562(AN) You wouldn't believe the line at the queue for milk.
There maybe few mistakes here and there, so apologies in advance.
(((Finding oneself)))
The school hallways were empty. Most of the students had already gone home, and with club activities suspended by the school board, the halls felt unnaturally empty. Emiya Shirou didn't mind silence—he could live with it—but this wasn't normal. There was weight to it, like the air itself was pressing down on him, thick with unspoken warnings. His instincts screamed at him to leave, but he lingered, sweeping the classroom floor as if that would ease the gnawing tension.
Maybe dying once had tuned him to threats he couldn't see.
"I—uh, hey—" a voice broke the stillness, jarring him from his thoughts.
Shirou turned, inwardly cursing himself for being so easily startled. A familiar figure stood in the doorway—Gotou, a tanned blonde from his class, scratching the back of his neck and glancing around nervously.
Why was he still here? Then again, Shirou wasn't supposed to be, either. He pushed his unease aside and offered a small, polite smile. "Gotou? Sorry, I spaced out. What's up?"
"No worries, man!" Gotou grinned, stepping inside. "So uh… remember that new girl in our class? Blonde, sat next to you during math? Laete-something?"
"Laetecia. The French exchange student?" Shirou supplied.
"Yeah, her!" Gotou's grin widened, but there was the faintest tint of red on his cheeks. Catching Shirou's subtle smirk, he coughed, clearly trying to play it cool. "Anyway, did you see where she went? I saw you talking to her after school, but now she's just… gone."
"She left a while ago. Said she had somewhere to be." Shirou kept his tone casual, hoping that would be enough to send Gotou on his way. The fewer people hanging around, the safer it was. With three Masters in the school, any stray could get caught up in the worst way possible.
But Gotou made himself at home, dropping into a nearby chair with an exaggerated sigh.
"Damn. I was hoping to get her number today."
Shirou kept sweeping, pretending not to hear. He had enough on his plate without worrying about Gotou's love life. Still, something nagged at him. The war had made him jumpy, overly aware of small things that normally wouldn't matter. After a few moments of silence, he spoke without looking up.
"Why are you so set on talking to her right now?"
Gotou blinked, caught off guard by the question. "I just told you, man. I wanted her number."
"She'll be here tomorrow," Shirou pointed out. "You can ask her then."
Gotou groaned, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head. "Tomorrow's too late. Did you see how every guy was staring at her? If I don't make a move now, I'll lose my shot. I got lucky Shinji bailed early and Sasuke decided to skip class."
Shirou snorted lightly. "I wouldn't worry too much. Laetecia doesn't seem like someone who'll get swept up just because a few people are interested. You've got time."
Gotou stared at him for a beat, then shrugged. "Maybe. Guess I'll find out." He stood, stretching his arms. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. I'm heading out. Later, man."
With a lazy wave, Gotou disappeared through the door, leaving Shirou alone once again.
The redhead exhaled, quietly relieved. He stowed the broom and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. As he made his way toward the exit, the silence crept back, gnawing at the edge of his thoughts.
Then the explosion hit.
The shockwave rattled the windows, shaking the walls and sending a tremor straight through the floor. Shirou froze, eyes widening as the deafening sound echoed across the school.
He didn't waste time wondering. He grabbed the broom that he was using earlier, and without hesitation, Shirou sprinted toward the source, heart pounding. Whatever danger lurked ahead—he had no choice but to meet it head-on if he wanted to prevent any by-stander from getting caught.
(((Finding oneself)))
Tohsaka Rin sat upright, her fingers slowly overturning the pages of a book she picked at the library. Her other hand stayed steady against her legs, invisible from others field of vision. To anyone who looked at her, they would think she was genuinely in the place to learn either for a test or for quenching her curiosity.
In contrary to her external appearance though, many thoughts and scenarios ran through her mind. Her eyes lifted up, observing the male in front of her as he, much like her, seemed engrossed completely in his book. But she knew he was aware of her, as she had made no attempt to hide herself when she had entered the library.
The earlier conversation she had with him in the day left a sour taste in her mouth. Despite her trying to give him the benefit of doubt, an olive branch, he seemed unwilling to reciprocate the same goodwill towards her. In fact, he only left more questions regarding him than the ones she had originally. But oddly, she believed his words despite no evidence in favor of him.
Sasuke Uchiha. His arrival at their school last year had been accompanied by whispers and rumors. Rin rarely involved herself in mundane school affairs, preoccupied as she was with her training under Kirei and the looming shadow of the Holy Grail War. But Sasuke's transfer drew attention, and even Rin's curiosity was piqued when she spotted him occasionally with Shirou and Shinji toward the end of their first year. Not a surprising relationship now that she became more aware of Shirou's personality, and surprisingly, he got along with Shinji as well.
Back to the moment, the book she picked currently was a copy of "The Iliad", an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer for the famous mythological war - the tale of the Trojan War—a conflict that birthed many legends but none greater than Achilles, the nearly invincible warrior. Rin's gaze lingered on the text. Could Achilles be the servant Sasuke summoned? Shirou already had Saber by his side, and the Einzbern homunculus controlled Berserker. That narrowed the field.
Lancer had intervened during her clash with Berserker, saving her life in the process. Rider had attacked her home just days ago. Both remained unaccounted for in terms of their masters.
Caster was a wildcard, her presence mostly confined to the Ryuudou Temple, weaving whatever schemes she had in store. Rin doubted Caster would willingly serve Sasuke. From what little Rin had deduced about Caster's temperament, she seemed the type to discard any master she deemed useless or whose personality didn't mesh with hers. If Sasuke had summoned her, Rin imagined the Uchiha wouldn't have survived long.
Assassin had clashed with Archer already, though by Shirou's recollection, Assassin's master seemed seasoned—someone more concerned with gathering intelligence than winning skirmishes.
That left Lancer and Rider. Given Sasuke's demeanor, Rider seemed the more likely candidate. Lancer's master had gone out of their way to protect her, and Sasuke's personality didn't exactly scream "selfless protector." Perhaps Lancer's master was an old ally of her father—someone repaying a forgotten debt. It was a possibility Rin tucked away for later.
Rider, on the other hand, fit the bill. Their personalities clashed, but Rider struck Rin as pragmatic enough to tolerate a difficult master—at least until the War demanded otherwise. Rider's irritation during their encounter lingered in Rin's memory, reinforcing the suspicion.
Fifty-fifty. It could go either way, but her instincts leaned toward Rider.
Archer was still recovering, but he assured he had some plan to deal with the Invincible hero of Trojan war next time they faced. She hoped it didn't need to get to that. She just needed to defeat him now quickly and have him relinquish his right. Worst case, she was prepared to kill him if need be, as this was the nature of the Grail war between mages.
The bell had rung at exactly quarter to five.
Students began to disperse, and a switch from Rin had gone off at the same time. A bounded field had been setup, to prevent students from coming back to the school, and programmed to alter memories of the students, a precaution she needed.
And just like that, some time had passed. Only two students remained in the entirety of the third floor as she could tell - herself and a fellow rival master. She sat still, taking in a deep breath—
—!
A quick Gandr shot was fired from her fingers at the wooden chair that was suddenly thrown at her. The chair split into different splinters, and Rin got into battle position as she muttered under her breath. She took aim again with her index finger, intending to subdue the Uchiha.
But Sasuke moved first. Instead of charging at her, he darted toward the nearby window and crashed through it. The unexpected move caught Rin off guard. She had expected him to close the distance, not throw himself out the window.
Three floors down! she thought, horrified. No ordinary human could survive that fall.
Her eyes caught the movement—a table catapulting towards the window after Sasuke jumped and crashing into the wall, propelling the Uchiha cleanly through a second-floor window.
Rin hissed under her breath, rushing to the broken glass. The faint hum of bounded fields layered into the building flickered at the edges of her senses. Her heel crunched on shards, and her hand brushed against something thin by the railing.
Wire. Razor-thin barbed wire, barely visible in the faint light.
"Seriously...?" she muttered, lips curling into a half-scowl. "Was this here the whole time?"
While she'd been busy setting up her bounded field, Sasuke had been tying up traps and contingency plans. The chair? A distraction. The table? An escape route.
Reckless and brilliant. She couldn't decide if she admired his improvisation or was annoyed by how difficult he made things.
"Tch."
Her legs carried her toward the stairs at a brisk pace. He wouldn't get far.
After crashing into the second floor's window, Sasuke cleanly rolled over into an empty classroom. He readied himself by taking a kunai from behind him and dashed outside the classroom.
Rin took the stairs two at a time, her heels skidding slightly on the tile as she rounded a corner. Her fingers tightened around a jewel in her pocket, ready to summon it at any moment. She wasn't about to let him get away a second time. With a quick glance down the hallway, she glimpsed Sasuke's back as he stepped onto the hallway. Her eyes narrowed, and she sprinted into a nearby alcove, preparing for her next move.
With a soft hum, a shimmer of blue light surrounded her fingertips as she whispered a quick incantation. "Disperse."
The raven haired teen, meanwhile, was on high alert, his senses tingling. He knew Rin was fast, but he hadn't expected her to be this persistent.
As he raced down the hallway, without warning, a burst of light flared from behind him as Rin threw a jewel that exploded into a blinding flash. Sasuke dove forward, rolling to avoid the blast, his senses strained by the magical burst. The shards of prana that scattered in the surrounding air threw his vision off balance for a split second, but he quickly regained his focus. He spun to face her, just in time to see Rin rushing toward him, her arm extended with a charged projectile aimed directly at him.
Sasuke twisted aside. The shot ripped through the wall behind him, leaving a smoldering hole.
"That could've killed me," he remarked dryly.
"Minor curse at best. You'd just pass out and have your nerves ripped out if you stay still."
"Comforting."
"Shut up! It's because you are moving around a lot!" Rin took aim again and shot a couple more gandr shots.
Sasuke bent his upper body, dodging them, and hurled a kunai in her direction. Rin dodged it effortlessly, sidestepping as she prepared for another attack. The Uchiha taking this as a chance started sprinting towards the end of the hallway.
She shot a few more gandr shots at his running back, all of them missing him just barely. "Give it up already!"
"Not into stalkers, sorry."
Rin nearly tripped. "S-Stalker!?"
Sasuke smirked, kicking off the wall mid-stride to avoid another bolt, few shuriken sailing toward her as he flipped away. Rin's fingers moved fast, intercepting each projectile in bursts of red light. A shuriken suddenly cut in sharply from outside her field of vision, causing a tear to her red jacket near her shoulder. Her nose crinkled as she winced.
Did he just bounce the shuriken off each other?!
In a blur of motion, seizing the slight pause from Rin, Sasuke closed the distance between them. Rin reacted just in time, her foot sliding back as she raised her arm, reinforced with prana to shield herself. Sasuke's kick connected with her forearm, the force of it sending a shock through her arm as she skidded back a few inches. The blow was heavy, far more than she'd expected from him. But she held her ground, a determined gleam in her eye as she immediately retaliated with a swift thrust of her arm, sending a concentrated bolt of energy straight at him.
Sasuke leapt back, but the bolt grazed his shoulder, tearing through his sleeve and leaving a faint burn. He landed lightly, rolling back onto his feet with barely a sound, but Rin's eyes narrowed as she observed the burn. His expression remained aloof though. How annoying.
She pressed forward, unleashing a series of rapid-fire blasts, each one forcing Sasuke further down the corridor. As he dodged and darted between her attacks, it looked like he began to see a pattern in her movements. There was a smirk on his face and she observed his eyes started to glow red.
Wait. His eyes. Are they glowing?
What the—?
Is he a mage after all?
As she thrust her hand forward again, Sasuke sidestepped and ducked, slipping past her attack with almost supernatural ease. In one fluid motion, he slipped behind her, his kunai raised. But Rin spun on her heel, her instincts kicking in, her own hand crackling with energy as she aimed a punch straight at his chest.
Sasuke's eye seems to have caught her movement, allowing him to deflect her reinforced strike with his kunai. The force of their clash sent a shockwave through the hallway, scattering loose papers and knocking nearby lockers ajar. Rin staggered back, but she quickly regained her footing, her hand diving into her pocket for another jewel.
But Sasuke didn't wait for her to attack. He sprinted past her, racing towards the nearest classroom and shut the door behind.
Rin cursed under her breath as he dodged around her again, a flicker of frustration crossing her face. "You're done running," she muttered, closing her eyes and focusing as her energy expanded from her out reached palm.
"—Das Schließen. Vogelkäfign, Echo."(Soundless barrier)
A thin membrane expanded from her palms and completely covered the classroom into which Sasuke had escaped into, erecting a soundless bounded field.
"Give up, Uchiha-san! I have both the exits surrounded and have the room sealed off. There is nowhere to run!"
She paused for a response but she heard no sound from the other side of the room, almost fooling her into thinking that he had somehow jumped through the window again just before she could block the room. He was probably trying to trick her. The bounded field, apart from blocking off the exit and noise, also served to let her sense when mana was used to activate a spell. So far, she wasn't able to sense anything but there was a way to force his hand.
"Tch, fine! Stay silent but don't blame me for what's about to happen!"
A dark red circle flared around her forearm as she raised it. She unleashed a barrage of red projectiles into the room—hundreds of volleys, piercing the walls and filling the room with a torrent of violent energy.
The barrage lasted a full minute, leaving only silence in its wake.
Strangely, she had heard no screams nor any magic getting activated while he was within the room. The Uchiha had done well to survive unscathed until now, relying on conventional tools, but that would only get him so far without relying on magic. She had intended to draw out any cards Sasuke had on himself with the initial few rounds, but it wouldn't be possible to survive this attack without any defensive magic.
There was still no sound or response from the room.
Her hand slowly lowered as she dispelled the blockage around the room, and she looked at her hands as if she rediscovered the cruel nature of what it means to be a mage. Did she actually kill a person—no, it was too soon to think about it yet. She needed to be cautious; she could wallow about it later.
Fishing her pockets, she brought out an aquamarine jewel, purposed to act like a flash bang to fish him out in case he survived, and and lobbed it through the glass panel into the room.
Just as the jewel exploded, the door to her right burst open, and a figure emerged from the smoke.
"There!" She extended her arm in that direction instinctively, and got a clean shot in. So, he had survived earlier, huh?
The smoke cleared out to reveal a tattered brown blazer worn by her school boys attached to the tip of a kunai.
"!"
"Too late to realize now."
A voice silently whispered from behind. The other door!
She quickly spun around and to her surprise, he seemed mostly unscathed and revealed few hidden items—few kunais and barbed wires that were strapped to his sides. Still reeling from the shock, she was slow to bring her hands up for defense as the Uchiha dealt a heavy kick in her abdomen region, causing her to be knocked back a good few meters.
"Gah!"
She coughed, rubbing at her abdomen region. Although she wasn't able to evade the attack, her physical strengthening of her body saved her from the intensity behind the kick, taking most of the brunt. She would need to refocus her body cloak around the area affected.
"You... but how? How did you escape that?"
"Hn, that's not for you to know. But, well, since you are about to die, let's say I simply dodged."
...what?
Sasuke held a stony gaze, his grip tightening around the kunai in his hand. "It's a pity. You're one of the few smart ones who isn't annoying, but I'm not in a position to complain." His arm pulled back, poised to throw. "Farewell, Tohsaka."
The kunai flew faster than before, cutting through the air like a razor. Rin's heart pounded as she forced mana into her legs, trying to dodge despite her awkward stance. She barely shifted when—
Clang!
A broomstick deflected the kunai mid-flight.
Shirou stepped forward, his back shielding Rin as he glared at Sasuke. "Were you really going to kill her?"
Sasuke's expression didn't change. "So this is where you stand, Shirou. I see." His tone was calm, almost indifferent. Seems the Uchiha had seen Emiya coming and wanted to know whose side Saber's master stood by in this brief bout. "She tried to kill me first. You know it's only fair I return the favor."
"Still, I can't let you kill her! Not while I'm here."
"Would you feel the same if the roles were reversed?"
"Of course I would!" Shirou didn't hesitate for a second.
For a brief moment, Sasuke said nothing, as if weighing his words. "You're a fool. I thought this war would change you, but you're just as naive as ever." His gaze flicked to the glowing broomstick in Shirou's hand. "Although, I guess something about you has changed. You've been dabbling in magecraft long before this war, haven't you?"
Was he able to see the reinforced broom-stick? Right, he has those strange eyes. Due to the fast paced battle, she didn't have time to think much about it. Now that there was a pause, her eyes locked onto Sasuke's to observe his bloodshot so she could gather her thoughts. And as if realizing this, his gaze shifted towards her almost immediately.
A chill suddenly ran down her spine. Paralysis swept over her body.
Curse of binding…!
Her thoughts screamed at her to move, but her body refused to respond. She blinked, struggling to channel her prana. The moment she did, the invisible weight lifted, and she gasped for breath.
"Your eyes... You're a magus after all." Her voice trembled with realization.
Sasuke's eyes glowed faintly, like the Einzbern girl's, but there was something darker about his. Rin's mind raced. How had she missed this? She thought she knew every Master in the city. Overlooking Shirou was one thing, but Sasuke? And with mystic eyes, no less!
The last Uchiha met her gaze, his eyes cold and unrelenting. "So what? It's not like you can stop me. And it looks like Archer isn't here to save you either."
Gritting her teeth, Rin forced herself to stand. "Why you—"
"Tohsaka!" Shirou shouted, sensing Sasuke's intent a second too late.
Before she could react, Sasuke appeared next to Shirou and drove a brutal kick into his side. Shirou's body crashed through the classroom wall, sending dust and debris flying.
"Emiya-kun!"
Shirou groaned, coughing as he tried to rise. Rin spun around, but Sasuke was already looming over her. His kunai gleamed as he raised it high.
She couldn't move. All she could do was stare, waiting for the blade to pierce her chest.
...
Warm liquid splattered across her face. Rin blinked in shock, staring at her hands. No pain. Just warmth. Slowly, she looked up. Golden eyes, dulled and glassy, stared back at her.
Shirou.
He was slumped over her, blood dripping down onto her cheek from the deep wound in his back.
Her heart thundered in her chest, so violently it felt like it might tear apart. Rin's breath hitched. She shook her head, panic flooding every nerve.
No. No, no, no.
What was she going to say to Sakura? A scream tore from her throat, but she barely registered it. The world spun. Her vision blurred—
"Tohsaka!"
She gasped, snapping awake.
Shirou's hand clasped hers tightly, his concerned face hovering above hers. "You're awake."
Her chest heaved as she fought for air. "Emiya-kun... you're alive?"
Shirou blinked. "Uh... yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"
His confusion sent a fresh wave of doubt washing over her. Rin looked around, realizing she was lying on a bed in the infirmary.
"Where are we?"
"Still at school. You've been out for a few hours."
"I see... thanks, Emiya-kun. Seems like I owe you once again," She groaned, pressing her palm to her forehead.
Her head throbbed as she tried to piece things together.
"You screamed and collapsed," Shirou explained gently. "I tried to ask Sasuke what he did, but he just left. Seemed like something urgent came up. I stayed because I didn't want to leave you alone. But... what happened?"
Rin clenched her fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. What a disaster. That was a pitiful display from her. Just after days she admonished Shirou for being a novice, she put on a terrible display in front of him against another novice master. God, she really underestimated Sasuke.
"It was his eyes," she muttered, massaging her temple. "I thought they were just mystic eyes of binding. But no… he trapped me in an illusion. I underestimated him." She exhaled sharply, her pride bruised. "I won't make that mistake again."
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "What's a mystic eye? Is it like your crest, but with eyes?"
Rin sighed, momentarily forgetting that Shirou, despite being introduced to magecraft, was still a novice. Sasuke was no different in that regard, but she couldn't help feeling grateful for Shirou—he had jumped in to help her without hesitation. The least she could do was answer his questions.
"It's a type of magical ability, typically tied to one's lineage or specific magecraft," Rin explained. "Some are stronger than others, and each has its own unique effect. My crest, for instance, allows me to use certain spells more effectively." She paused. "But the mystic eye is something else entirely. It can be far more dangerous."
She explained a bit more on why it was so dangerous, but didn't go deep into the explanation. After listening to her, Shirou pondered in thought and said, "Then, did he use binding and illusion both, or were you simply mistaking the illusion for binding as well?"
Rin chewed on the thought. "It's most likely the latter, now that I think of it... But his eyes—there's a pattern I've never seen before. It matches the records, but with a twist. The color is right, but... the pattern—it's unique."
She frowned, recalling the moment when Sasuke had evaded all her attacks earlier. Could his eyes have given him that ability? Did he possess some sort of perception-enhancing eye too? She couldn't recognize what kind of eye it was, but it definitely complicated things. The three-comma black pattern in red... she engraved that image into her memory.
If that was the case, she'd need to reassess Sasuke's position in this war. Even if he didn't know much about magecraft, possessing one of those eyes was already like having a cheat code.
Shirou broke the silence. "I never really thought Sasuke was a magus... but his eyes leave no room for doubt." he said, his eyes downcast towards his clenched wrists.
"Its infuriating but yes. He is without a doubt a magus. He is not an ordinary human."
Shirou gave a wry smile, "But still, even though we both started as novice masters, seems there was a huge difference in our starting lines."
"Don't tell me Emiya-kun you want to withdraw at this point?"
Shirou blinked, looking at her as if she'd just suggested the impossible. "What? No way. I'm not giving up. I was already behind other Masters from the start. This doesn't change anything. I know where I stand in this war, and I'm not backing down."
Rin smiled at his determination, though a shadow of concern still lingered in her eyes. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that." She hesitated for a moment, her voice softening. "I want you to join me in an alliance, at least for now. We still don't know who Sasuke's servant is, and there's something else—an unknown servant has been consuming souls in the city. Some of our school's students have already been killed, and I don't know how many more will die. It seems like the master of this unknown servant wants to make their servant stronger."
Shirou's expression turned serious. "That's... terrible. And using students as sacrifices? Are you saying Sasuke has something to do with this?"
Rin hesitated, her mind racing. "I'm not saying Sasuke has anything to do with it," she replied, though doubt lingered in her tone. After today's encounter, she couldn't help but question everything. Maybe Sasuke was innocent after all, but if not him, who else? Could the Matou stoop so low after generations of decline? "I'm just suggesting this because his servant is still unknown to us. From what I've seen of him so far, I don't think he's the type to order something like this, but there have been cases of servants acting on their own in the past."
Shirou's brows furrowed. "So, you want a temporary truce?"
"Exactly." Rin folded her arms, her tone firm. "At least until we deal with this unknown servant."
"What about when you confront Sasuke?" Shirou asked, clearly conflicted.
Rin gave him a look. "Hold on. A temporary truce means we won't attack each other—that's all. I'm not cruel enough to pit you against your friend without your consent. This is just until we handle that unknown servant and master."
Shirou nodded, a sense of resolve in his voice. "That should be fine. We can't let innocent people get hurt because of this war."
Rin smiled, but her expression faltered as a troubling thought crept into her mind. There was still something odd about Sasuke. The magical signature she'd sensed when he activated his eyes—it reminded her of Archer's. Not exactly the same—maybe saying it as magical signature was incorrect but something like a scent that lingered on top. Something was off. She couldn't quite put it into words yet, but she'd have to talk to Archer about it later.
(((Finding oneself)))
Jeanne's violet eyes swept over the scene. The buzz of sirens blended as background noise as her lips pursed, while red and blue lights from the nearby ambulance flickered across her school blazer. The officers were hard at work, scrambling across the area with an urgency as they hastened to seal off the compound where an horrific incident occurred.
Ruler turned to a trembling old woman standing nearby. "Do you know what happened here?"
"I don't know, dear," the woman replied, her voice wavering.
Jeanne offered a polite nod and shifted her focus back to the scene. Between the shuffling officers and the agitated crowd, she caught glimpses of the aftermath—the handiwork that was left behind at first glance looked to be done by a person that had gone insane as she could observe multiple blade marks scattered on the pathway. But upon sensing deeply, she could find faint traces of otherworldly energy and her mind reached the logic conclusion: Servant.
This was unmistakably the work of a servant, no matter how one looked at it. How else could anyone justify these abnormal occurrences? Despite maintaining her composure, Jeanne felt a shiver run down her spine as the seriousness of the Holy Grail War began to dawn on her, and she started to grasp why she had been summoned as an Overseer. There were certain rules one was not supposed to breach as part of the Holy Grail War.
"I hope the souls of the dead find peace in the afterlife," the old lady said, her voice trembling slightly with age and emotion. The blonde girl nodded, her hands clenching by her side. She glanced back at the chaotic scene, feeling the gravity of the situation settle in. The old lady's words echoed in her mind, adding a somber tone to the already tense atmosphere.
Her gaze drifted to the parents, their faces etched with fear, clinging to each other in desperate prayer, hoping against hope that their loved ones were not among the victims. Among the crowd, a woman on the verge of tears begged to see her boyfriend, her voice shaky as she desperately hoped it was not him.
Willing herself, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to find out who was behind this soon. She was about to turn away to follow another lead when she froze mid-step. Her breath hitched as her eyes locked onto a figure at the edge of the crowd. The man stood in the mouth of a shadowed alleyway, his gaze meeting hers for the briefest moment before he smiled—a smile she would never forget.
To be precise, she saw someone vaguely resembling him. Her legs moved before her mind could catch up, carrying her toward the alley. He turned and disappeared into the shadows. Jeanne hesitated for only a second before following, her pulse quickening. Rationality told her to return to her investigation, but the sight of him—his familiar face—erased all logic. She had to know if it was truly him, if he had been summoned for the Holy Grail War just as she had.
"Gilles!"
The alley twisted and turned, the fog thickening with each step until it became a hazy shroud. She should have stopped when the fog began to creep in, misting her vision. But she couldn't bring herself to stop, not when she was so close as he always seemed just a few steps away from her reach.
After another turn, he suddenly vanished. Her heart sank when she thought she had reached a dead end, but then the fog began to lift, she suddenly stopped, surprised to find herself standing in front of an old, abandoned factory. The building loomed over her, its crumbling walls and shattered windows giving it an eerie, desolate feel. She had thought the alleyway was a dead end, but now she was here, staring at this forgotten structure that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
She pressed on towards the factory over a pathway filled with dry leaves. A twig snapped nearby, the sharp sound echoing through the silence. Jeanne's head whipped toward the noise just in time to see the figure vanish into the factory's shadowy depths.
Her resolve hardened. Tightening her grip on her resolve, she stepped through the rusted gates, pushing past their groaning protests.
The factory swallowed her in its cold embrace, the stale air laced with decay and disuse. Her footsteps echoed softly in the silence as she moved forward. A small ray of sunlight filtered through one of the broken windows, casting long shadows across the floor. Her own shadow stretched into strange, almost unnatural shapes as she looked around, her neatly braided hair swaying gently with each step.
A voice broke the silence, smooth and deliberate, the words cutting through the air like a knife.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
The voice echoed through the empty factory, each word carrying a cold, unsettling certainty, followed by the sharp snap of a book closing.
She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly, she turned around, her heart pounding, and saw him.
A man stood there, his tall figure barely illuminated by the dim light filtering through the broken windows. He was dressed in a long black cassock that blended seamlessly with the shadows around him. His face was calm, almost serene, but something in his eyes—cold and piercing—made her uneasy, as though he could see straight into her soul.
His dark hair was slicked back, emphasizing the sharp angles of his features, and a small, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips. It was not a smile of warmth or kindness, but something far more chilling, with an unreadable intent lurking beneath the surface.
"How kind of you to come visit me yourself, Laetecia-san. Or should I say Jeanne'de Arc, oh maid of Orleans."
(AN) So apparently, as I understand for Ruler's True Name discernment skill, if a servant posses hiding capacity(Mordred and Amakusa for example), it then depends on her and the opposite servant's luck to find out the true name. Now as to what Gilles used, well Kirei is not unfamiliar with that strategy. Apologies if this is not exact according to the lore for what was used in this chapter—I could not find a counter point, so took some liberty.
Also, I am finally a bit closer towards one of the three main scenes that I wanted to write when I started this fic—involving our favorite golden boys. Give or take 2-3 chapters if I can get them in.
Next chapter: Singularity?
Hope y'all and your family are safe. Until next time.
[Omake - a what if where Sasuke summons the most unlikely Caster(Impossible in normal holy grail war)]
The summoning circle glowed faintly as Sasuke watched, arms crossed. A tall man with flowing robes and long white hair stepped forward, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
"Ah, greetings! I am Merlin, the great Mage of Flowers. Lucky you, to have summoned someone as magnificent as me!"
Sasuke stared at him for a long moment. "…Why do you look like you'd scam me out of all my money?"
Merlin gasped, hand over his heart. "What? I would never! I'm here to guide and protect you."
Another silence.
"…So you're useless in direct combat."
Merlin chuckled nervously. "Well, I wouldn't say useless. I offer… moral support."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to re-roll."
"Too late! You're stuck with me now!" Merlin beamed. "And be honest, your dark, broody visage could use some sunshine in your life. Well, worry not! I shall bring joy, strategy, and perhaps a few flowers to brighten your life. You need me!"
Sasuke sighed. "Great. I summoned a talking flower shop."
Merlin gave a thumbs-up. "I do give relationship advice too!"
"Yeah, I'm definitely getting scammed. Kirei lied to me."