Beta read by Shigiya and Gamercrusher55
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-Fuyuki, Miyama Town, Between Central Area and Foreign Residential District, Road to the Matou Residence-
There was a wave, no, a storm of tangled emotions surging within Shirou's chest as he twisted the accelerator of the motorbike. The city around him blurred into streaks of color and movement, buildings flashing by like the scenery in a fever dream as he tore through the shortest possible path leading to the Matou manor.
Where in his current state, all sense of caution had vanished. He could only focus on the single question pounding in his skull; why would she do something like this? "Did I do something wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"
The questions repeated over and over in his mind like a drumbeat as he replayed their night together, her touch, her voice, the quiet moments, the things she said when she thought no one was listening. None of it, not a single word or gesture, had hinted at her planning to vanish the next morning. Now he found himself staring into space, recalling the letter she left behind. His face tightened, jaw clenching.
"You didn't need to go this far to protect me, Sakura. I don't regret anything I did. I'm not afraid of what comes next. So why?"
Why would she shoulder this alone? Why was she so convinced he needed to be protected? Did she really think he couldn't endure what lay ahead? He had no plans to die. Not now. Not anytime soon. He would survive, as he always had.
His emotions were boiling, bubbling over into something sharper, something that felt too close to helplessness. A creeping sense of déjà vu settled in his chest. He'd gone down this path before, back when he marched up to that manor to confront Sakura and Shinji to force open its doors, only to be greeted for the first time face to face with that inhuman old man she called her grandfather. Everything about him feeling disturbing, fake and just not human at all — like a demon wearing skin. Seeing him along with the worms within her body, he moved so fast, pulling her out of that place.
And now she was going back to it.
"Still, I won't come over to take Sakura away from you or anything else, so you can rest easy. Rather, you will be the one who will escort her straight back to our doorstep, that I can guarantee you. For now, take great care of her, she'll need it."
Those being the words Zouken had spoken to him with so much certainty as if the old man had seen the future itself. Not really a threat since he didn't even put any effort into it. Saying that Sakura would come back on her own and that he didn't even need to stop him from taking her away back then.
Shirou never thought too much in depth about that, putting it off as the old man was under the belief that he would buckle under the pressure of being a Master and bring her back to save his own skin.
Or maybe the old man even thought of using several means to force him into a corner and have him give up. He did not give it much thought cause he knew just how stubborn he was, and had no intention of giving her up.
"Did he force her? He must have."
The roar of the engine drowned everything, until it didn't.
Amidst the wind and the pounding, relentless thrum of the bike, Shirou felt it. A pair of arms, soft and delicate, wrapped around his waist. Light at first, then firmer—a comforting weight pressing into his back, the warmth unmistakable, almost achingly familiar.
"Don't blame yourself."
Above the roar of the engine, the rush of the road, the battered noise of the night, her voice came. Perfectly clear.
Unwavering.
Rider's words slipped right in, cutting through everything else.
"You had nothing to do with this."
He didn't answer. Not at first. His lips pulled into a tired, bitter curve—a smile, but not really. There was nothing joyful in it. Only the ache.
"She went back because she wanted to protect me? What else does that mean other than I've failed at what I was trying to do? It was supposed to be the other way around. I was meant to protect her... not like this."
"Just because you're willing to risk your life for others doesn't mean they can't do the same for you."
"But that's…I…I don't want anything to happen to the people I care about because of me!"
He shouted the words, hands gripping the handles so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"I don't want her risking her life for me, or anyone else doing it either. Whether it's you or Sakura or anyone. I'm sick and tired of seeing people suffering in front of me. If it means I can stop it even a little then I don't mind being the one to do it instead."
Rider didn't speak again. She just leaned her head against his back, gentle and quiet, the warmth of her presence pressing there for a little while. Maybe it was comfort, maybe it was just something wordless, but it was there, and then it faded away.
"Many would argue against that," she said softly, her voice the last thing he heard before she returned to her spiritual form.
Shirou had no answer for her.
He focused forward, the wind now stinging his face like needles as he ascended the familiar mountain road. The sun had begun its rise, casting gold and crimson across the sky, yet the manor's path remained cold and lifeless, isolated from the city's growing noise.
He wasn't going to slow down. No, this time, he would crash straight through the gates if it came to that. If they threw up wards or bounded fields in his way, let them—even if they managed to stop him for a moment, it wouldn't be for long. Still, he had to think. 'If Zouken turns out to be more of a problem than I can handle, I can have Rider take Sakura and get her out while I buy them time—or maybe the opposite, too. But there's still those worms inside her, clinging to her heart and body… familiars? That thing wouldn't be in her unless it had a purpose. Zouken should be able to track her through it. Have to figure out how to get rid of it, somehow. Maybe I can find someone who knows how.'
Unfortunately, that in itself was an issue he was not sure how to solve. With the only person he could ask help from was Luvia and Bazett, but the latter had practically disappeared and Luvia already mentioned being unable to help him.
As he mulled in his thoughts, his ears then picked up a sound coming from above, a deep thunderous roar echoing high up in the sky as from his position he saw several streaks of light flying above his head. Leaving a thin trail of smoke "Eh?" Taken aback, he found himself at a loss on what resembled… no way…
"Are those… missiles?"
The very words he muttered made little sense to him as why would such a thing even appear in Fuyuki of all places? He blinked his eyes several times rubbing with one hand to make sure he wasn't seeing things… even going so far as to wonder if this was not an illusion cast by a bounded field or Caster trying to fool him. The projectiles moved across the sky, piercing the clouds and getting closer and closer to the point that Shirou realized that those very same missiles were heading straight for the region he was heading towards at the moment!
"—!"
From the other side of the sky, rising from the earth and opposing the missiles were several other streaks of red lights that flew at incredible speed. Nearly twice as fast and immediately intercepting the attack mid air releasing an enormous explosion with a ball of fire expanding above. "Argh!" A few seconds later the shockwave reached the ground bringing along loud booms ringing his ears with multiple ear piecing explosions.
The lights blinded him to the point he was forced to avert his eyes while he could feel the vibration across his body. The resounding explosion rang in his ears in a deafening manner, forcing him to stop the motorcycle, as he covered his ears with his hands.
'So loud… the ringing won't stop…'
As if in denouncement to his pleas, the resulting shockwaves spread throughout all of Fuyuki, before he realized that every car alarm had been set off by the shockwave, all of them ringing at the disturbance. Machines went off all over, sirens could be heard everywhere, and he could hear people screaming in every direction.
When the ringing of the explosion finally subsided, and the light began to die down a little he finally removed his hands from his head, and adjusting to the light opened his eyes.
'This was on a completely different level from when I fire my guns or set off explosives, it's as if the whole sky lit on fire. Where the heck did that even come… from…'
His eyes widened when he finally took note of the trajectory of the shots… and from where they were intercepted.
"Those were aimed at the Manor!" He noted, with the black smoke and leftovers of the explosion being too close to where the manor should be and several more sounds of explosion coming from beyond the mountain. "No, Sakura! Rider, go ahead and see what happened!"
Feeling a gust of wind blow back from his head, he didn't wait to know his order had been carried out. Getting the motorcycle back on the road, and reinforced everything about it, along with his eyes to increase his dynamic vision. He revved the engine.
With the bike exploding forward he blasted in a straight line, moving past everything in his way to get to the mansion. Luckily there were no cars yet on the road, because if there were he may have blasted through them, not stopping until finally the mansion, and wreckage came into vague sight.
Unfortunately, the first thing he noticed as he neared the manor wasn't the building itself, but the thick, curling smoke rising high into the morning sky. His heart skipped a beat, dread stabbing into his chest like an iron spike. He twisted the throttle harder, the engine screaming beneath him as the blur of the road narrowed into focus.
The full scene finally came into view and what he saw made him falter. Just for a second, he lost control of the bike, the tires wobbling dangerously.
The Matou manor was in flames. Towering fire that burned around certain parts of the structure with several other areas of the forest around having been destroyed with the fire spreading at an almost unnatural pace. The sight made his chest tighten, feeling his breath catch as panic clawed its way up his throat.
The fire didn't just catch his attention as all the neighbors in the area left the safety of their homes to see what had happened.
"What in the world just happened!?"
"Are we under attack… is it a war?"
"Get inside, right now!"
"Waaaaaah!"
All the panic, screams, and jeers brought back painful memories from that moment ten years ago… back in the Great Fuyuki Fire.
"Please no… please no… please no."
Each repetition was softer than the last, more desperate, more choked with disbelief.
He subconsciously noted that it didn't seem like there were any bodies yet, the damage mostly being contained… As he drove closer toward the flames like a moth, while everyone around him panicked. Many of the people caught in it tried their best to get as far away as possible, leaving the center of the original point of impact. The closer he got the less people there were until finally he was the only one standing in front of the burning mansion, surrounded by a field of smoke that obscured it from world.
But just as he was about to reach the gates, something else snatched his attention. From the corner of his eye, a glint flashed for just an instant — his instincts screamed.
In a split-second reaction, he yanked the handlebars and slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched, kicking up dust and gravel as the bike skidded to a halt several meters away from the gate where not even a second later, several arrows crashed into the ground just ahead, burying themselves into the earth with a dull thud. They landed where he would have been had he kept riding…
"What…was that?"
The gates had already been destroyed, their twisted metal remains lying in charred pieces across the ground. Shirou leapt off the bike, fully intent on charging in. But as soon as he made a move forward, another arrow stabbed the soil at his feet, forcing him to freeze.
"Those were warning shots you'd do best not to get closer."
"—!"
He could barely see them, but even now running ahead and forgoing all sense of preservation was something he realized would be too foolish even for him. The power and speed behind those arrows alone looked no less powerful and as fast as actual bullets, the more frustrating part was being unable to discern where they even came from.
"Who's there!?" he called out, voice hoarse, managing to keep his rationality as he kept looking around trying to spot the shooter. "Come out now!"
"Hoh… what an unusual uninvited guest we have today, so boldly striding toward his own death," came a voice, smooth, sarcastic, and faintly amused. Sounding a bit gruff, that of a man whom he had yet to spot and most definitely the one behind those arrows from earlier. "You're a Magus, aren't you? I must admit, I'm not sure whether to call you brave or just foolish for rushing headfirst into this sort of situation."
The tone sent a chill down Shirou's spine. This time sounding much closer than before, he immediately stepped back and raised his gun, scanning for the speaker.
Blue light began to gather in the air ahead, glowing particles swirling together, coalescing into a humanoid form. The figure that took shape was tall, lean, with skin a shade darker than most, dressed in striking black-and-red armor. His hair was stark white, and his grey eyes looking back at golden brown, showing very little emotions. The massive black bow that was clutched in one of his hands was dematerialized into blue particles right before his eyes.
Everything about him, his presence, his bearing, the sheer weight of the aura he gave off and most importantly the way he appeared was similar to how Rider told Shirou one thing.
Not human.
"A… Servant." he whispered under his breath, barely audible even to himself.
His gaze flicked between the burning house and the imposing figure before him. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the gun tighter, raising it once more and aiming directly for the man's head.
"A Servant," he repeated, louder and more certain of himself this time.
The one standing in front of him, however, didn't react with hostility immediately. Instead, his amused expression shifted, briefly, into one of confusion and something faintly resembling surprise as he stared at the redheaded boy now aiming a firearm at him. That look only lasted a heartbeat before his expression returned to a mostly blank stare, though a faint frown visible.
"How clever of you to figure that out," the man said dryly. "Not that I thought I was hiding it particularly well. And since you already know what I am, I'm beginning to lean toward the 'foolish' part of my earlier statement, considering you're pointing that thing at me as though it could actually harm me. I get the feeling that telling you to leave would be a waste of time."
Bang!
The gun fired with a sharp crack, the bullet slicing through the air straight toward the Servant's face. The latter which titled his head to the side slightly, The round whizzed past him, barely grazing a strand of white hair. It didn't even get a reaction from the Servant. The man stayed perfectly still, unbothered, as if the bullet had been nothing more than a passing breeze.
Shirou's chest rose and fell rapidly, taking a moment to control his breathing. 'A Servant here!? Since Rider is with me, Berserker's with Illya, and Caster's already summoned then that leaves only a few left. It can't be Tohsaka's Servant, she wouldn't send a Servant here to attack Sakura so soon after what happened yesterday. That bow from earlier would definitely make him an Archer, but who sent him here?'
Several questions popped within his mind, though it's best to stay focused on why he came here in the first place. "Where is Sakura… and who sent you here and for what purpose?"
"..."
"I'm asking you, where is Sakura? What did you do to her!?"
The questions came out sounding much more calmer this time. He was barely holding himself back from attacking the Servant, his thoughts spinning, most of them urging him to just keep shooting until something gave way and let him through but he knew that it would only be a waste of ammo.
"Quite rude of you to speak to me like that, isn't it?" the man, most likely an Archer, said, his tone dipped a rising amount of amusement. "You meet someone for the first time and decide to greet them with gunfire? Honestly, you should learn some manners."
The light grin lingered on the stranger's face, calm and unfazed.
"As for your questions… whether I am friend or foe, or who I am tasked to kill at the moment. Does it even matter?" He answered with a shrug. "It's not like I'm under no obligation to answer you. And I certainly don't have to answer your other question. You'd best turn around and walk away, boy. Otherwise, I will consider you an enemy and treat you accordingly.You're invited to empty the clip within that gun not that it'll do much. Go play hero somewhere else."
A taunt? Hard to say but it certainly did feel like one. But one thing for certain was that there was just something about this person that just irked him. Perhaps the way he spoke to him, sounding almost condescending but not completely Or maybe it was just that he was an enemy Servant, standing between him, and someone he cared about.
"Trying to act stubborn in front of a Servant with nothing but a standard pistol… Should I also call you suicidal on top of being an idiot? You are starting to fit that mold quite perfectly."
Shirou didn't bother answering, understanding that letting a few words get to him in this situation was not exactly ideal, but it was hard. Instead, he pulled the trigger again and again. The gun barked out round after round, each bullet slicing through the air toward its target.
The white-haired man didn't flinch.
His hand moved in a blur. A sudden flash of black steel appeared in his grasp, a strange sword lined with glowing red hexagonal patterns. With the flat of the blade, he casually deflected the bullets, sending them spinning to the ground in shredded fragments of metal.
He looked at Shirou, unimpressed.
But the latter had already moved ahead, having used the volley of bullets as cover rather than having any hopes of causing any damage with those, closing the distance between them in an instant. The pistol thrown away from his hands, replaced by a projected katana that shimmered with newly-formed light, the curved blade already swinging upward in a powerful arc.
The weapon sliced through the air, trailing sparks—
Clang!
A sound like metal crashing into stone echoed through the clearing, followed by a sudden eruption of sparks. His arms trembled, the shaking from the weapon coming to a sudden halt nearly making him drop it, Shirou's eyes narrowed with surprise at what was a sword that had appeared, sleek, flawless, and pure white that caught his strike with insulting ease. The two weapons pressed against each other, steel grinding on steel.
Was he fighting against an Archer or a Saber?
"No matter what you do," the Servant said coolly, his voice never rising, "the simple fact remains. You're facing a Servant. And using any of these weapons yourself won't bring you victory even against a competent Magus."
The white blade pushed down, cutting through his katana as if it were made of nothing more than paper. The weapon split cleanly in two, the broken shards clattering to the ground in a scatter of metallic chimes across the stone path before dispensing into motes of blue light. Shirou staggered, his stance disrupted, his breath ragged and heart hammering against his ribs.
Yet the Servant hadn't taken a single step forward.
Despite the situation, he found his eyes drifting back to the swords now pointed at him. Both blades, one white, one black, gleamed under the dull sky, longer than he had first realized.
'Are these... his Noble Phantasms?'
He just was not fully certain.
Even though he had already encountered two Servants before this moment, he had never truly seen a Noble Phantasm in action so closely. Rider wielded chained daggers, but she had confirmed to him that they weren't her true Noble Phantasms. While she had hinted to him that her blindfold was a Noble Phantasm it was passive, and didn't exude any force until its activation.
For Caster, she had launched a barrage of advanced spells during their brief confrontation, any of which could have annihilated a mage had he not been extremely careful. Still, according to Rider, that woman had only been testing the waters — probing the situation. She hadn't even come close to showing her full hand. Those spells weren't Noble Phantasms; they were just what she was capable of as a regular Magus, if anything that just showed the gulf between the two of them.
As for Berserker, there was that unnerving sword of stones carved into something resembling a mixture between a greatsword and with a club but overall just an abomination made to crudely resemble a one sided bladed weapon. Having been on the receiving end of it, he figured there to be a high chance of that weapon being a Noble Phantasm.
But, back then most of his attention was on Illya more than anything else.
But now he knew without fail what was standing before him. The power radiating off those two twin falchion-like blades, as he took in everything about them… they way their mere existence more than cried out their legend and majesty. They were above anything he had ever seen before, on par with the Heroic Spirit's themselves.
"Gah!"
The sight of the twin blades vanished from Shirou's thoughts when a powerful knee drove into his abdomen. The force knocked the wind out of him, hurling him backward. He slid across the gravel, his feet scraping and stumbling as he struggled to stay upright.
'That wasn't as painful as Rider's kick,' he thought through gritted teeth, but it was still very painful. Even one strike like that was enough to break ribs if he wasn't careful. Rider's kicks, on the other hand, could knock him unconscious outright and that was with her claiming she was holding back considerably.
"Enough of this."
His eyes widened at the voice. His enemy's voice. It sounded far too close. A heavy shadow fell over him, and when Shirou looked up, he saw the Servant standing above him, sword raised high. He hadn't even seen him move. It was as if he had materialized in front of him.
'Duck, Master.'
His body obeyed without thought. He dropped down just as a rush of wind swept over him and the piercing sound of steel clashing against steel filled the air. Archer groaned, not from exertion, but from pain, as he was knocked backward, having crossed both blades in front of himself to block the incoming strike.
Rider stood where Shirou had been moments ago, blindfolded and gaze locked onto her opponent. Holding her chained daggers in each hand. "Are you alright, Master?" she asked, never taking her focus off the enemy.
"I'll survive. Other than a bruise in the morning, I'm mostly fine." He answered back after a second of catching his breath, checking the state of his body and looking out for any internal hemorrhaging or bleeding having the check-ups practically become a habit at this point. By this point, he had nearly lost count of how many blows he'd taken from Servants and the wounds they left behind. The bruises and markings hadn't yet faded, and even the damage from Berserker's earlier assault still hadn't fully healed.
"Don't do that again. Don't rush at Servant like that."
A sound advice, the redhead knew that, "I just couldn't think of what else to do. Besides, it's alright, I survived, didn't I? And it's not like I'm facing Berserk—"
"Shirou."
Her voice sliced cleanly through, silencing the young man instantly. Was she... angry? She hadn't even turned toward him, but the sudden shift in tone sent a chill down his spine. He immediately realized he'd spoken without thinking, this making him recall the words she mentioned after his fight against Berserker and coming to the realization that she must have not been happy by him practically doing the same thing not even a full day later.
"Yeah… sorry. I won't do that again. Got too caught up in my emotions," he admitted quickly, rising to his feet. He rolled his shoulders and rotated his arms and legs, checking that everything still moved properly.
"I thought that was an Archer class Servant at first, but now… I'm not entirely sure." he said, letting his gaze drift back toward their opponent. The man was still holding both swords, but Shirou remembered clearly, he had been using a bow not long ago.
"He was using ranged attacks before and now he's wielding blades. That makes him either Saber or an Archer. Doesn't matter which. We need to find Sakura as soon as possible. We have to either take him out or get past him, Rider."
"You're pretty determined to be rid of me, aren't you?" the Servant remarked, his tone light, almost teasing; whether it was genuine curiosity or just a touch of sarcasm, it was impossible to say for sure. Either way, it didn't matter much. The red head had already made up his mind, had already pegged the enemy Servant as a threat that needed removing. "It's not going to be that simple, you know. In truth master, your reasons for being here—and for chasing after that person, specifically—they don't interest me much. Still, I'll give you the same warning again: you should really leave this place. The noise from earlier hasn't exactly gone unnoticed. Half the city probably heard it, and if we keep this up, someone's bound to come looking, even if we're a fair distance from town."
"We won't leave until we find Sakura, and make sure that she's okay."
Shirou's voice was resolute.
The Servant responded with a brief scoff.
"I was not asking."
Rider's hand rose with the dagger glinting from the fire, "And neither were we." In an instant, his figure vanished from the spot alongside Rider's. The next moment was a blur of motion and sound, the sharp clash of steel against steel ringing out in rapid succession.
Rider took the offensive, lunging forward in a blur and attempting to drive her dagger straight into her opponent's chest. She was fast, her movements as fluid as a stream. But the mysterious Servant moved with equal swiftness, deflecting her strike with practiced ease. His black and white blades moved in perfect tandem, crossing each other as he aimed a swift slash across her face.
Yet Rider was even more agile than she looked. She twisted mid-air, her body contorting with precision, and avoided the blade entirely, the swords didn't so much as graze her hair. Then, without pause, she brought her heel around in a wide, punishing arc, aiming to strike the side of the Servant's head with the full force of her spinning kick.
Shirou could barely follow the motion with his eyes, he could tell how well-timed and vicious the counter was. But even that wasn't enough.
The silver-gray eyed warrior proved once again that his insight wasn't something to be taken lightly. He raised one forearm, holding his blade parallel along the limb like a makeshift shield. The weapon caught the brunt of the impact, metal meeting muscle and bone. 'He may be keeping up with her but it's obvious that Rider is stronger and faster.'
The exchange didn't stop. Over the next few seconds, it repeated again and again, Rider striking with more strength similar to her confrontation against Berserker, Archer parrying each blow with increasing amounts of effort before countering in return.
The rapid rhythm of their movements was dizzying.
Even if Shirou had drawn his gun again, he doubted he would have been able to land a single shot on the red mantled Servant. The man moved too quickly, reacting before an aim could be properly taken. And even if he somehow did hit him, the damage would likely be minimal. A ranged attack might slow him down, but not stop him. 'But it should be able to distract him.'
Grabbing his gun from the ground, he quickly opened the magazine and removed a few bullets, concentrating carefully as he pushed a small amount of magical energy into each one. He applied reinforcement magic, hoping to increase their effectiveness—even if only by the smallest margin. Once the bullets had been prepared, he reloaded them and fired in a quick burst directly at the dual wielder.
"Hn?"
This time, a few bullets grazed past his face, but none of them struck true. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head, dodging every shot with fluid precision. One of the bullets was even sliced in half mid-air, the clean cut flashing briefly in the light before falling to the ground.
Fortunately, that alone served its purpose well enough. It provided Rider with an opening, and she took it without hesitation. She slipped past his shifting guard and landed a powerful kick into his gut.
"Argh!"
Another groan escaped the man's lips as he staggered back, though not without retaliating. With a sweeping motion, he hurled both of his swords in wide arcs toward the shooter.
"Shirou!"
The blades spun through the air, whistling as they came. He raised his hands instinctively, projecting two fresh copies of the same twin katanas into his grasp. If he couldn't destroy the incoming blades, then he could at least try to deflect them.
But before they could reach him, a blur of motion swept past.
A single swipe sent both of the man's swords clattering away. The air rustled with the flutter of fabric and the clink of metal.
His eyes caught a glimpse of long blonde hair tied into a tight bun, a striking blue dress framed by glinting silver armor.
"Another Servant?"
The woman turned her head, her expression calm, her clear green eyes meeting his.
"Are you hurt?" she asked.
For a moment his mind stalled. A bright smooth face, with emerald green eyes that reminded him of spring grassfields. He couldn't help but stare at her, mesmerized by her regality — a type of beauty that differed from Rider's. Strangely enough, a similar thought had occurred to him before when meeting a certain person who he met recently. The more time he spent staring at her, the more he felt the sinking feeling he had seen her before and then it all clicked into place.
He blurted out the first name that came to his mind startled.
"Gray?"
"Gnk… Uh… "
She flinched at the name, her gaze shifting away as she quickly turned her attention back to Archer.
"I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else," she replied softly.
"Shirou!"
Another voice called out, and before he could respond, a hand grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back from the battlefield. He stumbled slightly, turning to look—and found himself staring into a second, equally familiar face.
"Wait…. T-Two Grays?"
This one he was certain was the Gray he knew. Her cloak, her tone, even the way she said his name; all of it matched the person he remembered.
"Why do you look so..."
But now, everything about the girl changed. The once silvery-white hair was now pure gold and blonde, and her eyes were now glowing a deeper color of green matching those of the Servant who had just saved him. A twin? No... That didn't make sense. He was almost sure the other was a Servant. And if that were true, they couldn't possibly be siblings.
"What the hell is going on here?"
One of Gray's eyebrows twitched, "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to leave. It's too dangerous to stay here." She tugged at his arm again, trying to pull him away. But Shirou stood his ground, resisting her effort.
"I can't," he said firmly. "Not until I find Sakura."
His eyes darted back to the field, where the standoff had shifted. All three Servants were present now. Rather than facing each other, the two women had aligned themselves against the white-haired man. Clearly, they had decided they weren't enemies.
"Well, today's not my lucky day," Their opponent said flatly. Shirou blinked in surprise, as did the others. The swords he had thrown returned to his hands, summoned back with a faint shimmer. But he didn't raise them to continue the fight. "A two-against-one match. While I'm no pushover, I'll admit the odds aren't exactly in my favor. Then again, I've never been the type to shy away from a dangerous situation; if either of you still intends to fight, that is."
Gray already had her answer and shook her head giving it. "Saber, we're leaving!"
"Yes, Master!"
"Wait, you can't be serious! We still have—"
"She's fine, brat," The recently confirmed Archer interrupted. He dismissed his weapons and turned his back to them. "She's fine and alive. If I wanted her dead I wouldn't have blocked that strike. What you need to worry about is yourself first. It looks like things are about to get hectic around here."
And with that, his body began to fade, dissolving into spirit form as he vanished entirely, leaving them standing amidst the scorched battlefield while parts of the mansion crackled in the distance showing signs of weakening. Most of the structure remained intact with the fire damaging only certain parts. Gritting his teeth, Shirou slammed his fist onto the ground, frustration tightening his jaw. His eyes shifted quickly toward Rider.
"Is she still inside the manor? Is she okay?"
The woman disappeared from her spot, a few seconds passing before she returned and shook her head. "The place is empty. There are still a few of Zouken's familiars crawling around, but most of them have been taken care of by the fire itself or wriggled away. No signs of human remains anywhere. The insides aren't that damaged compared to the outside, most likely the building will survive with the damage only being mostly on the surface. She's definitely still alive but most likely hiding somewhere else," Rider said calmly. After pausing in thought for a moment she continued. "Shirou, I agree with them… we should leave. We can always search for Sakura again later. What matters now is that she's alive."
Listening to Rider's words, he let out a long, heavy sigh. His anger, while not gone, had quieted now that the worst-case scenario seemed less likely. And with Archer's parting words still lingering in his mind, another possibility surfaced.
"Was Archer… summoned by Zouken? Or by Sakura?"
He found it hard to believe Shinji had anything to do with it — he lacked the magical capacity, and frankly, the competence. Sakura had far more magical potential, but Zouken's influence couldn't be ruled out either. Still, if either of them had summoned the Servant, and if the way Archer had spoken so assuredly had given any indication, then one thing was certain—Sakura was alive.
"Let's go, then."
As he picked up his motorcycle he heard the sirens of fire trucks and other government vehicles in the distance approaching them.
{Break}
-Fuyuki, Miyama Town, Northern End, Traditional District, Emiya Residence-
The city was in a panic.
The streets were filled with people and vehicles who'd gone out to see what that explosion was, their eyes to the flaming smoke cloud in the distance, slowly vanishing. It became such a nightmare to move that Rider picked up the motorbike and him, and took a roundabout way back to their home, doing everything to avoid any passing glances. Following behind them was the now new pair of Saber carrying Gray as if it was nothing.
Honestly Servant's really were ridiculously strong.
Finally arriving at home, Rider had pulled Shirou away for a quick moment, as he directed his new guest Gray to the living room, as she asked Saber to stand outside as a lookout. Shirou had been directed by Rider to find Taiga passed out in one of the rooms. She was lazing around, subconsciously stretching her arm out, rubbing her stomach and all while drool continued to leave her goofy face. Unable to do nothing about what was in front of him, he turned away directing his gaze to Rider.
"If you could think of a better way to handle her in this situation, be my guest."
Begrudgingly agreeing with her, Shirou called the Fujimura family who apparently had just sent someone to make sure they were okay.
Confirming to the worried Raiga that they were both okay and that Taiga knew nothing of what happened. He gave the excuse that she had eaten too much, fallen into a food coma, and was now in a deep sleep with the help of some alcohol on top of that.
It wasn't the most graceful lie, and he did feel guilty for putting that on Taiga's name, but considering what he had to deal with today, it was the best he could manage. The fact that Raiga laughed and found it completely believable that his granddaughter had slept through the chaos, only made him rub his temples knowing that she may very well have done it for real.
Almost immediately later a group of men arrived at the front door, where he was already holding the unconscious Taiga for pick up.
"Sure you don't want to come over to the main Fujimura house, the boss thinks you'll be safer there."
Shirou shook his head. "I'm sure. We're close enough to the Fujimura Estate for that, and I've got other stuff I need to do. I'll call every once in a while to confirm I'm safe, and if I ever do feel I need to go there I'll be there in a jiffy.
After a strong shake of hands, the Fujimura's left, and Shirou at last let out a sigh of relief. Smacking his face he prepared to face the new issue in the living room. He had guests to speak with, and a lot of questions to ask.
But before that, he went to the kitchen, trying to calm the restless tide of thoughts running through his head.
"Want something to drink?" he called out, his voice reaching the duo sitting quietly in the living room. "We've got some juices, tea and even coffee."
"If it's not a bother then I'll have some water." Gray answered politely.
"Coffee for me please." Rider asked as business-like as possible, having grown fond of it.
He gave a nod and returned moments later with the beverages of a glass of water, coffee, and some tea for himself. Then he went back to the kitchen and began preparing something simple.
The soft sound of ingredients sizzling on a hot pan filled the air, along with a fragrant aroma that slowly spread through the house — helping him momentarily forget what just occurred.
"You don't have to make anything for me, Shirou." Seeing what he was doing, Gray tried to decline his gesture only to have him shake his head.
"No, I insist…especially after what happened with you helping me and Rider it's the least I can do as thank you. Besides, it's the first time you've been to my place, and what kind of host would I be if I didn't cook something? It kinda also helps with my nerves right now considering what happened. " He said while giving the pan a quick turn and glanced over his shoulder.
"You're not allergic to mushrooms, are you?"
"... No."
The awkward silence returned, stretching thin between them. Rider, not known for being talkative, sat comfortably in the quiet, seemingly unbothered. Gray kept her gaze fixed on the table, her fingers loosely interlaced in her lap.
Outside, the sun had already risen fully, casting morning light into the room. The sound of birds echoed faintly from the trees beyond the window, accompanied by the sound of many cars passing by on the road.
Still they were far enough from the leftover fiasco to not be completely drowned out by sirens.
He let out a slow breath given that yesterday had felt like the longest day of his life. So much had happened in so little time that his thoughts hadn't yet caught up with the reality of it all.
"Here," he said, returning with a tray. "I didn't have much stocked up, so I couldn't go overboard. Still, here's some grilled salmon, miso soup, tamagoyaki, steamed rice, pickled vegetables, and some natto if you're feeling adventurous. I don't know if you've tried it since coming to Japan, but the taste grows on you."
Gray just stared at the large spread in front of her, there being enough dishes to feel a group of ten easily. "This is… a bit much, isn't it? How did you even make this much in such little time?"
Puffing his chest with pride, the redhead answered, "I used four pans at once for the eggs, reheated some of the leftover miso soup from last night and having a rice cooker helps." Shirou said as he set everything down one by one. "Don't worry about it being too much, Rider can eat quite a lot when she likes something. There was this one time she got so frustrated with not knowing how to use chopsticks to eat grilled fish that she just secretly ate the entire thing by hand when she thought I wasn't watc—oomph!"
Before he could finish, the purple haired Servant reached over and stuffed a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth.
"You talk too much, Shirou," she said flatly.
He grinned while chewing. Teasing her from time to time was its own kind of satisfaction, especially since he was usually the one on the receiving end. In a way, it felt like playful revenge. Then his gaze drifted toward Gray, who was hesitating slightly. He tilted his head.
"Do you… also not know how to use chopsticks? I've got forks, if you want one."
She accepted the fork with a small nod, not a hint of embarrassment on her face.
"You're not going to call Saber inside?" he asked quietly. "I do feel a bit bad having all of us eating in here while she's standing outside."
"..."
A still, silent atmosphere settled over the room for several seconds as the girl fell quiet, leaving Shirou puzzled. He tilted his head slightly, sensing something off in her sudden change.
"Is there something going on between you two?"
Gray hesitated, her mouth parting as if to speak, only to close again. The silence stretched a bit longer before she let out a deep sigh. "It's n-nothing like that. I just didn't expect you to want a Se-Servant to eat with you. They don't really need sustenance like we do."
Though that was her answer, the way she stumbled through the words, avoiding his eyes, suggested there was more beneath the surface. Still, he didn't press her on it.
"Well, they're still people. Heroic Spirits or not, they can eat, taste, and enjoy food just like anyone else. Besides, I'd rather not eat alone. I wouldn't feel comfortable if someone were just sitting there doing nothing. And honestly, it feels nice to cook for more people."
Gray listened, several emotions crossing her eyes before she ended nodding. "I suppose you're right. You… You can come in, Saber."
"Yes."
The door slid open, and in stepped the one who shared Gray's face, wrapped fully in a cloak that concealed her form. Rather than sitting beside Gray, she paused, then deliberately left a bit of distance between them, glancing toward the girl with a look of quiet hesitation.
"It's fine," Gray said gently. "This is Shirou's house. You can sit here if you want to."
The other blonde nodded slightly. The awkwardness was palpable, enough that even someone blind to social cues could have noticed it. Saber sat down neatly on her knees beside the table, maintaining a formal posture. She looked down at the spread of food for a brief moment before turning her gaze to Shirou.
He offered her a smile, then stood from his seat and walked over to the fridge. He returned with two jugs, one in each hand.
"Which would you prefer, water or mango juice? I made the juice yesterday with freshly blended mangoes. They ripened just in time this season. It turned out really nice."
"Ah, then I shall give it a try. Thank you."
The girl's reply came stiffly, as though unsure of how to react, and she gave a quick nod of appreciation. He poured the juice and placed a glass before her. Saber picked it up with both hands, still covered in armor, and took a cautious sip. Her eyes widened slightly. Even with the cloak hiding her features, he could tell she was enjoying it. He had grown used to reading people, though Rider remained an exception most of the time.
"Try this as well, both of you. I'm sure you'll like it."
He pushed the plate of eggs forward, setting it between the two women. Once again, they hesitated and looked at one another. His curiosity flared even more strongly at the silent exchange, but he held his tongue, deciding not to pry just yet.
Gray and Saber each picked up a piece and brought it to their mouths. Shirou watched as Gray's face lit up, her eyes widening with surprise at the taste. Saber's reaction mirrored hers, though hers was more composed. She didn't linger to savor it, however — instead, she quickly reached for another, then another. She chewed each one with the same quiet astonishment, swallowed, and reached for a third, then a fourth, then a fifth.
As for the sixth, she reached out once more only to pause when her fork brushed an empty plate.
"Ah."
Disappointment written all over her face, he immediately recognized. Heck even Gray after finishing her first bite looked hungry for more.
He was glad to see the woman enjoying his food this much. Once again affirming his belief that Servant or not, these people were still alive and eating was something they enjoyed just like anyone else would.
A soft chuckle escaped Shirou's lips as he stepped forward, already prepared. He placed a second, fuller plate in front of them. Now that the atmosphere felt more relaxed for both the girls and himself, Shirou continued to look back and forth between Gray and Saber. 'They look exactly the same, Gray's hair… Now that I look closely, she still has some of her old colours but most of it has turned blonde…. If I'm not mistaken even her vibe is different from before..'
Aside from that, the fact Gray had summoned a Saber Servant also surprised him for he had not expected she would end up becoming a Master. The number of people he knew who ended up becoming Masters were growing and he was not sure how to feel about that.
"Before we discuss what happened back there… I think it's best to discuss the elephant in the room." Gray mentioned after finishing her meal, her eyes meeting his. "You're curious about my face and hers… aren't you?"
There was no point denying that, so he nodded.
Saber on the other hand looked at Gray with surprise, "Master, are you sure about this? Even if we helped him, he is still another Master who coul—"
"I know what I'm doing. It's not that big of a secret anyway, it won't change the outcome I am facing given how bad it already is." She cut her off with a heavy tone, Saber said nothing after that while Shirou waited patiently for her to continue.
Even Rider has been curious and listened carefully.
…Gray took a deep breath and meekly brought her head up with a distant and depressed gaze.
Shirou felt his own soul ache at that stare, and even Saber nearby bore a look of shame.
Then Gray asked him a question.
"What would you do if one day, your face became someone else's? If one day you were to slowly vanish and become someone others saw as more valuable. Cause the person who replaced you in their eyes was as strong and as righteous as a King like my Servant."
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.