Chapter 7 - The Spine.

Tohsaka Rin was not having a good time...

In the past few days, she and Emiya Shirou had been dealing with the nests Caster had planted around the city to siphon the prana of civilians and sustain her existence... Of course, Rin was not troubled in the slightest by this. She had come to understand that there were magicians that were willing to simply tear away the world around them in order to win the Holy Grail. Deep inside, Rin could understand them... But that didn't mean she would accept their stupid decisions... Then again, Caster's master could very well be under the control of that dangerous servant. It wouldn't be strange considering Caster servants were considerably stronger than any magician in the world.

But despite that, Tohsaka Rin was still the heiress of the Tohsaka family and there was no way she would lose her cool against such sickening odds... She had been trained to deal with the tides of the war. But then again, that wasn't what caused Rin to feel such dread... It was something more mundane and, in the words of her father, something utterly idiotic:

It was her current partner Emiya Shirou and his gaze filled with contempt.

Ever since the little skirmish at the church, Shirou and Rin had formed an alliance to face the impossible power of Illyasviel von Einzbern and her powerful Berserker... Or at least, that was the agreement they reached on that night. In reality, neither Saber nor Shirou trusted Rin a single bit. She had tried to eliminate both Berserker and Saber that one time. Had Berserker not acted the way he did, Rin would have also killed Shiruo in the process... And that was something Saber was not going to stand for. Rin had never seen such fury in the eyes of such beautiful woman...

All things considered, Emiya Shirou proved to be a wise man and accepted Rin's offer. He wasn't happy about it but he listened to reason and knew there was no way he and Saber could defeat the Berserker on their own. But that seemed like a goal far away from their reach. Even if Saber was more than happy to face against the Titan again, Shirou was deadly aware of just how weak they were... He couldn't really supply Saber with prana and she had to resort to other means such as conserving her energy and slowly replacing it by meditating or eating. These although painfully slow, proved to be better than the alternative... And what Caster was currently doing without a restraint;

Killing humans and using their souls as nourishment.

Although weaker in power, Caster had proved to be just as dangerous as Berserker. She was a sly and cunning magus that had outsmarted both Saber and Archer, she was prepared for any eventuality and thanks to her magic, she could easily demolish any plan Shirou and Rin came up with... And maybe the current situation was the result of her machinations.

Ever since Shirou was abducted by Caster, his alliance with Tohsaka had been dancing on the edge of the abyss. Archer was more than happy to voice his utter disdain for Shirou and everything he stood for. This had ignited the fury within Saber and the servants had heated arguments on a daily basis... Rin had to use one of her Command Spells to control Archer... But she could do little for the obvious distrust of Saber and Shirou...

Things were looking bad...

But despite that, Rin was able to breathe in relief for the first time since this war began. Caster had become a more pressing matter so Shirou had opted to cooperate and deal with the rampaging servant once and for all... He had seen her destroy Rider easily and he didn't want to keep playing with his luck. Saber was strong but in her current state, it would be a matter of time before she was blown to smithereens by Caster's monstrous magic...

And that's why they were currently hiding inside of an abandoned house, freezing their asses off as they waited for Caster's master... Well, it was more of a hunch but at this point, Shirou was willing to try everything...

But he had once again underestimated the limits of Tohsaka Rin...

"This is a bad idea..." Shirou mumbled for the umpteenth time as he gripped onto his reinforced wooden sword.

"I've already told you nothing bad will happen" Rin retorted, playing nervously with the gems on her hands "I will only hit him with a small burst of my Gandr. If Souichirou Kuzuki is a master, he will definitely block my attack. And if he is a normal human, he would only lose consciousness and come down with a fever strong enough to keep him bedridden for a few days..." Shirou eyed Rin with distrust "Look, I know we had our differences in the past but I can assure I w-"

"'Our differences'? I think we had more than that, Tohsaka Rin." Saber interjected, outside of the house "I do not approve of this plan or on the fact that you are leading us... But since you have Shirou's support, I will do as I am told... But I must warn you: If you betray us again..." She left the sentence hanging in the air, her cold fury making Rin shiver in fear.

Shirou glanced at her and sighed... In reality, he wanted to trust in Tohsaka Rin. He knew that despite being a proud princess, she was actually a good and righteous girl. Of course, she had committed some mistakes but she had at least tried to make amends... Tohsaka Rin simply didn't know how to voice her remorse... And in some way, Shirou found that little flaw extremely cute.

Outside, the snow had begun to fall, creating a beautiful sight as he stared at the regal and mighty form of his servant. The female knight that stood like a king was gazing at something he couldn't see in the night sky... Her soft eyes seemed to long for something... Maybe the scenery remained her of past battles of things she did before becoming Shirou's servant. Either way, Emiya Shirou couldn't help but stare at her in awe...

Saber was just that gorgeous in his eyes...

"Ah, master... I did not know you were here" Saber commented with a soft smile.

"I came to check on you..." Saber visibly flinched and sighed "Look... I know you don't like this... Neither do I... But we need this alliance if we want to defeat Caster... And if you want to have another chance against Berserker, we need to survive this."

"I know, Shirou. I know... But I can't simply forgive Rin's decisions... Or Archer actions. He almost killed you twice... If it weren't for Berserker and Assassin... Neither of us would be here..." She frowned, remembering the blood of Shirou in her hands that night. "Shirou, I know we can benefit with this alliance... But never forget that Tohsaka Rin is still a master... And our enemy." She finished and walked into the house.

Shirou sighed and scratched his head... Deep inside, he knew this to be true. He had tried to ignore the facts but as the war progressed, it was inevitable for him and Rin to clash in a bloody battle. He clicked his tongue and shook his head in annoyance... Shirou couldn't really understand why but ever since that night at Mount Enzou, he had found himself... Thinking... Thinking about things he had never thought about... Thinking about things he despised the most...

Thinking...

Thinking just like him...

Even if he wanted to say otherwise, Shirou knew very well he admired the way Archer held himself during battle. The way that servant fought against Assassin was one of the few things Shirou replayed in his mind over and over again. His red overcoat dancing in the darkness as his twin blades met the large and elegant sword of his enemy. Onyx and Ivory dashing in the middle of the night, creating hypnotizing arcs as his cold and silver eyes pierced the depths of his soul, looking for weaknesses to exploit... His words still resonated in Shirou's core, attempting to melt his will and left him in the pits of hopelessness...

But Shirou would not give up...

He placed his wooden sword down and focused solely on his empty hands... He could almost see the outline of the blades around his fingers, feel the smooth and strong steel against his skins and hear the sharp sound of metal clashing against metal... Shirou simply couldn't explain why but every time he thought about something powerful, those twin blades materialized clearly on his mind...

It was almost as if...

The blades were calling for him...

"Emiya! It's almost time!" Rin called from inside the house.

Shirou sighed and just decided to let destiny take the wheel. It wasn't as if worrying and overthinking things would magically solve the whole issue. Rin had tried to openly kill him and he didn't know why he was still siding with her. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that all of the other masters wanted his head on a silver tray... Or maybe it was the fact that he found her extremely attractive and cute when she wasn't acting all bossy or betraying him... Either way, he just hoped they could see the end of the war as allies and not enemies...

But something inside him was telling him such thing would never happen...

Inside the house, Rin was putting off a small fire she created to bring some light and warmth to the dark corner. Saber was by the window, scanning the surrounding areas and making sure there weren't unwelcome visitors... Not that there would. After all, Rin had erected a barrier so strong that, in her words, could withstand the complete power of a tactical missile without even letting even the bugs notice what had happened... Quite exaggerated in Shirou's opinion but if such thing was real, then he and Saber could fight to their heart's content.

"Alright! I can see him coming by the road!" Rin exclaimed quietly. Outside, Shirou could see someone walking slowly towards the house. "Just as we planned!" She nodded to Shirou and Saber and they waited for Caster's 'master'.

In Shirou's opinion, there had to be someone more suspicious than Souichirou Kuzuki. He only knew him by name and what Issei had mentioned every once in a while. He was one of the eldest professors in Homurahara academy and held some sort of reputation as one of the best instructors in the whole school. Stern, quiet, composed and distant were some of Shouichirou's characteristics. He was the sort of man you would definitely ignore on the streets as there were no redeeming qualities in his whole appearance. He lived with Issei and the rest of the monks inside the Ryuudounji temple... But aside from that, there was really no other evidence that could prove he was Caster's master. Even Shirou, with his poor experience as a magician, could tell Kuzuki was nothing but a simple human... There had to be something else playing in but so far, this was the only lead they had...

They waited patiently for a few minutes until the professor appeared in the distance. He was wearing his usual plain green suit and his glasses. He walked slowly... And while Rin and Shirou were preparing themselves for the conflict, Saber found herself engrossed with the way that man walked...

It was... Normal...

The way his muscles flexed, the way he breathed, the way he carried himself...

It was normal... Too normal...

As if he had repeated the same routine over and over again until it was naturally perfect...

Weird...

"It is time..." Rin mused and pointed her finger at him "Gandr!"

A small crimson orb shot from Rin's finger and hit Kuzuki straight in the chest. Shirou stopped breathing all altogether as he watched Kuzuki stagger due to the impact. Kuzuki managed to glare at where Rin and Shirou were hiding...

But ultimately fell to the ground after a while...

...

...

What?

"Wait... Tohsaka... He... He is not..." Shirou managed to say over his shock.

"No... It can't be... All the evidence said Kuzuki was Caster's master... What is the meaning of this?!" Rin asked agitatedly.

"I don't know... But we have to make sure Kuzuki is unharmed..." Shirou claimed, getting out of his hiding spot and approaching the professor...

But...

Tee-Hee...

Shirou froze in place as he felt a cold shudder run down his spine. The wind blew gently under his scalp but he could also feel something else moving in the shadows and the snowflakes...

And in that moment, Shirou knew this was a trap...

What a naughty and cute little thing you are! Attacking innocent bystanders in the middle of the night... How shameful, indeed...

He felt something soft and furry caress his chest and hands, making him drop his wooden sword and kneel on the floor. He opened his mouth and tried to say anything but no sound came out... And bathing in the silver light of the moon, Shirou saw the most beautiful woman he had seen in his entire and short life...

She was the definition of perfection: Her golden and soft eyes carried a glint of playful malice; Her long, silky and black hair flowed graciously over her back; Her milky skin seemed to glow with the platinum light of the night; Her crimson and luscious lips curved into a cheeky and wild grin; Her voluptuous body that exude a sweet scent and moved in hypnotic motions... The temptress grinned and slowly approached Shirou. He couldn't move, he couldn't scream for help, he couldn't stop staring into the beautiful eyes of the woman.

It was as if he was...

Charmed.

"Shirou!"

But suddenly, a golden glow of pure light cleansed the curse and drove away the succubus. Shirou winced and coughed, he gasped for air and managed to slowly get up and grab his wooden sword. In front of him, Saber was glaring furiously at the demon of a woman: She could tell something was not right but she didn't know what it was exactly. Saber had met several Heroic Spirits like this one but there was something fundamentally different about her and the others... And if Saber was honest with herself, the woman in front of her was strangely similar with Berserker.

"That was rude, missy!" The servant said with a playful and stern tone "Didn't your parents taught you to mind your own business?"

"Are you okay, Shirou?" Saber asked, ignoring the woman.

"Y-yes... I-I think I'm fine..." Shirou said tiredly "Be careful, Saber. There is something wrong with that servant."

"How rude! There is absolutely nothing wrong with the perfect me!" The servant said with a pout "It is not my fault you can't handle me, boy!"

"Enough!" Saber roared, creating a gust of wind around her "I demand you to tell me who are you and why are you protecting this man!"

"My, my! You are one fiery kitten, aren't you?" The servant teased with a mischevious grin "But I do suppose introductions are needed... I am Assassin and I was tasked with protecting Kuzuki Souichirou."

"That cannot be true! I know Assassin and you are not him!" Saber claimed in anger "Tell me who you are, you fiend!"

"But I have already done it, little lion! It is not my fault you are so stubborn you can't accept the truth!" Assassin countered with a huff "For someone known as the King of the Knights, you aren't that bright, are you? I can't understand why the big guy is interested in you..."

"You... How do you know that?!" Saber asked in shock. Assassin grinned and winked at her "So be it... I will make you answer me!" Saber roared and charged after the temptress.

But...

"ENOUGH!" A powerful voice echoed in the night as several magic circles appeared in the sky and rained a barrage of projectiles upon Saber. The Knight blocked a few of the shots and managed to get away before the area was completely obliterated. Then, a flock of purple butterflies concentrated near the unconscious body of Kuzuki and Caster appeared in all her evil glory "You! What part of 'protect Souichirou' did you not understand, huh?!" She yelled at Assassin "I warned you those stupid kids would try something tonight!"

"My, my. There is no need to be this sentimental, my mistress" Assassin replied with a wink "In fact, I managed to catch our prey" She said with a predatory smile.

"Even so, you shouldn't have left Souichirou on his own..." Caster said, glaring at Saber and Shirou "Is this all? Is this all you brought to stop me, Emiya Shirou? You are more stupid than I thought!" Caster mocked with a sneer.

It was at that moment that Rin realized her presence was still concealed. Both Caster and Assassin were completely focused on Shirou and Saber... In all honesty, Rin knew there was no way they could actually win this fight. Even though Kuzuki was unconscious in the middle of the street, Caster was powerful enough to fight against Saber, and even with the combined efforts of Shirou and her, it would take a while before the could drop her... And now that there was another servant, the fight looked impossible.

Rin didn't know much about the time when Caster kidnapped Shirou into the Ryuudounji temple. She had Archer narrate the events that took place inside the barrier... And if Archer's description was accurate, that woman couldn't be the Assassin Saber fought that night. The former Assassin was a male samurai, wearing traditional and elegant clothes, with a calm but deadly aura and with enough dexterity to fight Saber evenly. This Assassin was something else, something completely different in both essence and origins. The temptress looked at Saber and Shirou as if she was looking at her food...

They couldn't win this one.

But there was a chance: Neither Assassin nor Caster knew she was there... And Kuzuki Souichirou was still lying in the middle of the street. By now, Rin was sure Caster had already protected Kuzuki from any sort of normal attack, none of the gems Rin was currently carrying would be able to pierce such powerful barrier... But there was one last option. She looked through her pockets and her hands closed on the ruby she was looking for. She never really knew why she brought such worthless gem but it would do nicely for her purposes. She scanned the area one more time and once she was sure there was nothing else she could do, she threw the gem...

And hoped for the best...

"Shirou! Saber! Take cover!" She yelled at the top of her lung.

All of them watched the small silver gem fly through the air and hit the ground with a soft thud. And as Rin had expected, Caster was the first to act, creating a barrier for her and her master; Assassin simply watched the gem with interest. Saber, on the other hand, grabbed Shirou and turned around quickly... And a blinding light completely engulfed the area.

Now, Rin had learned how to manipulate and created several types of magic gems with various effects. Under normal conditions, these gems would make no sense as only a handful of magicians truly understood how to properly make use of the gems and their effects. But these weren't normal conditions and Tohsaka Rin was not your average magician, she had spent most of her childhood learning and hooning the secret arts her father had left her before he went to fight in the war. It hadn't been easy but after a while, she had managed to master the recipes and even create her own gems for various purposes... This one was her own original creation: A small crystal that had a condensed cloud of magical energy, designed to manipulate the waves of light in the environment

For more practical uses, it was a flashbang.

It held absolutely no harming potential and the most it could do was to distract and confuse unaware enemies. Rin created this gem as the last ditch effort to escape during a tough battle... But in this situation, where both Caster and Assassin were just too focused on Shirou and Saber to even realize the true nature of her plan, the flashbang worked marvelously. Caster was indeed able to block any sort of magical blast but her barrier did little against the powerful light. She covered her eyes with an agonizing shriek and dropped the barrier...

And that was the opportunity Rin was looking for...

"Saber! Kill Kuzuki!" Rin ordered.

"Wa-Wait! Saber, no! Wait!" Shirou tried to stop his servant but it was already too late. The servant of the sword had already become a lighting and had passed both him and Caster. In the blink of an eye, her invisible sword was upon the fallen body of Kuzuki and her eyes held nothing but the cold determination of a warrior "NO!" Shirou managed to scream before the sword of victory came down upon Kuzuki Souichirou...

...

...

But...

"How naughty, indeed..." The temptress cooed "I never thought you among all the other servants would employ such treacherous and underhanded methods to succeed... You have disappointed me, Arturia."

The eyes of the King of Knights were filled with many emotions: Confusion, disbelief, uncertainty, regret, anger, shock... But above all else...

Fear.

Her sword concealed by the winds of her motherland was stopped just a few inches above the body of Kuzuki Souichirou by a long and thin Katana Saber knew very well. It was the same blade that had matched and even bested her own sword of victory. But there was more than just that simple piece of steel haunting her mind... It was the way Assassin was looking at her: Her big and golden eyes only held contempt and even disgust... And her words... Saber had heard them clearly under the light of the moon...

Assassin had said her name.

With a swift move, Assassin pushed Excalibur away from Kuzuki and made Saber stagger backward. The Knight glanced at the Temptress with her eyes full of shock and droplets of sweat falling from her brown. Saber couldn't really explain why, but she was unable to look away from the golden eyes of Assassin. Those eyes that reminded her of a beast she had encountered many centuries ago, deep in the forest of the fairies...

"Shall we dance, King of Britain?" Assassin said with a grin and a flick of the katana.

Saber gulped and clenched the hilt of her sword. She could feel her heart beating inside her chest but she knew what she had to do; This woman was an enemy and Saber had to eliminate her so Shirou could survive and win the war...

But there was something else, something screaming in the back of her mind, something begging to get away as fast as she could. But at this point, Saber was unable to hear anything but the voice of the Temptress; Unable to see anything but the pink fog forming around the two servants... And with a deep breath, she charged with a battle cry.

Her strike was easily dodged by Assassin and did nothing but hit the ground loudly. She turned around and saw the Temptress smiling at her, Saber groaned and tried to cut Assassin in half but the servant was already leaping away. The Knight huffed in frustration and chased after the elusive fox but every time Saber thought she finally caught up, Assassin simply disappeared and reappeared at the side, almost as if she was never there, to begin with... The time passed and Saber began feeling both tired and angry. Even though Assassin was skillfully dodging her attacks, the Temptress never tried to retaliate. She simply kept blinking away, mocking the Knight with her smug grin and the movements of her furry tails. The chase continued with no result, with Saber roaring and yelling in the silence of the night as she tried to strike Assassin down, just the two of them... And the pink fog around them...

"How scary! You are charging like a wounded beast..." The voice of Assassin resonated inside her mind "Both Uther and Ector would feel ashamed if they saw their precious daughter acting like a savage..."

"Shut up!" Saber roared as she tried to smite the succubus down "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Once again, her sword hit nothing but thin air. She panted and glared at the arrogant sneer in Assassin's face "How... How do you know that?! Who are you?!"

"That has never been important, Arturia... What really matters is who you are."

"What does that even mean?!"

"Are you really that foolish, Arturia? Even after all these years, you still can't answer that question... How sad"

"I know who I am! I am Arturia Pendragon! Daughter of Uther Pendragon and the King of Knights! Ruler of the Kingdom of Britain! This is who I am! This is who I will always be!"

"Ah... My little Arturia... How can you be so dignified and pure... And yet, so blind and stupid... Even you can tell just how wrong those words sound. Just look deep into your heart and tell me... Who. Are. You?" Saber opened her mouth to answer but no sound came out. Her eyes widened and she clasped her throat. Panic began boiling in her veins once she realized she couldn't speak at all "Are you perhaps the legendary hero of England that brought a brilliant era of peace and order? Are you the wise king that led the kingdom with hope and benevolence? Are you the impossible warrior that fought countless battles without losing? Or maybe... Are you the hopeless offspring of an obsessed king that took the bride of another man?" Saber felt a knot in her chest at those words "Are you the miserable girl that was forsaken from a life filled with possibilities and was instead thrown into a sad and tragic story? Are you the human that renounced her humanity and lived as a divine mystery, forever detached from the rest of the world and dammed to always walk in the loneliness of eternity? Are you the woman that was forced to live as a man and renounced the pleasures and happiness of your gender...? Just who are you, Arturia?"

Saber was no longer attacking. She was simply glaring at Assassin with her eyes filled with confusion and shock... Why did she know all of this? Nobody but her master should be aware of her past. There was no way this Temptress could have found out... No, something else was playing in this scheme. There was something incredibly wrong with the whole situation but Saber just couldn't find out what it was. There had to-

"Just look at you; Trying to discover what is wrong... But the truth is that the one wrong is you, Arturia. You were so focused on becoming the ideal you never bothered to look at what you truly wished and wanted. Perhaps it was your destiny to become the king... But maybe, just maybe you could have lived happily instead of dying miserably... Your desire to be the king even made you deny your own daughter!"

Those were lies... Dirty lies! Mordred was never meant to be the king. She may have been a marvelous and powerful knight but she was not fit to lead a country. Mordred was impatient, immature and lacked the-

"Ah! But we both know those are just your excuses... We both know little Mordred never cared for the throne. Those were just Morgan's selfish wishes... We both know the only thing Mordred wanted was... A father: A father that would understand and cherish her. A father that would love her the way her mother couldn't. A father that would guide her towards the right path... Yes, maybe Mordred didn't have the capacity to be your rightful successor but that could have changed if you would have listened... But you didn't... Whether it was pride or anything else, you simply pushed her away... You truly are a despicable father."

That... That was...

"How ironic. Both you and Merlin were so desperate to prove your manhood but you denied your daughter... She might have been born due to dark arts and evil purposes but she was your daughter nonetheless. She could have become more than just the villain in your sad fairytale... But Mordred was not the only one you hurt. There where was another one that suffered from this so-called destiny of yours..." Saber could feel her heart sting at the words of the temptress "Guinevere was indeed the fairest and most beautiful woman in the entire kingdom. She was like a butterfly, flying in the wind and causing awe in anyone that placed their eyes on her. Even you could see just how gorgeous she was: At the time, nobody could deny your majestic appearance... But you weren't beautiful. Not in the way Guinevere seemed to shine, at least. She had so much to live for; She could have become the happy bride of a chivalrous knight, the mother of many children, a beacon of hope for the people of the country... But you chose her. You robbed her of the brilliant future ahead and instead, watched as she died with each passing day. You would always stay at the door of your room at night, listening to her weeping in silence... She loved Britain so much she sacrificed the joys of marriage to live in a cold lie alongside you... You truly are a despicable and cruel husband..."

...

...

...

No...

That was...

That wasn't what Arturia wanted...

So many nights... Arturia spent so many nights unable to open the door and console Guinevere...

It was her fault...

She did this to her...

She chained Guinevere to her curse...

But why...

Why did Arturia choose Guinevere...

...

Why...?"

"You know very well why..." Unable to keep holding Excalibur, Saber dropped the sword of victory "When the rumors about the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot were confirmed, you simply turned around and decided to condemn their actions like the king you were... But deep inside, your cold heart had been cracked: You didn't choose Guinevere because she was the right partner; There were other options. You didn't choose Guinevere because you needed a Queen in order to be the King; Those were Merlin's thoughts... You know very well why you chose Guinevere... " Saber fell to her knees and covered her ears in a vain attempt to block the voice of Assassin "You fell in love... You had lived a life full of lies and you were ready to step into another one... But your feelings were true. You fell in love with her heavenly form, you fell in love with her resolution to protect Britain... But yours was a love that would never be reciprocated: Both of you were women and you still had to fight to protect Britain. Guinevere would never accept your feelings because you knew she was resolved to act like your wife... Always an act... No matter how hard you tried, your feelings would never reach her. No matter how close you were to her, she would never look your way. And when you found out she had loved another man, your frozen heart boiled like magma. You wanted to lash out and hate Lancelot... But you couldn't... Even when you were the one wronged, you chose to mask your true feelings and act like the dignified king Britain needed... But deep inside, you knew it was easier than facing the truth as your true self: A stupid little girl that was hopelessly in love with another woman... You truly are a despicable, cruel and coward woman... And you deserve every ounce of pain your wife and daughter suffered until the bitter end..."

The miserable King of Knights raised her eyes filled with tears and gazed upon the cold visage of Assassin. The servant was looking down at her with such hatred Saber could almost feel her glare piercing her skin. She tried to get up but she couldn't muster any sort of strength in her legs, Excalibur felt like deadweight in her hands and even looking up was taking a lot of effort... But even like that, she still dared to look at Assassin in the eyes. Saber still dared to look at the golden and furious eyes of Assassin with her own emerald and terrified eyes. Her tears had blurred her vision but Saber knew she was looking at Assassin...

...

Or at least, that is what she liked to believe while the pink fog finally engulfed her whole body...

Shirou didn't know what was going on.

The flashbang had successfully confused both Caster and him. The witch was still yelling while she clenched her eyes but Shirou was in better conditions thanks to Saber's intrusion. He still felt a little bit sluggish due to Assassin's attack but he was recovering quickly, he no longer felt nausea and he was able to stand straight. Looking to the side, he saw that Kuzuki was still unconscious in the middle of the road, to Shirou's relief. Emiya didn't know what was the role of Kuzuki in all of this but for now, the teacher was just a normal bystander that was caught in the crossfire. Maybe he was Caster's master but it looked like he was being manipulated by the witch... That brought some relief to Shirou because that meant they could spare his life.

For now, he had to focus and find a way to, at least, get away safely. The plan was to overcome Caster but with Assassin present, Shirou doubted they could eliminate the two servants with just Saber. For now, it seemed like Saber and Assassin were fighting: The two servants were glaring at each other with their swords at the side. It really surprised Shirou how quickly Assassin was able to react to Tohsaka's plan, the servant must have been waiting for their movement... And Shirou guessed the temptress already knew where Tohsaka was. Shirou just hoped Saber could get away from Assasin and regroup with Tohsaka and him so they could-

The soft thud of Saber's sword falling to the ground stopped his train of thoughts.

The knight was still glaring at Assassin but her eyes were devoided of all feelings and thoughts. It was a blank expression that held no meaning or purpose... And suddenly, Saber kneeled and kept staring into the nothingness...

...

...

"S-Saber...?" Shirou called confused.

"I will make you all pay for this!" Caster roared, finally free from the Tohsaka's attack. "How dare you use such childish spell against me?! You will regret-!" The witch finally saw Saber kneeling in front of Assassin "Wha-What is the meaning of this? Why is Saber...?" Realization hit her and she glanced at Assassin "You... You did it again, didn't you?"

"And what exactly is that, my mistress?" Assassin asked with a grin.

"Don't play dumb with me! I've seen you do the same to many citizens: You charm them or something like that... But this is different... What have you done?"

"I have indeed charmed Saber but it isn't something I would normally use." Assassin explained with a flick of her tails "Our little knight here has an abnormal resistance to magic so the usual spell would never work on her. I had to get creative and try something I don't really like." Caster tilted her head in confusion, making Assassin sigh "You see, a wise man once said the opposite of love isn't hate, it's pure indifference."

"So that means...?"

"My normal charm would never work on Saber so I tried something a bit more complicated and effective: I couldn't just charm Saber using erotic urges and love. So instead, I attacked her inner-self and psyche. I manipulated her mind and used her past against her. I have to say this method is fairly hard and almost impossible in normal circumstances... I was surprised when everything went smoothly."

"So... She won't defend herself?"

"Correct. The world could explode in a blazing fire and she wouldn't move. We could disembowel her master in front of her, bathe her face with his blood, and she would not even bat an eye... What's more..." Assassin then licked her lips and grinned evilly "We could even tear off her armor, expose her milky and soft skin, rape her to our heart's content... And she would remain like that; Like a stringless and empty puppet..." Caster looked at Assassin in horror "Of course I'm joking... It wouldn't be fun, anyway..." Assassin added with a wink.

"I-I really don't know what to think... I knew your Noble Phantasm was concealed but to think you can pull off something like this..."

"Do not be mistaken, mistress. This is not my Noble Phantasm: This is but a simple trick, a variation of my charm that, as I said before, would rather not use... I don't find pleasure in tormenting the mind of my prey." Assassin clarified with a blank expression "I know there are more things you want to know but sadly, this is neither the time nor the place; We still have a lot to do..." She said turning around and walking towards Shirou "You can do as you please with the Knight, I will deal with the brats as I see fit..." Shirou tensed as the temptress strode towards him. He clenched his teeth and raised his wooden sword defensively but that only made the servant giggle "How cute! I like how defiant your eyes look... But don't get me wrong, I am not going to kill you. Not yet, at least... First things first: We should wait for the little mouse hiding behind you, shouldn't we?"

Rin gasped from her hideout. It seemed like Assassin did know she was there and only played with her. She bit her lip and counted the gems inside her pockets... Hmm, no good. She had a pair of strong spells but most of them were not designed to even scratch servants. Her little scheme back then only worked because Caster wasn't expecting it... But it seemed like Assassin would not fall for cheap tricks.

With no other choice, Rin clicked her tongue and stepped outside.

"Tohsaka Rin, I presume..." Assassin said with critical eyes "You are not exactly what I thought... But I have to say, you are one fine lady." Assassin added with a grin "I suppose you are the one that tried to kill Kuzuki, huh? That was some nasty stuff you had planned... Bad girl!" She scolded with a smile.

"Enough with your games, Assassin." Rin said dryly "Save me the mocker and face me already."

"Someone is a bit moody, I see." Assassin retorted "That's fine for me. It's not like I will have mercy or something like that..."

"Hey! What are you doing with Saber?!" Shirou demanded, "Let her go!"

"You should save your breath, brat. She can't hear you..." Assassin whispered.

The humans and the Servant kept staring at each other in silence for a while. While Assassin was enjoying the tension and panic in the eyes of her victims, Shirou and Rin were trying to figure out a way to pass the temptress and free Saber from her trance. Defeating Assassin would be impossible but they might be able to fool her long enough for Shirou to reach Saber... It all depended on the next move...

...

...

"GANDR!"

As expected, Tohsaka Rin was the first to attack. Her crimson bullets flew true and deadly but Assassin simply cut them in half with her long katana, Rin groaned in frustration but kept firing relentlessly. While the temptress was busy blocking Tohsaka's attacks, Shirou pushed forward with his wooden sword shining with the reinforced magic. The young magus swang the dull blade at the servant but Assassin easily hopped away from the strike, she kept blocking and cutting the Gandr while she dodged Shirou's clumsy strikes. Rin frowned and noticed Assassin wasn't taking them seriously... So she tried something else. While she was firing with her left hand, she rummaged through her pockets and grabbed a few blue gems. She whispered some quick words to them and threw them at Assassin and Shirou.

"Emiya! Get away!" Shirou looked confused at first but managed to launch himself away from Assassin. The servant, on the other hand, looked at the gem with curiosity "Hagalaz!"

The gems exploded in a flare of blue fire and engulfed Assassin completely. While the maelstrom was raging, Tohsaka allowed herself to breathe in relief and rest for a bit, she was not fond of using runes but in this situation, it was better than her usual magic. The runes were easy to activate and even though the effects weren't as refined as her jewel magecraft, it proved effective against mobile enemies due to the speed of activation and the immediate effects. She rummaged through her pockets again and this time, she chose a pair of green gems, some crimson rubies, a few sapphires and a yellow crystal.

She just hoped she didn't need to use the yellow one.

"Well, that was something..." The seductive voice of Assassin said from inside the fire "It was rather impressive to see you using something like this. But sadly, it won't be enough" The temptress said, nonchalantly walking out of the maelstrom "Allow me to show you how real fire looks like..." She whispered as she raised her hand to the sky. Suddenly, a gust of wind began cycling Assassin and spectral flames materialized around her. The fire condensed at the top of her hand until it merged into an orb. Assassin then moved her hand to the side and the orb followed suit as if it was glued to her "Now... Let's have some fun!" She said with a toothy grin. Shirou felt a chill on his back and before he knew it, Assassin was already in front of him. He tried to cover himself with his sword but Assassin was faster, hitting him on his temple with the handle of the katana. He staggered and fell just as Assassin rushed towards Tohsaka with her orb hovering around her. "It's your turn, brat!" She roared at the girl.

"Algiz!" Rin yelled and threw the emeralds. creating a protective shield around her. But to her surprise and horror, the orb shattered the barrier effortlessly and hit her right in the chest, launching her into the air. She landed roughly in the dirty and clasped her stomach as she gasped for air.

"Tohsaka!" Shirou screamed and swung his wooden sword again but failed. "Dammit!" Shirou grunted as he tried to hit the servant.

"Language, young man! Language!" Assassin scolded, catching the wooden sword with her free hand and reducing it to ashes with her fire. Shirou widened his eyes in shock but had no time to react as the temptress kicked him in the gut, sending him flying and landing near Tohsaka "Geez! You children need to learn some manners!" She said pouting and twirling the orb around her.

Tohsaka groaned and slowly rose, clutching her still pained stomach and gripping tightly on the gems. By her side, Shirou was looking at the burning remains of his wooden sword in disbelief. He didn't have a spare so he was unarmed for now... He could always just grab some random pipe or a piece of wood from the floor and reinforce into a makeshift weapon but he could guess it would end with the same results. Assassin's fire seemed capable of burning through his reinforcement magic easily... So with these things in consideration, he could already see the answer to their problems: Saber.

Currently, Caster was witnessing the battle with curiosity. She was by Saber's side, holding a strange, purple and curved dagger. Whatever she had in mind, it seemed like the fight between them and Assassin was far more interesting than her plans for the knight. Maybe Assassin was strong but Shirou could tell she was not a swordsman, her technique was unrefined and even clumsy. She had defeated Shirou due to her superior agility, speed, and strength... But if Assassin were to fight Saber, the knight would easily overpower the temptress in mere seconds. In order to win this fight, Shirou needed to pass Assassin and somehow free Saber from the spell before Caster killed him... Not the best of his plans but in this situation, it was the only option they had for now.

"Tohsaka... We need another plan," Shirou said getting up "We can't defeat that servant: She is just too fast for us and even though she is an Assassin, she can use magic. But I have a plan: If we manage to stall her, we can free Saber and turn this battle around. Maybe... Maybe you could summon Archer to even the odds. I don't like this idea but it is the only choice we have left. So this is what we are going to do: When I give you the signal, throw all the gems you have. Hopefully, Assassin will be distracted... Tohsaka? What's wrong?"

...

...

It was not going to work.

No matter how hard she tried, Tohsaka Rin couldn't see a way out of this problem. Her mind was racing through millions upon millions of plans but all of them ended in failure: Assassin had proved to be a fearsome opponent, capable of neutralizing Saber in a few seconds. She was capable of using powerful and unknown magic even though it wasn't her class. Rin still didn't know the true limits of her powers and she didn't want to keep underestimating the temptress... On the other hand, she could summon Archer and have him deal with the servant.

But what about Caster.

No matter how much she thought about it, two servants were still more than just one. Archer was strong but there was no way he could fight against two servants at once, especially when Rin ignore how powerful they were. Caster could very-well obliterate the whole area with her magic and Assassin could neutralize Archer as well. Saber had the strongest magic resistance and she still fell under the spell of the temptress... Rin really wanted to defeat Caster, she really wanted to deal with that dangerous servant. But deep inside, she didn't want to lose just yet. Berserker and the Einzbern were still a major problem and she still ignored the whereabouts of Lancer...

And if she thought logically, Saber would be eliminated during this fight...

...

I'm glad to see you are finally thinking like a true master.

...

Rin?

...

...

"Emiya?" Rin called quietly. Shirou turned around and was taken aback by her frown "I'm sorry..." She said, throwing the yellow gem to her feet. "Ehwaz..." The gem shone brightly, making Shirou close his eyes. When the light died out, Shirou realized Rin had vanished.

...

...

She abandoned him...

...

He was alone...

...

...

"Ha! Now that is really funny!" Caster snorted "She just left you to die! And I am supposed to be the witch here!" Caster laughed while Shirou was still looking at the place where Rin had disappeared. "You modern magus never cease to amuse me. You all speak about ideals but in the face of defeat, you cower like the mice you are! How utterly pathetic...! But smart, in the end. Tohsaka Rin acknowledged how weak you truly were and left when she still had the chance! She knew you were just another worthless pawn she could afford to lose. I may not like her but I can admire her determination to win the War! And you, on the other hand, are a fool! A brat playing in the world of adults! You truly are one pitiful and stupid child, Emiya Shirou! Let this be a lesson to you: You can't trust magus! You were an idiot for thinking you could step into this world of pain with your half-assed determination! And now, you will sink into desperation and die like the dog you are! You will be remembered as the imbecile kid that tried to-" But at this point, Shirou couldn't hear anything else.

The voice of Caster was lost in the void that filled his ears. He could feel his heart beating furiously inside his chest, his blood flowing like blazing magma in his veins, he could taste copper in his mouth, the pain in his temple and chest were now dull reminders of his defeat. His mind was overwhelmed with many questions and the answers that seemed to evade his grasp. There were excuses booming in his mind but it didn't matter how much he tried, he couldn't evade the undeniable truth...

Tohsaka Rin had betrayed him.

His vision was filled with raging red and he bit harder on his lip. It was just as Caster had said: He was a fool and now, he was going to pay the price for his stupidity...

...

...

"Is that it? Is that all you are going to do? Are you just going to lay down on your belly and wait for the sweet release of death?" Pink fog began clouding Shirou's vision and before he knew it, he was facing her "What happened to your determination? What happened to your wishes? Are you going to give up who you are, who you want to be? Was your dream that weak, to begin with?"

...

"You promised so much: You spoke about justice, you vowed to protect those who couldn't fight on their own, you vowed to chase after the shadows and the forces of evil, you vowed to become the hero of this story. Were those empty words? Were you lying?

...

No, Shirou still wanted to fight. He wanted to prove to the world Kiritsugu was right, he wanted to show everyone heroes still existed. There was so much he wanted to do... But he simply didn't know where to begin.

"Let's start with getting up." Slowly, Shirou rose and stood in front of Assassin "Good job. Now, grab your weapon." Shirou looked around and found a rusted water-pipe behind him. He grabbed it and reinforced it as much as he could "Well done. Now, fight your enemy." Shirou stared at the unmoving Assassin in front of him. He hesitated, knowing that he couldn't defeat her. But then again, he had nothing else to lose so he might as well fall fighting.

Emiya rushed the temptress with the pipe skidding the ground. He swung widely but as he had expected, the servant easily dodged his attack. He repositioned and tried to stab Assassin but she deflected the attack with her bare hand. Using his momentum, Assassin slapped Shirou across the face and pushed him away. Emiya shook his head and tried to attack again but this time, Assassin cut the pipe in half. As Shirou was watching the pieces of the pipe flying away, Assassin punched him straight in the face and made him fall again.

Lying on the ground, Shirou panted as he felt the warm stream of blood flowing from his nose. He was looking at the night sky filled with the pink fog and wondered why he was still doing this. Assasin was superior to him and Shirou couldn't equal her power and skills. She was a Heroic Spirit that had years of experience in battle while Shirou just began training with Saber. She was some sort of magician while Shirou could only use two types of spells. In short, Shirou couldn't defeat her in any shape or form. He was lacking in every field and now that Saber had been defeated and Tohsaka left, he was on his own. Alone in the middle of the night, in this empty road with nothing but his thoughts and regrets to accompany him in his last moments...

If only he had a strong weapon...

...

...

"Then do it. Bring out your strongest weapons," Ivory and Onyx steel flashed in his mind "If the world has closed all the doors, make your own. Break apart the logic and common sense of this rotten world that has rejected your ideals and shape your own path. Create your own destiny and fight against anyone that dares deny who you are." Shirou could feel his hands shaking and his blood boiling. He couldn't explain why but he could feel something giving him the strength to get up and face Assassin "Come on! Do it! Reject this world that denied your existence! Forget the allies that turned around when you needed them the most! Ignite the darkened skies with your resolution! Let your spark become an open flame that will shine in the shadows! The child that would wait and watch from far away is gone and the man who would take action remains! Walk into the edge of infinity and choose now, Emiya Shirou: Win or die! Bring to fall the giants and become a legend or fail and be forgotten by history!" Sparks of prana exploded from Shirou and he could feel his magic circuits trembling with the rush of power. With shaking hands, Shirou grabbed the sparks of prana and roared "That's it! Stand and fight! This may not be the high stage you deserve but you never needed that sort of thing! See the stars arising! Feel the countless worlds colliding! Rise above the best and prove your spirit never dies! Any idiot can be a hero... But you can be so much more! Don't turn away now and listen to destiny calling out your name! Be more than a simple hero: Become the warrior that will take his rightful throne above the rest! Defy this world... And become the champion I know you can be, Emiya Shirou!"

...

...

TRACE. ON!

And then, the world was filled with light. Shirou couldn't tell where his body began or ended, he felt numb and he couldn't see at all... But somewhere in that eternity, he was aware of something strong tying him to the world. It was cold and smooth but recomforting at the same time, it felt as if Shirou was meant to feel the same for his entire life...

It was the steel of his swords.

Shirou blinked and he was back in the empty road. The moon in night sky greeted him with a few snowflakes, Rin was still nowhere to be seen, Kuzuki Shouichirou eas still unconscious in the middle of the road, Sabes was still kneeling with a blank expression... But a few things had changed: Caster now had a shocked frown on her face, the pink fog was gone, Assassin was smiling gently at him... And Shirou was holding a pair of twin blades made of Ivory and Onyx steel.

"See, I knew you could do it!" The temptress cheered "You just needed a light push in the right direction" Shirou could feel his cheeks blushing "So tell me, master of Saber: Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am!" Shirou said, determined.

"Good. Then, here I go!" Assassin announced with a grin.

And then, she vanished into thin air.

Before Shirou knew it, the thin blade of the katana was upon him. He managed to block the steel just a few inches away from his face. Assassin was still incredibly fast and deadly but Shirou was able to follow her. The temptress grinned cheekily and began slashing at Shirou life a beast. The teen was barely able to block and dodge but in comparison from before, he was now able to at least defend himself. Each time the katana tried to clip his body, the twin blades stopped it. As the seconds passed, Shirou began getting used to Assassin's pace. Just as he thought, she had little to no experience with the sword. It looked as if she was just imitating something she had seen before. Shirou couldn't explain how he himself was fighting this way but there was no time to dwell on this, he just needed to capitalize on Assassin's inexperience and seize a good opportunity.

And such opportunity came.

The temptress unleashed a rapid succession of slashes but this attack lacked the necessary strength to break Shirou's defense, he blocked and parried each one of them. But in the last one, leaped away instead of blocking. Due to her inexperience, Assassin was unable to keep her stance and stumbled. Using this small window, Shirou tried to strike the servant but Assassin retaliated with a burst of her fire, the flames collided against the twin blades and Shirou was happy to discover his swords were strong enough to resist that spell. So with no more doubts, Shirou pushed through the fire and cut it apart. She was greeted with Assassin ready to cut him in half... But this was what Shirou wanted: A direct confrontation between the two of them. The twin blades met the Katana and the clash shook the ground beneath them.

After that, the two of them just kept staring at each other for a long time...

Until the katana landed behind Assassin with a soft thud.

...

...

"You did well, child." Assassin said with a soft smile. Shirou wanted to say something but he couldn't even move. He could feel his magic circuits pulsing painfully all over his body and his muscles and bones were screaming to him. Unable to stay standing, he fell... But instead of hitting the ground, he felt something soft in his face "My, my. You truly went overboard. But regardless, you did well... For your first time!" Assassin giggled and suddenly, Shirou's mind was filled with her sweet scent "And as the good kid that you are, you deserve a reward." She said, clacking her fingers.

...

"Shirou!" He heard a familiar voice yell in anguish "Assassin! What have you done to him?! Answer me!"

"What do you think you are doing, you fool?!" Caster screamed in shock "Why you-?!" There were a racket and Shirou parted from the soft embrace of Assassin and was now in the armored lap of Saber "What have you done, huh?! We had them on our hands! Explain to me!"

"I've already done that: Good kids deserve a reward." With a lot of effort, Shirou opened his eyes. He saw Caster holding Kuzuki in her arms, glaring at a carefree Assassin "And besides, I do believe there is somewhere we must be..." She trailed off, looking at the sky.

"And what does that even-?!" Caster began but once she looked at the sky, her face paled and she bit her lip. Shirou looked at the sky and could have sworn he saw a platinum bird soaring near the moon "Fine! But you better have a good explanation for all of this!" Caster added, and she and Kuzuki vanished in a flock of butterflies.

Assassin stayed for a bit, looking at the moon and smiling to herself... And she spoke with a soft and gentle voice.

"I'm really sorry for my actions, Saber. Nothing I said was true... It was just a bad habit of mine speaking on my behalf." Saber tried to say anything but couldn't find the words to do so. "And for you, Emiya Shirou, I can only say this: Congratulations! You are stronger than yesterday. But you must always remember physical and magical strength can only take you so far. You need to be a better person... So please, forgive her. She is just like you: A lonely child, scared and insecure. Forgive her and become the best of humanity has to offer." Shirou tried to answer her pleas but fatigue overcame his consciousness, and he fell into a heavy and dreamless sleep.

Well, hello there...

It has been a while, hasn't it?

I'm sorry for taking so long... I've been busy with my job and colleague. I hope things get less hard from now on.

But anyway, here it is...

If you enjoyed the chapter, please, leave a review. It helps a lot.

:3