Fate

3rd Day

I am in the middle of a fire
With crumbling houses and burning human flesh
No matter where I walk, my eyes are always filled with a red scenery
A scene from ten years ago
For the longest time, I could not remember this piece of memory from the past
I am trapped inside, just keeping on running like a broken record

Though I know it's a nightmare, there is no exit

Run and run, never stop running

In the end, it's my exhausted, and rescued younger self

[----]

"--------"
I woke up from a distasteful feeling
It is as if there is a lead block stuff in my chest
I wipe my forehead, there are many sweats though it's still in winter

"......Aah, it’s already at this hour"
It is pass six already
If you listen attentively enough, you can hear the chopping sounds of the kitchen knife from the kitchen
"Sakura is early today too"
No time for admiration
I have to hurry up and change, so that I can go help prepare breakfast

[----]

"Shirou, what about today? Do you have part-time this afternoon since it's Saturday?"
"Nope, I didn't schedule any part-time. I just want to do something over at Issei's place, what about it?"
"Mm-, nothing. Just thought if you are bored you can come over and play in the field. I’m trapped in a crisis this month"
"? What crisis?"

"Financial crisis. I will be very happy if someone makes a bento for me-"
"I refuse. You reap what you sow, and it's not bad to skip a meal occasionally"
"Humph-, I didn't expect anything from Shirou anyway. I was only asking Sakura-chan. Is it fine, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes. If you can have the same dishes as my bento, I will prepare for you, sensei"
"Mm, OK-OK-. Then let's have lunch together today"

Just having breakfast like every other day
Other than the usual on the menu this morning, the main dish is chicken with lotus root and konjac jelly
Although I don't think making such an extravagant spread this early is worth it, but she must be planning on using them in lunch's bento as well
Sakura is a member of the archery club, and Fuji-nee is the advisor of the archery club
The two of them bringing the same bento is a reasonable development

"Oh yeah, Shirou. You are a bit late this morning, did something happen?"
Fuji-nee is having miso soup as she looks at me
......Seriously. Fuji-nee is pretty dull most of the time, however she's strangely sensitive at times like these

"I had a dream about the past. It felt terrible when I woke up, that's it"
"What, that's nothing special. I can relax then"

Fuji-nee seems to lose interest in the subject and becomes quiet
I don't really mind at all, and it is not something to be taken seriously

Ten years ago
Before I relinquished my memories of that fire, I often had nightmares
That problem disappeared over time, and now even if I have that dream, I can move on, and easily stand up again
......It's just, apparently what happened back then was very serious, and ever since then, Fuji-nee, who stayed with me, became very sensitive to certain signs

"Shirou, do you have an appetite? Why don't you eat less today?"
"No. There is nothing wrong with me, so don't use other people’s dreams as an excuse to steal food"
"Tut. Nee-san is very happy, for Shirou is becoming sturdier, but it will be even better if you can be a tad more delicate"

"That's my line. As a younger brother, I think it will be better if Fuji-nee can be a tad more charming"
We both make a groan, squabble without looking at each other
Fuji-nee takes this as an evidence of I am being spirited, and she smiles assuredly

"----Humph"
Honestly speaking, I appreciate her concern
But she will be too proud if I thank her, so I made a groan just like in the old times
"?"
Watching us act this way, Sakura who had no idea what's going on, tilts her head, as if this was incomprehensible to her

After Fuji-nee left, we locked the door and went outside of the house

"Senpai, I won't be able to come over to help out between today and next Monday, is that alright?"
"? Sure. It's Saturday after all. Sakura has someone to keep accompany as well, don't worry about it"

"Eh---T-that's not it......! That's not how it is, it is something personal really, and I will make sure to go to my club! S-so please come to me if you have any trouble and I will think of something! I am not going out for fun on Saturday, so, um......Please don't mistake it for something strange"

"???"
Sakura's behavior is a little suspicious, and she looks tense
I'm not sure what she's trying to say, but in any case, she can't come over this Saturday

"I see. I will go to the field if something comes up"
"Yes, I will be happy if you do so"
Sakura presses her chest, and takes a breath
Then Sakura's view tilted downward, and her expression stiffened all of a sudden

"Senpai, your hand---"
"?"
Sakura is staring at my left hand
I take a look---crimson blood is dripping down

"Eh?"
I roll up the sleeves of my uniform
Blood is definitely flowing.

"What's going on? Did I cut myself last night when I was meddling with junk?"
However it doesn't hurt
And so was the wound, there is only a swelling red strip appears to be a blood clot
The blood clot forms a line stretching from my shoulder all the way to the back of my hand in a straight line, as if a small snake was approaching the palm from shoulder

"Forget it, it doesn't even hurt, it should disappear soon enough. Nothing to worry about, don't worry it"
"......Yes. If Senpai says so, I won't mind it"
Did she feel uncomfortable because of the sight of blood? Sakura lowers her head and stops talking

I bade goodbye to Sakura who has a club to attend, and walked toward the school building
There are members of the sport clubs focusing on running, filled of energy since it’s morning

"............"
However, I could feel a grave sense of particularity
The school is nothing out of the ordinary
Students are working hard in their morning practices with liveliness, and the whole new school building doesn't have a dirty spot anywhere

"......Am I thinking too much?"
But once I shut my eyes, the atmosphere changes abruptly
The school building appears to be glued to a membrane of filth, and the students running on campus give off the sensation of hollow marionettes

"......I am probably too tired"
I shake my head slightly, waking up my reasoning
And then, I walk towards the school building that doesn't seem to have any vitality left

School closes early on Saturday
Classes ended before noon, but after I helped out Issei however, the sun has nearly sunk below the horizon
"Alright, it's about time to go"
I packed up my things, and got ready to leave the classroom

Just then
"What. You are still in school, Emiya?"
I meet Shinji out of the blue
There are a few female students following behind him, and apparently are creating a bit of a ruckus

"You don't have any business here, so why are you staying after school? Ah...right, you are kissing the student council's ass. Good job, Emiya, you became an interior secretary without even meddling in a single club"
"I am not helping out the student council. As a student, it's only natural for me to repair the school equipment, since we are the ones using them"

"Ha, good comeback. For Emiya, everything is only natural. Did I ever tell how your goody-two-shoes look really pisses me off?"
"Oh?......Sorry, I can't remember much. I guess since that's Shinji's pet words, I didn't pay attention"

"----! Humph, so that's it. So you can repair anything in the school, huh, Emiya?"
"Not all of them. But I can at least take care of some for a bit"

"Well then, I'll ask you a favor. Our archery field is quite messy at the moment. The bowstrings are lying around without being curled up properly and the Azuchi is not cleaned up either. If you have time, can I ask you to do it? You are a former archery club member, right? Don't chase after the ass of student council all the time, help us out sometimes." (TL: Azuchi is a target bank)

"Eh-? Hold on, Senpai, didn't Fujimura-sensei tell Senpai to do it-?"
"Yeah, won't she get angry tomorrow if you don't do it properly-?"
"But then again-, if I start cleaning now the shop will be closed when we get there. Shouldn't it be fine to let the guy over there to take care of it?"
"It's not fine-. We can't let non-members to clean up anyway......"
"That's not exactly the case, right? Shinji said that person is a former member of archery club, let him do it"

It seemed like they were raising an uproar behind Shinji's back
They were supposed to be archery members, however I have never seen them before, so they probably joined recently for Shinji

"I will ask you to take care of the rest then. The key is in the old place, let yourself in. Any comments, Emiya?"
"Aah, it's fine with me. I happen to be free, it's not bad to do this once in a while'
"Ha ha, thanks! Let's go, everyone, leave the boring chores to this guy!"

"Ah, hold on Senpai! Ah, then take care of the rest, Senpai"

Since I knew the way to go about it, the cleaning of archery field was finished easily
Though it did take a long time because of the sheer spaciousness, but to clean up the field that I used until one and a half years ago made me happy

In the middle of it, I picked up a bow and thought about pulling it, but gave up since it's impolite to pull other people's bows
And if I wanted to, I could just pick up my own bow

"......Anyway, there are a lot more bows made of carbon rods now. There was only one a year ago"

Bows made of carbon rods are different from plastic or wood, and it's a very convenient bow in many ways
The biggest drawback, however, is its price, since it's so expensive that there's no way you can buy it with the club budget alone
Back then the only one using it was Shinji, but the newly joined members are surprisingly rich apparently.

"......Pity. You could have a lot more modifications with a wooden bow"

Forget it, this is just personal preference
Giving a glance, the clock shows it's already pass the school’s closing time
It just passed seven. The school gate should be closed by now, so there's no point of forcing myself to go home right away

......Anyway
Why is the field so dirty? Including the storage for bows and the club room, there are obvious stain marks all over the place

"......Oh well, a couple more hours won't change anything since I've already come this far anyway"
I can't give up half way through. Since I've already started it anyway, why not tidy up the entire place---

The wind is picking up
My cheeks are numb because of the cold
......The night of Fuyuki that is not very cold even in winter, is especially cold tonight

"--------"
Ha, the sigh that I exhaled remains as a streak of white
I tighten my body to bear the cold air that can seemingly freeze my fingertips

"......What? No wonder I felt it was dark, the moon is blocked away"
I raise my head to look at the sky, there is no white light
Is it because of the strong winds that the clouds are flowing in the mid-air?
It is pass the school’s closing time, there is nothing that emits heat in this deserted school

Not even the slightest noise, this place is mantled by cold air more so than any other place in town
"............?"
What was that, just now?
Did I hear some noise?

"---I certainly did hear it. Over in the school yard......?"
In this night
Under the frozen night sky, I am intrigued by the noise that broke the silence

In order to confirm the existence of that noise, I walk towards that place

---I walked into the school yard

"............People?"

In the beginning, that is all that I can make out from afar
It’s a dark night, in a darkness without light
If I want to see more, then I will have to move closer to the school yard

The volume and intensity of the noise is increasing
This is the sound of clashing steel
In that case, there are probably some people slashing each other with bladed weapons over there

"......How is that possible? What was I thinking......"

I disapprove of the image that rose in my head as I give a wry smile, my steps pick up speed

---Right now
Is my instinct sensing the danger, I am considering whether to sneak in stealthily
Anyhow let me go near the woods that can hide my presence first, before moving closer to check out the source of noise

---

And then, my conscious is completely frozen

"--------What?"

There is something inexplicable
A man of red and a man of blue
Surpassing historical incorrectness, armed in such a grotesque way that's not even funny, and just as my ill-omened imagination suggested, they really are slashing at each other

Incomprehensible
Intractable with the sense of sight
To their overly unrealistic movements, my brain cannot function normally
Only the clashing sound of lethal weapons, forces me to realize these two men are intent on killing one another

"--------"
But I did figure something out the instant I had set eyes on them
Those things are not humans. Perhaps they are something resembles human
I know this not because I am learning Sorcery
From that, anyone can tell that they are not humans
Humans are not creatures that can move like that
Therefore, those things are completely different

"--------"
I can feel the killing intent even from afar
......Death
The idea comes across my body faster than my mind, there is no way to survive if I keep staying in here
So is the increased rate of heartbeat
We are both living creatures, however I feel as if they exist for the sole purpose of murdering

"--------"
......They are waving around lethal weapons that can surely kill a human, kitchen knife or short swords don't even come close in comparison
All of a sudden, the homicide case from yesterday hits me
The sacrificed family, allegedly was cruelly murdered by a lethal weapon resembling a sword

"--------"
I can't continue to watch in these circumstances
But I can't move my body an inch, nor can I breath
My mind is thinking of how I must escape
And my judgment is saying that if I escape, I will be discovered

......Compared to that fight, there is something more frightening that paralyzes my limbs and restrain me from moving freely

I am easily forty meters away from those two, however I can't breath unhindered, it's as if that lance will penetrate me from behind

"--------"
The noise stops
Those two, stand facing each other separated by a distance
Just as I relax from the thought of them ceasing from killing each other, I sense a thicker murderous intent that follows immediately

"..................!"
My heart is withering
The paralysis on my limbs becomes a spasm, I bite my teeth, trying to contain my almost quivering body

"You got to be kidding me---What is, that guy----!?"
The overwhelming amount of mana flows into the blue one is just sick
Kiristugu allowed me to witness the act of absorbing mana from surroundings before
Even an amateur like me can admire it, it was a Sorcery accompanied by a sense of elegance

But this is different
Even a simple act such as drinking water, can be unbearable when it exceeds the limit
What that guy did, was something that even people possessing mana would feel distasteful of, a humongous gluttony

"--------"
Will be killed.
The guy in red will be killed.
A strike released with that much mana. There is no chance of defending

He will die
He is not human, but that guy with the appearance of a man will die
Is that

Is that

Is that, something I can brush aside?

Because of this dilemma, my conscious moves away from them
In that instant that my body can finally move again, and I take in a deep breath

"Who is it----!"

The man in blue fixes his gaze at me who was hidden

".........!!"
The blue man lowers his stance
Just from this, I realize that his target has been switched to me

"A----Ah............!"
My feet are running by themselves
When I notice this is an act to avoid death at last, I pull my entire body, focusing into the act of escaping

I don't know where I was going, when I came to my senses, I had already ran inside the school building

"What a stupid thing----I've done"
As I pant heavily, I am speechless for my act
If I wanted to escape, I should've headed toward the town
What's the point of running to a deserted place with nobody around?

On top of that, this is a school. Even if I wanted to hide, shouldn't there be better places for hiding?
And why do I reach the conclusion that I will be murdered if I don't escape---

"Hah----hah, hah hah----ah"

I am running beyond my limits, pressing my heart
Turning my head around, I don't sense anyone chasing after me
The sound of footsteps belongs to me

"Ah----Hah, hah, hah"

In that case, I can finally take a break
I stop my feet, which could no longer go on for even one more step, and take in oxygen for my almost broken heart, then I open my mouth to give out a sigh, a sense of survival overcomes me

"......Hah......ah......What was that, just now......"

As I adjust my disorderly breathing, I start to recollect the view from before
Either way, that was certainly something that I shouldn't have taken a look at

In the school yard under the dark night, creatures resembling human were fighting
This is all I can recall
Just that, in the corner of my eye there was

"......There was another person, I felt as if there was someone else there......"

I can't remember that person's appearance at all
To be honest, I didn't have any attention left to spare after those two

"Anyway, this is at last----"

"Tag is over, right?"

The voice came directly in front of my face

"Hey. I didn't think you can run this far."

That guy talks as if he is very familiar with me

"----"
Can't breathe
My thoughts cut off, I simply could not start the process of thinking

----Only vaguely did I feel that I would die for certain this way

"You should know better than anyone else that you can't escape, right? How about that, this is what the privilege of the defeated one means. There is nothing to be embarrassed about"
Huu
He raises his lance naturally, just like that

"Tough luck, kid. But, since you saw it, you’ll have to die"

No mercy nor any emotion, the lance of that man, penetrated the heart of Emiya Shirou

There was no time for maneuvering
All the training I did in the past couldn't be put to use
I was killed
Even though I knew I'd be penetrated by the lance, I couldn't even move one finger

"A----ah"
The world is distorted
My body becomes cold
Sensation begins to disappear from the ends of fingertips
"Cough----"
Just once, I spit out blood from my mouth

There should've been more blood, but it was only once
Perhaps that man's lance was enhanced
Bloodstream is slowly precipitating, the heart that should've gushed out blood, was stopped of all activities in the instance of that thrust

"--------"
I am losing my sight
Senses are gone
Like the moon floating on the surface of sea in a dark night
Already, I can't even feel the pain

The world is white, and myself is black

Rather than being dead
It feels more like everything surrounding me is gone

I recognize this
Ten years ago I had the taste once
The taste of a dying man

"Dead men can't talk. It's only natural for the weak to die out, but---"

My conscious is already unable to reach my vision

"---What a ridiculous job. This is a mockery to the title of a hero"

I can only, hear voices

"I got it, no comment. I have already seen the Servant of that girl. I will return obediently"

The voice connotes a sense of anger
After that, the sound of running down the hallway

"---Is that Archer? I really want to duel with him, but I can't violate Master's policy. ......What an annoying Master"

The voice is gone suddenly
He jumps down from the window, perhaps
And then

The sound of running down is stopped

A peculiar interval

......Then there are footsteps again

I am losing my hearing

"......Go now, Archer. Lancer should be returning to his Master, get his face at the very least"

......Whose voice does this belong to?
I try to recall with all my gradually blurred consciousness, but can't think of anything as I expected
For now, there is only very noisy breathing
Are the lungs still alive
My breathing that leaks out of my mouth, is like a typhoon, so very noisy

"......Yet he still manage to struggle for this long, what vitality"

It feels like someone is looking at me
Does this guy think my breathing is noisy too, a finger is stretched out as if to shut my mouth
----

"......No. Why, are you"

Tut
While hearing the sound of clenching teeth unwillingly, without hesitation that fellow touches me, who is then soaked by the blood

"...... forge the damaged internal organs to substitute, and completely repair the heart during this period of time......If this is successful, I am already qualified to move into the Clock Tower directly"

Laborious sounds

From here on, the gradually loss of consciousness stopped short

"--------"

Feeling returned to my body
Slowly, one by one, like how water drops fall from a leaf blade, the functions of my body are restored

"--------"

... ... Tick-tock, tick-tock
What is she doing?
The fellow that leans on my side is sweating from her forehead, focusing whole-heartedly, she places a hand on my chest

"--------"

When I come to my senses, I notice the place where she placed her palm was very hot
That certainly was, a heat that could even shock a dead body, only then did my frozen bloodstream start to flow once again

"--------Phew"

I feel that fellow sigh as she sits down

"I am dead tired......"

Clang, something falls down

"......Forget it, there was no other way. Sorry, father. Your daughter is a heartless person"

At last
As she mocks herself, her presence simply pulls far away from me

"--------"

Heart started to beat once again
Then, conscious really stopped this time

......That is not a sleep for stepping toward the death
But is a necessity for waking up once more, a restful sleep

"Ah............"
I open my eyes dully
A craving for vomiting is coming from deep down inside my throat. My body is hurt all over the places, along with each heartbeat, it feels as if my head is strung painfully

"What----happened?"

The intense headache is preventing me from remembering
Is it because of resting on the hallway for a long time, my body is trembling in coldness
Only thing I'm sure of, my uniform is ripped near the chest, and the moisten stain on hallway, is my own blood

"............"

I held my hazy head as I stand up
The place I fell down, looks as dramatic as a murder scene

"......Shit, seriously......"

----Was my chest, penetrated

"......Hah......hah......guh......"

I push down the things well up, and approach the classroom next to me
Open up the cabinet with unsteady footsteps, and take out a cleaning rag and a bucket

"......Ah......What am I doing......"

My head is still in a state of panicking
I obviously met an extremely dangerous creature, was killed off abruptly, so why take care of the cleaning at a time like this, fool

"......Hah......hah......Damn it, it doesn't come off......"

......I mop the floor with a rag
I still can't strain my hands and feet, but at last I wipe away the scattered bloodstain, pick up the trash from the ground and place it in my pocket
......This might be what it means, to destroy evidence
Only because my mind was mixed up, did I commit such a stupid thing

"......Ah......hah......hah......hah......"

After collecting the cleaning rag and the bucket, I walk out of the school like a zombie
......My body is heating up as I walk more
It is really cold outside, only my body is like burning up

......When I get back to home, it's already passed twelve
There is no one at home
Obviously Sakura isn't here, and Fuji-nee has already gone back as well

"......Ah......Hah, hah, ha---ah"
I drop and sit on the floor
And then lie down just like that, I am finally calm
"........................"
I take a deep breath

Every time my chest expand, it hurts as if my heart is cracked open
......No, it's the other way around
Not that my heart is cut
Rather since the opening on my heart was just healed, the wound splits open every time it expand

"......It's true that I was almost killed"
That's not the case either
Not almost killed, but I was killed
The reason for me to live on like this, is because of the help from someone

"......Who, was that. I need to give my thanks at least"
Since that person was over that location, perhaps it's an acquaintance of theirs
Anyhow the fact that I was saved remains unaltered. One day, I will thank him properly

"Ah......Guh......!"
At the same time I ease my mind, the pain returns
The urge of vomiting is welling up

"Ah......Hah, guh......!"
I hold my body up, and forcibly push down the vomit
"Uh......Huh......"
I pat my chest, which became bare after the uniform was ripped
Though I was saved, but my chest was cracked open before regardless

That sensation
That kind of, painful experience of chest been bored by a lance point like a kitchen knife, can not be forgotten shortly

"......Damn it. It's going to stick around in my dream for a while"

Whenever I shut my eyes close, I can feel the sensation of chest been bored by lance
Shake away that illusion, I intend to cool down and settle my mind first

"......Yes. I am calm"
The result of training every night
I can let my mind goes blank with a few deep breaths, the heat of my body and the urge of vomit are lower as well

"Then, about that"

The man in red and the man in blue
They appear to be human, but I think otherwise

More along the line of ghosts
But I never heard of ghosts that have materialistic bodies, and can interfere with living humans directly
Plus that one even talked. Since it has its own mind, it's even harder to recognize it as a ghost
......The only kind of spirits that possess flesh are the fairies, however fairy shouldn't take the form of human, right......?

"......No. That's beside the point"

There should be another, more fundamental problem

......The two men that attacked each other
......A robber that committed murder by trespassing the resident nearby
......Ill-omented events continue to take place in Fuyuki

"......"
After much thoughts, the only thing that I understand is the fact that I can't take care of these by myself

"......At time like this, if only Dad is still alive"

Perhaps the wound on my chest is still too fresh, I spoke of disheartened words that shouldn't be said

"---Idiot. Did I already establish that even if I don't have a clue, I have to do whatever I can"

Disheartened words are for later
For now, yes---I have to decide whether to be involved with this event---

"---!?"

The clock hang down from the ceiling is sounded
This place might be a dump but still a house of Magus
At the very least a barrier that sounds whenever a stranger intrude is set up

"Why is there a thief at a time like this----"

I whisper, then immediately become dumbstruck for my stupidity
How can it be a thief

At a time like this, right after that bizarre event, how can it be a thief
The intruder is real
Not thief, not for seizing material wealth, but an assassin that seizes lives
Since, didn't that man say

'You saw it, you die'

"-----"
The house is covered by quiescent
In a darkness without a hint of sound, for certain---the killing intent I felt back in the school yard, is closing in step by step

"----"
Gulp, my throat makes some noises
My back is cold as if struck by needles
Not illusion, not anything, one step out of this room, I will be penetrated immediately

"----"
I try my hardest to stop the screams that almost spill out
At the instant I scream, the assassin will assumably rush in to kill me with joys

......When that happens, the same thing from before will repeat again
I will be penetrated by that lance, without putting up a fight

"----Ah----Hah, ah----"

As I think of this, I become short of breath
My head is all clustered
The self that feels intimidated, and the self that gives up easily on the life that was saved by someone else, is despicably

"----Grr"

I grit my teeth, grab the chest that was once penetrated, take a hold of my dull self

It' about time, to grow accustom to this
This is the second time
The second time that someone coming to kill me
I already said that kind of unsightly look shouldn't appear on my face, isn't Emiya Shirou a Magus
Then, if I can't even protect myself at a situation like this, what did I learn for the past eight years---!

"......Fine. Didn't I say I am going to do this"

Don't think of the difficulties
For now all I need to do is, chase out the one after me

"......First off, I have to think of something for weapon"

Though I call myself a Magus, I can only 'enhance' the things that can be used as weapons
Weapons are required for fights
There are many things can be used as weapons over the warehouse, however it's quite a distance to warehouse from here
If I am ambushed while leaving the living room like this, same thing will happen again in the mid-way

......It's going to be hard, yet the weapon has to be prepared right here
If there's a long and thin, pole-shape object will be perfect. My opponent is specialized on lance. Short sword or kitchen knife won't be up to it
Of course a wooden sword will be for the best, but surely there isn't that kind things around
In this living room, speaking of things that can be used as weapons----

"Aww......Only the posters left by Fuji-nee......"

I can't help but feel heavy around my shoulders
However, in this absolutely hopeless situation, I finally calm down
Since this already hit rock bottom, it can't get any worse
And so---I can only, move forward until there is nothing left in me

"----Trace, on"

As I switch to self-suggestion, mana is poured into the poster with around sixty centimeters in length
To conjure an object that can deal with that lane, I need to let mana to flow into the entire poster, and modified it to be a weapon

"----Composing materials, clarify"

Concentrate my mind
As if I am staining the poster with my blood, next to my skin, I let the touch of my mana permeate through

"----Composing materials, reinforce"

A sense of hitting the end return
Mana is spreading through every corner of the poster, before it's overflown

"----All processes, end"

I break off the contact between the poster and myself, my body shakes a bit because of the sense of success

The hardness of this poster, is the same as iron now
In addition it's as light as before, for an impromptu forged sword, this result is flawless

"It's done, smoothly---"

It's been years since I complete the enhance Sorcery
The Sorcery that has never even once taken form since the death of Kiritugu, progresses smoothly under this circumstance, what irony

"Anyway, in this case----"

Perhaps there is a way
I have learned how to use sword as well, if needed
I holy the poster tightly with both hands, stand in the middle of the living room

I will be killed if I stay here anyway, and I don't think there's any chance of escaping even if I run outside of house
So, I can only run headlong toward the warehouse, to make better weapons----

"------Huh"

Come what may, I won't be like before, in the instant I pose my stance

"-------!"

My hair stands

Did he come over beforehand
The one appeared from the ceiling, is falling on me in a straight line

"What.........Eh----?"
The silver slick slips down above my head
I can only take that he broke the ceiling to come down, that guy falls and intends to bore me from the top of my head

"This----guy......!!"

I focus in one thought, dodge him as if I am tumbling down forward

The landing makes a light sound, I rolls on the ground unsightly

But I stop immediately, hold on to my impromptu sword and stand up

"----"
That guy appears to be very bored, turn to face me slowly

"......Stop wasting your efforts. I was worried that if you see yourself getting killed would hurt a lot"
That guy takes up his lance with little enthusiasm

"----"
I'm not exactly sure how, but presently that guy doesn't have the pressing force back in the school yard
In this case, then I seriously---can take the lead......!

"......Seriously, I'm fallen to kill the same person twice in one day. Did the human world become completely reeking of blood"
The man appears to be uttering some complaints without taking me seriously at all

"----"
I draw back step by step
Around three meters to the window
Once I run to the yard, there will be less than twenty meters to the warehouse
Then, even if right now at once----

"Farewell. Don't get lost this time, kid"
Vaguely
As if giving out a sigh, the man spoke

"Ah----!?"
Great pain coming from my right hand
"......?"
It's all in a flash
The man thrusts out the lance, almost too naturally, leaves me with no time to react

......Essentially, I should've embraced death a second time thus
What stops that lance, is the impromptu sword set in front of me
Perhaps that guy thought it is only ordinary paper
The lance was thrusted as if the poster was non-existed, deflected by the paper sword, grazed my right hand

"......Oh. What a strange technique, hey"

Expressions are washed off from the man's face
The negligence from before has completely vanished, the sight like those of the beasts, is observing my actions

"Ah----"
I was wrong. How could I have the arrogant idea that I can take him on

---Right now in front of my eyes, is a demon escaped out of common senses

I thoroughly understand my own stupidity for relaxing even a bit when confronting that guy

......Without a doubt
If I was really desperate, I should've ran toward the window without a second look to the side, right after I dodged the strike miraculously......!

"Though you were an ordinary kid, I see now......though faint but I do feel mana. So this is why, you stay alive after your heart was penetrated"
The point of lance is fixing on me

"--------"
Can't block
A lightening like strike such as this, can't possibly be blocked
If this man is an adept of sword, then no matter how fast it come I can be prepare
However that is a lance
A sword has a course of a line, while a lance has a course of a single point
Even the initial movement of the strike can't be seen through, how do I defense myself

"Very good---so it seems I can enjoy this for a bit"
The man press down his body
In an instant----

Not from face front, the lance swings from sideway

Rely on conditional reflex solely, I block the lance swing toward my face

"Grr----!?"
"Good boy, come, the next one is coming......!"

The whirlwind is blowing
How did he do it inside of this narrow room, the lance draws a beautiful arc without touching the walls

"......!!!!!"

This time is from the opposite direction, it draws a large curse and aims at my body......!

"Ah---!!!??"
The impromptu sword used for defense was bended
Monster---is this guy using an iron hammer!
Dammit, this numb feeling, the bones of my two hands are not crashed, are they---!

"Grr, this guy----!"
"Humph?"
I swing my sword out of reflect
He is taking me lightly, then I will deflect the lance you haven't returned yet---!

"Grr......!"
The hands that strike toward the lance are numbed
The impromptu bended even more, the man's lance has only strayed from its path slightly

"......Useless. You waste the chance I handed over to you. Forget it, there's no use in hoping a Magus will clash with me---"

The man's actions just now were only fooling around
Give you an award to strike once if you can block two strikes, the man is not even trying
......That one and absolute only chance, was wasted by me right then

As a result---This man, does not consider me worthy to clash with him

"---I am disappointed. Go die quickly then, kid"

The man returns to the stance with the lance he thrusted out

"Whatever----

In the middle of his unnecessary actions

you say moron----!"
Without a glance at my back, I jump back toward the window......!

"Hah, hah, har----"
I crash the window with my back and rolls in the yard
After rolling a few cycles, I stand up----

"Har, ah----!"

Without any indication
I turn my body around and strike back---!

"Hrr----!"
The thrusting lance is deflected, the man hesitated for a bit
---Just as I thought
If I jump out of the window, that guy will definitely come after me
Furthermore, if I am caught by him before standing up, I will surely be killed

Therefore---believed in the arrival of the strike of certain kill, I could swing the sword with all my might
Even if it's a foolhardy strategy that would lead to my death if I was late for a bit, or too early and be killed during the interval of the miss, but judging from the difference in actual strength, there's no way I'd be too early

So all I did was, mustered all my strength to stand up as quickly as possible, and strike back
In the end it was a perfect aim, I hit back the man's lance beautifully with just one strike......!

"Hah, ......!"
I rally my stance at once
And then I only need to take advantage of the interval when the man's scared, and figure out a way to run to the storehouse and---!
"----Go fly"

"Eh......!"
The man whose lance should've been deflected, without his lance, approaches me barehandedly

Turns his back at me, and makes a roundhouse kick

"--------"
The views are flowing
My chest is numbed from the kick, can't breath
No, more surprise than that, is the fact that I'm flying in the air
Just a roundhouse kick, he actually managed to kick my body into the air like a ball, I didn't even think of the possibility----

"Gah----!"
My back falls down
I hit the wall, an impact that nearly broke my back, I fell to the ground

"Cough----, Ah............!"
Can't breath
My sight is blurry
Wall---I press against the wall of my goal, the storehouse, and finally let my body stands up

"Hah----hah, ha"
I search for the man with a blurry eyesight
......Seriously, was I in the air for almost twenty meters
The man holds his lance once again, and charges forward in a straight line

"Grr----!"
I will be killed
I will definitely be killed
That man will be here in a second
Before that----If I don't want to die, I must, stand up, counter----

"----"
The point of lance sprints up
I can't even make it to turn my head to face that face, the nearly collapsed body is against the point of lance

"Humph, stand up if you're a man......!"
Pure luck
It's really lucky for me to bend my knees, because I couldn't support my body
The lance is on top of my head, strikes the door of the Storehouse, bounced off the heavy door

"Ah----"
So, this is the last chance
Once make it inside the Storehouse, there must be----something that can be used as weapons

"Grr----!"
I climb in the Storehouse on my hands and feet
At the time----

"Hey, is this the end---!"

Inevitable, the lance of certain death is released

"This----guy----!"
It was blocked
I unrolled the pole-shaped poster, make it into a single-use shield

"Hrr......!?"
The impact comes with a klang
Apparently the unrolled poster can't maintain the same hardness as before
Though the lance was blocked, but the poter was tear apart, and return to the original paper

"Ah, grr......!"
I am bounced to the wall from the impact of the thrusting lance

"Ah----, aw----"
I sit on the floor, call up my nearly stopped heart forcibly
And then, just as I raise my head intending to grab something for weapons

"It's over. You really surprised me there, kid"

In front of me is the man thrusting out a lance

"-----------"
Already, there's nothing left
The man's lance aim at the heart precisely
I know
The pain I tasted a few hours ago, the smell of been pushed toward death mercilessly

"......Anyway, I don't get it. you're quite clever, though horrible at Sorcery. You certainly have talent, is it because of your young age"

......I can't hear that man's voice
My mind, is just focusing on the lethal weapon in front of my eyes
But of course
For, once that thrusts out, I will die
Therefore everything else is unnecessary. To this point, what else is there to think about

"Though I don't think it's gonna happen, but you might be the seventh one. Forget it, this is over even if that's the case"
The man's hands move
That movement which I couldn't even get a single glimpse, looks like in slow motions now

A sprinting silver light
As if the point of lance is sucking in by my heart
Blood will be spilled in a second
I knew
The sensation of metal probe into my body
And the taste of bloodstream gushing over my throat
And the feeling of the world vanishing gradually
I only tasted it not long ago
......That's going to happen again? Really?
I can't comprehend. Why do I have to deal with this kind of thing

......Got to be joking me
I can't accept this. I'm not going to die here meaninglessly
I was saved once. Then, I can't die so easily since I was saved once
I have to complete the duty of the living, I can't fulfill my duty if I die

Yet, the point of lance is still thrusting toward my chest
The lance point is probing into the skin, surely it will break the ribs and penetrate the heart

"----"
I am angry
What a joke, you can actually kill someone that easily
What a joke, I am actually going to die
Yet another joke, getting killed twice in a single day, there's actually something as stupid as this
Aah seriously, seriously everything that happens is like a joke, then why should I follow the norm and be afraid

"Stop joking around, how can I be-----"

Right here, meaninglessly
Killed
By someone like you----!!!!!

"Eh-----?"

That, really is

"What.........!?"

Like magic, it emerges out of nowhere

From behind my back, in a dazzling flame

My train of thought stopped short
I could only guess, that which emerged, appeared to be a girl

A clang
Once she emerged, the lance that intended to penetrate my chest was deflected, and she approached that man without a second thought

"---Seriously, the seventh Servant......!?"

The man who holds straight the deflected lance, and the girl that swings around a 'certain object' in her hands

Sparks explode again
A flash of a metal sword
The man with lance retreated a few steps, from receiving a strike of the girl who just emerged
"Grr----!"
Did he come to realize his disadvantage, the man flied out of the Storehouse with a beast-like agility
Forced the man to retreat with her body, she turned her head back slowly

Today is one of those days with strong winds
Clouds are drifting, the moon is revealed for a brief moment
The silver moonlights shot into the Storehouse, shine upon the girl wearing a knight's suit

"----"
Can't make any sound
Not because I'm panicking from the sudden change of event
But, I am at a loss of words because of the surreal beauty of the girl in front of my eyes

"--------"
After the girl fixes her gaze upon me emotionless, with a pair of pupils of jewels

"---I ask of you. Are you my master"

With a voice full of integrity, she spoke

"Eh......Mas......ter......?"
I merely repeat the words she asked of me
I don't understand what she is speaking of, neither do I know who she is
The only thing my present self know of---is just that this petite, slender girl, is the same existence as the man outside

"........................"
The girl says nothing, looks at me quietly

---That posture, how should I say this

In front of my eyes, she is special enough to let me forget about the fact that, under this circumstance, the man outside will assault here whenever he finds an opening

As if only the time around me has stopped
The fear of death that occupied my entire present has vanished completely, right now, there is only this girl possessing my sight---

"Servant. Saber, heeding your summoning, I've arrived. Master, please give orders"

For a second time
In the instant the sound of this word, Master, along with the word Saber were sent to my ears

"----Hrr"
Pains coming from my left hand
As if branded with a soldering-iron

I can't help but press against the back of my left hand
Is this gesture a signal, the girl quietly, nods with her delicate face

"---From now on, may my sword be with you, and your fate with mine. ---Now, the contract is completed."

"What, contract, what----!?"
I am somewhat of a Magus. I can grasps the meaning of that word pretty well
However the girl does not answer my question, she turns her face around with the same elegance when she nods

----She is facing toward the door to outside
Outside of the door, is the man still holding up the lance

"----"
No way, before I even hold this thought
The girl in a knight's suit, jumps out of the Storehouse without any hesitant

"!"
As if I forgot about the pain on my body, I stood up to chase after the girl
That girl can't possibly beat that man
Even dress in an intimidated way, yet that girl is an adolescent child younger than me

"Hold----!"
On, the voice which I intended to call out, was halted by that other sound
"What----"
I doubt my own eyes
This time, my head really goes blank and can't think of anything

"Who is, that guy----"
Clashes of weapons
Moon is crawling behind the clouds, the yard returns to darkness where it once belonged
Steel and steel are bursting sparks in the middle

The man of lance strikes against the girl leaping out of the Storehouse without saying a word
Girl smashes away the lance with a hit, then bounces off the continually strikes of lance, the man is forced to step back each time

"----"
Cannot, believe
The girl named Saber, is indeed dominating against that man

---The battle, starts

What went back and forth between the man and I was not a battle
Battle, is a fight where both sides can inflict life threatening toward one another
Despite the difference of actual strength, as long as there is a way to defeat the opponent, then it can be called battle

From this perspective, the fight between these two is also a battle
The lance of that man which I can't even make out, is continually thrusting toward the girl with increasing vigorous
Girl deflects the lance with that 'certain object' in her hands surely, steps forward in between a hair's breadth

"Tut----!"
Makes a disgusted sound, the man steps back slightly
He straighten the lance in his hands, to defend the side of his abdomen from attack----!

"Grr......!"
In the blink of an eye, the lance of that man splits up lights
This is perhaps what a strike resembles throwing a dynamite is like
In the instant that girl swings that 'certain object', the lance of that man is glowing as if circuits with electricity
Besides that man, even I can tell what that is

That is mana powerful enough to be seen
Every effortless strike made by that girl, contend an incredible amount of mana
That overpowering mana, is a weapon that can infiltrates the opponent's weapon just from contact

That kind of thing, even just from blocking it will receive a certain impact
If take that man's lance as an accurate sniper rifle, then a strike from that girl is a shotgun in terms of firepower
Evey time the girl takes a swing, the entire yard would be surrounded by flashes

However
What put that man in a disadvantageous position, is not that kind of thing of minor importance

"Cheap bastard, why hide your own weapon......!"

As he forces back the girl's fierce attacks, the man is cursing
"--------"
The girl does not reply, she again slash that 'certain object' in her hands......!

"You......!"
The man retreats without making come backs
This is as expected
For the weapon holds by the girl cannot be seen
Since he doesn't know the attack range of his opponent, it'd only be too foolish to rush in

Indeed, can't be seen
The girl is certainly carrying a 'certain object'
But of what shape, or length, cannot be determined, nothing can be seen
Is it transparent since the beginning, the weapon swings by the girl doesn't lift of any shape even when bursting out sparks

"Tut----"
Is it because the toughness of the battle, the man loses the agility from before

"----"
And, for the first time the girl makes a sound
The arms waving that 'certain object' becomes more furious
Without any interval, a dance of sword comes down like a cloudburst
The sparks burst out remind people of melt iron in a blacksmith's fire

----The man is dodging as his words are snapping away from his mouth

To be honest, I have to admire him even though he's an opponent that plans to take my life
The man with lance is taking on that invisible weapon, defends himself with a certainty just from reading the movements of the girl's arms and steps----!

"Hurr----!"
But this is the end of that
The way to deal with an opponent who keeps on defending, not slash, is not slash but defeat. As if claiming this, the girl advances to approach the man even closer
As if to strike him down, a hit with all her might.......!!

"Don't think too highly of yourself, fool----!"
Did he find a chance to win, the man vanished
Rather, a leap backward that's like vanishing
The strike of the girl cuts through the air and smashes the ground, sweeps up the clods

The strike that was swung with the intention of certain kill, and forced the man to a corner, was dodged easily----!

"Idiot, what is that guy doing......!"
Even someone from afar can tell
The effortless attacks from before might have a chance, but a decisive major move can't possible capture that man

To that man, who stops the fierce attacks from the girl one by one, his body must be restrained for a while now
He held himself back, all for the sudden jump in this instant

For he realized that strike just now, is the real opening that will determine the resolution----!

"Hah----!"
The man who jumped to back for a few meters, springs up at the same he lands on the ground
Perhaps it can be called a triple jump, he leaps toward the girl as if reversing his previous jump
On the contrary---The sword of the girl is still besets in the ground

"----!"
That interval, can no longer be reverted
The crimson lance thrives again in less than a second
And whose sword remained chip in the ground, the girl turns her body like a diabolo

"!"
That exchange of blows is also within a second
The man who realized his negligence and stop short
And that blow in less than a second, swept with the entire body of the girl----!

"Grr----!"
"--------"
The man flies off, and the girl that sends him flying, both make a dissatisfying expression
But of course
Since they both let go of their certain kill skills that intended to critical attack the opponent
Even if they turned the table around, there's no merit in it

Distance draws apart greatly
Did the previous exchange of blows gave them too much burden, the two stare at each other quietly

"---What's wrong Lancer. If you halt it down the name of Lancer would cry. If you're not coming, I will go to you"

"......Ha, are you coming to offer your death. That's all right, but before that I have something to ask of you. Is your Noble Phantasm----a sword?"

As if they can peer through a person's inner thoughts, Lancer's eyes are sat Saber

"---Who knows. Maybe it's a war ax, or a halberd. No, perhaps a bow, Lancer?"

"Humph, or perhaps a swordsman"

Is it really that funny
The man......the man that is called Lancer inclines his lance slightly
Which also carries the meaning of cease-fire

"?"
The girl is confused by Lancer's attitude
But---I know that stance
From a few hours ago, the battle proceed inside the nightly school yard
The supposedly final resolution, the one certain kill shot

"......By the way. This is the first time we meet, do you have any intention of just letting it go?"
"--------"

"This isn't such a bad idea, right? Look, that drooling Master of yours over there is worthless, and my Master is a coward who wouldn't show his face. I prefer push back the duel, until we are both in the perfect condition----"

"---I refuse. You are going down here, Lancer"

"Is that so. Seriously, I was just taking a look at things? I didn't intend to linger when a Servant appeared, however----"
The space around the two, shows sign of distortion

Lancer lower his stance
And takes up a whirl of cold air at the same time

---Same as that time. Take the lance as the center, mana is turning into a zooming whirlpool----

"Noble Phantasm----!"
The girl brings up the weapon that looks like a sword, and glares at the enemy in front of her
Without my warning
She who goes against the enemy, can feel the danger more than I do

"......Farewell. I accept, your heart----!"
The beast treads on
As if playing a movie, Lancer shows up in front of the girl in a flash

That lance of his, thrusts toward the feet of the girl

"----"
That way seems senseless even from my perspective
The lance that obviously leaning downward, is attacking even lower than the feet, it won't work on the girl
In fact, the girl is skipping the lance, and take one step toward Lancer, planning on striking him down

In that, instant

"'----Gáe'"

Along with the words that carry powerful mana themselves

"'----Bolg----!'"

The lance thrusts toward the lower part, splits and bursts to the heart of the girl

"----!?"
Body is raised
The girl is sent flying by the lance, draws a large parabola, and falls on the ground----no, lands

"Hah----, Grr......!"
......Blood comes streaming down
The girl that didn't have a scratch, now her chest is penetrated, large quantity of fresh blood is gushing out

"Curse......Not, was that a reversion of cause and effect----!"
She is making sounds out of pain
......I am in shock all the same
No, since I anticipated from afar, I could tell just how bizarre that shot was better than she ever could

The lance, was definitely aiming under the feet of the girl
But that aim suddenly changed its course, in an impossible shape, extended in an impossible direction, and penetrated the heart of the girl
However, a lance is not supposed to extend or change direction

Changing course and penetrating heart is not a simple task
Not that the lance changed the course, but rather, the process was changed

......The lance that was unleashed along with its name, already possessed the 'result' of 'penetrating heart'

In another work, this is an act of reversing the process and the result
Since the result of penetrating heart was predetermined, the course of the lance was nothing but an additional movement as an evidence to further prove the fact

The daemonic lance that could penetrate any kind of defense
The fate of its opponent is decided at the moment of the attack, a lance that promised 'certain penetration of heart' once used
Such a ridiculous shot, who could block it
No matter what method of evading the enemy takes, the lance will definitely reach the heart

---Hence the name certain kill
The accursed lance that once unleashed, will definitely penetrate the enemy---

However

The girl, avoided in a close call
Though penetrated, but a fatal wound was evaded
From a certain perspective, the action of the girl was more outrageous than the shot of the lance
The instant the lance was unleashed, the girl seemed to know what would happen and flipped her body, retreated with all her strength

Was it extreme luck, or a blessing that can alleviate the curse of the lance
Anyhow the girl evaded the fatal wound, the name of certain kill crashed down----

"Hah----ah, hah----"
The girl is adjusting a disordering breathing pattern
Such amount of gushing blood is stopped, even the impaling wound is healing gradually

"----"
This is what on a different level means
Though I knew she is not an ordinary human, but this is way over the top

Not counting the skill of exchange blows with Lancer, the stupendous power mana in each strike, or the body that heal its own wound, the girl is obviously superior to Lancer in every way

......However, that is only a fact a moment ago
The regeneration is ongoing, but the wound on the girl is very deep
If Lancer makes his move now, then she would be beaten down for not able to defense

But then
In a one-sided advantageous situation, Lancer remains still
The sound of him grinding his teeth can be heard even from here, he glares at the girl

"---You dodged it, Saber. My Gáe Bolg"

As if the voice came from the depth of underground

"......!? Gáe Bold......Are you the Son of Light from Ireland---!"
Lancer's expression darkened
The malice from just now is thinning out, Lancer makes a face in disgust

"......What a fool I am. Knowing full well if I show this technique and not getting the kill will be problematic. Seriously, too famous is a crime too"
The heavy pressure is lifting away
Lancer doesn't chase after the wounded girl, he simply turns around, and moves to the corner of the yard

"I know there is a rule for the Servants, saying that if someone finds out about my true identify, we should fight until one side is eradicated......But unfortunately my employer is a coward, I can't believe he say to return if my lance is dodged"
"---Are you running away! Lancer"

"Aah. If you want to come after me that is fine too, Saber. Just that--by that time, you better be prepare to embrace death"
Thud, Lancer springs up
Just how light is that body, Lancer flies over the wall effortlessly, vanishes without taking a break

"Hold on, Lancer......!"
The girl with a wounded chest, is running to chase after the enemy that got away

"Is, is she stupid......!"
I run across the yard with all of my strength
For if I don't hurry and stop her now, the girl will likely jumps out

......However, it was unnecessary
The girl that intended to fly out of the walls, as she bend her waist over to ready, halts and presses against her chest with much pain

"Grr----"
I runs to her side, observe her condition
No, I actually planned to call her out as I approach, but I forgot about that as I came closer to her

"-------"

......Anyhow, this really is just like staging
The armors that emitting shines in silver, just take a close look one can tell it truly is heavy armors
Those clothes that appear to be from ancient time, I never seen such slithery in clothing, they are in a bright blue

......No, I am not speechless from looking at these matters
The girl who is a few years younger than me, that----is a real beauty
The moonlit blond hair, is fine and delicate as if sprinkled with grains of golden sand
That somewhat childish face is elegant, the silky white skin seems soft and tender

"--------"

Besides her beauty takes away my breath, there is one more reason that makes me speechless

"---Why"

It angers me to see this girl to be hurt from battles
Regardless of how tough the armor she uses to protect her body, there's definitely something wrong with the fact that a girl has to face battle in my opinion

While I stare at the girl idly, she just places her hand on the chest silently
That comes to end soon enough
Did the pain go away, the girl removes her hand from the chest and raises her face
Her pupils look at me directly
As I am hesitated as how to respond to her, I notice her condition

"......The wound, is gone......?"

Even if not hit directly at the heart, but it was obviously penetrated by that lance, now there's no sign of wound on the surface at all
......I heard of Sorcery for healing, but there doesn't seem to have any Sorcery present
In another word, she can heal herself when wounded----

"----"
Then I change my way of thinking
No time for looking at her idly, she is extremely dangerous.No a subject I can trust without first clarify her real identity

"----Who, are you"

I go back half a step and ask
"? What do you mean by who, I am the Servant of Saber. ......You are the one who summoned me, there shouldn't be any need of confirmation"
A quiet voice, the girl spoke without raising her eyebrow

"Servant of Saber......?"
"Yes. Hence call me Saber"
She says straightforwardly
That manner of speaking is both polite and calm, but how should I put this, my head goes all blank just from hearing it---

"----Uh"

......Hey, why am I so shaking......!

"Is, is that so. What a strange name"

I raise my hand to hide my face, which is gradually heating up, and reply idiotically, but is there really anything else to say. How should I know about this, and since I inquire her name, so she answers, everything is normal---Hey, wouldn't it be impolite if I don't start talking

"......I am Shirou. Emiya Shirou, is a resident of this household"

---What should I do
I answer with even more idiocy
But, since she gave her name, I have to introduce my own name too
I know myself is in a panic, but there are rules regardless of who I am dealing with

"--------"
The girl......Saber remains still, without moving a finger, look at my panicking self

"No, this is not right. That didn't count, that wasn't what I want to ask, so what I meant was"
"I see. You aren't a regular Master"
"Eh......?"
"However, despite that you are still my Master. Since we exchanged contract, I will not betray you. There's no need for alarming"

"Huh......?"
Shit
I did hear what she said, but I have no idea what she is talking about
All I know is, she's calling me Master, what a weird word

"That's not true. My name is not Master"
"Then Shirou. Hm, I do prefer that pronunciation"

"............!"
As she speaks of Shirou, I think my face is on fire
Generally speaking, wouldn't people address each other with their surname and not first name......!?

"Wait, why do you say----"
"Ouch......!"
All of a sudden, my left hand is paralyzed

"So, so hot......!"
The back of my hand is heating up
It's as if my left hand is burning
A strange symbol that looks like a tattoo is engraved

"What----"
"That's called command spells, Shirou. The three commands that restrain us Servants, also the life line of a Master. Please avoid using it for arbitrary reason"

"You, you----"
What exactly are you, as I am finally going to speak up, her attitude changed abruptly

"---Shirou, please heal my wound"
She speaks in an ice cold tone
Her mind is not focusing at me, but to somewhere far----outside of the walls apparently

But healing, she meant for me to do it......?

"Wait, are you talking to me? Excuse me but I don't that kind of complicated Sorcery, and isn't that already healed"
Saber frown slightly
......It feels as if, I said something I shouldn't have

"......Then I shall receive the enemy in this state. Although the auto recovery is only on the surface, but one more battle shouldn't be a problem"
"......? One more, of what"

"There are two enemies outside. This level of pressure, I should be able to defeat them in a few seconds"
As she speaks, Saber leaps out lightly
Just as Lancer did, fly over the walls to the outside
What stays, is me in the yard by myself

"......There are enemy, outside?"
As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I realize what happened
"Hold on, are you saying you have more battling......!"
My body moves
Without thinking, I run to the entrance with all my might

"Hah, hah, ha----!"
I run the entrance, open the bolt in a flustered, and rush outside

"Saber, where are you......!?"
I stare in the dark night
Of all things the moon has to be covered now, the surrounding is sealed within a darkness
However----

There are sounds nearby
"Is it over there......!"
I run to a deserted alley

---It happened in a flash

The man in red that I already witnessed, is going against Saber
Saber charges toward the man in red without hesitates, she crashes the stance of the opponent in one strike---

Saber cuts down the man in red easily
Saber who raises her hand, is planning to give a fatal blow
However, right before the man in red beheaded, he vanishes along with the activation of a powerful Sorcery

Saber has not stopped for second
As it is, she rushes toward the opponent who was behind the man
And then---Destroys the major Sorcery casted by the opponent, without taking it seriously

"Wha----"
Though I already knew she is strong, but this is devastating
That Sorcery just now, is a Sorcery of Intervention that is nowhere near my present level

Though in terms of power Kiritsugu wouldn't lose either, but to make a intervention to nature in such a scale in an instant, even a first-rate Magus might not be able to do it
But, even a Sorcery on that level, was still nullified by Saber like a piece of cake

Is the enemy a Magus, then the outcome is apparent
The attacks of Magi are worthless against Saber, she charges toward the Magus mercilessly

Doh, the sound of the bottom falls to the ground
Though the enemy managed to dodge the strike of Saber miraculously, but then he couldn't move again
Saber corners the enemy, thrusts out the invisible sword

"----"
My mind freezes
In that instant, the moon seems to go up
I recognize the subject of Saber's approach is a human
I haven't got any idea on who he is, but in my mind, an image of Saber bathed in blood, murdering men was quickly depicted

"----"
Saber's body moves
With the 'certain object' in her hands, aim to penetrate the throat of her opponent---

"Stop Saber--------!!!!!!"

I shouted with every last bit of my strength
The sword stops abruptly
......Perhaps, not seeing it is more of a comfort for me mentally
At the point of her invisible sword, it is yet to be stained by the blood of the opponent

"......Stop. Please stop, Saber"
I look at her as I open my mouth
I am determined, if I want to stop I must insist on it all the way through

"Why stop, Shirou. She is the Master of Archer. We must take care of her right here"

No, Saber hasn't had idea of giving up yet
She only stopped because of my words, soon she will slash down the sword once again......!

"I, I told you to stop! You called me Master or something, but I still don't understand a thing. Since you're calling me a Master, wouldn't it be more sensible for you to at least elaborate it a bit"

"........."

Saber doesn't answer
She just stares at me quietly

"This is out of order, Saber. I don't know who you are yet. But I will listen to you, just don't do this kind of thing"

"............"
Saber remains silent
Her sword is still pointing at the opponent who has fallen to the ground, she looks at me disagreeably

"What does, that kind of thing suppose to mean. Do you believe in the kind of ideal that you can't hurt anyone for just any reason"

"Eh......"
Can't hurt anyone for just any reason ......?
No, certainly I would try to avoid conflict as much as possible, but I am not kind enough to sympathize with a subject that's going to kill me

"In another word, you are saying you don't want to end the life of an enemy, correct? I cannot obey such words. Enemy has to be defeated. If you still want to stop me, please turn to the command spells"

"? No, that kind of thing is supposed to mean you. How can a girl wave around a sword. Don't mention what if you get hurt. ......Uh, right, I am not sure whether what you're holding is truly a sword or not---Aah, that's beside the point, either way, you shouldn't do it because you're a girl"

"--------"
By the time I finish my sentence, Saber suddenly loses her composure, her mouth is wide open

Not sure how long did we go through this situation

".........And? When are you going to put down your sword, Miss Saber"

All of a sudden, the one sat on the ground speaks

"----!"
Saber recovers all at once, exert force onto her sword

"Please give it up. There's no such sword that can be put down in the face of an enemy"
"Though your Master asked you so? Hey, even if it's a Saber, a Servant will go against its Master after all"

"--------"
Saber grinds her teeth
Then puts down her sword, eases her hands
Perhaps that means the sword is seized, and the murder intent has withdrawn from Saber's presence

"OK. May I stand up now"
The one who just sat there until now stands up
The act of dusting her bottom appears to be somewhat impudence
......Uh, wait a minute

The person that's complaining, that one, is definitely-----!?

"You, you are Tohsaka......!?"
"Nn. Good evening, Emiya"
Tohsaka replies with a really elegant smile

"Ah----What?"
I give it up
To be greeted in such carefree fashion, the unusual events that happened a minute ago all seems fake now, Aah
No, more like, since my brain is already near the point of exploding, how easy would it be to just let my head goes off----!

"Aah, no, that's, in another word, since that Sorcery was casted by Tohsaka, therefore----"
"You mean to say I'm a Magus? Enough, we're both the same so there's no need to hide it anymore"

"Grr----"
Your straightforwardness makes me looks like an idiot---
"Anyway let's talk inside. You have no idea what's going on, right, Emiya"
Speaking in a carefree tone, Tohsaka walks to the entrance

"Eh---Hold on Tohsaka, what are you thinking......!"
As soon as I finish up---
The expression on Tohsaka who turns her head back, is completely different from before

"Stop being such an idiot, I gave it a lot of thoughts. That's why I have to talk to you, isn't it. Emiya, it's alright to be surprised by a sudden event, but sometimes you will die from it if you can't accept it from the bottom of your heart. By the way, this is one of those situations, understand?"
Tohsaka stares at me with hostility

"----Oh"
"Good. Then let's move, to Emiya's house"
Tohsaka crosses the entrance to the Emiya residence

"......That girl, seems to be pretty mad......"
Then again, this is to be expected
She was pointed by a sword and almost got killed just now

"Well, even then"
Somehow, she appears to be one hundred eighty degrees different from the Tohsaka in school or am I just imagining things......

How did it evolve into this inconceivable situation
The idol of school is walking in front of me unhinderedly, let's say she's the Tohsaka Rin that I longed for for now
On my back is the blond girl that follows quietly, Saber who claims herself a Servant

".................."
Ah
Somehow, it feels the hallway is turning into another dimension

But, I can't stay at a loss like this
I might be a beginner, but still a Magus
If Tohsaka, who seems to be a Magus as well, is already this haughty, I'd be treated like an idiot if I don't do something

......Is what I said, but all I can think of are mere trifles
First off, Saber who follows behind
She called me Master, even said a contract was formed, so she should be a familiar or the sort for sure

From what I understand, familiar are things that help around Magi
Most of them are parts of the Magi's bodies which are transplanted to another object, to be controlled as the Magi's doubles

In this scenario, the doubles are essentially small animals
Since the minds of cats or dogs are easier to manipulate
There are also Magi who can take humans as their familiars, but a mana that can continuously bind a human is required in that case

However, if the mana to dominate a human is spent constantly, then the said Magus would have to use most of his mana to sustain the familiar
Then the point of doing so in the first place would be lost
Familiars are helpers of Magi
Small animals that don't put too much stress on Magi, and don't require much efforts to control are more compatible

......This is certainly how I learned, but

"? What is wrong, Shirou"
"......Aah no, nothing"
......Saber appears to be a human no matter how you look at her. And she is clearly superior to her Master namely me
There's no way I hold the mana to bind a subject such as this, and I don't have the magical circuits to control familiars to begin with

"............"
So, Saber must be something related to familiars yet different
She says she's a Servant
I am not sure what that is, but I think the man who is called Lancer, and the man in blue with Tohsaka are of the same lot

Now that I think about it, Tohsaka should be a Master as well
I took a glance at her Sorcery ability then
If I am a beginner, then Tohsaka would be an expert of an expert of an expert......but then again, I can't really compete with other Magi since I can only cast enhance Sorcery

Anyhow, Tohsaka Rin is an amazing Magus
On a land rich in spirituality, a clan of Magus would be require to oversee such land
The house of Emiya migrated to this town since Kiritsugu's generation, outsiders one might call it
Therefore I don't know Tohsaka is a Magus, and Tohsaha shouldn't have any idea that I'm learning Sorcery as well

......Inside this town, there is a few Magi that I am aware of
If Lancer is also a familiar of another Magus, then I am would be, step into the fight between Magi----

"Hey, this place is quite spacious. It's refreshing to be in a Japanese style house once in a while. Ah, Emiya, is that living room over there?"
Tohsaka utters as she walks in the living room
".................."
Let me stop pondering for now
First hear what Tohsaka has to say

I turn on the light
It's about one o'clock in the morning

"Whoa it's freezing! Oh, all the glass windows are broken"
"Can't help it, I was ambushed by that Lancer. I couldn't care less about the appearance"
"Ah, is that so. Then before you summoned Saber, you were fighting that guy by yourself?"
"Not like fighting at all. Just one-sided getting beat up"

"Nnn, you don't bluff at weird places. ......So that's it, that's it, Emiya is just like what he appears to be"
Not sure what is she so happy about, Tohsaka walks to the side of the broken window

"?"
Tohsaka picks up the broken piece of glass, observe for a bit---

"----Minuten vor SchweiBen"

Tohsaka cuts her fingertip, blood is dripping down from the glass window

"!?"
What kind of Sorcery is that
The glass window that was broken to pieces are reconstructing by themselves, it reverts back to what it used to be in a couple seconds

"Tohsaka, that just now----"
"Just a simple demonstration. Not exactly a thanks for saving me, but I should do it in the least"

"......However, you will fix it even if I don't, but that would be wasting mana, right?

She is saying it as if that's certainly the case
But, needless to say, her ability is out of my league

"---No, that's amazing Tohsaka. There's no way I can pull off something like that. Thank you for fixing it"

"? No way, are you serious? Processing glasses is the basic of the basic. Recover glasses broke in just moments ago, is the entrance test in any school, right?"

"Is that so. I have only been taught by my Dad, I know either the basic nor the fundamental"
"----Huh?"
Tohsaka stops her actions shortly
......Oh no. Apparently I said something I shouldn't have

"......Hold on. That means, Emiya is a beginner who can't even take care of his own Workshop?"
"......? Not really, I don't have something like a Workshop"
......Ah-, there is a Storehouse where I train, but if I call that a Workshop, it seems Tohsaka will really get mad

"............I don't think that's the case, but just making sure. You wouldn't be ignorant of the way of the five major elements, or the method of making routes, right?"
I answer with a 'Mm' and nod honestly
".................."
Aw, so scary
That girl, beauties have a strong compelling force once they become silent

"What. So you are, an outsider?"
"That's not true. I at least know how to cast enhance Sorcery"
"Enhance......again, you really just know the surface of everything. Then, everything else is completely blank?"
Tohsaka stares at me
"......Hm, to an extreme extent, that's probably the case"
My reply is very ambiguous, since that stare was way too thorny

"----Sigh. Why let this kind of guy summoned Saber, seriously"
Tohsaka sighs exhaustedly
"............Humph"
I am getting work up for some reason
I am learning Sorcery for fun
It is a fact that I am still immature, but I think this is different from that

"Forget it, it doesn't matter. It's pointless to complain about something that already been decided. More importantly, I have to return the favor for earlier"
Tohsaka heaves a sigh

"Then let me begin. Emiya, you have no idea where's your ground, correct?"
"----"
I nod

"Thought so. Forget it, even though I could tell that with one glance, but I had to confirm it in the least. Explain to someone who already knew is somewhat of an unnecessary weight on my heart"
"?"
Did I just hear a really out of place expression, but I stay quiet since it would be impolite to disrupt her now

"I will just cut to the chase, Emiya is selected as a Master. There is a Stigmata on one of your hands right? On the back of the hand or the arm, thought it's different for each individual, but there should be engraved with three command spells. That's the proof of a Master"
"Back of my hand......Aah, is this it"

"Yes. That is also the spell that binds the Servant so you must cherish it. Those are called command spells, you can make the Servant obey if only you have it"
"......? If only you have, what does that mean"

"Command spell is the right of an absolute order. I presume you already notice that Servants have their own free wills, to manipulate their minds to obey your own words absolutely, such are the engravements"

"There's no need to recite spell when cast, it will activate when you want to. However every time you cast it it will go down by one, so please try to refrain from using it over two times. Once the command spells are gone, Emiya should be killed, so you better be careful with that"

"Eh......I will, be killed----?"
"No doubt. Sine Masters kill other Masters are the basic of the Holy Grail War. Then the Master that kills off the other six, will be awarded with the Holy Grail that can grant any wishes"

"Wh----at?"
Hold, hold on
I totally can't comprehend what Tohsaka just said
Master defeats Master
Obtain Holy Grail in the end......Hey, Holy Grail, meaning that Holy Grail......!?

"Still don't get it? Essentially, you are involved in a race. A survival competition between seven Masters, namely the Holy Grail War. It won't end until all the other Masters are defeated one after another, and no one remains, murdering among the Magi"
Tohsaka speaks as if this is nothing worth mentioning

"--------"
My mind is turning with the vocabulary that I just heard
I who are selected as a Master
Tohsaka who is also a Master
Familiars that are called Servants
---And
The murdering with other Magi, namely the Holy Grail War

"Wait a minute. What it this, why do you talk about these all of a sudden"
"I understand where are you coming from, but I am simply stating the facts. ......An you yourself, should already have a basic understanding more or less, right? Not only once, but you were almost killed by a Servant twice, you do realize that you are already in a position where there's nowhere to run"

"--------"
That
I was certainly, almost killed by that guys whose name is Lancer

"Ah, not quite. Not almost but you were killed. You sure did a good job on reviving, Emiya"
"----"
Tohsaka's pursuit is the last kick that did it for me in a way

......Certainly
That guy killed me, and I was killed for sure
There was no excuse, I was merely an existence that needed to be erased
Therefore
Even if I refuse to accept this senseless murdering
Others wouldn't stop just because of that

"----"
"Do you get it now? Then let me elaborate. I don't know what exactly is the Holy Grail War myself. The only things I am certain of are, it takes place once in several decades, seven Masters would be selected, and Masters are given all kinds of Servants"

"I myself is also one of the people selected as Masters. Hence I made a contract with a Servant, you also made a contract with Saber. Please treat the Servants as familiars bestowed by the Holy Grail in order to win the Grail War. Then, us who are the Masters will cooperate with our own Servants, erase other Masters, and that is all"

"............"

Tohsaka's explanation is too concise, hardly in touch with reality
Yet I still have one question, which I've become suspicious of since earlier

"......Hold on. Tohsaka, according to you Saber is a familiar, but I don't think so. Shouldn't familiars be cats, birds or the sorts. Allegedly there were guys who used human spirits, but Saber has an actual physical body. And, that's---very, unfamiliar-like"

I take a glimpse at Saber secretly
Saber just stays quiet and listens to our conversation
......That is the form of a human being
Though the true identify is unclear, but she's a girl not much difference from my own age
I can't even stay calm when a girl like her approaches me, saying that she's a familiar is unrealistic, more importantly, my heart rate keeps going up and that's very bothersome

"Familiars---Forget it, even if Servants are in the same category, however the status is different. No matter how you put it, she over there is a Heroic Spirit, the strongest of familiars"
"Heroic Spirit......? So she is a spirit after all?"

The souls of the deceased humans
Even after death they remain in this world in this form, the undying thoughts of the superior ones
But, that's strange
Spirits don't have bodies. Spiritual bodies can only be hurt by spiritual bodies
Therefore, I have a suit of body as a human, cannot be killed by spiritual body directly

"Spirits......Similar in a way, however if you treat Saber as the same thing as those, she'd kill you. For Servants are heroes from the past that obtained physical bodies, an existence that is close to elements, and exceed humans"
"----Huh? Heroes from the past that obtain physical bodies?"
"Yep. Regardless of past or present, simply pull over the dead legendary heroes, and materialize them"

"However, summoning them is the duty of the Masters, and the materialization afterward is done by the Grail. Let a soul to take form is impossible for one Magus. A stupendous power from outside is required"

"Wait. Heroes from the past, ehh......!?"
I take a look at Saber
So was she once a hero as well
No, certainly there's no one dress like her in modern times, but that's still---

"That's impossible. I have never heard of this kind of Sorcery"
"Of course, because this is not Sorcery. Please take it as a phenomenon caused by the Grail. Otherwise there's no way to materialize a reincarnated spirit"
"......Reincarnation of spirits......Then those, Servants are different fromspirits......?"

"Not the same. Humans, animals or machines, it is able to escape karma and rise to another level, as long as it accomplished a great deed, never heard of it? Heroic Spirits are as such. Simply put, it's those who became worshiped and praised as gods"

"Necromancy, spirit summoning or the sorts. That kind of 'spirits handling Sorcery' is induced by borrowing parts of the Heroic Spirits' power, correct. However Servants are familiars that connect to the original Heroic Spirits directly. Hence even so essentially they stay beside us in spiritual forms, but they can also materialize to fight in times of need"

"......Hm. That, is it to use the spiritual body and materialized body separately. ......I can't see Tohsaka's Servant, is it in spiritual form now?"
"No, that guy is recovering in my house's summoning circle. He was defeated by Saber just now, right. If the timing for force retreat was delayed for a little bit then he would be headed and eliminated"

"Listen well, Servants who have the same spiritual forms are the only ones that can defeat other Servants. Of course if the opponent is in physical form, our attacks will hit as well, if everything goes well then maybe we can actually defeat it. But, all the Servants are like monsters, right? So monsters have to be taken care by monsters, Master should stay behind and support this is a principle"

"............Humph"
Tohsaka's explanation makes me angry for some reason
She speaks of monster this, and monster that, though I don't know what are other Servants like, but I don't want Saber to be described as such

"Anyhow the one who becomes a Master, must defeats other Masters by the familiars summoned by him. Did you get this part?"

"......I understand the literal. But I haven't agreed. Who, and for what reason started this business with terrible taste"

"That's not something I should know, and therefore unable to answer to you. Please leave this part to the guy that supervises the Grail War. What I am trying to tell you is this, you have no other options other than to fight, and Servants are strong familiars so use them wisely, that's all"

Tohsaka only said this much, then she looks at Saber

"And next. According to Emiya, you are not in your complete form, Saber. Because you were summoned by a Magus in training that doesn't have any experience as a Master"

"......Hm. As you said, I am not in my perfect shape. Since Shirou doesn't have the sufficient mana to materialize me, to revert back to spiritual body, or recover mana are both difficult tasks"

"......I am astonished. Certainly the situation is severe, but I didn't think you would say it straight out honestly. I was just thinking of finding weaknesses from your words"

"Let enemy find out my weakness would not be my true intention, however it wouldn't go unnoticed under your observation. It's meaningless if I hid away the cards in our hand, right. By letting you know, Shirou can have a better understanding of the present dilemma"

"Correct. Style is perfect as well. ......Aah, seriously, what a waste. If I am the Master of Saber, it's like winning the war already!"
Tohsaka holds her fist as if she could not reconcile

"Hm. Tohsaka, are you implying that I'm not worthy"
"Of course, stupid"
Aw, she spits out words that people with good conscience wouldn't say

"What? More questions?"
And she's not aware of it herself
The image of an outstanding student in school is collapsing
......Issei was right. Tohsaka is indeed merciless like a demon

"And next. Enough talking, it's about time to head off"
At the time
Tohsaka suddenly utters something out of nowhere

"? Where are we going?"
"To meet someone who knows really well about the game......'Holy Grail War' which you're involved in. Emiya wants to know about the reason for Grail War, right?"

"---Sure. Where is he at? It's already at this hour, if it's too far"
"No problem, it's over at the neighboring town, we can return before dawn if we rush. And tomorrow's Sunday, wouldn't stay up all night be fine"

"No, that's not the point"
Since many things happened today, I want to rest for a bit to recollect my thoughts

"What, you're not going? ......Fine with me if Emiya said so, how about Saber?"
For whatever reason Tohsaka is asking the opinion of Saber
"Hold on, it has nothing to do with Saber. Don't push her"

"Oh, you're already aware of your being a Master. Don't like me talking with Saber?"
"How, how is that possible! If what Tohsaka said was true, then Saber would be a hero from the past. So she'd be clueless after been summoned to modern time. So---"

"Shirou, that's not it. If Servants want to exist in the human world, we would adapt to any era. Therefore I know very well of the things in this era as well"
"Eh----You really, do?"
"Of course. Since this is not the first time I am summoned in this era"

"What----"
"You are kidding, what a slim chance it is......!?"
Ah, Tohsaka is shocked too
......That means, what Saber is saying is very incredible

"Shirou, I concur her suggestion. Your knowledge as a Master is too little. As a Servant that made a contract with you, I'd be in trouble if Shirou doesn't become stronger"
Saber looks at me quietly
......Not for Saber herself, a calm stare that takes me into consideration

"......I see. I will go then. So, where is it, Tohsaka. It's place where we can return, right"
"Sure. Our destination is Kotomine Church in the neighboring town. That's the house of the fake priest that supervises this Grail War"

Tohsaka shows a smile that harbors malicious intentions
A smile that bullies me who knows nothing
".................."
Though it might be my prejudice
But that guy's personality, is a little loose somewhere......

Walking in the town at night
There's no one around after one at midnight
The lights are switched off in each household, only the street lights are illuminated on the fast asleep town

"So Tohsaka. Not exactly a big deal, but are you planning on walking to the neighboring town"
"Sure? Both trams and buses stop running. Taking a walk at night once in a while isn't such a bad idea, right"
"I see. Just asking, do you know how long will it take to walk to the neighboring town?"
"Hm, walking is about one hour. But, if we come back too late, we can just take taxi"

"Don't spend those spare changes, and what I want to said is that girls shouldn't come out and walk around during night. You know it's dangerous recently. I can't take the responsibility if something happen"
"Relax, no one will come at us no matter who he is. And Emiya you seem to have forgotten, the Saber over there is very strong"

"Ah"
That is true
Regardless of robbers carrying guns or anyone, Saber will beat them back if they dare open fire

"Rin. What was Shirou trying to say. I am unable to comprehend"
"Eh? Well, should I say he was mistaken, or he's a moron. It seems like he was trying to say that if we are attacked by perverts Emiya is going to rescue us"

"How can that be, Shirou is my Master. Isn't this a switch of roles"
"He didn't think of it, right? He seems to treat Magi and Servants indifferently. I really want to take a look at what's inside that guy's brain-"
".................."

Tohsaka and Saber are now in a relation where they can talk to each other, before I know it
Speaking of Saber, she stopped talking since I stopped her from going outside in that outfit

She wouldn't take off that suit of armor no matter what, I let her wear rain coat out of desperation, she became even more quiet then
Now she's following behind my back frankly, and only talks to Tohsaka

"Eh? Where are you going, Emiya. That isn't the right direction?"
"Aren't we just going to go to the bridge. This way is the shortcut"
I'd feel very reluctant to walk with these two shoulder by shoulder, I step onto the side way quickly
Those two follows without any opposing opinion

To the park at the riverbank
Over the bridge, we can reach the Shinto at the neighboring town---

"Hey, so there is a road here. That's right, you can go to bridge from park, so just walk toward the park is fine"
Tohsaka tilts her head to look at the bridge as she raises her voice

Perhaps it's because of the location, the part at night
The side of Tohsaka's face as she raises her head to look at the bridge, is more breathtaking than when I look at her in school, I am at a loss of words

"Fine let's go. We are not here for picnic"
I hush Tohsaka who stands in the park, and step on the stairs
Once we are on the sidewalk on the bridge, it's going to be a straight line all the way to Shinto

No one is on the sidewalk of the bridge
But of course, even during the day there is a few who would walk this way
People usually take a bus or tram to the neighboring town, not many would take this way

No matter how you look at it, the distance is too far, and there are people bored enough to worry about what if the bridge wasn't constructed concretely, it wouldn't be strange for the bridge to collapse one day
The location is perfect, however this is not taken as a route for dating is also for this reason

"......Stupid. What am I thinking"
Saber who follows behind me quietly, and Tohsaka who is just next to me
I try my best to not mind those two, and haste my pace to get over the bridge as soon as possible

After the bridge, Tohsaka takes us to the outskirts
Speaking of Shinto, all I can think of is the shopping street in front of the train station, but there are older streets farther away from the train station

And the outskirts have the most of old streets
A slightly incline long, long hill road, and a height to gaze at the ocean
Higher the hill road is, less buildings are around, a foreign graveyard established on top of the slope of the hill can be seen

"The Church is on top of here. Emiya, you have to at least came across there once?"
"No, not at all. But I do know there used to be an orphanage"
"I see, so today is your first time. Then you would be better if you be a bit more careful. The priest here is quite unusual"

Tohsaka climbs up the hill road first
......I can see a shadow on the hill that resembles a building, if I raise my head to look
The Church on the height
The House of Go that I never even came close before today, now I am going there for this kind of purpose

"Wah---incredible"
The Church is very extravagant
Is the entire height occupied by the Church, as we climb up the hill, a level square receives us
The Church that is built on the back, though not very large, however it looks down on the visitors with imposing august

"Shirou, I will stay here"
"Eh? Why, I can't leave just Saber behind, since we've already come so far"

"I am not here for visiting the Church, but to protect Shirou. If Shirou's destination is the Church, then you wouldn't walk too far away from here again. Therefore, I will wait right here"
Saber says determinedly
Apparently she wouldn't go inside no matter what, I will just have to respect her intention

"I see. Then I will be leaving"
"Yes. Don't let your guard down before anyone, Master"

A vast, solemn chapel
There should be many visitors usually, since there are so many seats
The priest here must has exceptional moral integrity to be entrusted with the administration of such a large Church

"Tohsaka. What kind of man is the priest here"
"What kind exactly, is hard to explain. I still don't that guy's personality even after knowing him for ten years"
"Ten years......? That is really long. Are you relatives or something?"

"Not exactly relatives, but he is my guardian. On a side note, he is my senior, and also the second Master"
"Eh......Senior, as in a senior in Sorcery!?"

"Yep. What's so surprising about it"
"Because isn't he a priest!? How can a priest practice Sorcery, isn't that prohibited!"
Without a doubt, Magi and the Church are not compatible

The large organization that Magi belong to is called the Mage Association
And at the core of the religion, which ordinary men would not have known it for their entire lives, is the Church belongs to this side, let's named it Sacred Church for now
The two are similar yet different, they cooperate according to formality, but they're truly in a dangerous relation where they would get rid of each other whenever there is an opening

Church hates heretics
To them who are absolutely reject inhuman, the ones who practice Sorcery are their targets as well
To the Church, miracles are something can only be acquired by those who are selected as Saints. The rest who use miracles are all heretics

People who belong to the Church are no exceptions
The higher one's status in Church is, the prohibition of contamination of Sorcery is more strict
The followers who are designated to this kind of Church is out of question, additionally, the more blessings from God, the farther away from Sorcery----

"......Hold on. Is the priest here originally one from this side"
"Nn. He was designated as the supervisor of the Holy Grail War, a really good executioner. ......But, whether he has the blessings from God is another matter"

Tohsaka makes noises as she walks to the altar
It's not a good idea to come disturb if the priest is not here, don't even mention how late it is
He couldn't possibly be in the chapel, he should be in the private quarter inside the Church

"......Humph. Then, what is the name of that priest? Did you just say Kotomine something"
"The name is Kotomine Kirei. A student of my father, a troublesome bond of acquainting over ten years. ......But, if possible I don't really want to be acquainted with him"

"---Agree. I also, don't want a disciple disrespecting her teacher"

Sounds of steps
Did he notice our arrival, that man walks from the inside of the altar slowly

"I call for you many times you did not come, you brought some strange guest with you. ......Hoh, is he the seventh one, Rin"

"Yes. He is somewhat of a Magus, however he's basically an amateur inside so I couldn't spot him. ......I recall there's a rule states that the one who becomes a Master should come to report here. Though it's a rule made up by yourselves, but I will abide by it this time around"

"That's very good. I see, so it's all thanks to this lad"
The priest named Kotomine, looks at me slowly

"----"
......I couldn't help but, take one step back
......Not scare of something
......Nor do I sense hostility from the man named Kotomine
But, this priest has an august that can make the air on one's shoulder's become heavier

"I am Kotomine Kirei who is appointed to the administration of this Church. What might your name be, the seventh Master"
"---Emiya Shirou. But, I don't remember becoming a Master"
I strain around my abdomen, stare at the priest as not to lost to the intense pressure

"Emiya------Shirou"
"Eh----"
The intense pressure on my back becomes a chill
The priest smiles quietly, as if he heard something pleasant

----That smile
To me, has a indescribable----

"I have to thank you, Emiya. You actually brought Rin here. If not for you, perhaps Rin wouldn't come to the end"
Te priest approaches the altar
Tohsaka leaves the altar with an expression as if she's bored, and walks to my side

"Then let's begin. Emiya Shirou, you're the Master of Saber, correct?"
"That's not true. I did make a contract with Saber. However what you said about I being a Master or the matters about the Grail War, I know nothing about. If Master has to be a real Magus, then it'd be better to choose other Masters again"

"......I see what you meant, this is serious. Does he really not know anything, Rin"
"Didn't I tell you he's an amateur already. You have to teach him from the beginning of this part. Aren't you an expert of this kind of mending"
Tohsaka hurries the priest with an unhappy face

"----Oh. I see, is that so. Very well, this is the first time you ask a favor of me. Gratitude is not enough to express my thanks to Shirou"
The priest Kotomine smiles as if he's in a very good mood
What should I say, just listening from this conversation has made me feel even more agitated

"Firstly let me correct your mistake. Listen well, Emiya Shirou. Master can not be given to others, nor can you quit once you are selected. The one whose hand is engraved with command spells, cannot quit no matter who he is. First, accept this fact"

"---Can't quit, why"
"Command spells are also stigmata. A trial given to the Masters. You can not give up because of inconvenience. That pain, will not be lifted until obtaining the Holy Grail"

"If you want to quit being a Master, there's nothing better than obtaining the Grail and grant your own wish. This way everything will be the same as before, Emiya Shirou. Even if your wish is to dig out all the muds hoard up inside, that would be possible as well. ---By the way, to reset everything from beginning is also a possibility"

"So just hope. When that day comes, you will be thankful to be selected as a Master. If you wish to erase that burn marks that cannot be seen by the eyes, just accept that stigmata"

"Wh----"
I feel dizzy
There is no emphasis in the priest's words at all
The more I listen, the more I feel confused

......However, the word of this guy is deeply soaped through my chest, sticks to me like blood---

"Kirei, stop talking in circles. I meant explain the rules to him. No one asks to rip open the wounds"
A voice that breaks the utterance of the priest
"----Toh, Tohsaka?"
Because of that voice, my head is clear all at once

"Is that so. Whatever I said to this kind of men is a waste of effort, so I thought I should at least help him rid of the moral that wrongs him ......Humph, as the saying goes, a good deed deserves another. I couldn't help but look forward to it"

"What now. Are you saying that by helping him will benefit you"

"That's right. For helping others, is helping oneself one day. ......However, it's too late to lecture you anyway"

"Then let's get back to the topic. Emiya Shirou. The war that you're involved in is called the 'Holy Grail War.' A contest between seven Masters commanding seven Servants---did Rin already tell you these?"

"......So I heard. You mean the ridiculous competition of seven Masters killing each other"
"No doubt. But for us, this is not of our own preference to go against the morals. This is all for the ceremony of selecting the one worthy of the Holy Grail. It's a Holy Grail after all, a few contests are required for the selection of the owner"

......What contest
I bet, the priest doesn't consider the Grail War as a 'contest' at all

"Hold on. This 'Holy Grail' that you mentioned over and over again, what exactly is it. You're not going to say it's that Holy Grail, right"

Holy Grail
The Grail that once held the blood of the Holy One
Of the highest prestige even among the few remaining holy relics, allegedly it can perform all sorts of miracles

The most famous rumor is, the one who holds the Holy Grail will hold the world
......However, that's a lie. No matter how one put it, the very existence of Holy Grail is near 'non-existent'

Certainly, 'a sacred grail that can grant any wish' appears in numerous legends and myths around the world
But that's as far as it goes
Even if the Holy Grail actually exists, I've never heard of such a fictional technique of Reenactment

"How about it Kotomine Kirei. The Holy Grail you speak of, is it the real Holy Grail"
"Of course. The one shows up in this town is genuine. One of the indications would be, the appearance of the unconventional miracles that is Servants"

"To summon the Heroic Spirits of the past, dominate them. No, this miracle that comes near to the revival of the dead can be called Magic. The Grail that has this kind of power, can give the owner indefinite power. The question of authentic, is irrelevant in the face of this fact"

"--------"
In another word
What this guys wants to say is this, even if it's fake, as long as its power exceeds the real one then real or fake doesn't matter

"......Fine. Then let's assume the Grail exists. But, why is the Grail War necessary. There's no need to kill one another if there's a Grail. Since it's so powerful, why can't everyone share"

"This is a very reasonable suggestion, however we do not have this kind of freedom. There can be only one to obtain the Grail. That is our decision, rather it's up to the Grail itself"

"From selecting seven Masters, to summoning seven Servants, everything is proceed by the Grail itself. Perhaps this is what's called a ceremony. The Grail will select the ones that's worthy of possessing itself, and let them compete among themselves to choose one and only one owner. This is the Holy Grail War---the ones chosen by the Grail, the spirit descend ceremony of murdering one another in order to obtain the Grail"

"--------"
The priest says blankly
I have nothing opposing to say, I turn to my left hand
......On my hand there is the engravement they call command spells
Is he saying that once I have this engravement, I cannot give up on being a Master

"......I can't agree. Even if it's to select one man, I am not pleased with the only option being killing others Masters"
"? Wait a minute. Only option being kill the other Masters, that's a misunderstanding. You are not limited to only kill the Masters"

"Huh? Didn't you say to kill each other. Kotomine said so as well"
"It is to kill each other"
"Kirei, you be quiet. Let me tell you, the Grail circulating around in this town is a spiritual body. So you are not going to hold it in the shape of an object, and you can only summon it in a special ceremony---namely, spirit descend"

"Though we Magi can also summon it, however since it's in a spiritual form we are unable to touch it. Do you understand what does this imply?"
"I see. A spiritual body can only be touched by another. ---Aah, so that's why we need Servants......!"

"Exactly. To be honest, the Holy Grail War is to eliminate the Servants beside your own. So there's no rule suggesting that you have to kill the Masters"

"--------"
What, then why don't you put it this way earlier!
Seriously, both Tohsaka and the priest are so ill minded
......Anyhow, I am relieved at last
Because this way even if joining the Grail War, Tohsaka wouldn't have to die

"I see, so that's another way to look at it. Then let me ask you one thing, Emiya Shirou, do you think you can defeat your own Servant?"

"?"
Defeat Saber
That's of course impossible
Since Sorcery is nil against that guy, and her swordsmanship is incomprehensibly tough

"Then let me ask you one more thing. A boring question perhaps, do you think you're superior than your Servant?"
"??"
What is this guy talking about
Since I can't defeat Saber, of course I can't possibly be superior to Saber
The answer to either of the questions just now, is that I, the Master is weaker than the Servant----

"----Ah"
"That's right. A Servant is difficult to defeat even with another Servant. Then what can one do. See, actually it's pretty simple, isn't it? A Servant can't exist without a Master. Even if the Servant is very strong, it will vanish once the Master is defeated. Then"

Without a doubt, that's a very natural behavior
No one would pick the especially difficult route
In order to win, aim for the Master and not the Servant, is the most efficient method to kill a Servant----

"......Aah, it's faster to kill the Master if you want to eliminate a Servant, I understand this now. But, on the contrary if you defeat the Servant first, then a Master wouldn't be a Master anymore, isn't it? Servants are the only ones that can touch the Grail. Then, a Master is as good as dead when he loses his Servant"

"No, as long as the command spells are presented, the rights of the Master will remain. Masters are the ones who can make contracts with Servants. As long as you have the command spell, it's possible for you to make any number of Servants"

"Servants that lose their Masters wouldn't disappear immediately. They will sty in the present world before the mana inside their bodies deplete. If there's this kind of 'Servants that loses their Master' present, then it's possible for them to remake a contract to 'Masters who lose their Servants.' And return to the battle field. Therefore a Master would want to kill another Master. For if everything doesn't go well, and he survives, then there's a possibility for him to become a new obstacle"

"......Then what if the command spells are used up? Then you can't make contracts with other Servants, and the free Servant would seek out other Masters as well"
"Wait a minute, that's----"
"Hm, that is correct. If the command spells are no more, then you can be freed from the duty of a Master"

"......However, to discard command spells that can execute powerful Sorcery without purpose, I don't think such Magi exist. Even if there's one, he would not be a rookie, rather a simple idiot, no?"
The priest smiles as if he sees through my thinking

"............."
Somehow I feel, irritated
That priest, treats me like a moron since earlier, to the extent that there's nothing else other than mocking me

"Do you understand now. The explanation of rules are enough for now. ---Next, then let's go back to the beginning, Emiya Shirou. You once said that you do not wish to become a Master, are you still of the same opinion now"

"If you' like to give up on being a Master, that's fine too. You can do what you said, use up the command spells to terminate the contract with Saber. By then, I will promise your safety until the Holy Grail Way is over"

"......? Wait a minute. Why do I have to need your promise of safety. I can protect my own body by myself"

"I don't have the luxury to bother you either. But this is the rule. I was sent to oversee the repeated Grail Wars. Therefore I have to push the sacrifices caused by the Grail War to the minimum"

"----The repeated Grail Wars......?"
Hold on
This is the first time, I heard of something like this
Repeated, meaning this kind of war happened many times in the past......?

"What's that supposed to mean. Isn't the Grail War starting just now"

"Of course. Why else do you think a supervisor was sent? This Church has the mission of recovering Holy relics, the tip of the special agency. It was once focused on the investigation and the recovering of the cross, now it also carries the responsibility of identifying the 'Holy Grail.' To investigate the seven hundred and twenty-sixth Holy Grail observes on the far east region, recover if it's genuine, otherwise falsified it, that is all there's to it"

"Seven hundred and twenty-six..... can Grails be that many"
"Who knows? At least, there are that many of similar things"

"One of them is the Holy Grail observed inside of this town, namely the Holy Grail War. The first war on record was two hundred years ago. After that, a span of about sixty years repeat the battles between the Masters. This is the fifth Holy Grail War. Last time is ten years ago, the shortest span up to date'

"What---are you serious, this kind of thing repeated four times in the past......?"
"I completely agree with you. As you said, they have repeated many times of the same thing. ---True enough. In the past, all the repeated Grail Wars were disastrous. Masters were driven by their own desires, forgotten the disciplines of the Magi, and killed each other without differentiating targets"

"I think you know as well, to a Magus, cast Sorcery to the normal society is the first crime. For Magi are not supposed to let the ordinary crowd know their true identities. But, the previous Masters broke this rule. Though the Mage Association sent a supervisor in order to restrain them, however they only made it to the Third one. The one at that time was my father, do you understand now, lad"

"Aah, I know the reason to have a supervisor now. But from what I heard, isn't this Grail War a really awful thing"
"Oh. What's so awful about it"

"Because the previous Masters are guys who would break the Magus' rules. Then even if the one who wins to the end obtains the Holy Grail, what are we going to do with this guy that's going to use Holy Grail to his own benefits. If supervising the Magi is the job of Mage Association, then shouldn't you punish these guys"

I ask with a slice of hope
But just as I expected, Kotomine Kirei, politely, smiles as if he heard something very funny

"How so. There's not a Magus who is not motivated by his own benefit. What we administer is only the rules of the Grail War. Anything beyond is not of our interest. No matter what kind of personality does the man who obtain the Holy Grail has, the Association can care less"
"How can that be......! What if the one that obtain the Holy Grail is a evil man!"

"It would be very troublesome. But we wouldn't do anything. What choose the possessor is the Holy Grail. And we do not have the power to stop the Masters chose by the Grail. However you put it, this is a Grail that grants wishes. Whoever obtains it can do whatever he desires.---Only that, if you don't want that to happen, you can just win. Compare to push it onto another, isn't this the most down to the earth way?"

Kotomine is pushing back his laughs
As if he takes my suffering of couldn't accept the status of a Master as an entertainment

"What's wrong, lad. I thought that idea just now was a good idea, do you not want to take it for reference"
"......Mind your own business. Firstly, I don't have the reason to fight. I am not interested in something like Holy Grail either, it still feels surreal even if you tell me all about the Masters"

"Oh. Then whatever the man obtains the Grail does, even induce disasters yet you still are not interested"

"That----"
......When he put it that way, I can't argue anymore
Damn it, this guy's words are like acts of violence
Completely disregard of my feelings, push me mercilessly whenever it's the facts

"It's OK if you don't have any reason either. Then do you not care about, what happen ten years ago?"
"----Ten years, ago......?"

"That's right. By the end of the last Holy Grail War, an unworthy Master touched the Grail. We don't what that Master was wishing for. All we knew, is the scars left by the disaster at that time"
"--------"

In an instant
That hell, is reappearing in my mind

"---Hold on. That, you are not talking about"
"That's right, it's something everyone live in this city knows, Emiya Shirou. Five hundred injuries, one hundred thirty to forty burned down buildings. The fire that's still clouded with myths, is the scar of the Holy Grail War"

"--------"

----I want to vomit

My sights are blurry

Lose focus, my point of sight cannot be concentrated

My body is going down quickly

But, I stand firm before that
Grind my teeth and save my conscious
Push it back with a boiling anger, the feeling of vomiting that nearly drop a man down

"Emiya? What's wrong, your face is suddenly all pale. ......I know it's not words that make you feel comfortable, so---Come, do you want to take a break?"

My face is probably very pale
For Tohsaka to be this worry, it's really rare

"Don't worry. I will be fine when I see Tohsaka's strange expression"
"......Wait a minute. What do you mean by that"
"No, not a thing. Don't mind it, it's exactly as I said literally"

"That's fine then......Hey, isn't that even worse, fool"
The number one outstanding student knocks my head mercilessly, Tohsaka Rin
That's the final blow
Just from this, the angers and vomiting from before have vanished completely

"......Thanks. I am really saved, don't push me over too much, Tohsaka. Right now I have some questions, that I have to get answers from"

"Oh, more questions. All right, tell me everything on your mind"
As if see through what I am going to ask, the priest rushes me pleasantly
Very well
How can Emiya Shirou, loses to you

"Then let me ask. You said this is the fifth war. Then, did anyone in the past obtain the Grail"
"Of course. Not every time it ends tragically with everyone dying"
"Then---"

"Don't rush. To hold it in your hands is simple. However you put it, the Grail is taken care by this Church. If it's simply hold it to your hand, I touch it everyday"
"Eh----?"
The Holy, Holy Grail is in this Church----?

"However, it's a mere container. The inside is empty. Rin said this already, the Holy Grail is a spiritual body. What this Church takes care of, is a replicate of the Grail with very fine details. With this as a catalyst you can let the real Holy Grail descend, and make it the Grail that grants wishes. That also, is similar to the relation between Masters and Servants. ......There certainly was. A man that obtained something like this that temporarily became the true Holy Grail"

"Then is the Holy Grail a real thing since the beginning. Wait, what became of that guy who obtained the Grail"
"Nothing. The Grail was not completed. Foolish man, was nothing but the result of one who was enveloped by meaningless emotions"

......?
Where did the high almighty attitude go, the priest narrows his eyes as if he's truly regretting

"......What went wrong. Didn't the Grail appear"
"It's very simple if you only want the Grail to appear. Gather seven Servants, the Grail will appear after a while. Rin was right, killing other Masters is not a necessity. However, the Grail would not be complete this way. The Grail will choose the one worthy of possessing it. So, the man that avoided the battle, did not obtain the Grail"

"Humph. Simply put, obtaining the Grail is meaningless if you don't fight with other Masters, right. Last time, the Master who first obtained the Grail was too naive. Saying that he didn't want to fight with the animosity Master, and avoided the Grail like that"

Said Tohsaka as if she was going to spit out the words, then her gaze leaves Kotomine
"----You're kidding"
That means, Kotomine was a Master from last time, though he obtained the Grail, but lost his qualification because he refused to fight......?

"......Kotomine. Didn't you fight"
"I was fighting half way through. But I made a wrong decision. In the end I only obtained an empty Grail. But, that was already my limit. However you look at it, every single one of the other Masters were monsters. I was the first one that lost his Servant, and was protected by my Father"

"......Now that I think about it, since the moment the son of the supervisor was selected as a Master, there were many troubles. Father passed away by that time. And then, I succeed as a supervisor, and protect the Holy Grail in this Church"

After he saying so, the priest names Kotomine Kirei turns around
On the other side of his gaze, erects the symbol that's supposed to be worshiped

"Enough talk. The ones that are qualified to obtain the Holy Grail are only the Masters who are obeyed by the Servants. When there's only one left among you seven, the Grail will appear at where the winner is. Decide right here whether you're joining this battle---the Holy Grail War"
Look at me from a higher ground, the priest ask my final decision

"--------"
I am at a loss of words
No reason to fight is in past tense now
Right now I actually have a reason and motivation to fight
But, is that reason something should be agreed to

"Are you still wondering. listen, you can't be a Master just because you want to. Rin over there has been trained as a Magus for a long time, yet she isn't chosen to be a Master because of that. What can be said to be a decisive factor, would be whether one has the mentality for it"

"Only Magi can be selected as Masters. You should be prepared for this if you're a Magus. If you say there isn't, I can't do a thing about it. Then you, and the teacher that taught you are both defected. Let this kind of Magus to fight can also be troublesome, erase the command spells now then"

"--------!"
There is no need for you to say this
I want to----

[----]

I can't run
To be honest, Master or Holy Grail War, doesn't feel real to me at all even after I was taught
But if I can only fight or avoid, then I should definitely not run away

The priest said
You should be prepared for this if you're a Magus

Therefore I have to make a choice
Even if I am an amateur, Emiya Shirou is still a Magus
If I decided to chase after Kiritsugu, the one I admired always, and become a protector of just----

"---I will fight as a Master. If the cause of the fire ten years ago is the Holy Grail War, I can't allow this kind of thing to ever happen again"

Is he content with my answer, a smile of satisfaction appears on the priest's face

"----"
I take a deep breath
Silt the wonders
I as a man, have already given my words to fight
Then, if I don't want to make myself embarrassed of this sentence in the future, I can only move forward

"Then admit you're the Master of Saber. In this instant, this Holy Grail War will be under administration. ---From now on the Sorcery battles in this city would be permitted, until there's only one Master left. Each follow your own pride, and compete as much as possible"

The words of the priest, is echoing in the chapel
There's no meaning in that announcement
This man is only, ringing the bell of beginning as a priest of this Church

"It's decided then. Time to leave, but can I ask you a question, Kirei?"
"Sure. But this might be the last one, I can answer you most of the questions"

"Then I will not hold back. Kirei, you're the supervisor, you should know about the intelligences of other Masters, correct. I did follow the rule of the Association, please tell me these minor business"

"That's very troublesome. I do want to tell you, however I don't know the details. Including Emiya Shirou, there isn't many formal Magi this time. I only knew two Masters. Three, plus Emiya Shirou"

"Ah, is that so. Then you should at least know the order of summoning. You're a supervisor after all"
"......Hmnn. The fist one is Berserker. The second one is Caster. There aren't that many intervals after that. Archer was two days ago, and Saber was summoned a few hours ago"

"---I see. Excuse me then"
"That means the Holy Grail War has officially started. Rin. Before the Holy Grail War ends, you can't enter this Church again. One exception, would be by the time"

"When I lose my own Servant and request protection, right. If I request anything else from you will be discredited"

"Right. Even if you end up as a winner, but the Church won't stay silent if there's any discredit behavior. After their boring discussion, they would probably come to the conclusion to rob you off the Holy Grail. That would be the worst scenario for me"
"Fake priest. You're helping the Mage Association even though you belong to the Church"

"I am serving the God. Not serving the Church"
"How well you talk. That's why you're the fake priest"

Then, Tohsaka turns her back against priest Kotomine
Like this, she walks straight to the exist ruthlessly without saying good-bye

"Hey, is that fine with you, Tohsaka. That guy is your senior and all, then---"
You should talk a bit more, right

"That doesn't matter. I should add that it's more pleasant to cut the tie. You should hurry outside as well. You don't have any business inside this Church anymore"
Tohsaka goes across the chapel without stopping, she really goes out

I sigh, and follow behind Tohsaka
And then
"----!"
I sense someone behind my back, and can't help but turn my head back
When did he get to my back, the priest lower his head to stare at me quietly

"Wh, what. Do you have something else to say"
As I say this, my feet are moving backward by themselves
......Thought so, I am not good at facing with this guy
Is it incompatible, or difference in personalities, anyhow I can't like him

"If you don't have anything to say I will be going!"
I wave away the priest's stares and turn to the exit

In the middle

"----Be glad, Lad. Your wish, is granted at last"

The priest has spoken as if reciting the wills of God

That line
Isn't it the true feeling of Emiya Shirou, that even I haven't become aware of myself

"---What are you talking about, all of a sudden"
"You should know. Your wish cannot be granted if there doesn't exist a clear evilness. Even if it's something you can never admit, but what a protector of justice needs is the evil that should be defeated"

"--------"
In front of my eyes, as if everything is becoming a darkness
The priest said
The man named Emiya Shirou's highest praise-worthy wish, is the same as the ugliest wish

......Doubtless. A wish that wants to protect something

At the same time, is also a wish that wants something to be hurt----

"---You"

But, I can't possibly be hoping that kind of thing
I don't remember ever wishing for
An over unstable wish
It's just that there's a contradiction within the ideal
But the priest said
As if stabbing this chest, said 'How wonderful now the enemy is emerging'

"Well, there's no point of hiding it. Your way of thinking, from a human's point of view is also correct"
"------"
I cast away the words of the priest, and walks toward the exit

"Good bye Emiya Shirou. My last advice, be careful on the road back. From now on your world is changed. You have become a man of the side of kill an be killed. Because you're already a Master"

Once I am outside, the intense pressure on my shoulders are gone
Though it has something to do with leaving that priest
But also Tohsaka who you can tell is wearing a uniform even from far away
Stands besides the blond girl with a raining coat, this sight is strangely amusing and let one relax

"--------"
Saber is still not talking
She keeps looking at me, perhaps she's wondering what choice did I make

"Let's go. We are taking the same way to the town, right"
Tohsaka starts to walk after she says this
We follow behind her, leave the Church as well

Us three walk down the hill road
Though we didn't say much on our way here, but there's even less to talk about on our way back
The reason, even someone as dim as me can tell
After the event in the Church, I really become a Master
Tohsaka walks a distance from Saber and I must be this reason

"----"
I can understand this
Though understand, but I don't like to separate Tohsaka like this

"Tohsaka, is your Servant fine"
"Eh......?"
"Ah, hm. Archer is fine. ......The injury inflicted from been defeated by your Saber won't go away easily, he can't materialize for now"
"Then he's not around you"

"Uh huh, he's hiding in my house. Since it'd be disadvantage for him if he's ambushed by other Servants now, so he's defending the enemy in an advantageous location before his injuries are recovered"

I see
Disregard of my house, Tohsaka's house should've prepared the defense against enemy very well

To Magi, their own houses are like fortresses. They would not lose to anyone when they're in there
From another perspective, if they stay at their houses, enemy would not come to attack
......Hm
Though the seal of our house only has an alarm against invaders, but that's still a lot different from nothing at all

"By the way, Tohsaka. When you said that guy is the supervisor of the Grail War. Does that guy, know your Servant"
"He shouldn't know. Because I didn't tell him"

"Is that so. I thought you and that guy are in good terms"
"......Emiya. Let me give you an advice, never tell anyone the true identity of your Servant. Please don't mention it even if it's someone trustworthy. You would be eliminated earlier if you don't do this"

"......? The true identity of Saber, what is that"
"Meaning the origin of a hero. Even if powerful, she would be killed one day in bed if her attributes are discovered, right. ......OK, let Saber tells you her true identity afterward. You can understand what I said then......But, then again. Since Emiya is very, well, you will probably be better off not knowing it"

"Why is that"
"Because Emiya can't hide anything. So the only way you can keep a secret is not to know it, isn't it"
"......Hey, what do you take me for. I can at least follow some strategy like this"

"Oh really? Then are you hiding anything from me?"
"Eh......Hide something from Tohsaka"
As I say this, my face is suddenly heated
Though there's nothing to feel guilty about, well, I was a little bit admiring her, does this kind of thing count as hiding from her......?

"You see. Though I don't know what you're hiding, but it's too obvious if you show anxious on your face. You have other good points, just don't think about strategies or what not anymore"

"......Hm. Then what about Tohsaka. You don't even tell that priest, is it because you can't trust that guy?"

"Kirei? That's a given. I am not foolish enough to trust that guy. Speaking of that guy, he's a fake that obviously transferred from the Church to Mage Association, but still keeps the status in Church. It's highly possible for him to sell others' intelligences to other Masters"

Tohsaka humphs as if she really is disgusted
It seems like Tohsaka really doesn't trust the priest
I am relieved now, yet, I feel that in her words just now, there's a sense of closeness to that priest

----Then we cross the bridge

We stop talking to each other
The cold air in winter, and the white breaths we exhale
The light sounds of watering flowing, and the street light shine on the surface of the bridge reflected on our eyes
All kinds of matter, leave a deep impression in my memories

What's so incredibly about it, is that I never think of looking at the face of Tohsaka who walks right beside me
I feel that, more than looking at Tohsaka's face, it's ever more rare for us to walk side by side like this
Tohsaka, I, and the one who remains in mystery, the girl named Saber
The three of us, do nothing, besides walking toward where we should return to

We are at the cross road
The cross road at the hill that goes to all kinds of houses, is where Emiya Shirou and Tohsaka Rin separate

"Let's break up here. I did my part, it would be troublesome if we stay together, right. A clean break, we will be enemy from tomorrow onward"
It's to draw a clean line between the ambiguous situation from before
Tohsaka says frankly, then there's silence

I know
She didn't explain to me the rules out of responsibility
Just fairly, helped out Emiya Shirou who didn't know anything
So after the explanation is over, everything is the same as before
Just becomes a competitor as another Master afterward

"......Hm?"
But, then her words just now seems strange
What Tohsaka should've wanted to say, was that it's hard to fight if we sympathize with our opponents, which it true
But from Tohsaka point of view, everything that happened tonight was unnecessary
'It would be troublesome if we stay together, right'
If she put it this way, then wouldn't it be better if we don't stick together since the beginning

Someone as clever as Tohsaka, should understand this kind of thing
Yet Tohsaka still helped Emiya Shirou out, disregard of her own interests

Therefore what happened tonight, is completely out of kindness and nothing else
The Tohsaka in front of my eyes, is very different from the she in school
To be conservative, she's strict, and difficult to approach, the huge difference, let me want to complain what happened to her composure in school

Actually, I think this can already be accounted as cheating
......But, even then
Tohsaka Rin, is the same as what everybody think who she is

"What, Tohsaka is such a nice person"
"Ah? What are you saying out of blue. I won't take you easy even if you flatter me"
I know
This girl said sympathy would be troublesome because she wouldn't take anyone easy

"I know. But if possible, I don't want to make an enemy out of you. I like people like you"
"Wha----"

For some reason, Tohsaka stops talking after this
I heard that Tohsaka residence is in the Western-style residential area on the opposite side of mine
She did help me out, I want to see her leave before I take off

"A, anyhow, if your Servant is defeated, don't hesitate just run to the Church from before. This way you can at least save your life"
"Though I am reluctant, but I will listen to you. But it shouldn't turn out that way. No matter how you think, I will die before Saber"

I calmly narrate the present predicament
"----Uuh"
Tohsaka shows a strange reaction again
She sighs as if she's astonished, then gives Saber a glimpse

"Listen, if I keep giving you advises then that's really sympathy so I will be quiet. Please take care of yourself. Because even if Saber is truly superior, but it'd be over once you the Master is defeated"
Tohsaka turns around and walks away quickly

"----"
But
She suddenly comes to a stop, as if seeing a ghost

"Tohsaka?"
While I call out to her, a pain comes to my left hand

"----So, you finish talking?"

A childish voice is echoing in the night
The voice which is like singing, certainly is a voice of a young girl
My eyes are attracted to the hill
Not sure how long have the clouds drifted away already, a bright moon is shining in the air

----At that place

A large and tall shadow
In the middle of a dim-lighted grayish city of night, that's an alien that can't possibly exist

"---Berserker"

Tohsaka spills out a vocabulary that I never heard of
That is definitely a Servant
At the same time it's also---a gush of death that surpasses the fire from ten years ago

"Good night, big brother. This is the second time that we met this way"
The girl smiles as she speaks
That naive smile, makes my back cold

"--------"

No, not just on my back
Not even just the boy, even my conscious is frozen
That's a, monster
Our eyes haven't met yet, and I am already stuck here can't move a muscle

Like naturally acknowledge that, I will be killed even I move a bit
As if a kitchen knife is place on top of, a naked abdomen
......However, but there's absolutely, absolutely no emotions
Perhaps there's just too little of hope for survival
Fear and anxiety, are all covered by hopeless, I can't feel anything at all

"----Shit. That guy, is on a different level"

Different from my paralyzed self, Tohsaka still has some strength left to take a stance
......But, that's still a slight
Because even just from looking at her back, I can sense her hopelessness

"Ah? What, your Servant is resting. How boring, I thought we can kill both"

On the hill, the girl looks down at us, says her unsatisfying
......More dangerous now
That girl, can even tell that Tohsaka's Servant is not around

---At the moment
The girl raises the border of her skirt politely, makes a greeting that really doesn't suit this occasion

"First time meeting you, Rin. I am Illya. You should know who I am if I tell you my full name is Illyasviel von Einzbern?"
"Einzbern----"
Has Tohsaka heard of this name, her body shakes a bit slightly

Is she content with Tohsaka's reaction, the girl shows a glad smile

"Then kill. Slaughter them, Berserker"

The girl orders the alien on her back, as if singing

The giant object flies up
The monster named Berserker, from up the hill, falls all the way down here for tens of meters at once----!

"----Shirou, stand back......!"
Saber rushes. She slings away the rain coat, blocks my sight in an instant

Saber who rushes to the place where Berserker lands
And Berserker who falls down with a whirlwind, almost reach their destination at the exact same moment

"Hrr............!"
The air is trembling
Saber blocks the huge sword in Berserker's hands that can almost be called a giant rock with her invisible sword

"----"
The corner of Saber's mouth crooked
The huge sword of Berserker, flashes like a whirlwind toward Saber---!

Sounds of explosion
The impacts of metal and metal that can tear apart atmosphere easily, ends with Saber losing

Shhhaaa

Even though blocks the huge sword of Berserker, but Saber's sword for blocking has been pushed back completely

"Grr......"
Saber's stance is crashed
The lead-black Servant chases after Saber
The gray alien, swings around the huge sword as if this is the only thing he knows

Saber blocks without any space for dodging
Has nothing to do with her sword that cannot be seen
One strike from Berserker is a devastating storm that cannot be defended without one's entire body

Therefore, Saber can only keep defending
To her, the only chance of winning will be to find an opening in he intervals of Berserker's strikes

However
That only works, if Berserker actually has intervals

The sword that resembles a dark rock, is like a hurricane
He has such a huge body
With such a gigantic sword, Berserker's speed is still far superior than Saber

Repeated attacks, just non-stop strike downs, an unpolished way of sword without any techniques

But that's enough
If one has a dominating power and speed, there's no space for techniques to come in
Technique is, thought up by humans to fix flaws

And flaws, do not exist on this giant beast

"----Escape quickly"

With a frozen body, I only whisper quietly
We can't win against that
If this continues Saber will be killed
So Saber should escape
She should be able to escape easily if she's by herself
She should know this herself better than anyone......!

"Ah----"
That, is very dangerous
Even though my body is paralyzed, but my brain is still working calmly
The storms of death is strung out continually
Toward a retreating Saber who can't block, this time it's serious

He swings out an ending strike, that crashes Saber's defense

Saber's body is in the air
Though in a very forced composure, yet Saber still wants to block the huge sword of Berserker

That is only to avoid the vital wounds
She couldn't parry Berserker's huge sword because she fails to take a step, Saber is sent flying by the shock wave

---Saber falls down after drawing a large curve
Before her back impacts the ground, Saber spins her body and lands
"......Urr, uh......!"
Saber stands up mightily
But, over her chest, red blood is spreading out

"----That, is"
......Seriously, what a fool
I forgot the most important thing
Though I don't know how long can a Servant fight in one day, but this is already Saber's third battle
In addition, the wound on her chest penetrated by Lancer is still there----

"Ur, urr----"
Saber takes a stance as if protecting her chest
Berserker is like a storm, strikes down toward the wounded Saber----

The back of Berserker, received a few line of impacts

"---Vier Stil ErschieBung......!"

Must be a really powerful Sorcery, as Tohsaka recites the spells, Berserker's body is bumps away
Judging from the strength of mana exploded, the attacks direct at Berserk should be close to shots from a large-gauge pistol

But that's meaningless as well
There's not a scratch on Berserker
He's not like Saber who nullified mana

"Urr......!? Gr, this guy's body is really messed up......!"
But Tohsaka is still attacking without a break
Berserker also, advances toward Saber disregarding Tohsaka's Sorcery

"............"
Saber raises her head painfully
She takes up her sword, and intends to continue to fight

---Looking at her shape, let my paralyzed body is defrost

"You can't, run away Saber......!"

I yell with all my might
Upon hearing my words

She, stands up against the unbeatable enemy
Berserker's attacks didn't stop
Every time she takes an attack, Saber's body is been pressed down, every time it's like welcoming the last moment

---But, such a tiny body, where did that large amount of power comes from

Saber would not back down
She accepts all those swings of that large sword like huge waves, trying very hard to pushes down Berserker
There's no chance to win
There must be something wrong with her, who stands without a bit wavering while knowing if this continues she would be defeated

Perhaps Berserker senses something from her

"■■■■■■■■■■■■----!"

The alien that stays silent all this time howls insanely

An unstoppable attack
Even Saber who is completely sunk in defense is unable to parry, this time she really is sent flying


Doh
Faraway, there's a sound of something falls down

......Fresh blood is spilled in the air
In the blood, with a body that can't stand up anymore
"Urr, ah............"
She stands up unconsciously
......As if
She is saying, if she doesn't stand up, I who is left alone would be killed----

"------------------------"

Then
I realize, how much of a stupid choice I made

Berserker who struck down Saber, stands still
Not even taking Tohsaka and I into consideration, waiting for the orders of the Master on the hills

"Ah ha, it's impossible for you to win. Because my Berserker, is the greatest hero of Greek"
"......!? The greatest hero of Greek, he's not----"

"That's right. Over there is the monster names Hercules, completely different from the levels of heroes you can dominate, the most violent monster"

The girl who called herself Illya, narrows her eyes pleasantly
That's a pleasant look of giving the enemy the last strike to death

---There's no need to mention who is the one been defeated

She will be killed right here
Then what should I do
Do I fight with the monster in her stead
It's impossible to do that
Without enough determination, one's heart would stop beating just from approaching the monster

I want to----

[----]

I---can't ignore the one falls down
Because Emiya Shirou has already chosen this way of life
More importantly---I can't leave the girl that fights for me like that

"It's OK Berserker. That guy will regenerate, chop her head off"
Berserker starts to move again
And I----

"You---............!!"

I dash there with full strength
I can't possibly do anything to that monster
So at least I should, pushes Saber out of the way, save her from Berserker's blow----

"----Eh?"

Doh, I fall down
Why......?
I originally intended to push Saber out of the way, and keep Saber away from Berserker, and ponder on what happen next later, so why.

"Gah----ah"

Why, am I
Lying on the ground. Can't breath

"!?"

......I hear screams
First thing, I see is Saber in front of my eyes
And then it's Tohsaka who is stunned faraway
And for some reason, she looks down at me idly, the girl named Illya

"......Ah, eh"
My abdomen is gone
I am lying on the ground
What's on the road are, blood that is comparatively less than the one on my wound and organs that seems very soft and countless bones that look like broken dead tree twigs, hey, this looks very hurt, forget it, anyway it's all these stuff spilled everywhere

"......I see. Seriously, so dumb"

To put it simply, I didn't make it
Basically---Since I couldn't push away Saber, so I became a shield
Then that demonic axe sword, takes out everything from my abdomen

"----Cough"

Ahh seriously, even fail at a time like this, really make one astonished
Though I am supposed to work hard to become a protector of just, but to make a mistake at an important time like this

"----Why?"

The girl with silver hair whispers

After stunned for a while, the girl

"......This is enough. This way, is so boring"

The girl never gives Saber the last blow, calls back Berserker

"---Rin. I will kill you the next time I meet you"
The girl leaves in a flash
After seeing her left, I completely lose my vision

My conscious stops shortly
This time there's no way to return back to normal
Though I was saved when killed by Lancer, but that kind of luck wouldn't come twice
There shouldn't be any Sorcery that can save someone like this, whose abdomen has completely vanished

"......What are you, you thinking! Do you know, I have no way to save you again......!"

I hear cursing
......Must be Tohsaka, she seems to be angry for real, I feel sorry

But can't help it
I am not like Tohsaka who can do anything, what I can use freely is only this suit of body

......So, that's right
Other than dash out with my body like this, I can't accomplish anything----


Next