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Fate Coiling Sword Chapter 39: Master and Servants
🕑 Added 2025-06-13 19:25:16 +0000 UTCBeta read and co-written by Gamercrusher55 and Shigiya
Next update is Snafu in... ALSO A FEW MINUTES!
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-Fuyuki, Tohsaka Residence-
The summoning ritual held a tremendous significance for Rin. Every aspect of it needed to be prepared flawlessly. It was one of the key reasons she had waited so long before attempting the ceremony. Her body needed to be in peak condition, her mind sharpened and unwavering, her reserves of Magical Energy fully stocked, and every resource painstakingly prepared in advance. The contract between the ideal Master and Servant could not be established under anything less than optimal conditions.
Now that the moment had arrived, hesitation clawed at her one last time, but she brushed it aside. With Berserker and Rider already summoned by others, and even a Caster having made their appearance, the field of available heroic spirits had grown significantly narrower. The list of possibilities, once vast and glittering with promise, now seemed reduced to fragments of what might have been. She had no intention of letting her chance slip through her fingers.
‘If I delay any longer, then I won’t even be able to summon a Servant in the first place.’
That thought had circled her mind relentlessly from the moment she entered the summoning chamber. It haunted her not just because Berserker had been claimed, but also because Rider's appearance had been both unexpected and problematic. Caster’s arrival had only worsened matters. All of it made her feel as though what she truly wanted, the Servant she had dreamed of summoning, had become nothing more than a shattered dream.
Still, there was some comfort in knowing Berserker was no longer an option. That was one class she would have preferred to avoid. As for Rider... well, Rin supposed she could do without her. Yet the way that Servant had held her ground, even briefly, against that monstrous Berserker was nothing short of astonishing. She may not have realized it at the time, not without being a Master herself, but standing toe-to-toe with that towering brute Heroic Spirit had been no ordinary feat—especially not for one of the Rider class. It made Rin wonder even more about the true identity of that Servant, though every time she asked, Shirou would artfully dodge the question like a politician caught in a corner.
“Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.”
The girl shook those distractions from her head as she neared the end of the ritual. She began the final incantation, “You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance!”
Waves of red energy filled the air, doing fine work on messing up her workshop. The circle beneath her feet pulsed to life. First, a dull shimmer, then an escalating brilliance as crimson light intertwined with burning white. Her limbs tensed as some Magical Energy started to be syphoned. At the same time, a burning pressure flared up on the back of her hand, searing the shape of the command seals into her skin.
Then silence.
The light faded slowly, the crimson shimmer dimming until it vanished altogether. The glow from the summoning circle ebbed away like dying embers. Rin lowered her arms, heart pounding, and looked ahead, expecting to see a figure standing before her.
But there was no one.
No Servant. No sign of arrival. Nothing at all.
Dread crept into her stomach like a spreading frost.
“Wait, have I done something wrong? Why hasn’t—”
Her panicked thoughts were cut short by the sound of a faint creak from the floor overhead, loud enough to reach her ears. The girl's eyes widened in alarm.
Was that... upstairs?
A cold chill ran down her spine. The first thought that struck her was far from rational.
Had Berserker’s Master come back? Was this revenge, delivered at the very moment she was trying to summon, to avoid future competition? Before her own Servant had even appeared?
While she was low on magical energy from her attempt at summoning?
Snatching up a handful of gems she had, Rin turned on her heel and bolted toward the living room, panic propelling her faster than reason could follow.
“Damn it! Why now, of all times?! Has the Servant even been summoned yet!?”
Not wanting to rule out any other possibility, she concluded that staying holed up in her workshop would do her no good. Clutching the gem hanging from her neck with a steady hand, she ascended the stairs with caution. There was no need to rush, not yet. Taking each step carefully, every creak of the wood beneath her feet echoing through the tense silence of the house. It never occurred to her to check the time again. She had not glanced at the clock since she’d begun the ritual.
Her hand pushed the door open slowly.
The faint groan of the hinges filled the air as she slipped into the dim living room. Filled with old covered furnishings that matched the European and Western design, exactly as she had left them a while ago. Nothing appeared disturbed. No windows shattered, no sign of intrusion.
‘Was I imagining it? No, that couldn’t be it.’
Her gaze flicked down to the command seals etched into her skin, their faint glow still lingering. Something had happened… no way the summoning was a failure if these seals appeared.
Had she perhaps somehow miscast the ritual? Made a mistake despite all her preparations? But that didn’t make sense. She had timed everything perfectly, waited until her magical energy was at its very peak. She hadn’t rushed the chant. Every line had been precise.
Her breath caught.
“Eh...?”
She froze in place, eyes locked on the small digital clock sitting on the nearby cabinet. It blinked at her with a time completely different from what she had seen downstairs. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Shit.”
That single word fell from her lips as the realization dawned on her.
She had miscalculated.
Whatever had happened, it had not been an attack, and it certainly was not Berserker’s Master barging into her home. With that conclusion, she tossed caution aside and bolted from the room, her footsteps pounding against the wooden floors as she tore down the hallway. Checking every room in quick succession, eyes scanning each one for signs of disturbance or a presence that shouldn’t belong.
Then, as she rounded the corner into the living room once more, she came to a sudden stop.
There, standing quietly in the dim glow near the bookshelf, was a tall figure. He… he was not doing anything threatening. In fact, simply gazed down at a picture frame resting in his hand. It was one of the few photographs Rin still kept on display, a snapshot from long ago, showing her family together, whole.
“Oh?”
The man turned slightly at the sound of her arrival. His crimson eyes met hers, glinting faintly in the dimly lit space. Though no words had yet passed between them, she knew instantly what he was.
The man stood tall, broad-shouldered, with striking blue hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. His outfit resembled some kind of flexible leather armor, a leotard, or a full-body spandex. Its design is sleek and practical, not so much armor, more in the line of freedom of movement and speed, matching the shade of his hair. A pair of metal pauldrons sat squarely on his shoulders, and more metal around his shoes. There were small metal pads on some essential areas, but other than that, just blue spandex with white lines that highlighted his muscles and body build.
“I was wondering where you were,” he said at last, his voice casual, even friendly. “For a moment there, I started to think I was all alone in here.”
“You are...” Rin began, but the words trailed off. He certainly didn’t look like an Assassin. And no Saber she could imagine wielding a weapon like that.
The long red spear resting across his shoulders was the final piece of the puzzle. Its jagged edges and the bloodlust it oozed spoke of its war inclination and its importance.
She didn’t even have time to finish her sentence before the man broke into a grin and gave her a small wave. With a flourish, he spun the spear in one hand, the motion practiced and fluid, then drove the butt of it into the floor with a sharp thud that echoed through the room. He straightened to full height, towering over her, placing one hand on his hip as he introduced himself with a smile.
“Yo. Servant Lancer, reporting in. Answered your summons, Master. Let’s try to have some fun, yeah?”
“...”
Rin stared at him without answering. Seconds ticked by in silence, long enough for even Lancer to furrow his brow.
He tilted his head.
“Did you… Maybe summon me by accident, perchance? The place does have a bit of an abandoned feel to it, so if you’re just some lady who stumbled into something she shouldn’t have, then boy, do I have a lot to explain.”
"I did it again," Rin muttered under her breath, completely ignoring the small comment he made about the house.
It all began to make sense. The discrepancy in time, her summoning occurring earlier than expected, the unease that had haunted her since the circle flared to life, every sign pointed to one thing. She had made a mistake. She hadn’t summoned Saber, no, but that didn’t mean she’d botched the ritual entirely. Her calculations were perfect. The result, simply, was different.
Her peak was at 2:00 A.M. sharp, that was the ideal time, and while the clocks in her house said that it was now, Ayako’s phone showed 1:00 A.M., a full hour before she was at her best.
…The result is a Lancer.
Like a curse, it happened every time. Rin let out a sharp exhale, half a laugh, and half a sigh of resignation.
"Haah... nothing I can do about it now. Just go with it and learn from my mistakes."
"Mistakes?" the Servant questioned, one brow arching high in mild confusion.
"You really are a Lancer, huh..." Rin muttered, giving him a long, suffering look before shaking her head. Her expression turned from thoughtful to exasperated in an instant. "Well, it’s still better than summoning an Assassin."
Then her eyes narrowed. She gestured toward the polished wooden floor, now sporting a neat hole where the crimson-tipped end of his spear had embedded itself.
"By the way, could you not damage my house?"
Lancer blinked, then followed the direction of her pointed finger. With a sheepish smile, he pulled his spear free of the floor and dismissed it in a shimmer of mana.
"Ah. Sorry about that."
Rin folded her arms across her chest, unimpressed. But before she could deliver another lecture, Lancer tilted his head, the corner of his mouth lifting in a more amused expression.
"I see. Well, Saber is a solid choice, no doubt about that. But with me here, I’d say you’ve landed the better deal, Master. I’m no pushover."
Rin gave him a look that was more thoughtful than impressed. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and one brow arched in response to his bravado.
"No Servants are exactly a pushover in the first place," she replied coolly. “They would not have become Heroic Spirits in the first place.”
He chuckled at that, arms crossing loosely as he leaned back on his heel.
"I suppose you’re right. Looks like I’ve got myself a sharp one. That’ll come in handy in this Holy Grail War."
There was something casual about his tone, but Rin wasn’t fooled. Her gaze stayed on him, calculating. She had done her homework on what could go wrong with a summoning. Unruly Servants, those who outright disobeyed or even tried to kill their Masters, especially in the Berserker class, were not an impossibility. That had been her greatest fear. She'd poured all her efforts into summoning a Saber, trusting in that class’s strong parameters and balanced combat performance. But the Lancer class was no less powerful, and with its natural advantage against Archers and its high agility, it might even be a blessing in disguise.
She exhaled slowly.
"Alright. I can at least count myself lucky that not all the Servants had been summoned already. I’d hate to have been left with no choice at all." She straightened her posture, her voice affirming with a sense of finality. "Okay then, Lancer, I am indeed your Master; Rin Tohsaka of the Tohsaka family. I hope and expect we can work well together and win this war without any friction between us."
"Couldn’t have said it better myself," Lancer said with a grin. "Just point at whoever you want gone and I’ll take care of it. Preferably a strong opponent, but hey, you’re the boss. So... when do we go hunting?"
That last part slipped out with a trace of eagerness he didn’t bother to hide, and Rin noted it instantly. Even after just a few minutes of conversation, it was becoming clear… this guy was a battle maniac, perhaps. Not inherently a problem, but something that needed testing. She had to be sure he could restrain himself if needed.
"No," she said simply. "I have another task for you first."
Lancer’s grin faded a little, replaced by the faintest hint of disappointment. He let out a small sigh before giving a shrug.
"Well, I suppose it’s still a bit early to be picking fights with the other Servants. You want me to scout the area or something? I’m not exactly built for sneaking around like an Assassin, but I can give it a go — if that’s what my Master wants."
"No."
Rin’s voice rang out as Lancer turned toward the window, clearly expecting to be sent out on reconnaissance. While she did plan to scout the area and assess just how capable her Servant was in the field, there was something else that required immediate attention. She jabbed a finger toward the damage on the wooden floor.
"Fix that first. You damaged my house, so it’s your responsibility to repair it."
"What?" Lancer blinked, utterly taken aback. His gaze bounced between the gash in the floorboards and the stern-faced girl standing before him.
"Hey, hey, are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
“This is a spear, not a mop.”
“I can see that.”
“Aren't you curious about my identity first?” He said while pointing at himself.
“I am. And are you trying to change the topic of conversation just to get away from it?”
“Yup.”
“We can do that later after you're done.”
Rin kept answering all of his questions without missing a beat or a change to her expression. Though a girl.
Still.
He blinked again. "You do know I’m a Servant, right?"
"And being a Servant somehow means you can’t do something as simple as patching up a floor?" Rin arched an eyebrow. "You can start thinking about your next steps and how you’ll assist me once you’ve finished fixing that. I’m going to my room. There are some materials in the basement, wooden planks, nails, a hammer, all of it. Oh, and while you’re at it, can you make tea?"
Lancer’s face shifted, part disbelief, part reluctant amusement. "Who doesn’t know how to boil flavored water?"
"Fair enough. The kitchen’s over there," she said without falling for that little jab, pointing offhandedly before turning on her heel. "Make me a cup after you’re done."
With that, she walked off, twin tails swaying behind her as she disappeared down the corridor, leaving the blue-clad warrior standing alone in the middle of the living room. The silence settled around him like a heavy coat. He remained there for a moment, processing what had just happened.
Still, rather than looking offended or even annoyed, a low chuckle escaped from his throat. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he glanced at the floor.
"I really do have bad luck with women like her."
In the end, he supposed she was right. It was his fault. He’d been careless with the spear, and fair was fair. Besides, it wasn’t as if he was above this sort of task. He had taken on far stranger roles before, some of them in that strange realm where he’d been as a student for his Shishou and even a reluctant caretaker depending on the day and the volatile whims of that woman.
At least he wasn't getting shot at with magic or getting whacked with a spear.
With a soft sigh, he rolled his shoulders and made his way toward the basement to retrieve the tools. Menial as it was, a task was a task, and it was clear that his new Master was not the type to tolerate excuses.
{Break}
-Matou Residence-
"I ask of you… Are you my Master?” As soon as those words left his mouth, Sakura felt herself at a loss, but also relieved. Happy to know that the summoning did not end in a failure, as she started to fear in the beginning, but now she worried about knowing little to nothing about this Servant, yet he gave off a strange feeling.
“Archer-class Servant. I have been summoned and come at your request.” He continued his introduction, crossing his hands and looking at her from above due to their height difference.
“Ar…cher?”
Despite being part of the Matou household and even having some basic education when it came to magecraft, along with the family’s history—Sakura found herself struggling to remember all of the information related to this class in particular. ‘I remember grandfather mentioning how they are weak against Lancer class Servants… but… but that's about all he said. I don't think they have any advantage over the Rider class.’
Perhaps that could be seen as a good thing this were the case, the young girl did not wish to be in conflict with Rider at any point. She was grateful to her and owed the woman a debt that could not be repaid easily.
“You seem surprised,” Archer commented while raising an eyebrow before looking at the broken ceiling behind him. “I have to admit, my entrance is very unusual. I cannot say why I ended up being someone a few hundred metres in the air in the first place, most likely a small mishap during the summoning ritual.”
His words, ending up reaching her ears, made the girl feel a sense of guilt in her heart, “Sorry… It's my fault. Are you okay? Did you… get hurt?”
At her question, the servant let out a light chuckle. “Well, would you look at that, it seems that I have landed myself a pretty caring Master who is willing to go far enough to feel worried about a Servant. Your concerns are very much appreciated, but ultimately wasted. Rest assured, I am perfectly fine.”
Sakura let out a sigh of relief she didn’t know she held.
Clang!
From the side, Zouken’s cane struck the floor, bringing everyone's attention onto him as his soulless black eyes with pure white pupils observed the new addition in the house just as much as the latter was observing him. Sakura could not see any kind of emotion on his face, indicating how the man felt towards her grandfather.
“While I am perfectly fine with the idea of a Master and their servant conversing with one another for a proper introduction, I believe there are some matters that need to be addressed immediately. The first matter being none other than your name, your true name.” Zouken stared at the newly summoned Servant, analyzing everything he could glean from him.
“Someone's curious,” Archer said, sounding unimpressed while looking at Zouken and Shinji. The latter, having recovered from his earlier scare, and now standing behind the old man while looking at the Servant with widened eyes.
“But of course. While a Servant's name is very important to keep hidden from enemies to avoid them learning of your weaknesses that can come from finding out your identity, I believe it is important for the Master to at least know of who they summoned in the first place.”
Sakura was indeed quite curious about his identity, perhaps a part of her hoping to find an answer as to where this feeling of familiarity stemmed from in the first place. But much to her disappointment, the white-haired man shook his head.
“...”
“Have you lost your tongue, boy? I have asked you a question."
Archer let out a low chuckle, the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Heh. Calling a Heroic Spirit 'boy'—well, you certainly do look ancient enough to get away with it," he said sarcastically.
He rose from where he was, unhurried, with the same ease he might show to an old man at a bus stop. There was not a trace of fear in him, nor even the distant echo of reverence. His eyes, calm and unblinking, regarded Zouken as if he were simply another obstacle, not a figure of authority.
"Also, under what obligation am I to answer to you?" he asked, his voice carrying that distinct, sharpened edge of amusement layered over contempt. "I don’t know what your relationship is to my Master, nor do I care, if I’m being honest. What’s clear to me is this: neither you nor the trembling coward hiding behind has any Command Seals. So you're in no position to demand anything from me. In fact, those not officially involved in the Holy Grail War are, in most cases, to be eliminated. Isn’t that right?"
Shinji’s face turned white, mouth frozen half-open in disbelief. Even Sakura stood frozen beside him, her violet eyes wide in shock. She had not expected her Servant to speak with such audacity—least of all to her grandfather.
"Careful with your words."
The cane tapped the floor.
“Ah!”
The sound was soft. The pain that followed was not.
Sakura collapsed onto her knees as though gravity had doubled in an instant. Her fingers dug into the floor as she clutched her chest, eyes squeezed shut, her breath shattered into ragged gasps. Something inside her twisted, something dark and writhing and alive, as if her very organs were trying to claw their way out. The agony was not a surface wound—it was the kind of pain that came from deep within, from the roots of her existence. Her legs no longer functioned.
Archer’s eyes narrowed, the faintest flicker of something unknown crossing his expression as he turned to her. For a moment, he simply stared at her, the violet-haired girl kneeling and trembling on the ground. His hands twitched, but he made no move.
"Do you see now?" Zouken said, stepping forward with the same calm one might use when explaining a lecture to a child. "I am no passerby. I am not unrelated to this war. You are standing before one of the architects of the system itself. The very reason you exist here today."
His eyes glinted with a cruel, ancient clarity.
"Do not let your arrogance as a Heroic Spirit blind you, Servant. You may be bound to Sakura, but that tether also places you beneath my command. And if you dare to disobey, you will simply become unnecessary."
The pain receded. Slowly. Gradually.
Sakura’s breath came in hoarse, greedy gulps as the pressure within her body began to ease. The creature that stirred beneath her skin had returned to its slumber. Sweat clung to her forehead, her back, and the nape of her neck. Her limbs trembled as she pushed herself up with effort, first to her knees, then finally to her feet. But she couldn’t lift her head.
She could not meet Archer’s eyes.
Not after that.
Because whatever he may have thought of her before, this moment—this grotesque display of weakness—had shown him exactly what she was. Powerless. Submissive. A puppet who collapsed at the smallest twitch of her grandfather’s will.
And surely, she thought bitterly, a Servant summoned into this war to pursue a wish of his own would have no interest in following a Master who couldn’t even stand upright without permission.
"I will ask again," Zouken said with deliberate patience, his voice heavy with the weight of threat. "And I hope you do not give me the wrong answer this time."
His eyes bore into Archer’s.
"Which Heroic Spirit are you?"
“...”
Much to Sakura’s surprise, he remained silent, his gaze fully focused on her the entire time as if waiting for her to say something instead of anyone else. Seeing the increasingly displeased look from her grandfather, she knew she had to act quickly. “You can answer him, Archer.”
Finally, that seemed to earn what you could only describe as a small smirk on his face, before sighing out loud.
“Sorry to say, as much as I would like to share such important information with you, I wish I knew the answer myself.” Archer's response brought up an eerie silence within the room, the slight smirk on Zouken's face vanishing and replaced with a prominent frown when looking back at the Servant.
“Explain yourself.”
“It would seem that the circumstances behind my summoning might be the main cause behind it — something must have gone wrong, most likely. Just thinking about where I was even summoned in the first place proves my point. I was not even certain who my Master was until I saw the command seals. All I have are faint echoes of the past, where I cannot make sense of most of them.”
"What the hell!? You're so useless, Sakura! You ended up summoning someone who has amnesia and won’t even be helpful to me! How the hell am I supposed to use a useless Servant like this!?" Shinji shouted, voice shrill with frustration.
He stepped forward, fists clenched, only to stop short as Archer’s narrowed stare locked onto him. The Servant’s gaze carried the weight of a battlefield, and the boy’s bravado wilted under it. Shinji involuntarily took a step back.
"I do not recall ever agreeing to let you take control of me," Archer said coolly. "Even if there were a way to transfer the Command Seals to you, I am afraid I am not so keen on the idea of being passed around like a tool."
"You speak as if you had a choice," Zouken muttered, his voice thin and dry, like wind rustling through dead leaves. "You know the consequences of what will happen if you disobey my orders."
"Forgive me for saying this," Archer said, turning to face the old man, "but even with a surface-level assessment, it is clear this boy is not remotely capable of handling a Servant, let alone someone of my caliber. I can sense an overwhelming abundance of magical energy within her. Quite frankly, you would stand a far better chance of winning the Holy Grail War with both of us working together."
Zouken’s earlier threat, perhaps, had inflated Shinji’s ego. Puffing out his chest with false confidence, he jabbed a finger at Sakura.
"Sakura? She can barely hurt a fly, let alone lead anyone to victory in this war! She’s spent the last few weeks whori—"
"Enough," Zouken said sharply.
The room fell into dead silence.
Whatever Shinji had been about to say died in his throat. His mouth snapped shut, and his posture stiffened, shrinking as though he had been physically struck. His grandfather's warning had been clear.
"We did not summon you to participate in pointless bickering over their competence or what my grandchildren are or aren’t capable of doing," Zouken continued, voice low and controlled, but no less chilling. "I am perfectly aware of what he is capable of, Servant. That knowledge does not change my decision. Whether I choose to have you serve my grandson or my granddaughter is mine alone to make."
Archer’s eyes flickered, his stance calm but unyielding. "And as someone who claims to have helped create the system, you must be just as aware of the consequences that come from forcing a Servant to act against their will."
"That is why the Command Spells exist," Zouken replied coldly.
"A limited amount of Command Spells," Archer countered, his tone a shade sharper.
They had reached a standstill. Neither side budged. No one raised their voice. No one stepped forward. The tension hung like a blade suspended above all of them.
And yet, for Sakura, there was only one truth: giving Archer to Shinji would shatter the single purpose she had for entering the war in the first place.
Protecting Shirou, her Senpai.
"Grandfather," she said quietly, the tremble in her voice betrayed only by how hard she clenched her fists. "Please, let me keep Archer!"
The words escaped her lips before she could second-guess them. The standoff broke.
Two pairs of eyes turned toward her, their attention pinning her in place like spotlights on a stage. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she held their gaze. Somehow, she managed to keep herself together.
Barely.
“Hoh, are you actually willing to fully participate in the war, Sakura?” Zouken asked, the corner of his lips pulling into a sickening grin. “You know very well what that entails.”
“I am willing to participate in this war and win,” Sakura took a firm stand on the matter, raising her voice while hoping her grandfather would listen to her. “Please, I won't disappoint you.”
The old man shook his head, neither betraying any emotions of disappointment or joy. Instead, he turned his back, walking away from the living room. “I cannot remember the last time you spoke to me in such a manner. I have underestimated just how much your time with that boy has changed you. I'm curious to see if all of this is just a burst of rebellion, so for now, I'll be observing you closely.”
“W-Wait, what about me!” Shinji exclaimed, but got no response from him. Not wanting to remain in the same place any longer, he stood up, hesitating before hastily walking away and leaving Sakura all by herself with Archer.
With the two now gone, she heard another chuckle coming from the servant next to her. “What you said to that old man, I will be honest with you, Master, you did not sound very convincing. So I will ask myself, are you truly after the wish, or do you desire to win this Grail War in the first place?”
A wish… Sakura had to admit that getting her hands on such a prize would help her resolve so many of her current problems. Who would not desire such a thing in their lives? Having a master who equally desired winning such a prize would definitely be the ideal scenario for any Servant.
“I don't.”
Yet she could not muster up the strength to lie to him.
But instead of seeing an expression of disappointment on his face, looking up, all she found was pure curiosity as the man proceeded to sit on one of the sofas that hadn't been destroyed, resting his face on his hand while relaxing his whole body. “How unusual, who would have thought that my luck would have landed me with a master who does not even desire to win the Holy Grail War but still lied to her jailer.”
“I'm sorry…”
“There is no need to apologize, rather than disappointment, I mostly feel pity towards you. So embracing this feeling, I will ask you what you truly desire.” She raised her head with mild confusion, wondering why he was asking her such a thing. “Surprised? Don't be. At the end of the day, I am your Servant, and both of us would work with a mutual understanding between us of what each of us wants and what we don't. Using a driving force that is not yours to push through this war will not help us, and I would not want to waste my time with such things. I will lower an olive branch to you under only one condition. What is it that you truly want?”
What she truly wanted, that answer she had long since known before even steeling herself to come here.
“I want to protect sen—Shirou.” She answered, holding no doubt in her mind whatsoever. “I want to be with him, I want to stay by his side for as long as possible, I want to see him smile every day, I just want us to be together. But, I will not allow myself to live such a life if the price to pay is for him to face all of these dangers by himself. I do not wish to become the source of his problems… I want him to be happy.”
“...”
She laid everything on the table, hiding nothing of what was in her heart. Doing so to someone who was practically a stranger, but also an existence who could help her achieve this goal.
“You sure do cherish this boy quite a bit, don't you?” Archer replied, “He should count himself lucky for having such a caring lady. But does he know how far you are willing to go for him? Do you think he will accept it?”
She shook her head again. “Senpai cares for me a lot, but this is at the expense of his own safety. I know him, I learned more about him these past few days than the years we spent together in the past. He… tends not to think about himself when helping others. The others' lives are ahead of his; even if the person he's trying to save turns out to be his enemy, he would want to help them too. He wants to be a hero who can save everyone from suffering.”
“Humph,” Archer scoffed, a tone of bitterness evident in his tone. “Forgive me for my language, Master. But this person sure does sound like a fool to me. Even with what little memory I have, I can tell I have never heard something as ridiculous as this.”
She giggled, not taking his word to heart. “He is very kind and can be stubborn at times. But I still love him and I know that with enough effort — I'll be able to make him cherish himself more.”
This time, Archer hummed out loud. Showing a smirk on his face before getting up from the sofa and walking towards her. “This must be a first for me and even most Heroic Spirits, being summoned not to win a war but to make sure my Master's little lover does not end up killing himself.”
“You will understand when you meet him, he's a good person.”
At that, he just shrugged his shoulders. “Somehow I doubt that, but… We'll see.”
{Break}
-Emiya Residence-
(Early morning)
It has been a while since he woke up this late, the first thing shaking him up from his slumber being the sound of the alarm clock ringing near him. Tired golden brown eyes stared at the ceiling before he pulled himself up, feeling tired but also slightly drained…and refreshed. ‘Oh right, last night.’
The memories of what happened before coming back to the young boy like a tsunami, forcing a crimson blush on his face and making his heart pump excitedly down to his groin, much to his dismay. The images were vivid, he could still feel her touch on his hands, her fragrance, her voice speaking softly next to his ears, and much more that he dared not ponder on for too long.
“Sakura…?” Looking next to him, he expected to find her figure sleeping next to him for that was the last memory he had of hers before both of them practically fell unconscious from pure exhaustion. She wasn’t there, though. ‘Maybe she's already awake, it is quite late.’
Walking outside, he once again found no one around and grew even more confused. “Did she go out grocery shopping…?” Not the first time she did so, even though he told her that he would handle it himself.
“SHIROU, FOOD!!!”
Taiga’s voice rang loud enough to make the neighbors' dogs bark, opening the shoji doors with a slam and rushing to the living room. Smiling brightly as usual, but then came to a complete halt as soon as she saw him. “...Shirou?”
“Sorry, Fuji-nee, I went to sleep late and woke up la—mmf!?” The brunette practically closed the distance between them faster than he could react and grab onto his face while staring at him with a suspicious glare.
Her actions came out of literally nowhere and put him at a loss on what she was doing. “Fushi-mee?” Even his words came out slurred with how she was holding his face.
“Did you… no, it can't be. Can it?” She whispered quietly to herself, then proceeded to observe him from head to toe while he massaged his aching face. “Am I imagining it?”
Shirou finally managed to push Fuji-nee off his face.
“Jeez, what got into you this morning?” He asked, a bit aggrieved and swearing that he would make her least favourite meal because of this! “You better have not gone out drinking all night again.”
Then again, he did not smell any stench of alcohol from her. Then what was the issue?
“Shirou… did something happen between you and Sakura?”
“...”
How the hell… his clothes were a new set he just got from the wardrobe, having even taken a shower there was no way she could have known…
“I'm not sure what you're talking about.”
“My woman’s intuition is telling me otherwise!”
“You're just imagining things! Just sit down and wait for breakfast to be ready or else I'll make plain omelettes!” He shouted, not trusting himself from blushing once again if she kept saying such things. “Hah… just stay put. I’ll be back.”
Hastily walking away, Shirou passed by the corridor and noticed something odd. Sakura's room was left open, so he went to close it. The redhead noticed how neatly folded everything looked, but what caught his attention was the letter left on the table. “What?”
Having a bad feeling, he went ahead and opened the letter. Reading the content slowly, with each second making his face turn somber.
Without wasting a second, he got up and was about to rush outside, only to be stopped by Rider, who stood in front of the room. “Master…”
“Did she tell you about this?” He got a nod, clenching his teeth in frustration. “Are you going to stop me then?”
“... No. I am your Servant after all, but I promised Sakura to keep you safe as well, Shirou.”
That girl…
No, no, he could not just sit by without doing anything. Without saying anything else, he walked past Rider and ran into his shed. Taiga's confused voice could be heard from the living room as she saw him rushing outside. A few seconds later, the roaring sound of the motorcycle came from the shed, and Rider watched with a helpless sigh as her Master did exactly what she told Sakura would happen.
“Shirou! Don't drive so recklessly! What's gotten into that boy!? Is he finally in his rebellious faze, and going out to start a biker gang!? Eh? Who are you!?” Taiga, having noticed Rider walk to the living room, was stunned to see what was basically a stranger within the house. Rider wasted no time knocking out the older sister, making the woman fall unconscious. Carefully pulling her to a room, she dissipated into her spiritual form.
Regardless of what her Master planned to do, it was her duty to keep him safe.
.
.
.
-???-
While the boy rushed towards the Matou manor, Luvia, on the other hand, found herself dealing with a different scenario. Following faint clues and leads that in most cases brought her to dead ends, she wondered if this one was just another red herring that could potentially lead to an ambush.
“A-Another one!?”
“Quick, before sh—”
Though it seemed this one held some weight, especially when upon walking into the corridor, the first thing she ended up encountering were more of these henchmen, ordered to kill anyone entering this place on sight. Unfortunately for them, she only needed a single emerald gem to take down both of her attackers with just a mere flick of her wrist.
Interrogating them proved to be a pointless waste of time, for they were not even aware of the supernatural and the identity of their employer. Mindless grants whose only job was to keep people away, not that it worked against her.
“Another one?” She repeated those words, throwing a curious glance at her bodyguard, “Did we miss something, Clown?”
The tall dark dark-skinned man who was accompanying her shook his head, his job mostly being to search the bodies for any clues and get his hands dirty in her stead if things went pear-shaped. “If the stench of blood on the other side is an indication of anything, it's safe to assume that we are not the only ones who were following the clues. Then again, it's a high-paying mission.”
She continued down her path, using a few more gems to take care of other henchmen who tried to stop her. Those with guns were left stunned as their bullets even failed to penetrate Clown's suit, the latter coming forth to serve as a shield in this scenario. His method of dispatching them was more brutal than hers, using his hand to smash their heads down and even slamming a poor soul on the ground with enough force for a loud crack to be heard.
“Careful now, you almost got blood on me.” She said while using a fan to cover half of her face. “Honestly, how is Rin Tohsaka this blind to everything going on in this town as its Second Owner? With so many cockroaches scurrying around, surely she must have noticed something.”
Clown did not give her an answer, not that she expected to hear one from him. Instead, he hand-signed to her about something.
“Someone is fighting ahead.” He said with a gruff voice.
Luvia nodded and headed forward, holding several gems while pushing the door, which led her to a large room filled with several containers. In the middle of it all were more bodies belonging to those henchmen from before. A quick observation showed the cause of the carnage being something similar to how Clown took down those from before. Far more brutally, though, and with far more strength.
Bang!
Another sound came from the middle, a large man holding an odd tool resembling a glove. From which she saw a spell form, this one only lasting a couple of seconds before a hidden figure reached him and immediately squashed the mage’s hand before his throat was seized tightly.
“Speak now, where is Atrum?”
A feminine voice demanded, Luvia approaching the scene without hiding her presence—looking with slight amusement and curiosity at the magenta-haired woman in front of her. Wearing her standard Enforcer suit from the pictures she received, but this one was riddled with severely damaged parts and ruined fabrics. Not something that should have been possible from just these regular weapons or even simple spells… She must have gotten them a while ago.
The blonde smirked.
“Found you~”
Comments
Quan Giang khanh
Bro I legit thought Rin was going to summon EMIYA Lily because you mentioned 2 sisters summoning at the same time
TAB Kg
Rin with a dog is crazy work but it can be fun lol
curlyboy01
I wonder who’s going to summon saber
Cody
Well now I quite enjoy how the Servants are mixed up in this story. Shirou has Medusa as a Rider, Rin has summoned Cu Chulainn as a Lancer, and Sakura summoned EMIYA as a Archer. I am very curious on how Sakura is going to interact with Archer considering that is a version of Shirou the very person she wants to protect. Another thing I do wonder who Luvia found at the end there. All in all, excellent chapter and I cannot wait to read the next one
