Fate/Build: The Mechanical Magus

By Tailsmo4ever

Consulted by Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome

Phase 1: The Mage of Machines

I was trapped.

Strapped inside a case.

They were doing something to me.

I couldn't get out.

Too small. Too weak.

I was helpless. Powerless. I tried to struggle out of my bonds, but they were locked tight. Green liquid all around me. They gassed me with something. Hard to breathe. Hard to think.

It was hard to see as well, but I could see people all around me. Men in white suits, injecting me with something. It hurt. The pain was too much. So many needles sticking inside of me. I wanted to scream, but something was on my mouth. I didn't know what it was, but I couldn't speak. I couldn't scream. The men around me paid no mind. They still stuck needles inside of me as they jotted down on their papers. I could see others too. More people in cases like mine. All of them shaking in agony. All of them being gassed and stuck with needles. I could see them... vanishing into dust.

"Subject 013004, failure," I heard one of the suits state, writing down on his board without care, "Insignificant Hazard Level. Suggestion: condense output levels of Nebula Gas."

There was someone else there. A man, different from the rest of them. He was in black with the face of a bat and had eyes that were in a sick yellow. He sat above everything like a twisted king, watching everything. The eyes... they were watching us, watching everything. The bat-man did nothing but watch us, watching the men in suits doing things to us.

"...npai? Hey, senpai?"

How could anyone do this? How could anyone treat people like guinea pigs? What did they have to gain to treat human beings so careless like experiments? Do they know what they're doing? Or maybe the better question is, do they even care? This pathetic feeling of helplessness... there's no way I can accept that!

"Senpai? Emiya-sempai?"

Shirou blinked awake, the light blinding his eyes as he rose his head from his workstation. Rubbing the fuzziness from his eyes he looked over to his left to the person who woke him up from his sleep. "Oh, Sakura," Shirou answered drowsily, "Good evening."

Sakura gave him a befuddled look as a sheepish smile appeared on her face, "Actually, it's morning."

Shirou's eyebrows rose a few centimeters over his eyes, and he looked over at the window. As Sakura told him, the sun was already starting to peek out over the horizon and the rays were beaming through the windows. "Oh..."

Shirou was a young man who might, at a surface glance, very well be considered average at best. Average height, average looks, though the only thing that made him stick out was his ginger red hair and golden eyes. Also that, aside from his skills with the bow and arrow, he was really smart. The boy was dressed in some ragged clothing; a hood and some busted up jeans. Not very good for going out but practical for working on something delicate.

The girl who woke him from his power nap was Sakura Matou, the younger sister of one of Shirou's friends. She was easy on the eyes; purple hair that was just inches past her shoulders with a red ribbon holding the left side of her hair behind her ear, doe-like purple eyes, and a very pretty face. Her petite figure was garbed in a white dress shirt with a beige vest over it and a red ribbon on the collar, along with a dark skirt over her legs that were covered in white long socks. Her polite and submissive demeanor made her popular among the first years, though she doesn't seem to be aware of the attention she gets.

"Senpai, don't tell me you've been up all night again," Sakura admonished as if she already knew his response.

Shirou looked over at his side with an awkward scratch on his head, "Maybe. I just got down to the final phase of my project so I wanted to fix up the kinks as much as I could." He reached over to his workstation and held it in front of Sakura. In his hand, he held a touch smartphone that seemed to have a wheel sticking out of its back.

"You were... fixing someone's phone, sempai?" Sakura asked him.

"Heh heh," Shirou gave her an almost smug grin as he rubbed his nose, "Sure, it may look like a simple smartphone, and it technically is. But I added a little something extra. Check this out," he pulled out a small yellow bottle, shook it around before twisting the cap and pressing it into the phone's back which made the back wheel pop out before he carelessly threw the phone into the air.

"Build Change!" a voice from the phone echoed.

"Wha-" was the first thing that came out of Sakura's mouth when she saw the phone grow in size in midair. The giant phone flipped and folded in on itself, transforming into a red sports motorcycle. There were black strips over the bike with a turbine on the back and a saw on the front, both in yellow. The phone had been turned into a GPS screen as well. On the bike's front half, she noticed a gear-like symbol stamped on the left side. In short, it was a modified Honda XR 230.

"Awesome right?" Shirou asked, sounding somewhat proud. "I spent a good two weeks trying to customize it. The hard part was trying to get into pocket-size but I figured out the perfect format for it."

"E-Emiya-senpai?! You're telling me that you managed to convert a cellphone and a motorcycle into a single device?!" Sakura stuttered, walking around the bike to observe every side. "How did you even do it?"

"That's something I intend to keep to myself," Shirou answered, "You know the old saying about a magician and their secrets."

"You know, I've always seen you tinker with machines plenty of times before, but this is the first time I've ever seen you build something like this," Sakura marveled, "You might be able to become an inventor. No offense, but you wouldn't even need to go to school with the kind of money you can get.

"To be honest, I'm someone who learns by doing. Not by pen and paper," Shirou told her, "And I have sold a few of my ideas to Touto Cyberwear, but as I'm still a minor the money I get isn't a lot. It does add to my usual job so I can still afford the bills. Makes it easy money for me."

"Well as long as you're happy, it makes me feel a little better looking after you," Sakura said, giving him an endearing smile, "You're always looking out for everybody and always doing so many favors. It honestly makes me happy that you have something that you enjoy doing for yourself."

"Hm, so a hobby," Shirou hummed. He walked over to his bike and hit a key on the pad, causing it to fold together and shrink back down into its phone mode, which he grabbed into his hand, "When you put it like that, it does sound a lot like a hobby. Inventing new things is one of the only times I can get some peace and quiet." He looked down at himself and sniffed at his clothes, wincing at the stink, "Maybe I should get into the bath before I start breakfast."

"You can go ahead and wash up while I get started on breakfast," Sakura offered, "I don't mind doing it so that you don't have to rush around so much. Fujimori-sensei should be on her way to check on you soon, and she might not like seeing you so dirty."

"Yeah, she'd have a fit," Shirou sighed humorously.

The City of Fuyuki seemed like a very simple town. It was oddly constructed, being split into two sections by a river called Miongawa which ran right through it. The urban half of the city was called Shinto, while the suburban half was called Miyama. Miyama was also split into two further halves with the southern end holding more western-style homes while the northern section had more traditional Japanese homes. In that way, the city was oddly organized, almost as if there were enough people that had certain tastes that needed to be suited. Most people would tell you that Fuyuki was a lovely place to live.

If they didn't mention the Great Fire from ten years ago.

The Great Fuyuki Fire was one of the greatest disasters in human history. There was a mysterious explosion that engulfed a good portion of the city. The accounts showed that five hundred people were killed and one hundred and thirty-four buildings were destroyed. There was no clue to what or who it was that started the fire, and if there was it was likely lost in the flames. When the destruction of the fire quelled, three tech companies stepped in to assist with the rebuilding efforts. These companies are Touto Cyberwear, Seito Zaibatsu, and Hokuto Technologies.

The three companies were technological rivals. They competed with each other for years, all of them trying to outperform the other. No one knew for sure why these companies were in a corporate war in such a way, but their obsession with being on top resulted in some of the best products known to man, ranging from cybersecurity, cyberarms, and so much more. When the Great Fire erupted, however, they temporarily put aside their differences and turned to the restoration of Fuyuki. Miraculously, they rebuilt sections of the city that were destroyed within a matter of three years, replacing the lost buildings with new advanced buildings and tall skyscrapers. Afterwards, the head CEOs all took the helm in sectors throughout the city and continued their operations in Fuyuki.

The reception of the rebuilding was mixed, very mixed. The younger generation liked the new buildings as it gave the feeling of growing stronger from a tragedy. The older and more traditionalist generation, on the other hand, saw it was an insult to their values. As if everything they worked to preserve was getting erased by the rapid rise of technology. But it was made very clear that the three tech companies were here to stay in Fuyuki.

Shirou was among those who survived the fire, being rescued by a man named Kiritsugu. The first time Shirou remembered seeing him he awoke in the hospital with several other children who lost their families. He looked like he had gone through something that would make a weaker man give up on life, but he didn't look any happier. Kiritsugu took Shirou in and adopted him as his foster son. During the first days with him, Kiritsugu told Shirou that he was a Magus. In other words, a magic-user. Now for a kid, Shirou thought it was the most awesome thing ever. He wanted to learn magic too. Not just because it was something every kid would want to learn, but also because he had an agenda. He wanted to be a hero, to save lives and to prevent what happened to him and so many others from happening ever again.

Kiritsugu said no.

But Shirou was adamant in his beliefs and efforts. He wouldn't let it go. He wanted badly to learn magic so that he could become a hero of justice. Kiritsugu continued to refuse at first but eventually gave in. However, he only taught Shirou the bare minimum of magic skills. Even if his skills were weak, they were still useful in helping with what he built. He also noticed that Kiritsugu was working with several people during that time, getting things set up for Shirou just in case. Why he did gather so many connections as he could, Shiou wasn't certain.

He got his answer when Kiritsugu suddenly died.

It happened without warning, with no fanfare or struggle. He was sitting on the steps of the estate when his heart just stopped. There was no explanation. The autopsy found nothing irregular in his body that was found. Not with basic machines anyway. A man named Gentoku Himuro who ran a school called the Touto Institute of Advanced Matter Physics who was one of the people Kiritsugu worked with during the short five years Shirou knew him offered to find the mysterious cause of death. The machines of Touto Institute discovered a bizarre energy mound in his body that resembled mud. Because there was no known element for the mound, Gentoku labeled it as Substance-X. He suggested that the findings be kept hidden from the public before they could find if it was something contagious or just a condition in Kiritsugu's bloodline. The last thing they needed was to cause meaningless panic after the destructive fire.

Kiritsugu had no known relatives, and his lifestyle seemed to have given him a life of solitude. Thus, there were only a handful of people he knew that came to his wake. It was there that Shirou met Gentoku, who told the boy that Kiritsugu had planned to have him enrolled into Touto Institute after graduating high school. Kiritsugu seemed very focused on giving him a life that was as normal as possible, wanting him to become a successful self-made man, get married, and have kids of his own. He went as far as to get him a job at Nascita, an Italian styled café, as a favor from the owner of the place. The owner was very eccentric but still was sympathetic to Shirou and his plight. His daughter was pretty cute too.

And then, last year, monsters appeared in the city. At first, they were just rumors, insane ramblings of people who wanted attention. Even with photographic evidence, which could have been doctored, nobody would believe it. Monsters did not exist in real life. They were just figments of the imagination and creations of fiction. Like Bigfoot, the Lochness Monster, or even Siren Head.

But the real truth was people did not want their normalcy disturbed. Anything unusual could be explained away. Like it was a gas leak that caused hallucinations or mass hysteria. People would rather believe that everything was normal than accept the truth. That was until the monster sightings became more and more frequent and more and more people started to disappear without any explanation.

Obviously, Shirou's sense of justice couldn't permit that. But the only spells Kiritsugu bothered to teach him was the Reinforcement ability that temporarily strengthened his body and anything he held, Structural Analysis to see through the make-up of objects, and very weak Projection. With these three abilities, he really couldn't be called a hero. Luckily, the owner of Nascita seemed to sense Shirou's frustration at his powerlessness. On the first day of his job, the owner took a refrigerator hidden in the back. To Shirou's surprise, behind the fridge was a hidden stairwell that led to an underground laboratory, with the kind of tech and gear he only saw in movies and manga. The engineer inside him felt like he had just gone to heaven.

"This place actually used to belong to some physicists who moved out some years ago, and I had it renovated. Anything I couldn't get rid of I just moved down here. Whenever you have your break, you can use this room to think of anything you can use to stop those baddies," the owner told him, "Just make sure not to blow up anything. I don't have any replacements, you know."

And so, every hour during his breaks, Shirou made good use of the laboratory. The technology level he had on him took him time to figure out, but he was able to make himself weapons and gear to fight the monsters who were kidnapping people off the streets. When he had the finished product, Shirou couldn't help but be amazed by what he had accomplished. With his new gear, he was able to take to the streets and become the hero he wanted to be.

And he was soon about to discover just what kind of hero he was going to become.

With Shirou's morning rounds finished, he got dressed into a beige blazer and matching pants. After he gave himself the once over, he went to the dining area where Sakura was joined by one other occupant.

"It sure did take you long enough, Shirou!" a woman in her mid-twenties with short brown hair, a yellow striped shirt and a green sweater blazer scolded childishly. "You know it's not polite to make people wait."

"Sorry, Fuji-nee," Shirou apologized, sitting down by the table as Sakura prepared a plate for him, "I lost track of time, is all."

"That's still no excuse. I gave your father my word that'd raise you up to be a fine gentleman," Taiga huffed, wolfing down her food, "If I don't make sure that you're always punctual, then what kind of teacher and guardian would I be?"

"You sure are one to talk," Shirou retorted, pointing his chopsticks at her, "Ever since Sakura started cooking for me, you haven't missed a day here. You might be the landlord's daughter but if anything it feels more like you've become a freeloader."

"Ya-wah?!" Taiga gasped, an accusing look on her face, "What's that supposed to mean, buster? I'm still a school teacher and there's no way I'm letting a boy and a girl stay in a house together all by themselves! Even if Sakura only stays for a few hours there's a lot that can happen in such a short time! I know how you teenagers let your hormones get the better of you! What if you get Sakura pregnant? What are ya gonna do then, huh?!"

"What kind of baseless accusation is that? I'm not gonna make Sakura do something she's not comfortable with," Shirou deadpanned.

"Right, I forgot who I was talking to," Taiga rolled her eyes. "You're so busy with your machines that you barely notice girls. One of these days Shirou, you need to get a girl that can keep you straight. Isn't that right, Sakura?"

"...Hm?" Sakura didn't seem to be paying attention but snapped up when her name got called, "Oh, um, I guess so..."

Taiga gave a satisfied belch as she slammed the bowl down, "A girl like you who can cook as well as this would be able to net a guy in no time. I'm starting to wonder why you two haven't dated yet." She stood up from her seat, and stretched her arms. "OK, time for me to dash. I still have tests to grade. I better see you both in school before the bell rings, got it?"

"Yes, sensei," both teenagers answered in slight monotones.

Taiga went out the door and hopped onto her motor-scooter as they both saw her off. She revved the engine and drove out on the estate and into the street, leaving a trail of heavy exhaust behind her. "Geez, Fuji-nee really needs to make up her mind," the redhead grumbled, "First accusing me of having a fling and then saying that I need to find a girlfriend."

"I'm sure she's just looking out for what's best for you," Sakura said in defense, "You already do too much as it is."

"Then she has a very odd way of showing her concern," Shirou muttered as they walked back into the house. "But she's right about one thing, we should be on our way soon. With my new bike we should be there in half the time it takes us on foot."

"Sounds good," Sakura beamed, "I've never ridden on a motorcycle before! I'll just finish with the dishes."

"...In other news, workers in the Shinto office district were found by day shift workers and were immediately taken to the hospital. According to a paramedic, the victims were suffering from hypoxia, the incident is likely to be a result of a gas leak."

"Another gas leak?" Shirou muttered, listening to the news report. "Those have been happening a lot. The fourth time this month in fact."

"How suspicious," Sakura agreed.

With Shirou's new bike, he and Sakura already arrived at the school with just an hour before class to spare. After he saw her off, Shirou went to the student council room to see the school's president.

"You're here early, Emiya-kun," Issei remarked idly. "I didn't expect you to be an early riser."

"Actually, I got here in record time thanks to something I was working on for a while now," Shirou told him. "Saved me a lot of time to get here."

"Yeah, I noticed that motorcycle you came with," Issei noted, looking at him with a bit of disapproval. "You and those weird machines of yours. I do hope you have a license to ride that thing."

"I got my license last week, Prez," Shirou reassured him, "So I don't need to be worried about any cops pulling me over."

"I see. Well as long as you understand," Issei nodded.

Issei Ryuudou was another of Shirou's friends. He was firm, straight-laced, and had an aversion towards women. In other words, he was a modern-day monk. As he grew up in a male-only temple that was on the outskirts of town with a head priest as his father, he clearly had his influence from it. He was a bit taller than Shirou, with short dark hair that had the left of it slightly over his forehead, and oval glasses on his face. He was always a professional and refused to take part in anything trendy. He claimed that doing so would disrupt his "karma".

"So, I'm here now so let's see what's wrong," Shirou said, opening up the exterior of the heater. "You have all the tools, I need?"

"Sure, do. Just as you asked for them," Issei answered, resting the tool kit next to him. His eyes not leaving the circuits, Shirou fished out a pair of clippers with a soldering iron and got to work on the repairs. "I really have to say, it's almost as if you can speak with machines. I haven't seen anyone as good with your hands as you," he observed.

"I learned what I could from my old man before he kicked the bucket," Shirou answered. "I guess he knew he was running out of time, so he wanted his skills to pass on to another generation."

"In that sense we need more men like your father around," Issei smiled, pressing his glasses to his face. "We barely have enough money for the academic clubs as it is so trying to fix the heaters has been rather troublesome."

"More heaters are shorting out?" Shirou asked, looking up in surprise.

"Unfortunately," Issei nodded. "Can you be able to fix this one?"

"Yeah, I'll have this little guy fixed up enough to last for the rest of the winter at least," Shirou said. "But I'm gonna need a little focus. Mind stepping out for a bit?"

"Ah, of course," Issei said, getting up from his chair and taking his things with him, "I'll leave you to it, then."

Shirou watched Issei step out of the room and close the door behind him. With privacy now granted, he could start working on the meat of the problem. "Alright now, let's see what makes you tick," Shirou said to the heater. As he rested his hand on the device, phantasmal lines began to glow on his hand and a hot metal rod feeling entered his spine.

"Trace On."

It was another mundane walk to school for Rin Tohsaka. She didn't mind it, she actually liked the daily stride to school. It gave her a sense of peace as she went. It was part of the reason why she got up early to see the archery club. At least until Shinji tried hitting on her which made her mood sour. Telling him where to stuff it felt very satisfying, and she'd be lying to herself if she said leaving him with an angry sulk didn't brighten up her morning.

And it's easy to see why anyone would try hitting on her. Even as a high school student, she was beautiful. Enough to work as a model if she wanted to. Her brown hair was glossy and long, held in two ponytails by black ribbons. Her eyes showed maturity and intelligence with a bright blue shine. Her figure was also slim and athletic, with each step she took showing a graceful sway. She looked good in just about anything, even the standard school uniform with the crimson red coat over it. She was one of the most desired girls in school, and an honor roll student. The teachers were even all in agreement that Rin was the epitome of the perfect Japanese schoolgirl.

That was her surface persona.

Rin was in actuality a magus. Her family, the Tohsakas, were from a long line of mages that actually founded the grounds where Fuyuki was eventually built. This was due to the ley lines that intersect in certain areas that provided powerful magic sources. These ley lines were needed for the ritual known as the Holy Grail War. A war where she and seven other mages would summon epic heroes from history's past to fight to the death. Six heroes would be needed to fall. And the last one standing would be granted the ultimate prize: the Holy Grail. A mystic artifact sought out by many but only touched by a handful. The power of the Grail was omnipotent. It could grant any wish to whoever succeeds in getting it. Anything their heart desires. Riches, fame, glory, the Holy Grail could make all of it possible.

This was not the first time the Holy Grail War appeared in Fuyuki. It happened ten years ago when Rin was only seven. Her father, Tokioki, was one of the magi who participated in the previous war. Unfortunately, he was also one of the casualties. Likewise, her mother also passed away shortly after, leaving Rin an orphan and the last of the Tohsakas... allegedly. She was taken in by the local priest of the city who studied under her father. She had a loathing for a man and suspected him of having something to do with her father's death, but all evidence to her father's death was destroyed in the fire that resulted from the aftermath of the war. She had no other alternative in that case.

The one benefit she did have was that the priest taught her all she knew about the art of Magecraft for the next ten years. Among her teachings were kung fu and karate, which benefited her style of magic. She prepared herself physically and mentally for the next Grail War that she would eventually take part in. Now that she was 17 and old enough to participate, she would be ready for anything that stood in her way.

The monster attacks that were happening from last year threw sand into that.

It instantly grabbed Rin's attention from the moment she first heard it. Monsters made of steel were spotted around the city, attacking anyone they saw and causing general havoc. Even among magi, there was logic. Who would gain anything from sending monsters to attack people? Most magi who were of the immoral stance were still smart enough to know the importance of secrecy. Her second guess had to be epic heroes that were summoned, and they would likely attack people to refuel their mana.

'That shouldn't be right though,' Rin thought to herself in a slight frown, 'If a Servant was summoned last year, Kotomine would've said something since he's the one who'll oversee this war. And when I brought it up to him, he didn't know what to make of it either.'

So as Kotomine contacted the Mage's Association for information on the discovery, Rin ravaged through her family's library on anything about the monsters that she had been hearing about. To her frustration, it was a big fat nothing. With no information Tokioki left behind to help her, she resigned herself to the one place she swore she would never visit.

The internet cafe.

One of the first things Tokiomi taught her before he departed was the values and etiquette of Magecraft. A magus was beyond technology. The goal of all magi was to seek and understand the arcane power that flows through the world and themselves. Whatever convenience modern machinery has will never surpass the tools Magecraft already made. It was a lesson that Rin took to heart and still upheld to this day, only occasionally using the internet if she needed to study for a class. So at her wits end, she visited an internet cafe one day. After getting seated in front of a computer, she looked through the archives for what she was looking for. And she did.

There were some pictures of monsters being sighted in areas that looked as though people didn't visit there often. The monsters looked very odd. As if they were a combination of man and machine. And there was something else. Someone in mix-and-match type armor fighting the monsters.

Fuyuki was no stranger to urban legends, after all. According to some articles, witnesses called the mix-and-match fighter "the Masked Rabbit of Fuyuki".

Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Rin forced herself back to the present day as she walked to her homeroom. She had to get ready for the war once the school day was over. It wasn't like the "Masked Rabbit" was going to have anything to do with it. Walking down the hall, she immediately noticed the student body president waiting outside of the student council office. As soon as the president saw her, he blanched slightly. Rin couldn't help but have a lukewarm smile at the sight. Maybe she'll have some time to kill before class.

"Tohsaka," Issei flinched, "So you came early too, I see."

"Hey there, Kaichou," Rin waved, striding up to him, "Been a long time."

"Same to you," Issei replied back. "Are you still a tsundere asshole?"

"What kind of way is that to say hello to a girl? Don't be sexist," Rin grumbled before giving a haughty huff with her head turned to the side.

"My apologies," Issei said sardonically, "But I didn't expect to see you here in school so soon. You didn't join any clubs so I do wonder why you came early."

The top of the class looked at him with a mysterious smile, "What other reason do I need? I just felt like it. That's all."

Issei didn't look convinced, but accepted it, "Fine, whatever. But I'm watching you, Tohsaka."

The door opened behind Issei and he immediately turned from her to check. Rin decided that it was then that the short conversation was over and continued on to her homeroom. As she walked passed, she took notice of the president's acquaintance who had a heater in his hands. Without either of them realizing it, their eyes briefly looked on to each other as she went past.

"Still the fake janitor," Rin muttered, looking back at him over her shoulder.

"I heard you having a bit of a spat with Tohsaka-san outside," Shirou ventured as he and Issei walked to their class, "I don't mean to pry but exactly happened between you two?"

"During middle school, she was my fuka-kaichou. But we both ran into several disagreements that I'm really not in the mood to recall," Issei grumbled, rubbing his head like he was holding back a headache, "Eventually, we both decided that we'd never be able to cooperate with each other and she resigned from the position. It was the only thing we agreed upon, ironic as that sounds."

"Ouch," Shirou looked sympathetic, "You two must be like water and oil."

"That woman is the devil. The enemy of all that is Buddhism," Issei commented, folding his arms, "I will never understand why other boys want to get with her. Then again, I simply don't comprehend females in general. Even Soichiro-nii has become smitten with a woman recently."

"Seriously? Kuziki-sensei?" Shirou blinked. "Stone-faced, hardly ever shows any emotion at all? That Kuziki-sensei?"

"Not only that, he invited the woman in question into the temple, and he has also gotten engaged to her," Issei continued, "It was truly suspicious. Soichiro-nii never mentioned her before. She just appeared out of nowhere."

"Love at first sight?" Shirou suggested.

"I very much doubt it's anything that trivial," Issei remarked.

"What's this I hear, trouble in paradise?"

Issei grimaced as he looked over to the new person who had just joined the conversation, "Oh, hello Matou."

Shinji leaned on the wall coyly, fingering his curly purple hair and fixed his purple eyes on the duo. A self-assured smirk rested on his face, "I never expected you'd be interested in talking about girls, Kaichou. I believe you and your errand boy just failed the Bechdel test."

"The whatnow test?" Issei questioned.

"Don't worry about it," Shinji waved dismissively, looking over at Shirou, "Hey, Emiya. I saw you coming in with my sister this morning. That's a pretty sweet ride. I'm sure you'll be able to pick up plenty of girls with a bike like that."

"It's just something I did in my spare time, Shinji. I don't really think I want to go using it like that," Shirou replied.

"Oh? Well, in that case, why don't you let me borrow it some time? It could help me show the girls at the archery club around the town a little more."

"No can do. I have my reasons. But if you need anything else, just let me know. If you need anything in the club that needs fixing, let me know. You were never really good with the bow."

At that, Shinji's face scrunched into something nasty, "Thanks for the request, but not from someone who quit! So if you know what's good for you, you'd better stay out of the dojo!" With a final grunt, Shinji stormed to his desk.

"Isn't he just a bowl of sunshine?" Issei muttered, "Matou sure is one to talk since he's the one who drove you out of the dojo to begin with."

"I've gotten used to it. Shinji has his issues but I've learned to adapt," Shirou assured him, "Just go with the flow."

"Really, just like that?" Issei asked.

"Yep, just like that," Shirou repeated, smiling.

The day went by and eventually, the night started to fall. As the sun began to set, the students all began their treks home. Normally, a few of them would stay in clubs but the students were told that all club meetings were postponed until further notice due to something happening. Shirou took his bike and drove to his destination at Shinto. Driving on the freeway and into an exit, he forced himself into a sudden stop when he heard something crash down from the air and sent asphalt flying every way. Slowly, he removed his helmet from his head as he peered closer to get a good look to see what it was.

'But I think I already know,' Shirou thought to himself, 'This is the first time one of them landed in front of me though.'

The thing that fell out from the sky and picked itself up among the falling rubble was a white humanoid creature. It seemed more like a living set of armor than a person. The bottom half was black, with the top half being white with blue spikes rising from the shoulder and head. The armor resembled metallic geometric plates, making it look a lot like cubic artwork. But what made it stand up from most artworks was that it was prowling around like an animal that just got out of its cage.

The monster immediately saw Shirou get off his bike, snarling as it stalked him. The boy stood straight and without fear as he reached into his bag and pulled out some items. The largest of them was black and red device just small enough to fit in his full hand. It looked like a mechanical crank with clear gears on the right side and hollow slots for objects on the left. The far-right side had a simple winch handle connected to the clear gears. The other two were a pair of small bottles; a red one with the image of a rabbit and a blue one with the image of a tank.

His eyes not leaving the monster, he pressed the belt on his waist. A metal strap curled around it.

Moments after that, Shirou parked his bike in front of a small cafe that had a sign called Nascita. Shrinking it down back to his phone, he went into the cafe and was greeted by the sight of a handful of visitors. Behind the cafe's counter, he spotted the owner handing in orders. "Hey, Soichi-san! I'm back!"

"Buongiorno, Shirou-kun!" a bespectacled man in his early forties smiled cheerfully. He had an eccentric style, dressed in a yellow straw hat with a black shirt and a green apron. Soichi Isurugi was a pretty happy looking guy who was like a secondary father figure to Shirou. He seemed to be in love with the culture of Italy, running his restaurant around it and even spouting Italian phrases. "You're right on time. I just came up with a new coffee recipe."

"Really?" Shirou grimaced, nearly backing away.

"Oh come on now, I got right this time!" Soichi insisted. "It's perfect!"

"That's what you said last time," Shirou retorted, walking over to the counter and joining his boss in the back of the cafe, "And it felt like ash in my mouth. What's the concoction this time?"

"My latest creation," Soichi said, presenting Shirou with a steaming mug with green liquid that was topped with whip cream and cinnamon powder. "I call it 'Isola Irlandese'!"

"An Irish inspired beverage this time? That's new," Shirou mused as he took the mug into his hands. He looked into the coffee warily. He looked back up at Soichi. The man looked anxious and expecting. There really was no reason for him to turn down his request. He was a good cook, but when it came to coffee he was a total flop. And he helped to raise him alongside Taiga. Just what harm could it do?

Like taking a bitter pill, Shirou gulped the coffee into his mouth... and quickly spat it out.

"Oh... another fallimento, eh?" Soichi sighed.

"It burned my whole mouth!" Shirou coughed as he gagged and slapped his chest. "Water! I need water right now!" Soichi grabbed a glass and poured cold water into it before handing it to Shirou. The young boy quickly gulped down the water and sighed in relief. "What was in that?"

"I think I might've put in too much ginger," Soichi mused.

"Who puts ginger in their coffee?" Shirou asked.

"It was for the zing!" Soichi claimed. "You can't succeed before failing. As an inventor, you should know that!"

"At least I perfect my failures," Shirou sighed. "Speaking of which, I ran into another Smash on my way here. And I extracted its essences." Shirou smiled, showing a small bottle filled with something white.

"Bravo!" Soichi praised, taking the bottle into his hands to get a closer look at it before tossing it back to his employee. "Well, I suggest you have that beauty purified as soon as you can. I'm closing shop in an hour and a half so you don't have time for a break."

"You're closing early?" Shirou asked, "How come?"

Soichi blinked, a concerned look on his face, "You haven't heard? There was a murder discovered this morning."

Shirou paled, "A murder?"

"That's right. A very bloody scene and it happened near your school apparently. It was a family of four, and only a child survived. The parents and older sister were stabbed to death with some sort of long-bladed weapon," Soichi explained. "And the worst part is that the killer is still at large."

"A long-bladed weapon?" Shirou questioned hurriedly, "Was it a Smash? Or was it someone from Faust?"

"No, I very much doubt Faust would have anything to gain from it," Soichi answered. "The crime scene indicated a vicious struggle, and I believe they'd be much cleaner than that if they needed someone silenced. And while the Smash act on instinct alone, all we've seen them do is abduct people. None of them went as far as murder." His eyes narrowed as he noticed Shirou had a frustrated look on his face, "You aren't going to go after the killer, are you?"

"Shouldn't I?" Shirou insisted, "I have the Build Driver and the FullBottles! If a killer is on the loose then I have the power and responsibility to stop him!"

Soichi sighed, leaning his hand over the kitchen counter, "Now Shirou, I know I let perfect the Rider System and the FullBottles, but that was to deal with Smash. Because you have the ability to do something doesn't mean you always have to. Don't get me wrong, I believe a hero of justice is what this world could use right now, but even the hero needs to look out for himself."

"There isn't anything wrong with helping other people who need it, Soichi-san," Shirou argued.

"Of course there isn't. I'm saying you're the type who goes out of his way to save everyone," Soichi pointed his finger at Shirou like a gun, "If you keep this up, someone with a shady motive might take advantage of your kind nature. And if that happens, you might be in for a world of hurt."

Shirou sighed, "I'll try and keep that in mind. I'll go get my work apron and have this new FullBottle purified. Is Misora awake?"

"Should be from when I last saw her. I have some errands to run so close up the shop when the hour's up," Soichi said. "And say buongiorno to Tiger-chan for me when you see her!"

"You're lucky Fuji-nee isn't here," Shirou said jokingly as he opened a refrigerator and stepped inside it, "She really hates that nickname."

"And that's what makes saying it fun!" Soichi grinned.

The night eventually passed and daybreak returned. When it was the lunch break hour, Shirou went to the school cafeteria. Normally, he would go and eat with Issei at the student council office, but today he didn't feel like it. Maybe due to the news of the serial killer he heard from his boss. But that felt unlikely, though hearing about it still filled him with an ounce of dread.

"Emiya! Never thought I'd be seeing you here!" a voice interrupted Shirou from his decision making at the vending machine. The greeter was a strong looking pretty girl with bobcut-styled brown hair and gold eyes. "Thought you'd be at the student council office," Ayako Mitsuzuri smiled.

"I sort of forgot my lunch, so I need to buy something," Shirou half-lied. "But I haven't seen you in a while, Mitsuzuri. How's the club running?"

Both teens moved to the line to pick out their lunches, paying the cashier and sitting down at an empty table. "It's been doing great, though it hasn't been quite the same without you around. You really should stop by sometime," Ayako said, "You might just be able to keep Shinji in check."

"Shinji?" Shirou blinked, "What did he do this time?"

"Word on the grapevine is that he tried to get with Tohsaka-san lately, but she shot him down so bad it really broke him," she whispered, "Whatever she said to him must've really got under his skin because he started going at the first-year boys hard. This morning I caught him making them do target practice. None of them didn't even know how to hold a bow yet so they ended up making total asses of themselves in front of the girls. He didn't let them stop till they hit their marks and by then there were scattered arrows all over the place."

"But hold on, you said you found him doing that to the boys? Where were you?" Shirou asked.

"I'm the team captain, so that means I'm in charge of maintaining the dojo and making sure all of our equipment works properly. Whenever I have to get business done he starts acting like he owns the place," Ayako continued, slowly looking aggravated as she began to recall the miserable and dejected faces of her kohai, "And whenever I try to get him to talk, he always finds a way to weasel his way out! He's getting more out of control and it's really vexing me. I feel like if this doesn't get taken care of, it'll get worse. His pride and his short fuse make for a nasty combination."

"I know, that's probably why he snapped at me and Issei yesterday," Shirou agreed.

"So yeah, I know this is asking too much but can you do me a favor?" Ayako asked him, "Can you try and keep an eye on Shinji at the club? If he knows you're there he might not try to put the first years through that mess again, especially if you tell him I'm the one who sent you. But you trying to get him to stop completely would really help out."

Shirou nodded, "Duly noted. I'll see what I can do."

By the time Shirou found an opportunity to speak with Shinji, it was already sundown and the school was getting empty. He was waving goodbye to Issei after helping to repair more of the heaters when he heard a choir of laughter mostly from girls and one familiar male laughter. Figuring that there was no better time to do it, Shirou went up the stairs to the next floor where he saw his seaweed haired classmate with a gaggle of girls, two of them draped in his arms.

"The look on his face was so hysterical! He looked like he was about to pee on himself!" Shinji laughed. As he came to the corner, his eyes landed on Shirou and he paused. "Oh, you haven't left yet Emiya? Still being the good little errand boy?"

"Shinji," Shioru began as he walked over to him, "I need to talk to you. It won't take long."

"I hate to tell you but I simply don't have the time right now," Shinji replied smugly as he continued walking with the girls, "As you can see I have my hands tied."

"Don't dodge the subject," Shirou said quickly, causing him to stop, "This is about what you're doing to the first-year boys at the archery club."

Shinji turned around and gave an unpleasant look, "What about it?"

"Mitsuzuri told me about what you've been humiliating the new recruits by forcing them into doing target practice in front of the girls. I know it's not any of my business, but she still asked me personally. And she wants you to stop it."

"Oh, that thing?" Shinji didn't look remorseful, and instead made what he thought was a chilled look, "Come on, it was just a joke. I was only messing around with them."

"Well, I don't think they found it funny like you did," Shirou said, "I'm not sure what you were thinking but that wasn't cool, man. If you keep it up they might decide to quit the club entirely, and that won't look good on you or Mitsuzuri."

"So, she really wants me to stop making them put on shows for the ladies?" Shinji asked.

"That would be appreciative, thanks," Shirou nodded.

Shinji hummed and tapped his chin, acting as he was thinking, "Gee, I don't know about that. I mean, I don't really like it when I see women bored. As a man, it really pains me..."

"Shinji..."

"Oh, alright," Shinji yielded, "I won't make the first years do target practice anymore. But in return, I want something from you."

"Like what? You wanna trade or something?" Shirou asked.

"Of a sort. Thing is, the dojo is pretty messed up right now and could use a bit of cleaning. Here's the deal, I'll stop making the new recruits feel bad if you do me this one favor. Think of it as a show of goodwill," Shinji requested, "What do you say?"

"Um, Fujimori-sensei said that you were the one who was supposed to clean the dojo," one of the girls spoke up.

"If she finds out someone else did for you, she's going to get mad," said another.

"But if I started cleaning right now, the shop will be closed by the time I finish," Shinji argued. "It'll be fine. He's a sucker when it comes to helping out people for as long as I've known him. Isn't that right, Emiya?"

The girls looked over at Emiya with bothered looks on their faces. Almost by instinct, he answered, "If you promise to lay off the first years, I can stay quiet about it. Fujimori-sensei doesn't have to know."

"Then everybody wins. Let's go," Shinji said as he left, waving his hand over his head. The girls both looked back at Shirou and apologized to him before running after Shinji, leaving Shirou on his own in the hallway. And the school.

With that, Shirou spent the rest of the day cleaning up the school dojo. He scrubbed the floor, mended the equipment, and got rid of all the dust. As much as he hated to admit it, Shinji was right. He was used to it. For as long as he could remember, he was fixing things for people who asked and was generally doing things for them. It felt like its own reward in a way. It was something he couldn't help. Being a good samaritan was just in his nature. By the time he was done, night had already fallen, and he felt himself relax from the job.

The sound of steel cracking against steel interrupted his break.

"Huh, what's that?" Shirou instinctively grabbed his bag and slowly went outside to the schoolyard to investigate the noise. He stuck his hand into his pocket and seized two of his FullBottles between his fingers. He slowly stepped out, leaning out just enough to look outside.

And he paused.

In the middle of the yard, two men were facing each other in a fight. Or at least Shirou thought it looked like a fight. The night made it hard to see, and even if he could their arms were moving like invisible blurs and there was dust flying around from the speed of their movements. The few specks of light that came were from the impact of their... weapons?

The men stopped just enough for him to get a good look at them both. One of them was dressed in blue with silver accents and shoulders. He looked skinny, but his frame spoke of power and strength. His hair was blue and placed in a ponytail that went down his back. In his hands was a blood-red spear. His crimson eyes were sneering at his opponent, but his grin showed enjoyment.

The opponent in question was a man with dark skin and white-haired that was slicked backward. He was covered in a black outfit and a red overcoat. Like the other, his body was that of skill and experience. In both of his hands, two black and white Chinese swords with yin-yang symbols on the hilts were gripped on both his hands. Unlike the man in blue, the red man had a focused frown and his brown eyes didn't waver.

"You're really something," the man in blue grinned, moving his spear into another lunge, "You're nothing like I've ever fought. A bowman who fancies himself as a knight is damn amusing. What kind of Archer Class Servant uses a pair of swords instead of a bow?"

"And what kind of Lancer Class Servant fights with the savagery of a beast but the precision of a surgeon?" the man in red said, "Only the swiftest of spearmen can be honored with the title of Lancer, and you are among the greatest I have ever had the pleasure of facing."

The blue man called Lancer's grin grew maniacal as aura flared around his spear wildly, "Flattery isn't going to save you, Archer. You are still someone that I must kill. Prepare yourself."

"If I were not prepared for the possibility of losing, I would have not been summoned by the Grail," Archer replied, taking up a dual-wielding stance, "I will cut you down before your spear strikes."

Shirou glanced nervously at the blue-haired man, noticing the spear in his hands. Then he turned at the man in red as he stared down the aggressor without fear. His eyes soon wandered to a third figure in the schoolyard. A petite feminine figure with twin ponytails in a red coat, watching the two men fight with hardened eyes. "That's... Tohsaka-san?" Shirou whispered in shock. "What is she doing?!"

The man with the lance seemed to have very sharp hearing because his head suddenly perked up as his spear stopped glowing, "Who's there?!"

Shirou was off in an instant. He no longer had any incentive to watch the fight when the spearman realized he was there. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, barreling through the school door. Daring to look back, he could make out something blue crashing through the door and breaking off the hinges. This was no Smash, he realized. In fact, he had no idea what those men were. And he wasn't in any mood to stick around. He pulled out the red FullBottle and shocked it in his grip. He snapped the top, letting it open with a unique hissing noise, and sprinkled a red gas over himself. The gas vanished around his body, and Shirou started to glow in a dim crimson color as he picked up greater speed, trails of transparent Shirous following behind him. He didn't bother to run up the stairwell. Instead, he bent his legs before jumping over a single flight of stairs, kicking off the wall to fly up to a second flight. He blurred around the corner as the crimson glow began to fade, a temporary power-up. But hopefully, one that made him scarce. The ginger stopped against a wall to grab his breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Holy crap, what was that?" Shirou muttered in terror as he stood from the wall, completely unprepared by what he had just witnessed, "Those can't be Smashes. They were too hu-!"

SHINK!

A pain ripped through Shirou's chest, and the heat slowly began to abandon his body. Slowly looking down, he saw a red blade sticking out of his chest, blood stained around it.

"No..." were his thoughts as his consciousness started to leave him, "Am I... am I going to die...?"

The weapon ripped out through his back and the blood splashed on the floor. Death throes rippled through his body as he staggered forward, weakly limping. And then, his body gave up and slumped to the ground. As he lay dying, blood pooled around him.

And then... it all faded out.

"...Oh no... no, no, no, no... why didn't you leave?

"Why did you pick this night of all nights?

"No, not this time. I can fix this.

"I won't let it happen like this again... not ever!"

Shirou's vision suddenly returned as his lungs called for air. Breaths began to echo through him. He slowly got up, holding his hand to where he thought he was stabbed. Around the floor where he lied, the red puddle was no longer there.

"I'm alive?" he gasped, still short of breath. He slipped on his side, his legs still weak. His eyes caught a glance of something on the floor. It was a necklace with a red jewel. With nothing else, Shirou grabbed the necklace and put it into his pocket.

"I need to get home," Shriou decided, grabbing his bag from the floor. "Or at least I have to get ready before another freak tries to stab me again."

The return back to the estate was easy thanks in part to his Machine Builder. Shirou became very thankful that he finished his bike when he did. As soon as he approached the estate, he dismissed his bike and continued on foot. His body recovered just enough for him to walk into the house without much trouble. He left the lights off when he entered the living room, hoping to keep hidden. After a few steps, he dropped his bag and collapsed onto the floor, his breathing still out of balance.

"A man in blue, and a man in red?" Shirou whispered, images of their fight replaying in his head. "They looked human... but the way they fought was impossible." Then Shirou thought, were they the top leaders of Faust, given their superhuman fighting abilities? But if they were, why would they be fighting? Unless there was some kind of infighting that he wasn't aware of.

"And one of them killed me," Shirou finished, looking at the necklace in his hand, "But I'm still here and alive. Someone must've revived me. Wish I knew who it was..."

"...!"

Shirou stood up, able to ignore the stiffness due to the pain starting to fade. But a feeling of edge entered him. It was a sixth sense he got when he felt an enemy presence due to the last year he had been fighting the Smash. But the feeling he was getting didn't come from a Smash. It was something much more intense. He let his instincts take control, and flipped himself over the coffee table.

SWISH!

The sound of a steel blade hitting the wooden floor was enough to let Shirou know that his instincts saved him. Shirou stood up, gritting his teeth and clenched himself as he found his assailant. No, his killer.

"Oh geez, did it have to kill you to stay dead?" the spearman said, picking up the spear from the floor and spinning it in his hand. There was no longer any hint of bloodlust on him. Instead, he looked like someone who was doing something he clearly had no interest in doing, "Shit, it was a lot easier if you didn't see it coming."

Shirou felt the adrenaline pumping through his body as he watched the blue spearman approaching him. If it was just because he was a monster or a creature like a Smash, Shirou wouldn't have found himself so intimidated. No, there was a power, an aura of majesty which made him seem powerful and indomitable. Worse, the red spear in his hand was giving off more bloodlust than anything a Smash had given off before.

"Sorry to have to do this kid," the spearman sighed, looking honestly regretful about the impending murder. "My Master doesn't like witnesses. Kind of a shame too. You've got fight in your eyes. You'd make a hell of a Master yourself."

"Tsk!" Shirou grimaced. Well, there was no use trying to run now.

"I've got to admit, my Master's curious about that stunt you pulled with that red gas," the spearman continued. "You might be able to hold me off a bit longer if you talk about it. Might get you some time for backup."

If it was a taunt, or the spearman's advice to keep Shirou alive, he saw a bit of a chance so he could defend himself. "He's watching right now, isn't he?"

"Sadly, yep. He's a bit of a voyeur for this kind of thing. Creeps me the fuck out," the spearman grumbled, disgust clear in his features.

Shirou nodded, but wouldn't waste the chance, "I'll just show you then." Picking up his bag, he quickly pulled out his Build Driver, strapping it to his waist. He then produced his two FullBottles, small plastic trinkets slightly shaped to resemble a rabbit and a tank.

"Hm?" The spearman raised an eyebrow.

Shirou quickly shook the two bottles, and as he did strange white signs and symbols slowly began to fade-in out of thin air, surrounding him and the spearman. Shiro paid no mind but Lancer himself was perplexed. His link to the Grail told him that the symbols were advanced scientific and mathematical equations, equations that only the best and brightest of this era would understand. Before the spearman could look back at the redhead, he twisted the tops. Seeing the spearman was still not attacking, he dropped them into his Driver.

"Rabbit! Tank! Best Match!" the driver shouted.

Shirou grabbed the crank on the side of the driver, starting to turn it as rhythmic industry sounds echoed. The driver itself began to flash between blue and red before a mechanical array of clear tubing rose around him, filling with the two colors. In front and behind him, the tubing came together and filled with the gas, melting to form two halves of a suit of armor.

"The hell?" the spearman frowned, starting to lift his weapon.

"Are You Ready?"

"Henshin!" Shirou announced, positioning his body to match the armor pieces. Immediately, the two sides pressed together like on an assembly line, making a cloud of white gas as the armor snapped into place. The sides separated, revealing Shirou in strange-looking armor. A thick black material covered what the armor didn't. Together, the torso armor seemed to be a mishmash of red and blue. The left leg sported red armor with a spring wrapped around the shin. The right leg had tank tread designs on the foot. A tank cannon and rabbit rear decoration rose on the left side of his collarbone and the lenses of the helmet were round and large but had the impressions of a rabbit on the left side and a tank on the right, the ear and barrel rising up to give the image of antennae. As the armor settled, a blast of white, almost glittering steam came from the creases in the suit while the frame around Shirou disappeared.

"Hagane no Moonsault! RabbiTank! Yeah!"

The spearman blinked, but then grinned and moved into a ready stance, "Alright, kid. That's quite the armor you have. Looks like you aren't so much of a pushover after all!"

Build looked to his opponent and let out a breath. With his left hand resting on his hip, he flicked his right wrist across the side of his face and pointed at Lancer. "Let's start the experiment."

Within the shed, in the meanwhile, white shapes slowly began to form on the ground

Rin grit her teeth as she and Archer ran on Lancer's trail. All the while she was berating herself for being so stupid. She should have guessed that Lancer would check to make sure the witnesses were eliminated! Now thanks to her jumping the gun (again) the Fake Janitor was going to get killed!

She'd already failed too many in her role as Second Owner of Fuyuki. She wasn't going to fail again!

Fortunately, Archer managed to get a bead on Lancer's trail and they immediately took off in his direction. With a little luck, they'd be able to track Lancer down and maybe take him out before he had a chance to-!

BOOM!

"Oh no," Rin paled slightly. Was she too late?

The pair leaped from a rooftop, Archer carrying her of course, before they landed in the street near the explosion. She was expecting to see Lancer fighting with another Servant or some other disaster going on.

"The hell?" Archer frowned, giving a good voice to the situation.

The wall to the nearby estate had been blown open quite clearly. Part of the road was either torn up and covered in rubble. Impacted in the far was none other than Lancer himself. The Servant of the Spear was already pulling himself from the crater in the wall he made. A mad grin was on his lips and his gaze was focused on whatever was inside the estate he just got blown out of.

"HAH! Not bad, kid, but I've been knocked around worse than that!" Lancer grinned. Gripping his spear, he dashed back into the property where sounds of combat soon began to follow.

Now confused, Rin ran to the wall and dared to peek inside. Her eyes widened when she saw Lancer move almost dizzyingly in combat, his spear swinging and thrusting at another figure who seemed to be dipping or parrying them. He was dressed in weird blue and red armor while wielding a sword that seemed to look like a drill. Sparks flew from where the spear and sword met, and what shocked most of all was that somehow the armored man was able to keep up with Lancer's moves.

"That Masked Rabbit is here, and fighting Lancer?" wondered Rin. "Archer, is he a Servant?" Possibly Saber judging from the odd sword he was using.

"Not even close," Archer frowned, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "That's a living person."

"Seriously?" Rin wondered out loud, glaring at the suited man fighting Lancer, "But he can keep up with a Servant blow for blow... is he some sort of magus?"

For a moment, Rin thought Archer was sniffing the air...but then she found he was when he winced like he smelled something foul or burning his nostrils, "...Couldn't tell you. I don't know what it is but it's no magic I've ever seen."

Another clash of metal sounded off and the armored man was sent back from a hard swing of Lancer's weapon. Rin thought that would be it, between Lancer's speed and the magus' humanity, he was a goner. It quickly reversed when he hit the ground on his red foot and suddenly he bounced back like a bullet, using his own momentum to create a rebound, launching him back at Lancer.

"HAH!" The magus yelled, slashing down at Lancer. The Servant, of course, blocked it, but the force had him skidding back, leaving grooves in the dirt to show the force.

"Damn kid, you're making this fun!" Lancer grinned. "Don't let me down now! Show me some more!"

"Fine, if that's what you want," Build frowned. If he could keep this crazed psycho entertained long enough, it would give him more time to think of an escape plan. If he was lucky, he'd just be impressed enough to let him live.

He pulled the Rabbit FullBottle from the belt and pulled out a white FullBottle, his recent gain, shaking it before twisting it open. Then he pressed it down into the vacant space.

"Harinezumi!"

He grabbed onto the lever and cranked it again, the rhythmic machine sounds echoing from the belt.

"Are You Ready?"

"Build Up!" he shouted, moving into another fighting pose. A white wave of energy slammed into his right side, forming that half into white plated armor with several spikes with his shoulder and fist. The left half of his face was covered in white, with his eyepiece in silver and spiky edges.

Lancer's grin widened before he started to jolt forward again, his spear shooting down. Build reacted quickly, lifting his right hand and allowed the spikes to extend. Sparks flew as the spear was effectively blocked from getting through. "Oh, a defense style, huh? I'll play along!" Instead of being upset, Lancer just became more intrigued. Deciding to take on the challenge, he jumped back some distance away before sprinting around into an angle. He bounced from a wall and dove onto Build with his spear aimed down. Build's reaction was faster, lifting his arm again to extend his spikes. Lancer flipped over, and Build spun back.

The lance came upon him like rain, an illusion of spears flying at him. The spikes all extended separately, matching the spear assault blow for blow. Lancer continued to move like a blur, jetting in front for another assault. His spike arm continued to stop the spear from reaching him, knocking it away from him before dropping to his knees for a sliding dive, and delivering a spiked punch to Lancer's abdomen.

"Herk!" Lancer gasped as he felt sharp, spiky pain into his midsection as he was thrown backward. He tumbled back before hopping back to his feet, the battle-hungry aura not leaving.

As the fight progressed, both fighters went on at each other, completely unaware of the two spectators watching the battle play out. "He switched his form," Rin analyzed, having noticed Build switching his FullBottles with help from her Reinforcement on her eyes, "Those items on his belt are the key somehow, but they don't seem like they run on Magecraft."

"They look almost technological to me," Archer mused.

Rin gave him a look, "Archer, you can't be serious. There's no form of technology that can possibly be capable of mimicking magic or Magecraft. Rather, my hunch is that this magus is using an amplifier-type Mystic Code. No other suit of armor would give a human the ability to match up with a Servant."

Archer wanted to argue otherwise. While there were some things that magic could do that were not capable of being done with science and technology, the non-magic users have been able to do amazing things nonetheless. For example, the Wright Brothers managed to invent the airplane, giving normal people the ability to fly. Even so, he was also well aware that most magi tend to ignore machines, seeing them as a waste of time, and focused more on the studies of magic. It seemed his Master was of no exception.

The only thing that bothered him right now was that he didn't remember anything like this happening from his previous life.

Lancer grinned at Build. The kid might not be a Servant, but he was definitely something special.

"You know kid, you make for a pretty damn good rival. But I think you've got you figured out now," Build paused in caution as his lance started to shine blood red, "You're close range with a good defense, but nothing for long-range. You showed me a good time, so the least I can do is make this as painless as I can."

Build didn't seem bothered, but instead pulled another FullBottle from his side.

"Gatling!" *crack, gong, bang* "Are You Ready?"

"Build Up!" Gray energy slammed into Build's left side, forming another armor half onto him. His arm became heavy metal grey with plates sticking from his shoulder, with his right leg matching the color. The right side of his head also turned grey with the eyepiece looking like the barrel of a gatling gun. A trail of light beamed through his belt and materialized into his left hand, forming a grey gatling gun. Build pointed and shot rounds of bullets at the Servent. A shocked looking Lancer instinctively spun his spear in front of him, the bullets falling onto the ground.

Lancer glanced down at the bullets he blocked. Not an unusual thing for him, but the bullets had more penetrating power than he expected. It was a trait Lancer had known as Protection from Arrows, meaning projectiles didn't deal as much damage to him. Projectiles from a Servant had a better chance of working, but bullets from a modern gun? Forget it. Yet…

"Kid, you're just pulling all sorts of surprises," Lancer grinned. "Still, don't think that's going to save you here."

Build just aimed again, the barrels of his gun starting to rotate.

"Here I come!" Lancer grinned, jumped at a dizzying speed as Build opened fire at him.

Lancer was a blur around the open space and it was a testament to how much the suit was enhancing not just muscle, but perception, that Build was even able to follow him. The speed of the bullets though was proving not enough to keep up, impacting the ground when Lancer had already left the spot they were aiming for.

"Tsk!" Build frowned.

Lancer's movement suddenly stopped, showing he was directly in front of Build with his spear pointed at him. With a battle cry, Lancer aimed his weapon straight for Build's heart.

"Gae Bolg!"

Time seemed to twist and warp as crimson force shot from Lancer's hands and flew straight for Build. When it did, the sensors in Build's helmet started going berserk as it quickly calculated the trajectory of the flying spear. Just as it was in a hair's inch of his chest, Build twisted himself and just barely avoided the javelin of death. And then that was when it began to get very strange. Time suddenly paused before it reversed itself, the lightning that was the spear flying back into Lancer's hands and shooting forward again. And this time, it was aiming straight for where Build was going to move.

"Damn!" Build cried, lifting up his spiked arm and his gun to block the incoming spear. It quickly made contact, and suddenly his vision in his suit went white as there was a scream in the air which felt more than heard, and a trail of motion flying in the opposing direction the attack was thrown.

Lancer eyed the impact, giving respect where it was due for the kid. As the light went down, he realized Gae Bolg hadn't returned to his hand yet. Frowning, Lancer actually looked as the light from his Noble Phantasm died down, finding a trench trail made by a body. His eyes widened, "The fuck?!"

The impact of the Noble Phantasm threw Build into a shed. To Lancer's astonishment, he was standing with his back against a crumbled wall, blood dripping from his body as the spear clearly ran through his gun, his arm, and pierced his chest millimeters away from his heart. Build was obviously not happy about it. Having a spear stab you twice in one night was not a pleasant experience at all.

"What the hell..." Lancer was at a complete loss for words. He jumped through the man-made hole in confrontation, "That was supposed to hit your heart... anyone struck down by Gae Bolg's full power is supposed to stay dead!"

"So people die when you kill them? I guess..." Build grunted as he grabbed the spear, slowly ripping it out of his chest, the blood spilling out further from his wound and onto the floor, "I'm one of the lucky ones!"

As the blood spilled from Build's body, it splattered onto the ground, filling some faded grooves in the dirt. Immediately, the blood seemed to react on its own, flowing to fill the grooves and turn the circle red. Once it was, it sparked, creating a well of power that started to draw every eye over to it.

"You've got to be kidding," Lancer frowned. "Just when this night couldn't get any more ridiculous!"

"Huh?" Build blinked before he was blinded by a sudden pillar of magical energy that bathed the area in white light.

"Damn it, it's the Seventh!" Lancer swore as he moved to his side. A shallow cut suddenly appeared on the side of his cheek, like an invisible blade had just been slashed against him. He quickly went for the spear that Build dropped and threw himself out of the shed's window.

That was when Build saw her.

Standing majestically as a shimmering aura danced around the frame was a young woman. She was slightly shorter than him, but it did nothing to limit the powerful stance she had. Strangely, she stood like she was holding a sword even though there didn't seem to be anything in her hands. She had blond hair tied elaborately into a bun on the back of her head by a blue ribbon, blue eyes that shined like sapphires but also had the hardened gaze of a soldier... or someone even higher up than that, and pale skin that was like fine china. Her hands, chest, and feet were fitted with steel plated armor, and underneath it was a blue dress that seemed very regal. Looking at where Lancer had retreated, the woman's stance began to soften before looking forward at Build with an expected look in her eyes.

"I ask of you, are you my Master?" the woman asked him in a pleasing, but hardened voice. She didn't look remotely fazed at the sight of his suit.

"Um... what...? Master?" This was the second thing that threw Build into a loop tonight. Not since he first started fighting the Smash and trying to find Faust last year had anything stunned him so much. Of course, a cute European girl in knight's armor suddenly appeared before you would do that to any 17-year-old boy.

"I am the Servant Saber, and I have come in response to heed your call," the girl known as Saber continued, "Henceforth, my sword will be at your side. Henceforth, my fate is your fate. Thus, our pact is sealed."

Saber blurred out of the shed without another say. Build limped after her as he held his wound as steal on steal violence was already ensuing. "What? What do you mean by pact?! That doesn't make any sense!"

Both Saber and Lancer were in a flurry of movements, the weapons clashing and creating cracking flashes with each blow. Though Build's suit was substantially damaged, he was still able to track their motions with his visors. It still didn't stop him from being amazed by what he was seeing. Their arms sped out of control, turning into whipping blades around them. And neither weapon was getting damaged. Lancer zig-zagged around and dashed forward to pierce Saber's body. She twisted away from the lance's edge and brought her blade down, the impact of her strike shockingly causing the ground to erupt around them. Saber twisted again, kicking Lancer in the chest. He spun in the air, but landed on his feet.

"Yaaahh!" Saber roared as she jumped several meters into the air and spun. Lancer blocked her strike with his spear, a crater forming from the force. He spun his weapon, forcing Saber away from him as she jumped several feet.

"What the hell is this?!" Lancer demanded as he charged, "What kind of Servant hides her weapon? If you have it hidden from me then I suppose that your sword is your Noble Phantasm, right?"

"Who knows?" Saber asked as they crossed swords again, "It may be a battle axe or a polearm. Or perhaps even a bow or a lance just like yours!" She gave a sharp grunt as she struck Lancer's weapon hard enough to knock him back, the dirt gathering around his feet.

"You sure are a cheeky one," he frowned. Despite himself, he was enjoying the night so far. Three consecutive battles in a single night. This was the most fun he had in a long time. He was in no rush. He could take his time feeling her out and...

"Eh?" Lancer suddenly dropped his stance as if someone was talking to him, "Hey, hold on! I'm in the middle of something!"

Build blinked under his helmet at the strange change in behavior, "Saber, right? What's he doing?"

"Likely, his Master is ordering him to retreat," Saber responded, the edge in her stance not leaving her.

"Master?" Build frowned, "Then he's under someone's orders..."

"Damn it, don't do this! I can finish her off right now!" Lancer shouted at his unseen master. His face full of annoyance, he looked back at both Saber and Build, "Sadly, my coward of a Master has given me the order to fall back. A shame. Both of you kept me entertained tonight. But if you feel like it, go ahead and follow me. But you should both be prepared to die!" Regarding them one last time, Lancer dashed to the wall and jumped over, vanishing into the distance.

"Stop! Come back!" Saber shouted after him as she prepared to give chase. Build ran over to her, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and grabbed on to her arm to stop her.

"He's gone for now, and I don't think I want to deal with him again," Build told her. "At least, not with my suit damaged the way it is."

Build reached down and pulled out the FullBottles from his driver. After a few moments, the suit disassembled and vanished. Once the conflict was over, Shirou felt his adrenaline levels drop and he was about to crash from exhaustion. Tonight had been quite an odd night, it seemed.

"So, you said you're my Servant? Not sure what that means," Shirou rubbed his chin as he walked around Saber. "A Caucasian female with blonde hair, green eyes, and a petite build, but has strength and speed levels significantly comparable to an advanced Smash. The name Saber implies a sword as a weapon yet weapon is concealed by some kind of distortion. Perhaps an attempt to conceal identity. The weapon must be well-known."

"Um, Master?" Saber spoke up, not looking comfortable with how seeing was being sized up.

Shirou seemed to realize what he was doing and backed up, "Sorry about that. Whenever I find something new and unknown I go into something I call 'analysis mode'. Force of habit. By the way, my name's Shirou. Shirou Emiya. You can just call me Shirou."

"Shirou Emiya..." Saber seemed to frown slightly before smiling. "Then I shall address you as Shirou. Yes, the name Shirou sounds much more pleasing to my ears." Saber suddenly stiffened as she heard approaching movement, quickly moving in front of Shirou with her invisible sword drawn.

"Wait, hold on!" Rin shouted, holding her hands out as she stepped into the estate, "I'm not here to fight! Not after what I just witnessed."

Shirou blinked at the sight of his schoolmate, "Tohsaka-san? What's going on?" Shirou asked. He had been ready to draw his Drill Crusher. After the tense confrontation with Lancer earlier, he was not taking any chances.

"We were tracking a Servant," Rin answered. "The same Servant that you were fighting just now."

"A Servant? You mean that spearman is just like Saber?"

"Yeah, him, and then we saw you put on that suit of armor," Rin answered, placing her hands on her hips as she eyed him, "Now, Shirou Emiya, it seems you're the Masked Rabbit that's been stalking this city."

"Masked... Rabbit?" Shirou repeated with an odd look, "Is that what everyone's calling me? That's not a cool name. I go by 'Kamen Rider Build'."

"Shirou, are you sure you should be talking to an enemy Master?" Saber asked, her eyes not leaving Rin.

"Tohsaka-san's not an enemy," Shirou said, "We go to the same school. She gets top scores at everything, except in math and physics since I always get top scores for those subjects."

"That's right," Rin confirmed sourly as her eyebrow twitched. It was annoying that she got beaten in academics by someone like Shirou Emiya. He didn't seem like the type to excel in math and physics but he always managed to get a perfect score, even beating her. The only reason she was still the highest-scoring student of the school was because he was average when it came to everything else. "But it looks like you've gotten yourself in a heap of trouble, Emiya-kun. I certainly didn't expect you to be the Seventh Master of this Grail War."

"Grail War?" Shirou asked in confusion, "What's that? There's a war coming?"

"Eh?" Rin blinked, looking stupefied, "No way... you have no idea. Hey, that suit you used to fight Lancer. That has to be Magecraft powered, right? Some kind of Mystic Code, perhaps?"

"How do you know what magic is?" Shirou asked, "And it's not magic-powered at all. It runs on something else."

"Then do you know any magic at all?"

"Actually, I do know Reinforcement, Structural Analysis, and Projection," Shirou answered. "Very useful for my research, but as far as magic goes that's all I was taught."

"Those basic things!?" Rin gaped. This guy just used basic Magecraft skills? Unbelievable. Of all the rotten luck, this know-nothing-know-it-all was a third-rate mage who got into the war by a fluke and summoned the strongest Servant? The very Servant she spent months focusing on and researching and hoped would be her ticket for winning the Grail? How unfair was that?

"You know, talking outside like this isn't very hospitable of me. How about you come inside and we can talk over some tea?" Shirou offered her.

Rin sighed, a dejected look appearing on her face, "It's cool. I need something to calm myself," she said, walking further into the estate, "I'll just have this mess cleaned up for you since it looks like you don't know anything else."

"Thanks. I appreciate it," Shirou said gratefully.

Saber didn't look convinced, "Shirou, are you sure?"

"It's fine, Saber. Tohsaka-san, you won't try to kill me, right?"

"I won't, you have my word," Rin promised them, "I'm not someone who tries something so underhanded. You've had enough of that tonight."

Watching the three of them from above a building, invisible from normal eyes, Archer stood on the edge of a nearby building. More specifically, he was narrowing his gaze as the young ginger boy. He was expecting him to be a below-average mage, but he was not expecting him to have gadgets that could possibly mimic magic and Mystic Codes. Not from what he last remembered. As he had heard, he was only able to use Reinforcement, Structural Analysis, and Projection. And it seemed that his hero syndrome was still there, if not more absurd. But this... what he had just witnessed was something that his years as a Counter Guardian could not even begin to explain.

Archer didn't like it, but it appeared that his goals were going to be complicated to pull off.

Kirei Kotomine sat on the steps of the altar of his church, his chin rested on his folded hands. Through Lancer's eyes, he witnessed the battle of Rin's Servant as well as the new strange upstart that he had learned about. An upstart he thought was quickly disposed of to avoid unwanted eyes but somehow revived.

He already suspected his young ward was responsible for the revival, but that was far from his concern. What interested him was the belt and bottles that the boy used to fight Lancer with. In the entire history of the Grail War no human being was able to fight evenly against a Servant, relying on magic and support to aid their summoned Servant in battle. How was it that the devices he used allowed him to perform such an impossible feat? And, the identity of the boy... oh, how ironic. A hollow smile crept on Kirei's lips, contrasting his holy appearance.

"It's been ten years since I've seen you smile like that," a calm and suave voice spoke, "I assume the Hound discovered something interesting?"

Kirie turned his head to regard a younger blond-haired man walking behind him. The man dressed in stylish clothing and his red eyes were brimming with a charisma that would make anyone who looked upon him want to follow him to the ends of the earth. The way he moved carried the grace of a king.

"It appears the Seventh has been summoned and the war can finally begin in full," Kirei said, standing up to face his tenant, "And the Seventh Master is the son of a certain meddling assassin named Emiya."

The blond man raised an eyebrow of curiosity, "Emiya has a son? I was under the impression that the ugly meat doll was his only child."

"The boy was one of the orphans of the fire," Kirie explained. "He was adopted. Lancer followed him to the old estate where they did battle. During which he not only summoned the very same Saber from before, but he is also the Masked Rabbit which Rin brought my attention to."

The man's eyes lit up upon the mention of Saber, "My chosen beloved has returned? How very fortunate. And her Master is our elusive urban legend who is the second child of the Magus Killer who can fight on the level of at least Lancer. The gods seem to have favored us on this day."

Kirie gave a chuffle, "I daresay, many things worked in our favor after the Grail's destruction. Its next appearance being shortened by forty years was unexpected, but complimentary. I should be expecting more surprises for the young Emiya to reveal to us."

Part of Kirie wanted to personally have the boy at his mercy; with Kiritsugu long dead, he wanted to sate his pleasure another way and have the child suffer in his place. Another part of him was intrigued by the belt that he used. It seemed like nothing more than a stylish suit of armor, but most armor offered nothing more than protection. However, the armor the youth displayed granted him more abilities and weaponry, and none of the forms he showed appeared to run on any form of Magecraft. This didn't surprise the priest since the previous Emiya had a preference with guns and explosives over magic despite being a magus himself. It was the reason the Catholic Church had been keeping an eye on him for over a year. Some in the clergy opted to have him recruited to their cause while others simply wanted to steal the device for their own gain, and then have it reverse engineered to have it mass-produced for the Executioners in their own wars against mages.

Though he did also give the information to the Mage Association, they refused to believe that armor used anything but Magecraft. And in their logic, why wouldn't it? There was nothing in modern-day technology that would be able to perform such miracles. Certainly there were many advancements in science over the centuries such as cars, planes, and telephones, but similar magical devices existed during the era of gods. And because the modern devices of today were created by human hands, they were easily breakable.

This, Kirie realized, was the fatal flaw of mages. Because they put all their focus on the research and studies of the supernatural, they neglected to keep up with the achievements of the ones outside of their world. This was the weakness that the previous Lord El-Melloi demonstrated during the 4th Grail War. The man was a top of the line magus, someone with many talents who had a successful future ahead of him. But his skills were hampered by his entitlement, pettiness, and arrogance. This was what caused him a humiliating defeat at the hands of Kiritsugu, and forever robbed him of his magic. Eventually, he was put out of his misery by Saber herself. And even after all that many magi refused to evaluate themselves, especially if the face Rin had when he gave her a smartphone for her birthday just to tease her was anything to go by. Which means that if the young Emiya had other non-Magecraft abilities like the ones he used to fight Lancer, it would drive those heretical puritans insane.

An eager smile graced Kirie's face, already awaiting the coming battles, "It truly does seem that the 5th Holy Grail War will be far different from any other war before it."

To Be Continued...

Tailsmo4ever: While I was writing my next chapter for Star Force DxD, I came across Ten Face Paladin and explained this idea to him in order to continue the Neo Heisei Saga. Since he's still doing his own projects, I'll be in charge of this one. So from the looks of things, putting a sci-fi focused series like KR Build into the occult world of Fate seems like an odd choice, right? Well, Shirou is one of the few characters in the franchise who is well versed with machines. The mages of the Fate universe are highly dismissive of science and they view it as below them, believing that the older something is, the stronger it is, and simply don't know how to make them work. This makes for the perfect conflict when it comes to something that not even science can explain. Also, when you think about it, magi are in a sense magical scientists researching mysticism and even go as far as to experiment on other people. I was inspired by another fic called Fate/Genesis, though I had to remove the 'animal spirits from another dimension' plot point.