#archery emiya

[kanamesengoku]

[blorbo-archers-tournament]

Round 2 - Match 8

[dbfcrossover]

Can you do it Emiya

[waffliesinyoface]

also since i haven't gone to bed yet, other characters' thoughts on trans-girl-shirou-emiya:

Taiga: shirou is her precious little sister. approximately 130% more jokes about shirou being a good housewife someday except they're not really jokes anymore are they? also thinks it's cute that shirou liked magical girls SO much she decided to become a girl. i know she's not actually that dumb but she does get caught up in her own brand of insanity that i think its entirely possible that she would very seriously tell shirou to be careful around boys, because pregnancy is no joke, shirou. it does not occur to either of them that shirou cannot actually become pregnant.

Sakura: im gonna be honest i dont entirely have a handle on sakura's inner monologue but i think this just makes her feelings for shirou way more complex but in New and Intersting ways but also i dont think she would realize for a long time that "being a lesbian" is like. possible.

Tohsaka: 1000% thought shirou was cis up until she comes over to stay at the emiya household at which point her entire brain screeches to a halt because "someone this pretty?? used to be a guy¹?? huh??" On non-UBW routes she eventually morphs into Halimede

Saber: gonna be honest i dont think saber cares about gender at all, and their relationship would be identical to canon

Ilya: Albrecht told her all about the "son" kiritsugu adopted but i think learning that shirou became kiritsugu's daughter instead (ignoring that transitioning only happened after kiritsugu died) would drive her insane. But also initially she wouldn't even realize who shirou was because she wasn't looking for a girl, so ilya'a first impression of shirou was "random nice girl". makes more housewife jokes than taiga does.

Shinji: the vibes are fucking atrocious

Ayako: is the closest thing FSN has to a butch lesbian. do the math. she wants shirou to come back to archery club so bad for reasons that definitely dont have anything to do with shirou's abs.

Archer: if archer transitioned too, their relationship is identical to canon. if archer didn't, then they're SO mad. so fucking mad.

Lancer: he was already kind of annoyed at having to kill shirou on the first night in canon, being ordered to kill a woman would leave a bad taste in his mouth. like he would still do it but he would complain, the whole time.

Rider: I know that shirou borrows books from her in Hollow Axtaria which is very cute. In this timeline some of those books are Books of Sapphos' Poetry. The dream sequence where she steals some mana is identical.

Caster: Honestly i feel like she would be transphobic. Like it just seems in line with her being awful.

Gilgamesh: if you thought he was sexist before you havent seen anything yet

Kirei: Honestly I feel like he would be happy for Shirou achieving some level of self actualization but this would not stop him from being The Worst

¹fsn takes place in the 90s, that is exactly the type of phrasing she would use

[cantheywinthehungergames]

Shirou Emiya from Fate/Stay Night, age 17.

Restrictions: no Magecraft, no Avalon, no Servants, no Reality Marble

Pros: really skilled with archery (he missed the target ONCE while in the Archery Club and called the miss before he shot), basic sword training, apparently pretty good at sepak takraw (look it up), extremely stubborn once he sets out to accomplish something, will not help those he feels brought their own ruin, chick magnet supreme.

Cons: Due to tremendous survivor's guilt, feels it is unfair to the deceased to prioritize his own needs before those of others. Only finds self-worth from helping people without any compensation, feeling that the very act “helping people” is its own reward. When it comes down to receiving an injury or even giving up his life to help someone, he will do it without a second thought. Will stubbornly defend his own viewpoints, no matter how wrong they may seem to others. Has made it his dream to become a "Hero of Justice" who will save everyone regardless of what happens to his own life.

Name: Shirou Emiya

Age: 17 (Fate/stay night)

Restrictions: No use of Magecraft or other superhuman abilities

[monstersqueen]

Story unlock in fha :

after the first cut scenes, (in any order)

talk with sakura at the matou residence (second day noon)

talk with unknow at church (third day noo)

get killed at the bridge

get killed by going out on the fourth night

after backnight 2 : (in any order)

talk to saber, caster, lancer, rider "About the holy grail war..."

saber : at night in the emiya residence, already available in the previous part

caster : in the temple at noon, first day(already available in the previous part)

lancer : any afternoon in the harbor (already available in the previous part)

rider : same as saber (but only available now)

get killed at the bridge with saber

get killed on the fourth night with saber

after 16 of the new scenes (not counting the patrols), you unlock a bunch of new scenes, including "cleaning with everyone", the second step to get rin back.

after backnight 3 :

first day morning, unknown in the shed (unlocked by getting killed at the bridge with saber, regardless of whether you've unlocked the 3rd backnight or not)

second day morning, unknown at the bridge (kid gil's identity) - unlocked in the previous part

unknown at church first day morning - unlocked in this part by the previous scene

at night in the storage room, unlocked by the previous scene

unknown temple rear woods second day noon - unlocked by the previous scene

defeat archer at night at the bridge

this doesn't unlock a cut scene, but it unlocks a bunch of new scenes + the bunch of scenes mentioned before.

for the next back night, you need now to get killed at the church with saber.

after backnight 4:

there's basically nothing new unlocked (just going out in miyama at night alone); you need to get rin back :

second day morning, unknown, tohsaka residence ("cleaning alone") : unlocked after BN2

second day morning, unknown, tohsaka residence ("cleaning with everyone") : unlocked by the previous scene + either defeating archer or playing 16 scenes unlocked by BN2

at night, sakura "that's right, the letter" : unlocked by previous scene

yeah, you can play those long before bazette kills you at the church. rin won't come back until she does though.

though that doesn't unlock a cutscene. the next two cutscenes can be unlocked in any order.

to get the next backnight : just ask tohsaka for advice at night.

to get "Forest" : you need to :

talk with sakura in the archery range the third day morning (bunch of scenes after 16 BN2)

talk with rin at the archery range the first day morning (rin back + previous scene)

talk with issei fourth day noon in the student council room (rin back + previous scene)

go to the training camp + follow caren

after backnight 5 + forest

basically, now we wait for bazett to come at home. that happens on the first morning after :

talkign to caren on the first day morning at church once and twice (unlocked by forest)

talking to caster on the second day at noon in the temple (after talking to caren once)

>you can do those before BN5 but ater forest : bazett will come immediately following BN5

after backnight 6

talk thrice to caren church first day morning

talk to rin at night (about london) - unlocked by previous scene

go to the twin house any afternoon - unlocked by previous scene

ask lancer for his help at the harbor any afternoon

go alone (with lancer) to church at night

lancer will disappear from the harbor after that.

after backnight 7

it's a little complicated. my memory and my notes aren't clear. I know you need :

caren 5

date with saber at school

unknown bridge first day morning (it's archer. unlocked by forest)

unknown bridge third day morning (rin this time. unlocked right now. no other locks, i think)

For the date with saber at school :

first day afterschool , Good work today - available after BN2

taiga day 2 morning in the living room - unlocked by the previous scene + Forest + caren 2

you can go on a date with saber at school after that scene.

for caren 5 you need :

caren 4

talk to illya about the holy grail war in the einzbern salon the fourth day at noon

one of those two scenes unlock the other but my notes are contradictory. it's possible you need to date for saber for one of those two.

off to test it, i guess

[roseofcards90]

Okay TWO THINGS my mind is still rotating around after finishing the Fate route:

- Kiritsugu’s connection with the Einzbern family and especially Illya: while I do understand that Kiritsugu destroyed the holy grail in the last war which would cause the family to hate him (since well they’re one of the 3 major families connected to the start of this whole thing and are the ones providing the vessel for the grail), there’s probably a lot more to this than just what happened at the end of the 4th war. This line in particular with Illya still makes me question if she had more of a connection with Kiritsugu because imo it implies more of a personal grudge against Shirou as opposed to just being “oh yeah I know your dad destroyed the grail my family was involved with trying to get in the last war” especially with the way Illya personally targets Shirou in the beginning (not only with her calling him “onii-chan” but also the “I have to hurt you more and teach you how wonderful your life was up until now” - does she mean to imply that her life was not great for some reason and thus is jealous of Shirou? But why be jealous of him then specifically?) that it leads me to believe there’s a lot more to Kiritsugu than what was revealed in the Fate route that influenced Illya having a deeper hatred for Shirou that we see in the beginning of Fate.

- Rin’s connection with Sakura: this is purely inspired by Rin’s actions with Sakura that I’ve noticed thus far -> 1: her looking out for her in the prologue is a big one because Fate introduces Rin as someone wearing a mask: at school, she’s cold and aloof and mysterious but as we see her thoughts throughout the prologue, she’s concerned for Sakura’s well being. She visits her during archery practice, helps her pick up the papers she dropped, and is alarmed when she sees her with some dude she’s obviously uncomfortable with and doesn’t know. And especially this one, THE MOST INTERESTING THING TO ME is that when Rin stumbles upon Shirou about to die, her thoughts aren’t “I’ll revive this guy because I like him” but rather “I’ll revive this guy because Sakura would be sad if he died, because he is the object of Sakura’s affections” like hmmm 🤔🤔🤔 why do you care so much about Sakura’s feelings in the first place, Rin?

2: Rin also acts different with Sakura, almost as if she was associated with her before compared to seeing her befriend Shirou and Saber for the first time, Rin refers to her by her first name as opposed to when she first met Shirou where she initially called him “Emiya-kun”, and what really strikes me as interesting (I don’t have the screenshot here) is that Rin was willing to eat the breakfast Sakura made, even though she’s isn’t a person who typically eats breakfast. I don’t think it was just Rin being courteous either, I think it was because Sakura made it that she was willing to eat it. This leads me to believe that Rin and Sakura knew each other in the past, maybe old/childhood friends I’m guessing? Or someone Rin was associated with and close with before, so much so that she breaks her mask for her and looks out for her well being and safety. Idk it just really stands out to me because normally Rin would be all “it’s not like I care or anything!” and then she would deny she cares, but she’s much more upfront about how much she cares when it comes to Sakura that she doesn’t even try to hide it from Shirou and everyone else presumably. So I at least believe that Rin was close to Sakura before and that is why she acts differently with her compared to the others.

[whathasangramainyudonewrong]

What other servants does Angra like to hang out with, besides Bazett and Caren? :3

I know you sent this over a month ago and I’m sorry it took me this long to get to this but it was genuinely difficult to find the answer to your question!

Angra has developed a lot of relationships since his initial summoning, however, many of those relationships are based on what can only be assumed to be his primary goal of being an absolute and utter menace to the whole of Chaldea, and I believe there is a difference between “Being a menace” and “Enjoying someone’s company”

So, based on my observations, here’s an (incomplete) list of servants that Angra enjoys spending time with:

Murasaki: Angra enjoys spending time in the library reading, so as our resident librarian, Murasaki sees him quite a bit and will listen to him talk about what he’s reading, and can recommend him other things to read

Scheherazade: Angra enjoys the types of stories she tells, and since he’s not a king in any respects, Scheherazade doesn’t have a reason to be worried or scared around him

Summer Jeanne: While this is more of a technicality because of Jeanne’s “Big Sis” beam and Reece XP, he does willingly spend time with her, so we’ll just count it

Arjuna: Angra’s still taking archery lessons from him, and there have been no further skewering attempts, so there’s that

Kiara: The relationship here is more “Therapist and Client” than friends, but I’m hopeful that this will benefit Angra, and maybe Kiara too

Emiya (Archer): If I’m being honest, I have no idea if Angra enjoys his company or if he just takes special pleasure in tormenting the man

Nobbu: I can only assume they feed off of each other’s chaos in an endless loop that would surely create something powerful enough to tear apart the universe if left unchecked

Blackbeard: They read/watch a few different series’s together, although Angra seems to prefer reading them when he can, which has lead to him spoiling Blackbeard on future plot points and twists more than once (Personally, I also think he finds the whole demonic persona that Teach put on in life to be pretty cool)

The kid servants (Bunyan, Nursery Rhyme, Jack, Voyager, Abby, etc.): While he tends to show preference to Jack because they have similar attitudes towards violence, he’s generally pretty chill with the kids and enjoys playing with them (although usually that means playing pranks on everyone else)

Cù Alter: While Angra definitely has some connection with Cù Chulainn, he seems much closer to Cù Alter, and they seem to have an understanding of sorts; they don’t really talk much, but they seem perfectly content to spend time together in silence

In evidence of that last one, I have this picture of the two of them in the library

(It makes me happy to see him so relaxed like this; I hope he keeps making friends)

[crossoverheaven]

[derekscorner]

Fated Rantings: Unaware of Loss, Nor aware of Gain.

I had intended for this to be the initial post on my Fate Unlimited Blade Works thoughts but that post was quickly taken over by the mindset of Shirou Emiya and his battle with Archer.

I will likely find issues with that post in the future due to not fitting in every impression I had or because I was annoyed with wording. It was very difficult to put into words due to the way Shirou & Archer argue in circles due to their self-admitted hypocritical nature.

But now that it is out of my system lets talk about the other fun things Unlimited Blade Works (which I'll call UBW here on) did with it's story.

If you're curious about part one: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/post/740386958269890560/fated-rantings-bone-of-the-sword#notes

Let's gooooooo-

Leading Lady

Even though she is the lead for this adaption I covered her little in the first post despite her and Shirou's budding romance.

Given my Saber obsession some will likely expect me to hate her but I don't truth be told. I love how Shirou helps Saber in the Fate route but I'm not a man who is a shipper. (I actually think very ill of it)

Anyone watching a Fate anime should go in expecting differences anyway since Shirou's focus is a different girl per route and adaption.

And Rin Tohsaka is a rather likable character. She's more bratty or "tsundere" here but I expected that. To be honest her being so chill in Fate 06 was a surprise due to her reputation for this behavior.

She's by no means overly exaggerated compared to the trope nor is she mean. She's actually a rather kind hearted girl.

Now this may be conjecture on my part but I think her even bothering with school shows a bit of that kind nature. Hell, I was surprised when Shirou mentioned it because I didn't even question her student life. Shirou's right, She has no reason to go.

She's a mage, heiress to a very old family, she doesn't truly need to be there. As of writing this I have yet to watch Heaven's Feel and there may be dialogue I forgot from UBW (I'm trying to remember and put to word a lot here) but I suspect she goes to school to keep watch over Sakura.

I know more than UBW explains due to lore videos and watching Fate/Zero but the series does showcase this.

She's unsure how to approach Sakura, she even seeks justification by asking Shirou a hypothetical about a family sending a daughter away through adoption, and she often goes to the archery club to watch Sakura.

There's a lot there that I expect Heaven's Feel to show me but within the frame of UBW I see that as her primary reason to bother with school.

I mean, there may also be some aspects of loneliness or her crush on Shirou at play as well but it's interesting that she'd choose to bother.

That's just one example as well. She's constantly making excuses to keep Shirou alive and around in every route. Some would chalk that up to her own feelings but she does that early on specifically because Sakura likes Shirou.

Usually her outbursts are due to shyness or embarrassment. She's, quite frankly, a bad liar. When Shirou does something stupid the disgust is very visible on her face. When she's talking too or even about Kirei the disgust is aubible.

I almost forget that she has a bitchy or cold school image half the time. Hell, after typing this I wonder how she even pulled that off...then again maybe she just believes she's pulled it off.

She never interacts with people and once Shirou is pulled into her circle there's a constant and visible confusion at how she's acting by her peers.

Her dynamic with Shirou is also fun to watch progress. She gets annoyed at him often but opens up as time goes on. Her headstrong personality never falters but I did like seeing her acting more normal. Not as a mage but as a kid.

When it starts she's constantly annoyed at Shirou but that's only until she learns that he was raised as a person. She assumed he was a mage but Kiritsugu didn't make him one. She still gets annoyed sure but she's more willing to explain when she knows he's going in blind.

She even makes an efforts to know or help him by the end of season one like with that date episode. They're both dorky kids about it but it is sweet to see although I do wish the story put a bit more focus on her learning that he was the only survivor of the Fuyuki fire.

Perhaps what I liked most was that despite her feelings she always made sure to tell him the facts of a situation. The flaws in his worldview or the idiocy of an idea. That bluntness is born out of concern as well but it's also just logical, sensible.

Her goal once the war was over was trying to convince him that his life has worth. The epilogue episode shows this and I found it a genuinely kind-heated thing to focus on.

Especially when she and the viewer both know that Shirou's likely doomed to be Archer anyway.

Overall she takes no shit from anyone, can be a little petty, and at times I wonder if she herself is too kind to be a mage. I can now see why she's so popular, she could probably carry a Fate story all on her own if I'm being honest.

I would love a Fate story where she managed to summon Saber and Shirou doesn't exist. She's a proud individual but she has heart. There's even Fate material you could make a story like her dismantling the Greater Grail years after the 5th war. (yes that's a thing)

I know the El Melloi novels or manga have her appearing doing mage things too.

...to be honest I don't know what else to say. This is a good character, I'd like to see more.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I love that she actually kicked Casters ass in a literal sense. She just jumped her and started to karate her, it was hilarious.

Other things

Rin and Shirou aside, Fate UBW had several other things that stood out to me. I'm not sure there's enough there to work into paragraphs like above or with the previous post but I do want to mention them.

Such as Iilya. I expected to see more of her in UBW but such limitations are natural when adapting a visual novel with multiple routes I guess. That or they assume you’re using Zero as context for UBW.

The grail going out of its way to ruin Iilya’s childhood is kinda fucked up as well. I can't tell if that's Angra Minu being spiteful toward Kiritsugu or if it just enjoys breaking a child's mind.

I also appreciated the Berserker fight early in season one. It was great to see a more even fight between him and Saber. His job of berserker is so on point it hurts.

He once murdered his family due a Hera induced madness and now he's protecting a traumatized child in a similar madness. I infer his drive to protect her to that legend.

I also must give Fate props for continuing to make great use of making a tragic mythology story even more tragic.

The gender swaps and "coomer" bait art the series is known for is one thing but Fate also just does a great job at using the legends of a spirit to make them more tragic.

Caster in particular was a great sub villain I thought. I got annoyed when she stole Saber but knowing her legend as I do and seeing her backstory also makes her pitable.

She's visibly not okay with being called a witch and seems to have terrible luck with men. Even when it's outside her control the world will summon her to a waste of a man for a master.

Her and her masters sub plot was sad but I found that love genuine. He had trouble seeing himself as human but I think his dedication to her was very worthy of a humanity he can't see.

Caster also never betrayed her master once. She did thinks hoping to appease him but she never lied and neither did he reprimand her for anything. Even if he didn't know why he was perfectly willing to help her with anything.

They're both damaged people but he's the type of man Medea deserved in life. I even went to look up clips of them from Carnival Phantasm after I finished UBW.

Then there was Lancer. This man, THIS MAN, deserves a break. I did not expect UBW to make me like him as much as I did given how little he actually shows up.

I know he's doomed to fail in any adaption of Fate/Stay Night due to Kirei's actions but I'd still like to see him get a decent partner in one story.

I didn't mention it back then but I found his reaction to Kirei and Gilgamesh's scheme in Fate 06 moral. Cu Chulainn has a morality that shows itself in UBW as well when he decides to save Rin just because he likes her and Shirou.

He's like an uncle. He finds them hilarious when forming an alliance which is a comedy trio that I still did not know I needed till I saw it.

I also liked him killing Kirei in this story. The bastard deserved worse, some may wonder why he died so easily, but keep in mind that Lancers spear is cursed.

Even if Kirei's heart stopped in Fate/Zero it wont change the fact that having your heart pierced by Gae Bulg is to be cursed by it.

I also liked seeing him use runes. People forget that he was trained in rune magic while alive.

Then there's Gilgamesh

Right off the bat I'll state that I like him as a villain in UBW more than I did in the Fate Route. His obsession with Saber is...well I'm not sure how to put it into words.

Hollow I guess? I dunno.

It may be that I just find myself agreeing with his goal in UBW. His distaste for the modern era, the direction humanity has taken. It's hard to not feel an apathy or boredom with our modern world.

For Gilgamesh this annoyance is amplified. It's not stated in UBW but he is the reason the Age of Gods ended sooner than later. He has clairvoyance and while alive he saw a future of humanity moving past their planet to the stars.

With that in mind and spite against the gods he severed that link. If you play FGO and reach Babylonia, Uruk, you see how he ran his kingdom too.

When he goes on about superfluous or people knowing value in themselves he means it. This does not make him or his actions ok but I do get it.

He made a bet and humanity has let him down.

Original vs Fake

Then there's the other big highlight of UBW, his battle with Shirou.

This battle is interesting for a variety of reasons due to how Shirou's existence contrasts to his own.

In his fight with Archer they had this somewhat poetic undertone of the two meshing. Archer, devoid a master, is losing mana and weakening.

In contrast, Shirou is learning Archer's muscle memory and past as their blades clash. He's getting better as they battle. Of course, Archer could end it at any point but he doesn't because he feels like he'll lose in another way if he doesn't kick his own ass in a fair fight.

It's humorous, it shows stubbornness in both but also acts like a metaphor of the past and future syncing up. It shows they're the same person despite how much they hate each other.

While the battle with Gilgamesh is a stomp as you would expect it to be. Gilgamesh is a real hero, the oldest hero we have on written record. Shirou is the fake wishing to be a hero.

Shirou does not deny this either. Gilgamesh calls him a fake as an insult but Shirou claims it. In this battle, its Shirou speaking the truth and that angers Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh can't stand the fact that someone who imitates could be a threat to him. Of course, many will argue that Shirou isn't but I am not about to dive into the Gilgamesh power scaling debates. I'm too old for that DBZ banter.

In truth, Gilgamesh loses this battle solely because of his arrogance. Had Gilgamesh recognized this Shirou for the threat he was and used Ea to atomize him he would have won. But he didn't, he could not accept that he'd need Ea to win when even Heracles fell to his treasury of weapons.

I'll even agree with Shirou here. He does make a good argument that Gilgamesh is a fake in his own way. He's a king, and while Shirou is wrong about him not being a warrior, it is true that Gilgamesh never mastered one weapon.

His treasury is his weapon. The originals, the stuff noble phantasms would later be based on. He's proud of that collection so seeing Shirou's imitations is highly offensive to the king because he knows that could be a problem deep down.

Against most spirits Gilgamesh will ruin them easily, by his own admission Shirou's unlimited blade works would falter quickly against any true hero who's mastered a single weapon, but in a highly specific circumstance these two abilities cancel out.

It's akin to rock paper scissors or even pokemon typing...perhaps a better example is the devil fruit weaknesses in One Piece.

Unlimited Blade Works is a hard counter to the Gate of Babylon. So long as Shirou has the mana he can copy and negate the weapons Gilgamesh throws at him.

The very notion of this, the very fact that a fake can be as good as the original, is no doubt the most insulting truth Gilgamesh can't deny.

Heck, you could even argue Gilgamesh would've won had he donned his armor or used his chains but that's moot as well. The point his his arrogance lost him this battle.

The Gates of Babylon may not be his only weapon but that's what he relied on because he hated that Unlimited Blade Works could match it.

Seiba & Archer

The final thing that stuck out to me, at least one worthy of extensive words, is Saber's reaction to Archer's reveal.

You’d expect Shirou to argue but he simply listens. Instead it is Saber who talks here. Or perhaps the better word is she ‘inquired’ his beliefs.

While watching her do so I began to find it more like she’s trying to defend her own ideals by proxy in this scene.

The Fate Route works because she and shirou have that commonalty in idealism. Yet she also shares the regret Archer does for their mistakes in life.

UBW isnt the Fate route so she hasnt been set free from that mindset...at least not yet. Its clear she sees value in Shirou’s nature, perhaps due to that common self sacrificial nature but they never sit down and go into detail. Their friendship is close but it doesn't grow into the love that saves them both in Fate.

More interesting in this scene is that she cant find a good way to counter him, he even points out the similarity to her life to silence her protests when she tries. It's not a shouting match but it's clear she can't counter...and it makes sense why.

She can’t refute Archer's words because some part of her believes it. Whether she's right or wrong for doing so is obviously debatable but that may be a post on it's own...I'll have to think on that it.

I will say that I was happy to see Archers confrontation with Shirou helped her in some unseen way.

It may not be as focused on in UBW but I would’ve been sad if she left this route still tormented.

Conclusion

At the end of the day Unlimited Blade Works is a damn good show. I will admit I didn't feel as sucked into it as I was with Fate 2006 or Fate/Zero but I do see why it's the favorite for many.

I do wish the Fate Route would get another animation after watching this. I think my draw to Fate/Stay Night specifically is Saber herself and I feel most attached to a story that focuses on her.

I do like other Fate stories not related to FSN but that's that and this is this. I hope we one day get that Fate route remake.

Next time I tackle Heaven's Feel.

===========================

For my other experiences with Fate go here: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/tagged/fated-rantings

[cantillat]

Alright, I decided to take a page from Andre and write about Fuyuki. (yes, I'm linking his post because it is good shit and you should learn more about Stilwater)

It is never stated the specific province in Japan where Fuyuki is located, only that it is tucked away in a mountain range, in a bay area and it is split right in the middle by the Mion river. The town’s namesake, Winter Tree, comes from the fact that the winters are supposed to be long but they don’t seem to be particularly harsh.

The west side of the town is called Miyama Town (Miyama-cho) and it is where the older houses are located. There is an intersection road that connects to many different areas of the town: the northern part of the district is the traditional Japanese district, the foreign district to the south, the road to the Homurahara Academy and the commercial district.

The Emiya residence is located in the Japanese district, atop of a hill. At the time of the construction of the house the zoning weren’t very well defined so the place ended up being a mansion. His place is actually referred as the samurai house. (In FGO, it is the Unknown Coordinates X-A in Singularity F)  Most houses in this neighborhood are what one would expect from Japanese suburban architecture, one or two stores small residences with a small garden, with the odd mansion here and there. The Fujimuras also have a mansion in that district, old man Raiga is the local yakuza boss. His son-in-law practices sumo and his granddaughter is the English teacher at a local high school.

The foreign district is the southern residential area. Perhaps because of its proximity to the sea there was an influx of people from overseas and the town seems to be friendly towards the Christian faith (which is uncommon in Japan) but they eventually died out or simply became integrated with the general population. It is where you can find the Tohsaka and the Matou residence. (In FGO, Tohsaka Residence is the crater in Unknown Coordinates X-B) Many of the buildings follow what you'd call a Victorian style and other western architecture and they can range from small mansions to regular residences as well.

In between the two residential districts there is the commercial area known as Mount Miyama. It has a number of shops like a flower shop, the fishmonger and a number of stalls and markets, mostly small businesses. You can find the Koushuuensaikan Taizan, the only Chinese Restaurant in that part of the town and it is famous for its extremely spicy food. There is also the Edomaeya, a food stall with its popular taiyaki and the Singing Birds Retreat, an antique shop. If you keep walking towards the Bridge you'll arrive at the old downtown area that has many larger shops and other commodities. The old city hall and administrative facilities used to be there but were moved to Shinto.

The Homurahara Academy is its main high school and the location of the associated middle school is never revealed. The Yatsushirodai Elementary School is located just outside Fuyuki in the rural area. Homurahara has an outstanding archery range that is a rather large building next to the woods surrounding the area. (In FGO it is the Unknown Coordinates X-F)

To the west there is the Mount Enzou, a sacred mountain that has the convergence of all of the city’s leylines in the southwest area. The Ryuudou temple is located atop of the area, its characteristics means that beings having a spiritual body can only enter throughout its front gates. Underneath the temple area there is a cavern that is one of the possible point to summon the Holy Grail. Following a trail behind the temple leads to the graveyard.

South to the temple there is a large forest area, where the Einzbern castle is located. It has a boundary field and it can’t be found by ordinary people. (In FGO, it is the Unknown Coordinates X-G)

There is a park alongside the river right next to the large bridge that connects the two towns that forms Fuyuki City.

Shinto (aka New Town) is the newer district located to the east. Around 1990s the area had a major investment to modernize the city, starting a large-scale redevelopment funded by the local government. The City Hall was moved from Miyama, soon a shopping mall was constructed and many buildings followed. The Central Building is the highest building in Fuyuki, located about 4 kilometers (about 2 and a half miles) from the bridge and became a focal point of the town in the properly named Centerville Neighborhood. The Hyatt Hotel is also located nearby and was rebuilt after being partially destroyed in 1994. The Fuyuki Civic Center was supposed to be the crown jewel of the urban development plan along with the Central Building at the cost of 8 billion yen, covering 6600 square meters with four floors and one basement. However, a massive fire completely destroyed the area in 1994 and 134 nearby buildings. Instead of rebuilding the Civic Center, it was turned into the Fuyuki Central Park.

The area around the park underwent a quick rebuilding process but the Central Park itself isn’t very popular. In fact, it is a little underdeveloped if compared to other smaller parks scattered around town. According to Archer the grudges of the people who died there in 1994 still lingers, causing an effect similar to a Reality Marble. In layman's terms, that means the place could be called "haunted" by normal people or at least have a similar sensation.

Close to the Central Station there is Copenhagen, a liquor shop that also operates as a pub and redistributes supplies to some locations. Nearby there is also the largest shopping mall in town, named Verde. It has a movie theater, a bookshop (called Azumi), a tea shop and the largest stuffed animal store is also located there (called Fancy Shop). From the Station it is also possible to reach Waku Waku Splash, a large indoors pool complex that opened in 2004.

Also in Shinto there is a residential district named Kurokizaka that is known for its many buildings, including the Semina Apartments and other similar complexes. Around 2004 there was a murder-disappearing case in the building.

To the north there is the harbor, the town receives a large amount of shipments from the continent and other areas. It is also a prime spot for fishing.

To the south it is possible to find the church and the foreigners graveyard. The church has a living area upstairs and a rather large basement. (In FGO it is the Unknown Coordinates X-E)

Maybe I'm going to make a post with a brief story of the town, both with information for common people and for mages. But this is the general gist of everything. Tumblr also messed the masonry of this post somehow, many of the images were supposed to be in a grid and I'm sorry for that.

[votestaynight]

2nd Day "One day II"/3rd Day "long day, long night" (Scene 1)

I'm worried about the conversation I had this morning, so I've made my way to the archery club before I knew it. "Geez, what am I doing?" According to Mitsuzuri, Tohsaka Rin comes here often. Well, I really don't care about that, but I know that Shinji getting angry at her is going to be a problem.

"…Shinji just doesn't stop when he gets angry…." It's bad if Shinji gets violent just because she turned him down. …I don't know why it's bad, it's just bad. It makes me feel bad just thinking about it, so I have to stop it from happening.

"Oh, Tohsaka's not here." Tohsaka isn't around. Mitsuzuri's worries were needless.

"Oh, who's not here?" "…!!" I spin around.

"So… who's not here?" And there's Issei, whom I just left behind.

"Oh, i-it's you, Issei. Don't scare me like that." "Well, you were looking at the dojo suspiciously. So, who's not there?" "Tohsaka. I heard that she had an argument with Shinji yesterday, so I came to see how things were."

"Oh wow, that is suspicious. You gave your reasons without being asked. I only asked you who wasn't here."

"…! W-What? What I do shouldn't concern you."

"Yes, that's right. But it's useless, Emiya. Tohsaka won't be here. That's because she intentionally skipped school today." "What?" Skipped school… so, she was absent today?

"I see, she's absent… wait, Issei. How can you say she skipped school? I don't think she'd do such a thing." "Of course she will. She won't catch a cold. As I see it, she's evil. You'll be eaten if you let her looks deceive you, Emiya."

"Hm." Somehow, Issei's words annoy me. It's true that I don't know her, but I can't imagine that she's a bad person.

"You're going too far, Issei. Tohsaka can't be like that."

"Hmm? What, you're after Tohsaka too? Oh, I'm sorry. Please ignore what I just said." "…!" A-After Tohsaka!? Who said anything like that!?

"D-Don't jump to conclusions! I just thought it'd be bad if Shinji got into trouble again."

"So you were planning to stop Shinji if he attacked Tohsaka, huh? You're playing an unrewarded role again. …I don't really care, but you have a bad taste, Emiya."

"It's not unrewarded since I haven't done it. But Issei, didn't you say something strange?" "Huh? You mean that going after Tohsaka is in bad taste?"

"Yeah. Tohsaka is really popular. I haven't heard any bad rumors about her." "Yes, none. And that's exactly what I don't like about it." Issei looks away, snorting.

"What don't you like about it?" "Everything. The woman is a fox, a schoolgirl, a monster. I just don't like her physiologically. I won't say anything bad, but you should try to hate her too."

"Issei, don't you always say we shouldn't talk badly of people behind their backs?" "Idiot, this doesn't count as talking behind their back. I'm speaking so that she can hear it."

Ah, no wonder I feel someone's eyes from the archery dojo. …Thank God. I'm so glad Tohsaka is absent today.

"Please, Issei. Please restrict yourself to talking behind people's backs." "All right, if you say so. But I wasn't insulting her at all. I was only saying that I'm on guard against her. That should be within my rights."

"But you were saying things like monster and fox…" …And I think the term schoolgirl is discrimination.

"No, that was just praise. There are good foxes and monsters too. I only applied the terms to describe Tohsaka." "Katsu." Issei laughs.

"Well, I'll be going. I'm going back to the student council room, but you're going to work, right? You shouldn't have time to play around like this."

He must feel refreshed now that he's said everything he wanted, as he leaves calmly. I've known him for 2 years now, but I still don't understand his personality.

Twenty minutes after taking the bus from my school, I arrive at the neighboring town of Shinto across the bridge.

"…Oh, it's not five o'clock yet? I guess I still have some time." Miyama City is a residential district, so it's hard to find part-time jobs there, but the developing Shinto has many available. The school rules allow for part-time jobs, so I work a few easy ones.

Within them, I prefer hard physical labor that ends as quickly as possible. It's killing two birds with one stone, as it builds my body while I get paid for it.

Today's job is a simple loading job from five to eight o'clock. Even though it's only three hours, there's six hours worth of work to do. They make you run around without a minute's rest.

So I should rest when I can, even if it's just for ten minutes. It's a waste of energy walking around until my job, so I guess I'll rest in the park.

This park among the buildings is like a big field. A park should be filled with people like families and lovers on weekends, but it's empty here now. No… this place is always desolate.

"This place is the same as always." I'm a bit sad. The utterly neglected ground looks awful compared to the neatly organized surroundings. The desolate area makes the wind feel cold. This is the remains of the conflagration ten years ago, and this is the place where I was saved from burning to death.

"I wonder why they don't plant grass here. It's a waste to keep it like this." It's a large area, so if they retiled it, the park would get bigger. Thinking absent-mindedly, I sit down on a bench.

"――――――――" I stare at the burned land to pass the time. I don't remember what happened here back then. I probably don't remember because I was a kid, and it wouldn't have been an easy scene to memorize. All I can remember is that it was hot and I couldn't breathe. And that people died trying to save others.

"I wonder why…." For example, an adult that tried to save a child from a burning house. He saved the child, but died in its place. For example, there were people who had their throats burned, but they gave what little water they had to one guy, and the others died. For example, there was someone who ran alone to get away from the fire as fast as possible, and everyone that he passed on the way died.

And for example… People who died because they gave away something that was saving them, only to save others they didn't even know.

"……" I didn't like things like that. It makes me mad that those who tried hard were sacrificed. Am I greedy to want an ending where everybody is safe and happy? All I wanted was to see people relax peacefully, so why couldn't I manage such a simple thing?

'That's difficult. What you want is to save everyone.'

Kiritsugu answered so to the question I asked as a child. Of course, as a child, I denied it. Because Kiritsugu saved me. I knew he was a sorcerer who could do anything. I knew he was a superhero who couldn't ignore people in need, who saved them for no benefit. So, I believed Kiritsugu could have saved everyone back then.

When I told him that, he made a troubled expression and said something that I remember to this day.

'Shirou, saving one person means not saving another. Look, a superhero can only save the people he has saved. It's obvious, but that is the definition of a superhero.'

I understand that. It's obvious, now that he's said it. Let's say there's a robber and some hostages, and the robber intends to kill the hostages. With normal methods, most of the hostages will be killed.

Even if you use a miraculous method to save all the hostages, there will still be one person who isn't saved. That, of course, is the robber whose hostages were rescued. The people a superhero saves are only those he decides to save. That's why even God cannot save everyone.

"All the more so if it's a natural disaster. No one could have saved everyone." The fire ten years ago was like that. It's not something I, who was miraculously saved from it, can talk about now.

"But I don't want that." I don't want such a thing. I don't want help that has a limited capacity. You have to help, no matter how impossible it is. I can't stand to have strangers dying around me like back then.

So, if I had been there ten years ago, even if it was impossible, I would have gone into the fire and… "I would certainly have died in vain." That's for certain. Geez, I'm hopeless.

"Gah, it's already five o'clock." The five o'clock bell rings. I stand up and quickly make my way to my work.

When my job's done, the sun has already set. It's a bit before eight. I finished ten minutes early because I worked too hard. It seems I worked frantically since I went to that place before work.

Here in front of the station, the night's just getting started. There are lots of people, and a constant flow of cars on the road. The buildings are still lit up, and just looking at them makes me feel like I'm watching a grand festival of illumination.

"I guess I don't have to buy anything for Fuji-Nee." I walk while looking up at the lighted building. It's the biggest building in Shinto, so I can't see the top clearly. I just gaze up the building, just enjoying the night's scenery… "…?" …When I think I see something out of place.

"What was that?" I stop and stare at the rooftop. I focus my eyes, looking at the thing as small as a grain of rice.

"…What the…" It looks like someone I know.

Why is she there? What would she be doing there? With her long hair fluttering and doing nothing, she looks down at the town.

"……" It doesn't seem like she notices me down here. No, there's no way she could see me. She's so high up that I, with better eyesight than most, can barely see her by improving my vision with magical energy. I can recognize her since she's standing there alone, but there's no way she would notice me down here among all these people.

She's just looking down at the town. Maybe she's looking for something, as I can feel her sharp stare even down here. "……" I forget about time and keep looking up at the girl standing in the sky. She is on top of a tall tower. She's like a witch, looking down at the earth with the moon behind her.

"Oh…" And then. She must be done with whatever she was doing, as she disappears. Her figure has disappeared and the scene returns to the beautiful view of the night. "That was Tohsaka, right?"

I have no proof, but I think I'm right. There aren't many girls with looks that stand out that much, and more than that, I'm not stupid enough to mistake a girl I secretly admire.

"…I see. But still…" Well, it's… Tohsaka sure has strange hobbies.

Unlike Shinto, there's no one in Miyama City. 　 After eight o'clock, there are no people around, and the town is terribly quiet.

At the junction is the house I saw this morning. There's no sign of people, and the door has a "do not enter" sign.

…After only one day, the house is as quiet as an abandoned building. Parents and older sister killed by the burglar. What kind of life remains for the child left behind?

"――――" I bite my lip, feeling powerless. Even after swearing to become like Kiritsugu, I can't do anything about something that happened so close by. Even though I want to help someone, in the end, I don't even know what I can do.

I climb the hill and reach the Emiya house. The lights are still on, so Sakura or Fuji-Nee must still be there.

"I'm home… Oh, just you, Fuji-Nee?" "Hm? Oh, welcome home, Shirou." Fuji-Nee turns around, munching on a rice cracker. The TV shows a loud variety show.

"Geez, coming home at a time like this again… I told you to come home early since it gets dark early in the winter." "I am home early. I'm taking part-time jobs that finish at eight, so don't be so unreasonable. …So, where's Sakura? It looks like dinner's ready, but…"

"Sakura-chan went home early. She said she had something to do today, so she just cooked dinner and left." Fuji-Nee says so happily. As far as she's concerned, anyone who cooks for her is a good person.

"I see. That might be a good idea for a while. It's been dangerous recently, so maybe I should just cook dinner myself until next term." "What? I protest! You come home so late, Shirou. If you don't cook until after that, we won't eat until after ten."

"…Hold on. Can't you just eat at home?" "What? I am at home." Fuji-Nee seems puzzled. Honestly, I'm not sure if that makes me happy or sad.

"…Alright, I understand. I can't exactly expect you to cook for yourself, can I? …Anyways, what's that thing by your feet? Don't tell me you've been picking up junk again."

Fuji-Nee has a terrible habit of leaving junk at my place. Large bowls from restaurants, a heavy teapot she got in the shopping district, a strange guitar that plays by itself… I think she thinks of this place as some kind of a warehouse.

"Let me see. I'll throw it away if it's junk." "This? Uh, it's a poster that was left over at my place…." Fuji-Nee hands me the poster. It's probably some infamous idol or something.

"Let's see…" Here we have, a military-style guy with his thumbs up, on a cheap looking blue sky background. In letters like blood, it reads: "Love's Lovely Ranger Land. Please join the Self-Defense Force"[r] …Hold on, this is an army recruiting poster…!

"I don't want it, so you can have it." "Whoa, I don't want this either!" I roll up the poster and hit Fuji-Nee with it.

"Heheh, missed." But. Fuji-Nee deflects my attack with a poster she had hidden, and counterattacks mercilessly. Bam. The poster lightly knocks my――――

"Guhhh!?" Stars! I saw stars!

"Heheh, don't imagine you can hit me with your skills. You need to practice more." "Guh… t-that's not the problem. What was that? Why does a poster make a crash like that…?" Could this be the skill of a master…!?

"Huh? Oh, sorry, this poster is the special first edition made from steel plate. …Shirou, is your head all right…?" "…Fuji-Nee, your personality is going to kill someone one day…"

"Hehe. I'm not worried. Shirou would marry me if that happened." "Huh, I completely refuse. I have no intention of marrying such a thoughtless killer."

"Hey… I don't think I'm that dangerous of a person." "I knew it. So it's true that people never know themselves." How true, how true. I'll have to watch out or I'll be killed.

"Huh, just keep saying that. Anyways, I'm hungry, Shirou. I've waited all this time, so let's have dinner." Fuji-Nee stands up. …How strange. Fuji-Nee is helping out (even if it's only setting up the dishes). She must be really hungry.

"Okay. Then you can get the dishes out. You can pour rice, right?" "I can. Hey, Shirou, can I use a bowl?" "I guess so. Sakura isn't here today, so there'll be some left over anyway." "All right. I'll use the same for you, then." Fuji-Nee pours rice into two bowls.

"……" Oh well. I was going to have seconds anyway. And besides, if I argue with Fuji-Nee, she'll take my dinner away. And to add… Chaotic dinners like this have been common scenes for many years now.

…The day ends. Finishing a rowdy dinner and seeing Fuji-Nee off, I take a bath. After that, I practice my daily routine in the shed. I complete it as usual and go to sleep. It is one in the morning. The day ends peacefully without any troubles.

I'm in a fire. Collapsing buildings and burning people. No matter how far I run, the scenery is always red. This is a vision of ten years ago. A memory of the distant past I haven't remembered in a while. I run through it, as if recreating the scene.

There's no escape even though I know it's a dream. I run, run, keep running. In the end, where I end up is how I'm saved after running out of energy.

"―――――" I wake up with a bad feeling. A feeling like a metal weight is inside my chest. I feel my forehead and find that I'm sweating a lot even though it's winter.

"…Oh, it's already this late?" It's already past six o'clock. From the kitchen, I can hear the sound of the kitchen knife cutting something. "Sakura is early as usual." There's no time to be impressed. I have to get ready quickly and go help fix breakfast.

"Shirou, what are you gonna do today? Will you be working this afternoon cause it's Saturday?" "No, I don't have work today. I think I'll be doing something with Issei. Why?" "Oh, nothing. I just hoped you might come and visit me at the dojo today. I'm in a pinch this month." "Hm? In a pinch? What is?"

"My wallet. I'd be really happy if someone made me lunch." "I refuse. It's your own fault, so you should skip a meal once in a while." "Heh, I'm not expecting anything from Shirou. The only one I'm depending on is Sakura-chan. Right, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes. If you don't mind having the same lunch as me, I can prepare one." "Yep, fine, fine. Let's eat lunch together today then."

Breakfast continues as usual. Today, along with the usual, there's simmered lotus root with chicken. I don't think she has to make anything this elaborate for breakfast, but I think she made a lot of it to take for lunch too. Sakura is a member of the archery club, and Fuji-Nee is in charge of the archery club. It's natural for them to share lunches.

"Oh yeah, Shirou, you were late this morning. Did something happen?" Fuji-Nee looks at me, sipping her miso soup. …Geez. She's usually slow, but she gets sharp only at times like this.

"I had a dream about my past. I just woke up grouchy, that's all." "I see, nothing unusual. I'm relieved." Fuji-Nee ends the conversation like she's not interested. I'm not worried at all about it either, so I shouldn't get mad about it.

Ten years ago. I used to have nightmares back when I couldn't get the fire out of my mind. But I saw less of it as time passed, and I'm well over it now that I can let it slide even after dreaming about it. …But I guess it was pretty bad back then. Since Fuji-Nee has been here since that time, she's sensitive to my change.

"Shirou, are you not hungry? You don't happen to have no appetite this morning, right?" "I am hungry. I'm fine, so don't try to take my food using my dream as an excuse." "Man, I'm glad you've gotten so strong, but personally, I wish you were more delicate."

"That's my line. I wish you'd be more sweet." We make fun of each other without looking at each other. That proves my liveliness, and Fuji-Nee laughs with relief.

"…Heh." To be honest, I'm glad she's worrying. But she'll be elated if I thank her, so I act like I'm discontented. "Hm?" Not knowing the circumstances, Sakura looks puzzled at the way we're acting.

After Fuji-Nee leaves, we lock the house and leave.

"Senpai, I won't be able to come and help out from tonight until Monday. Is that all right?" "Hm? That's all right. It's the weekend anyways. You should be hanging out with your friends, so don't worry about it."

"Huh? No, that's not it…! It's not like that. It's just a personal errand, and I'll be attending the club too! S-So you can come to the dojo if anything comes up! I'm not going off to play because it's the weekend, so please don't misunderstand me."

"…Huh?" Sakura's acting suspicious, and she looks very tense. I don't really understand what she wants to say, but I guess she just means she can't come over this weekend.

"Okay. I'll go to the dojo if something comes up." "Yes, it will make me happy if you do so." Sakura looks relieved. And when she looks down, her face suddenly stiffens.

"Senpai, your hand." "Hm?" Sakura is staring at my left hand. Looking down at it, it's bleeding.

"Huh?" I pull up my sleeve. There is certainly blood there.

"What's this? Maybe I cut it while fixing something last night." But it doesn't hurt at all. There's just a welt on there. The welt goes straight from my shoulder down to the hand, and it looks kind of like a small snake running from my shoulder to my hand.

"Well, I don't feel any pain, so it should go away quickly. Don't worry, it's nothing." "…Yes, if you say so." Perhaps she's feeling bad from seeing the blood, as Sakura looks away and falls silent.

I leave Sakura, who has club activities, and head to the school building. The schoolyard is full of spirited students running around.

"……" But still, there's something oddly wrong here. The school is like it always is. The students at morning practice are lively, and the new school building is spotless.

"…Maybe it's just my imagination." But when I close my eyes, the air completely changes. The school building is covered with stains like membranes, and the students running around the schoolyard seem like empty dolls.

"…Maybe I'm just tired." I shake my head to clear it. I head to the lifeless building.

School ends early on Saturdays. Classes end before noon, and after I finish helping Issei afterwards, the sun is starting to set. "Well, let's head home." I pack up and leave my classroom.

And then. "Oh, you're still here, Emiya?" I bump into Shinji. There are a couple of girls behind him, being rowdy.

"You were still here even though you had nothing to do? Oh yeah, you were sticking up for the student council again, right? I envy you. You can get good reports from the school without doing any club activities." "I'm not helping the student council. It's only natural for a student to fix the school equipment, right? After all, we're the ones using them."

"Heh, keep talking like that. For you, everything is natural. Didn't I tell you that I hate how you act like a good kid?" "Hm? …Sorry, I don't remember that. I thought that was just the sort of thing you say, so I didn't really notice it."

"…!! Heh, fine. Then you're going to fix everything at this school?" "Fixing everything would be impossible. The most I can do is take care of things."

"All right, then do me a favor. Our archery club is in kind of a mess right now.[l] It's a bit disordered, and some of the bows need strings attached. If you have time, can you do that too? You used to be a member. Don't just stick to the student council, and you should be useful to us sometimes as well."

"What? Senpai, didn't Fujimura-Sensei tell you to do that?" "That's right. You'll be scolded tomorrow if you don't do it properly." "But the shop will close if I start cleaning now. It's fine if he does it, right?" "I don't know. Besides, an outsider wouldn't know how." "Are you sure? Shinji said he used to be in the archery club, so we can let him do it."

They're getting rowdy behind Shinji. It seems they're in the archery club, but they must be members that Shinji recruited recently as I don't know them.

"I'll leave it to you, then. The key's in the usual place, so go ahead. You don't mind, right Emiya?" "No. I have some free time, so this isn't a bad thing to do once in a while." "Haha, thanks! Let's go, everyone. He says he'll do the boring chores for us!"

"Oh, wait Senpai! Oh yes, please take care of the cleaning, Senpai."

The cleaning ends quite easily as I know the place well. It took a while as it is quite big, but it was fun cleaning the place I used until a year and a half ago.

I picked up a bow thinking it might be okay to shoot just once, but since it wasn't mine, I decided not to. If I ever want to, I can just bring my own bow and come here.

"…But there are so many more carbon bows now. There was only one when I was in my first year."

Carbon-based bows are good, unlike wood and plastic bows. But the biggest problem is the price, and they're not something we could buy with the club budget. Back then, Shinji was the only one using it… are the new members rich too?

"…What a waste. You can modify a wooden bow a lot more."

Well, I guess that's personal taste right there. When I look at the clock, it's way past curfew. It's a little after seven o'clock. The gates should be closed by now, so there's no reason to rush now.

…But still. Was this dojo always this dirty? There are loads of places that look unkept.

"…Well, another hour or two won't matter now that I've done this much." I've started this, so I'll finish the job.

The wind is blowing. It's so cold that my cheeks are getting numb. …Fuyuki City isn't usually cold during the winter, but it is cold tonight of all nights.

"――――――――" My breath hangs around as a white cloud. I wrap up my body to hold off the cold.

"No wonder it's dark… the moon's behind the clouds." There's no light in the sky when I look up. Because of the strong winds, the clouds are moving fast. It's past curfew and there's no sign of life in the empty school.

It seems this place is filled only with chill, as it's all silent. "…?" Just now… I think I hear something.

"―――I do hear something. Is it coming from the school grounds…?" This night. I must have been curious about the sound that broke the silence. To investigate it, I find myself heading there even though I somehow know that I mustn't.

I go to the schoolyard. "…People?" Well, they only look like that from a distance. It's a dark night with no light. If I want to know more, I'll have to go closer to the schoolyard.

I can hear the sounds louder now. It's the sound of metal hitting metal. That must mean someone is fighting with weapons there.

"…That's stupid. What the hell am I thinking…?" I dismiss the image from my mind with a bitter smile and walk on.

―――At that time. Maybe my instincts noticed the danger, as I hid myself as I approached. I don't know if this is fortunate or not. But anyways, when I get by a tree that is big enough to hide myself, I take a closer look at the source of the sound―――― My mind stops completely.

"――――What the…" There's something strange there. A man in red and a man in blue. They are dangerously armed, and as their ominous appearance suggests, they are actually slashing at each other.

I can't understand. I can't follow them with my eyes. My brain does not work properly, faced with their impossible movements. But the clang of their weapons tells me they are trying to kill each other.

"――――――――" I just knew immediately when I saw them… They are not human. They are probably just things that look like humans. I can tell not because I'm learning magic. Anyone would realize they're not human. After all, humans can't move like that. So they are something no one should associate with. "――――――――" I can feel their murderous intent even from a distance. …I'm going to die. My body understands faster than my brain that I will definitely die if I stay here. That's why my heart is racing so fast. As a living thing like them, I sense that they're living things made only to kill. "――――――――" …They're using weapons made only to kill. I remember the murder yesterday. They said the family was killed with some weapon like a sword. "…!" I shouldn't watch any longer. But my body won't follow my commands and I can't even breathe. My mind wants to run away, but my judgment tells me I'll be seen the moment I run away. …More than the conflict within me, my body is just numb. Even though I'm a good forty meters away, I can't breathe properly, and it's like I have a spear pointed right at my back. "――――――――" The sounds stop. The figures separate and stand facing each other. The moment I feel relief at the end of their battle, I sense an even stronger intention to kill.

"……!!" My heart stops. The numbness in my body becomes convulsions, and I clench my teeth to try to hold my trembling body.

"What the hell is he!?" An overwhelming amount of magical energy is flowing into the guy in blue. Kiritsugu showed me once what it's like to draw in magical energy from the surroundings. It was a beautiful magic that impressed even an amateur like me.

But that thing is different. Just as even the simple task of drinking water could seem ugly if it goes too far, what he is doing is so excessive that anyone with knowledge of magical energy would hate it.

"――――――――" He's going to die. The guy in red is going to die. It's a blow with that much concentrated magical energy. There's no way he'll be able to survive it.

He'll die. He's not human, so something merely like a human will die. That is…

That's…

That's… something I can just ignore?

That doubt takes my mind off of them. The binds on my body disappear, and the instant I take a deep breath… "Who's there!?" The guy in blue stares at me, who's hiding.

"…!!" The blue guy's body sinks. Just that motion tells me that I'm his target now.

"Ahhh…!" My legs start running automatically. I finally realize that it is an action to escape death, and I put all the energy in my body into running away.

I don't know how fast I run, but before I know it, I'm in the school building.

"How stupid of me." I regret my actions, panting heavily. I should have run into town to get away. What am I doing, fleeing to such a deserted place?

And a school, of all things. Isn't there some better place to hide than here? Anyways, why do I think I'll be killed if I don't escape?

"Haa――――Haa, haa…" My heart aches from running so much. Turning around, I can sense nothing pursuing me. The only sound in the air is the sound of my footsteps.

"Ah… haa, haa." So, I can finally rest. I stop my feet, unable to take another step, send oxygen to my pumping heart, and look up to finally realize that I am safe.

"…Man… what was that…?" I recall the scene from earlier while catching my breath. Anyway, I'm sure that it wasn't something I should have seen.

Some things like humans were fighting in the school grounds. That's all I can remember. But there was something else I saw, out of the corner of my eye. "…Wasn't there someone else too…?" But I can't remember what that figure looked like. To be honest, I didn't have the composure to notice anything other than those two fighting.

"Well, anyways…" "The chase is over, right?" The voice comes from right in front of me.

"Yo. You ran pretty far." He speaks in a friendly tone.

"……" I can't breathe. My brain stops, and even though I cannot think… …I vaguely understand that I am going to die.

"You know better than anyone that you can't escape, right? People who get killed are usually like that. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You don't have to feel ashamed." The lance is casually raised.

"You were just unlucky, kid. Well, you saw us, so die." And the man's lance mercilessly pierces Emiya Shirou's heart.

There wasn't even time to dodge it. All the training I did was for nothing. I knew I was going to be killed. I knew I was going to be pierced by that lance, yet I could not move at all.

"Aa… ah." The world distorts. My body grows cold. Feeling vanishes from my fingertips. "Gah…" I cough up blood, once.

More blood should have come up, but it only happens once. Perhaps the man's lance is special. The blood slowly clots and the heart that should have exploded stops working with just a single pierce.

"――――――――" I can't see well. There's no feeling in me. I feel like a jellyfish floating in the dark sea at night. I don't feel any pain already. The world is white, and only I am black. So, rather than feeling like I'm dead, it's more like the world around me has disappeared.

I know this. I felt this ten years ago. This is how someone feels when dying.

"Dead men tell no tales. It's only natural for the weak to die, but…" I cannot concentrate on my vision.

"Man, you really make me do unpleasant jobs. It's a joke that a hero is acting like this." I can only hear voices.

"I know, I have no complaints. I saw the girl's Servant, so I'll go back." A voice filled with irritation. And after that, I hear footsteps running through the hallway.

"Archer, huh? I want to finish the match with him, but I have to follow my Master's plan. …Geez, I don't like him." The voice suddenly disappears. I guess he jumped out of a window or something. And after that…

Footsteps approach me and stop. In that brief period. …More footsteps. I can't… hear… much… now…

"…Follow him, Archer. Lancer will probably go back to his Master. This won't be worth it unless we at least find out what his Master looks like."

…Whose voice was that? I concentrate my fading mind, but I can't remember anything. Right now, my breathing is too noisy. My lungs must still be alive. The air coming out of my mouth is as loud as a hurricane.

"…But it's amazing he isn't dead yet."

I sense someone looking at my face. Perhaps my breathing was loud as the figure tries to close my mouth and…

"…Stop it. Why does it have to be you?" I hear the person grit their teeth, then they touch me without hesitation.

"…Reforge the damaged organ and use it as a substitute, and restore the heart in the process, huh? If I succeed, I'll be accepted to the Clock Tower instantly…." A pain-filled voice. With that, my mind stops fading.

"――――――――" Feeling returns to my body. Slowly, bit by bit, like a drop of water going down a leaf, feeling returns to my body.

"――――――――" What is the person doing? The person is sweating and places their hand on my chest with all their heart.

"――――――――" When I notice, the place where the person placed their hand is terribly hot. It must be so hot that the frozen blood melted and started to flow again.

"Phew." I sense someone take a deep breath and sit down. "I'm tired…" I hear a clang of something falling. "…Well, I guess it can't be helped. Forgive me, Father. Your daughter is terribly heartless."

And that's it. The person speaks to mock themself, and leaves.

"――――――――" My heart resumes its activity. And then, my mind stops. …This is not the sleep of death. This is a restful sleep, to recover the energy to wake up again.

"Ah… guh." I wake up. I feel sick. My whole body is in pain, and I have a sharp headache each time my heart throbs.

"What… happened?" I can't remember because of the sharp headache. My body is cold, probably from lying on the floor for a long time. The only certain thing is my ripped uniform, and my own blood on the floor.

"…!" I get up with a hazy head. The spot where I was lying looks like a murder scene.

"…Damn, I really…" …Had my chest pierced?

"…Hah… guh…" Bearing the pain, I enter the closest classroom. Moving to the locker with unsteady steps, I take out a mop and a bucket.

"…Huh… what am I doing…?" I'm still in a panic. Why do I still think I have to clean up, when I've just met something totally outrageous and been killed instantly? Am I an idiot?

"…Haa… haa… damn, it won't come off…" …I wipe the floor with the mop. With unsteady hands, I manage to get the blood wiped off, and pick up any trash lying around and put it into my pocket. …Maybe I'm destroying the evidence. I'm still in a daze, so perhaps that's why I'm doing something so absurd.

"…Ah… haa… haa… haa…" I put back the mop and bucket, and leave the school like a zombie. …I get hotter as I walk. The air is so cold, but it feels like my body is burning.

…When I get home, the day has already changed. There's no one home. Neither Fuji-Nee nor Sakura is around now.

"…Ah… haa, haa, haa." I collapse to the floor. I lie on the ground and finally calm down. "……" I take a deep breath.

When I inhale, my heart cries in pain as if cracking apart. …No, that's wrong. It wasn't just cracked. It had a hole in it, but it healed, and the wound tries to open up again when I inhale.

"…So it's true that I was almost killed." No, that's wrong too. I wasn't almost killed… I was actually killed. But I'm still alive in spite of that, because someone saved me.

"…I wonder who it was. I should at least thank them." Since the person was there, that person might have something to do with them. But that makes no difference to the fact that the person saved me. I have to thank them one of these days.

"Ah… guh…!" The moment I let my guard down, the pain returns. At the same time, I feel like vomiting. "Ah… hah, guh…!" I sit up and resist the sickness. "…Huh…" I place my hand on my bare chest where the uniform is ripped. Even though I was saved, I did have a hole in my chest. That feeling. Such an unpleasant feeling, a spearhead entering my body, isn't something I can forget easily. "…Damn, I'll have nightmares about this for a while." If I close my eyes, it feels like the lance is still in me. I shake off that illusion and try to calm down. "…All right, I'm starting to calm down." The result of all that training every night. Just taking a few deep breaths clears my mind, and the heat and nausea vanish from my body.

"So, about those guys…" A man in blue and a man in red. They looked human, but I don't think they were.

Were they like ghosts or something? But I've never heard of ghosts with form, able to associate directly with people. And they were talking too. If they have their own will, it's hard for me to think of them as ghosts. …I've heard that the only ghosts with a body are spirits, but aren't they shaped differently from humans…?

"…No, that's not the problem." There's another fundamental problem.

…Those two who were killing each other. …The murderous burglar that has appeared in the neighborhood. …The ongoing ominous events in Fuyuki City.

"……" All I can tell with such thoughts is that it's way out of my league.

"…If Father was still alive…" Perhaps because the wound on my chest is so vivid, I complain about things I shouldn't.

"…Idiot. I've already decided to do whatever I can, even when I don't understand." Complaining comes later. First, I have to decide whether or not it's my concern. "…!?"

The bell hung from the ceiling rings. This is a magus's house, even if only a poor one. There is a boundary field that alerts me when a stranger enters the property.

"A burglar, at a time like this…?" As I speak, I realize my foolishness. That can't be it.

With this timing, right after that strange incident, that can't be it. There's an intruder. Not a burglar, but an assassin who's here for my life. Because I remember that guy saying… 'You saw us, so die.'

"……" The house is filled with silence. In the silent darkness, the murderous intent I felt at school is slowly drawing closer.

"…!!" My throat gulps. I feel a sharp chill running down my spine. I will be instantly pierced if I move from this room.

"…!!" I frantically contain the scream about to escape my mouth. The instant I release it, the assassin will happily jump in and take the opportunity to kill me.

…If that happens, it will be just like before. Unprepared, I will be pierced by that lance again.

"…Ah… haa, ah…" The moment I think about it, my breathing goes wild. Damn it. I'm ashamed that I'm about to give up my saved life so easily and that I'm afraid.

"Guh." Gritting my teeth and holding my chest, I try to restrain myself.

I should get used to it. This is the second time. This is the second time I'm about to be killed. That alone is enough to make me want it to end differently from last time. Besides, I'm a magus. What have I been learning for the past eight years, if I can't even protect my own life?

"…All right, let's do it." Enough thinking. Right now, I just have to counter the intruder.

"…First of all, I need a weapon." Even though I'm a magus, all I can do is "strengthen" something that could be a weapon. To fight, I need a weapon. The shed has lots of things that could become weapons, but it's too far away. If I'm attacked when I leave the living room, it will just be a repeat of what happened earlier.

…It'll be difficult, but I have to find a weapon here. Something long and thin would be best. My opponent's weapon is a lance, so something like a knife won't do. It would be great if there were a wooden sword or something, but of course, there's nothing. If anything here could be weapon, it's…

"Man… only the poster Fuji-Nee left here…" I'm disappointed. But despite that, I'm determined even in this hopeless situation. Things are already as bad as they can be, so they can't get any worse. So all I have to do is run forward until I run out of energy.

"――――Trace, on." With the words that suggest my reconstruction, I channel magical energy into the 60cm long poster. I have to turn it into something that can repel that lance, so I need to channel magical energy into every corner and solidify it.

"Basic quality, analyze." I extend my consciousness. As if soaking my blood into the poster through my skin, I permeate magical energy into it.

"Basic quality, reinforce." A sense that I've hit the bottom. Right before the magical energy overflows from it… "Trace, off." I cut off all connection with the poster and shudder at the feeling of success.

The poster is now as hard as metal. But it is as light as it was before, so I couldn't ask for a better sword.

"I… did it." How many years has it been since I last succeeded the strengthening magic? It's kind of ironic. The magic I've never been able to achieve since Kiritsugu died is finally working in this kind of a situation.

"Anyways, now…" I might be able to do something. I have some knowledge of how to use a sword. I hold the poster with both hands and stand up.

I'll die anyway if I stay here, and I don't think I would be able to flee even if I escaped this house. So all I can do is to run straight to the shed and make a stronger weapon.

"Phew." Come if you're going to come, it won't be like before. And the instant I think that… "…!" My whole spine shivers.

When did he arrive? Appearing from the ceiling, the guy drops straight at me.

"Wha… huh?" Silver light descends upon me. The guy that seems to have come straight through the ceiling descends to pierce my head. "You…!!" I frantically escape by rolling forward.

He lands softly while I keep rolling. But I stop rolling and stand with my freshly-made sword in hand.

"……" He turns to face me, looking bored.

"…You're causing unnecessary troubles. I was being considerate by killing you before you noticed me." He raises his lance again, seemingly uninterested.

"……" I don't know why, but he lacks the spirit he had at the schoolground. In that case, I might be able to outwit him…!

"…Geez. I never thought I'd kill the same person twice in one day. I guess it just means the human world is always filled with bloodshed." The man is complaining as if he thinks nothing of me.

"―――" I slowly move backwards. It's about three more meters to the window. Once out the window, it's about twenty meters to the shed. Then, I can run off this instant…

"See ya. Don't come back this time, kid." He says blankly, as if sighing it out.

"Ahhh!?" Pain assails my right arm. "…?" It happened in an instant. The man's lance is thrust, without time for me to react.

…I would have faced my second death with that blow. But what prevented it was my newly-made sword. He must have thought it was just paper. The lance, thrust as if the poster wasn't there, was deflected by it and only skimmed my right arm.

"…Wow. That's a strange technique you've got there." The man's expression goes away. His carelessness disappears, and he's now staring at me with beast-like eyes.

"Agh." I screwed up. I was just being stupidly optimistic when I thought I could do something. The thing before me is a monster beyond belief. Painfully, I realize my foolishness for letting my guard down even slightly against him.

…That's right. If I'd been really desperate, I should have ran frantically to the window as soon as I miraculously avoided his first attack…!

"I thought you were just a kid, but I see… I do feel some magical energy from you, even though it's weak. That must be why you're alive even after I stabbed you through the heart." He points his lance at me.

"……" I won't be able to block it. I can't possibly block that lightning-fast blow. If his weapon were a sword, I might have been able to at least prepare for it. But that's a lance. A sword follows a line, but a lance has a point. How am I supposed to block a blow from a point that I can't even see coming?

"Good, it looks like I might be able to have a little fun." The man's body descends. In that instant… His lance is swung, sideways.

I block the lance coming at my face with just my instincts.

"Guh…!?" "Good boy. Here comes the next one…!"

There's a huge whirlwind. I don't know how he's moving the lance in this small room, but it makes a beautiful arc and… "…!!!" …Comes to attack my body from the other side…!

"Gah…!!?" My constructed sword, moved to stop it, bends. Is he using a hammer!? Damn, this numbness feels like I've broken the bones in my arm!

"Damn, you…!" "Huh?" I swing the sword instinctively. He must take me lightly as he hasn't pulled back his lance, so I flick away the shaft with my sword!

"Guh…!" The arms that hit it go numb. The sword bends even more, and the man's lance only moves slightly.

"…You're useless. I gave you a chance, but you didn't do anything worthwhile. Well, I guess it's asking too much to expect a good armed fight from a magus…"

The man was just playing with me. He let me hit him once, since I blocked him twice. …But I used up my one and only chance for just a makeshift attack. That's why he sees no point in fighting me anymore.

"―――You've let me down. I'll just kill you now, kid." He readies his lance again. "Say…" During that small unnecessary movement… "…What you want, you idiot!" Without looking behind me, I jump out the window…!

"Haa, haa, ha…" I break the window with my back and roll outside. I roll a few times, get up, and…. "Haa!" Without a thought, I turn and swing behind me.

"Hmh…!" The man hesitates a moment, as I deflected his lance thrust. As I expected. If I jumped out the window, he would definitely come after me. And he would kill me even before I could get up.

That's why I expected the fatal blow and swung at it. It was a bold plan. I would have died if it was a second too late or a second too early. But considering the difference in our skill, I could never have been too early.

So all I had to do was get up as fast as possible and swing at what was coming behind me. The result was perfect. I won my bet and deflected the man's lance…!

"Ha, ah…!" I quickly regain my balance. Now, I have to make it to the shed before he recovers! "…Fly."

"Huh…?" The man who supposedly had his lance knocked away comes up to me empty-handed and… …Spins and executes a roundhouse kick.

"……" The scenery flies past me. My battered chest is numb and I cannot breathe. No, what's more surprising is, I'm flying. I never in my dreams thought that I would be sent flying by a mere roundhouse ki――――

"Guh…!" I fall to the ground from my back. I hit a wall and come crashing down.

"Guha, ah…!" I can't breathe. My vision is blurred. I manage to stand, supporting myself against the wall of my destination, the shed.

"Haa, haa." I track the man with my blurry vision. …I must have been kicked twenty meters. The man approaches, lance in hand.

"Guh…!" I'll be killed. I'll definitely be killed. The man will be here in a second. If I don't want to die now, I have to get up and face… him…

"……" The lance comes out at me. I can't even turn around fully, and my collapsing body faces the man's lance.

"Damn, if you're a man, keep yourself together…!" How fortunate. I got lucky as I couldn't hold myself up and my knees collapsed. The lance goes over my head and hits the door of the shed, opening it.

"Oh…" So, this is my last chance. If I go in the shed, there should be something that I could use as a weapon…

"Guh…!" I enter the shed on all fours. There… "Here, this is it!" A fatal, inescapable blow is thrust.

"Youuuuuuuu!" And I block it. I unroll the poster and make it into a one-time shield.

"Hmm…!?" A huge impact. The opened-up poster did block the lance, but it was not strong enough. It's pierced through and transforms back into its original paper.

"Ah, Guh…!" Hit by the impact of the thrust lance, I'm flung to the wall.

"Agh…" I fall on my butt and recover myself. When I raise my head to try to find a weapon… "Checkmate. That was a pretty surprising move, kid." The man is pointing the lance at me.

"――――――" This is it. The man's lance is pointed directly at my heart. I know this… This is the smell of death I felt just a few hours ago.

"…But I don't understand. You're quick-witted, but you suck at magic. It seems like you have talent, but I guess you're just too young."

…I can't hear him. My mind is focused only on the weapon in front of me. It's only natural. Because I'll die when that thing is thrust. So everything else is gone from my mind. What else can I think about now that things have ended up like this?

"It's unlikely, but maybe you were the seventh one. Well, this is it for you even if that's the case." The man's arm moves. The movement I couldn't even see before looks like it's in slow-motion now.

The running silver light. The spearhead moves straight for my heart. It will spill blood in the next second. I know this feeling. The feeling of metal running into in me… The taste of blood coming up my throat… The sense of the world around me disappearing… I felt all of it earlier. …And I have to experience it again? Really? I don't understand. Why do I have to go through this?

…This is bullshit. I can't accept this. I can't just die here meaninglessly. I was saved. I was saved, so I can't die so easily. I have to live and fulfill my obligations. If I die, I can't do that.

But the lance will pierce me. The spearhead will cut into my flesh and pierce my heart.

"――――" It pisses me off. It's ridiculous to kill someone that easily. It's ridiculous for me to die so easily. Dying twice in one day, that's ridiculous as well. Damn, everything is so screwed up that I can't contain it all and…

"Damn it, I…" Won't be killed meaninglessly… by someone like you―――!!!!!!!

"Huh?" Truly, it… "What…!?" …It appeared like magic.

In a blinding light, it appears from behind me. My mind stops. All I know is that the figure who appeared is a girl.

moment it appears, it repels the lance thrust at my heart and steps up to the enemy without hesitation. "…Can it be!? The seventh Servant..!?" The man readies his deflected lance, and the girl swings something she is holding.

Sparks fly twice. A strong swing. The man hesitates, receiving a heavy blow from the girl. "Kuh!" He must have realized he is at a disadvantage, as he jumps out of the shed with bestial speed. While keeping her guard up against the man, she quietly turns to me.

The wind is strong today. The clouds drift and the moon appears for a brief moment. The silver light that shines into the shed lights up the girl in knightly form.

"……" I'm speechless. Not because I'm confused by the sudden turn of events. I'm at a loss for words because of this girl's overwhelming beauty.

"――――――――" The girl stares at me emotionlessly with her jewel-like eyes. "―――I ask of you. Are you my Master?" She says in a valiant voice.

"Huh… Ma… ster…?" I only repeat back her words. I don't know who she is or what she's talking about. All I know is that this small girl is the same kind of being as the man outside.

"……" The girl says nothing and just stares at me silently. ―――How can I put this? The figure in front of me is so special that I forget the situation, that the man outside could come and attack at any second.

It feels like time has stopped just around me. The fear of death has disappeared and only the girl fills my vision.

"I, Servant Saber, have come forth in response to your summons. Please give me an order, Master." She speaks again. The instant I hear the words Master and Servant…

"…!!" A pain shoots through my left hand. It's like a hot iron has been placed on my hand.

I grab my left hand instinctively. That must have been the signal, as the girl quietly nods her lovely face.

"From this time forth, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be with me. ―――Now, our contract is complete."

"Contract? What are you talking about…!?" Even I have some knowledge of magic. I understand what that word means. But the girl doesn't answer me and looks away with the same grace she had when she nodded.

――――She looks at the door of the shed. There stands the man, his lance ready in his hand.

"―――" She moves faster than I can think. The knightly girl leaps out of the shed without hesitation.

"…!" I get up and follow the girl, even forgetting the pain in my body. There's no way that girl will be a match for him. Even armored like that, she is a girl smaller than me.

"Sto―――!" My words are silenced by the sound. "Wha…?" I can't believe my eyes. This time, my head really goes blank.

"What is she?" The sound of weapons. The moon is hidden behind the clouds and the yard has returned to its original darkness. In it, sparks are born from steel hitting steel.

The lance-wielding man wordlessly attacks the girl who jumped out of the shed. But the girl parries the blow of the lance and knocks away all following attacks, driving the man back with every blow.

"……" I… can't believe it. The girl called Saber is overpowering that man.

―――The battle has begun. What happened between me and him earlier wasn't a battle. A battle is a fight between two people who can kill each other. Whatever the difference in skills, if each has a way to kill the other, then you can call it a battle.

Their fight is a battle in that sense too. The man's lance that I couldn't even see is thrown with even more power. But… The girl parries it with the "thing" in her hands and closes in on the man.

"Damn…!" The man retreats a bit. He holds his lance vertically to protect his ribs as the girl goes for them.

"Guh…!" For a moment, the man's lance glows. It was a blow like an explosion, and I guess it really was one. The instant the man blocks the "thing" the girl's holding, the lance in his hand glows as if electrified. The man, and even I, can tell what that is.

That is a force of magical energy so strong that it's visible. In each of the girl's blows is a terrible amount of magical energy. That outrageous amount of magical energy is penetrating the opponent's weapon just by touching it.

Such a thing… it must take such force just to block it. If you think of the man's lance as an accurate sniper rifle, the blows of the girl are like those of a powerful shotgun. Every time the girl swings, the yard is filled with light.

But… That isn't what's overpowering the man.

"Coward, what are you doing, hiding your weapon…!" The man complains while avoiding the girl's fierce attacks. "……" The girl doesn't answer, but only attacks even more with the "thing" in her hands…!

"You…!" The man retreats with not even a chance for a counterattack. That's only natural. Because the girl's weapon is invisible. As he cannot sense her range, it would be careless to attack recklessly.

Yes, it is invisible. The girl definitely has "something" in her hand. But as you can't see what shape it is nor how long it is, you can't tell anything about it. Perhaps it's totally invisible, as it does not show up even when sparks fly off from it.

"Damn." The man must be having a hard time defending against it, as his moves aren't as sharp.

"――――" And the girl lets out a voice for the first time. She swings her "weapon" with more fury. A storm of swings without pause! The flying sparks remind me of a blacksmith hitting iron.

―――The lance-wielding man blocks them, clucking his tongue. I must say, I admire his skills even though he tried to kill me. The man is blocking invisible blows, watching only the opponent's legs and arms!

"Fuh…!" But that's it. You only need to beat down someone who's gone defensive. As if to say so, the girl steps even closer to the man and… Delivers a blow with all her might, as if smashing him down…!

"Don't underestimate me, fool…!" He must see this as his opportunity as the man disappears. No, he jumped back, making it look like he disappeared. The girl's blow cuts through air and destroys the ground, kicking up dust. The blow, swung as a final one, was easily dodged!

"Idiot, what is she doing…!?" I can tell even from a distance. I don't know about the careful blows from before, but such a big blow won't be able to touch that man.

Even that man's body must have been straining under all those attacks. But he suppressed it for an instant, and jumped away. As if this blow will determine the victor…!

"Ha…!" The man who jumped back several meters jumps as soon as he lands. As if reversing his retreat, he jumps at the girl. In contrast, the girl still has her sword in the ground.

"…!" That opening is irrevocable. The red lance returns in less than a second, and… The girl twirls her body with the sword still in the ground.

"…!" So the contest lasts less than a second. The man sees his mistake and tries to hold back, while the girl uses her whole body to execute her blow!

"Guh…!!" "……" The man blown away and the girl who blew him away both seem discontent. It's only natural. They each launched their blows to kill the other. Even if they allowed them to escape immediate danger, they were worthless.

Their distance opens. The two stare at each other silently.

"―――What is wrong, Lancer? It would not do your name credit if you just stand there. If you will not come, I can."

"…Hah, you're going to come and die? I don't mind, but let me ask you this first. Your Noble Phantasm, is it a sword?" The man glares, as if staring right into her heart.

"Who knows? It might be a battle axe or it might be a spear. It might even be a bow, Lancer." "Heh, keep talking, Saber." Perhaps it's really funny for him. The man… the one called Lancer lowers his lance. It looks like he's indicating that he doesn't want to fight anymore. "…?" The girl is puzzled by Lancer's action. But I know that stance. It was used in that fight a few hours ago in the schoolyard. It's the fatal move that was supposed to have ended the show.

"…I'll ask just in case since this is our first meeting. Do you want to call it even?" "――――――――"

"It's not a bad deal, right? See, that senile Master over there is useless, and it so happens my Master is a coward. I think it's in both our interests to hold off on this match until we're better prepared."

"―――I refuse. You will fall here, Lancer."

"I see. Geez, all I wanted to do was check things out, you know? I didn't want to stay long once a Servant came out." It seems like the air around them distorted.

Lancer lowers his stance. A chill runs through the air at that moment. It's exactly like back then. The magical energy rumbles in a whirlpool, centered on that lance.

"Noble Phantasm…!" The girl readies her apparent sword and glares at the enemy in front of her. The girl, facing the enemy, knows better than I how dangerous he is.

"…See ya. I'll take that heart of yours!" The beast jumps. Lancer instantly appears in front of the girl, as if he teleported, and… Thrusts his lance at the girl's feet.

"――――" It was a bad move, even to my eyes. With the lance already lowered, it wouldn't be effective to aim low at the girl. To prove my point, the girl jumps over the lance and moves forward to slash Lancer away. At that moment.

"Gae…" With words themselves charged with magical energy… "Bolg…!" The lance thrust at the girl's feet rushes towards her heart.

"…!?" Her body rises into the air. The girl is driven up into the air by the blow of the lance, and she crashes down… no, lands on the ground.

"Ha, kuh…!" …She's bleeding. The girl, who hasn't even received a scratch so far, is bleeding badly from her chest.

"A curse… no, a reversal of causality…!" She speaks in pain. …I'm surprised too. No, since I saw it from a distance, I can tell better than her that the attack just now was a strange one.

The lance was definitely aimed at her feet. But it suddenly changed its course, moving strangely in an impossible direction, and pierced the girl's heart. But the lance itself has not grown or bent. It looked so natural that it makes one think that the lance was already in her heart… and for that reason, it's strange.

It's not as simple as the lance changing its course and piercing her heart. The lance did not change its course, but changed the means so that the result would be so.

…The lance thrust with that name carried the "result" of "piercing her heart" as a premise. In other words, the process and the result were reversed. As long as there was the result of the lance piercing her heart, the course of the lance was merely something added later to prove that fact.

An evil thorn that breaks through all defenses. A lance that pierces the heart every time it's used, a weapon that determines your fate just by its use. How can anyone block such a ridiculous attack? However the enemy tries to dodge it, the lance will pierce their heart without fail. ―――That's why this move is fatal. A cursed lance that always pierces the opponent with one thrust.

But… The girl has evaded it by a small margin. She is wounded, but it was not a fatal blow. In a sense, her actions were more impossible than the lance. The instant the lance was thrust, she turned and jumped back with all her might, as if she knew this was going to happen.

Either she had incredible luck or enough divine protection to nullify the curse of the lance. Either way, she avoided a fatal blow and sullied the lance's name.

"Haa, haa" The girl catches her breath. The blood that was running so much has stopped, and even her stabbed wound is healing.

"……" I guess that's extraordinary. I knew she wasn't normal, but still, that's too strange.

Like her skills to fight against Lancer, like the incredible magical energy in each of her blows, and like her body that heals by itself… this girl clearly surpasses Lancer.

…But that was only up to now. Even if it's healing, her wound is deep. If Lancer attacks her now, she'll be defeated without even being able to defend herself.

But. With this overwhelming advantage, Lancer doesn't move. He glares at the girl, grinding his teeth so hard that I can hear it.

"You evaded it, Saber. My fatal Gae Bolg." A voice that seems to echo from the ground.

"…!? Gae Bolg… you are Ireland's man of light!" Lancer frowns. His hostility disappears and he clucks his tongue in annoyance.

"…I screwed up. If I'm going to use this move, it needs to be fatal. Geez, I guess being too famous is bad too…." The pressure goes away. Lancer doesn't even attack the wounded girl and simply turns his back and moves to the edge of the yard.

"It is the rule of Servants to fight to the death if your identity is discovered… but unfortunately, my Master is a coward. He's telling me to go back since you have evaded my lance." "―――You are running away, Lancer?"

"Yeah. I don't mind if you come after me, Saber. Just be prepared to die when you do." With one bound. Lancer easily jumps over the wall and disappears.

"Wait, Lancer…!" The wounded girl starts running to pursue the enemy.

"I-Is she stupid……!?" I run through the yard with all my strength. I think that the girl will go after him if I don't stop her instantly. …But there was no need for that. When the girl tries to jump over the wall, she clenches her chest and stops.

"Kuh…." I run to her and stare at her. No, I tried to approach her to call out to her, but I forget about it the instant I come near her.

"――――――――" …To put it simply, everything about her is absurd. Now that I'm near her, I can tell that the shining armor she wears is really heavy. The old-fashioned cloth is smooth, a vivid blue.

…No, that isn't what fascinates me. The girl, who seems to be a few years younger than me, is beautiful. The golden hair lit by the moonlight is finely textured, as if sprinkled with gold dust. The face, with some sign of naivety, has elegance, and her white skin looks soft.

"――――――――" I can't call out to her because I am fascinated by her beauty, and also for another reason.

"…Why." Because seeing the girl fighting and getting hurt somehow made me mad. No matter how strong she is or how armored she is, I think it's wrong for a girl to have to fight.

All the while I'm fascinated with her, the girl has her hand on her chest. But that ends quickly. The girl lets her chest go and looks up as if the pain has gone away. She stares directly at me. I'm not sure how I should talk to her, but I notice something about her.

"…The wound is… gone…?" Even though it missed her heart, that lance stabbed her in the chest. But she's unscathed. …I've heard of healing magics, but I didn't see her using anything like that. So that must mean she automatically heals even when she is wounded.

"…!!" Then my brain switches gear. This is no time to be fascinated by her. She is a strange being. I can't let my guard down until I know what she is.

"Who… are you?" I take half a step back and ask her.

"…? What do you mean? I am the Servant Saber. …You summoned me, so I do not think you should need to confirm it." The girl answers in a quiet voice.

"The Servant Saber…?" "Yes, so please call me Saber." She replies without hesitation. Her tone is polite yet gentle, and just hearing it makes my head go blank… "…!!" …Hey, what am I getting excited about…!?

"I-I see. That's a strange name." I hide my burning face with my hand and reply really stupidly. I don't know what else to say. I wouldn't know of any such thing to say. Since I asked her name, isn't it natural for her to introduce herself? In that case, it would be impolite to stay silent like this.

"…I'm Shirou. My name is Emiya Shirou, and I live in this house." What am I doing? Are my answers getting stupider? But she told me her name, so I should answer too. I know I'm confused right now, but I have to be polite no matter who this is.

"……" The girl… Saber just stares at me without changing her expression.

"No, wait. I take that back. That's not what I meant to ask you. Actually…" "I know. You are not a formal Master, correct?" "Huh…?" "But you are still my Master. As long as we have made a contract, I will not betray you. There is no need for you to be so cautious."

"Uh…?" Crap. I can hear her words, but they make no sense to me. All I know is that she's calling me with a ridiculous word like "Master".

"That's wrong. My name isn't 'Master'." "Then I shall call you Shirou. Yes, I like the sound of that better."

"…!" As soon as she says my name, I think my face lit up on fire. Shouldn't you call someone by their last name on a first meeting…!?

"Wait a minute. Why are you calling me―――― Ow…!" Pain suddenly runs through my left hand.

"I-It's burning……!" The back of my hand is burning. My hand feels like it's in a fire, and on it is a strange mark that looks like a tattoo.

"What the…" "That is called a Command Spell, Shirou. It is the three claims on a Servant's obedience, and the life of a Master. Please do not use it thoughtlessly."

"W-Who…" Before I can finish with "are you?", the air around her changes.

"―――Shirou, heal my wounds." She speaks in a cold voice. It seems her attention is on something far away, behind the wall, and not on me. But is she expecting me to heal her…?

"Wait, you're asking me? I'm sorry, but I don't know any such difficult magic. Besides, it's already healed." Saber frowns a bit. …I think I said something really wrong there.

"…Then I shall face them as I am now. The regeneration only healed the outside, but one more fight should not be a problem." "…? One more what…?"

"There are two enemies outside. Judging by their presence, it should only take a few seconds to defeat them." Saying so, Saber jumps lightly. Just like Lancer, she leaps over the wall and disappears outside. I'm left alone in the yard.

"…Enemies outside?" As soon as I say it aloud, I realize what it means. "Hold on, are you going to fight again…!?" My body starts to move. Without thinking, I run to the gate with full force.

"Haa, haa, haa…!" I run to the gate, unlock it with trembling hands, and jump outside.

"Saber, where are you…!?" I search through the dark. The moon is hidden, now of all times, and it is completely dark. But…

I hear something nearby. "There…!?" I run to the small road with no sign of anyone on it.

―――It all happens in an instant. Saber is confronting a familiar guy in red. Saber runs at the man in red without takes his guard down with one blow, and…

[blorbo-archers-tournament]

Round 1B - Match 8

[cheonmaneechan]

Got 20 hours into Fate Hollow Ataraxia. Might read more later but I'm a little tired now. I read a lot so if I had to say two good scenes of sorts that I read, my favourite so far today was Emiya Shirou sleeping with Illyasviel von Einzbern adorably, sweetly, and platonically as siblings. The second one would be the last one I read up to now that shows Matou Sakura growing into her own person as captain of the archery club with a stronger will and her own cg that makes you see how far she's come in such a short amount of time.

[cantillat-moved]

Alright, I decided to take a page from Andre and write about Fuyuki. (yes, I'm linking his post because it is good shit and you should learn more about Stilwater)

It is never stated the specific province in Japan where Fuyuki is located, only that it is tucked away in a mountain range, in a bay area and it is split right in the middle by the Mion river. The town’s namesake, Winter Tree, comes from the fact that the winters are supposed to be long but they don’t seem to be particularly harsh.

The west side of the town is called Miyama Town (Miyama-cho) and it is where the older houses are located. There is an intersection road that connects to many different areas of the town: the northern part of the district is the traditional Japanese district, the foreign district to the south, the road to the Homurahara Academy and the commercial district.

The Emiya residence is located in the Japanese district, atop of a hill. At the time of the construction of the house the zoning weren’t very well defined so the place ended up being a mansion. His place is actually referred as the samurai house. (In FGO, it is the Unknown Coordinates X-A in Singularity F)  Most houses in this neighborhood are what one would expect from Japanese suburban architecture, one or two stores small residences with a small garden, with the odd mansion here and there. The Fujimuras also have a mansion in that district, old man Raiga is the local yakuza boss. His son-in-law practices sumo and his granddaughter is the English teacher at a local high school.

The foreign district is the southern residential area. Perhaps because of its proximity to the sea there was an influx of people from overseas and the town seems to be friendly towards the Christian faith (which is uncommon in Japan) but they eventually died out or simply became integrated with the general population. It is where you can find the Tohsaka and the Matou residence. (In FGO, Tohsaka Residence is the crater in Unknown Coordinates X-B) Many of the buildings follow what you'd call a Victorian style and other western architecture and they can range from small mansions to regular residences as well.  

In between the two residential districts there is the commercial area known as Mount Miyama. It has a number of shops like a flower shop, the fishmonger and a number of stalls and markets, mostly small businesses. You can find the Koushuuensaikan Taizan, the only Chinese Restaurant in that part of the town and it is famous for its extremely spicy food. There is also the Edomaeya, a food stall with its popular taiyaki and the Singing Birds Retreat, an antique shop. If you keep walking towards the Bridge you'll arrive at the old downtown area that has many larger shops and other commodities. The old city hall and administrative facilities used to be there but were moved to Shinto.

The Homurahara Academy is its main high school and the location of the associated middle school is never revealed. The Yatsushirodai Elementary School is located just outside Fuyuki in the rural area. Homurahara has an outstanding archery range that is a rather large building next to the woods surrounding the area. (In FGO it is the Unknown Coordinates X-F)

To the west there is the Mount Enzou, a sacred mountain that has the convergence of all of the city’s leylines in the southwest area. The Ryuudou temple is located atop of the area, its characteristics means that beings having a spiritual body can only enter throughout its front gates. Underneath the temple area there is a cavern that is one of the possible point to summon the Holy Grail. Following a trail behind the temple leads to the graveyard.

South to the temple there is a large forest area, where the Einzbern castle is located. It has a boundary field and it can’t be found by ordinary people. (In FGO, it is the Unknown Coordinates X-G)

There is a park alongside the river right next to the large bridge that connects the two towns that forms Fuyuki City.

Shinto (aka New Town) is the newer district located to the east. Around 1990s the area had a major investment to modernize the city, starting a large-scale redevelopment funded by the local government. The City Hall was moved from Miyama, soon a shopping mall was constructed and many buildings followed. The Central Building is the highest building in Fuyuki, located about 4 kilometers (about 2 and a half miles) from the bridge and became a focal point of the town in the properly named Centerville Neighborhood. The Hyatt Hotel is also located nearby and was rebuilt after being partially destroyed in 1994. The Fuyuki Civic Center was supposed to be the crown jewel of the urban development plan along with the Central Building at the cost of 8 billion yen, covering 6600 square meters with four floors and one basement. However, a massive fire completely destroyed the area in 1994 and 134 nearby buildings. Instead of rebuilding the Civic Center, it was turned into the Fuyuki Central Park.

The area around the park underwent a quick rebuilding process but the Central Park itself isn’t very popular. In fact, it is a little underdeveloped if compared to other smaller parks scattered around town. According to Archer the grudges of the people who died there in 1994 still lingers, causing an effect similar to a Reality Marble. In layman's terms, that means the place could be called "haunted" by normal people or at least have a similar sensation.

Close to the Central Station there is Copenhagen, a liquor shop that also operates as a pub and redistributes supplies to some locations. Nearby there is also the largest shopping mall in town, named Verde. It has a movie theater, a bookshop (called Azumi), a tea shop and the largest stuffed animal store is also located there (called Fancy Shop). From the Station it is also possible to reach Waku Waku Splash, a large indoors pool complex that opened in 2004.

Also in Shinto there is a residential district named Kurokizaka that is known for its many buildings, including the Semina Apartments and other similar complexes. Around 2004 there was a murder-disappearing case in the building.

To the north there is the harbor, the town receives a large amount of shipments from the continent and other areas. It is also a prime spot for fishing.

To the south it is possible to find the church and the foreigners graveyard. The church has a living area upstairs and a rather large basement. (In FGO it is the Unknown Coordinates X-E)

Maybe I'm going to make a post with a brief story of the town, both with information for common people and for mages. But this is the general gist of everything. Tumblr also messed the masonry of this post somehow, many of the images were supposed to be in a grid and I'm sorry for that.

[akilice]

fate/ephemeral chapter 5 preview

"Here. You have to keep your eyes on the target, and empty your mind. The arrow will take its course." Hakuno found herself getting roped into trying archery. It sounded exciting at first, but every shot she took was worse than the one before it. "This is hopeless." Hakuno sighed and handed the bow back to Ayako. The latter laughed. "You can master archery in ten minutes!" Ayako put it away and they headed towards Rin and Sakura, who were quietly watching them. "Don't look so sad, you'll be a pro in no time." Rin waited for her to sit down and handed her tea. Hakuno took it and continued to sulk. Ayako wanted to try a new brand of tea, so she brought it with her to start off her morning. And since Hakuno and Rin accompanied Sakura to school and to the club, they ended up getting invited. "We could use some more members. I'm seriously worried about things when I graduate. You should have seen us when we had Emiya. He never missed a shot." "There you go again, talking about him." Rin took one of the snacks Sakura brought. "Anyone else would think you have a crush on him." Sakura burned her tongue over her tea. "Ha! What is it? Scared that I will win our dare?" "Hmph. I am just feeling annoyed that my so called best friend is fawning over someone other than me. Is he your best friend now?" "Are we thirdwheels?" Hakuno leaned over to Sakura. Sakura nodded, teary eyed from her damaged tongue. Rin handed Sakura some mochi, and the latter accepted it. The moment she took a bite, the pain in her tongue left. Hakuno bit back a smirk. The red devil was a huge softie. "What's this about a dare?" Hakuno asked. "Tohsaka and I are having a dare where the first one who gets a boyfriend wins." Ayako took a sip from her tea. "Ah. So neither of you are winning." Hakuno said without thinking. The three girls stared at her in silence. Rin took her tea cup and drunk it. "My tea?!" AGAIN?! "What is that supposed to mean?" Both girls glared at her with an air that said 'answer wrong and you're dead.' Well then. "I've only been here for two days but I noticed that you're both insanely popular with… girls." Hakuno explained, while holding Sakura's skirt, trying to plead for her help. "You have boy admirers, but they're too intimidated to even approach you." "Huh?! Who are you calling intimidating!?" They both looked ready to strangle her. "S-see?" Hakuno hid behind Sakura.