Beta read by Shigiya, Darklord331 and Gamercrusher55 who also Co-wrote it.
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-Fuyuki, Abandoned hotel-
The night was young and already the pieces started to move, new players joining the game along with several revelations that held plenty of potential to be used as bargaining chips or as ways to further improve future plans.
Under the moonlight that reflected off a Crystal sphere, blueish purple eyes calmly watched the battle occurring between both Berserker and Rider. From every detail that she could gather, including the Masters and those who were not supposed to be involved. It was strange, to say the least, as her predictions fell flat, and the boy she met once managed to not only survive against that behemoth but did so in such an unconventional way that the Servant found it amusing.
"But of all people, it just happened to be him…"
The small embers of amusement barely lasted a second with doubt soon settling in upon seeing just who this new Servant happened to be. A renowned warrior, a demigod whose feats became immortalized and forever known by a majority of humans even in the modern era, and someone whose strength could even surpass her own magecraft.
A force of nature, crafted to take on the worst of beasts, only to be thrown to the wolves by the gods themselves. "Huh, figures. So that makes three of us now—still think this is just a coincidence?" Three beings, all tied to the same cursed legacy. If it had just been her and Rider, she might've shrugged it off as chance. But this? This was starting to feel like a cosmic joke.
But for there to be three of them summoned in the same Holy Grail War? That raised many concerns and questions of other Servants that had yet to be summoned later on. Regardless, this was not the time to dwell on such matters for her Master needed help as usual. Not to mention his current standings with the mage association, several challenges lay before him — typical. Especially with that Enforcer who gave her Master quite a bit of a headache and one who ended up surviving thanks to Rider's actions.
So arrogant and full of himself yet he required her help in the end to facilitate his research.
No different from watching an arrogant brat who would not take a hint of advice from anyone and is so blinded by his own success that any and all flaws remain ignored. They had camped out in a base in the more modern side of the city in what her knowledge explained was a skyscraper. The towering building offered them a view of the whole city that could be seen from their luxury penthouse suite, which looked as if the ground was covered in stars. She had to admit when she first saw it, it was a pleasant sight, despite the unnaturalness of it.
'The era has truly changed,' the woman thought to herself, not sure how to feel about the ever-cruel passage of time.
"Here you are, Caster." A middle aged man walked in her room, a butler one would assume but actually a mere assistant of her Master who she did not bother to remember the name of in the first place. "Staying idle as usual I see."
She rolled her eyes, "Came to monitor me as usual I see. To me, it looks like you are the one who looks like he has nothing to do all day."
Not even an attempt at taunting the man yet she could already sense his ire rising.
"As you can see for yourself, I am just spending my time surveying our little city for any new players."
"Anything to report?" He asked, almost demanded, for an answer to which she did not share immediately. Just giving him a side eye with no intention to play along.
"I don't see any Command Seals at the back of your hand." With but a simple command, the orb dimmed with it no longer surveying her any purpose at the moment. "We can't risk having to deal with a traitor now, do we?"
This time, that little jab of hers did hold some intentions to taunt the man. Serving as just a small punishment for thinking he held any authority over her.
He scoffed, "Suit yourself. Truthfully it does not matter who this new Servant even is in the first place. As long as we uncover the identity of the Master, then killing them first should be our first priority instead of wasting time going against a Servant."
With a slight hum, she did not refute his words and instead remembered the spells briefly used by Berserker's Master and the headache Rider's Master proved himself to be without using any advanced magecraft at all. "Then be my guest, should you wish to further lick the boot of your Master then go ahead and take care of them."
Honestly, why waste the energy trying to stop him from walking straight into his own grave? He's practically sprinting toward it, charging at two Masters with Servants so dangerous even she wouldn't tangle with them without a solid plan. Let him dig his hole—she's not here to play protector.
The man's face flushed crimson, visible veins bulging as he stomped toward Caster, who looked undeterred. "Watch your damn mouth! You're just a glorified familiar, here to serve one purpo—" His words trailed off, sluggish, like molasses dripping from a spoon. Then, they stopped entirely. His hands froze mid-reach, inches from her, trapped in a hazy sphere that warped the air around him. Time itself seemed to sputter and stall, leaving him stuck in a distorted pocket of stillness.
Perhaps he himself was not even aware of what was going on, his mouth continuing to move ever so slowly with a low but audible sound of his voice reaching her ears.
"Honestly, I don't know why I bother putting up with you. Maybe it's a gift—or a curse, considering how often your kind ends up lurking around me. But let's not be mistaken here: the only reason Atrum hasn't been reduced to a glorified Magical Energy battery—no limbs, no thoughts, just fuel—is those Command Seals." She flicked her wrist, and a needle as long as her palm materialized in her hand, its sharp tip hovering inches from the assistant's wide, unblinking eyes. "One wrong move, and I might just test how well you function without your sight."
"And then there is you… Using his authority over me as a safety mantle, thinking I am powerless to do anything. Let me remind you, that I do not see any Command Seals on the back of your hand nor will our dear Master be that angered by your death… my Dragon Tooth Warriors can be just as useful in completeling the simplest tasks and he has other mages that are loitering around that would easily replace you."
With a flick of her fingers, the needle flew within the sphere where time operated at a much slower rate. With a snap of her fingers, his eyes widened at a normal rate as if his mind was no longer affected by the spell.
Yet his body remained stuck.
Watching with absolute horror as the needle drew closer and closer. Then he proceeded to look back at her and the needle with desperation and another emotion that made her chuckle. "My oh my, is that a plea for forgiveness I see? How quickly people's attitudes change when facing their death. It's a shame that you didn't understand that as soon as I was summoned."
Saying that, she did nothing else, watching the needle reach the cornea, sinking deeper till it pierced through a few more layers and the lens. Sinking deeper and deeper, a clear liquid mixed with blood started to pour out. Tears started to form from both, the desperation growing bigger to which she did not pay much attention before walking past him with the spell still active.
Silence seemed like the best response to a man who was about to meet his end, though it did little to ease her irritation. The fact that this fool was nothing more than a lackey, sent by her insufferable Master—likely to drag her back to that damned lab—only made it worse. Honestly, could the man not handle his own errands for once? Or was he too busy concocting another half-brained scheme that would inevitably blow up in his face?
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"What a disgusting sight."
Any prior emotions of displeasure were completely thrown out of the window as soon as she entered the rather advanced-looking workshop. Filled with several human-sized tubes and screens, a setup that easily cost a small fortune in modern eras currency.
It was an assembly line filled with people.
Rows after rows of women and children all wearing nothing but white coats held up in the air by harnesses. She walked closer till she was face to face with the wall, and then she noticed that they were all barely alive.
"Given your past history, I'd have thought you'd be numb to something as tame as this." A familiar voice mentioned, turning around, she found a young man in his twenties who had a golden tan, a smug expression, and long blonde hair tied with a scrunchie. Dressed in a black sleeveless vest along with the clear presence of the command seals on the back of his hand, adorned with jewelry resembling demonic wings with a star in the middle.

Most would call him handsome.
To Caster, she just felt her skin crawl from his mere presence.
That one could not miss the detail with one of the wings having already turned colorless. A constant reminder of her inability to use her Noble Phantasm to annul their contract as Master and Servant.
"I see that you've become bold lately, not when your previous experiments only required a handful of individuals for the 'Primitive Curses' that generate magical energy from human sacrifices." Admittedly, a crude way to achieve results for someone like him — a waste of resources in her opinion. However, there were mages of the modern era who didn't see it that way. To them, had it not been for his disposition, he would have been labeled as a brilliant mind of the modern-era mages.
She watched as the bodies within the tubes were immediately turned into a red slush, her eyes twitching at the sight. Seeing the now red matter transferred through multiple smaller pipes into a container where the rest of the transmutation process occurred. This takes but less than a few minutes for a beautiful crystal to be formed. Floating within the now clear liquid ready to be harvested.
"You manage to speed up the process." A hint of sarcasm was etched into her voice, mockery almost seeping out had it not been for Caster holding herself back. Knowing full well the kind of reaction such comments would bring forth from her Master.
"You sound surprised," Atrum smirked at his creation, grabbing onto the small mana crystal and holding it up to her face. "This Mana Crystal would have taken a month and three days before, but thanks to my ingenuity the process has been streamlined. Now we can have a source of as many Mana Crystals as we can get. Either to fuel you as a Servant or to power our spells. I assure you that this method will surpass anything you've been gathering from the populace. Not even the Tohsaka's have jewels this pure in mana."
He said those words as if he was doing her a favor. Truthfully, she knew most of these crystals would be sold to his contacts rather than being used for the Holy Grail War.
"Only until you run out of young girls," Caster commented, knowing full well the limitation of relying on such a method rather than just siphoning the energy from the local leylines. "A finite resource that is worth more trouble than it's worth, the conversion rate could be better had you just used—"
"—Silence." Her words came to a halt, without her realizing, she ended up voicing out her dissatisfaction with this… backward methods fit for a third-rate mage. But to someone of her caliber, it was no different to seeing a caveman hitting a stone against wood to produce fire.
Ridiculous.
"It appears I've wasted unnecessary words," she said after a deep breath, "You may do what you wish, including ignoring them if that's what you desire."
Atrum stared back at her, several seconds of silence passing between them. "I hope you remember our first agreement, Servant. Do not speak of my research as if you understand it, that is not your job."
She remembered, this was not the first time she witnessed his experiment and safe to say… the first time she was far more vocal of her dissatisfaction for it went completely against her methods.
Which resulted in the usage of the first Command Seal. If only he hadn't worded it that way she could have found a workaround.
Best to change the subject, "They will figure this out sooner or later. Do you think the mage organizations around the world won't realize a specific individual endangering the secrecy of magecraft with the kidnapping of various people from around the world? The Church already has eyes everywhere with the war on the horizon."
Atrum let out a derisive laugh. "Let them come. The Galliasta family's magecraft was never about hiding in the shadows. If the Church, the Clock Tower, or even the Second Owner wants a piece of my research, they're welcome to try. But they'll regret it. My family has always taken what we needed—money, power, lives. Oil barons? A few well-placed curses, and suddenly their fortunes were ours. Environmental activists? A bit of magic, and the loudest ones… well, they don't complain anymore. Our partners loved it—gave us refineries as thanks. The ones who didn't play along? Let's just say they're not around to argue."
"You still have not addressed matters related to keeping up the supply chain for this… experiment."
She hoped, maybe an ever-so-shrinking part of her mind, that this young man by some miracle would see reason by just applying basic supply and demand.
Yet once more, her hopes were torn and thus rendered asunder.
He dismissed concerns about acquiring test subjects. "It's simple—orphans, unwanted children. Erase any trace of their existence, and no one comes looking. Adoption isn't even necessary; the streets are full of them. Women can be useful too, though harder to make disappear. Young girls, of course, are the best materials… It's not uncommon for a couple to disappear in the middle of the night, this should be an easy task for you to accomplish."
Displeasure soon flashed on Caster's face, this was going too far. "Should I remind you that I am your Servant? My purpose is to keep you safe and face other entities similar to me. I am not a mere errand woman who will be forced to perform tasks such as kidnapping random women off the streets."
"You watch your tone, Servant. You should be grateful I summoned you, especially since you failed to give me what I wanted," the blonde man in front of her sneered, raising his hand to show her the two remaining Command Seals. "Do not forget that I still have two more seals left, it only takes a single command to bend you completely to my will."
Anger surged within her heart; this despicable person could not die anytime soon. But there was no point in resisting now and risking getting a fate much worse than her current situation. So just like always, she suppressed her true emotions and put on a face of indifference.
Her time would come, she just needed to wait for the right opportunity to present itself.
"That Enforcer was no slouch herself. Despite being a human, she managed to hold her own for a short amount of time. Should you recall, had you not ordered me to return, I would have not only killed her but also could have taken care of Rider and her Master. All of your troubles would have been resolved had you just given me the freedom I need to perform my task."
The moment the words left her mouth, Atrum burst into laughter, a grating, exaggerated sound that made her jaw tighten. "Freedom? Really, Caster? Let's not pretend you're some misunderstood saint. You're the Witch of Betrayal—trusting you is like handing a match to an arsonist. As for Rider and her Master, let's be honest here. He's a nobody, a third-rate hack who stumbled into this war by sheer dumb luck. Sure, he's got the Enforcer on his side now, but she's hardly in any shape to do him favors. She's barely holding herself together."
A third-rate mage who at least had the courage to face a monstrous entity like Berserker… Then again, that came closer to sheer stupidity than bravery. Not exactly something to be proud of.
Also, a boy who was related to the Einzbern… somehow. Fortunately, such information would be of no interest to the man before her. His interest mostly focused on his own research and that of his associate, who had helped him both financially and pulled some of the strings to trap that Enforcer.
The most vile creature she had the dissatisfaction of meeting so far, she'd rather spend years with her current master than obey the orders of that… thing.
"Regardless, I do not wish to spend my time discussing matters of the past. As much as I would like to continue my research in peace, we have a war to win." He was walking away from the lodge canister when another body was turned into red sludge due to an unknown spell, walking to his table where he poured himself a glass of whiskey. "I don't care if she ends up homeless, without support, or even hunted down like a dog by the association. That woman knows too much to be left alive. I'll forgive you on your first failure, but I will not be so lenient a second time."
That woman was the least of his concerns. If the Einzbern Girl were to decide to go after them first, then at least she could guarantee her own safety instead of her ignorant Master.
It was then a particular idea surfaced in her mind, bringing a sly smile to her face. "What if I encounter Rider and her Master again?"
Atrum waved his hand, "Dispose of them, they are of no danger to us, and I doubt that kid will live for even a week against other Masters. I'm basically granting him mercy for ending his life early. I am much more concerned with the presence of an Edelfelt here in Fuyuki, those mercenaries are just as troublesome as Enforcers."
Predictable, not even a second to think about any plan or consequences of his decision. Yet that worked in her favor, recalling the scene she witnessed within her orb, the redhead's actions initially were quite similar to that of a cold-hearted man willing to point a gun at his so-called sister. But the more she watched, the more apparent it became that something else hid beneath the surface.
'He was willing to go so far and face Berserker alone of all people on behalf of a sister who wanted to kill him… there's no way he wouldn't act If one of those girls were to be in dire need this time.'
Besides, her Master would not object if she were to face even the Second Owner.
"And about my suggestions about the location of the Greater Grail?"
"You can continue working on that as well, I doubt it will be of much benefit to us after I perfect my craft."
"As you command, Master."
"Oh, and Caster," Just as she was about to leave, Atrum stopped her. "I am giving you permission to continue your endeavor with what we agreed upon concerning the leylines. I do not plan on wasting all of my reserves of mana crystals on future failed experiments, so this will do for now. Do not disturb me until you have accomplished your mission, I will be discussing some important matters with Sagara."
Her eyes twitched again, so he was himself aware of the limitations of their creations but refused to acknowledge them. The leylines beneath this city were plentiful enough to refill the reserves of the Greater Grail and summon more Heroic Spirits… Now she just needed to find a way where they wouldn't be irrevocably damaged… she needed to use them later. Besides, no mage worth their salt would ruin perfectly good leylines.
"Understood."
With that said, Caster disappeared from sight. Teleporting back to her empty room, where she was provided with absolutely nothing, not even a simple chair or a bed for the reason of her nature as a servant not needing such luxury. The feeling of being treated like a dog further fueled her resolve to get freed from these chains one way or another.
{Break}
-Emiya Residence, Living Room-
Shirou knew his day would not get any easier, even after enduring a few of Berserker's assaults and getting interrogated by Rider, another monumental task still remained for him to face back home. "Um… so does anyone want any tea?"
He sat in a seiza position in the living room, facing the two women whose piercing glares bore into him with an intensity he had never experienced before. Rider, rather than providing him with some kind of support, decided to just sit beside him without uttering a single word since they came back home.
Shirou couldn't tell if she was still angry or simply choosing to ignore him. Every attempt at communication was met with absolute silence. Did he regret his answer? Not in the slightest. He had spoken the truth, meant every word, and refused to lie to make her feel better.
Even so, he had a more immediate concern—the emotions radiating from the two girls standing before him. He was pulled into the main living room and forced to sit down at the dining table. The two are now staring at him, each wanting to say their own two cents.
One was looking at him with reddened eyes while shaking and the other glared at him enraged, and was most likely going to burst any moment. His little offer to bring them some tea only worsened with Sakura of all people whispering, "No."
"So, Emiya-kun…" Rin began, her lips curling into a strained smile that twitched at the edges. It did not bode well for him. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that our upright, dependable school janitor is actually a prolific liar. Care to explain everything that everyone here has been conveniently avoiding? And just so we're clear—I'm not taking no for an answer."
Her voice was deceptively sweet, but Shirou wasn't fooled. Her fingers twitched at her sides as if itching to fire a spell at him the moment she felt justified. Was she angry at him? Or just on edge with Rider's presence looming nearby? Hard to tell, but both were dangerous possibilities.
"Um… It's complicated, Tohsaka." He forced an awkward smile. "I wasn't trying to deceive you or anything. Also, you and Sakura just came out of a life-or-death fight. Maybe you should sit down? I'll bring something to drink—"
"—I am the Second Owner of Fuyuki." She cut him off, her smile stretching unnaturally. "You do know what that means, don't you?"
"Well, yeah… you see…"
"Oh, so you do know. Which means you also understand exactly what that job entails, right?"
"Ye-yeah… about that…"
"That's simply wonderful, Emiya-kun." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but the increasing twitch in her eyebrow betrayed her growing frustration. "Now, tell me—what's the proper procedure when an unregistered magus moves into a Second Owner's territory?"
Shirou hesitated. "Actually… I was born here, so that doesn't really apply to me."
"..."
Black lines formed on the twin-tailed girl's forehead; maybe that wasn't the best answer to give at the moment.
"Hehehehe… I see, I see…" Rin's laugh was anything but reassuring. The room's atmosphere dropped a few degrees, and Shirou had no idea how to de-escalate whatever was happening in her head.
He tried to look for help with Sakura since Rider continued to maintain her silence. But all he got in return was a blank stare, showing no intentions whatsoever to come to his aid. He'd have to do something, the longer this went on the more likely that Rin would lose her cool.
"T-Tohsaka, um… This might be a bit hard to believe, but I was not planning to become a Master in the beginning. I-I even had plans to introduce myself to you at some point! I swear!"
"I see… I see…" Rin continued whispering to herself, unsure whether or not she was even listening at this point anymore, her eyes narrowing like a predator zeroing in on prey. "You have Command Seals and a Servant, which means you're competing in the Holy Grail War — regardless of the reasons behind your actions. But that doesn't make sense, does it? Because only a magus is supposed to be able to participate."
"Well… you see…" Shirou lowered his voice, as if whispering would somehow make this conversation disappear. "I… am one."
"Huh? I couldn't quite hear that, Emiya-kun." Rin cupped a hand to her ear. "Why don't you try again?"
"I… am one." He said, his voice steady but barely above a murmur. Rin's fingers stopped twitching. Instead, they curled into fists.
She started to massage her temples, looking both exhausted and frustrated with everything he said. "Hah… I see. Well I guess it can't be helped."
"Eh, really?" He was surprised at how easily she accepted that fact.
"OF COURSE NOT, YOU IDIOT!" The girl went ahead and grabbed him by the collar, raising the redhead up with a surprising amount of strength till they were practically face to face. "Tell me why you decided not to reveal yourself to me early on!? You were having so much fun pretending to be a normal student and laughing behind my back at how I kept being in the dark this entire time, didn't you!?"
"N-no I wasn't. I-I mean, w-well, mages are not supposed to broadcast their whereabouts, T-Tohsaka!" his words came out as gibberish with how fiercely she shook him back and forth.
"Did others know!? Is Ayako involved with all of this!? That four-eyed bastard better not be in the loop because I swear to God I'll break his glasses and nose!"
It was at this moment where he started to finally understand some of the comparisons Luvia would make—wait, this was not the time for that!
"W-Wait, Tohsaka! It's just me! Just me, no one else knew!" Well, Ayako knew he was one, but she didn't know Rin was. …Best to keep that part a secret for now. Rin did not look like she was in the right mindset to know that… and he was scared she would try to mind-wipe Ayako of those memories. "I-I really am just a regular student who was born here and grew up in the same place as you, I swear! None of it was a lie, and I just did not want to involve the supernatural side with my regular life…"
Finally, it seemed like she calmed down a bit. Perhaps understanding what he meant by that and possibly even empathizing with the choice he made.
She took another deep breath again, dropping him and walking back and forth around his room.
"While that may be the case, the Second Owner of any territory is entitled to know the whereabouts of all mages staying as residents in their territory. So I am equally entitled to that. Care to explain why you did not inform me early on?" She asked again, this time with a much calmer tone.
Well, he supposed this was as good a time as any to share some information about his past with both Rin and Sakura. The latter with whom he hadn't shared such a thing yet.
"To tell you the truth, Tohsaka, my father… was formerly a Master of the last war… he'd also made a lot of enemies. He wanted to make sure I was safe, and to not broadcast my location."
"Wait, what?" It was clear that Rin's brain had stopped at that, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Your father, is he…"
"He's dead," he said bluntly, making her flinch ever so slightly. "Died a long time ago…about five years ago, I grew up in this house all by myself with Fuji-nee keeping me company."
"Oh…"
He saw the same expression of what appeared to be understanding cross her face. He wondered if it was because she went through something similar, from the little he knew about her situation, he could draw some parallels. "My family isn't exactly like the Tohsaka or Matou. I don't have the same luxury and anonymity is ideal in my case to avoid the troubles plaguing my father to pass onto me."
"..."
Her gaze was no longer focused on him, she looked away, Sakura moved to sitting next to him with her hand on his shoulders as if to sooth him. Appreciating the gesture, the boy gave her a smile.
Finally, Rin broke her silence, "Listen, I won't hound you about this matter anymore, but for someone who wants to avoid trouble, you sure did a terrific job at it now that you're a Master. Wait… so what was that thing with you and the Einzbern? You called her your sister… don't tell me you're an Einzbern, you don't look like one."
"It's complicated," that was the best way he could summarize the entire situation.
"I'll need more than that, Emiya-kun," Rin said while crossing her arms.
"I'm… adopted?"
"Seriously? That makes it more confusing."
"Told you, it's complicated." Before he revealed everything to someone who was basically a stranger, he needed to find a way to resolve the misunderstanding Illya had about his father first. "While I may not be related to her by blood, I still consider her as family. Which is why in the future, I hope you two don't end up killing one another."
"... You know what? Tea sounds good." Perhaps unable to endure comprehending this entire mess, she admitted defeat and backed off. Now all three girls took a seat near the table with him coming over with a tray in hand a few minutes later.
Rin eyed him weirdly when he passed a cup of tea to Rider, but did not comment on it.
"So, start from the beginning. How'd you summon your Servant and why?"
Immediately going for the crux of the matter, wasn't she? Not that he could blame her.
"Like I said, a complete accident. I was in my workshop inside the shed. As usual, practicing my magecraft with some standard reinforcement and projection." He said while pointing in the direction of the shed outside.
"Seriously? That's your workshop? And did you just tell me about your Magecraft?" Rin whispered in disbelief, given the doors to that place were left open when she came in.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
The girl's eyelids twitched, the tea not helping from the looks of it. Sakura chuckled, "He's being serious, Nee-san. That's just how Senpai is, he really likes that shed, I even used to wake him up regularly there."
"... You actually let others enter your workshop?" Her disbelief grew, now replaced with shock when he nodded at her question.
He shrugged, "It's not like I have anything to hide there, I can barely perform basic magecraft. You're free to take a look if you don't believe me." Good thing he hid the book Luvia gave him somewhere else. The last thing he wanted was Luvia's twin sister to come for him because he let her research be read by a Tohsaka. "Though not today, I still need to clean up the oil spill from the bike I'm working on."
"O-Oil spill? Bike?"
Rider decided to offer her own two cents. "You should be careful with the oil and make sure you don't spill it to places where it might interfere with its functions, as it can tend to overfill. Also, you should get a standard bicycle, as exercising one's legs is equally important and is more fluent in control."
Rin started to massage her temples again, "Just… Just keep going."
Shirou figured that it would be best if he kept the details to a minimum. If the shed part was already giving her a headache, then he would rather not imagine what the other things would do. "So yeah, I accidentally cut myself, a bit of my blood fell on the old summoning circle that I did not even know was there, and next thing I knew, Rider appeared."
On cue, the Servant next to him bowed her head briefly to greet Rin for the first time.
"So that's kinda it. Ever since that day, both Rider and I have just patrolled Fuyuki at night and stopped any person from causing trouble."
Sakura sipped her tea, curiously looking between them.
"You… didn't even properly summon her… You know that may cause problems, is your connection even stable?"
Rider answered. "While it could be better, I can confirm at present there aren't any immediately pressing problems."
The conversation went on for a few more minutes, most of the questions were about smaller things concerning the Chimera monsters which he admitted having no idea from where exactly they came from. But also sharing the information for it to be the work of another Master.
It was then he brought up his meeting with Caster. Mentioning how their interaction was very brief before she was called back by her Master.
"Caster has already been summoned as well? Good, so that means that class is still available…" Rin muttered under her breath, letting out a sigh of relief. "Hold on, so Rider, Berserker, and Caster. That still leaves Lancer, Saber, Assassin, and Archer. Hmm, so that means a twenty-five percent chance for me… not bad."
"That's accounting for whether or not someone else hasn't already summoned a Servant, Nee-san," Sakura added, a notion that Rin could not deny.
"Why the hell did that fake priest not inform me about any of this?" She muttered with frustration. "This is unacceptable. At least I know that bitch hasn't started summoning yet, but I don't know about Lord El-Meloi…"
She went on a small tangent, talking to herself for the most part while they remained silent. Her face, which previously showed relief, now became more grave when came to a conclusion after a minute of thinking. Her eyes darted towards the clock in his living room before getting up hastily. "Alright then, we'll continue this conversation later, Emiya-kun. I need to handle something first!"
She looked at Sakura, the latter shaking her head with a silent message being exchanged between them. Rin's shoulders released a tension she didn't know she was holding, and she looked more relaxed. Sakura decided to offer her own opinion on the matter, though just in case. "I'm not sure what'll happen in the future just yet, though, a lot of things could change."
Rin's face took a grim outlook, but she resolved herself that that was a future problem.
"Alright then, I'll let you off the hook for now. But this isn't over!" Her voice trailed off as she ran outside, not making it hard for Shirou to guess why she was in such a hurry.
'She's going to summon her Servant tonight, isn't she?' Rider turned to Shirou, continuing to relay the message through their connection. 'Would you like me to stop her?'
Stop Rin huh… that did sound like a good idea at first. Making sure that the girl would not get involved in what the future held and hopefully stay away from these conflicts.
But in the end, he shook his head. 'No, I think maybe we can help each other.'
'You're not sure yourself. Everyone has a wish.' She did not explicitly say it, but he understood what the woman was trying to insinuate.
'I don't think Tohsaka is the kind of person to sacrifice everything for a wish, she genuinely cares about Sakura and even tried to protect her against Berserker. Does that sound to you like someone who will do anything for a wish?'
'I suppose not, but I still advise you to remain cautious, Shirou.'
A typical Magus would go to any length to achieve their ultimate goal to reach the Root. From his understanding, whether it be sacrificing others or even themselves, the end justifies the means kind of mindset.
Of course, he disagreed with that way of thinking. It was far too cruel and inhumane in many ways and was not worth it in his opinion. Even with Luvia's reminder upon their first meeting, he knew that this way of thinking was pretty common in the Mage Association.
But not everyone was the same, hopefully, Rin would not get blinded by that goal.
"I think we should go to bed, ah, is there anything you wanted to ask me, Sakura?" He almost forgot about that part, the girl deserved an answer more than Rin did.
She did not say anything at first, she gazed focused on the half empty cup of tea. Her silence felt more suffocating than Rin's glare he had to admit. "Senpai… I know this may not be my place to say, but what you did today… You could have died."
Oh, at that moment, he got a familiar sensation of where this conversation was heading.
"I understand you have a history with her and she is important to you, but what if she did not share those sentiments?" She asked plainly, her voice silent as a whisper reached his ears. "You would have died."
"A-Ahaha… you don't have to worry about that, Sakura. It wasn't like I didn't have a plan at the time." He gave her a similar response to what he told Rider. "Had things gone south, I would have simply escaped with both of you and let Rider by us some time."
Rather than accept the answer he gave, the girl instead looked at him straight in the eyes. He felt as if he was being seen through, once again, the same sensation he got from Rider previously.
"... It was because of me in the end. Again and again, I always have to be the one being rescued."
Shirou's eyes widened, a hint of panic settling in as he quickly started to dissuade that idea from her head. "What are you saying, Sakura? It wasn't your fault, I was the one who made you feel uncomfortable that's why you left. Both you and Rin were in danger back then, there is no way either of you could have stood a chance against Illya and she was targeting you because of me. So if it's anyone's fault, then really it's mine."
She smiled, yet for some reason that smile looked different from her regular self.
"Even if it was for another reason or someone else's fault… you would have still jumped in regardless, wouldn't you, senpai?"
"..."
He tried to say something in return, yet his following words got stuck at the tip of his tongue when he realized what he was about to do. He promised her to not lie.
His silence served as an answer to the young girl who chuckled with an emotion he could not truly see through yet. "You don't have to force yourself to lie. I know you, that's the kind of person you truly are and regardless of who I was — you would jump into danger to save me or anyone, wouldn't you?"
He wanted to say otherwise, to try and appease her worries with soothing words. But the only thing that came out of his mouth was a simple, "Yes. I won't blindly risk my life, but if I can be of any help, then why shouldn't I help them, I don't think it's wrong to help someone in need, like Kiritsugu did for me. I was as good as dead, but he still saved my life, that's why I truly feel that if someone wants to hold out their hand, then there shouldn't be anything wrong with it?"
The girl's eyes widened, and he saw shock within them which confused him at first.
"I see," in the end, she just smiled. "You really are helplessly kind, senpai." It felt like there was more she wanted to say at the moment but held herself back. He did not force it out of her, simply waiting to see what she would ask next. "I think… I think I'm starting to understand the kind of person you are."
Sakura stood up, looking better than before with a more serene expression. "It's late, best we head to bed."
Eh? Was that all she had to ask? Shirou was expecting more questions from her, like details on Illya, his past, Kiritsugu's story, or even questions concerning his summoning of Rider and their activities lately.
But just as she mentioned, Sakura turned around and walked back to her room, leaving him and Ride—"Hm?" The Servant who had been next to him the entire time had disappeared when he was about to turn around and ask if she knew what was going on with Sakura. The two were getting along quite well lately, so he hoped to get some insights.
Yet, she wasn't there.
"Maybe she's right, I also need some rest."
A lot happened today, his limbs felt sore and the sense of fatigue he kept ignoring leered its head back in himself. Both mentally and physically tired, he cleaned up the table and cups before heading back to his room. Paying little attention to his surroundings before collapsing onto the futon with his head facing the ceiling.
…
"I'll talk to Sakura tomorrow… maybe she'll be in a better mood."
Then there was Rin he had to deal with and he was certain Luvia would come knocking at his door at any point after what happened of his encounter with Illya, he needed to thank her for patching him up. Bazett… he was not even sure what that woman was planning on doing during all of this. Had she already summoned a Servant? Maybe, maybe not.
The longer this war continued on for, the more lost he felt. Too many things were happening at the same time and he was not sure whether or not he'd be able to keep up in the end.
Flashes of fire and a crimson Moon resurfaced, the screams of those who died, the things he endured just to live escaping that place alone, it all served as fuel for him to continue this endeavor. He could not stop, that was not a luxury allowed to someone like him. He had to make sure that it did not occur again.
He closed his eyes, waiting for slumber to take over and wake up in the morning with the sounds of birds chirping. Yet at that moment, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps drawing closer to his door.
Most likely just Rider coming back from talking to Sakura.
The door to his room was softly slid open, a few squeaks from the wooden floor occurring as the person walked closer.
Strange, Rider, despite having a physical form, never made any sounds when wandering around his house. He sometimes even joked about it being similar to that of a ghost.
Given her nature as a Heroic Spirit, he was not that far off the mark.
His ears picked up the sound of fabric softly falling to the ground.
But in the middle of his thoughts, the red-headed boy froze when he felt a weight settle on the lower part of his futon. Crawling upwards till something got close enough to tickle his nose and the weight now sitting on his stomach.
Shirou cracked his eyes open, expecting to see Rider standing over him like some ethereal night watchman. Instead, he was met with Sakura—completely, utterly, and inconveniently naked—perched over him. His brain short-circuited. The soft warmth for her overly developed body he'd felt earlier that morning came rushing back with the subtlety of a freight train. His thoughts went blank, as if someone had hit the reset button on his brain.
"... This morning, I was afraid." She whispered quietly, her hand slowly gliding over his chest till they slipped beneath his shirt. "I know Rider wanted the best for me, but I could not accept crossing that line."
He could barely understand what she was saying at the moment, his heart beating a thousand miles a second with thousands of thoughts rampaging within his head trying to make sense of the situation. Despite all of that, he did not look away… he just couldn't, transfixed on the beauty sitting on top of him — he was entranced.
"I am dirty, senpai. I am not a virgin." Sakura said, her voice breaking slightly over those words, similar to what she said this morning. "You are so good to me, you took me in without any hesitation and even went so far as to face my grandfather back then, yet every day I stayed with you, I couldn't stop myself from having depraved thoughts about you every night. I would look at your face whenever you were sleeping for hours, use your clothes and touch myself, sleep in your bed to take in your scent to calm myself, and more things you can't even imagine. You have no idea the length I went through just to control myself around you and you just kept making things harder for me. That's why, I knew that I wasn't good enough for you, that you deserved better."
'That's…not true…'
He wanted to say something but found himself incapable.
She removed the other hand that was covering her chest, hiding nothing from his eyes. "But now… I want to be selfish. I-I don't want to feel tainted, so… just for today… I want you to love me, senpai. Make me your woman."
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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.