"He's right." Rin closed her eyes with a slight smile. "Shirou and I will stand guard with Archer and Rider while Caster… what are you going to do, exactly?" She frowned.
"It's a Ritual I recorded in the form of the Shroud of Avalon. I don't have a name for the rite itself, but it draws on the power of Avalon itself to undo the damage accrued to a body. It acts on a spiritual and physical level, according to the words…" I hummed. "But yeah. Basically I write out a Grand Ritual that addresses the world and compact the work of ten or twenty magi and several months to… me. In half an hour. It eats mana like hell though, so… ley line preferred."
Rin's mouth opened slightly, her eyes wide.
"That sounds really impressive!" Shirou called from the kitchen.
I felt my cheeks heat up a little. "It's not hard!" I yelled.
"You just admitted to condensing a Grand Ritual into a half-hour affair!" Rin shrieked, shoulders up to her ears.
Ritsuka sighed. "I figured this would be her response to meeting him in our timeline too…" He leaned on his hands as Mash gently pat his back.
"Just wait until you hear that the Shroud is a reusable Grand Ritual," Archer mused aloud.
"WHAT." Rin turned an entirely new shade of red.
Medusa tilted her head. "Hm. How interesting."
"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes!" Shirou called.
"Oh, and he made a Temple-class Workshop overnight," Archer continued.
"To be fair, that was the Faerie Queen," Mash pointed out.
Rin continued to shake. "Then why didn't you obliterate Lancer or Berserker last night!?"
"Berserker would have taken more mana than I had. Lancer…" I looked away.
Rin collapsed. "Whyyyy? I could've won the War with a Servant like you…" she whined.
Sakura hesitated, then pat Rin on the head. "It's all right, Nee-san…"
"Ugh. You're right. Besides, the Grail has an evil god stuck in it, so it's no good anyway," Rin huffed. "And even if it did work… if you get out from under that old bastard's thumb, I'll be content."
That lead to Sakura leaning on Rin with a small smile. "...I dreamed about this sort of thing. Seeing you again, having a family like we used to… but it's different. Not bad, but different."
Rin smiled herself, even though her head stayed on the table.
Ritsuka hummed happily while Mash continued to pet his hair.
"A thought."
I looked up at Medusa.
"At the very least… Ritsuka?" She tilted her head as I made a noise of confirmation. "Yes. He won't be able to get to the Temple quickly. Out of Saber, 'Mash', and…"
"Gil!"
"Yes. Do any of you have a method of rapid travel?"
Musashi opened her mouth, then closed it. "Oh."
Mash sighed. "I can push a car or bicycle pretty hard with my Riding skill, but I'd still need to account for traffic…"
I looked at Gil.
He hunched over a little. "There's something in the Gate, but I don't have the mana to bring it out on my own. I'd need a contract or something."
I motioned my hand at him for him to approach.
With a curious look, he sat at my side.
"Hm… how to go about it…" I mused. "Hey, your older self is watching, right?"
Ritsuka looked at me, eyebrows raised.
"Yes?" Gil tilted his head. "From what I can see, Chaldea has been tracking you, but I can only get vague impressions because my older 'self' is there. If he wasn't, I'd be blind to it."
Rin's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, that's also your doing."
"Yep," Ritsuka said with a smile.
"Good." I leaned over, and put my hands on Gil's cheeks.
"Eh?" His face went pink.
Gently, I pressed my lips to his forehead, pushing my mana into his body.
"Mana transfer takes far more contact and ritual than that," Rin scoffed.
"Actually, I saw him recharge a Servant from dregs to full with a palm to the collarbone," Ritsuka mused. "It might be a skill…?"
Rin slowly sat up, glowering at Ritsuka. "If you weren't my child, I'd be jealous. You have disgusting luck with Servants. A powerful magus and a mighty guardian." She huffed. "And what did I get?"
I pulled back. "A Counter Guardian with a Reality Marble that endlessly replicates legendary swords he can break to detonate with the force of an A++ Noble Phantasm?" I blinked as Gil swayed with a sigh, slumping against my side. "You good?"
Rin slowly turned her head to Archer with murder in her eyes.
"I'm great." Gil smiled woozily. "Whoo…"
"Can… can a Servant have too much mana?" I asked worriedly.
"Unlikely. I've been siphoning a considerable amount of mana from you to compensate for the lack I had contracted to…" Medusa trailed off.
"Crying Pissbaby Seaweed?"
"Yes," she agreed serenely.
Sakura frowned. "What… did you do?"
"Put the fear of me in him, then bound him to do no harm to others except in self-defense. Actual self-defense, not whatever delusions hop in his noggin." I shrugged, putting an arm around Gil as he hummed woozily. "Also he's got to pretend things are fine to old man wormlock."
Sakura slowly blinked.
"The last bit doesn't… translate…" Ritsuka cut his eyes away.
Awkward silence reigned.
"Dinner's ready!" Shirou stuck his head out. "What did I miss?"
Archer chuckled as Musashi swayed on the spot, head drooping.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ritsuka did not scream as he clung to Gil. He was a grown teenager, he did not yell when clinging to some sort of ancient flying machine as it steadily flew across the sky. There was no fear of heights in Chaldea's lead Master.
Mash pressed behind him as he clung to the throne, gently patting Ritsuka's shoulder.
The machine landed at the gate to the Ryuudou temple.
"How about you sit with me on the way back," Gil offered with a pitying smile.
"I'm fine, but I appreciate your generous offer," Ritsuka replied after swallowing.
"Well, I'm smaller than normal, so help taking up enough space to keep me steady would be nice."
Ritsuka paused. "If you insist."
Gil smiled brightly. "Then it's agreed!"
Mash looked away with a slight smile.
"Oh good, you're here!" Musashi appeared in a swirl of light. "Assassin's at the Temple proper. He's cleared everyone else away so you can work unobserved."
"I ought to thank him," Ritsuka noted.
"You'll get your chance soon," Musashi responded, turning and leading the way up the stairs.
Soon, they reached the complex, and followed the swordsmaster inside. She lead them to a small room near the center of the temple.
It was empty save for a single man. He wore traditional clothes and sturdy sandals. The outer robe was black, with a burnt orange lining inside. A sash of brown fabric secured the waist of the outfit, and he held a large silver pipe. His hair was short and spiky, and he otherwise looked unremarkable, if dour.
"Assassin?" Ritsuka asked.
He turned his head and nodded. "Yes. Saber has kept me appraised of your group. I myself have been busy observing Amakusa's camp. He is the Ruler who seeks to use the darkness beneath this temple to change the world."
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada," Gil intoned. "I don't regret sundering my contract to Kotomine Kirei, if only for the sake of keeping my own movements secret."
"How so?" Assassin lifted the pipe to his mouth, inhaling. The end glowed orange, nearly the same color of his inner robe.
"A prototype of a dagger used to end contracts. I used it years ago, when I became cognizant of Amakusa's control over his mind."
"Mm. A blend of deep hypnotism supported by his Grail, and manipulation using memories from another timeline. If your Caster can ensnare Kotomine and deprive him of his Command Seals, Lancer might join our camp quietly." Assassin nodded to the center of the room. "Amakusa considered having Lancer seduce him and betray him, but ultimately the priests decided to make use of Caster to destroy Matou Zouken. Both loathe him, but the Church and Mage's Association still afford him a measure of protection. A rogue Servant is less likely to cast suspicion on his death than a pair of executors."
Ritsuka grit his teeth. "Mash, can you set the shield up."
Mash stepped forward and set the weapon down, facing upwards.
Immediately, crackling resounded in Ritsuka's ears. "---suka! Ritsuka, com-!"
He held a hand out.
"Huh. You know, if Lancer joins us, that's everyone except Berserker," Musashi mused.
Gil giggled to himself.
Assassin's eyes snapped to him. "You arranged an alliance?" he queried in his deep voice.
"Caster did. He and the Einzbern Master have some common ground, so he freely offered to amend the damage done to her by dint of being the true Grail Vessel. Tonight he's going to remove fragments from the last war from the Matou Master, and gain Rider decisively for our cause. Tomorrow we cement our alliance with Berserker." Gil smiled. "He's rough around the edges, but shows promise. It barely took convincing to get him to work with his Master, though he dislikes him. Though the rest and communion of memory may have helped."
"Ritsuka! Oh good, we've got a connection," Roman said in relief, his image stabilizing. "We managed to get Gilgamesh to give us periodic updates, but mostly we've been able to only track your vitals. What happened? Where are you?"
"Fuyuki, 2004. It's a Fifth Holy Grail War." Ritsuka paused. "It's drastically different from our timeline, but we've discovered a divergence. Ruler class Servant, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada is plotting to use a corrupted Greater Grail to enact Heaven's Feel on humanity. Two Servants are rogue, like in Orleans, and Matthew got contracted to a teenage version of my Dad. Who is also apparently Archer."
Roman stared. "...you have a fascinating family, Ritsuka. Mash, are you well?"
"Yes, Doctor." She smiled. "Matthew was… not well, the first night. He… ran into a version of Cu Chulainn who didn't remember him."
"FUCKING HELL! Tell me that Kotomine hasn't sent me after him!" Cu's voice echoed from somewhere in the distance.
"Not since last night," Ritsuka said soothingly.
"Unfortunately, we've lost sight of Medusa and Emiya. They're both unconscious in their chambers. Cu's complained of drowsiness, but we don't know what's going on," Roman said.
"Emiya has his memories of Chaldea. Someone transferred them, though it's probably temporary," Ritsuka explained.
"Oh, I have a feeling we know who did that," Da Vinci chirped, her image appearing.
"Ah? Ah. Yes, they're an ally. Probably using a trick to get around your limit for summoned Servants to ensure an alliance," Roman proposed.
Musashi smiled. "Great!"
Mash sighed. "I can feel the flow of mana improving already. Matthew will probably start his ritual soon."
"Ah, right! We've reconnected with both of you, so that leaves three slots open for is that a mini-Gilgamesh." Roman stared.
"Hiiii!" Gil smiled brightly.
Roman sighed. "If you mean to contract Saber and Assassin, you can summon one more member from Chaldea. Our generators haven't recovered from dragging Gilgamesh here yet."
Assassin's eyes glinted momentarily before going dull again. "If Medea is available, that would be preferred. We… have experience working together."
"You do?" Ritsuka blinked.
"I have memories of yet another timeline. I was granted them upon my summoning into this body." Assassin bowed his head.
"Who are you, anyways?" Gil mused. "Oh. Oh, that's rich. I love it!" He grinned. "Yes, Medea would round out your team nicely."
Assassin sighed. "I am Pseudoservant Ishikawa Goemon. You may refer to me as Kuzuki Souichirou."
There was a crash over the line. "SEND ME NOW!" Medea barked offscreen.
"S-sending Servant! Sorry, Artoria!" Roman squeaked.
"Ah, well. ...Saber. I entrust the welfare of my nephew and allies to you in my stead," Artoria's noble voice echoed offscreen.
"Y-yes!" Musashi saluted. "Whoever you are…" she muttered.
"Ah, right. Saber Miyamoto Musashi, can I count on you?" Ritsuka asked as light erupted from the shield on the ground.
"Yes? Sure?" Musashi squeaked.
"Contract made." Ritsuka turned. "Assassin-"
"Yes." His reply was curt and blunt.
"Miyamoto Musashi and Ishikawa Goemon recorded!" Da Vinci chimed in cheerfully. "Oh, also-"
"SOUICHIROU!"
The blur of dark cloth shot out of the summoning circle, carrying Assassin to the ground with a look of dull surprise.
When Ritsuka, Mash, Gil, and Musashi could finally see after the dust cleared, Medea was nuzzling into Assassin's chest while he gently pat her head.
"You remember me? You do, don't you?" Medea all but pled.
"Ah. I do." Kuzuki's eyes were dull, but his lips turned up so slightly that Ritsuka could barely see it.
Medea smiled up at him tearfully. "Finally. Finally, we can…"
Ritsuka smiled. "Good." He exhaled. "Hopefully…"
Mash put a hand on his arm.
Gil hummed. "I don't think we have anything more to gain here. Time to get back to the Emiya Residence!"
Ritsuka swallowed nervously.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to go slow," Gil promised, patting Ritsuka's arm.
____________________________________________________________________________
I put my hands on my waist as Rin poked around the square of Fairy Runes. "It works. I've used it to bring people back from near-death. All we need is Sakura to step on it, and then I can activate it."
"You went incredibly fast making this," Rin replied accusingly.
We were in her basement, in an unused corner of her Workshop. It was under oath that I'd leave everything alone and just use some spare floor to do what needed doing. Shirou was holding Sakura's hand and speaking in a low, soothing tone to her.
"-he seems pretty flighty, but when he decides to help someone he does it. I trust him to help you."
Ughhh. Damn it, how am I supposed to keep being mad at him? Or manipulative, or mistrusting, or… at this rate, I might just do what he wants and not twist his brain in the process!
Well darling, even if it is abridged, Servants influence their Masters. And though the little King has done the heavy lifting, he's influenced you as well. Once upon a time, this wouldn't have given you pause! I'm so proud… ~sniff~
"...guess I've got no choice. Archer-"
"Emiya," Shirou corrected absentmindedly.
Buh?
"He helped open my circuits earlier while you were laughing at Ritsuka screaming on Gil's Vimana." Shirou blinked. "That wasn't very nice."
"Gil and Mash would have kept him safe. He wasn't in real danger, and if he wasn't going to be fine, I assure you I'd have burst in for bloody vengeance," I scoffed.
"Hm. Good point."
"You're supposed to argue with me!" I pouted.
"Why? You're right. Also, a confrontation is exactly what you want." Shirou smiled.
"Anyways. Emiya and Medusa are in position on the Roof keeping a lookout in case Lancer or Berserker get big ideas." Rin crossed her arms.
"Just Lancer. I, uh, talked to Illya. She invited us all to her castle tomorrow during the day for parlay. She decided she doesn't want to be a Grail anymore so I'm helping with that. And, you know, giving her an actual lifespan." I scratched my cheek.
Shirou's smile widened. "Uh-huh."
"Also apparently your foster dad was her birth father? Look, it's not my business, you can talk about it after I fix your city and fuck back off to Chaldea," I huffed, crossing my arms.
"...thank you." Sakura gave a nervous smile.
I felt my eyes widen. "Move. Get on that-"
With a tearing noise, a worm erupted from her back, pulsing red and wreathed in shadows. She tumbled forward, landing on her knees in the midst of my runes as it hit the floor and began to squirm away.
I snarled, tracking it with my eyes as the ritual erupted around Sakura. Her body was consumed in a geyser of golden light.
____________________________________________________________________________
Zouken bared his teeth, furious. How dare. How dare.
The boy had yet to come home, and the girl had the gall to go along with the quackery of one who claimed to be of the Fae. Having hailed from the West, he knew all too well the price a Fae would extract. They'd easily be capable - a Seelie Fae's power was anathema to his familiars, and his own magecraft. But even a kindly one would exact a price Sakura could never hope to repay for the favor.
He stormed down to his basement, preparing to loose a storm of his familiars to assault Tohsaka Manor-
The ancient magus stumbled.
"What?" he croaked.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Oopsie-doodle," I sang against the backdrop of the roaring ritual.
My blade transfixed the worm, sparking with black lightning as rot began to slowly spread from the incision.
"My hand slipped~"
____________________________________________________________________________
Zouken trembled as his body lost cohesion, gangrenous rot spreading through every familiar that composed it. Every mystery, every bounded field, every Crest Worm began to break down.
His house creaked as mold grew, eating through the paint and wood, and his senses revealed scum covering porcelain, and rust covering metal. Food spoiled, and the air went foul.
He opened his mouth, but no sound but chittering emerged as he dissolved into his swarm, twitching but not yet dead.
____________________________________________________________________________
"It's an A-Rank rather than D, so it'll probably be closer to the original Fisher King's curse rather than just fucking over the person," I said conversationally as Shirou stared in disgust at the squirming thing on the floor.
Rin sobbed as the light faded, catching Sakura in her arms. The girl looked vastly different. Her skin was a healthier color, and her hair was solid black-brown. Slowly, her eyes opened, revealing teal in the place of violet.
"Nee-san…?" She breathed slowly, but easily. "They're… gone…" She smiled.
"Mana… mana's good… pulse, good… breathing…" Rin sniffled, and let out a shuddering breath.
"Just as promised," I chirped. "Now, I can't wipe away the memories, sadly enough, so that'll be on you guys to help her cope with that. Howeeeever," I drawled.
Rin and Shirou looked at me.
"My little curse has all but destroyed Zouken. If he hadn't run, well, he could have passed with some dignity and left something for his grandson. Also not messed up Sakura's dress," I mused. "As is? Well, I leave the decision to you three." I gave a feral grin. "I'm sure any of the three of us would love to wrap the job."
Shirou exhaled. "You've done enough tonight Matthew. Rest." He looked to Rin. "...your call. He's an undead vampire-worm, so I won't argue whatever you choose."
Rin gave a small, dark smile as Sakura dozed against her shoulder.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Archer."
Medusa had left, leaving Emiya alone on the rooftop. Black lightning coruscated around the Matou Manor, casting unlight over the entire neighborhood. A young man's figure had fallen backwards, trembling in terror.
Emiya had little patience or empathy for Matou Shinji, but as he was all but defanged, he decided to let him live.
"Here and now, as the Tohsaka Master in this farce of a Grail War, I order you: with this second command seal, remove Matou Manor from my lands and leave the rest of the territory untouched."
Emiya felt the power flood his body, and gave a slow, dangerous smile.
"Yes, Master."
He held his hand skyward, and a twisting mass of metal appeared - Hrunting, the Hound of the Red Plains.
"I am the bone of my sword."
____________________________________________________________________________
The impact rocked the house, erupting in flame as the broken phantasm exploded, followed by a second and third shot. The mass that remained of Zouken was caught in the conflagration as it burned down, the curse encompassing his works accelerating by the presence of an attack.
His army of familiars was broken, and the curse itself had dictated his defeat.
...there was never a chance that he would hold the Grail. Never a chance to remember his ideals.
No absolution. No hope. No desperation. Only resignation as the black lightning of the curse continued to corrode alongside the erupting flames spawned by Archer's arrows.
Matou Zouken died in a manner befitting a worm: unmourned and of little consequence.
____________________________________________________________________________
I whistled as I put my wand away, the golden flames eradicating the remains of the soul container.
Shirou held Sakura close, a soft light in his eyes as he smiled, brushing her hair aside.
Rin stepped next to me. "I owe you a debt I can never repay."
"Your son's my Master, and a dear friend. He saved my sister and I when it endangered himself. I do have some hope of him and my sister remaining together as long as possible." I smiled. "You get a freebie."
"Heh." Rin started to giggle.
My breath caught as a pair of arms gently wound around my neck.
"And here I never thought I'd see that knife used for good," Medusa murmured. "Well done."
Was… was…?
She gently pulled me to her. "Thank Merlin for his interference, next time you dream of him. If we can reclaim our Lancer from Kotomine Kirei…"
"That bastard," Rin hissed, her relaxed countenance turning vicious. "Of course he'd cheat like that! Impartial overseer my ass, he can go straight to his hell and be buried!"
I leaned back against Medusa. "Tomorrow. I'm going to make Kotomine regret everything tomorrow." I glanced at Rin. "Would you be mad if I made him shit himself every time he said the Lord's Prayer?"
An impish smirk crossed her face. "I will neither confirm nor deny my approval of such an uncouth act. Merely state that I am pleased with my son's pick of guardians."
Shirou snorted. "I think it's too petty." He paused. "Just give him gas instead."
My eyes widened.
Yeah… I had a promise to keep to him, too.
Tomorrow was starting to look busy.
Though… maybe this Master of mine wasn't so bad.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS-
Hush. I'm being cuddled by my girlfriend.
Morgan sighed. My, my. At least you've worked through some of this density…
Medusa kissed my forehead.
Shhh.
_____________________________________________________
Shirou calmly prepared the omurice, folding the egg neatly. Fuji-nee, Sakura, him… He paused, frowning slightly. Matthew would likely need to eat.
He couldn't say he liked the other man, and the abuse that was heaped on him was definitely less than endearing. But Shirou knew what fear felt like, and what it looked like. He remembered, vaguely, about learning about fight-or-flight responses. Matthew's gear seemed to be stuck in 'fight' where Shirou was concerned, and 'flight' for Lancer.
...unfortunately, his questions had been answered considering the 'why' of Lancer being so dear to him. Shirou, having mostly raised himself, assumed sex was for tightening the bonds between a man and a woman, and to make babies.
Having a back seat as Lancer - then 'Caster', then Lancer again - courted Matthew had somewhat broadened his horizons. Clearly there was more to the murderous spearman than Shirou had thought, though the idea of anything intimate with him made his skin crawl.
And then there was Beryl Gut. Shirou shivered unconsciously. No, that explained a lot about Matthew and his insistence on prioritizing his more recent bonds.
That was only one dream. The other… Shirou had learned two things from that.
The first was that Matthew's conscious life and raising had been at the hands of someone that could only be called 'human' in the most generous sense. At least she was mostly 'humane'.
The other was that Matthew was right. There were worse things than death.
So no, Shirou did not hate Matthew - he decided as he folded a fourth omurice. But he didn't understand all of him either, and there was definitely a gulf between them.
...for all his bluster, Matthew still needed saving too. But if Shirou misstepped… the prior night showed that the Caster was not generous with his interpretations of others' actions. He was so used to being hurt that everything became personal, unless it was painfully obvious that it was a mistake.
At the very least, he could be counted on to do the right thing, so long as it didn't take precedence over his own safety. Though, from what Shirou felt in that dream… he might prioritize his loved ones the same way Shirou did everyone else.
"SHIROU! THERE'S A FOREIGNER IN THE GUEST ROOM!" Fuji-nee yelled.
"He's a guest, Fuji-nee!" Ah, good. Musashi had hidden herself.
Shirou looked into the dining room as Fujimura Taiga dragged Matthew in by the neck of his pajamas. Matthew looked half-asleep, thoroughly rumpled, and utterly bewildered.
"Listen freeloader!" Fuji-nee said with a fist on her hip. "You better not make trouble for Shirou, got it!?"
The Caster blinked up at her. "Who're you?" he slurred.
Shirou sighed. "Matthew, this is Fujimura Taiga. She's a teacher at school. Fuji-nee, this is Kyrielight Matthew. He's…" Crap. Normal people weren't supposed to know about magic…
"On vacation. I got mugged and all my stuff got chunked in the river because I look different." Matthew gave Fuji-nee a plaintive look with his big, green eyes. "Red was nice enough to take me in last night after I beat up a robber. Though I did mess up his door…" He frowned slightly. "Sorry…"
Three… two… one…
"Awww! Well, if you two are helping each other out, then that's fine! Wait, how'd you beat up a robber then get mugged?" Fuji-nee put a finger on her chin.
"Five muggers, one robber."
...this was a good story. Shirou could work with it. It neatly explained the lack of identification, funds, or clothes.
"He had pajamas and maybe another outfit or two, but I agreed to lend him my old clothes," Shirou chimed in.
Matthew actually shot him a look of gratitude.
...maybe Shirou would keep Fuji-nee around, if only to establish harmony. Maybe it'd give him a chance to unravel the prickly Caster without getting stabbed or blown up.
'Yelled at' was probably still on the table.
"Ah, and Fuji-nee? Maybe don't scold strangers about freeloading?" Shirou offered in a mild tone.
Matthew made a sharp coughing sound. Hm… Shirou had some tea he could steep, it would be bad if he caught a cold.
A sharp knock echoed at the door. Shirou sighed. "Ah, Matthew-?"
"Yep, yep, on it," he said in a neutral tone.
Please let this be a sign of things to come. Things were hard enough without an angry Servant.
Shirou looked at the leftover eggs and got ready to put them away.
"Emiya-kun!"
Orrr not.
"Ah… Tohsaka…" Shirou's eyebrow twitched.
"Ehhh? Tohsaka-kun?" Fuji-nee looked over. "And who's this?"
"Fujimaru Ritsuka. Pleased to meet you. I'm Rin's cousin from out of town."
...so Mash hadn't come. Hopefully Archer was taking care of her. Berserker lashing out at her was scary.
What had happened after that? Musashi wouldn't tell him, but he lived somehow. It was fine, but he really hoped Mash was okay.
Though he was also completely out of it by the time they got home. He'd been killed twice in one night, and still didn't die! A man had to be excused for being a little loopy!
"Ritsuka's a friend of mine. He got mugged too, but luckily Rin put him up," Matthew explained.
Two more omurice… Yeah, Shirou had enough ingredients.
"Eh? Eh? You're on a first-name basis with both of them?"
"...oh, oops. Sorry, I forgot."
"He's very Western," Ritsuka said apologetically.
Something was… familiar about Ritsuka. Shirou couldn't put a finger on it, but Matthew's claim that he 'was important' to Ritsuka had… implications. As did his frankly unsettling about-face from raging against Shirou to taking the utter piss out of Kotomine.
Somehow managing to shut the fake priest up had, surprisingly, given Shirou some small happiness. It was rare that he could feel it without helping someone, but that was nice. Well, more that he had things that made him content, like tinkering, cleaning, and cooking. His life wasn't devoid of good things. But genuine joy was vicarious from the people he helped.
There. Six plates of omurice. Now for the ketchup…
Another knock. Ah, Sakura didn't…
Matthew stuck his head in the kitchen. "You expecting someone else?" He was now clad in a comfortable-looking sweater and jeans with socks. It wasn't Shirou's, so who knew where it came from.
"Sakura-chan. She doesn't know about," he waved a hand aimlessly.
"...right." Matthew fidgeted. "I…" He cut himself off. "You'd better go get her, then. I'll start walking the plates out."
Shirou blinked. "Ah, thanks. I appreciate it."
Matthew gave him an odd look, but stepped aside as Shirou walked by.
He opened the front door to Sakura's smiling face, and felt a small kick in his chest. "Sakura-chan," he greeted. "Breakfast is ready, and we've got a lot of guests, just so you're warned."
"Oh? Okay, Senpai." Her smile didn't dim, exactly, but she seemed a little unsure.
"Hey, Red! Where do you want to sit? I stuck Tohsaka by Fujimura, and I'm by Ritsuka. Oh, and uh… Mat...ou…?" Matthew blinked as he came into view.
Shirou's eyes widened as the Caster's pupils visibly dilated and he gave a full-body shudder. That… didn't look good…
"Yeah, yeah! I bet you want to sit next to Red, right? He told me all about you, his favorite kouhai! Apparently it makes him happy when you drop in for a visit!" Matthew chirped.
...none of that was untrue, exactly. In fact, it was very accurate. However, he hadn't told Matthew any of that.
...Matthew heard things. Secrets and memories and he couldn't shut them out. When they were in the church, he was visibly overwhelmed with negative emotions. What did he know about Shirou that he hadn't been told?
Sakura went pink. "H-he- really? Oh, um. I don't…?"
Matthew grinned and gave a cheerful wink. "Kyrielight Matthew, charity case. A bunch of thugs chucked most of my stuff in the river, so your Senpai's putting up with me for a little bit. He's… an okay guy. And a good cook, so let's get seated before it goes cold!"
"Goodness-! Well, okay…" Sakura gave Shirou a confused look, but she didn't seem dismayed. Though when she saw Tohsaka and Ritsuka, she did stop short in surprise.
"Here, here! Matou-san can sit between Fujimura-san and Red, and then-" Matthew plopped down next to Ritsuka. "Well, it's pretty explanatory!"
"Your Japanese is very good for a foreigner," Fuji-nee offered with a smile. It'd be backhanded if it weren't for the fact it was true.
"Oh, I practiced a lot! The modern architecture and the way the cities work are fascinating, so I always wanted to visit!"
It wasn't a lie. Matthew wanted to escape Chaldea so badly, but… from the examinations Shirou had seen… Well, the practicing was a lie. Matthew was effectively an omniglot, if he was to be believed.
"Uh, how does it go… itadakimasu?" Mathew blinked with an innocent expression, putting his hands together.
This earned giggles from Fuji-nee and Sakura, while Tohsaka just looked dead inside. Ritsuka was sheepish, and Shirou…
Didn't really know how to react, so didn't. It was like a completely different person from the guy who saved him last night. He'd half expected biting vitriol at everyone who wasn't Ritsuka or maybe Sakura (because being angry at Sakura made no sense) but… anyways.
He blinked at the sound of pure happiness that sparked from across the table, and looked up from his meal.
Bites of omurice started vanishing rapidly down Matthew's gullet, the Caster's eyes gleaming with joy. From the look on Ritsuka's face, this was a common enough occurrence, but even so.
Shirou couldn't help a slight smile at the sight.
____________________________________________________________________________
Okay, alright, after some sleep I can admit it. Gunning for Red because his mindset is utterly horrifying was a bad deal. That doesn't make us bosom buddies, but if Pepe had dropkicked me every time I lead in with 'I can't trust anyone!', he'd never have gotten anywhere.
The idea of giving up my freedom was still utterly horrifying, considering what I'd endured to get it in the first place. But after some sleep and good old dream-o-vision…
This guy was literally nice to everyone. To a terrifying degree, but still. Though, there were still traces of the snark that could mature into Archer - that I appreciated.
Scenes of him wandering after his savior, and learning how to cook and clean to look after him had filled my sleep. Kiritsugu was a sad man, and Shirou was his sole joy once he truly gave up on Illyasviel. It… shouldn't surprise me that Shirou would respond to that with such devotion to his ideals and memory.
However I sliced it though, I couldn't cope with him as he was now. He represented every nightmare I ever had of becoming a yielding, pliant victim for whoever was nice enough to me on the surface. Even if there were differences, the concept…
Well, that left me with two choices. One, avoid him until we go home. Not very feasible thanks to him most assuredly butting into whatever I got into. Violence was off the table, since he was at the least a relative of Ritsuka's, even if he never became his dad in this timeline.
From Rin's reaction, that looked pretty unlikely.
So here we are at option two: make him into someone I can tolerate, if not outright like. The existence of Matou Sakura lended itself nicely to that, as if I could give him a reason to live outside of his ideal it would leave him with a solid anchor that would be less likely to destroy him as a person.
Using the Universal Language would be the simplest variant, but I don't think I could ever forgive myself for using it on someone who, after some… necessary reflection… was an innocent. Not in that manner. Using it to make Kotomine shit himself every time he said the Lord's Prayer or did a baptism, sure. He had it coming. Shirou… didn't.
He was as much a victim as I was, if in a very different way.
Also, side benefit: the nicer I was to him, the more of this awesome food I got to stuff in my face. I build him up into someone who can put on and take off the hero hat, and I get fed until I go home and life resumes as normal! Win-win!
...this all ran into one major problem, however.
Enter Matou Sakura. Good grief, this girl's been through it. Her circuits were infested with worm familiars, and the blackened pitling of a soul was curled around her heart. Let's not forget the shards of whatever the fuck was masquerading as a Grail jammed in her for good measure. If I had the Shroud of Avalon, it'd be a matter of rolling her up in a healing blanket burrito and hitting the power button. As I definitely did not have it, I had to improvise.
Rin kept glancing at me, then Ritsuka, then Sakura, all as she ate. Honestly, she should focus on her food, but okay.
"You will give life to the next generation of Matou, and revive our family. Shinji. Go prepare yourself for when the modifications are complete."
Ohhh, that's why she was looking at me. Well, in the words of a great woman: 'tis time for rampant slaughter!
...but how to go about it?
Hm. Hm. Hmmm. Ritsuka wouldn't… no. I wouldn't let him be involved. He's my friend, as much as we clashed last night. I love him too much to let him be hurt by that wormy bastard.
And even if I did nuke the house with Sakura out, that wouldn't solve the problem of Zouken's little soul-worm.
Boo!
I slumped with a distraught frown.
"Senpai, it looks like Kyrielight-kun wants more food," Sakura said in a breathy voice. Disturbingly soft-spoken, that one. But hey, a lifetime of horrific unwilling body modification and sexual abuse can do that!
"Oh, uh, I'm fine! Just had an intrusive thought. I'll be fine," I hurriedly assured her.
"Intrusive…?" Rin asked with a frown.
"You know how you'll go about your day and remember something embarrassing from like, five years ago out of the blue? Like that," I explained.
While that worked for Taiga and Sakura, I got a clear look from Rin and Shirou to cut the bullshit. Ritsuka just looked worried.
"Ah, Matthew-kun. Can you help me with the dishes?" Shirou lifted his plate. "We do need to get to school before too long…"
"Oh, sure!" And I can probe his brain for useful information. Maybe.
I helped him pick up the dishes as the ladies got ready to go.
"Kyrielight-kun, can you look after Ritsuka for me? He's not enrolled, but I don't want to leave him at home. Someone from my house might be over later to keep him company." Rin gave a serene smile.
Sakura glanced at Rin, then down at her feet.
"Sure, sure. Have a good day at school you two!"
"What about me?" Taiga asked with a pout.
I blinked. "What about you? Don't you have a job to get to?"
Shirou stumbled as he made a soft wheeze, managing to get his dishes in the sink.
"Wh-!" Taiga's jaw dropped.
"Oh, Red can tell you - I'm only nice when I want to be. You literally dragged me out of bed. Expect some payback." I winked.
"He's not the worst person I've met," Shirou said solemnly. "He's still a brat."
Ritsuka gave me a hopeful look.
Taiga huffed. "Fine! You two deserve each other!" She marched out. "And I work at school!" she called as she followed Rin and Sakura out.
After the door closed, I slumped against the counter. "So that was a lot."
Shirou hummed noncommittally.
Ritsuka poked his head in. "What was?"
"Oh, judging by the tiniest expressions he was making, he picked up on an entire suite of Matou-san's issues." The golden kid appeared in the middle of the kitchen in a swirl of light, smiling brilliantly.
"...Sakura has issues?" Shirou asked, pausing. He looked at the kid. "And who are you?"
The little 'prince' smiled.
Ritsuka tilted his head, then went pale. "Ah."
"You're not Assassin, because Musashi wouldn't have been ready to gut you for sneaking into my bed," I mused.
Shirou made a confused look as the kid giggled.
"I mean, it wasn't anything like that. He's like, eight or something," I said dismissively. "Anyways, my money's on Rider. If I had money."
"No, I'm not Rider. Nor am I Ruler." The kid smiled.
"There's a Ruler?" I squawked. "Okay, fake priest is on some shit for sure, then!"
"...I admit to being surprised that you turned on him instead of me," Shirou said lowly.
"I will admit to being a horrible gremlin last night. I was in a horrible headspace, and today isn't much better. However, with some distance, reflection, and rest, I will own my shit behavior. Pepe would cry if he saw me acting like that." I pouted.
"...who?" Shirou blinked.
"Someone who taught me a few things about being a person. I think you'd like him." I nodded. "But anyway, we got a long list of things to get started on and only a little bit before you need to go do school." I pouted. "I want to go to school. I've never been."
"You really don't," Shirou deadpanned. "So does this mean we're friends now or something?"
"Pff! You wish! What you pulled last night, while not as shitty as my behavior, was still inexcusable!" Ritsuka slumped as I pointed my nose in the air.
Shirou stood to his full height. "How so?"
"I'll admit to playing into the shit-priest's hands until the end and goading you into holding onto my seals. My fault, I'll reap that consequence. However. You traumatized Mash badly." I glowered at him.
"I saved her." Shirou's brows knit together.
"And if she had been in genuine danger I would be grateful," I said with a stab of my finger. "Hell, that would probably be enough for me to table my issues and actually be your friend."
Shirou let the dishes fall. "Berserker was going to strike her down," he said slowly.
"Berserker is good at punching, true. But Mash's entire kit revolves around taking those kind of hits so others don't have to. Her defensive power is absolutely incredible, even before the shield itself is brought into play. What tore you in half before the scabbard of King Arthur fixed you would have just sent her for a tumble." I narrowed my eyes.
"She's a girl."
I slapped my forehead. "Red."
He blinked at me as the little guy held a hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking.
"For the sake of any working relationship we hope to have, please do not say that to her face."
He opened his mouth.
"Setting aside the casual sexism, she's a fighter. My sister's pride is in protecting normal humans from things that would turn them into pulp with a look. Intentionally or not, you spit all over it last night, and again right there."
Musashi appeared with her fists on her hips. "What's this about women?" Her eyebrow twitched despite her pleasant smile.
Shirou looked away. "...she shouldn't have been on her own."
"Well, each of us had our own plan. Musashi had gut Heracles, I had diplomacy because it had worked in a similar yet drastically different situation, and Rin decided to pull an alpha strike on the little girl. Which, I could do as a last resort, but I'd rather not kill a child right off the bat."
Shirou gave a pensive nod. "Yeah, I can see that."
"Anyways. Ritsuka, do you have an Auntie Illya you didn't tell us about?" I turned to him.
"No. I never heard of her before now," he admitted.
I sighed. "Okay. She likely won't try anything during the day, so I'll keep an ear to the ground for her and try to talk to her then. If this goes long enough, I'll drag you along on the weekend for help." I nodded at Shirou.
"Eh?" He frowned. "Wait. You said that the old man was her father. Is that why she's after me?"
"Kiiiind of. She thinks he abandoned her, but evil grandpa kept him from bringing her here to you. And filled her head with bad info, so there we are there. She obviously has suspicions given your actions last night, so that's a chink in the armor we can work open and maybe get an alliance." I rubbed my chin. "Everything was so chaotic then, that's all I could pick out of the voices."
"This doesn't sound healthy. The voices," Ritsuka clarified.
"It's not to the point where I'll go nuts, but no," I agreed. "It only gets really intense when there's danger nearby I need to know of… I think. Otherwise it's background noise." I perked up. "Hey Musashi, want to take Ritsuka and show him some kata?"
Ritsuka frowned. "What?"
Musashi gave me an odd look. "Really?"
Hm.
I stepped forward and gently took one of her hands in both of mine. "Please? I'd really appreciate it." Flutter the eyelashes…
She went scarlet. "Y-yes! Right away!" She bolted, dragging a loudly complaining Ritsuka in her wake.
I turned to Shirou, clicking my fingers as I threw up a wall of silence using my illusions.
"Um?" He looked… worried.
"This is a conversation he does not need to hear," I said coldly. I pursed my lips. "And no, it does not include violence against you. Just against several someones who have crossed lines I can't ignore."
Shirou's expression turned focused. "Ah. What did you find out?"
The one bright side to Shirou's twisted headspace? He might actually let me off the leash where Ritsuka might dither and ask for 'hard proof'.
...oh that's not good, is it. Wait, why…?
The kid leaned against the other side of the kitchen, smiling enigmatically. "Go on. Chances are I already know. I'm local, after all."
A local spirit? Anyways…
"For starters, we need to get Sakura out of that house."
"Why?" Shirou frowned.
"Where to begin… maybe it's the fragments of evil artifact her grandfather jammed into her shortly after the Great Fire years ago? Maybe it's the regular sexual assault her brother performs on her?"
Slowly, Shirou paled.
"Orrrr it could be the pit of rapeworms her grandfather throws her into every few days as training, and has since before the last Grail War - weeks before the Fire at the very least, maybe longer."
Slowly, he put a hand on his stomach as his expression turned to horror at my faux-lackadaisical litany of blasphemies. The growing ears, fangs, and claws might have communicated my own stance on things.
"Oh, it's a nasty business. The worms have melded into her magic circuits and flesh, and… you know what? Rapeworms is descriptive enough. I don't hate you enough to subject you to details of how messed up it is, just that it's a situation we need to fix. Also that the worm containing Gramp-Gramp Badtouch's soul is wrapped around her heart as a measure of protection for the old bastard." I placed my hands together as though in prayer, giving a wide, fanged smile. "So. Operation save Sakura and obliterate her horrible family is acceptable, yes?"
Shirou leaned heavily on the sink, eyes wide.
"You might have overwhelmed him," the kid offered.
I lightly poked his shoulder. "You… really don't have exposure to the way magi do things, do you? From what I gather, Tohsaka is unconventional in that she's pretty damn humane. Most of them… think mad scientists given magic. At best."
After several seconds, he looked at me with pain in his eyes. "...I'm aware of your experiences with them." He took a deep breath. "Sakura… why…"
"Zouken is a worm golem and nigh unkillable even for someone with training. He's practically a vampire, and only his power and vague usefulness as a deterrent from morally worse characters getting you guys' Grail keep the Church off of his back. He literally regenerates by eating people with his worms. As you are, there's nothing you can do directly." I tilted my head. "Also, in Ritsuka's timeline… Ritsuka has a trait that gives his children superpowers. It was found through testing. Somehow, worm-gramps found out, and his line is practically extinct. Think very hard about what might have almost happened, and why I wanted him out of the room."
Shirou looked ready to vomit, hand over his mouth.
"But I can make that all go away," I said soothingly. "It has to really hurt, having someone so close to you, unable to help them. But I can fix that. I can help you, help her. Help you, protect him. All I need… is leeway. I can open the gates of paradise, create a rite to undo the damage done to Sakura's body, unleash curse after plague upon his house. You just have to let me."
Shirou slowly closed his fist, and let go of his face. "And there's nothing I can do?"
"Mm, depends on what you mean by 'nothing'. Sakura is mostly broken, but not all the way. You are her pillar of support." I tilted my head. "It's not saving 'everyone', but you seem to have done a good job saving her thus far."
He turned his face to me, a question in his eyes.
"Taking care of Sakura, even after we save her, is a lifetime commitment. Running off to play hero will take time away from her, time better used to help her heal. If I give you power… I want a deal. And you, I hope, know the perils of breaking faith with the fae."
"...it's probably like breaking a deal with a yokai. I'm listening." Shirou's eyes gleamed.
Hook.
"Now, I'm not saying to turn your head away from nastiness when it comes to visit or becomes painfully obvious. But… don't seek it out. Put down roots. Tell me, how important is Sakura to you?"
The child smiled.
"She's… one of the few friends I have. Her, Issei, and Shinji… they were the closest to me. Shinji and I grew apart." His face hardened. "Are you going to kill Shinji?"
"Might. Might make him wish I had. I'll let you determine the scope," I offered.
Slowly, Shirou nodded.
Line.
"So. My deal, if you accept… I can use the Universal Language to dig up memories. There is a future memory in existence that I can easily facilitate your growth with. It'll require a little tinkering, and alone it won't be of terrible use… but it will give you a base to work from. In exchange?" I hummed facetiously. "Don't be a wandering hero. There's too much for any one person to do. Be Sakura's hero. Be Rin's friend and supporter. Keep your bonds with Issei and Taiga. Put down roots. Connect as best you can with others. Find your happiness with them. And if something from the world of magic comes to call that you can handle while keeping the rest of the bargain… handle it with those who can help. Let others inform your knowledge and help you grow as a person."
Shirou slowly turned to face me. His eyes held suspicion, but… he was tempted. Very tempted.
The kid kept smiling.
"So what will it be? Which dream of your father's will you answer? His dream for himself, of saving a world with hands too small to grasp its entirety? Or his dream for you… of finding happiness outside of endless carnage?" My eyes gleamed as the light dimmed. A half-truth, but one any 'normal' parent would want for their child.
Shirou slowly held out his hand.
Sinker.
In another world, Emiya Shirou made a contract with Alaya, becoming a blade that danced without end, culling the cancers that sprouted from the human condition and suffering for it.
In this world, his contract was with me, and no point of reference existed. The future was uncertain, and it was exciting.
I shook his hand.
"Well Partner," I purred. "I'd better catch you up on our enemies. The Church for one. That man has done unforgivable things to your fellow survivors, and he's evaded paying for it for far too long."
Shirou lowered his head, but didn't let go. "I don't hate you, but I don't know if I can trust you."
"You still scare me, but I don't know if I can hate you."
Our eyes met.
"You'll have to change too," Shirou said finally. "You can't just threaten people whenever they do something wrong, or attack them. You need restraint. We're including that in the deal."
I thought of the sorts I'd need to work with back at Chaldea, assuming our enemies came. Thought of that golden bastard…
The child twitched, a look of displeasure on his face.
He was right. It sucked, but there it was.
I sighed. "If you insist."
Shirou smiled. "I do." His smile dimmed as he dropped my hand. "I'll come back after school. If I don't get here by half an hour after it lets out, come after me. I… Miyama isn't as safe as I thought."
As he left, the child leaned next to me. "So what will you do next?"
I smirked. "Recon."
____________________________________________________________________________
I smiled widely at Ritsuka, my face twitching. "What."
"That," he said, gesturing at the brat, "is Gilgamesh."
I looked at him.
He smiled winsomely back.
I didn't sense a drop of predation, of ill intent, of anything but… the kid was cute as a button. I wanted to hug him.
I wanted to throttle his grown self.
"How does one go from you… to him?" I squeaked.
To his credit, the little guy blushed. "Puberty."
"Did his puberty not stop at adulthood?" Ritsuka crossed his arms.
"Also boredom and a view that went beyond what god or man could see," he admitted.
"...right. I'm not going to borrow trouble. Don't threaten me, don't try to rape me, and we're good," I said flatly.
Gilgamesh wrinkled his nose. "I like you. Why would I do that?"
"Ask your older self," I retorted.
Musashi looked back and forth between us like watching a tennis match.
Gilgamesh grimaced. "Ah. Yeah. He wouldn't… force you, but he'd definitely be a pest. From what I see? He likes you too. He's just…" He searched for the words.
"Himself?" Ritsuka offered.
The young boy sighed. "How about we call me 'Gil' and pretend we're different people for while it lasts?"
I perked up. "I can do that!" I scooped him up and squeezed him, getting a startled sound. "Welcome to the team!"
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.
"He's adorable! And nice! ...any chance we can replace-"
"No," Gil said sadly. "You might be able to wake up my memories in him, but with his ego you probably won't notice much."
He gently pat my head as I let out a long whine.
The door opened, and Mash snuck in wearing a cute dress. Her Servant armor was nowhere to be seen, though I figured she could invoke it at any time. It made sense, given that moving around in normal clothes would be easier than her armor or labcoat which she preferred.
"Hello- who's that?" She blinked.
I put Gil down, and he turned. "Hi!"
"...why is gold-plated rape-tyrant an adorable child now?" Mash asked in a dead tone, eye glazed over.
Gil's expression turned to sheer dismay.
"Sorry, Gil. Your adult version has a reputation among the other Servants." Ritsuka scratched his cheek.
"...Chaldea sounds completely crazy. I wanna move in!" Musashi clapped her hands.
"Once we establish a summoning circle, I can contract with you," Ritsuka said. He paused. "Wait. What do you actually know about Chaldea?"
"Uh… you guys are there, you're trying to save the world, and…" She trailed off. "And it sounds like a good place to hone my skills! Yeah!" Musashi planted her fists on her hips with a wide smile.
"Kojirou Sasaki is there," Ritsuka warned.
Musashi's eyebrow twitched. "It's fine! There's definitely still good people there!"
Mash looked from her to me. I smiled pleasantly.
"Please tell me you're not seducing her," she said flatly.
"The more the merrier!" I chirped. Ritsuka choked.
Musashi went scarlet. "W-well, that, I-"
"C'mon. Imagine if Lancer wasn't trying to kill you. And a beautiful woman with legs like-"
CLANG.
OW.
I rubbed my head from where I was on the floor as Mash put her shield away. "Please ignore my brother. His boyfriend has been an awful influence, and Medusa hasn't been much help either."
"W-well… there is another issue…" Musashi fidgeted. "I used to wander timelines, but I'm stuck here now! I don't know why!" A look of fear crossed her face. "It's just not working, and if I don't go with you-!"
Ritsuka held his hands up. "I… have no idea what you're talking about. But if you need our help, then you'll get it. Even if you weren't strong enough to hold Berserker's attention."
Musashi's eyes watered. "Thaaank youuuu-!" And she launched herself- at me.
Mash sighed. "Aaaand she's gone."
"Mash, she's kind of been gone," Ritsuka muttered.
Gil just giggled behind his hands.
I smirked as she squeezed me tightly.
"W-wait. I figured you had an alternate version of Lancer, but Medusa? What's she like?" Musashi gave me a confused look.
With a click of my fingers, I summoned an image of her, standing assertively with her beautiful hair flowing in the wind. "So as you can see," I began with a proud grin.
"Why do you have the Matous' Rider as a lover?" Gil asked with a small frown.
My face froze. "Eh?"
"Oh, yeah. The guy drags her around and feeds her random innocents to keep her mana up since he can't provide any. There's a book he uses to control her," Gil noted.
Ritsuka's face was a study in horror, and I felt my blood begin to boil.
"Well. If I hadn't promised Shirou judgement on his head I'd definitely butcher the little bastard now," I said lightly.
"You did?" Ritsuka frowned. "You seemed… last night…"
"Oh, we made a pact. I'll be honest, I can't stand him as he is now, but with my careful guidance and sculpting, he'll be someone I can tolerate. It's my masterful plan, of course!" I grinned. "And all it will take is using my voice to transfer some of Archer's skill over to his past self, and maaaaybe a little twist. He can already gain contentment from his bonds with others, but if I can add a capacity for genuine joy and happiness…" I gave a wicked chuckle.
"...on the surface, that doesn't sound bad… but is it really ethical?" Mash frowned.
"You're asking me about ethics?" I goggled at her.
Ritsuka sighed. "If that's the case… then what price would I have to pay to get you to behave around the other Servants, assuming we call forth someone like Shirou?"
My face twitched. "Er." I sighed. "Part of the deal is that I would… try… to adapt to others' differences. So as long as they don't push me too hard… I'll deal. Somehow."
Ritsuka's relieved and happy expression made the forfeit a little easier to bear.
"So… what are we supposed to do with all this free time?" Mash tilted her head. "Archer went to tail Emiya and Rin at school, so that leaves the five of us with free time."
"How strong are you compared to your adult self?" I asked Gil.
"I don't have his power, but I take things more seriously because I have to. And I still have the Gate of Babylon, just… with less variety." Gil rocked from foot to foot. "I wouldn't want to fight Berserker like this, but I could handle probably anyone else." He looked at me. "That said, I could probably hold him down long enough for you to peel his lives away."
"Lives!?" I squeaked. "Plural!?"
"Your point, Matthew?" Ritsuka tapped his foot.
"Right. Well…" I sighed. "I can't mince words. Part of what I used to goad Shirou into accepting my deal was details on the Matou family. They're my first target. I have every intention of leaving Sakura - and hopefully Rider - as the sole survivors. Matou Shinji will pay his pound of flesh one way or another."
"Why?" Musashi asked with a frown.
Mash glanced at Ritsuka, who had gone pale with a pensive look. "So you want to take little Gilgamesh-"
"Gil!"
"Gil, then, with you to scout in case of trouble, leaving Musashi and I here to protect Senpai."
I nodded. "I'm gonna tune the barrier so supernatural insects get repelled, but beyond that… it's safer if you two stay."
Musashi frowned. "Will you be safe?"
I looked at Gil. "He gives a good aura, so I think we can trust him. Also, he hasn't started shitting weapons like his adult self would do."
Gil grimaced. "On the one hand, true. On the other, that's a scary mental image."
We all paused in thought.
I couldn't suppress the snicker that escaped me. "Ahem. But yeah, I don't want to go without backup, but we need someone with good offensive power to supplement Mash to protect Ritsuka." I looked at Gil. "Also, I want to talk about this 'Ruler' you mentioned."
"A Ruler?" Mash frowned. "How would they function with a corrupted Grail?"
"Badly." Gil's expression darkened.
"Alright. Matthew, Gil, you two patrol. I'm giving you full discretion short of engaging combat. Mash and Musashi will remain here, and Musashi can fill me in on what I need to know about the territory." Ritsuka swallowed. "I…"
"My highest priority is keeping you safe." I looked at Ritsuka. "The best chances of that happening are if you stay here."
Mash looked pensive. "Are you sure? If we move him to the Tohsaka residence, Rin has much stronger defences…"
"We're further from the Matou house here," Gil offered. He paused. "And we cannot let the men at the Church get ahold of Ritsuka."
I nodded. "Yeah. Kotomine… he's got prisoners in the basement of that building. There's some sort of od-siphoning effect he's using to fuel someone."
"Ruler," Gil growled.
Ritsuka looked faintly ill.
"So even if there's not a powerful barrier, this is the most defensible place?" Musashi asked.
"And thanks to the simplicity of the bounded field - compared to my own magecraft - adding addendums and enhancing it is easy for me. It'll take a bit of mana and a few minutes, but my Runes can add to the defenses by a huge margin."
"Alright. But if you need more mana…" Ritsuka trailed off. Then he turned to Gil. "And what about you? If you need a contract…"
"Even though I'm a Servant, I'm incarnated. Ruler hoped to use me, so he used his Grail… with the caveat that I'd be changed to this form." Gil tapped his chin. "I have enough to fight well, and recover on my own. It's nowhere near my adult form's, but anyone who underestimates me is in for it."
Ritsuka shook his head. "You guys should get going. Give Matthew the full story, he'll tell me later."
"Aye, aye, boss." I gave a lazy salute.
Gil nodded. "I'll bring him back safely." He took my free hand in his and smiled brightly.
Aww-!
Wait. His Grail? As in, more than one!?
____________________________________________________________________________
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Ruler-class Servant.
Foreigner to this timeline.
He gazed over the solid gold cup in front of him, turning over the plan given him by the King of Magic.
He agreed. He agreed with his desire, his want for mankind. The need for humanity to be saved from their condition and selves, to end suffering.
To that end, he had been gifted a fragment of that power, and allowed access to a timeline where he could bring the full power of the Grail to bear. With the minor Grail before him, he could circumvent the key held by Einzbern, surmount the power of the nascent God of Evil, and enact the miracle from his memories. The miracle the homunculus prevented.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
New pieces had appeared on the board. The new Master was worrying in and of himself. He had no visible stake in the contest, and his 'Shielder' wasn't even on the spirit board. A complete wild card, and from what Lancer could report, allied with Caster and Archer's Masters, not to mention the rogue Saber.
But the Caster. That presented a problem. Lancer had kept watch as ordered, and he was able to communicate with Berserker. Not only that, with words alone he had taken control of Kirei's body, not even showing the slightest strain. Emiya Shirou had no visible talent as a magus, but his Servant might have enough raw power to carry his Master alone.
Between Caster and the rogue Master, there were a litany of concerns. However...
The mantles for Saber, Assassin, and Caster had snapped back to the Grail. Once two more followed suit, he could transport his key to the site beneath Ryuudou Temple, plant it, and create the world he desired. A just world. A perfect world. A world without suffering. The other Servants would be consumed in the wake of the change, and be of no real concern.
A world where the hell of Shimabara need never repeat. He had let go of his hate, and only pity remained. Pity for a world where the cycle of oppression was held as absolute.
...if possible, Caster would need to be eliminated early. However much Kirei enjoyed toying with his master, he was too great a threat to the Masters at large. The last thing he needed was that one in position to fight back when the ritual began.
He had avoided Kirei before, but the use of the Grail to enthrall him had proven effective. With the excess mana from the siphons in the basement, and the King of Heroes in the form of a child and more easily leashed… yes, it was an ideal situation. His distortion was a powerful weapon when aimed at threats to Amakusa's plan. And the best part? When the new world came, that distortion would be wiped away, saving Kirei along with everyone else. Just as he had wished in his own timeline.
The point being…
"You seem contemplative, Nii-san."
Ah, he'd come.
"Yes. Caster will not fight Lancer unless forced. If he were made to kill him, it would weaken his resolve immensely." Amakusa smiled. "Send him out to face him tonight."
"Hm." Kirei appeared pensive. "If possible, I would prefer for Caster to dispose of Matou Zouken first. Given his disposition, all that would be needed would be an encounter with Rider."
Ah. The worm. Amakusa had discarded his hate, true… but disgust was still an emotion he held.
"I see. A decisive end for him would ensure success for our plans…" the 'saint' mused.
Kirei smiled. "And further, a victory would make the little alliance cocky. Embolden them. All the better to break their spirits when Caster shatters on the spear of his beloved."
"Pride before a fall, hm? I see." Amakusa nodded. "It seems a touch indulgent, but that cruelty of yours is still needed to deal with obstacles before us. I accept this." He would commit any sin, twist any heart to achieve his dream.
The priest smiled. "Then we will watch for tonight, and should no progress be made… Caster loves Lancer. Feigning that sort of emotion is difficult. If nothing else, allowing Lancer to 'ally' with him for that purpose would lower his guard."
Amakusa sighed. "So cruel. But an effective means of direction." He looked upwards at the cross before him. "One such as Caster would never accept our vision. We will make use of him while we can, but once that is done…"
Kirei chuckled. "Yes. Once they wear each other down, it will be a simple thing to end the contest and claim the world humanity deserves."
Unbeknownst to either, Lancer leaned against the wall just outside the room. His arms were crossed, and his head lowered. His eyes burned with indignation as he bared his teeth.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Hm-hm." Merlin smiled. The transfer of Emiya's memories to his counterpart in the pseudo-singularity was a rousing success. At least two more targets remained, once Matthew managed to suborn them. Neither were outside his reach, assuming he lived up to expectations.
Roman and company were running around like headless chickens, which was fun. After all, Ritsuka and his Servants had been kidnapped! Well, Gilgamesh was mostly furious. A tolerable Master was in short supply, given the state of the economy. And he was set on having Matthew as his.
And Emiya hadn't left his chambers since the entire ordeal began, since his body had no mind to animate it. Luckily, Servants were good at keeping fresh.
Still! What a fun mess!
"You're on the right track, Matthew. Now… will the voices overwhelm you? Will you learn what there is to teach you? Will you save everyone?" Merlin chuckled. "The second night will come soon. Good luck~!"
____________________________________________________________________________
I scowled at the huge house in front of me.
It felt evil. The squirming darkness below was almost palpable.
The strangest thing was… none of it was insurmountable. The exterior bounded field would unravel at a single rune, even as old and strong as it was. Though, the simplest tactic was to open Annwyn Ataraxia beneath the compound and let Avalon handle the lot. The overwhelming light might even sear the old bastard's mind away.
"There's a chance it would work, but his soul is still tied to the Matou girl. Not to mention her Rider is in possession of her brother." Gil paused. "He's… complex. There are aspects that aren't terrible, but what he's done can't be forgiven either. Not by you, I don't think."
I sighed. "Complex is a good word for 'does things that benefit some, and destroy others'. I hate complex."
"Some would say Emiya Shirou is complex," Gil offered.
I rubbed my forehead. "I'm working on him. Isn't that enough?"
"Giving him access to his older self's Reality Marble is a step. Using the process to manipulate him into a shape you can accept is a step back." Gil tilted his head. "What is it that frightens you so much?"
"He helps everyone. He values everyone more than himself. If it was for everyone's sake, he'd happily die." I kept watching the house from beneath my glamour.
"Some would think that's the sort of person you'd like most. Someone you'd protect from themselves, while helping them with their aims."
I gave a mirthless chuckle. "Do you know what I value?"
Gil tilted his head, sitting atop the high wall outside the Tohsaka residence as I stood by him, hidden from the myriad defenses in the neighborhood.
"First are my loved ones. Affection, loyalty, love… it's amazing. The statement 'you matter' is a rush to me. Second is my own personal freedom. The idea of wearing chains that I myself don't choose is…" I shook my head. "Shirou gives up his freedom to his ideal. An ideal of being a perfect hero for justice, fighting to preserve mankind. His execution is flawed, because the World is flawed, but it's his aim. To be happy in service to the needs of the World."
"And you fought for your freedom, such as it is. To you, he represents a possible vision of what could have been."
"Joy in service to Animusphere." Venom entered my voice. "Even if it's to 'everybody' rather than a mission or person…"
"No offense, but you're projecting pretty hard." Gil side-eyed me.
"He's incapable of being happy if he's not a servant," I retorted. "That's fucked up."
"Actually, he's capable of contentment. He just finds fulfillment from helping others." Gil smirked. "You like protecting Ritsuka and Mash, don't you?" He drummed his fingers on his leg. "I think what frustrates you the most is that you're aware he's been mistreated… and he lets it happen. He won't let anyone kill him, but he's insulted, belittled…"
"Aaanyways," I said quickly. "Let's-"
"No, no. This is… huh. Not all slights are equal, but you are ready to unload on anyone who mistreats you in some form or fashion. Shirou rolls with it, and it drives you crazy."
I bared my teeth. "Watch it, squirt. You're cute, but that only gets you so much leeway."
Gil giggled. "Well, my subjects did say I was wise and sagely before I grew up." He smiled. "I'm not saying you need to accept everything that's done to you. But maybe… like picking the fight with Fujimura Taiga. Did you need to?"
I scowled.
"Or going after Shirou without really talking to him or trying to understand him. Especially after you accepted Lancelot… after he broke a boulder on your head."
"Ugggh. How- no. How do you know things?" I squinted.
"I have eyes that see beyond gods and humanity." Gil shrugged. "Even with your diadem, I know how to read context from those around you."
"So you cheat." I pouted, crossing my arms.
"Doesn't mean I'm not right~!" he chirped.
I looked away, scowling.
"Hm… Lancelot had little true control over his actions, so part of it is how much agency a person has. Ignorance isn't an excuse unless the offense is more specialized than general…" Gil kicked his legs idly.
I let out a gusty sigh. "Fine. Okay. I'll… work on it."
"So you'll talk to Shirou and apologize?" Gil smiled.
"Why does it matter to you?" I whined.
"Because it might be too late for me to get better. You have a chance." Gil stared at the Matou house, smile dimming. "Who I am, who I was… the wise king didn't answer your call, and now I can't. If there's a chance for Gilgamesh to truly help save the world, it's going to lie between Ritsuka and you. If Ritsuka proves himself worthy of that power, that helps. But you're me, if only with different origins. That might get… not his friendship, but a level of value and care that would reveal a gentler side. Maybe." Gil smiled at me again. "It's a gamble worth playing."
"Well, I'm dead in two years tops, sooo…" I trailed off.
Gil shook his head. "I don't think that's the case."
My eyes flicked to him. "What?"
He looked into the distance. "Einzbern's out and about. Do you want to check in?"
"No, seriously-"
Gil hopped down and began walking.
I stared after him in frustration, then huffed.
...well, if what he said is true, he's a less haughty wise king. ...probably something to what he's saying. The rest can wait.
I followed and quickly caught up. "We're still under glamour."
"Hm?" Gil looked up at me.
I scooped him into my arms, bridal-style. "Wanna fly?" I grinned.
Gil's eyes sparkled. "Yeah!"
My wings shot out of my back, and I lunged into the air, Gil's innocent laughter filling my ears. The world passed by under us, oblivious to our existence.
____________________________________________________________________________
Illyasviel sat in a small cafe in Mount Miyama, eyeing the menu. I changed my outfit to something normal, and dropped the glamour. We walked in, and she spotted us immediately. Her gaze was questioning, but unafraid.
I made no effort to hide our approach. "Sorry to keep you waiting! Gil takes forever to get ready, but he was excited for your playdate." I winked.
Gil gave me an indulgent smile as he rolled his eyes. "You're just bitter that Dad made you bring me. And that I get to keep the wallet."
"Oh, I do bitter pretty well," I agreed as we sat at Illyasviel's table.
Her grip on the menu tightened slightly.
I flicked my fingers, distorting whatever we said into chit-chat to passerby unless they were addressed. "Seriously, though. I do want to talk. Non-confrontationally."
Illyasviel watched me with suspicion.
"And also have cake. The stuff in the case looks pretty good."
Her lips twitched unconsciously. "Well, if you're here to negotiate your surrender, then I'll listen," she said magnanimously.
"Does allying with you count as surrender?" I pondered. "My mantle's gone to the Grail already, even if I'm still stuck with Shirou. Assassin and Saber are free agents, and their mantles are gone too."
Illyasviel clenched her fists again. "Three already?" she whispered. Her eyes narrowed. "But why haven't I felt anything?"
"...the mantles are going to a Lesser Grail in the hands of Ruler," Gil said after a moment. "He intends to use it to unlock the Greater Grail. He appeared after the Fourth War, and ensnared Kotomine Kirei in a mix of hypnotism and manipulation. For the past ten years, he's been preparing for his wish."
"So the existence of corruption is false?" Illya frowned.
"No, Angra Mainyu is quite real," Gil murmured. "Ruler just thinks he can use his power to connect and overpower the nascent being, and force his wish on the world. To enact salvation."
"Shimabara was hell. Death on death on torture on rape. A miracle occurred that led to victory, which lead to defeat, which lead to hell. But he resolved… if he had one more chance, he would change this world. Remove the cycle of oppression. Perfect humanity. Bring salvation. He loved mankind, but hated its folly."
And in anyone with a shred more power my dear, that would be the recipe for a Beast.
Morgan!
For a little while, yes. Merlin and I are setting something aside for you. If you can align your lovers with you… well. We might be able to give them a bit of context for your behavior, so to speak.
...you guys are behind Emiya!
Right in one, darling!
"Are you alright?" Illyasviel squinted.
"Yeah, just talking to the Faerie Queen who lives in my head."
She stared.
"More like 'rents part-time', but he's quite serious and telling the absolute truth," Gil chirped.
"...how?"
"Long story. I'm a designer baby and survivor of tons of experiments that had a Heroic Spirit crammed in me." I shrugged.
Illyasviel kept staring.
"You get used to it."
"I… see. Wouldn't that put a lot of strain on your body?" she asked.
"I'm probably going to die in a couple of years." I shrugged again. "I'm trying to make the most of my remaining time."
Illya broke eye contact and studied the menu for several moments. "How so?"
"Well, the world is on literal fire. Someone or something upended my timeline and is incinerating human history. By going through singularities and correcting them, we get a little closer to stopping the blaze and saving mankind. I'm not, strictly speaking, supposed to be here." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Ruler's someone from Shimabara…?"
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada," Gil muttered. "Sanctimonious, self-righteous…"
"Yeah. He's foreign to this timeline… maybe he's connected to the 'King' behind it all?" I sighed. "Though if he's anything like the last guy, he has a power base we need to wear away."
"He's allied with Kotomine Kirei, and their salvation will wipe out mankind and replace it with something entirely different. Not evolved, but replaced." Gil crossed his arms.
"And no matter what, since he's already rigged the Servants to go to his Grail, the Einzberns can't get it." Illyasviel's tone was mild. "Can that be changed?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. I'm not terrible at theory, but that's beyond me."
"There is one timeline where it works, and the entire world sinks into a pit of curses. Heaven's Feel is revealed in creating a Beast-level threat." Gil narrowed his eyes. "Everything else ends in failure on that front."
Illyasviel's hands shook. "I see."
"Then what is it for? What did Mama and Papa die for? Why do I…?"
I shifted my weight. "I want to destroy the Grail. But even with the alliance we have, it's not enough. Not if Amakusa's supercharged from his own."
"And the orphans," Gil added.
"Orphans?" Illya blinked.
"Survivors of the fire who were converted into mana batteries for Amakusa," Gil explained.
A flicker of disgust crossed her face. "I see."
"Is Fuyuki just fucked up, or…?" I trailed off.
"No, that's magi," Gil said dismissively. "The more desperate they are, the less conventional morals hold them. Or sometimes they're just warped."
Illya looked down. "Yes. Sometimes."
"If I can't get what they want… I can't go back. Could I… even if it's only for a little while… could I…?"
"Illyasviel."
She looked up at me.
I folded my hands. "What is it you want?"
Gil smiled.
"I wanted the Grail for Einzbern. I knew I was going to die if it manifested, but that's changed here. My body could have been normal years ago, but it was changed to be a vessel."
I clenched my fist.
"Now… I can't get it. If there's only one chance, then…" She looked up. "I'm going to die soon too. A year, two at most. I don't want to die alone."
"The modifications-"
"Circuit change-"
"Install-"
I placed a hand against my head as the whispers battered my skull.
"Caster?" Illya gave a worried frown.
The modifications… I could…
With my gloves, the Hands of Dullahan, I could remove the Grail harmlessly. With my runes, I could re-route her power…
The Hands of Dullahan. A phasing Mystic Code of B-Rank. It allowed for selective grasping, removing foreign bodies or simply reaching through barriers.
I could give Illyasviel a life. It wouldn't be hard. It wouldn't even take much of my power. The components were all in place; all I needed to do was move them around a bit. It was simpler than what needed to be done for Sakura by far.
When I looked up, I blinked at the slice of green cake in front of me.
"I ordered for you while you were tuned out," Gil explained. "I saw you liking that one."
Illya frowned, taking a bite of her own cake.
"Sorry. The whispers… they can be overwhelming sometimes." I picked up a fork.
"Whispers?" Illyasviel tilted her head.
"I speak the Universal Language. With it, I can hear everything."
Illya's mouth opened in a small 'o'. "That's…"
I sat up. "I can fix what they did to you. I can make it so your body grows, so you can have a life of your own. Shirou… he's the kind of person who'll accept you, even with what happened. As long as you can speak with him and hear his words, you have a place after the War. A life."
Gil's smile returned.
Illya looked to him, face slightly paler than normal.
"He's telling the truth."
For a long moment, there was silence. I took a bite of my cake.
Then there was a sniffle.
"Why…?"
Illya hid her face behind the menu, her shoulders shaking.
"Honestly? I'm of the Fair Folk. Because I can. Because I like it. And above all… I don't hate happy endings. Why wouldn't I do such a thing?"
Gil sighed. "He's a work in progress," he said in a stage-whisper.
A watery giggle came from behind the menu.
"...a fairy would ask for something."
"Don't pick a fight with us while we save the world and live a happy life? An alliance would be nice, but…" I shrugged and took another bite of cake.
"That still sounds like something a human would ask for." The menu fell, and I saw Illya wipe her eyes with her sleeve. She let out a deep breath. "Tomorrow."
I tilted my head.
"Tomorrow… bring your friends to my Castle during the day. You can work your miracle then. After… I'll join you. We'll stop Ruler together." Illya's smile grew in confidence. "Tell my big brother I look forward to seeing him. Hopefully with his insides in the right place, this time."
"...how about I leave that last bit off."
"See! He can be taught!" Gil teased.
Illya giggled as I took another, larger bite of cake, scowling.
"How is it?" Gil asked.
"Awful," I drawled.
"Liar!" Illya sang.
"Mrr…"
Even though I was laughed at by two little kids… the cake was still pretty good.
And Gil paid for it, too, so that was a plus.
____________________________________________________________________________
I landed on the roof of the school, and scowled at the bounded field there.
"How about no," I said flatly, flicking my wand out. Three runes for purification, echo, and dispelling later…
"Blood Fort Andromeda. A Noble Phantasm of Rider." Gil giggled. "And you just blew it away."
"What, like it's hard?" I blinked.
"Oh you sweet summer child." Gil shook his head.
The sun slowly began to sink beyond the horizon.
"...on the one hand, we should get back to Ritsuka and Musashi. On the other…"
Archer materialized. "Rin and Shirou are inside. They were fighting Rider alongside me when she suddenly collapsed."
I felt my eyes widen. "Shit."
Archer turned on his heel. "Follow."
The three of us went through the stairwell, heading into the school. I glanced around, seeing several unconscious students.
"Uh. Isn't that illegal?" I asked aloud.
"Technically, yes," Archer replied bluntly. "However-"
"Useless! Useless, useless-!"
I rounded a door, and-
Some blue-haired brat held a book in his hand, kicking Medusa in the side.
I saw red.
"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU SUBHUMAN SACK OF SHIT!"
I threw myself across the room, slamming into him as he screeched in terror. The scent of ammonia filled the air as I latched on to him.
"C-caster!?" Shirou gasped.
I tore the book from the boy's hand, still snarling. My mana trickled slightly into it, and I heard Medusa gasp.
I leapt off of the bastard and scooped her into my arms. "Medusa? Speak to me, c'mon," I begged.
Her breath slowly steadied. "Who…?"
Shit. Right, alternate timeline.
"Someone who loves you in another life," I said softly.
She stared at me through Breaker Gorgon, breathing slowly.
"Give her back."
I slowly turned my head. "And you must be Matou Shinji," I purred around my fangs.
He stepped back, eyes jittering in his head as he looked around the room.
"Shirou? Did you ever decide how we were going to handle this little worm?" I looked to Shirou as Rin helped him to his feet. "Also, you look like death."
"Sh-shirou! Call him off! W-we can still-!" Shinji stammered out.
"Do be quiet for once in your loathsome life."
I admit it. I reveled as Matou's jaw slammed shut, his breath quickening in audible panic. The stain spreading across the front of his pants was equally gratifying, if disgusting.
I gently ran a hand over Medusa's hair. "He won't hurt you anymore. I promise."
She was silent, expressionless.
Damn it. At least she wasn't trying to kill me.
"So… she's your girlfriend," Shirou mused.
"Am I?" she muttered, finally speaking up.
"Not here, but… elsewhere. We're not as close as Cu and I are - or you are to him - but we trust and care for each other."
Archer cleared his throat. "They'll start to wake soon. Caster shut down the Blood Fort almost instantly after it activated. She hasn't had a chance to absorb anything."
"Can confirm!" Gil chimed in.
Rin glowered at Shinji. "We should just get rid of him and be done with it."
"Can I?" I asked, eyes shedding viridian light in front of me.
"...no." Shirou exhaled. "We were friends once. If you can stop him from hurting other people without hurting him…"
I felt myself smile. "Physically, yes. People react badly to having their autonomy taken, however."
Shinji began to tremble.
Shirou blinked. "Maybe he should have considered that before raping his sister and trying to melt our classmates into mana." His tone was calm and without inflection.
"He what." Rin's eyes sharpened.
I set Medusa in a chair. "Will you be all right?"
She rolled her shoulders. "I'm fine. ...what do you intend to do with me?"
"Uh. Keep you around? Treat you with compassion? Honestly, my main concern is saving a girl from this asshat's grandfather-"
"What girl." Medusa's tone sharpened.
"Matou Sakura. She's been… well, if I can get the mana, I can undo a lot of what she's suffered physically over the years. Mentally, she'll need the help of loved ones." I turned to Shinji.
"I see." Medusa's voice returned to a state of calm. "If you can do that, you may count me as an ally."
I looked at Rin, and her eyes went wide.
"Okay, cool." I stepped to Shinji, causing him to quake and fumble for the windows.
"Stop."
He froze.
I looked to Shirou. "Any specific requests?"
Shirou took a long look at him. "He has to be punished."
Archer sighed. "We should just-"
"Make him a better person. Can you do that? Will your spell last?" Shirou looked at me curiously.
Gil coughed. "It can." He gave me a meaningful look.
...yes, yes, object ethics lesson, do it to assholes and not to allies. God dammit.
"Treat others with respect and compassion. Do not denigrate or harm them where no true harm has been done to you. Cease your ill treatment of Matou Sakura."
Shinji's eyes glazed over as my words sank into him, burrowing into his soul.
"Do not speak of our involvement to Matou Zouken, once known as Makiri Zolgen. If asked, you sent Rider to patrol. Send Matou Sakura to the Emiya Residence as soon as you can. Uphold the masquerade to the old worm, and do your utmost to convince him it is truth."
I didn't taste the slightest bit of blood as I finished my commands.
"Did I miss anything?" I wondered as Shinji swayed on his feet.
"That was pretty comprehensive." Shirou exhaled.
Rin looked to me.
"Oh, Zouken's burning," I said brightly. "Seaweed here is Red's friend, so I gave him discretion. It's part of our deal."
"Thank you," Shirou said somberly.
Shinji collapsed to his knees and began to sob. His nose ran and his body shook as he crawled away from me.
I clapped my hands. "Anywho! Let's go home, I'm starving!" I grinned. "And then we can go to Ryuudou!" I paused. "That's a secret, Matou."
He let out a soft wail.
Rin gave me an appraising look. "Alright. Let's go."
At this point, Medusa was upright, back to her graceful self. Her skin looked a little less pale as well.
The book continued to take a thin trickle of my mana, but it was actually pretty negligible. My armor's more passive powers took more than what the book asked.
Meh.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ritsuka sighed as he collected the last bit of ingredients he'd need for dinner from the market.
"O-oh. Fujimaru-san…"
He looked up to see Matou Sakura, arms drawn close to her body nervously.
"Matou-san. Just getting stuff for dinner. Matthew's sister's joining us tonight, and we're all eating at Emiya's." It was weird to use a surname for his Dad, given he'd always called him… well, 'dad'. But telling him was… yeah. Mom was Mom, but Dad… he was different from home, but even if the wall was different, it was there.
...Archer being his Dad in yet another form was a surprise. He must have figured it out at some point. Funny that the version of his father he was most comfortable being open and emotional with was the supposed killing machine Counter Guardian.
"Oh. Maybe… I shouldn't…" She looked away.
"I'm sure you're welcome." Maybe he could bend the truth a little… "Rin speaks fondly of you. I don't know how much she actually agreed with you leaving the house."
Sakura's hand went to her mouth. "Th- what? I- ah-"
"You'd be welcome. Matthew's an imp, but he seems to have taken a shine to you. Mash is like… nice. To almost everyone. Emiya obviously likes having you around, and Rin… she's bad at talking about her feelings because she feels like she's gotta be a hardass." Ritsuka winked. "You know. Family business."
Sakura's eyes dimmed. "I see…" She looked up. "Um, I usually have dinner with Senpai anyways… so it'll just be a larger group, right…?"
Ritsuka offered his hand. "Yeah. Besides, I want to get to know my cousin better."
She stared at it for a long moment, then gently placed her hand in his. After a heartbeat, she let go. "Y-you're… not our cousin, are you?" she whispered.
"...I'm related, but not that way. Family stuff is weird."
Sakura gave a soft hiccup. "That's an understatement," she breathed.
Ritsuka sighed. "We can talk about it back at Emiya's. For what it's worth… I don't think I'm going to 'exist' here."
"Eh?" Sakura looked confused.
He turned. "Shall we?"
Behind him, Sakura's expression firmed into something like determination. "...alright."
____________________________________________________________________________
"...so you almost went through what I…? Oh."
I blinked and looked behind me at the rest of the group. We quietly shucked our shoes, went inside-
Sakura hugged Ritsuka, gently patting his head as he rubbed her back.
"So I guess you filled her in some, huh Master?" I tilted my head.
Mash shot me a look.
"So… you're Caster." Sakura looked up, and the two of them broke apart. "...Nee-san?"
Rin's lip quivered.
"As someone who had issues with their younger sibling, sometimes showing emotions is a good idea," I stage-whispered to her.
With a palm strike, I was bowled over as Rin stampeded over to Sakura, wrapping her in a tight hug. "You better have an idea to help her, you jerk!" she snapped.
I grumbled as Archer, Gil, and Medusa stepped into the room.
"Oh, food's in the fridge!" Ritsuka called as Shirou made his way into the kitchen.
"Thanks, son."
I blinked.
Ritsuka froze. "I- uh-"
"Matthew let it slip last night. It took me a little to figure it out, but…" Shirou shrugged. "I don't think your mother and I…"
"No." Rin's vehemence was flat.
Archer coughed, placing his fist over a smirk.
Sakura blushed a little, eyes downcast. "I don't know how…"
Rider knelt next to Sakura quietly.
So Sakura was her true Master…
"Nii-san… is he…?"
I hummed. "He won't be hurting you anymore, at the least. And he isn't maimed or dead." I held up the odd book. "I assume this is yours?"
Rin's eyes narrowed.
"...I didn't want to fight. Not Nee-san, and not Senpai. Nii-san wanted to wish for the power of magecraft, so…"
"What's his deal anyway? Every echo I've heard about him screams how unpleasant he is," I muttered.
"He… he has magic circuits, they just…" Sakura looked at the table.
"What, are they duds?" Musashi asked, materializing.
Sakura startled, edging behind Rin.
"Oops."
"Ah, good. So everyone's here?" Shirou asked. "...I'm gonna need more rice."
"Servants, as a general rule, do not need to eat," Archer pointed out. "Matthew and Mash are exceptions due to their unique status."
"Mmhm. Anyways, I'll just…" I plucked my wand out, and flicked a pair of runes at Sakura.
"What are you-!" Rin aimed her index finger at me, a black sphere gathering as the runes made impact.
"Holding up my end of the bargain. I know you're listening, old worm. Keep your familiars to yourself, and don't try to activate the ones in the girl's body. Leave well enough alone."
Rin blinked a few times, letting her spell go.
Shirou stumbled out of the kitchen at the noise. "Matthew-?"
Sakura placed a hand over her heart. "What did you do?" she asked.
"Well, it's a temporary fix. To completely undo what's been done to you, I need a leyline. Fortunately, we're going to go visit one after dinner, and pushing humans around is far less draining than Servants." I smirked. "Even if the 'human' is more of a 'wraith' at this point."
"...you want to tap the Ryuudou leyline?" Rin asked with a frown.
"Uh. Yes?" I folded my arms.
"...using it for a summoning circle is one thing, but appropriating for mana is another," Rin explained. "If the Greater Grail is compromised, then the leyline itself will be as well."
"Honestly, I was surprised you didn't suggest the leyline under the house. That's here in this timeline, right?" Ritsuka frowned.
Everyone looked at Rin.
"It's also practically next door to the Matou house, and…" She looked at Sakura. "It's not you, it's Zouken."
"I understand." Sakura nodded.
"So how will this work?" I asked. "We still have to meet Assassin, and he's at the Temple."
"Seeing as you're making a connection by triangulating using ley lines, the Temple is safe for that," Rin explained. "So we send Ritsuka with Mash, Saber, and…" She paused. "Who is this child?"
"I'm Gilgamesh!" He smiled brightly.
Rin twitched. "Right. You're going too."
"Okay!"
Rin inhaled, and exhaled. "If Ritsuka's information about how this works is accurate, using the leyline at the temple will be safe for triangulating with your home base. So…" She leveled a look at me. "How much room do you need, and how much preparation time?"
"Perma-runes take a while. Single-use far less. I'll need about ten minutes to siphon mana, five to etch, the rite takes like… a minute?" I shrugged. "And the entire ritual is written out, so… roughly as long as Sakura is tall, and and five feet across."
Rin perked up.
"Also as close to the leyline as possible."
Rin deflated.
"Bounded fields are also a plus…" I mused.
Sakura folded her hands. "I don't want to be any trouble…"
Ritsuka glared. "It isn't trouble."
"He's right." Rin closed her eyes with a slight smile. "Shirou and I will stand guard with Archer and Rider while Caster… what are you going to do, exactly?" She frowned.
"It's a Ritual I recorded in the form of the Shroud of Avalon. I don't have a name for the rite itself, but it draws on the power of Avalon itself to undo the damage accrued to a body. It acts on a spiritual and physical level, according to the words…" I hummed. "But yeah. Basically I write out a Grand Ritual that addresses the world and compact the work of ten or twenty magi and several months to… me. In half an hour. It eats mana like hell though, so… ley line preferred."
Rin's mouth opened slightly, her eyes wide.
"That sounds really impressive!" Shirou called from the kitchen.
I felt my cheeks heat up a little. "It's not hard!" I yelled.
"You just admitted to condensing a Grand Ritual into a half-hour affair!" Rin shrieked, shoulders up to her ears.
Ritsuka sighed. "I figured this would be her response to meeting him in our timeline too…" He leaned on his hands as Mash gently pat his back.
"Just wait until you hear that the Shroud is a reusable Grand Ritual," Archer mused aloud.
"WHAT." Rin turned an entirely new shade of red.
Medusa tilted her head. "Hm. How interesting."
"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes!" Shirou called.
"Oh, and he made a Temple-class Workshop overnight," Archer continued.
"To be fair, that was the Faerie Queen," Mash pointed out.
Rin continued to shake. "Then why didn't you obliterate Lancer or Berserker last night!?"
"Berserker would have taken more mana than I had. Lancer…" I looked away.
Rin collapsed. "Whyyyy? I could've won the War with a Servant like you…" she whined.
Sakura hesitated, then pat Rin on the head. "It's all right, Nee-san…"
"Ugh. You're right. Besides, the Grail has an evil god stuck in it, so it's no good anyway," Rin huffed. "And even if it did work… if you get out from under that old bastard's thumb, I'll be content."
That lead to Sakura leaning on Rin with a small smile. "...I dreamed about this sort of thing. Seeing you again, having a family like we used to… but it's different. Not bad, but different."
Rin smiled herself, even though her head stayed on the table.
Ritsuka hummed happily while Mash continued to pet his hair.
"A thought."
I looked up at Medusa.
"At the very least… Ritsuka?" She tilted her head as I made a noise of confirmation. "Yes. He won't be able to get to the Temple quickly. Out of Saber, 'Mash', and…"
"Gil!"
"Yes. Do any of you have a method of rapid travel?"
Musashi opened her mouth, then closed it. "Oh."
Mash sighed. "I can push a car or bicycle pretty hard with my Riding skill, but I'd still need to account for traffic…"
I looked at Gil.
He hunched over a little. "There's something in the Gate, but I don't have the mana to bring it out on my own. I'd need a contract or something."
I motioned my hand at him for him to approach.
With a curious look, he sat at my side.
"Hm… how to go about it…" I mused. "Hey, your older self is watching, right?"
Ritsuka looked at me, eyebrows raised.
"Yes?" Gil tilted his head. "From what I can see, Chaldea has been tracking you, but I can only get vague impressions because my older 'self' is there. If he wasn't, I'd be blind to it."
Rin's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, that's also your doing."
"Yep," Ritsuka said with a smile.
"Good." I leaned over, and put my hands on Gil's cheeks.
"Eh?" His face went pink.
Gently, I pressed my lips to his forehead, pushing my mana into his body.
"Mana transfer takes far more contact and ritual than that," Rin scoffed.
"Actually, I saw him recharge a Servant from dregs to full with a palm to the collarbone," Ritsuka mused. "It might be a skill…?"
Rin slowly sat up, glowering at Ritsuka. "If you weren't my child, I'd be jealous. You have disgusting luck with Servants. A powerful magus and a mighty guardian." She huffed. "And what did I get?"
I pulled back. "A Counter Guardian with a Reality Marble that endlessly replicates legendary swords he can break to detonate with the force of an A++ Noble Phantasm?" I blinked as Gil swayed with a sigh, slumping against my side. "You good?"
Rin slowly turned her head to Archer with murder in her eyes.
"I'm great." Gil smiled woozily. "Whoo…"
"Can… can a Servant have too much mana?" I asked worriedly.
"Unlikely. I've been siphoning a considerable amount of mana from you to compensate for the lack I had contracted to…" Medusa trailed off.
"Crying Pissbaby Seaweed?"
"Yes," she agreed serenely.
Sakura frowned. "What… did you do?"
"Put the fear of me in him, then bound him to do no harm to others except in self-defense. Actual self-defense, not whatever delusions hop in his noggin." I shrugged, putting an arm around Gil as he hummed woozily. "Also he's got to pretend things are fine to old man wormlock."
Sakura slowly blinked.
"The last bit doesn't… translate…" Ritsuka cut his eyes away.
Awkward silence reigned.
"Dinner's ready!" Shirou stuck his head out. "What did I miss?"
Archer chuckled as Musashi swayed on the spot, head drooping.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ritsuka did not scream as he clung to Gil. He was a grown teenager, he did not yell when clinging to some sort of ancient flying machine as it steadily flew across the sky. There was no fear of heights in Chaldea's lead Master.
Mash pressed behind him as he clung to the throne, gently patting Ritsuka's shoulder.
The machine landed at the gate to the Ryuudou temple.
"How about you sit with me on the way back," Gil offered with a pitying smile.
"I'm fine, but I appreciate your generous offer," Ritsuka replied after swallowing.
"Well, I'm smaller than normal, so help taking up enough space to keep me steady would be nice."
Ritsuka paused. "If you insist."
Gil smiled brightly. "Then it's agreed!"
Mash looked away with a slight smile.
"Oh good, you're here!" Musashi appeared in a swirl of light. "Assassin's at the Temple proper. He's cleared everyone else away so you can work unobserved."
"I ought to thank him," Ritsuka noted.
"You'll get your chance soon," Musashi responded, turning and leading the way up the stairs.
Soon, they reached the complex, and followed the swordsmaster inside. She lead them to a small room near the center of the temple.
It was empty save for a single man. He wore traditional clothes and sturdy sandals. The outer robe was black, with a burnt orange lining inside. A sash of brown fabric secured the waist of the outfit, and he held a large silver pipe. His hair was short and spiky, and he otherwise looked unremarkable, if dour.
"Assassin?" Ritsuka asked.
He turned his head and nodded. "Yes. Saber has kept me appraised of your group. I myself have been busy observing Amakusa's camp. He is the Ruler who seeks to use the darkness beneath this temple to change the world."
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada," Gil intoned. "I don't regret sundering my contract to Kotomine Kirei, if only for the sake of keeping my own movements secret."
"How so?" Assassin lifted the pipe to his mouth, inhaling. The end glowed orange, nearly the same color of his inner robe.
"A prototype of a dagger used to end contracts. I used it years ago, when I became cognizant of Amakusa's control over his mind."
"Mm. A blend of deep hypnotism supported by his Grail, and manipulation using memories from another timeline. If your Caster can ensnare Kotomine and deprive him of his Command Seals, Lancer might join our camp quietly." Assassin nodded to the center of the room. "Amakusa considered having Lancer seduce him and betray him, but ultimately the priests decided to make use of Caster to destroy Matou Zouken. Both loathe him, but the Church and Mage's Association still afford him a measure of protection. A rogue Servant is less likely to cast suspicion on his death than a pair of executors."
Ritsuka grit his teeth. "Mash, can you set the shield up."
Mash stepped forward and set the weapon down, facing upwards.
Immediately, crackling resounded in Ritsuka's ears. "---suka! Ritsuka, com-!"
He held a hand out.
"Huh. You know, if Lancer joins us, that's everyone except Berserker," Musashi mused.
Gil giggled to himself.
Assassin's eyes snapped to him. "You arranged an alliance?" he queried in his deep voice.
"Caster did. He and the Einzbern Master have some common ground, so he freely offered to amend the damage done to her by dint of being the true Grail Vessel. Tonight he's going to remove fragments from the last war from the Matou Master, and gain Rider decisively for our cause. Tomorrow we cement our alliance with Berserker." Gil smiled. "He's rough around the edges, but shows promise. It barely took convincing to get him to work with his Master, though he dislikes him. Though the rest and communion of memory may have helped."
"Ritsuka! Oh good, we've got a connection," Roman said in relief, his image stabilizing. "We managed to get Gilgamesh to give us periodic updates, but mostly we've been able to only track your vitals. What happened? Where are you?"
"Fuyuki, 2004. It's a Fifth Holy Grail War." Ritsuka paused. "It's drastically different from our timeline, but we've discovered a divergence. Ruler class Servant, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada is plotting to use a corrupted Greater Grail to enact Heaven's Feel on humanity. Two Servants are rogue, like in Orleans, and Matthew got contracted to a teenage version of my Dad. Who is also apparently Archer."
Roman stared. "...you have a fascinating family, Ritsuka. Mash, are you well?"
"Yes, Doctor." She smiled. "Matthew was… not well, the first night. He… ran into a version of Cu Chulainn who didn't remember him."
"FUCKING HELL! Tell me that Kotomine hasn't sent me after him!" Cu's voice echoed from somewhere in the distance.
"Not since last night," Ritsuka said soothingly.
"Unfortunately, we've lost sight of Medusa and Emiya. They're both unconscious in their chambers. Cu's complained of drowsiness, but we don't know what's going on," Roman said.
"Emiya has his memories of Chaldea. Someone transferred them, though it's probably temporary," Ritsuka explained.
"Oh, I have a feeling we know who did that," Da Vinci chirped, her image appearing.
"Ah? Ah. Yes, they're an ally. Probably using a trick to get around your limit for summoned Servants to ensure an alliance," Roman proposed.
Musashi smiled. "Great!"
Mash sighed. "I can feel the flow of mana improving already. Matthew will probably start his ritual soon."
"Ah, right! We've reconnected with both of you, so that leaves three slots open for is that a mini-Gilgamesh." Roman stared.
"Hiiii!" Gil smiled brightly.
Roman sighed. "If you mean to contract Saber and Assassin, you can summon one more member from Chaldea. Our generators haven't recovered from dragging Gilgamesh here yet."
Assassin's eyes glinted momentarily before going dull again. "If Medea is available, that would be preferred. We… have experience working together."
"You do?" Ritsuka blinked.
"I have memories of yet another timeline. I was granted them upon my summoning into this body." Assassin bowed his head.
"Who are you, anyways?" Gil mused. "Oh. Oh, that's rich. I love it!" He grinned. "Yes, Medea would round out your team nicely."
Assassin sighed. "I am Pseudoservant Ishikawa Goemon. You may refer to me as Kuzuki Souichirou."
There was a crash over the line. "SEND ME NOW!" Medea barked offscreen.
"S-sending Servant! Sorry, Artoria!" Roman squeaked.
"Ah, well. ...Saber. I entrust the welfare of my nephew and allies to you in my stead," Artoria's noble voice echoed offscreen.
"Y-yes!" Musashi saluted. "Whoever you are…" she muttered.
"Ah, right. Saber Miyamoto Musashi, can I count on you?" Ritsuka asked as light erupted from the shield on the ground.
"Yes? Sure?" Musashi squeaked.
"Contract made." Ritsuka turned. "Assassin-"
"Yes." His reply was curt and blunt.
"Miyamoto Musashi and Ishikawa Goemon recorded!" Da Vinci chimed in cheerfully. "Oh, also-"
"SOUICHIROU!"
The blur of dark cloth shot out of the summoning circle, carrying Assassin to the ground with a look of dull surprise.
When Ritsuka, Mash, Gil, and Musashi could finally see after the dust cleared, Medea was nuzzling into Assassin's chest while he gently pat her head.
"You remember me? You do, don't you?" Medea all but pled.
"Ah. I do." Kuzuki's eyes were dull, but his lips turned up so slightly that Ritsuka could barely see it.
Medea smiled up at him tearfully. "Finally. Finally, we can…"
Ritsuka smiled. "Good." He exhaled. "Hopefully…"
Mash put a hand on his arm.
Gil hummed. "I don't think we have anything more to gain here. Time to get back to the Emiya Residence!"
Ritsuka swallowed nervously.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to go slow," Gil promised, patting Ritsuka's arm.
____________________________________________________________________________
I put my hands on my waist as Rin poked around the square of Fairy Runes. "It works. I've used it to bring people back from near-death. All we need is Sakura to step on it, and then I can activate it."
"You went incredibly fast making this," Rin replied accusingly.
We were in her basement, in an unused corner of her Workshop. It was under oath that I'd leave everything alone and just use some spare floor to do what needed doing. Shirou was holding Sakura's hand and speaking in a low, soothing tone to her.
"-he seems pretty flighty, but when he decides to help someone he does it. I trust him to help you."
Ughhh. Damn it, how am I supposed to keep being mad at him? Or manipulative, or mistrusting, or… at this rate, I might just do what he wants and not twist his brain in the process!
Well darling, even if it is abridged, Servants influence their Masters. And though the little King has done the heavy lifting, he's influenced you as well. Once upon a time, this wouldn't have given you pause! I'm so proud… ~sniff~
"...guess I've got no choice. Archer-"
"Emiya," Shirou corrected absentmindedly.
Buh?
"He helped open my circuits earlier while you were laughing at Ritsuka screaming on Gil's Vimana." Shirou blinked. "That wasn't very nice."
"Gil and Mash would have kept him safe. He wasn't in real danger, and if he wasn't going to be fine, I assure you I'd have burst in for bloody vengeance," I scoffed.
"Hm. Good point."
"You're supposed to argue with me!" I pouted.
"Why? You're right. Also, a confrontation is exactly what you want." Shirou smiled.
"Anyways. Emiya and Medusa are in position on the Roof keeping a lookout in case Lancer or Berserker get big ideas." Rin crossed her arms.
"Just Lancer. I, uh, talked to Illya. She invited us all to her castle tomorrow during the day for parlay. She decided she doesn't want to be a Grail anymore so I'm helping with that. And, you know, giving her an actual lifespan." I scratched my cheek.
Shirou's smile widened. "Uh-huh."
"Also apparently your foster dad was her birth father? Look, it's not my business, you can talk about it after I fix your city and fuck back off to Chaldea," I huffed, crossing my arms.
"...thank you." Sakura gave a nervous smile.
I felt my eyes widen. "Move. Get on that-"
With a tearing noise, a worm erupted from her back, pulsing red and wreathed in shadows. She tumbled forward, landing on her knees in the midst of my runes as it hit the floor and began to squirm away.
I snarled, tracking it with my eyes as the ritual erupted around Sakura. Her body was consumed in a geyser of golden light.
____________________________________________________________________________
Zouken bared his teeth, furious. How dare. How dare.
The boy had yet to come home, and the girl had the gall to go along with the quackery of one who claimed to be of the Fae. Having hailed from the West, he knew all too well the price a Fae would extract. They'd easily be capable - a Seelie Fae's power was anathema to his familiars, and his own magecraft. But even a kindly one would exact a price Sakura could never hope to repay for the favor.
He stormed down to his basement, preparing to loose a storm of his familiars to assault Tohsaka Manor-
The ancient magus stumbled.
"What?" he croaked.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Oopsie-doodle," I sang against the backdrop of the roaring ritual.
My blade transfixed the worm, sparking with black lightning as rot began to slowly spread from the incision.
"My hand slipped~"
____________________________________________________________________________
Zouken trembled as his body lost cohesion, gangrenous rot spreading through every familiar that composed it. Every mystery, every bounded field, every Crest Worm began to break down.
His house creaked as mold grew, eating through the paint and wood, and his senses revealed scum covering porcelain, and rust covering metal. Food spoiled, and the air went foul.
He opened his mouth, but no sound but chittering emerged as he dissolved into his swarm, twitching but not yet dead.
____________________________________________________________________________
"It's an A-Rank rather than D, so it'll probably be closer to the original Fisher King's curse rather than just fucking over the person," I said conversationally as Shirou stared in disgust at the squirming thing on the floor.
Rin sobbed as the light faded, catching Sakura in her arms. The girl looked vastly different. Her skin was a healthier color, and her hair was solid black-brown. Slowly, her eyes opened, revealing teal in the place of violet.
"Nee-san…?" She breathed slowly, but easily. "They're… gone…" She smiled.
"Mana… mana's good… pulse, good… breathing…" Rin sniffled, and let out a shuddering breath.
"Just as promised," I chirped. "Now, I can't wipe away the memories, sadly enough, so that'll be on you guys to help her cope with that. Howeeeever," I drawled.
Rin and Shirou looked at me.
"My little curse has all but destroyed Zouken. If he hadn't run, well, he could have passed with some dignity and left something for his grandson. Also not messed up Sakura's dress," I mused. "As is? Well, I leave the decision to you three." I gave a feral grin. "I'm sure any of the three of us would love to wrap the job."
Shirou exhaled. "You've done enough tonight Matthew. Rest." He looked to Rin. "...your call. He's an undead vampire-worm, so I won't argue whatever you choose."
Rin gave a small, dark smile as Sakura dozed against her shoulder.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Archer."
Medusa had left, leaving Emiya alone on the rooftop. Black lightning coruscated around the Matou Manor, casting unlight over the entire neighborhood. A young man's figure had fallen backwards, trembling in terror.
Emiya had little patience or empathy for Matou Shinji, but as he was all but defanged, he decided to let him live.
"Here and now, as the Tohsaka Master in this farce of a Grail War, I order you: with this second command seal, remove Matou Manor from my lands and leave the rest of the territory untouched."
Emiya felt the power flood his body, and gave a slow, dangerous smile.
"Yes, Master."
He held his hand skyward, and a twisting mass of metal appeared - Hrunting, the Hound of the Red Plains.
"I am the bone of my sword."
____________________________________________________________________________
The impact rocked the house, erupting in flame as the broken phantasm exploded, followed by a second and third shot. The mass that remained of Zouken was caught in the conflagration as it burned down, the curse encompassing his works accelerating by the presence of an attack.
His army of familiars was broken, and the curse itself had dictated his defeat.
...there was never a chance that he would hold the Grail. Never a chance to remember his ideals.
No absolution. No hope. No desperation. Only resignation as the black lightning of the curse continued to corrode alongside the erupting flames spawned by Archer's arrows.
Matou Zouken died in a manner befitting a worm: unmourned and of little consequence.
____________________________________________________________________________
I whistled as I put my wand away, the golden flames eradicating the remains of the soul container.
Shirou held Sakura close, a soft light in his eyes as he smiled, brushing her hair aside.
Rin stepped next to me. "I owe you a debt I can never repay."
"Your son's my Master, and a dear friend. He saved my sister and I when it endangered himself. I do have some hope of him and my sister remaining together as long as possible." I smiled. "You get a freebie."
"Heh." Rin started to giggle.
My breath caught as a pair of arms gently wound around my neck.
"And here I never thought I'd see that knife used for good," Medusa murmured. "Well done."
Was… was…?
She gently pulled me to her. "Thank Merlin for his interference, next time you dream of him. If we can reclaim our Lancer from Kotomine Kirei…"
"That bastard," Rin hissed, her relaxed countenance turning vicious. "Of course he'd cheat like that! Impartial overseer my ass, he can go straight to his hell and be buried!"
I leaned back against Medusa. "Tomorrow. I'm going to make Kotomine regret everything tomorrow." I glanced at Rin. "Would you be mad if I made him shit himself every time he said the Lord's Prayer?"
An impish smirk crossed her face. "I will neither confirm nor deny my approval of such an uncouth act. Merely state that I am pleased with my son's pick of guardians."
Shirou snorted. "I think it's too petty." He paused. "Just give him gas instead."
My eyes widened.
Yeah… I had a promise to keep to him, too.
Tomorrow was starting to look busy.
Though… maybe this Master of mine wasn't so bad.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS-
Hush. I'm being cuddled by my girlfriend.
Morgan sighed. My, my. At least you've worked through some of this density…
Medusa kissed my forehead.
Shhh.
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Kuzuki/Goemon
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Name: Ishikawa Goemon (Kuzuki Souichirou)
Class: Assassin
Alias: Sanada Kuronoshin, Gorokizu, Gallant Ninja
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Basis: Historical Fact/Folk Hero
Origin: Man
The Gallant Ninja and Outlaw Hero Goemon. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Eventually, he attempted to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and failed. He was boiled alive with his son, though accounts differ on whether his son survived and was spared or not.
This incarnation is a Pseudoservant combined with Kuzuki Souichirou, Master to Caster in many renditions of the fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki. Trained in assassination techniques from a very young age, he was selected as a vessel during the incineration of human history. He has a deep connection to Medea.
Parameters:
STR: C
END: C
AGI: B+
MAN: C
LUK: D
NP: B-
Skills:
Presence Concealment (A)
Snake (B): Kuzuki's signature fighting style. Built around sudden strikes from odd angles, and made so every strike is capable of a deathblow. Utilizes the hands as fangs of the snake, and the arm as the neck or tail to attack.
Iga Ninjutsu (B): A collective skill spanning the arts of disguise, escape, concealment, explosives, medicine, and poisons. The ninja arts also include unarmed combat, use of grappling hooks, and infiltration tools such as lockpicks and ladders. Goemon was trained in these arts under the umbrella of this skill.
Affection of the Witch (C): A skill representing Kuzuki's bond with Medea of Colchis. Helpful magecraft is treated as a rank higher when applied to him, though it does not give any resistance to negative effects. There are Masters who can only support from the front as a direct combatant.
Noble Phantasm:
Sanmon Gosan no Kiri (B-): "The spring view is worth a thousand gold pieces, or so they say, but 'tis too little, too little. These eyes of Goemon rate it worth ten thousand!" The most famous scene in the kabuki drama 'Kinmon Gosan no Kiri', the last remaining classic regarding Goemon still in performance. With his large silver kiseru - his smoking pipe - Goemon scatters endless paulownia petals to the winds, creating a High Thaumaturgy illusion to ensnare the enemy. Transfixed by the paulownia trees in bloom around the gate, the enemy is subject to a paralyzing stun effect. Even those with Clairvoyance or a level of Instinct below the rank of the Noble Phantasm are subject. While so stunned by the beauty of the scene, Goemon backstabs them, ambushes them, or otherwise puts his ninja or martial training to use. In Kuzuki's form, he tends to simply break their necks with a well-placed strike.
Class: Assassin
Alias: Sanada Kuronoshin, Gorokizu, Gallant Ninja
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Basis: Historical Fact/Folk Hero
Origin: Man
The Gallant Ninja and Outlaw Hero Goemon. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Eventually, he attempted to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and failed. He was boiled alive with his son, though accounts differ on whether his son survived and was spared or not.
This incarnation is a Pseudoservant combined with Kuzuki Souichirou, Master to Caster in many renditions of the fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki. Trained in assassination techniques from a very young age, he was selected as a vessel during the incineration of human history. He has a deep connection to Medea.
Parameters:
STR: C
END: C
AGI: B+
MAN: C
LUK: D
NP: B-
Skills:
Presence Concealment (A)
Snake (B): Kuzuki's signature fighting style. Built around sudden strikes from odd angles, and made so every strike is capable of a deathblow. Utilizes the hands as fangs of the snake, and the arm as the neck or tail to attack.
Iga Ninjutsu (B): A collective skill spanning the arts of disguise, escape, concealment, explosives, medicine, and poisons. The ninja arts also include unarmed combat, use of grappling hooks, and infiltration tools such as lockpicks and ladders. Goemon was trained in these arts under the umbrella of this skill.
Affection of the Witch (C): A skill representing Kuzuki's bond with Medea of Colchis. Helpful magecraft is treated as a rank higher when applied to him, though it does not give any resistance to negative effects. There are Masters who can only support from the front as a direct combatant.
Noble Phantasm:
Sanmon Gosan no Kiri (B-): "The spring view is worth a thousand gold pieces, or so they say, but 'tis too little, too little. These eyes of Goemon rate it worth ten thousand!" The most famous scene in the kabuki drama 'Kinmon Gosan no Kiri', the last remaining classic regarding Goemon still in performance. With his large silver kiseru - his smoking pipe - Goemon scatters endless paulownia petals to the winds, creating a High Thaumaturgy illusion to ensnare the enemy. Transfixed by the paulownia trees in bloom around the gate, the enemy is subject to a paralyzing stun effect. Even those with Clairvoyance or a level of Instinct below the rank of the Noble Phantasm are subject. While so stunned by the beauty of the scene, Goemon backstabs them, ambushes them, or otherwise puts his ninja or martial training to use. In Kuzuki's form, he tends to simply break their necks with a well-placed strike.
Sakura gets a happy ending! Illya gets a happy ending! Medea and Souichirou get a happy ending! Everyone gets a happy ending.
Except Zouken.
But fuck him.
Except Zouken.
But fuck him.
Or in Matthew Lulz's over everything and everyone and they're all better off for it.
Except Zouken.
But fuck him.
Except Zouken.
But fuck him.
Rogue Gemini
Wanderer without a Twin
- Location
- Here
Wonderful stuff all around. The lack of goemon in FGO is unfortunate, but I'll take what I can get here.
I love the casual reveals here as they're catching people flat-footed left and right. I should have expected Amakusa to be here given that it's Japan and all, but since it was an FSN timeline I wasn't really sure who else would appear.
I love the casual reveals here as they're catching people flat-footed left and right. I should have expected Amakusa to be here given that it's Japan and all, but since it was an FSN timeline I wasn't really sure who else would appear.
Huh, so Psuedo Servant Kuzuki. I really hope Romani invests in soundproofing the walls eventually at this point.
Thank you Ko-Gil, he probably needed it.
Thank you Ko-Gil, he probably needed it.
Classic Kiddie Gil in a nutshell. Happily cheats and weasels his way through, is absolutely unrepentent at it, and tends to be right at least 12 times out of 5.
- Location
- Not here
I was right you cat emoji bastard! Where's my prize?
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Don't forget Shinji. And the Church Fuck-Boys.Or in Matthew Lulz's over everything and everyone and they're all better off for it.
Except Zouken.
But fuck him.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Very well done. Too bad you can't bring Kid Gil back to Chaldea like GhostXavier did with certain Servants in Fragments of Chaldea... or can you?
Also, who wants to bet that the living, post-immortality quest King Gilgamesh facepalms every time he foresees his Archer incarnation getting his ass whooped in a Grail War?
Also, who wants to bet that the living, post-immortality quest King Gilgamesh facepalms every time he foresees his Archer incarnation getting his ass whooped in a Grail War?
Mizu
Software Developer
- Location
- Victoria, Australia
I was going to bring up how the Matou and Tohsaka mansions are in the same area, but then you went and did it later via Ritsuka.
Ehh, I'm not sure this works. Medea's dagger, Rule Breaker, is a crystellisation of her legend - it isn't something which was forged in life or ever existed outside of her being a Servant, to my understanding. Thus, Gil probably~ wouldn't have a copy of it (or an earlier version) in his treasury. Wouldn't be surprised if he had some other item which could break contracts, though.
got no choice.
ConfusedCanuck
Where did it all go wrong?
- Location
- Neverland
Alright a long read not going to lie had to stop several times and comeback but finally finished it! And it was a wonderful chapter glad to see Shirou and Matthew getting along and that each are actually being a positive influence to each other. Glad to see the worm die like a worm always happy to see that not surprised that ruler is Priest Shirou at all. Glad to see that Medea got her lover/husband again honestly she deserves him. Glad to see Sakura and Illya may just get better endings from all this heaven knows they deserve it. And Shinji isn't important enough to mention so can't wait to see how this finishes.
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Typo fixed! Let's just pretend he has a dagger that ends contracts that isn't Rule Breaker, though.
- Pronouns
- Kay
This was great! My only nitpick is neither sieg, jeanne and astolfo will be showing up, or mentioned anything about knowing amakusa but thats just something I would have liked this is still fine. Actually why doesn't matthew know about amakusa? didn't sieg and mathew talk about that when sieg was still stuck in dragon mode in orleans?
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Matthew talked to Sieg and got a heavily abridged version of Apocrypha. Names weren't exactly used, only the most major events pertinent to 'how come am dragon'. Amakusa's actions were more relevant than his name.
I already had a lot of pieces for the event and didn't want to make a full Apocrypha crossover. I haven't hit cast bloat for this event yet, and I want to keep it that way. Seven Servants plus Mash and Ko-Gil, the Masters and Ritsuka, Kirei, and Amakusa make a pretty comprehensive cast. Adding in Medea is the last one before I have trouble keeping track.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
So I was right. The Fisher King destroys Magus families.
Syqadelic
That's not a mountain.
- Location
- Earth
I would argue that death is a happy ending for Zouken. If his younger self had seen what he had become in the future, he would definitely agree.
Because fuck 2004 Zouken.
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
Surprised that Taiga doesn't immediately ask is he's related to her as well, since they share a last name.
Ah, yes, the Seiba genes are showing here.
- Location
- A beach
I don't know why, but I really felt the manic energy from Matthew this chapter. He's just all over the shop, completely ready to plow through all the roadblocks thrown up in front of him.
I've never seen someone with so few fucks to give care so much.
I've never seen someone with so few fucks to give care so much.
- Location
- New Zealand
Except they dont. Fujimaru vs Fujimura
- Location
- Southern California
Man this chapter really goes to show just how OP/HAX Mathew is- I mean I know the past singularity did that but just seeing him essentially breeze his way through what in the VN is a multi-week long bloodsport filled with death, slice of life, horror, sex ,and complete chaos in less than 24 hours is just crazy. Seriously by the time Kadoc gets back everyone will be back where he saw them and if no one mentions it he won't have even realize that they all got chunked into an alternate timeline/singularity.
So talking about something that isn't going to related to Mathew solving nearly everyones problems:
1. Oh my gosh never before have I so badly wanted to have Kuzuki as a psuedo servant! Like that moment of Medea throwing herself through time and space to snuggle with him is adorable- I'm pretty sure if this site was more flexible with mature stuff then she would have been making out with him on the floor right then and there.
2. Wow I did not expect Mathew liking Gil so much- man if he loves blonde haired pure bois so much then he is going to adore Kintoki- then again its literally impossible not to love him. Granted I am extremely curious how in the future the oni pair, Golden Boy and crazy Milf will be involved with Chaldea.
So talking about something that isn't going to related to Mathew solving nearly everyones problems:
1. Oh my gosh never before have I so badly wanted to have Kuzuki as a psuedo servant! Like that moment of Medea throwing herself through time and space to snuggle with him is adorable- I'm pretty sure if this site was more flexible with mature stuff then she would have been making out with him on the floor right then and there.
2. Wow I did not expect Mathew liking Gil so much- man if he loves blonde haired pure bois so much then he is going to adore Kintoki- then again its literally impossible not to love him. Granted I am extremely curious how in the future the oni pair, Golden Boy and crazy Milf will be involved with Chaldea.