FSN Fate Day 04 (EN)

Scene 00 - Principle of action-Tohsaka Rin(III)
This is a story from a winter five years ago. It was a night with a beautiful moon. I wasn't doing anything, just watching the moon with Kiritsugu. Even though it was winter, the weather wasn't cold. The corridor was only a little chilly, and it was a good night to enjoy the moon. Back then, Kiritsugu didn't leave the house much. Not going outside, he would just laze carelessly around the house. ...I regret it even now, thinking back to it. Why didn't I notice that it was like the actions of an animal that knows its time of death? "When I was a child, I wanted to be a superhero." Suddenly. That man, himself a superhero in my child's eyes, said that as if yearning for it. "What? What do you mean by 'wanted'? Did you give up?" I became angry and asked him. Kiritsugu laughed apologetically and looked up at the sky. "Yes, unfortunately. Being a hero is a time-limited thing, and it becomes hard to call yourself that when you grow up. I wish I'd found that out earlier." I agreed with that. I didn't know why, but I thought it couldn't be wrong because Kiritsugu said so. "I see. Then I guess it couldn't be helped." "Yeah. It really couldn't be helped." Kiritsugu answers. So of course, my response was determined. "Yeah, it can't be helped, so I'll take your place. It's impossible since you're an adult, but it should be all right for me. Let me take on your dream. "―――I'll make it come true." Before I could finish, my father laughed. He made a face like he didn't even need to hear the rest. After breathing in, Emiya Kiritsugu said... "Yeah―――I'm relieved." He quietly closed his eyes and his life ended. Since he looked so peaceful, I thought he would wake up again in the morning, so I didn't disturb him. Perhaps being used to seeing death factored in too. Without doing anything, I just looked up at the man who was my father, as he entered a long sleep. There were no sounds of insects in the garden as it was silent. In the bright night, I remember only my eyes being hot. I did not cry out nor did I feel sad. But I could not stop my tears until the moon sunk. That is the story from a winter five years ago. Perhaps I cried ten years worth of tears since after that, there was nothing. Fuji-Nee's father planned the funeral, and I started living in this house by myself. Nothing changed even though Kiritsugu was gone. Emiya Shirou would become a superhero like Emiya Kiritsugu, so there was no time to be playing around. ―――That's right. I didn't mention it, but I remember perfectly. The figure of the man who saved me, who was left to the fire ten years ago. He held up in his arms an unconscious child, about to die from burns. He became so happy that tears welled up in his eyes, and took the child outside. From that time, he was the subject of my admiration. No one saved me. I couldn't save anyone. In it all, I was saved, and a person was there to save me. ―――That's why I decided to become like him. Become a superhero, so that I could save people and let no one be killed... just like him. Kiritsugu died peacefully, leaving me his dream of becoming a superhero himself. It's only natural for a child to succeed their father. Emiya Shirou must become a superhero and save someone just like the old me. I swore so as a child. To fulfill the dream of the man I admired the most. ...But honestly, I don't get it. What this superhero thing is supposed to be, how to become one, how to make everyone happy like Kiritsugu always said... and I became this thing called a Master and things like the blond-haired girl following me around is confusing my head and really――― "......!" When I open my eyes, I'm in a familiar room. "What, I'm in my own room?" As soon as I speak, I start to feel terribly sick. "...Ugh... it tastes bad... in my mouth..." I taste blood in my mouth. Maybe it was filling my mouth, but I breathe in thick air. "―――" I'm not sure why I feel like this. I feel really sick to my stomach, so I want to go to the bathroom and wash my face. "―――All right." I stand up. I feel dizzy. I almost fall and support myself by putting a hand against the wall. "...Ugh." The nausea increases when I move. ...No, this is more like pain than nausea. My body is heavy and it feels like my stomach is turning every time I move. Maybe someone would feel like this if someone poured burning lead into their stomach. "...Ugh... Imagining that is giving me headaches." I wipe the sweat off my forehead and wobble out of my room. "...All right. I feel better now." I wash my face and wipe the sweat off my body. "...?" There are bandages wrapped around my stomach for some reason. I can't recall anything about them, so I leave them be for now. "...I'm hungry. I wonder if there are any leftovers..." Even though my stomach feels terrible, it seems my body wants energy. "Guh..." Putting my mind into it, I start to walk along the wall. I still feel dizzy, and my body feels dull. "Ow―――Owww―――" I walk forward, letting out miserable sounds. ...Really, what did I do before going to bed? I don't remember any training that could have caused this pain. I reach the living room. Sakura and Fuji-Nee must be at school. There's no breakfast prepared in the living room, and there's none of Fuji-Nee's loudness. The quiet living room is like a typical Sunday――― "Good morning. I'm afraid I came in without asking you, Emiya-kun." ――No, it's not. "Wha―――!?" Tohsaka Rin is sitting on a cushion. Her calmness makes me think I'm the guest in this house and not her. Yeah, that's why I'm even more surprised. "......" I don't know how to answer her, so first of all I sit down. And then, I take a deep breath and ask, "Tohsaka, why..." "Hold on. Could you apologize first? I can't calm down until I hear an apology for last night." I don't even have time to ask her why she's here. Tohsaka is glaring at me like she's really mad. It seems she's really angry about last night, but what happened last night―――? "―――Hold on." I recall it now. That's right, why am I so relaxed? I tried to save Saber and... Berserker blew away my stomach. "...Ugh." The nausea returns. I feel a chill, remembering the feeling of having a hole in my body. Something in my stomach moves. It feels really sick. It feels really sick, but that's definite proof that I'm alive. Wait, that's weird. Shouldn't that have been instant death for me? "―――That's strange. Why the hell am I alive?" "Do you remember? The stupid thing you did last night? If you do, then please review your actions." Tohsaka lets out a humph and criticizes me. ...Huh, that's really annoying. My head, which was frozen by the fact that Tohsaka is here, finally resumes activity again. "What are you saying? There was nothing else to do at that time! Oh... well, it does look stupid if you just look at the results, but I was going to do it better. So it wasn't a mistake." I protest, glaring at her. "...Hm." W-What? Why is she sighing? "Didn't I tell you that Servants will disappear if their Master is killed? So it's crazy to try to protect your Servant. "Look, Saber will disappear if you're killed. If you want to save Saber, think of a way to do so from a safe place. ...Geez, don't you understand that protecting your Servant with your life is just meaningless?" "It's not that I protected her with my life. I tried to save her, and it just happened to work out like that. I didn't think things would end up like that either." I did think I would be killed if I went near that monster, but that's a different matter. "...I see. You seem to be misunderstanding." As if she's read my mind, she sulks even more. "Look Emiya-kun. I'll come out and say it, but I didn't take you to the church to help you win. I was trying to help you stay alive even if you were left on your own. It seems you didn't understand that part of it." "Help me stay alive...?" "That's right. You shouldn't take risks if you realize that a loss equals your death. You seem to be someone who would walk out at night by yourself even in a situation like this. If I threatened you, I thought you wouldn't take risks and you might get through this." "I see. I didn't notice that." So that's why she's complaining to me about not realizing that and running at Berserker. "...? So why are you mad, Tohsaka? It shouldn't bother you if I'm the one that made the mistake." "Of course it bothers me! You made me worry for a whole night!" Tohsaka throws out a temper. ...But I see. I'm honestly happy she's worrying about me. Looking at the situation, it seems Tohsaka was the one who treated my wound. "I see. I guess you helped me out. Thank you." I bow my head to show my thanks and apologize. "――――" "Heh, it's fine if you understand. If you've learned from this, try to act smarter next time." Tohsaka looks away. Her gesture is snappy, but it seems she's in a good mood again. "Then we're done with what happened last night. I'll go into the main topic, but which do you want to talk about? About last night or about something serious?" "...?" Tohsaka starts a conversation as if it's natural to do so. Her straight-forwardness surprises me, but thinking about it, she's here because she has something to talk about. If she didn't have business with me, she would have gone home already. What is it that Tohsaka, my enemy, wants to discuss in her enemy's territory? I'm interested in that, and I also want to know what happened last night. It's stupid not to ask, so I――― 1) Ask about yesterday. 2) Ask about the serious stuff. 3) ...I have a bad feeling about this. I don`t want to hear either.

Scene 01 - Understanding the current situation
Even if I'm going to listen to her, I have to know the situation I'm in first. I have to know where I am before I go somewhere else. That is the basic principle of a journey. "I want to know what happened yesterday first." "That's right. Knowing the current situation comes first. Wow, you're pretty smart." Tohsaka smiles contently and describes what happened yesterday. It seems that Berserker left after I fell unconscious. She tells me that my body started to heal itself, and that it looked fine after about ten minutes. And she says she brought me here since I didn't regain my consciousness even when my wound had healed, and that's where we are right now. "The important thing here is that you survived on your own. I did help you, but it was your own power that healed that wound. Don't mistake that part." "It seems that way from what you told me. So you didn't heal it?" "Of course not. I can't do anything like revive a dying person any more. Emiya Shirou himself healed his own wounds." "―――Hm." What can I do, now that she said that? My stomach is certainly healed, but I have doubts about Tohsaka's story. I can't use healing magic, let alone revival magic. "Then the cause must be the Servant. Your Servant must be really powerful, or something went wrong during the summoning. ...Well, I think it's both, but I think some kind of line formed between you two." "A line? You mean like the karmic line connecting a familiar and a magus?" "Oh, so you have a working knowledge of familiars? Then this should be easy to explain. In other words, Emiya-kun and Saber's relationship is not a normal relationship like the one between a normal master and their familiar. "It looks like Saber has natural healing powers, so some of that may be flowing into you. Normally, the magus's power flows into the familiar, but in your case, the familiar's power is flowing into you and helping you out." "...Hmmm. So putting it simply, it's like a river flowing upstream?" "That's a good way to put it. It is not naturally possible, but I bet Saber's magical energy is so great that it can even change the flow of a river. That's the only reason she is able to go against Berserker with her small size." "Not naturally possible... then is the relationship between you and Archer that of a normal magus and familiar?" "Yes. He doesn't listen to much of what I say, but we do still have such a relationship." "The connection between a Servant and a Master is like that of a gasoline and an engine. We provide the magical energy, and the Servant just uses it. ...Well, I guess there have been some Masters who shared their physical bodies with their Servants to obtain fake immortality. Not dying until their Servants are dead, something like that... Hey, are you listening, Emiya-kun?" "Huh...? Yeah, I'm listening. Then, are you saying most wounds on my body will heal even if I don't do anything?" "Using your Servant's magical energy. I don't know how, but I'm sure the cause is in Saber's materialization. I know you haven't learned the curse of self-healing." "Of course not. My father never taught me anything that difficult." "No, I mean that if that's the case, I've nothing to worry about. Don't worry about it, it has nothing to do with you." "...?" What is it? Tohsaka's words are indirect and hard to follow. "Oh well. Just don't do anything too reckless. It's good that you survived this time, but you won't survive if you take that kind of wound again. You shouldn't get any optimistic hopes that you'll survive any major wounds." "I understand. I feel bad about taking damage and having Saber helping me." "Idiot, that's not the reason. I'm sure you're not just using Saber's magical energy to heal your wounds. ―――You're definitely using something. I don't know what it is... your life span, your luck, or your savings account, but you're definitely using something up." Tohsaka gives a humph once again. I feel the same way, but... "Tohsaka, doesn't my savings account have nothing to do with this?" "Of course it does! Magic uses up your money, so it's something that drains your money the more you use it! I won't allow myself to be wrong!" Tohsaka Rin erupts with the fires of personal grudges. It's strange. The more I talk with her, the more I understand this is the real Tohsaka Rin, and that the Tohsaka at school is just a mask she puts on. ...No, it's something I had realized already yesterday. "Well, putting the part about money aside. I'll be serious, is that all right, Emiya-kun?" "That's why you stayed here, right? All right, I'll listen." "Then I'll be direct about it. What are you planning to do from now on?" She asks directly the one question I don't want to be asked. ...No, that's not it. It's not that I don't want her to ask me, but I haven't made my mind up yet. I'm the one who wants to ask, what do I do now. "...Honestly, I don't know. You say I should fight for the Holy Grail, but I've never been in a fight between magi. First of all, I―――" I want to try to avoid killing people, and most of all――― "I'm not interested in something mysterious like the Holy Grail. I'm not too sure about risking my life for something I don't want." "I knew you'd say that. You'll be killed by your Servant if you say something like that." "Wha... Why would I!?" "Because the Servant's goal is also the Holy Grail. They can be summoned by the Masters because the condition on their summoning is that they obtain the Holy Grail." "The most important thing for a Servant is to obtain the Holy Grail. They obey their Master and risk their life for their Master, because they have a chance of obtaining the Holy Grail. So just try saying that you don't want the Holy Grail. You can't complain even if they kill you and call you a betrayer." "...What is that? That's weird, because Servants are what the Master summons, right? So―――" "Do you think a Servant would obey a human for no reward? The Holy Grail grants the wish of whoever obtains it. The Servant of the Master who obtains it is no exception. Even the Servants have their own wishes. That is why they respond to the otherwise impossible summoning." "It's not that the Masters are summoning the Servants to obtain the Holy Grail. The Servants are answering the Masters' call because they can obtain the Holy Grail." "―――――" Servants have their own desires...? Then, does that mean Saber has a wish she wants the Holy Grail to grant? "That's why the Servants try to eliminate other Servants even without orders from their Masters. Only one can obtain the Holy Grail. They cannot accept other Masters obtaining the Holy Grail. Unlike their Masters, they don't have the power to take away the Command Spells. So the only way they can disarm other Masters is to kill them." "So even if the Master has no intention of fighting, battle is inevitable. A Master who is attacked by a Servant must fight it off with their own Servant. You heard enough from Kirei to know that this is the nature of the Holy Grail War, right?" "―――Yeah, he told me that last night. But―――" That means allowing your Servant to try to kill other Servants. I thought it would be over if I reached a compromise with other Masters, but if the Servants are ones summoned to obtain the Holy Grail and if it is true that they will not give it up, then a battle between the Servants is inevitable. ...Then... The girl that fought to protect me is also ready to kill or be killed to obtain the Holy Grail? "...That's awful. I don't know about this heroic spirit thing, but Saber is human. She was bleeding badly yesterday too." "Oh, don't worry about that part. There's no life or death for the Servants. Even if Servants are eliminated, they just go back to where they belong. Heroic spirits are a phenomenon. They can't be killed. The only ones that can be killed during a fight are the Masters." "No, but still..." Even if it's a temporary death... There's still the fact that something human-shaped has disappeared from this world. "What? Are you saying it's murder? Are you still carrying such a sense of justice even though you're a magus?" "――――――――" Her comment is only natural. As a magus, death is always right beside me. I understand it and I'm already prepared for that. But still―――I'm not strong enough to judge people's deaths as good or bad. "―――Of course. I won't participate in a fight to the death." "Oh? So you're just going to wait for the others to kill you? You're ceding the victory to other Masters?" "That's not it. The point is to survive to the end, right? I don't have any intention of killing others, but I'll have no mercy in a fight to protect myself. ...If the opponent is out to kill me, they won't complain if they are killed in return, right?" "Oh, so you'll be staying on the defensive. Then you'll just be observing what other Masters are doing, right? So even if someone like yesterday goes around killing everyone, you're going to ignore it?" Someone like yesterday...? She must mean that inhuman monster. "―――――" Superhuman strength that allows the destruction of a house or two with a single blow... ...Certainly, if that thing wished, this town could be in ruins in just one night. And on top of that, the problem is that the Servants are normally in spirit form. Humans can't see those in spirit form. But since the Servants can affect the real world as spirits, you could call them the most powerful weapon. With the technology we have now, there are no weapons that can affect a spiritual being. Our attacks are useless against them, and their attacks can damage us. It's not just a one-sided game. Murder by a Servant is like a natural death for normal people. Death caused by an invisible killer will just be treated as accidental death or suicide. "What is that? Servants―――no, Masters and Servants don't just attack other Masters? Other people have nothing to do with them, right?" "Yeah, I really wish that was the case. But if it were, you wouldn't need a supervisor like Kirei, would you?" "I should have said earlier. Servants are spirits. They are already complete, so they don't grow. But magical energy used as fuel is different. The more magical energy they have available, the more they can use the powers they had in life. That part is the same as for us magi... do you understand?" "I do. So they can use magic repeatedly, right?" You could say magical energy is the gunpowder to fill a gun, and the magus is the gun itself. The type of gun depends on the magus's abilities: pistol, rifle, machinegun, shotgun... Using that metaphor, Servants are cannons. Using a large amount of gunpowder, they fire a large bullet. "That's right. Servants aren't given their mana by nature. They act with the magical energy inside them. We Masters support them, so Servants can only use their powers using their own magical energy plus the magical energy of their Master. "But that means an amateur Master like you would be no match for other Masters, right? So there's a loophole... well, I guess you could call it an obvious answer. Servants can supplement their magical energy from other sources. Servants are spirits, so they can get nourishment from eating things that are like them." "―――Hm?" Nourished by eating things that are like them...? "Things like them? You mean spirits? But what kind of spirits would they eat?" "It's a simple answer. Nature spirits obtain power from nature itself. So where do you think Servants, human spirits, get their power from?" "―――Oh." It is a simple answer. As we humans eat meat, the human spirits――― "Exactly. Usually, they replenish enough magical energy from their Master. But it's obvious that one gets more magical energy from many people rather than just one person, right? To put it bluntly, a weak Master makes his Servant eat humans." "――――" "Servants transform human emotions and souls into magical energy. That is the most efficient way to make your Servant more powerful. There are many Masters who kill humans as sacrifices for their Servant." "As sacrifices... so you're saying that if a Master didn't care about his methods, he would kill humans to make his Servant stronger?" "Yes. But I don't think a smart Master would do such a thing." "You see, even if Servants are powerful, there is a limit to their magical energy capacity. They can't store magical energy over their capacity, so there is a limit to how much they can kill and collect magical energy. The Association wouldn't ignore you if you went around killing people, and most of all, other Masters might figure out your Servant's abilities and identify them from the cause of death. Not to mention the identity of the Master as well. It is highly advantageous in the Holy Grail War to keep your identity a secret, so a normal Master should be stingy about using their Servant." ...I see. Certainly, if nobody knows that you are a Master, there's no danger of other Masters attacking you. Conversely, if you know who the other Masters are, you could definitely pull a surprise attack on them. By that theory, there won't be many Masters that would have their Servants attack humans and reveal their identity――― "...I'm glad. Then there's no problem. That means Servants won't indiscriminately attack humans without orders from their Master." "Right. They are heroes, right? Someone who would go out and kill people wouldn't be called a hero in the first place―――well, no, I can't really say that for sure. There are many examples of people becoming heroes just because they were a mass murderer." "―――" Tohsaka makes an ominous comment. As it seems to be her true feelings rather than just sarcasm, a bit of strain in her personality might be showing.

Scene 02 - The serious stuff
"――――――――" I'm more interested in why Tohsaka is still here. "Then I want to hear about the serious matter. I want to know why you stayed here." "―――All right. Then I'll ask for your conclusion first." "...?" ...What is it? It seemed for a second like Tohsaka was disappointed... "Then I'll be direct about it. What are you planning to do from now on?" She asks directly the one question I don't want to be asked. ...No, that's not it. It's not that I don't want her to ask me, but I haven't made my mind up yet. I'm the one who wants to ask, what do I do now. "...Honestly, I don't know. You say I should fight for the Holy Grail, but I've never been in a fight between magi. First of all, I―――" I want to try to avoid killing people, and most of all――― "I'm not interested in something mysterious like the Holy Grail. I'm not too sure about risking my life for something I don't want." "I knew you'd say that. You'll be killed by your Servant if you say something like that." "Wha... Why would I!?" "Because the Servant's goal is also the Holy Grail. They can be summoned by the Masters because the condition on their summoning is that they obtain the Holy Grail." "The most important thing for a Servant is to obtain the Holy Grail. They obey their Master and risk their life for their Master, because they have a chance of obtaining the Holy Grail. So just try saying that you don't want the Holy Grail. You can't complain even if they kill you and call you a betrayer." "...What is that? That's weird, because Servants are what the Master summons, right? So―――" "Do you think a Servant would obey a human for no reward? The Holy Grail grants the wish of whoever obtains it. The Servant of the Master who obtains it is no exception. Even the Servants have their own wishes. That is why they respond to the otherwise impossible summoning." "It's not that the Masters are summoning the Servants to obtain the Holy Grail. The Servants are answering the Masters' call because they can obtain the Holy Grail." "―――――" Servants have their own desires...? Then, does that mean Saber has a wish she wants the Holy Grail to grant? "That's why the Servants try to eliminate other Servants even without orders from their Masters. Only one can obtain the Holy Grail. They cannot accept other Masters obtaining the Holy Grail. Unlike their Masters, they don't have the power to take away the Command Spells. So the only way they can disarm other Masters is to kill them." "So even if the Master has no intention of fighting, battle is inevitable. A Master who is attacked by a Servant must fight it off with their own Servant. You heard enough from Kirei to know that this is the nature of the Holy Grail War, right?" "―――Yeah, he told me that last night. But―――" That means allowing your Servant to try to kill other Servants. I thought it would be over if I reached a compromise with other Masters, but if the Servants are ones summoned to obtain the Holy Grail and if it is true that they will not give it up, then a battle between the Servants is inevitable. ...Then... The girl that fought to protect me is also ready to kill or be killed to obtain the Holy Grail? "...That's awful. I don't know about this heroic spirit thing, but Saber is human. She was bleeding badly yesterday too." "Oh, don't worry about that part. There's no life or death for the Servants. Even if Servants are eliminated, they just go back to where they belong. Heroic spirits are a phenomenon, so they can't be killed. The only ones that can be killed during a fight are the Masters." "No, but still..." Even if it's a temporary death... There's still the fact that something human-shaped has disappeared from this world. "What? Are you saying it's murder? Are you still carrying such a sense of justice even though you're a magus?" "――――――――" Her comment is only natural. As a magus, death is always right beside me. I understand it and I'm already prepared for that. But still―――I'm not strong enough to judge people's deaths as good or bad. "―――Of course. I won't participate in a fight to the death." "Oh? So you're just going to wait for the others to kill you? You're ceding the victory to other Masters?" "That's not it. The point is to survive to the end, right? I don't have any intention of killing others, but I'll have no mercy in a fight to protect myself. ...If the opponent is out to kill me, they won't complain if they are killed in return, right?" "Oh, so you'll be staying on the defensive. Then you'll just be observing what other Masters are doing, right? So even if someone like yesterday goes around killing everyone, you're going to ignore it?" Someone like yesterday...? She must mean that inhuman monster. "―――――" Superhuman strength that allows the destruction of a house or two with a single blow... ...Certainly, if that thing wished, this town could be in ruins in just one night. And on top of that, the problem is that the Servants are normally in spirit form. Humans can't see those in spirit form. But since the Servants can affect the real world as spirits, you could call them the most powerful weapon. With the technology we have now, there are no weapons that can affect a spiritual being. Our attacks are useless against them, and their attacks can damage us. It's not just a one-sided game. Murder by a Servant is like a natural death for normal people. Death caused by an invisible killer will just be treated as accidental death or suicide. "What is that? Servants―――no, Masters and Servants don't just attack other Masters? Other people have nothing to do with them, right?" "Yeah, I really wish that was the case. But if it were, you wouldn't need a supervisor like Kirei, would you?" "I should have said earlier that Servants are spirits. They are already complete, so they don't grow. But magical energy used as fuel is different. The more magical energy they have available, the more they can use the powers they had in life. That part is the same as for us magi... do you understand?" "I do. So they can use magic repeatedly, right?" You could say magical energy is the gunpowder to fill a gun, and the magus is the gun itself. The type of gun depends on the magus's abilities: pistol, rifle, machinegun, shotgun... Using that metaphor, Servants are cannons. Using a large amount of gunpowder, they fire a large bullet. "That's right. Servants aren't given their mana by nature. They act with the magical energy inside them. We Masters support them, so Servants can only use their powers using their own magical energy plus the magical energy of their Master." "But that means an amateur Master like you would be no match for other Masters, right? So there's a loophole... well, I guess you could call it an obvious answer. Servants can supplement their magical energy from other sources. Servants are spirits, so they can get nourishment from eating things that are like them." "―――Hm?" Nourished by eating things that are like them...? "Things like them? You mean spirits? But what kind of spirits would they eat?" "It's a simple answer. Nature spirits obtain power from nature itself. So where do you think Servants, human spirits, get their power from?" "―――Oh." It is a simple answer. As we humans eat meat, the human spirits――― "Exactly. Usually, they replenish enough magical energy from their Master. But it's obvious that one gets more magical energy from many people rather than just one person, right? To put it bluntly, a weak Master makes his Servant eat humans." "――――" "Servants transform human emotions and souls into magical energy. That is the most efficient way to make your Servant more powerful. There are many Masters who kill humans as sacrifices for their Servant." "As sacrifices... so you're saying that if a Master didn't care about his methods, he would kill humans to make his Servant stronger?" "Yes. But I don't think a smart Master would do such a thing." "You see, even if Servants are powerful, there is a limit to their magical energy capacity. They can't store magical energy over their capacity, so there is a limit to how much they can kill and collect magical energy. The Association wouldn't ignore you if you went around killing people, and most of all, other Masters might figure out your Servant's abilities and identify them from the cause of death. Not to mention the identity of the Master as well. It is highly advantageous in the Holy Grail War to keep your identity a secret, so a normal Master should be stingy about using their Servant." ...I see. Certainly, if nobody knows that you are a Master, there's no danger of other Masters attacking you. Conversely, if you know who the other Masters are, you could definitely pull a surprise attack on them. By that theory, there won't be many Masters that would have their Servants attack humans and reveal their identity――― "...I'm glad. Then there's no problem. That means Servants won't indiscriminately attack humans without orders from their Master." "Right. They are heroes, right? Someone who would go out and kill people wouldn't be called a hero in the first place―――well, no, I can't really say that for sure. There are many examples of people becoming heroes just because they were a mass murderer." "―――" Tohsaka makes an ominous comment. As it seems to be her true feelings rather than just sarcasm, I guess Tohsaka is a realist. "Anyways, that's what I wanted to confirm. Now you know what kind of beings Servants are, right? Masters aren't the only ones trying to win the Holy Grail War. As you've entered this battle, you have an obligation to command your Servant." "―――――" ...An obligation to command my Servant. So I can't allow my own Servant or other Servants to attack innocent people――― "So, you understand your situation? Now, about your body. Do you remember what happened to you after that?" "―――No, no memory of anything, I..." I ran towards Saber and got my stomach blown away by Berserker. I lost consciousness then, and I don't know anything about last night nor why I'm alive. "...Heh, that's what I thought. Before I continue, I'll explain what happened." With an unpleasant sigh, Tohsaka starts to describe what happened yesterday. It seems that Berserker left after I fell unconscious. She tells me that my body started to heal itself, and that it looked fine after about ten minutes. And she says she brought me here, since I didn't regain my consciousness even when my wound had healed, and that's where we are right now. "The important thing here is that you survived on your own. I did help you, but it was your own power that healed that wound. Don't mistake that part."[l] "It sounds like a lie... ...Then, you didn't heal it?" "Of course not. I can't do something like reviving a dying person any more. Emiya Shirou himself healed his own wounds." "―――Hm." What can I do, now that she said that? My stomach is certainly healed, but I have doubts about Tohsaka's story. I can't use healing magic, let alone revival magic. "Then the cause must be the Servant. Your Servant must be really powerful, or something went wrong during the summoning. ...Well, I think it's both, but I think some kind of line formed between you two." "A line? You mean like the karmic line connecting a familiar and a magus?" "Oh, so you have a working knowledge of familiars? Then this should be easy to explain. In other words, Emiya-kun and Saber's relationship is not a normal relationship like that between a normal master and their familiar. "It looks like Saber has natural healing powers, so some of that may be flowing into you. Normally, the magus's power flows into the familiar, but in your case, the familiar's power is flowing into you and helping you out." "...Hmmm. So, put simply, it's like a river flowing upstream?" "That's a good way to put it. It is not naturally possible, but I bet Saber's magical energy is so great that it can even change the flow of a river. That's the only reason she is able to go against Berserker with her small size." "Not naturally possible... then is the relationship between you and Archer that of a normal magus and familiar?" "Yes. He doesn't listen to much of what I say, but we do still have such a relationship." "The connection between a Servant and a Master is like that of a gasoline and an engine. We provide the magical energy, and the Servant just uses it. ...Well, I guess there have been some Masters who shared their physical bodies with their Servants to obtain fake immortality. Not dying until their Servants are dead, something like that... Hey, are you listening, Emiya-kun?" "Huh...? Yeah, I'm listening. Then, are you saying most of the wounds on my body will heal even if I don't do anything?" "Using your Servant's magical energy. I don't know how, but I'm sure the cause is in Saber's materialization. I know you haven't learned the curse of self-healing." "Of course not. My father never taught me anything that difficult." "No, I mean that if that's the case, I've nothing to worry about. Don't worry about it, it has nothing to do with you." "...?" What is it? Tohsaka's words are indirect and hard to follow. "Oh well. Just don't do anything too reckless. It's good that you survived this time, but you won't survive if you take that kind of a wound again. You shouldn't get any optimistic hopes that you'll survive any major wounds." "I understand. I feel bad about taking damage and having Saber helping me." "Idiot, that's not the reason. I'm sure you're not just using Saber's magical energy to heal your wounds. ―――You're definitely using something. I don't know what it is... your life span, or your luck, or your savings account, but you're definitely using something up." Tohsaka gives a humph once again. I feel the same way, but... "Tohsaka, doesn't my savings account have nothing to do with this?" "Of course it's connected! Magic uses up your money, so it's something that drains your money the more you use it! I won't allow myself to be wrong!" Tohsaka Rin erupts with the fires of personal grudges. It's strange. The more I talk with her, the more I understand this is the real Tohsaka Rin, and that the Tohsaka at school is just a mask she puts on. ...No, it's something I had realized already yesterday.

Scene 03 - Invitation refusal
"......" Hmm... I don't think either of the stories can be good. "Hm? Why are you silent? It shouldn't take that much thought." "Shouldn't it? I feel like you'd get mad if I asked you about either one, so I don't want to hear either." I cross my arms and offer my honest feelings. "―――――" Oh. Crap, it feels like I've just poked a sleeping dragon awake. "...T-Tohsaka...? You look really dreadful..." Something like a terrible wrath...? "Oh? What do you mean by a dreadful face? I'll ask you just in case, but did I look angry to you?" I-It felt more like dangerous...! "Um, well... I think I saw a vein in your forehead for a second, though maybe it was my imagination..." I answer the intense smile in bits and pieces. "Ohhh. So that's how I looked to you? So you must think I'm angry?" "Uh... um, are you angry, Tohsaka...?" "Of course I am!!!!!!! Out of all things, you don't want to hear either!? Do you have any idea of the situation you're in, you idiot!?" Tohsaka roars like a beast. "Uh, um..." I want to escape from that coercion, but... "Don't run! Just sit there, Japanese-style!" "―――!" I automatically straighten my back and sit down. "Um. Tohsaka, why Japanese-style?" "It's obvious, right!? So I can dictate to you! It seems your head's still asleep, so stay like that until you wake up!" "......" Tohsaka is seriously angry. I feel like she's going to bite my head off if I disobey, so I nod. I'm facing a beast. I think it's best to play dead in front of a raging beast, or something like that... "Hmph. First, I'll tellbout the current situation. I'll explain what happened last night." So, Tohsaka tells me what happened last night. It seems that Berserker left after I fell unconscious. She tells me that my body started to heal itself, and that it looked fine after about ten minutes. And she says she brought me here since I didn't regain my consciousness even when my wound had healed, and that's where we are right now. "The important thing here is that you survived on your own. I did help you, but it was your own power that healed that wound. Don't mistake that part." "It seems that way from what you told me. So you didn't heal it?" "Of course not. I can't do anything like revive a dying person any more. Emiya Shirou himself healed his own wounds." "―――Hm." What can I do, now that she said that? My stomach is certainly healed, but I have doubts about Tohsaka's story. I can't use healing magic, let alone revival magic. "Then the cause must be the Servant. Your Servant must be really powerful, or something went wrong during the summoning. ...Well, I think it's both, but I think some kind of line formed between you two." "A line? You mean like the karmic line connecting a familiar and a magus?" "Oh, so you have a working knowledge of familiars? Then this should be easy to explain. In other words, Emiya-kun and Saber's relationship is not a normal relationship like the one between a normal master and their familiar. "It looks like Saber has natural healing powers, so some of that may be flowing into you. Normally, the magus's power flows into the familiar, but in your case, the familiar's power is flowing into you and helping you out." "...Hmmm. So putting it simply, it's like a river flowing upstream?" "That's a good way to put it. It is not naturally possible, but I bet Saber's magical energy is so great that it can even change the flow of a river. That's the only reason she is able to go against Berserker with her small size." "Not naturally possible... then is the relationship between you and Archer that of a normal magus and familiar?" "Yes. He doesn't listen to much of what I say, but we do still have such a relationship." "The connection between a Servant and a Master is like that of a gasoline and an engine. We provide the magical energy, and the Servant just uses it. ...Well, I guess there have been some Masters who shared their physical bodies with their Servants to obtain fake immortality. Not dying until their Servants are dead, something like that... Hey, are you listening, Emiya-kun?" "Huh...? Yeah, I'm listening. Then, are you saying most of the wounds on my body will heal even if I don't do anything?" "Using your Servant's magical energy. I don't know how, but I'm sure the cause is in Saber's materialization. I know you haven't learned the curse of self-healing." "Of course not. My father never taught me anything that difficult." "No, I mean that if that's the case, I've nothing to worry about. Don't worry about it, it has nothing to do with you." "...?" What is it? Tohsaka's words are indirect and hard to follow. "Oh well. Just don't do anything too reckless. It's good that you survived this time, but you won't survive if you take that kind of wound again. You shouldn't get any optimistic hopes that you'll survive any major wounds." "I understand. I feel bad about taking damage and having Saber helping me." "Idiot, that's not the reason. I'm sure you're not just using Saber's magical energy to heal your wounds. ―――You're definitely using something. I don't know what it is... your life span, your luck, or your savings account, but you're definitely using something up." Tohsaka gives a humph once again. I feel the same way, but... "Tohsaka, doesn't my savings account have nothing to do with this?" "Of course it does! Magic uses up your money, so it's something that drains your money the more you use it! I won't allow myself to be wrong!" Tohsaka Rin erupts with the fires of personal grudges. It's strange. The more I talk with her, the more I understand this is the real Tohsaka Rin, and that the Tohsaka at school is just a mask she puts on. ...No, it's something I had realized already yesterday. "Well, putting the part about money aside. I'll be serious, is that all right, Emiya-kun?" "That's why you stayed here, right? All right, I'll listen." "Then I'll be direct about it. What are you planning to do from now on?" She asks directly the one question I don't want to be asked. ...No, that's not it. It's not that I don't want her to ask me, but I haven't made my mind up yet. I'm the one who wants to ask, what do I do now. "...Honestly, I don't know. You say I should fight for the Holy Grail, but I've never been in a fight between magi. First of all, I―――" I want to try to avoid killing people, and most of all――― "I'm not interested in something mysterious like the Holy Grail. I'm not too sure about risking my life for something I don't want." "I knew you'd say that. You'll be killed by your Servant if you say something like that." "Wha... Why would I!?" "Because the Servant's goal is also the Holy Grail. They can be summoned by the Masters because the condition on their summoning is that they obtain the Holy Grail." "The most important thing for a Servant is to obtain the Holy Grail. They obey their Master and risk their life for their Master, because they have a chance of obtaining the Holy Grail. So just try saying that you don't want the Holy Grail. You can't complain even if they kill you and call you a betrayer." "...What is that? That's weird, because Servants are what the Master summons, right? So―――" "Do you think a Servant would obey a human for no reward? The Holy Grail grants the wish of whoever obtains it. The Servant of the Master who obtains it is no exception. Even the Servants have their own wishes. That is why they respond to the otherwise impossible summoning." "It's not that the Masters are summoning the Servants to obtain the Holy Grail. The Servants are answering the Masters' call because they can obtain the Holy Grail." "―――――" Servants have their own desires...? Then, does that mean Saber has a wish she wants the Holy Grail to grant? "That's why the Servants try to eliminate other Servants even without orders from their Masters. Only one can obtain the Holy Grail. They cannot accept other Masters obtaining the Holy Grail. Unlike their Masters, they don't have the power to take away the Command Spells. So the only way they can disarm other Masters is to kill them." "So even if the Master has no intention of fighting, battle is inevitable. A Master who is attacked by a Servant must fight it off with their own Servant. You heard enough from Kirei to know that this is the nature of the Holy Grail War, right?" "―――Yeah, he told me that last night. But―――" That means allowing your Servant to try to kill other Servants. I thought it would be over if I reached a compromise with other Masters, but if the Servants are ones summoned to obtain the Holy Grail and if it is true that they will not give it up, then a battle between the Servants is inevitable. ...Then... The girl that fought to protect me is also ready to kill or be killed to obtain the Holy Grail? "...That's awful. I don't know about this heroic spirit thing, but Saber is human. She was bleeding badly yesterday too." "Oh, don't worry about that part. There's no life or death for the Servants. Even if Servants are eliminated, they just go back to where they belong. Heroic spirits are a phenomenon. They can't be killed. The only ones that can be killed during a fight are the Masters." "No, but still..." Even if it's a temporary death... There's still the fact that something human-shaped has disappeared from this world. "What? Are you saying it's murder? Are you still carrying such a sense of justice, even though you're a magus?" "――――――――" Her comment is only natural. As a magus, death is always right beside me. I understand it and I'm already prepared for that. But still―――I'm not strong enough to judge people's deaths as good or bad. "―――Of course. I won't participate in a fight to the death." "Oh? So you're just going to wait for the others to kill you? You're ceding the victory to other Masters?" "That's not it. The point is to survive to the end, right? I don't have any intention of killing others, but I'll have no mercy in a fight to protect myself. ...If the opponent is out to kill me, they won't complain if they are killed in return, right?" "Oh, so you'll be staying on the defensive. Then you'll just be observing what other Masters are doing, right? So even if someone like yesterday goes around killing everyone, you're going to ignore it?" Someone like yesterday...? She must mean that inhuman monster. "―――――" Superhuman strength that allows the destruction of a house or two with a single blow... ...Certainly, if that thing wished, this town could be in ruins in just one night. And on top of that, the problem is that the Servants are normally in spirit form. Humans can't see those in spirit form. But since the Servants can affect the real world as spirits, you could call them the most powerful weapon. With the technology we have now, there are no weapons that can affect a spiritual being. Our attacks are useless against them, and their attacks can damage us. It's not just a one-sided game. Murder by a Servant is like a natural death for normal people. Death caused by an invisible killer will just be treated as accidental death or suicide. "What is that? Servants―――no, Masters and Servants don't just attack other Masters? Other people have nothing to do with them, right?" "Yeah, I really wish that was the case. But if it were, you wouldn't need a supervisor like Kirei, would you?" "I should have said earlier that Servants are spirits. They are already complete, so they don't grow. But magical energy used as fuel is different. The more magical energy they have available, the more they can use the powers they had in life. That part is the same as for us magi... do you understand?" "I do. So they can use magic repeatedly, right?" You could say magical energy is the gunpowder to fill a gun, and the magus is the gun itself. The type of gun depends on the magus's abilities: pistol, rifle, machinegun, shotgun... Using that metaphor, Servants are cannons. Using a large amount of gunpowder, they fire a large bullet. "That's right. Servants aren't given their mana by nature. They act with the magical energy inside them. We Masters support them, so Servants can only use their powers using their own magical energy plus the magical energy of their Master." "But that means an amateur Master like you would be no match for other Masters, right? So there's a loophole. Well, I guess you could call it an obvious answer. Servants can supplement their magical energy with other sources. Servants are spirits, so they can get nourishment from eating things that are like them." "―――Hm?" Nourished by eating things that are like them...? "Things like them? You mean spirits? But what kind of spirits would they eat?" "It's a simple answer. Nature spirits obtain power from nature itself. So where do you think Servants, human spirits, get their power from?" "―――Oh." It is a simple answer. As we humans eat meat, the human spirits――― "Exactly. Usually, they replenish enough magical energy from their Master. But it's obvious that one gets more magical energy from many people rather than just one person, right? To put it bluntly, a weak Master makes his Servant eat humans." "――――" "Servants transform human emotions and souls into magical energy. That is the most efficient way to make your Servant more powerful. There are many Masters who kill humans as sacrifices for their Servant." "As sacrifices... so you're saying that if a Master didn't care about his methods, he would kill humans to make his Servant stronger?" "Yes. But I don't think a smart Master would do such a thing." "You see, even if Servants are powerful, there is a limit to their magical energy capacity. They can't store magical energy over their capacity, so there is a limit to how much they can kill and collect magical energy. The Association wouldn't ignore you if you went around killing people, and most of all, other Masters might figure out your Servant's abilities and identify them from the cause of death. Not to mention the identity of the Master as well. It is highly advantageous in the Holy Grail War to keep your identity a secret, so a normal Master should be stingy about using their Servant." ...I see. Certainly, if nobody knows that you are a Master, there's no danger of other Masters attacking you. Conversely, if you know who the other Masters are, you could definitely pull a surprise attack on them. By that theory, there won't be many Masters that would have their Servants attack humans and reveal their identity――― "...I'm glad. Then there's no problem. That means Servants won't indiscriminately attack humans without orders from their Master." "Right. They are heroes, right? Someone who would go out and kill people wouldn't be called a hero in the first place―――well, no, I can't really say that for sure. There are many examples of people becoming heroes just because they were a mass murderer." "―――" Tohsaka makes an ominous comment. As it seems to be her true feelings rather than just sarcasm, a bit of strain in her personality might be showing.

Scene 04 - Rin`s proposal
"Let's get back to the conversation. So, what are you going to do? Since you don't want to kill people, you're just going to watch, is that right?" ...I take back what I said. She really has a bad personality. She's a real bully, putting me on the spot and asking me that with a smile. "I'll just have to stop them. The Masters will calm down once they lose their Servants, right?" "Unbelievable. You say you won't go out and kill other Masters, but you also say you'll kill them if they do anything bad. Emiya-kun, do you realize you're contradicting yourself?" "Yeah, I know it's selfish, but I can't think of any other choices. I won't change my decision no matter how much you argue against it." "Hmm. But there's one problem with that. Can I tell you what it is?" She's plotting something. With that face, she's definitely plotting something. But as a man, I have to listen. "O-Okay. What is it?" "Do you remember the Master yesterday? The girl who was talking about killing you and me." "――――" How can I forget? They attacked us mercilessly. "That girl will come and kill us. I think you know that too." "―――" I... see. That girl is a Master too. Since she knows Tohsaka and I are Masters, she will come and attack us someday. I don't know if it'll be today or tomorrow, but I do know it's a death sentence. At least, I know I can't stop such a monster. "Her Servant, Berserker, is on a different level. You can't match it, being an inexperienced Master. You say you won't do anything except defend yourself, but you won't even be able to do that." "―――Sorry. But you wouldn't be able to beat it either, right?" "I wouldn't be able to beat it head on. It's the most powerful Servant in hand-to-hand combat. I don't think any previous Servant could match it. Even I wouldn't be able to escape if Berserker attacked me." "...I feel the same way. I don't think I'll get another chance if it attacks me again." Unconsciously, I place my hand on my stomach. The wound on my stomach is healed now. No, you couldn't call it a wound. It was pretty much instant death. My nausea returns just at the thought of taking another blow like that. "That's right. Do you get it? You can't choose to wait until the Holy Grail War is over without doing anything." "...Yeah, I get it. But what are you trying to say? I don't quite understand. You're not having fun watching me being condemned to death, right? ...Uh, or are you?" "I don't have such bad taste. Geez, don't you get it after I've said so much? In short, I'm asking you if you want to join up with me." "...?" Hm? Hmmmm, hm? Um, if I take that at face value, that's... "―――Join up!? You mean, me and Tohsaka!?" "Yes. My Archer received a fatal wound and is healing right now. It will take a while for him to heal fully, but he should still be about half as useful. And there are no problems with your Servant, but her Master is dragging her down, so she is half as useful as well. See, it adds up fine." "Huh. I'm not that bad." "Even though you've almost died three times from what I know of? I think you're the first person I've ever seen almost die three times in one day." "Guh―――but that's..." "I'll compensate you for the alliance. I'll forgive you for beating Archer and I'll teach you about being a Master. Oh, and if we have time, I can look at your skills as a magus. How about it?" ...Ugh. That certainly is an attractive proposal. As I don't know anything, Tohsaka would be a reliable teacher. And if I can help it, I don't want to fight against Tohsaka. Not because she's the girl I admired at school. In fact, if I didn't know her like this, I wouldn't have felt this much resistance. ...The Tohsaka Rin in front of me is so different from how people describe her as an honor student. But talking to her, she is just Tohsaka and it seems she's just as she appears. Well―――in other words, I'm saying I find her so much more attractive this way that I'm wondering why I even have to tell myself this――― "Emiya-kun? I want to hear your answer." She urges my response. I――― 1) ...All right. Let`s cooperate. 2) ...I`m sorry, but I can`t.

Scene 05 - Solo&Only
"......" It should be something I don't even need to think about. I'm a novice, and Tohsaka is at her full potential as a Master and a magus. Considering the events yesterday, it'd be smarter to join up with Tohsaka. But――― "Emiya-kun. I want to hear your response." "......" I feel like I'm being too hasty joining up with someone right now. I don't think Tohsaka is out to trick me, but I should figure out the situation first. Or else, I won't be able to judge what's right and what's wrong. "―――I'm sorry, Tohsaka. I'm glad you're worried about me, but I can't give you the response you want. This is a serious matter, you know? I feel I shouldn't rush to a decision." I look directly back at her and answer. Tohsaka narrows her eyes a bit and nods emotionlessly. "Then the negotiation has failed. ...Well, you have a point too. If you really do want to win, you can't trust anyone." "That's not it. I trust you, Tohsaka. It's just that I can't decide on my own. If I'm Saber's Master, I can't make a promise without her consent." "I see. That is true. You are a Master now." Giving a nod of understanding, Tohsaka turns away. She leaves, her hair fluttering behind her. And the girl who could have been my ally turns, and... "Goodbye. We will be enemies the next time we meet." ...Like the girl Ilya, leaves a cold warning. "―――Alright." I take a quick breath and consider my current situation. I haven't had time to sit down and think since the incident last night―――when I saw the battle between Lancer and Archer. I had my chest pierced by Lancer, returned home after I was somehow saved, I was attacked once again by Lancer, and――― "I was saved by Saber and became a Master." What I heard at the church. The murderous battle called the Holy Grail War. The Holy Grail that grants any wish, supposedly given to the winner. There are many things I don't know about, but I definitely have a guide. "―――Yeah, I need to go and talk to Saber first." I look around the house. I look around where someone could be, all the guest rooms, but I cannot find Saber. "That's weird... she's in that outfit, so you'd think it'd be easy to find her." Even saying that, I can't find Saber anywhere. It seems Servants can become spirits, but I can't do that. No, first of all――― "Even though they call me a Master, I don't know anything about her." I don't understand who she is or how she exists. The only thing I understand is... No matter how superior their existence may be, they still get hurt in a fight and they bleed if they are wounded. "―――Oh." Saber is in the silent dojo. Her appearance is different from yesterday's. Sitting in a Japanese-style on the wooden floor, she is not wearing her armor. She has changed into refined clothes that suit her well, and is sitting silently. "―――――" ...I lose my voice at the figure. With her back straight and sitting Japanese-style with her eyes closed, Saber looks beautiful. Her state, melting into the silence, reminds me of pure water. "――――――――" And that removes the last doubts within me. Even if she is a Servant, I think she is holy. So―――I should not follow a wrong path with her. "Saber." I call out. Saber slowly opens her eyes and returns my gaze. "You are awake, Shirou." A calm voice. Her voice, echoing through the dojo as if permeating it, is surprisingly suited to this place. "―――Yeah. I just got up. What were you doing here?" "I was resting. I cannot treat you, so I thought I would get myself into perfect condition." "―――!" Saber says so while looking at me. ...Well, um... I feel a tension, different from the one I felt with Tohsaka. "Shirou? What is it? Could it be that your body is still...?" "...! ―――N-No, there's no problem...! I'm just perplexed for my own reasons, so don't worry...!" I take a step back, shaking my head. "...?" Looking away from Saber, who is tilting her head questioningly, I calm down my pounding heart. "...Calm down. What am I so tense about―――!?" I take a deep breath. ...But it doesn't seem to die down quickly. In fact, I don't think it ever will. "...Geez, why has she changed...?" I complain without meaning to. Saber's clothes are so real that they make me conscious of her womanhood, whether I like it or not. ...She is terribly beautiful. I thought I figured that out yesterday, but she really hits me with it now. If she dresses so much like a girl, as a healthy guy, I'm troubled. "Shirou." I tense up the moment our eyes meet. But I didn't look for her so as to not talk to her. I'm troubled, but I can't stay quiet forever. "―――All right. May I, Saber? It'll be the first time we sit down and talk―――" I make up my mind and talk to her. ―――And then. "Shirou. Before that, there is something I would like to tell you about last night." She interrupts my words with a sullenness that makes her earlier calmness seem like an illusion. "――? All right, what is it?" "It is about last night. You are my Master. It is troubling if you take such an action. Battle is my work, so you must concentrate on your role. If you go and die in vain yourself, there is no way I can protect you." Saber says so clearly. ―――That makes the tension I was feeling vanish. "W-What do you mean!? You would have been slashed if I didn't do that!" "In that case, I would have just died. It was not something you should have been hurt for. I will repeat myself. Please do not take such an action again. There is no need for my Master to protect me, and there is no reason for it either." "Wha―――don't be stupid. You don't need a reason to save a girl...!" Maybe she was surprised at being yelled at, but she pauses for a moment as if I've done something unexpected. And then, she stares at me with indescribable dignity. "Uh..." I back up a bit being stared at. Her look makes me realize that I've said something really out-of-place, and it embarrasses me. "A-Anyway, I'm grateful that you brought me home. I'll thank you for that." I thank her while looking away. ...It's awkward to thank her in the first place, but it's even more awkward to thank her in this situation. But still, before anything, I have to thank her for helping me. "You are welcome. It is natural for a Servant to protect her Master, but I am happy to be thanked. You are very polite." "No. I'm not polite." So there's something I need to clarify right now. "Going back to our conversation, Saber. ...Oh, I'll ask formally. Can I call you Saber?" "Yes. Since I have formed a contract with you as a Servant, I am your sword. I will follow your orders, defeat your enemies, and protect you." Saber says so without the slightest hesitation. There's no room for me to question her about it. "Become my sword, huh? To win this Holy Grail War?" "...? Is that not why you have summoned me?" "No. I only summoned you by chance. As you know, I'm only an amateur magus. I'm sorry, but I don't have the knowledge nor the power of a Master. But I've decided to fight, so I'll fight. I'm an unskilled Master, but are you okay with that?" "Of course. You are my Master, Shirou. This fact will not change. A Servant does not have the freedom to choose its Master." "―――――" ...I see. Then I should try to respond to her to the best of my ability. "...All right. So you're content that I'm your Master?" "Yes. But Shirou, I will not allow defeat for my Master. If you have no chance of victory, I will make one for you. I will use every means possible to have you obtain the Holy Grail. We Servants do not serve the Masters without compensation. We serve you because we also desire the Holy Grail." "Huh―――? Hold on. The Holy Grail, you mean you want it too...!?" "Of course. After all, the only ones who can touch the Holy Grail in spirit form are we Servants, who are also spirits. The Master that wins the Holy Grail War will obtain the Holy Grail through the medium of their Servant. After that, the Servant that served the winning Master will have its wish granted in compensation. ―――That is the relationship between Masters and Servants." "――――――――" ...I see. Now that she says it, it's obvious something like a "heroic spirit" would never obey a mere human being. Since they have their own objectives, they serve the Master in exchange. ...Then that means Saber has a wish she wants granted. That is why Saber has no doubts and declares that she will fight, even with an amateur Master like me. "...All right. Then can I ask you something else? A Master is a magus that summons Servants, right? That's fine, but I don't quite understand you guys. Like, Saber and Lancer, I know those aren't your real names." "Yes, those are only the names of the classes given to us. ...All right, I shall describe it briefly since we have the chance." "We Servants are heroic spirits. We have each won fame during our lives or have accomplished some great deed beyond human ability. Whatever the means, we are beings that have reached the rank of gods with our own strength." That doesn't even need to be said. Heroic spirits are heroes that had supernatural abilities while they were alive, who are worshipped after their deaths, and promoted into the ranks of spirits instead of becoming ghosts. "But that is also to our disadvantage. As we are heroes, our weaknesses have been recorded. Revealing our names, revealing our identity, means revealing our weaknesses." "...I see. Heroes usually do have opponents they are weak against. That's why you're hiding your real name and using the name Saber?" "Yes. However, I am not called Saber only for that reason. There are seven Servants called forth by the Holy Grail, and every one of these is selected according to the class." "Class...? You mean like Saber and Archer?" "Yes. Summoning a true heroic spirit is already almost a miracle. To summon seven is too much even for the Holy Grail. As a solution, the Holy Grail prepared seven vessels in advance and only called forth heroic spirits compatible with these vessels. Those are the seven classes. Saber. Lancer. Archer. Rider. Caster. Assassin. Berserker. "The Holy Grail calls forth from all times the heroic spirits, with abilities corresponding to each of these classes. And those who receive these classes are called Servants." "...I see. You were a heroic spirit skilled with swords, so you were summoned as Saber?" "Yes. There are heroic spirits that have multiple attributes, but I believe I am the best when it comes to swords." "But that is also the weakness of the Saber class. Since I am not a magus, I can only defeat your enemies as your sword." "So you're not well-suited to trickery. No, I don't think that's a weakness. You're that powerful, so that should be enough, right?" "Shirou, you cannot win this war just by being strong in battle. For instance, if your enemy is stronger than you in combat, what will you do?" "Huh? Well... if I knew I couldn't beat them in combat, I'd have to do something without fightin―――" Having said that much, I understand. If the enemies are strong, you wouldn't fight a proper battle. Beating opponents with your sword isn't the only way to fight. If you can't beat an enemy with your sword, all you have to do is beat them some other way. "Exactly. If your enemy finds out you are skilled in combat, your enemy will most likely not challenge you in combat. ...And in that sense, Servants that lack ability will use any means possible." "The Servant Assassin has low attributes, but has a special ability to hide its presence, and the Servant Caster is versed in magic that does not exist in this age. You cannot be optimistic because of a mere difference in power. And on top of that, we have our 'Noble Phantasms'. No matter what kind of Servant we are, as heroic spirits, we have our guaranteed fatal attack." "Noble Phantasm―――?" That's not a term I've ever heard. I think I might know what it means from the sound of it, though... "Noble Phantasms are special weapons carried by Servants. Weapons like Lancer's lance, Archer's bow, and my sword are such. Heroes are not called heroes by themselves. Heroes have the weapons that symbolize them that make them a hero." "The hero and his weapon are one. So those who became heroic spirits each wield a powerful weapon. That is the 'Noble Phantasm'―――the trump card for Servants, and the thing we must take the most care of." "――――――――" ...Saber says that Noble Phantasms are weapons that heroes wielded when they were alive. I recall that blue knight. The lance that absorbed magical energy from the air and pierced Saber's chest with incredible movements. That was certainly not something fit for humans. That lance itself carried a strong curse, but I also felt a strange amount of magical energy in the word Lancer said back then. Then could it be...? "Saber. Are Noble Phantasms magics? Lancer's lance certainly seemed like a lance with history, but the lance itself wasn't extraordinary. But that lance went beyond the realm of weapons with his words. Isn't that some sort of magic?" "Yes, Noble Phantasms are certainly similar to magic. For example, Lancer's lance itself is a Noble Phantasm, but it demonstrates its full potential only when he puts magical energy into it and says its true name." "A Noble Phantasm could be called a materialized divine mystery. As spells are necessary to activate magic, recitement of the true name is necessary to awaken and activate the Noble Phantasm. But there is also a danger in that. By saying the true name of their Noble Phantasm, the identity of the Servant is revealed." "...Oh yeah. Heroes and their weapons are one. If you know the weapon's name, you naturally know the identity of the owner." Saber nods silently. That is why the Noble Phantasm is a trump card. In exchange for revealing the name, it launches an unavoidable fatal blow. But when it does not prove fatal... the Servant will expose all its weaknesses. "Then, Saber. Is your Noble Phantasm that invisible sword?" "...Yes. But I have not revealed its identity yet. No Servants should know my true name at this point." Saying that, Saber looks down awkwardly for a second. "Shirou. I have a request about that matter." "Huh? What kind of a request?" "About my real name. Usually, Servants give their true names to their Master only, to determine future plans. But you are inexperienced as a magus. A superior magus would be able to read your mind, so―――" "Oh, so you can't tell me your real name? ...Yeah, you're right. Like hypnotism, suggestion, or... well, I don't think there'd be any, but if any other Master had mystic eyes, I might just start babbling about it. ―――All right. Let's do that. I'll rely on you to decide when to use your Noble Phantasm." "Uh―――um, can you really decide that so quickly?" "It wasn't easy. I thought it through. I agreed after thinking about it, so don't worry." "――――――――" ...Well. I get most of this stuff, but I still don't have a grasp of the situation. "Hey Saber, do Servants and Masters have some sort of a mark? I don't really know what I should be doing." "No. Unfortunately, there is no clear way to distinguish them. But if other Servants are near, Servants are able to sense them. All the more if they are materialized. Servants themselves are powerful magics. I am sure you felt Berserker's presence." "Ugh―――that could be true. But it's bad to be able to tell only when you're attacked. I need to at least know before they approach, so I can take some sort of countermeasure." "Then, how about searching for the Master's presence? Masters are magi. Since they use magic for a living, they will leak magical energy. If you search for that, you may be able to determine the Masters in this town." "...Sorry. Unfortunately, I can't do that sort of thing." After all, I didn't even realize the real identity of Tohsaka, who goes to the same school as I do. We were in the same building for two years, and on top of that, I've seen her several times. "―――Geez. No wonder people call me an amateur. The only evidence I'm even a Master is this Command Spell. It seems there'll be lots of difficulties ahead." I sigh. ―――And then. "Shirou. Could you close your eyes for a moment?" Saber speaks with a serious face. "...? Close my eyes? Why?" "To prove that you are a Master. Just close your eyes and breathe normally." "......" ...I close my eyes. I feel something slightly touching my forehead. ―――Hey, it's prickling. Could this be the end of her sword―――!? "―――Saber? Hold on, are you doing something weird?" "...Master, please stay silent and concentrate on my fingertip. If you are a magus, you should be able to feel my magical energy." "―――Hm." I see, so it's Saber's finger that's touching me. I pull myself together and calm down. ―――Then. What is this? "Saber, what was that?" "It's not something you should be asking me. You and I are connected by our contract, so its only natural for you to be able to understand my status." "―――Understand? You mean, what happened just now?" "I do not know how you saw it. It is your standard that measures the Servant's ability. Some Masters classify according to color, and some classify according to animals." "So in other words, you perceive it in a way most comprehensible for you. This is a standard concept for a Master, so please check frequently. Like me, once you see someone, you shall understand their details." ...I see. I was a bit surprised since it was so sudden, but I might be able to act a bit like a Master now. "―――Master. I have simplified things, but that is all the explanation I can give you." "Okay. It was quick, but I get it now. Sorry, Saber." "...You should not be 'sorry.' If you understand the situation, you should be deciding what to do from now on." She asks me, leaning forward. ...I see. Saber is the same type as Tohsaka: attack first. "Well, we won't be doing anything different. I don't have the will to go out and beat other Masters like Tohsaka." "―――Shirou, that does not make sense. Do you not have the will to obtain the Holy Grail as a Master?" ...Saber narrows her eyes. They are the calm eyes of a swordsman who allows no disagreement. "―――――" I stare back, trying not to lose, and clearly tell her my intentions. "I do. But that's only because I don't want anyone evil obtaining it. I have no reason to want the Holy Grail for myself." "―――!" "But that doesn't mean I will not fight. I'm a magus, even if I'm an amateur. I understand I can't back out of this now. I know I can't survive this without doing anything." "Then you are saying you are fighting not to obtain the Holy Grail, but rather to prevent the conflict resulting from the Holy Grail?" "...? ...Yeah, I guess you could put it like that. Yeah, I think that's what I mean. I can't put it into clear words, but such a fight is worth something, right?" That's right. I don't feel anything toward the Holy Grail. But for a reason like that, I think I can fight with all my power and with pride. "...I do not understand. You say that you are a magus. Then you should desire the almighty Holy Grail. Does a magus not master magic because he has a wish he cannot make come true?" "What are you saying? I have no unfulfillable wishes. I do have lots of things I have to do though." That's right. So for now, I should try my hardest not to involve any unnecessary people. "―――Then are you saying you do not want the Holy Grail? That you will not fight to obtain it?" "I didn't say that. Since I'm fighting, I do intend to obtain the Holy Grail." "That is a contradiction. Why do you desire something that you have no need for, going so far as fighting?" "...?" Well, because... Winning means obtaining the Holy Grail, and most of all... "You need it, right? So we have to obtain it." "―――――" "Yeah, I don't know what kind of people the other Masters are. Some of them may be really good people. But I've decided to be your ally. So if you say you want the Holy Grail, it's only natural to help you with all my power, right?" "―――――" "...Well, it's only a second-hand ideal from my father, but he said I should be selfish to become a superhero. It's pointless to support everybody, so he told me to only ally with people I like and trust." "I never thought that way before, but I think that's how I should be now. I can't do something like fighting for myself. But if I can fight for you, then that's good." And to be honest. If this girl seriously yearns for it, it's only natural to want to obtain it for her. ...Well, I am a guy, you know. "Then are you saying you will not fight if I give up the Holy Grail?" "―――Hm." That's a problem. If Saber says that, all my premises will crumble. "...No, it would still be the same. I said I'll fight. So I won't run. This is for certain, Saber." I declare this, looking her in the eye. Saber does not answer immediately, but looks up at me after letting out a deep breath. "I understand. If you say so as a Master, I will only obey. My goal is the Holy Grail, and even if your goal is to stop the conflict, our destinations are the same. ―――But, Shirou." Saber stops. With eyes that seem to be gazing upon something far away, "I cannot clearly put this into words, but you will regret it later on. ...You will surely regret it." She says those words.

Scene 06 - Saber(I)
Is it because Tohsaka went home and my tension disappeared? My body feels dull, so I lay down in the living room. "―――" I stave off the returning nausea by lying on my side. The clock ticks in the silent living room. "...A fight between Masters, huh?" I still don't understand what it is. The only thing I'm sure of is that it's beyond me. It would feel more real if I had more interest in the Holy Grail――― "Why, I wonder? All I feel toward the Holy Grail is disgust." A grail said to make wishes come true. I don't know what kind of a thing it is, but it's an artifact that can even summon these things called Servants. It might not go as far as granting any wish, but it should have more than enough value for any magus to want it. But still―――I'm not interested in it. It's true that I'm dubious about its reality, but accepting that easy way to reach a goal feels like cheating myself. "And the worst aspect of this thing is that the selection method is a battle." ...But this is a fight for a single chair. No matter what your expectations are, as long as you enter it, you can't survive unless you defeat your enemies. And depending on your methods, defeating other Masters might result in harm to innocent people. That's why... ―――Rejoice, Emiya Shirou. My reason for fighting is not to win the Holy Grail War. ―――Your wish will finally come true. It is to stop those that would try to win it by any means possible. "―――――!" I feel dizzy again. It's only natural. Even if it appears to be back to normal, my body was almost split in half a few hours ago. There's no way this sickness will go away quickly. It seems more likely that it'll continue for the rest of my life. Because I was almost killed three times in a day. If someone weak joins a battle, it's natural for him to get hurt. As compensation for my lack of strength, I almost lost my body... And she was wounded protecting me. "―――!" I get up. "Oh yeah, her...!" What am I doing? I totally forgot about her because Tohsaka was here. No, I unconsciously avoided thinking about her. ―――Coward. I have been avoiding recalling the girl who was wounded because of me. The one that was bleeding miserably because of me. "Tohsaka didn't say the most important thing...!" I pull my resting body together and stand up. Tohsaka didn't say anything about Saber. She said she and Saber brought me here, but she said nothing more. The fact I need to know most: if she, the one wounded by Berserker, is all right or not. "Guh―――――" I look through the house, bearing the dizziness. I look around where someone could be, all the guest rooms, but I cannot find Saber. "That's weird... she's in that outfit, so you'd think it'd be easy to find her." There's no sign of the brave armor-clad Saber anywhere around the house. Tohsaka said Servants can become spirits, but I can't do that. No, first of all――― "They say I'm a Master, but just how am I a Master?" I don't understand who she is nor how she exists. This is like a new soldier being given a tank. "That's right. Even if you give a guy that has only used old guns a brand new weapon, he won't know how to use it." I complain. Well, the lucky thing is, this tank has an auto-pilot function. Even if the driver is terrible, the tank will fight on its own. "―――" Angry at my thoughts, I hit my head against the wall. "...How rotten of me, idiot. That was such an impolite complaint." I apologize to the blond-haired girl in my head. Now, I feel like I have to find her and confirm her safety. "She's not here either―――" I search throughout the house. It's a big house, but I didn't play hide-and-seek here with Fuji-Nee as a kid for nothing. I know the efficient way to search this place. If I haven't found her after searching this much, then――― "The yard, the shed, or―――" There are several possibilities, but I don't even consider the possibility that she's not here anymore. She said she would protect me. So I don't think she would leave this place. "―――Maybe." It suddenly hits me. Not the house, the yard, nor the shed where we first met. Come to think of it, there is another large building in this place. "She must be there." I hurry. I head to the dojo, separated from the main building. "―――" I'm a bit tense. If she's not here, I will have to admit that she is gone. "...?" That makes me realize. The inconsistency... even though I know nothing about her, I want her to stay. A wooden-floored room with nothing unnecessary. A dojo built only to train oneself in. In this silent place, in the faint sunlight... She is sitting there naturally. "―――――" A space filled with tranquility. The sunlight shining in is white, and it makes her and the dojo into one. I can see nothing amiss in her dignified posture. Just by sitting there, she stiffens the air in the dojo. But there's nothing cold about it. It's because her figure is so pure, it makes me forget even about the cold winter air. "―――, ―――" Even the sound of my breath is a nuisance. The girl, sitting Japanese-style in the corner of the dojo, is definitely the girl from last night. The girl who appeared just before I was killed by Lancer, and the girl that mercilessly slashed him with her sword. Her golden hair, that was reflecting the blue moonlight, is now one with the warm sunlight. "―――――" That really makes me remember. This is exactly what I felt when I first saw her. The girl clad in armor, slashing her sword to silently overwhelm her opponent, I wasn't surprised by how out-of-world that scene was. It doesn't matter what she's wearing. It probably wouldn't change even if she was covered in mud. The girl that moved me deeply is still in front of me. "―――――" That is why I forget even to breathe and continue to stare at her. Forgetting about Masters, the Holy Grail War and everything. In this instant―――I have completely accepted Saber. I do not know how long it was. Saber opens her eyes as if awakening from sleep. "―――Oh." My disappointed voice echoes loudly through the dojo. Saber stands up, perhaps noticing the sound. "......" I walk towards her, still not knowing what to say. "You are awake, Shirou." A calm voice. Her voice, echoing through the dojo as if permeating it, is surprisingly suited to this place. "Y―――Yeah. I just got up." I answer with a dull head. "Shirou? You seem pale, are you feeling ill?" The golden-haired girl approaches me. "Uh, n-no...! I'm feeling really good...!" I quickly step back to get away from Saber. "...?" Looking away from Saber, who is tilting her head questioningly, I calm down my pounding heart. "...Calm down. What am I so tense about―――!?" I take a deep breath. ...But it doesn't seem to die down quickly. In fact, I don't think it ever will.[l] "...Geez, why has she changed...?" I complain without meaning to. Saber's clothes have changed dramatically since yesterday. She's wearing normal clothes, completely unlike her armor. It's rather unexpected and I'm troubled by it. ...She is terribly beautiful. I thought I figured that out yesterday, but it really hits me now.[l] Perhaps her armor looked so surreal that I didn't notice yesterday. But if she dresses like a girl, as a healthy guy, I'm troubled. "Shirou." I tense up the moment our eyes meet. But I didn't look for her so as to not talk to her. I'm troubled, but I can't stay quiet forever. "It's Saber, right? This will be the first time we sit down and talk, but―――" I make up my mind and talk to her. ―――And then. "Shirou. Before that, there is something I would like to tell you about last night." She interrupts my words with a sullenness that makes her earlier calmness seem like an illusion. "――? All right, what is it?" "It is about last night. You are my Master. It is troubling if you take such an action. Battle is my work, so you must concentrate on your role. If you go and die in vain yourself, there is no way I can protect you." Saber says so clearly. ―――That makes the tension I was feeling vanish. "W-What do you mean!? You would have been slashed if I didn't do that!" "In that case, I would have just died. It was not something you should have been hurt for. I will repeat myself. Please do not take such an action again. There is no need for my Master to protect me, and there is no reason for it either." She speaks plainly. It must be because she is speaking so practically. "Wha―――don't be stupid. You don't need a reason to save a girl...!" I reply unconsciously. Maybe she was surprised at being yelled at, but she pauses for a moment as if I've done something unexpected. And then, she stares at me with indescribable dignity. "Uh..." I back up a bit being stared at. Her look makes me realize that I've said something really out-of-place, and it embarrasses me. "A-Anyway, I'm grateful that you brought me home. I'll thank you for that." "You are welcome. It is natural for a Servant to protect her Master, but I am happy to be thanked. You are very polite." "No. I'm not polite." More importantly, there's something I need to clarify right now. It's something I should have asked right after I got home yesterday. If she is really my Servant, And―――if she is really taking part in this war. "Going back to our conversation, Saber. ...Oh, I'll ask formally, but can I call you Saber?" "Yes. Since I have formed a contract with you as a Servant, I am your sword. I will follow your orders, defeat your enemies, and protect you." Saber says so without the slightest hesitation. There's no room for me to question her about it. "Become my sword, huh? To win this Holy Grail War?" "...? Is that not why you have summoned me?" "No. I summoned you because―――" I can't say it was by pure accident. No, first of all, I didn't even summon her. She just appeared when I was in danger, and saved me with her own decision. The result is the situation we are in. I became Saber's Master, and I was dragged into this thing called the Holy Grail War. Not one bit of it was my intention. I'm just an amateur magus that was dragged into this battle beyond my abilities――― "―――! What of it? ...I've already convinced myself that I have to fight. I can't complain now." I shake my head lightly and stop whining. ―――That's it. A man has said he will fight. So I cannot even talk about running away. This will be the last time I will talk or think about whining. No matter how the decision came, I have decided to fight. "Shirou?" "―――Oh, it's nothing. But Saber, there's only a small chance of winning if you stay with me. I don't have the powers or the brains of Tohsaka, so tomorrow might end up like today. Are you okay with that?" "Does that mean that you lack the will to fight?" "I have the will. I just don't have the chance of victory, so I'm asking you if you're all right serving such a Master. This is a battle I have decided to take on. So―――" I think it's wrong for someone to get hurt in my place. Even though I'm weak, making Saber fight, And――― I can't stand letting a scene like that happen again. "You are my Master, Shirou. This fact will not change. A Servant does not have the freedom to choose its Master." "―――――" That's true. That's why Saber is my Servant right now. Then I should try my best not to burden her too much. "...All right. So you're content I'm your Master?" "Yes. But Shirou, I will not allow defeat for my Master. If you have no chance of victory, I will make one for you. I will use every means possible to have you obtain the Holy Grail. That is why we follow the call of the summoning." To obtain the Holy Grail, huh? Tohsaka said Servants also have a wish they want granted. So Saber must be no exception. That is why she has no doubts. But that means... "...Hold on, Saber. You said any means possible, right? Does that mean you do not care what measures you take to win the war? For example, attacking people to gain pow―――" I cannot finish. Saber is looking at me like I'm an enemy. "Shirou, that is not a possibility. I can only do those things I will allow myself to do. I cannot betray my beliefs. It is against the knight's oath to hurt those who are unarmed." "But I must obey if you order so. In that case, you will have to use one of your Command Spells to compensate for treading inside me." I am overwhelmed by her angered voice. "―――――" But still, I'm happy and relieved. Her lack of doubt gave her the image of a cold fighting machine, but I know now that she is not a cold-blooded killer. "―――Yeah, I won't let you do such a thing. As you say, we have to do our best with what we can do. ...I'm really sorry. I insulted you without realizing it." "Uh... no, I jumped to a hasty conclusion without knowing your intentions. You are not at fault, so please raise your head..." "Huh? Oh sorry, I apologized without realizing it." I raise my head. "―――――" I don't know what's funny, but Saber has a small smile on her face. "...?" Well, I'm glad she's smiling, so I won't ask her about it. "...Oh, I forgot to tell you. I said we'll do whatever we can, right? As one measure, I've decided to cooperate with Tohsaka for a while. Remember Archer's Master, who you were with for a while yesterday?" "You mean Rin? ...I see, that is certainly an intelligent choice. There will be many things you can learn from her, until you become a suitable Master." ...Thank God. If Saber agrees, I can proudly cooperate with Tohsaka. The only other thing I need to ask her right now is――― 1) Which heroine is Saber? 2) Is she all right? 3) ...Where did you get those clothes?

Scene 07 - No concern for safety
I'm worried about Saber's body, after she was wounded so much. "More importantly, Saber. ...Um, are you all right? The wound you took from Berserker was pretty bad." "...? My body is just as it appears. That wound was certainly one that would have led to my defeat, but it was not fatal. I finished healing it about an hour after Berserker left." "Huh... then, you're completely healed now...?" "Of course. But I am not back up to my normal condition yet. Berserker's hit was a simple one, so it could be healed easily, but the wound made by Lancer's Noble Phantasm is different. That lance must bear a special curse as the wound from him is not completely healed yet." "―――――" ...Not completely healed, huh? It doesn't look that way, but Saber isn't one to talk about her pain. As long as I am fighting alongside Saber, I should pay attention and worry about her body.

Scene 08 - Saber`s circumstances
―――It would be about Saber's real name. "Saber. I heard this from Tohsaka already, but Servants are magics that summon heroic spirits, right? Then―――you have a real name that's not your class name Saber, right?" "Yes. The name Saber represents why I am here in this time. It is not a name to represent my real identity." "I see. Then what is your real name? Tohsaka said it wouldn't be a battle unless I knew my own Servant's real name." Servants are heroic spirits. Their identities are heroes, famous in every age. They hide their identities and the scope of their power with their class names. A Servant's real name is something that should be kept hidden. But it is also something the Master must know. Because if one does not know which hero the Servant is, he does not know the Servant's potential. Master and Servant are one. They won't be able to fight fully if one keeps a secret from the other. They shouldn't be able to fight fully, but――― "―――Shirou, about that matter, please excuse my rudeness. A summoned Servant must immediately inform their Master of their true name. ...But I cannot fulfill that oath." "Saber...? Why can't you fulfill this oath?" "This is what I believe is for the best. No matter how hard you try to hide my name, there are many ways to take the information from you. Since your magic resistance is not high, mental intervention would be simple if the enemy was a superior magus. If you were under a spell, my real name could be revealed against your will. I would like to prepare for that and not have my real name within your knowledge." "Oh, I see. That's right. I would give it right away if they used suggestion on me." And informing the Master of your real name is for a normal Master and Servant. Even if I knew Saber's real name, I wouldn't be able to come up with an effective plan. Most of all, I don't care about it. "All right. Let's keep it a secret then. We have to take care, since I'm inexperienced." "It helps me if you say that. ...But then, I am not someone that famous. I should be a few ranks below Berserker, and it would not do too much even if my name were revealed...." Saber murmurs in regret. ...That's bit unexpected. Saber has some human characteristics, and she regrets being inferior to Berserker. "Isn't that alright? A trump is a trump because it's hidden. Your Master is weak like this, so I understand that you have to try everything. ...And Berserker, he's unfair. There's nothing to be ashamed of. And―――from my point of view, you aren't inferior. You had that big wound, yet you were exchanging blows straight on." "You are right. I suffered defeat last night, but the result should be different once my wound heals." "Eh―――Uh, yeah. I hope... so." I give an empty response and look away. ...That was a surprise attack. When she smiles, Saber is――― And then. I hear a sound of something heavy falling at the door. "Huh?" I turn around, wondering what it was. There... ...is Tohsaka with a big bag at her feet. "Huh―――?" My mind freezes. Tohsaka, who supposedly went home, is at my dojo. She's wearing normal clothes for some reason, and why does she have that big bag―――? "...Huh? What are you here for, Tohsaka?" "I just went to go get my stuff from my house. It's natural, since I'll be living here from now on." "...!!!!? "L-Live... you mean you, living in my house...!!!?" "That's what cooperation means. ...What did you think our talk was about earlier?" "Uh―――――um." I'm so surprised I can't speak. Something. I have to say something back, or something terrible is going to happen, but my head will not function. "Where's my room? If you don't have one prepared, I'll choose one myself." Still, the unexpected invader mercilessly continues the discussion. "Ah―――hold on, that's―――" Isn't this bad morally? Look, Tohsaka is the idol at my school. Just having her in my house will cause a panic, so having her live here would be crazy and Fuji-Nee would kill me. Or maybe she's planning to drive me insane to reduce the number of Masters...!? "Oh, why don't you prepare a room for her as well? Your Servant takes up space unlike my Archer, so you should give her a place to sleep. Well, I wouldn't mind if you guys shared the same bed." Sharing the bed... that means sleeping in the same bed, right? "Of course I won't! What are you saying while I'm not saying anything!? I wouldn't do such a thing, Saber is a girl...!" "―――You're missing the point, but oh well. That's what Shirou says, Saber. He says he doesn't like to be in the same room with a girl." "......" Not moving, Saber makes a difficult face. "That is not good, Shirou. Servants are to protect their Masters. The hours of sleep are the most crucial time for protecting you, so I cannot protect you unless I am in the same room." "I'm in more trouble even if you say that! What are you thinking, are you two really girls!?" "......" "......" Why? Why are you two looking silently at me like that? "...Hmm. Servants are Servants, so there's no need to treat them as humans. But I guess it's useless to tell Shirou that." "――――" My mouth, about to protest, stops. The weird feeling I had when talking with Tohsaka in the living room returns. ―――Actually. I've figured out the cause of this feeling. "...Hold on, Tohsaka. Since when did you start calling me by my name?" "Oh, am I? I wasn't really conscious of it, so it must have been a while ago." "...It was. I think you've been calling me that for a while." "I see. I'll be careful if you don't like that, but you don't like it?" Tohsaka says so plainly, without realizing how I'm feeling. ...Geez, it's just like you said, Issei. I think Tohsaka Rin is a real devil. "...Fine. Call me whatever you like. I don't care, whichever you prefer is fine." "Really? Then I'll do that." "Rin, please do not end the conversation. We have not come up with a solution to the matter of the room for Shirou and I." "Oh, of course, of course. But it'll be hard to stay in the same room with Shirou acting like that. There's no point in treating a Servant like a human, but why don't you give up, since Shirou doesn't want it?" "That is incorrect. Shirou only said it would trouble him, and he did not say he did not want it." "Well then. What do you say, Shirou?" "―――――" Hold on. Why, after only a day, does she keep on calling me Shirou like I'm a cat she found? ...No, that's not the problem, but Saber's room is. "Shirou, I will ask you again. It is a Servant's duty to guard you while you sleep. I believe you understand your position as a Master." Uh... even if you glare at me like that, I can't do it. "...No. I'll prepare a separate room for Saber. Um, I'll try to prepare one as close to mine as possible, so please be happy with that." "―――――" "S-Scaring me won't work! As a man, I won't surrender to you on this. Saber, you should understand your situation better...!" "Huh? That is why I am trying to protect my Master as a Servant―――" "No, I mean about yourself...! Geez, if you don't understand, that's fine! If you say any more, I'll make you obey using my Command Spell...!" I breathe out hard and intimidate Saber. "...It is troubling if you use your Command Spell for such a thing. Our future is doomed if you use one of the three rights to order me not to protect you." "Yeah. I'm sure Shirou would be the first and the last Master to do that." Don't be stupid. I don't want to use it for this either. "...I understand, I will follow my Master's plan. But what will you do when you are attacked by an enemy? Servants such as Assassin will close in without letting their presence become known. In such cases, will you be able to protect yourself until I arrive?" "Well―――" I can't claim I'll manage. I was able to against Lancer, but that luck won't repeat itself. "That would be impossible. This house has a boundary field that alerts us if an enemy enters. We won't be able to avoid a raid, but we should be able to detect a surprise attack. In that case, you would be able to protect him before he was attacked, so you can just go ahead and stay in a room you like." "...That is certainly true, but..." "How about next to Shirou's room? You're fine if she's not in your room, right, Emiya-kun?" She pronounces the "Emiya-kun" ostentatiously. "Tohsaka, that's just sophistry, you know?" "It's a sound argument because I'm making it for your sake. Well, which room should I choose?" Tohsaka walks to the house with her bag, as if telling us the conversation is over. She looks cheerful like a student picking her room on a field trip. "......" "―――" Perhaps because her actions are so selfish. Saber and I just see her off with blank amazement. We return to the main building. First of all, I should show her around the house so she can choose her own room. "This is the Japanese-style room. The back side has common rooms like the living room and the bathroom. And if you follow the open corridor to the outbuilding, you reach the guest rooms... It looks like Tohsaka went that way." I explain as I walk. Saber follows me silently without nodding. I'm not sure if she's listening or not. "The map of the house is fine. Where is Shirou's room?" "My room is this way. It's somewhat back there." "Then please guide me that way. I must talk to you privately." "Talk to me privately......?" So she doesn't want Tohsaka to hear it? Tohsaka is in the outbuilding, so I think this place is okay, but she is a Master after all. Someone could overhear us, so the open corridor is no place to talk secretly. "Here. This is my room." "Wha―――this is Shirou's room?" "Hm?" Saber is surprised the moment she walks in. "What? I don't think there's anything here that should be too surprising." "No, there is nothing here to surprise me, as there is nothing here. Is this really your room, Shirou?" "There's no point lying to you. I only come here to sleep, so it's natural there's nothing here." "...I see. I was surprised. I thought you were a more assorted person." Saber enters the Japanese-style room and touches the wall to check the feel of it. It is a soft gesture, as if she understands the object's memory just by touching it. "...I'm relieved. This is a desolate room, but that does not mean it is treated badly. This is a simple but warm place." "Warm? ...Well, I guess so. I don't know if it's how the house is built, but this place is cool during the summer and warm during the winter. My father always said I took the good room." "Yes, the room is the reflection of its owner, so I was worried about your spirit. But this will not change my impression of you now." Saber says this with relief, but I don't understand what she wants to say. "So? What did you want to talk privately about?" "It is a bad thing. Something I do not want the other Masters to know at the very least." "...Hm." Judging by her expression, the bad thing must be our weakness. "...I see. I see what you mean. I'll listen seriously, so go ahead." "Yes, about that... this probably is not something we can solve. We Servants maintain our body using the magical energy transferred from our Masters. That is why Servants require a Master. But―――" "...I'm an incomplete Master, so I don't have enough magical energy for you to maintain your body?" "No. It is not a problem if I receive even a small amount of magical energy from you. But I am not receiving any magical energy from you. The spiritual connection we ought to have is not present." "―――" So that means... I, as the gasoline, am not sending any fuel for Saber to work as an engine? "Saber, that's..." "It is not your fault. I believe something happened during my summoning. Some fault occurred, and the line that should have connected was not connected." "―――Some problem during the summoning..." When Saber appeared, it wasn't anything like a summoning. It was just an accident. Since she was summoned like that, it'd be strange if there weren't anything wrong with her. "...Hold on. Then what's going to happen? Since you can't replenish your magical energy, will you disappear?" "Yes. If I use up the magical energy I have, I will not be able to stay in this world." "I have battled three times already since my summoning. My healing ability is a regeneration magic, so magical energy consumption will increase if I take damage. ...Let me see, I used about ten mature magi's worth of magical energy last night." "―――" I'm astonished. Magical energy is reduced every time she fights and there's no way to restore it. If she already used up that much magical energy, how much longer can she stay in this world―――? "Do you understand, Master? So I must try to use my magical energy as little as possible. If no magical energy is provided, I must sleep and suppress my magical energy usage." "Sleep... um, will your magical energy replenish if you sleep?" "...I do not know. But at the very least, I will not consume any magical energy while I am asleep. So I wish for you to allow me to sleep as much as possible. I will not be able to constantly protect you, but I would like you to understand that this is a measure necessary for us to win." "Oh―――" I sigh with relief. ...Thank God. If that's all it is, I'll accept all she wants. "Of course that's all right. You can rest when you get tired. If that allows you to stay longer, that's so much better." "Then I will sleep often from now on, so please do not leave the house while I am doing so. If you are attacked somewhere far from here, I will not be able to come and protect you immediately." "It would be a different story if I could leap through space, but Servants with such an ability are rare. To call me from a distant place would require backup from the Command Spell, so I would like you to try to stay near me." "...Hm." As much as I'd like to do that, I can't nod. I can't imagine living with Saber, and most of all, I have my own life as well. "...I'll try. But are you sure that's all? If you sleep, you―――" "It should not be a problem. I cannot be certain since this has never happened to me, but I did not fight even seven times last time. Even if I do not defeat them, other Servants defeat other Servants." "I see. So not everyone has to fight all the other Servants. If all goes well, we can end this war pretty easily." The only people I am going to fight are those with inhuman attitudes. I'm sure that not all of the seven Masters are like that. Tohsaka is ready to fight, but she would follow the rules of the magi. So the five remaining Masters―――if they all have humane attitudes, I won't have to fight. Saber said she didn't even fight seven times last time, so this time――― "Huh?" Hold on. Even fight... seven times... last time? "Hold on, Saber. Um, was it Saber too last time? No, I mean, were you in the last Holy Grail War as well...!?" "This is the second time I have participated in the Holy Grail War. I was Saber too at that time. There are heroic spirits that attribute to several classes, but I only correspond to the class of Saber." "―――――" Tohsaka mentioned... That out of the seven, Saber is the most powerful Servant. And this girl is saying she has become that twice in a row. "Then... did you remain until the end last time?" "Of course. I had no constraints last time, so I did not fall to any Servants." Saber says this as if it's just something natural. That makes me realize even more, that I have been given a sword I do not deserve. "...Geez. Then you must be full of complaints with someone like me as your Master." "I only fulfill the duties given to me. If I can obtain the Holy Grail, I have no complaints about my Master." "I see. That's a relief, but still―――" She was undefeated last time, but she has already suffered two wounds this time. In her condition, unable to replenish magical energy, she always has to think about her remaining magical energy. The result of a battle with such a burden was... ...That image of her covered in blood. "―――――" That image is engraved in my mind. The image of a girl smaller than me, covered miserably in blood. "Shirou, such regret is useless." "Huh―――?" Saber's voice brings me back. When I raise my head, Saber's expression is serious. "It is not as if I suffered no defeat. I am your Servant now because I did not fully win. I am used to taking wounds, so it is not something you should mourn over." "Used to...? Even wounds close to fatal?" "Yes. To wield a sword means to take injury as well. That should be the same for you too. There is no reason for just me to avoid harm." "That's―――true. But are you saying that you don't mind getting hurt?" "If it does not result in death. If I die, I will not be able to protect my Master." "...What is that? So you're saying you don't mind getting hurt to protect your Master?" "That is the role of the Servant. ...Rin's words are certainly correct. There is no need to treat Servants as humans. We are a tool to protect our Master. You must understand that." Saying so, Saber walks to the sliding screen. Beyond it is the side room. This room was enough for me, so I never used it. "I will be getting some sleep. I will wake up at dinnertime, so please let me know if you are going outside." She quietly opens and closes the sliding door. ――We are a tool to protect our Master. You must understand that――― "...What is that?" That pisses me off. But I can't call out to her, so I just consider her words in my mind.

Scene 09 - Funny clothes
―――It should be about those clothes of hers. "By the way Saber. I want to ask you something." "Yes, what is it?" "Where did you get those clothes? I was surprised that you were wearing something different from yesterday." Actually, I'm still surprised. "They are something Rin has prepared for me. Since I cannot turn into spirit form, she gave me these so that I would not attract attention." "―――Oh, I see." "What about them?" "Well, yeah, um..." I try to say they look good on her, but I stop myself. If I said such a thing, I'd blush red as a tomato. "Shirou?" "Uh... um, well... yeah, um.... oh, yesterday's armor! Yeah, I was wondering what happened to the armor you were wearing yesterday!" "You do not need to worry about it. I have control of when I wear the armor, so I have it off while I am wearing these clothes. That armor is woven by my magical energy. I can call it forth as it is needed." "―――――" I can only sigh in admiration. ...Anyways, it is true that she would draw attention in her armor. So with the way Saber's dressed now, I should be able to persuade people in the neighborhood that she is a relative of Kiritsugu. ...Well, I would have to do so anyway.

Scene 10 - Saber`s circumstances
And then. I hear the sound of something heavy falling at the door. "Huh?" I turn around, wondering what it was. There... is Tohsaka with a big bag at her feet. "Huh―――?" My mind freezes. Tohsaka, who supposedly went home, is at my dojo, and she's wearing normal clothes for some reason, and why does she have that big bag―――? "...Huh? What are you here for, Tohsaka?" "I just went to go get my stuff from my house. It's natural, since I'll be living here from now on." "Wha...!!!!? L-Live... you mean you, living in my house...!!!?" "That's what cooperation means. ...What did you think our talk was about earlier?" "Uh―――――Uh." I'm so surprised I can't speak. Something. I have to say something back, or something terrible is going to happen, but my head will not function. "Where is my room? If you don't have one prepared, I'll choose one myself." Still, the unexpected invader mercilessly continues the discussion. "Ah――― hold on, that's―――" Isn't this bad, morally? Look, Tohsaka is the idol at my school. Just having her in my house will cause a panic, so having her live here would be crazy and Fuji-Nee would kill me. Or maybe she's planning to drive me insane to reduce the number of Masters...!? "Oh, why don't you prepare a room for her as well? Your Servant takes up space unlike my Archer, so you should give her a place to sleep. Well, I wouldn't mind if you guys shared the same bed." Sharing the bed... that means sleeping in the same bed, right? "Of course I won't! What are you saying while I'm not saying anything!? I wouldn't do such a thing, Saber is a girl...!" "―――You're missing the point, but oh well. That's what Shirou says, Saber. He says he doesn't like to be in the same room with a girl." "......" Not moving, Saber makes a difficult face. "That is not good, Shirou. Servants are to protect their Masters. The hours of sleep are the most crucial time for protecting you, so I cannot protect you unless I am in the same room." "I'm in more trouble even if you say that! What are you thinking, are you two really girls!?" "......" "......" Why? Why are you two looking silently at me like that? "...Hmm. Servants are Servants, so there's no need to treat them as humans. But I guess it's useless to tell Shirou that." "――――" My mouth, about to protest, stops. The weird feeling I had when talking with Tohsaka in the living room returns. ―――Actually. I've figured out the cause of this feeling. "...Hold on, Tohsaka. Since when did you start calling me by my name?" "Oh, am I? I wasn't really conscious of it, so it must have been a while ago." "...It was. I think you've been calling me that for a while." "I see. I'll be careful if you don't like that, but don't you like it?" Tohsaka says so plainly, without realizing what I'm feeling. ...Geez, it's just like you said, Issei. I think Tohsaka Rin is a real devil. "...Fine. Call me whatever you like. I don't care, whichever you prefer is fine." "Really? Then I'll do that." "Rin, please do not end the conversation. We have not come up with a solution to the matter of the room for Shirou and I." "Oh, of course, of course. But it'll be hard to stay in the same room with Shirou acting like that. There's no point in treating a Servant like a human, but why don't you give up since Shirou doesn't want it?" "That is incorrect. Shirou only said it would trouble him, and he did not say he did not want it." "Well then. What do you say, Shirou?" "―――――" Hold on. Why, after only a day, does she keep on calling me Shirou like I'm a cat she found? ...No, that's not the problem, but Saber's room is. "Shirou, I will ask you again. It is a Servant's duty to guard you while you sleep. I believe you understand your position as a Master." Uh... even if you glare at me like that, I can't do it. "...No. I'll prepare a separate room for Saber. Um, I'll try to prepare one as close to mine as possible, so please be happy with that." "―――――" "S-Scaring me won't work! As a man, I won't surrender to you on this. Saber, you should understand your situation better...!" "Huh? That is why I am trying to protect my Master as a Servant―――" "No, I mean about yourself...! Geez, if you don't understand, that's fine! If you say any more, I'll make you obey using my Command Spell...!" I breathe out hard and intimidate Saber. "...It is troubling if you use your Command Spell for such a thing. Our future is doomed if you use one of the three rights to order me not to protect you." "Yeah. I'm sure Shirou would be the first and the last Master to do that." Don't be stupid. I don't want to use it for this either. "...I understand, I will follow my Master's plan. But what will you do when you are attacked by an enemy? Servants such as Assassin will close in without letting their presence become known. In such cases, will you be able to protect yourself until I arrive?" "Well―――" I can't claim I'll manage. I was able to against Lancer, but that luck won't repeat itself. "That would be impossible. This house has a boundary field that alerts us if an enemy enters. We won't be able to avoid a raid, but we should be able to detect a surprise attack. In that case, you would be able to protect him before he was attacked, so you can just go ahead and stay in a room you like." "...That is certainly true, but..." "How about next to Shirou's room? You're fine if she's not in your room, right, Emiya-kun?" She pronounces the "Emiya-kun" ostentatiously. "Tohsaka, that's just sophistry, you know?" "It's a sound argument because I'm making it for your sake. Well, which room should I choose?" Tohsaka walks to the house with her bag, as if telling us the conversation is over. She looks cheerful like a student picking her room on a field trip. "......" "―――" Perhaps because her actions are so selfish. Saber and I just see her off with blank amazement. We return to the main building. First of all, I should show her around the house so she can choose her own room. "This is the Japanese-style room. The back side has common rooms like the living room and the bathroom. And if you follow the open corridor to the outbuilding, you reach the guest rooms... It looks like Tohsaka went that way." I explain as I walk. Saber follows me silently without nodding. I'm not sure if she's listening or not. "The map of the house is fine. Where is Shirou's room?" "My room is this way. It's somewhat back there." "Then please guide me that way. I must talk to you privately." "Talk to me privately......?" So she doesn't want Tohsaka to hear it? Tohsaka is in the outbuilding, so I think this place is okay, but she is a Master after all. Someone could overhear us, so the open corridor is no place to talk secretly. "Here. This is my room." "Wha―――this is Shirou's room?" "Hm?" Saber is surprised the moment she walks in. "What? I don't think there's anything here that should be too surprising." "No, there is nothing here to surprise me, as there is nothing here. Is this really your room, Shirou?" "There's no point lying to you. I only come here to sleep, so it's natural there's nothing here." "...I see. I was surprised. I thought you were a more assorted person." Saber enters the Japanese-style room and touches the wall to check the feel of it. It is a soft gesture, as if she understands the object's memory just by touching it. "...I'm relieved. This is a desolate room, but that does not mean it is treated badly. This is a simple but warm place." "Warm? ...Well, I guess so. I don't know if it's how the house is built, but this place is cool during the summer and warm during the winter. My father always said I took the good room." "Yes, the room is the reflection of its owner, so I was worried about your spirit. But this will not change my impression of you now." Saber says this with relief, but I don't understand what she wants to say. "So? What did you want to talk privately about?" "I have two things. Both are something I would like to keep a secret between us." "Well, I don't mind if you say so, but tell me what it's about. I can't tell if it's something good or bad." "They are both bad. At the very least, it is something I do not want other Masters finding out." "Hm." Judging by her expression, the bad thing must be our weakness. "...... I see. I see what you mean. I'll listen seriously, so go ahead." "Yes. First of all, I would like you to forgive me for not being able to accomplish the first obligation of a Servant." "Hm? The first obligation of a Servant?" "To tell you of my identity. Have you not heard about it from Rin?" "Tell me your identity―――oh, you mean your real name." Servants are heroic spirits. Their identities are heroes, famous in every age. They hide their identities and the scope of their power with their class names. A Servant's real name is something that should be kept hidden. But it is also something the Master must know. Because if one does not know which hero the Servant is, he does not know the Servant's potential. Master and Servant are one. They won't be able to fight fully if one keeps a secret from the other. ―――Well, that's just how it would be if I were a normal Master. Even if I knew Saber's real name, I wouldn't be able to come up with an effective plan. Most of all, I don't care about it. "Hm. I'm fine with that, but why?" "This is what I believe is for the best. No matter how hard you try to hide my name, there are many ways to take the information from you. Since your magic resistance is not high, mental intervention would be simple if the enemy was a superior magus. I would like to prepare for that, and not have my real name within your knowledge." "Oh, I see. That's right. I would give it right away if they used suggestion on me. All right, keep it a secret in that case." "It helps me if you say that. ...But then, I am not someone that famous. I should be a few ranks below Berserker, and it would not do too much even if my name were revealed...." Saber murmurs in regret. ...That's bit unexpected. Saber has some human characteristics, and she regrets being inferior to Berserker. "Isn't that alright? A trump is a trump because it's hidden. Your Master is weak like this, so I understand that you have to try everything. ...And Berserker, he's unfair. There's nothing to be ashamed of. And―――from my point of view, you aren't inferior. You had that big wound, yet you were exchanging blows straight on." "You are right. I suffered defeat last night, but the result should be different once my wound heals." "Right? Okay then, that's the end of the first matter. What's the second one about?" "Yes, about that... this probably is not something we can solve. We Servants maintain our body using the magical energy transferred from our Masters. That is why Servants require a Master. But―――" "...I'm an incomplete Master, so I don't have enough magical energy for you to maintain your body?" "No. It is not a problem if I receive even a small amount of magical energy from you. But I am not receiving any magical energy from you. The spiritual connection we ought to have is not present." "―――" So that means... I, as the gasoline, am not sending any fuel for Saber to work as an engine? "Saber, that's..." "It is not your fault. I believe something happened during my summoning. Some fault occurred, and the line that should have connected was not connected." "―――Some problem during the summoning..." When Saber appeared, it wasn't anything like a summoning. It was just an accident. Since she was summoned like that, it'd be strange if there weren't anything wrong with her. "...Hold on. Then what's going to happen? Since you can't replenish your magical energy, will you disappear?" "Yes. If I use up the magical energy I have, I will not be able to stay in this world." "I have battled three times already since my summoning. My healing ability is a regeneration magic, so magical energy consumption will increase if I take damage. ...Let me see, I used about ten mature magi's worth of magical energy last night." "―――" I'm astonished. Magical energy is reduced every time she fights and there's no way to restore it. If she already used up that much magical energy, how much longer can she stay in this world―――? "Do you understand, Master? So I must try to use my magical energy as little as possible. If no magical energy is provided, I must sleep and suppress my magical energy usage." "Sleep... um, will your magical energy replenish if you sleep?" "...I do not know. But at the very least, I will not consume any magical energy while I am asleep. So I wish for you to allow me to sleep as much as possible. I will not be able to constantly protect you, but I would like you to understand that this is a measure necessary for us to win." "Oh―――" I sigh with relief. ...Thank God. If that's all it is, I'll accept all she wants. "Of course that's all right. You can rest when you get tired. If that allows you to stay longer, that's so much better." "Then I will sleep often from now on, so please do not leave the house while I am doing so. If you are attacked somewhere far from here, I will not be able to come and protect you immediately." "It would be a different story if I could leap through space, but Servants with such an ability are rare. To call me from a distant place would require backup from the Command Spell, so I would like for you to try to stay near me." "...Hm." As much as I'd like to do that, I can't nod. I can't imagine living with Saber, and most of all, I have my own life as well. "...I'll try. But are you sure that's all? If you sleep, you―――" "It should not be a problem. I cannot be certain since this has never happened to me, but I did not fight even seven times last time. Even if I do not defeat them, other Servants defeat other Servants." "I see. So not everyone has to fight all the other Servants. If all goes well, we can end this war pretty easily." The only people I am going to fight are those with inhuman attitudes. I'm sure that not all of the seven Masters are like that. Tohsaka is ready to fight, but she would follow the rules of the magi. So the five remaining Masters―――if they all have humane attitudes, I won't have to fight. Saber said she didn't even fight seven times last time, so this time――― "Huh?" Hold on. Even fight... seven times... last time? "Hold on, Saber. Um, was it Saber too last time? No, I mean, were you in the last Holy Grail War as well...!?" "This is the second time I have participated in the Holy Grail War. I was Saber too at that time. There are heroic spirits that attribute to several classes, but I only correspond to the class of Saber." "―――――" Tohsaka mentioned... That out of the seven, Saber is the most powerful Servant. And this girl is saying she has become that twice in a row. "Then... did you remain until the end last time?" "Of course. I had no constraints last time, so I did not fall to any Servants." Saber says this as if it's just something natural. That makes me realize even more, that I have been given a sword I do not deserve. "...Geez. Then you must be full of complaints with someone like me as your Master." "I only fulfill the duties given to me. If I can obtain the Holy Grail, I have no complaints about my Master." "I see. That's a relief, but still―――" She was undefeated last time, but she has already suffered two wounds this time. In her condition, unable to replenish magical energy, she always has to think about her remaining magical energy. The result of a battle with such a burden was... ...That image of her covered in blood. "―――――" That image is engraved in my mind. The image of a girl smaller than me, covered miserably in blood. "Shirou, such regret is useless." "Huh―――?" Saber's voice brings me back. When I raise my head, Saber's expression is serious. "It is not as if I suffered no defeat. I am your Servant now because I did not fully win. I am used to taking wounds, so it is not something you should mourn over." "Used to...? Even wounds close to fatal?" "Yes. To wield a sword means to take injury as well. That should be the same for you too. There is no reason for just me to avoid harm." "That's―――true. But are you saying that you don't mind getting hurt?" "If it does not result in death. If I die, I will not be able to protect my Master." "...What is that? So you're saying you don't mind getting hurt to protect your Master?" "That is the role of the Servant. ...Rin's words are certainly correct. There is no need to treat Servants as humans. We are a tool to protect our Master. You must understand that." Saying so, Saber walks to the sliding screen. Beyond it is the side room. This room was enough for me, so I never used it. "I will be getting some sleep. I will wake up at dinnertime, so please let me know if you are going outside." She quietly opens and closes the sliding door. ――We are a tool to protect our Master. You must understand that――― "...What is that?" That pisses me off. But I can't call out to her, so I just consider her words in my mind.

Scene 11 - Buddy Saber, buddy Rin
I sit on the porch and look up at the blue sky absent-mindedly. I'm not like Saber who went to bed already during the day, but I need rest too. Even though my nausea has gone away, I still feel terrible. And on top of that, my shoulders are heavy from all the unexpected developments. "―――――Phew." I take a deep breath and look over the yard. I've heard what I needed to hear, but the fact that I still don't know anything doesn't change. My Senpai as a magus, and an official Master, Tohsaka is... "Hey, do you have an extra cushion? And a beaker and a protractor?" ...Is intently searching my house for things. "...You can take the cushion in the next room. But a normal household doesn't have beakers nor protractors." "Huh? I can't believe it. A magus should always keep experimental tools around." Leaving that complaint, she goes back to the outbuilding busily. "...I guess she's serious." I take another deep breath. I guess it has already been decided that Tohsaka is going to stay at my place. When I went over there earlier, there was a sign that said, "Remodeling in progress: Do not enter" on the door of the best room in there. "...Yeah. The outbuilding's pretty far away, so there's no problem." Just having Saber around causes some tension, so if Tohsaka was near me too, I wouldn't get any peace. Anyways, there's some distance between us. Even if we are connected by a hallway, it's just like a house next door, so nothing should happen unless I go there myself. ...Oh, but we'll see each other at meals. And we only have the one bath, so we'll have to decide how to use it. No, thinking about that, Saber is a girl, too, so――― "Idiot, what am I thinking...!?" Shaking my head, I lie down in the corridor. "―――Phew." I sigh once again and stare up at the sky. Maybe I'm tired, but doing all this makes me sleepy. "Man, just―――" ...Do what you like. Becoming desperate, I close my eyes. ...Maybe that comment helped. I fall asleep the moment I close my eyes. Later, Saber, Tohsaka, and I are in the living room. I just woke up. Saber was in this living room, and Tohsaka just finished her remodeling. By the way... This was the guest room a few hours ago. And now... "Shirou, how do you use the air conditioner?" The scene I saw when I was called was... ...This. "...Man." How can I put this... I think I may have allied with a terrible person. "......" I can't calm down. These two are complete outsiders. I rarely have guests at this house, so that must make the situation even stranger. No, first of all. The appearances of these two don't really fit this Japanese-style house. "......" Well, it's about seven o'clock now. Even though we're all in the living room, all of us staying quiet like this is not good for my mental well-being. "If you two don't mind, I'd like to talk about what to do from now on." "Hold on. I want to decide on something before that. All right?" "Uh―――sure. What is it?" "About dinner. Shirou, you live alone, right?" "...? Well, yeah." "Then you have cooked for yourself, right?" "Of course. I'll get hungry if I don't eat." "I see. Then I have a proposal. How about we take turns preparing dinner? We'll be living together for a while, so that should be helpful, right?" "...Hmm. You're right. I was thinking of continuing as usual, but if you're going to be living here, you're just like family. It's normal for you to cook, and it'll be easier on me too." "Then it's decided. So, let's say it's Shirou's turn today. It's late already, so let's have our meeting after dinner." "Huh? Well, I don't mind taking turns for dinner, but what are we going to do about breakfast? Will we be taking turns too?" "Oh, breakfast's fine. I don't eat breakfast." "―――What's that? Don't be ridiculous. You won't grow if you don't eat breakfast." "Mind your own business. Don't cut into my lifestyle. ...Anyways, you'll be preparing dinner! I won't talk unless you cook something good, okay?" Tohsaka glares at me irritatedly. "...All right. I'll make something... Saber, you're eating too, right?" "Certainly, if you will prepare some for me. Food is an important source of energy." "All right. Then be good, you two." I grab the apron and go to the kitchen. Fortunately, there's about three people's worth of ingredients in the refrigerator. I started cooking rice when I woke up, so it should be done in about half an hour. I glance at Tohsaka and Saber from the kitchen. "...Hm." They look like they'd prefer western meals over Japanese food. It's unlikely that Saber, let alone Tohsaka, will understand the tastes of tofu and natto. "No, more importantly, Saber might not be able to use chopsticks." I ponder this for a second, but I can't help it. There's only a limited range of dishes I can make with what's in the fridge. Anyways, there's some tofu. After thinking for a bit, I decide to make some deep-fried tofu. For soup, I'll make miso soup with seaweed and tofu. I have some chicken, so I'll make teriyaki out of it and make that the main dish. I drain the water off the tofu, season the chicken, and cut the Japanese white radish while I'm at it to make salad. I grate the white radish, cook some green peppers――― "Are your plans from now on determined, Rin?" "Who knows? I can't say much since I don't have any information, but I think it's most important to find out about the other Masters. There are four more Masters. I want to search for them without them realizing I'm a Master, but it probably won't go perfectly." ...Hm. I told them to be good, so what's with that dangerous conversation? Can't they see that I'm busy making dinner for the three of u―――no, they aren't even looking. "Tohsaka! Not four, five! The only Masters we know are you and me!" I yell, holding the big pot for the deep-fried tofu. "What are you talking about? You, me, and Ilyasviel makes three. Did you already forget about Berserker?" "―――Oh." ...Oh yeah, that girl is a Master too. Berserker was so strong that I forgot, but still―――I can't believe a girl that small is a Master who mercilessly tried to kill us. "I understand. You're you, so I bet you didn't see her as an enemy. It's fine, so concentrate on the cooking. It'll be a problem if I can't judge how good you are." "Uh?" I don't know how my cooking skill affects her, but what she says is correct. The preparation will be done soon, so I should concentrate on finishing dinner now. "Ilyasviel... you must mean Berserker's Master. "Rin, you seemed to know her." "...Yeah, I know her name. Einzbern is a magus family lineage that has almost made it to the Holy Grail a few times." "...So they are well-accustomed to the Holy Grail War?" "I would think so. I don't know about the others yet, but I can't be wrong in saying that Ilyasviel is our biggest obstacle. Usually, Berserker is a class chosen to strengthen a weak hero. It takes sanity away as compensation for strengthening the hero, but to control such an 'insane Servant' requires enormous amounts of magical energy.[l] For example, if you became Berserker―――" "I would not be able to talk like I am doing now. Removing all roles as a collaborator and specializing in battle is how Berserker is. But that is like subduing a wounded lion. A normal magus will not be able to control it." "I'll bet. A normal magus cannot control Berserker even when some minor hero becomes it. But Ilyasviel summoned a top-grade hero, made him Berserker, and controlled him completely. ...It's irritating, but her ability as a Master is on a completely different level." "...I feel the same way. Our current problem is that this exact Master is after us." "Yeah. My Archer hasn't healed enough to return to battle. How about you, Saber? Is your injury okay now?" "...It will not be a problem if I am to fight normally, but I am not healed enough to fight Berserker. The injury from the battle against Berserker is healed, but it seems it will take longer to heal the wound I received from Lancer." "I see. Then I guess all we can do is wait and see for now." "I have a suggestion about that. I hear Archer has sharp eyes. Would it be wise to have him keep watch around the house?" "That's what I've been planning to do. I'll have him keep watch on the roof, so we should know right away if anyone strange is approaching this place. This house has a boundary field that warns of intruders, so our defenses are perfect. ...Though, if Berserker comes and attacks us, all we can do is run." The two are continuing on without me. "―――" I'm a bit annoyed. I'm making dinner, so why are they talking without me? First of all, Tohsaka is too friendly with Saber. ...Well, it's true that Tohsaka isn't that friendly with me, so it helps if Saber talks to her, but―――― "―――Hm?" The face reflected in the glass of the kitchen cabinet looks disappointed. ...That's weird. Why am I angry? "―――All right." I prepare the dishes for the three of us and put the prepared dinner on the tray. I move to the living room. "Geez, don't talk about dangerous stuff during dinnertime." I put the tray in front of Tohsaka. "Huh? What are you angry about, Shirou? Oh, should I have at least helped carrying it out?" "I'm not angry. But weren't you not going to be friendly?" I glare at her. Tohsaka goes "huh?", and after that... ...Makes a frightening smile. "We were just deciding on the structure for cooperation. Don't worry, I won't steal your Saber." "―――!" I can tell my face is blushing. I can tell what I'm angry about after Tohsaka tells me. "Y-Y-You―――" "Oh, was I mistaken? Then I'm sorry, Emiya-kun." "Guh, you...... oh, just keep talking!" I retreat to the kitchen to get the rest of the food. ...Uhh, she really got me. Tohsaka is still smiling and Saber is expressionless as always. ...Man. I'm really worried about whether we can continue with this member... In that way, dinner starts. "―――――" I'm silent. With what happened earlier, it annoys me to talk to Tohsaka, and I'm too embarrassed to even look at Saber. "......" Saber eats dinner silently. Her gestures are elegant, and I can't possibly imagine she was swinging around a sword. And, well, how should I put this.... "...Hmm. ...Hmm, hmm." She nods every time she eats something she hasn't eaten before. Her gestures are strange. It must be her way of expressing that it's good. By the way, she is able to use the chopsticks. On the other hand, Tohsaka is... "All right, I'll win...!" She clenches her fist after taking a bite. "Fufu, wait until tomorrow, Emiya Shirou...!" She shakes her clenched fist. "―――――" God. Have I done something bad? "Um, about what you guys were talking about." "Hm?" The two both raise their heads. "―――" Hold on. Hold on hold on hold on hold on. Even one of them is enough to tense me up, so they shouldn't both react. "What are you referring to?" "...About what to do from now on. You guys were talking about it while I was cooking." "About searching for other Masters for now?" "Yeah, that. I was wondering what exactly you were going to do?" "Well... we can only look for them slowly. Oh, yeah. Can you at least sense other magi's presence? It'll be easy if that's the case." "No. I went to the same school as you for two years and I still didn't realize you were a magus, Tohsaka." "Just as I thought.... Well, that's fine. The others would be hiding their presence, so it should be impossible to find them from their traces anyways. How about you, Saber? I hear Servants can detect other Servants." "I can somewhat, but only when they are using their abilities nearby. In my case, I can only detect them within about a two hundred meter radius." "I see. Then we'll have to wait for their actions or find some place where it seems strange. If a Master acts, their traces should remain. So that means we are going to try to find those." "―――So, are you saying we should search throughout the town?" "No, you shouldn't do that. They'll be searching too, so that'll tell them right away that you're a Master." "For now, we shouldn't take the initiative until we are prepared. Go through life as you were and don't let them know that you're a Master. Hide the Command Spell so no one will see it. Try not to go to desolate places. Come home before dark. And, what else..." "Please try to take your Servant with you when you go outside. Can Archer guard you, Rin?" "I guess he can do that much. I'll have him ready in spirit form, so it should be okay. The problem is―――" "My Master." "Right. Are you listening, Shirou? Take Saber with you when you go anywhere. It's our rule to stay out of people's sight, but some idiot might attack us in the middle of the day. Have Saber with you in case of things like that." "―――All right. I'll try." I respond without interest. I understand what she's saying, but I'm resistant to being with Saber all the time. I feel nervous talking to Tohsaka, but Saber makes me even more nervous. ...No, it's wrong to say I'm nervous. I'm just bad at talking with Saber. "What is it?" "―――Nothing. I'll give you more, so give me your bowl." "No, I am fine. It was very good, Shirou." "―――!" I look away before I realize. ...I can't even look at her normally, so how can I stay with her all the time? "Oh, it's no good, though. Saber can't become a spirit, so she won't be able to follow you to school." "School...? Are you a student, Shirou?" "That's right... Oh, Saber isn't a student, so she can't enter the school.... She'll just have to stay here while I go to school." "...Can't you not go to school, Shirou?" "I can't. If you want me to live normally, I have to go to school. And there's no danger at school. There aren't many places with that many people." "But..." "It's all right, Saber. I'll be at school too, so I'll back him up in case of emergencies." "I'm saying there won't be any emergencies." So I declare. "...I understand. If Master says so, I will obey." Saber nods, though she looks discontent. The night wears on. It seems Tohsaka has prepared and taken her bath while I was cleaning up after dinner. Geez, it seems she's really selfish from her first day here. "...I should seize the initiative from now on..." I know that, but seizing the initiative from her seems really difficult. "...Man. On the subject of difficulties, there's one more that's giving me trouble..." No, rather, the main problem. Tohsaka will understand if I talk to her, but this person doesn't seem to understand however much I talk to her. "...Saber, huh? I know she's not a bad person but..." Saber is back in her room. Tohsaka should be resting in her room in the outbuilding. I'm the only one in the living room. There's still time until bedtime, so I should talk to Saber. ...Honestly, I have to get over my inability to talk to her, or I'm worried about our future. First of all, ignoring her being a Servant and all, she is a girl from a younger age. There are a lot of things I'll find out from talking to her, and most of all... "...I have to get used to her, or Tohsaka will constantly make fun of me..." Yeah, that's troubling. It's troubling, so I should be able to talk to her more lightheartedly.

Scene 12 - Is my Master aptitude low?
I return to my room. Next door, past this one small sheet, is Saber's room. "...Saber, are you awake?" "I am awake. Is something wrong, Master?" Opening the sliding screen silently, Saber enters. "―――Uh." I hold onto my heart, pounding from having her actually in front of me. ...Calm down. I'm just going to talk to her as a Master. "Shirou? You do not look so well. Have your wounds opened up?" "Uh―――no, that's not it. I'm fine already. Are you fine?" "Yes, there is no problem. With my current condition, it should take some time to fully heal, but I am still above my average. I should be able to match anyone other than Berserker." Saber declares so. It's not confidence or boasting. She is probably just telling the truth. "―――――" I have no response. Saber's statement should be encouraging to a Master, but I―――I don't want such a slender girl to fight. "Um... I'll ask you something. Don't you have any other objective other than fighting? You're in this time, so don't you have anything else you want to do?" "Other objectives...? I do not have any such things. Servants are only summoned to fight. Any other objectives are useless. Your statements are misdirected." I thought so. I'm pretty much asking one who was summoned to fight, not to fight. It's not that I want to tell her that. Well, how should I put this―――Saber is lacking in humanity. It would be fine if she were only going to fight, but she's in front of me as an actual person. So I can't allow her to just fight. If Saber is actually here, I have to have her do something she enjoys. "Hey, Saber. Servants are heroes from the past, right? So―――" I stop myself before I ask her what she was like before. '―――I cannot tell you my real name.'[r] Saber said that before as a secret between us. So even if I asked her about her past, she wouldn't answer. "Shirou? It is not good to stop what you have begun to say. I shall answer if it is necessary." "―――No, forget about it. I was just about to say something stupid." I say that, averting my gaze. ...It really was something stupid. I shouldn't have been interested in Saber's true identity, and she refused because she couldn't tell me. If I bring it up again, it will only prove that I'm a no-good Master, repeating a useless question. "......" But what else is there to talk about besides that? If I can't ask about Saber, the only thing that remains is about me. ...That would be even more meaningless though. "―――Hm." Now, I'm just gonna do what I want. If I can't ask about her true identity, I'll get ready to have her look at me strangely, and I'll ask about things such as what she likes and what she wants for breakfast and――― "Shirou. If you do not have any questions, may I ask you?" "Huh―――you can, but what?" "About yesterday. You were cut by Berserker while trying to save me. You remember that, is that correct?" "I remember... what? You want to continue this morning's conversation? I know it was a thoughtless action, so don't remind me about it. It makes me feel sick." "I feel the same way. But I feel that I must ask you to understand. Why did you stand up to Berserker? Did you not understand what might happen to you if you approached us?" "That's―――" I knew that. I understood that I'd be killed if I approached. But I didn't try to save Saber out of optimism that I'd be safe while doing so. ...Back then, all I thought about was saving Saber. I didn't care about what would happen afterwards. At that time, the most important thing for me was saving Saber. ...Probably, it was just that my fear of not being able to save Saber was greater than my fear of getting killed. "...Sorry, I've forgotten. It happened in an instant, so I don't know what I was thinking. I was probably confused. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do something so suicidal." Perhaps because Saber's eyes were so serious. I don't tell her the truth. I just say something to get out of this situation. "...So in other words, you automatically tried to save me?" "――It wasn't automatic. I told you, I was confused. If something like that happens again, I'll probably be trembling." "I see. That is normal for a human. No human would try to save another while ignoring their own life. Even heroes should be no exception to that." "So―――if someone like that exists, they would be lacking something. If he continued with that missing thing, only tragedy would await." "―――――" Her deep green eyes are trying to tell me something. ...I take that and... "―――You're persistent, Saber. I told you I was just confused. I'm scared of death too. I can't be a saint. ...If something like that happens again, I'll save myself before you." ...I deflect it with heartless words. "That is good. It should be no problem if it was just a misinterpretation on my part. Yes, you certainly are a coward. If you do not make any mistakes, you will become a proper magus." "Hey. What's with that? Do I look like a coward?" "Yes, very much so. Mostly the part where you try your best to accept the situation you are in. Such wisdom is sometimes called as cowardice. It is the same as saying that a man without fear cannot be wise." She must be relieved. Saber says this, smiling a bit. "―――――" That gesture is so lovely and elegant. Because of it, I cannot think of anything else to say, and we end up staying in the room together a while.

Scene 15 - Star in the fog
...And night falls. It's not like I need to talk to Saber or Tohsaka, so bedtime comes as usual. It's eleven o'clock. The lights in the house are turned off, and the people in it sleep to prepare for tomorrow. ...... ............ .................. "―――――I can't sleep." I open my eyes, still on my side. It's the room I've grown accustomed to sleeping in, but it's different today. "...Geez. Why can I―――" It's so quiet, so why can I hear Saber's breathing in the next room? No, I know. If it's so quiet, it's only natural for me to be able to hear what's going on in the next room, and being able to hear her sleeping makes me imagine her sleeping. "...Ugh, dammit...! I can't sleep like this...!" I'm tired of this hell. I climb out of the futon trying not to wake Saber, and I retreat to my usual place. "...Thank God. I thought Saber would notice, but she must be pretty dull." Or maybe she just sleeps deeply. I wonder for a moment whether she can really protect her Master like that, but there's no danger now. If Servants are connected to their Masters, she should wake up when her Master is in danger. "Tohsaka... seems to be asleep." The lights there are off. She must be defiant, or just adaptable. Tohsaka must have gotten used to this place in just a day. "...Well, it really does help having her around and all." Yeah, it helps, even if it's troubling sometimes. For example, the bandage wrapped around my hand. "Hide the Command Spell, huh? I didn't realize until she told me." The Command Spell a Master bears appears somewhere on their arm. In my case, it is on the back of my left hand. I can't hide it with my clothes, so I'm hiding it with a bandage, even though it looks unnatural. "...It's winter, so I'll wear something long over it." Tohsaka has hers around the middle of her right hand, or somewhere like that. They say the Command Spell is different for each Master, but I don't think I'll ever see Tohsaka's Command Spell. The shed is silent. This is the place where Lancer cornered me yesterday. And where Saber appeared. The door is still open and the inside is dark as if denying anyone's entry. But this darkness is familiar to me. The old building that I used to play in, the place you could call my real room, stands silently in the cold winter night. ...I enter. I close the door to shut out the outside air, and turn on the old stove. "Yeah, I considered skipping it just for today, but I shouldn't. Father would get mad at me if I skipped it two days in a row." I sit in the middle of the shed and take a deep breath. ...Training should be continued without rest. Magic is mental training for me, so I shouldn't neglect it for minor reasons. "Phew―――huh." ...I adjust my breathing and begin my training. Inside my head is the usual image. The image of the sword that appears in my empty head. "―――――" I ignore it and clear my mind. Once I let magical energy flow through me, it's the usual practice of "strengthening". The strengthening magic, which I succeeded at for the first time in a few years after being attacked by Lancer. I have to repeat it before I forget it, and make sure I master it, or it'll be a waste. "―――Trace, on." I half-close my eyes and release the contents of my lungs. ―――Right now, this is all. Everything goes away once I'm concentrating on this. The Holy Grail War, Saber, Tohsaka... If I empty my mind and forget all the doubts I have, I should be able to sleep tonight―――

Scene 18 - Contract established
...There's no choice from the start. There are too many things I don't know, and I'm unskilled as a magus. Even if it's temporary, if Tohsaka is going to give me a hand, I don't think there's any better option. "―――All right. I'll take that offer, Tohsaka. Honestly, it will really help me out if you do so." "Then it's decided. Let's shake hands. For now, let's stay allies until we beat Berserker." "Oh... I see. That's how it'll be, huh? I guess it can't be helped, but that's easier to understand." I shake her hand. ...I'm a bit perplexed. The instant I feel Tohsaka's soft hand, I realize she is a girl. In comparison, my hand covered in scratches from messing around with stuff is ill-suited. "―――" The instant I think so, I pull back, embarrassed. "What? You don't want to cooperate with me after all?" "―――No, it's not that. It's a real help to be able to ally with you. It's not that, so don't worry about it." After making a puzzled face, "Ohhhhh." She makes a malicious expression. "W-What? I'll take back the agreement if you say something stupid. I will. I really will!" "Was that the first time you've held a girl's hand? You seem to have lots of friends, but you're actually shy, Shirou." "N-No! It's not that, but..." I'm just embarrassed because it was Tohsaka... but I can never say such a thing, and certainly I have never touched a girl so strongly before. ...Well, Fuji-Nee is an exception. She's more like someone from a different planet than from a different sex. "―――Hey, hold on." Wasn't there something weird in what she just said...? "Ahaha, you really do show you feelings on your face like I've heard. Well, I won't ask you about it for now. It'll be a problem if I poke fun at you and you get sulky." "Then here's a deposit. I'll give you this, so think of it as proof of our alliance." Tohsaka puts a book on the table. It looks just like a diary. There's no title and it is wine-red. ...The color seems to suit Tohsaka. "It's my father's, but I'll give it to you since I don't need it anymore. It's not something a full Master needs, but I thought you might need it." Tohsaka's eyes tell me to take a look. "...Then excuse me." I open it to a random page. ―――Then. There's nothing written in the book, but a strange image pops into my head. "...!?? Tohsaka, what is this?" "It's the status of each of the Servants. You already know the Holy Grail War has its set of rules, right? It's the same for the Servants." "First of all, only seven heroic spirits are summoned. Those seven can be summoned only after they become one of the predetermined classes that the Holy Grail has prepared in advance. Instead of bringing the actual heroic spirit, it made a class similar to the spirit and called it into that." "Spiritual spells which call forth spirits put the spirit in the caster's body, right? It's like that. To call forth a spirit from a different timeframe, it's easier to prepare a case for them in advance." "Class... oh, that's why Saber is Saber!" "That's right. I told you, heroic spirits need to hide their identity, right? That's why they will never say their real names. Naturally, their summoned class becomes their name." "So, the seven classes prepared are:[vr] Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker." "There is a change in one or two of the classes every Holy Grail War, but we have a basic lineup this time. The standard opinion is that Saber is the best Servant. Each class has their own special characteristics, but the abilities of the Servants differ according to the rank of the heroic spirit summoned." "Rank of the heroic spirits... you mean how strong they were when they were alive?" "That also, but what strengthens their ability is their popularity. What they did and what weapons they had do not change, but their basic abilities change depending on how famous they are in this time. Heroic spirits are like gods, so they grow stronger the more people worship them." "I guess you can say it solidifies their presence. It's the same as divine spirits falling to the rank of spirits when they lose their faith. Heroes that are forgotten by the people do not have much power. But then, even if they are forgotten or unknown, if he was originally a powerful hero, then I think he can keep his powers to some extent." "...Then if it's a hero everyone knows, and if their story was extraordinary―――" "They would undoubtedly be a Rank A Servant. Berserker might be the strongest in that regard too. After all, he is the most famous hero in Greek mythology. The heroes from the age of gods have special Noble Phantasms just because of that, and if the hero itself is strong to add to that, there's nothing much we can do." "...Tohsaka. Um, what is this 'Noble Phantasm'?" "It's the symbol that the Servant used in their life. Heroes and their holy swords or demonic swords come as a set, right? So in other words, their weapons." "...? Weapons... you mean like Saber's invisible sword?" "Yeah. I don't know what history it has, but it certainly is her Noble Phantasm. I don't think I even need to say, but heroes cannot stay in a legend with just their names. They each have a weapon that became their trademark. That is the most powerful weapon, called a Noble Phantasm, the crystallization of people's desire for a miracle." "Hmm... so in short, a powerful magical item?" "Right. To be blunt, heroes themselves cannot match powerful spells or divine mysteries. But it's a different story when the Noble Phantasms come in. Heroes wielding Noble Phantasms can even defeat spirits of several ranks higher. It's because most holy and demonic swords appearing in legends are close to the level of sorcery." "Swords that kill dragons which are the most powerful fantasia race, shoes that run far and wide, and even god-killing demonic swords. ...Anyways, the weapons heroes have are so extraordinary, it makes you wonder how they cannot be all-mighty. I'm not overstating saying that the battle between Servants is concentrated in the battle between the Noble Phantasms." "...So, Servants that are heroic spirits have at least one Noble Phantasm?" "Yes. As a general rule, one hero can only hold one Noble Phantasm. Usually something like a sword or a spear. There's this weapon called the mountain-destroying sword in China, right? You can only swing it once, but it's a magical sword so one swing will even destroy a mountain and such. I think it's kind of like that." "However, Noble Phantasms are miracles that need to be activated by stating their true name, so it's not something they can use easily." "...? It's activated just by saying the weapon's name, right? Why would that mean it can't be used easily?" "Hey now, if you know the name of the weapon, you can also tell which hero the Servant is. A hero and his weapon come as a set, so once you know the name of the weapon, you naturally know the name of the owner. If that happens, you know every strength and weakness of that Servant." "I see. Certainly, that's true." Saber did work out Lancer's identity after he used his Noble Phantasm. Something like being Ireland's child of light... "―――Hm." So, if I summarize this... Servants are separated into classes, each of them a heroic spirit suited to their class. These heroic spirits hide their identity. And their weapons are their greatest trump card, but they cannot readily use them since they reveal their identity. "That concludes the lecture on Servants. You should learn the details if you read that book, so take a look at it when you have time. If you get used to it, you should be able to identify the Servant from intuition without the book." Saying that, Tohsaka stands up. "Well then, I'm heading home." "Huh? Yeah, thanks." I look up at Tohsaka, who's about to leave. "Don't take this the wrong way. Even though we're cooperating right now, in our position, we will eventually have to fight. Once all the other Masters are dead, or even if they are alive, this fact will not change. So―――it'll be easier if you don't think of me as human, Emiya-kun." Clearly stating our position, Tohsaka goes home.