Beta read and Co-written by Gamercrusher55 and Shigiya.
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-Fuyuki outskirts; Abandoned Building-
The hallway within the Matou family's safe house echoed with the wet, crawling noise of countless worms moving over one another. Down a narrow path that led to the basement, a vast underground chamber opened up, far larger than the small house above could ever suggest. Dim light flickered against the damp walls covered in stains, cracks, and several patterns hidden under all of the filth.
At the center, Zouken rested within the gloom, half-buried beneath an ocean of crawling life. The old man sat still, his body wrapped in a carpet of his familiars, thousands of worms festering all over as he continued to take shallow breaths — the gaping air coming out of the flesh, belonging to a man who had been on the brink of exhaustion. The air reeked of rot, thick enough that it seemed to cling to every breath.
A place where no sane living human could ever enter willingly.
The creatures themselves acted as part of his very being, positioning over his frail form, slowly shaping themselves into something that resembled a body… no matter how grotesque it looked. A dry, rasping breath escaped him, followed by a faint sound like wind through broken pipes. Bit by bit, the swarms either dispersed into the air or sank beneath the surface of his skin.
From within that grotesque shell, a face began to take shape. Calling it human would have been an insult. His body barely held together, each part threatening to fall apart before more worms crawled in to fill the gaps. A dull green yukata began to cover the wrinkled mass of his torso and lower body.
As the insects continued to do their task, Zouken figured it would be only a matter of days before he could fully recover. Despite his appearance being scarred with uneven patches and sunken skin, the outline of his imperfect skull, visible from the thin amount of wrinkled skin.

Yet behind that dying shell, his mind remained as sharp as ever, a single white spark within an otherwise blackened void where his eyes were. His eyelids twitched, and then he slowly opened them to stare at the empty spot on the other side of the room.
"What is it now?" His voice cracked as he spoke to the empty air. For a few seconds, nothing answered him, but he remained patient. Then, with a scowl, he tapped the tip of his cane against the rotten wooden floor, the sound echoing sharply.
"Do not play these games with me. I have no time for such nonsense, Servant."
The space before him flickered. A wave of blue light shimmered and folded into itself, condensing into the form of a man in red and black armor. Archer appeared a few steps away, his gear contrasting with the dull light emanating from the lightbulb above both men. The noise of insects stopped at once, as though the whole room's swarm now paid close attention to the newest arrival, waiting for their master's orders.
"..."
"Are you finished tending to your Master?" Zouken asked, his tone dry. "I was under the impression you would not leave her side for quite some time. A Servant's duty, after all."
"That is correct," Archer replied evenly. Zouken's half-formed eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering faintly. Even so, Archer continued speaking without pause. "You are a stubborn man, coming out even in this state. Still chasing revenge, still trying to interfere with the Grail War. You mages like to claim to walk the line between life and death, but at this point, old man, are you not simply inviting it?"
"This is only a minor inconvenience," Zouken replied. "My plans, my foundations, those I've built over centuries, will not collapse because of a few attacks on my household, nor will they be swayed by the presence of a single Heroic Spirit. This is, at most, a small setback in the grand scheme; you should be aware of that."
Archer shrugged his shoulders slightly, neither disagreeing nor agreeing with the person in front of him. Eyes closing for a brief moment before opening again. "I would say this is more than just a small setback, but I do agree, in the overall picture, it's not much."
"Humph, enough of this pointless conversation. It's going nowhere. I'm afraid, however," Zouken said, the faint curl of a smile forming on his ruined lips, "that you waste your time trying to negotiate something concerning Sakura with me. You are a Servant. Your existence is to obey, not to change outcomes meant for the living. That privilege belongs to your Master alone."
The old magus could read the intentions behind the Servant's calm expression. He was no fool; he understood what Archer might be considering. Yet he felt no fear.
Sakura was obedient, loyal, and he held no doubts about that, for he had molded her for years. Even now, she will anchor him, and despite the power that stood before him, one that could crush most mages without effort, Zouken's confidence did not falter. He had survived far worse and lived far too long to be unprepared.
He had been around Heroic Spirits for over two centuries, long enough to understand how they thought. Some were believers in virtue, others driven purely by pride, but all shared the same flaw: an ego too large to bow before anyone completely — there was always some level of defiance. That was precisely why he had created the Command Spells: to ensure the safety of the Master. Even then, such willful beings had not accepted that easily, and more than once he had faced them head-on and outwitted them.
Now, as his mind worked through new contingencies, he reviewed everything he had observed about the Archer's class, his adaptability, his defense against that outsider's attack, and every subtle quirk in his behavior. After accounting for every possible move the Servant might make, he expected resistance, not amusement. Yet the man before him only gave a quiet, mocking chuckle.
"Though I'd probably agree with you again," Archer said, his tone calm, "something tells me you're still missing something important. To me, it sounds like you are still under the belief that you hold the title of Master. And no matter how I try to explain it, you'll never change your mind, clearly."
Zouken's grip on his cane tightened. "Do not attempt anything foolish, Servant. Know your place, or you won't be the only one to suffer."
At his command, the swarm began to stir. Even though their numbers had dwindled after recent battles, there were still enough of them to overwhelm one man. Especially one with neither name nor legend. The entity standing before him lacked both the presence one would expect from a Heroic Spirit from legends belonging to kings and powerful figures in history; not only that, he was unable even to recall his own identity. Compared to the true heroes Zouken had seen throughout his long existence, this Archer was insignificant.
With the King of Heroes still alive and walking the earth, this nameless spirit was the least of his worries. The last thing the Matou head wanted was to draw that man's attention; if Gilgamesh ever turned his gaze here, before he was ready, it would spell certain death.
"This is your final warning," the ancient magus said sharply. "Leave before I lose my patience."
But Archer's response was as dismissive as before. "Unfortunately, my Master's orders were clear, and I've decided you're in the way. I intend on handling you here and now, both as a Servant and as a Heroic Spirit."
At that point, Archer made no efforts to hide his intentions.
A sudden whoosh filled the air.

Without hesitation, Zouken slammed his cane into the ground, and the basement came alive. The swarm of worms flooded toward the Servant in an instant, covering the wooden floor like a living tide with more emerging from the many holes around the walls. Several bounded fields ignited at once, drawn by the old magus's precise control. Complex symbols flared across the walls and floor, sealing the chamber in layered light.
All of this caught Archer's attention, who looked at them with a slight frown, most likely having noticed their effects immediately. Though as the worms drew close, many instantly recoiled and became slower, giving the Servant time to cut them apart — yet Zouken showed no change on his face.
"That material around you, a holy shroud, as I suspected. Definitely a useful item, but its holy trait will not protect you against all of my familiars for long." With another tap of his cane, the swarm changed course, heading for parts where the shroud did not fully cover. They were able to pierce their way through armor eventually, with cracks starting to spread, others displaying sharp blades like stingers, teeth, or horns — too numerous for even the Servant to keep up. "Many people have fallen by my hand for underestimating my magecraft. It has been four centuries since I was given the rank of Pride by the Clock Tower. My skills as a magus are beyond you, or the understanding of most mages, for a reason, foolish man."

Some insects threw themselves at his shroud, dying but managing to cause some amount of damage, their bodies sticking to the surface and allowing others to gain ground. This cycle repeated hundreds of times in a short amount of time until most of the material on his arms had been destroyed. Blood dripped from his forearm onto the ground below and was then feasted on by the insects.
Zouken's thin lips curved upward. "Being a Servant doesn't make you untouchable. My familiars have been refined for generations to consume beings like you, whom many fear as impervious to most ordinary attacks. Right now, the bounded field around us has the ability to cut off connection to the space outside its range, so you won't be benefiting from drawing from Sakura's reserves. And weakening your very existence, just existing must already drain your energy." His voice stayed steady, each word deliberate as his black eyes fixed on the spot where the Servant had been swallowed. "No one in this city understands the Holy Grail system better than I do; thus, no one truly understands what a Servant is better than I do. Losing a summoned Heroic Spirit is a tragedy, but I can always call another, perhaps even establish another contract with one that has already been summoned after killing their Master — my options are plenty. And even if that fails, I'll summon again once the ley lines are ready for the next cycle."
When no response came from Archer, who was pushed back enough to have half his body covered by the swarm, he finally turned away. His thin fingers adjusted his robes as he began to walk back toward his seat, already considering how to restore his strength. The thought of punishing the girl upstairs crossed his mind; she needed to be reminded of her place, but that could wait until he—
"Urgh!?"
A loud grunt tore from his throat as a sharp pain burst through his chest. Looking down, he saw the tip of a black sword jutting through him, its blade traced with faint red hexagonal markings that almost looked like they were glowing. Before he could react, another flash followed, a white sword spinning through the air and slicing across his neck. His head nearly detached before he caught it in his trembling hands.
"You!" he hissed, fury twisting his face as he directed more worms to knit his shredded body back together and fill in the ones that had been killed. His gaze darted toward the swarm, now fully enveloping the man, completely consumed. A few had died from his throwing those swords, but a dozen more came to replace them.
"For an Archer to rely on blades as a last measure…" Zouken spat, voice shaking with rage, "Humph! You keep disappointing me at every turn. Was that your final act of desperation? How pitiful. I cannot die. You cannot kill me. Death itself would need more than this to take me — it has been this way for a long ago."
"Trace on." A calm voice spoke from behind, neither sounding like he was in pain nor screaming like he expected. Instead, a strange change started to occur all around him, with the previously damp air itself starting to turn dry.
Every bit of moisture disappeared until his very throat felt dry like sandpaper.
Several thuds sounded, with his insects falling to the ground by the hundreds, smoking with each other, refusing to go anywhere near, and even crawling away in pure fear. In the gap, he saw a blood-covered arm held onto a blue hilt of a sword he had never seen before. Disbelief spread across Zouken's face, "How is this possible? Another Noble Phan—argh!'
A flash of light blinded his eyes, and waves of heat spread through the damp basement, setting the crawling worms around Archer ablaze. Zouken recoiled with a sharp howl of pain escaping his lips, stumbling back in disbelief as the Servant held a massive sword that radiated an overwhelming amount of magical energy. The sensation it emitted brought back a familiar dread he had long buried.
Fear.
"W-What is this!? Your actual Noble Phantasm? No, you're an Archer! How is this… " he muttered, his mind spinning, unable to make sense of what he was seeing. A Servant of the bow could not possibly wield a sword like that. "Impossible, you're not one of the Knights!"
"I already knew piercing your chest or head wouldn't kill you," Archer said calmly. "Someone like you has long since abandoned your true body. What you possess now is merely a shell, an imitation, built from worms carrying fragments of your soul. But that doesn't make you immortal."
The heat intensified, the wooden planks under Archer's feet beginning to blacken and burn. The air shimmered, the entire room bathed in blinding white light. Zouken shielded his face, stepping back again until his spine hit the wall. His arms began to smoke, the skin burning and curling as realization struck him hard. His eyes widened. "The Sun!?"
Archer said nothing, raising the sword higher. Every worm in the room had already turned to ash, the entire basement reduced to a scorched ruin.
"You think this will kill me!? I cannot die! I will not accept death! I will not let everything I've worked for be destroyed by the likes of you!" Zouken screamed, his voice cracking.
Rays of pure sunlight burst from the blade as Archer took a firm stance with the blade held horizontally to his side, both hands gripping the weapon. His lips moved, his voice faint beneath the roaring flames. "Ex… ur… tine."
With one swing, an arc of blinding plasma shot forward, tearing through the air like a miniature solar flare. The light replicated the very essence of the Sun, its power exploiting Zouken's weakness to that element. The old magus barely had time to comprehend how a single person other than that monster could hold so many Noble Phantasms and how this Servant could even know such a secret before his words broke into panic.
"That traitorous girl, this won't end well for y—"
The sentence was cut short. A wave of searing fire swept across the room, consuming everything. The heat tore through every bounded field in the house, setting the building ablaze by instantly turning it into a burning blaze. The rooms where Sakura and Shinji once stayed, now empty, were reduced to nothing but ash.
"..."
As soon as Noble Phantasm unleashed a fraction of its prowess, at the same moment, it was halted before causing too much damage, encroaching upon the surrounding neighborhood. In the aftermath, molten stone glowed across the floor. Steel boots stepped over the scorched remains. Archer walked across in the center of the ruin, his gaze fixed on the spot where the old man had once stood. Nothing remained. Yet his face showed no satisfaction, no triumph. His eyes only narrowed as he stared into the flames, unmoving for several seconds.
Blood dripped from both his arms and parts of his shoulders where the insects managed to hurt him. For them to work against a Servant, even with Magic Resistance, the old man certainly had reasons to be arrogant.
'A-Archer, is everything all right? I just saw a flash of light, and then everything started burning.'
'Did you manage to take everything with you before leaving?'
'It's fine. I didn't have much to begin with. Onii-sama is with me too… Is grandfather… is he…'
'You saw it yourself through my eyes,' he replied, already knowing the fear behind her hesitation. 'Are you worried he's still alive?'
The silence that followed was enough of an answer.
'Just know this, Master,' he continued. 'I am your Servant. As long as I remain by your side, whatever danger appears, I will eliminate it.'
As his words faded, the large sword in his hands began to crumble into particles of light, scattering into the smoky air. The burning wreckage around him slowly quieted, leaving only the crackle of dying flames.
Then her voice returned one last time. 'Are… are you really an Archer?'
A faint smile touched his face.
"Of course I am. Why would I ever lie to you, Master?"
On the other end, Sakura heard his reply while looking at the distant burning house. She didn't know how to respond to that, nor to the sinking thump deep within her.
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-Miyama; Northern Side; Emiya Residence-
"Hm?"
Far from the scene of the battle, down in the old district of Fuyuki, inside his house, Shirou paused with a tray of warm tea in his hands and some snacks, enough for four — he looked toward the distant sky. For a brief moment, he was certain he had felt something off, whether it was instinct or something that had caught the corner of his eye.
In any case, lately, the same pattern kept repeating: after a fight, someone would appear at his door. This time, it was the second visit from the same person. It struck him as almost comical how her expression changed each time she arrived. If looks could kill, hers would have done so many times over with the furious, apprehensive glare she aimed at him now.
"Are you still mad? I already apologized for groping your chest and whispering near your ear. I didn't do it on purpose, and you were kind of trying to kill me," he said, trying to keep his voice light.
"I already said it wasn't because of that! Stop bringing it up, you idiot," Rin snapped, face flushed crimson. She snatched one of the few sitting pillows near the table and flung it at his head.
"Whoa!" Shirou called, steadying the tray with careful balance and footwork so not a single drop spilled. "Careful there, Rin," he added, more to ease the tension than because he feared the tea would fall.
The girl only wrapped her scarf tighter and turned her attention away. Lancer stood nearby. The blue-haired Heroic Spirit moved through the room with a loose, casual gait, pausing to look at the framed pictures on the table before taking a seat beside his Master. His spear was nowhere in sight.
"I have to admit, kid, you got quite the nerve inviting us to your place when we literally tried to kill you," Lancer said, half-amused.
"I don't think she wants to kill me anymore," Shirou replied.
"No, I'm still contemplating that," Rin said, crossing her arms. She sounded like she could be joking, though Shirou hoped she really was.
"This is good tea. You should try some, Master, or else I don't mind taking yours. Can't just have you wasting any good stuff." Lancer added, as he was the first to praise the tea. Rider nodded along from where she sat.
"Thanks. They are tea leaves I got recently from a friend of mine. I can give you some if you want more," Shirou said, pressing the tray forward.
"Normally, I would have declined the kind offer, but unfortunately, I was summoned by a Master who takes the definition of Servant literally and has forced this poor soul into cleaning, cooking, and repairing her home. I had to relearn skills I hadn't used for years. So, sure, I appreciate the offer," Lancer said, sounding amused as he accepted a cup.
"Enough talk," a new voice cut in when a hand slammed down on the table. The impact startled everyone, but nothing spilled. He had guessed the motion and steadied the tray before it could tip, and Rider made a quick move to help as well.
"Tell me where Sakura is. No, tell me everything you know right now, or else you don't want me to throw Lancer at you," the voice demanded.
"Do you have more snacks?" the Servant who had been focused on the food asked, finishing the plate in front of him without looking up. He chewed with the calm of someone used to eating what was set before him, unconcerned by the mood in the room.
Rin's eyes twitched with a murderous glare that moved between the two men. "Why the hell are you suddenly so friendly with him?" she said, the question sharp despite her words.
Shirou set the tray down on the table and took a breath, placing his hands flat on the wood. The teapot made a small, steady clink against the cups.
"Come on now, Master. He seems like a good guy to me. Even though we just met, I can tell he doesn't feel like a bad guy."
"Do you even know or have the slightest idea who his father was?"
"The sins of the father should not be passed down to his child. Some fathers can be absolute pieces of shit, and that should not affect how people see their children, who have no control over such things."
Surprisingly, his answer came out more meaningful than he intended. Even Shirou felt there was more to the story, but he did not pry any further. Instead, he focused on the conversation he promised the girl.
"Sakura left the house the day after Berserker's attack, in the middle of the night. Truthfully, I'm not sure why she made that decision back then, but apparently, she didn't want to keep being a burden to me and wanted to pull her own weight. But I also suspect it's because Zouken was forcing her to go back."
Having finally calmed down, Rin tapped her fingers on the table with a thoughtful look. "I suppose that makes sense. The Matou family, being one of the founding members of the Holy Grail system, is guaranteed a spot just like the Tohsaka and the Einzbern."
"Couldn't Shinji have been chosen instead?" he asked.
To that, she shook her head, scratching her hair with a frustrated sigh. "That idiot has no talent in magecraft. Even I can see that. While Servants don't necessarily need a Master who can provide them with a constant supply of mana to exist, since they can consume souls, blood, or other sources to sustain themselves, it would still weaken them considerably. It's not an ideal situation, which could even weaken them. Since the Matou bloodline has basically thinned out, I assumed they wouldn't have a Master this time, but I guess that was just wishful thinking. Sakura, on the other hand, has the potential of a true mage… I don't know exactly if she's at my level; she's still far better than someone like Shinji and could easily sustain a Servant. Hah, that girl… why did she have to do such a thing?"
"So you believe me now?" he asked.
"Not entirely," Rin replied, "but I feel you're telling the truth in this matter, I don't think you would have risked yourself in our fight otherwise." Rider snorted to herself while Shirou had bashfully scratched the back of his head. "Plus, it sounds exactly like her, and it makes logical sense. Think about it. Just a day ago, I nearly got killed by Berserker and had to have my skin saved by you. The longer I would have stayed without summoning a Servant, the more danger I would bring upon myself. Sakura must have felt the same way. Still, that doesn't explain the sudden attack on her house, or why you were fighting her Servant."
She asked with narrowed eyes. The boy shifted in his seat, taking a moment to think about his next words carefully.
"I just couldn't let her go," he said. "When I woke up and found that she was gone, even though I knew why she wanted to summon a Servant and be part of this war, I didn't think it was something she needed to do. She was putting herself in danger. If she was being forced by Zouken, then I was prepared to confront him, even if that meant putting a bullet through his skull."
Rin scoffed. "As if something like a bullet would be enough to kill that monster. Do you have any idea how old he is? He's been around since the creation of the system itself. Something like a bullet would only enrage him, and you'd die in the end, Servant or not."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Rider commented. She didn't need to look over to see that Rin felt belittled again at the mention of facing Zouken. Despite not showing it, the woman still carried pride in her own capabilities, and the idea that she'd have no means to protect him against a human mage sounded insulting.
"Careful, you don't know Zouken. There's no way he would have survived if he hadn't overcome a Heroic Spirit or two."
"Anyway, still, I had to. I can't just leave her like that, Tohsaka," he insisted. His words only deepened the frustration on Rin's face, but she stayed silent and let him continue. "I don't know who or what attacked them. When I was heading over there, something just came out of the sky. Everything was too chaotic for me to make sense of it, and I just wanted to make sure she was safe. When I got there, that's when I saw the Servant. I thought he was the one behind the attack, so in a moment of rage, I attacked him."
"....Of course you did. Why am I not surprised anymore?" commented the girl with a dry tone. Rubbing her temples at the stupidity of it all.
"Heh, well, you can figure out what happened next. Thankfully, someone came to my aid and pulled me away. I couldn't find Sakura afterward, but that Servant did mention she was safe."
Rin nodded slightly, growing a bit suspicious that he did not elaborate on this particular'someone' but not forcing him to reveal it. "It's possible that the attack came from an Archer-class Servant. Maybe even their Noble Phantasm. That's the only way to explain such a wide, destructive range. The Servant you fought, what weapon did he use?"
"Um, a bow and a sword? He fired a few arrows at me, but then he definitely used swords."
Her expression shifted into one of confusion. "What… A sword and a bow? He can't be a Saber if he uses a bow… then again, why would an Archer wield swords? But if he's an Archer, then was he the one who attacked the mansion? No, that would mean Sakura ordered him to do it, and that doesn't make sense. Was it Caster then? Caster could use large-scale spells like that. I don't think the Berserker you faced could cause that kind of destruction, and definitely not an Assassin either."
She started mumbling through several possibilities under her breath, but he quickly interrupted her. "It doesn't matter who or what it was. Right now, our main goal should be to find Sakura and make sure she's safe."
"..."
He exhaled, seeing the embers of doubts still showcasing on her face, "Do you still not trust me because of my father? Because he was the Magus Killer? He's done terrible things, I know that, and I won't deny it, but he wasn't like that in the end. The man who saved me… the man who raised me was different. This may be just me, but I believe everything he did was for what he believed was right. My father was someone who never sought glory or fame; he only wished to see a better world. If he were alive right now, I think he'd wish for this war to end before it begins. There's already been enough senseless death."
"That's one way to see it," she replied calmly. "But unfortunately for you, others have different goals. Some look forward to this war. Do you even understand what a wish means? It's the culmination of centuries of research, the dream of countless magi who dedicated their lives to it. An impossible longing given form. You can't dismiss that effort just by saying too many have died. Many would gladly sacrifice thousands, even hundreds of thousands, for the chance to claim it."
"I know," he said quietly, raising his gaze to meet hers. "But that doesn't make it right. Are you one of them?"
"I do want to win," Rin admitted. "That I won't deny. But I'm not a monster. I won't spill an endless ocean of blood for it. In any case, we should plan our next move."
"We? You're willing to work with me now?" he asked with a faint smile.
"Don't make that face! I'm just feeling pity for you, that's all. I'm lending a hand, nothing more. Once we find Sakura, I'll go back to being your enemy, and I won't hold back next time!"
Lancer, who had been quietly focused on his food and tea until then, turned with a small smirk. "I'm sure you'll both enjoy another... physical exchan—ouch!"
An empty cup struck his face before he could say more, thrown directly by Rin.
"Don't make unnecessary comments!" she snapped, standing up as if to leave. She paused at the doorway, glancing back. "Aside from me, that enforcer lady, and Luvia, who else knows that you're a mage?"
Shirou's smile fell a bit, as aside from them, only another face emerged. And unfortunately, he already guessed the kind of reaction Rin would have. But it was best to tell her… "Um…?!" No, wait, perhaps that was not the best path to take. He'd already decided to keep Ayako away from getting even more involved. "T-There's no one else."
He immediately got three dry looks from not only Rider, despite the fact she was wearing a mask, but also Rin and Lancer. It appears his moment of hesitation had exposed his deception. The latter even added, "Wow, kid, you really do suck at lying, don't ya?"
"Emiya…" Rin called him, getting up from her spot and slowly, purposefully getting closer to him. He got up as well and tried to back away from her, keeping his distance. Also, he felt fear when watching the unnatural smile that emerged on her face; it looked too innocent! "We're allies, aren't we? An alliance goes both ways, right?"
"I-I-It's not like I don't want to share it with you or that I don't trust you, Tohsaka. I just promised her to keep it a secret."
It took him less than a second to realize his mistake, as her eyes narrowed, but it was already too late.
Thump Without even realizing it, Rin had lured him to the wall.
"Her? So it's a woman. Of course it is!" She said cheerfully, immediately shoving both arms against the wall behind him and trapping him in the middle with no routes to escape. "Wouldn't it be easy if I knew about this person as well? Could help to avoid many misunderstandings in the future."
"... It's not that simple."
Her eyes narrowed even further as she leaned her head in so that they were face to face, very dangerously in his personal space. "You groped me earlier, Emiya."
"—!"
She actually was going to use that against him? He had to admit, it was effective. He could see his blushing red face in her beautiful blue eyes. "The very least you can do is share some of your information. You act like it will be troublesome for me to know about this person. Am I that untrustworthy? I or someone else is bound to find out sooner or later. Wouldn't it be better for me to learn of it first, to also help you out if necessary?"
Well, in his defense, she did try to kill him earlier… also, he was not going to budge on the matter. Thus, he gave her the same answer with his following words. "Still though, this isn't something I can just tell you, someone's safety is on the line, and this is just too soon for something like this?"
Rin rolled her eyes, her frustration growing with his stubbornness. "Alright then, I'll also give you my word as the Second Owner. But there is also the matter of our alliance to consider, so I can't trust you so easily based on your words in the end, given your… link to the Magus Killer. Regardless of whether or not he had a change of heart at the end of his life, I can't verify this claim. How about this, we resolve this issue with a Geis." As soon as she uttered that last word, it immediately pulled Lancer from the laid-back grin of enjoying Shirou's misery, to a serious, stern expression as his smile faded away to a frown.
"Geis?" The redhead tilted his head. The term sounded familiar, but his mind remained a bit foggy about the detail. He remembered reading about it from the books Luvia gave him… something about a contract?
Seeing his silence as ignorance, Rin continued. "Yes, a type of magical curse that can only be cast with the consent of both parties. Think of it like a mage's version of a contract, a binding law agreement that only affects the agreed-upon parties in a supernatural manner. It's where the parties involved have a curse placed upon them that hinders their movement in the event they choose to act against it. There are also different versions that can be used to invoke other forms of punishment or fulfillment of agreements."
"So you're saying if I make this Geis with you, then that means the person I'm referring to has ensured safety from you?" He asked again just to make sure.
Rin's smile grew, "The geis will benefit you just as much as it will benefit me. An ally you can trust during the Holy Grail War is as valuable as having your own Servant. So if you trust me to have your back and promise not to backstab me, and vice versa, then surely you would trust me with certain pieces of information. Right?"
While Shirou heard her suggestion, so did Rider, whose voice echoed in his mind. 'It's quite interesting the way she conveniently made sure to exclude the part of not harming that person to the geis itself. Don't be fooled, Master.'
'She gave her word.'
'Promises are not worth much, but geis or any sort of binding contracts are not to be trifled with in the Supernatural world, even during my own time.'
Rider definitely had a point.
The intense gaze Rin was giving him as she offered her proposal made him feel the blood in his veins actually stop. He pondered while staring into her face. As close as they were, he could feel her hot breath on his skin, making him shiver as if he was enchanted by it. It sounded so reasonable; all he had to do was get the help of the Second Owner, and Ayako's safety was guaranteed. She had been practicing magecraft far longer than he had—
…Wait!
"Well, what do you say?" Rin asked, still patiently awaiting his answer.
To that, he shook his head with an awkward smile. "Sorry, but I don't think I'll be accepting that, Tohsaka. A geis is… It's not something I want to use unless absolutely necessary."
"Huh?"
Rin was taken aback by his refusal, while Rider visibly relaxed as seen by her posture. Lancer silently raised the cup of tea at her as a peaceful gesture. His smile had grown after hearing Shirou's answer.
"You're not really helping your case in having me trust you." She commented dryly, not letting go of the idea that easily.
Shirou continued on with his explanation. "I know, but you're also smarter than me, Rin."
Rin visibly blushed; he wasn't sure if it was due to his previous remarks or something else he said — the girl was hard to read at times. And those words were not said just to flatter her; he truly meant them.
"Huh, well that's even more reason for you to trust me… would be useful having someone like me by your side, you know…"
He wasted no time agreeing with her, "I know. I'm not denying that. But before making any sort of magical binding contract… I would also prefer to have someone else look it over first. You know, to avoid parts that I could have missed initially or even possible unwanted loopholes. So that it's safe for both of us."
Though he did not say it outright, the meaning behind his words was clear enough for Rin to freeze up on the spot. Her face had a look of sheer shock, and whatever pressure she was putting on him vanished.
"Pft-hahahahaha!!!" Lancer's laugh burst out after the awkward silence between the two Masters. "Oi brat! Way to go! You realized the serpent in front of you, for what it was, and pulled away before it bit you in the hand."
Rin's prior blush grew redder to match her turtleneck. She then whipped her head to Lancer. "You, shut up before I use a Command Spell on you, to make you unable to talk, except with telepathy for the whole war!"
The man raised both hands in a mock gesture of backing away, clearly not wanting to tease her any further since Shirou genuinely felt Rin would use her Command Spell for that purpose.
"Okay, okay, still though that wasn't too bad. I like unreasonable promises, but that doesn't mean you should throw yourself into anyone you come across. If I did that, a certain pink-haired queen would own my ass."
Rin turned to face him, having slightly recovered, still having pinned Shirou to the wall. "So then, since you know that stopping me isn't going to be easy. Will you actually be willing if a third party were to get involved? Or are you just buying yourself time for something?"
He couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh, deciding to lighten the mood. "You're quite paranoid, Tohsaka. If I wanted to harm you, I would have already snuck inside your home and hid a few C4 bombs all over the place, you have everything already covered, so not like you won't realize it. All of this could have been done a long while ago."
"Excuse me!?"
"Just a joke." He added quickly with a light grin, "I'll just have to convince you to see it my way, or protect her myself. Since I'm the one who created this situation, it's my responsibility to fix it."
Shirou stared at her with as serious an expression as he could muster. The blush on Rin's face had faded as she then looked away and finally set him free. Looking at the ceiling and thinking things through for a few seconds. "Be that as it may, if we are going to be allies, then we need to have each other's backs. So if you really want to prove to me, you're serious about Sakura, you'll at least give me her name as a sign of good faith."
She did have a point. Also, Shirou felt Rin would genuinely get herself in trouble if she started to investigate who this person was and possibly cause Ayako more trouble in the long run without even doing so intentionally. "I'll tell you. But in return, you must promise me not to confront them about this nor bring up anything from the supernatural side to her. I don't want her to get more involved than she already is… if she does get too close, then let me handle it."
The twin-tailed girl gave it some thought before nodding.
"Fine. You have my word."
"It's… well, it's… Ayako."
A heavy silence filled the room, her eyes widening in disbelief. Then, a sharp shriek rang out across the estate.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"
{Break}
-Shinto, Kurokizaka district, block 4, Semina Apartments-
There were many things that drew Ayako's interest in her day-to-day life.
Whether it was archery practice, hanging out with her friends, trying to be more feminine, or sneaking in video game sessions when her parents weren't paying attention — she enjoyed all of it. Some could say it was quite busy, but she enjoyed it… that, not even counting her practice of martial arts, but that she more or less kept up out of duty and fitness.
Yet lately, something new had slipped into her life. A subject she would have once dismissed as nonsense, fantasy, rumor, nothing more. But now, having seen it with her own eyes, with her nearly getting literally devoured by a freaky monster, followed by a frightening woman trying to wipe her memory from that moment, then everything Shirou mentioned after jumping off a several-story building… holy shit, it just dawned on her just how ridiculous all of this sounded.
Yup, magic was real. And ever since that moment, her curiosity toward the supernatural had only grown stronger.
"It's said that in the Semina Apartments, on a particular floor blocked off to everyone, there used to live a person, Mr. A," she began softly. "He had rented a room on the eleventh floor, with there being no one there but himself and a family of three, his only neighbors. Once he moved in, he was ready to start fresh. The place was cheap, too cheap for this city's standards. It was almost a miracle he found it. With the money his parents sent, he could cover the rent easily and even treat himself a little. He didn't care for friends or visitors and preferred the quiet. He liked his solitude. That small apartment became his own fortress, a place where he could live freely without interruption. His own little fortress of solitude, you could say"

She whispered the rumored story in the dead of night. Next to her, the streetlight nearby flickered with the winds blowing her brown hair, creating a nearly chilling atmosphere with no sound whatsoever from the usually boisterous city, no car, no cat, dog, or any crickets. Pure silence and not a single other person inside or outside of themselves.

"He lived a quiet life for a while," she continued, her eyes glinting faintly in the half-light. "It was peaceful. He went about his days in comfort, walking the halls or taking the elevator as usual. But after a while, he started to feel… something. It was hard to put it into words at first, but that sensation kept becoming worse by the day. The lights would flicker, sometimes footsteps echoed behind him, or faint giggles, but no one was ever there. That feeling, almost similar to being watched, never left. And then one day he saw—"

"Waaaah!"
"Ah!"
The sudden shriek tore through the silence, making Ayako flinch. She turned sharply toward the source, glaring at the tanned girl sitting beside her outside the apartment complex, where they had gathered rather than staying in her room or Kane's, mostly just because she wanted to check the outside of the building in order not to miss something obvious.
"Kaede!" she snapped, lowering the book in her hands, its worn cover reading 'Rumours and Mysteries of Fuyuki'. "What the hell was that for? I haven't even said anything scary yet! You'll wake everyone up at this rate."
Across from her, Kane nearly toppled out of her seat from the shock. "Seriously, Kaede!" she added, pressing a hand to her chest. "You're going to give someone a heart attack."
"It was scary!" Their friend shot back, clutching her knees and shaking slightly. "I swear I could hear footsteps too! Also, why did we have to come outside rather than staying in one of your rooms!? The outside just makes it all the more creepy!"
Both Ayako and Kane sighed at the same time. The latter pushed up her glasses and gave Ayako a dry look. "Told you this was a bad idea. Let's just go back inside. I left my hot coffee on the table; it's definitely cold by now. Kaede and horror don't go together. She gets startled by shadows and starts swinging."
"Of course I do!" Kaede protested, her voice rising. "What, you expect me to just stand there while a ghost rushes me?"

The gray-haired girl crossed her arms, frowning. "You can't punch a ghost even if it existed."
"What do you mean if? Of course they're not real! That's why this is stupid. Why are we even here?"
Reaching her limit, Kane sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Oh, for the love of… fine, whatever. She's got a point, though. Why did we come here anyway? Wouldn't it have been easier to just tell ghost stories at the temple if you wanted a creepy atmosphere? The place already has the right ambiance going on for that sort of thing, especially for our girls' night out. Or just our rooms with the lights off." Kane stopped and took something out of her skirt pocket. A vibrating phone she opened. "Yukika just sent me a message that she's not feeling well and couldn't come."
Ayako shook her head. It was clear their little group had split into two sides: those who believed and those who didn't. Kane obviously leaned towards the former, while Kaede was the latter. And of course, after she herself had been shown proof, she also genuinely knew that this was no mere camp story but possibly an actual thing. Still, the girl understood that simply claiming it was real wouldn't change anyone's mind. Most would just think she had lost it. So she decided to gather more evidence before saying anything, even if that meant doing it herself, with help from her friends, including a certain redheaded boy..
"Aren't you curious about it too? The story's pretty well-known. Wouldn't it be better to see it for ourselves and maybe even uncover the mystery behind it?" she said, masking her excitement as a simple suggestion.
In truth, she didn't have solid proof that any of the local rumors were real. Most of the folktales floating around town were just talk, strange stories passed between classmates or whispered online. But this one, for some reason, felt different. There was something about it that tugged at her instinct.
"Especially you, Kane, we live here. And I'm sure you heard the story in the past. Why not see it for ourselves if it's true?"
She wanted to bring Shirou with her, but she already knew what he would say. He'd try to stop her, probably with that serious expression and those well-meant words about staying safe. As much as she found his protectiveness cute, Ayako also wanted to show him she wasn't helpless.
To that, Kane showed some hesitation. "I mean, who hasn't heard of that story? Yournext-doorr family's kids won't stop talking about it. But even they never bothered to check it out themselves," she said dryly. "But sneaking around this late at night on the restricted floor? I'm more worried about the building owner possibly throwing us out or getting us in trouble with our family."
"You're no fun, Kane. And besides, that old man is too busy getting that auntie's attention who just moved in to care. I'm pretty sure there aren't any hidden security cameras… I checked," she added. "Anyway, we'll only look around for a bit. If nothing happens, we'll just go back and watch a movie or play games. How does that sound?"
"Fine," Kane replied, shrugging. "I just hope this place doesn't end up being the next target of that meteor shower that hit the town yesterday."
"Urgh, please don't bring that up. I won't be able to fall asleep with that in mind more than the ghost…"
Putting that grim memory from yesterday to the very back of her head. They were on board, and that was good enough for her. Patting her shirt, she soon went back to the book, still open to that particular page of the story. "Already then, let's just go back inside. We'll take the emergency stairs to the eleventh floor; they made it so you can't access that floor through the elevator unless you use the Master Key. The stairs should be fine, though."
Both girls nodded, with Kaede still visibly hesitating, seeing that Ayako had a particular idea come to mind, which made her smirk. "Unless you don't mind staying outside all by yourself, that's your choice."
"O-Oi! Don't leave me here!"
That proved to be effective, she quickly followed both in. The entrance led to a mostly quiet foyer where the tenants could find their mailboxes. A few doors lead to other rooms belonging to the janitor, the main office, and so on. But rather than taking the elevator, Ayako started on the emergency stairs next to it, in case it was unavailable.

This actually was the first time in years she took this path, the last time being due to a power outage.
"It's quiet today," Kane noted as they made their way upwards slowly but surely. "More so than usual."
"Ye-Yeah, this place is giving me the cre-creeps. W-Who would even live inside an apartment complex with ghost rumours!?" Kaede muttered, glancing around hastily while getting two unimpressed stares from her friends.
"We just started…," Ayako said, smiling faintly. "Stop worrying. I'm right here, and nothing's going to happen. If anything, the ghost should be afraid of us. Between my courage, Kane's surprisingly painful kicks, and your fast punches, we're unstoppable. Didn't you once say ghosts could be punched in the face?"
"Ah-haha… hahaha… e-eh… I guess that makes sense."
The dark-haired runner gave a small laugh, clearly nervous but trying to play along. She drew a deep breath, straightened her posture, and gave a nod. "F-Fine. But remind me again, what's the story supposed to be about? I'd rather know what kind of move I'll need to use if we run into something weird."
Amused by her friend's tone and her trying to distract herself from her surroundings, both girls stayed quiet as Ayako picked up where she left off. "Well, years ago, it was said that a family used to live happily in this place, on the same floor as Mr A. But happy times are only temporary. One of the parents was either possessed by something or had gone through a terrible experience. Some versions say the wife or husband caught the other cheating. Others claim one of them lost everything to gambling and couldn't handle the guilt. Another said the husband was beating the wife. There are many different versions, but none of them agree on what really happened. Still, all of them end with the same thing. A family suicide. The wife killed the husband, slashed the daughter, and then committed suicide. Everyone died, and the daughter went missing.. Mr. A was the only person close enough to hear anything or do something, but didn't…apparently there was a knock on his door he didn't bother answering… and after talking to the police, he shortly went missing." Kaede was shaking in her feet as Ayako finished recounting the events. Ayako, wanting to tease her a little bit, went on. "They say it was so brutal that faint echoes of their screams can still be heard in the hallway, and sometimes people see bloody handprints sliding across the walls and something on the lenses of the spyhole on his door."

"Grim stuff," Kaede noted, her voice lower now, the group reaching the fourth floor rather quickly and continuing to make their way upwards. "Hopefully it's just a story and not something that actually happened. My punches are powerful, but they can't do much against a knife!"
"Actually," Kane replied, pushing her glasses up, "I did some research. There really was a dispute between a married couple, according to old reports from neighbors who heard them arguing regularly before they were found dead. Still, I do find it a bit strange that they still blocked off access to that floor. If it were a murder case with an unknown killer on the loose, I guess I could understand. But it's not, and years have passed, so it's strange."
"From what I understand, they did try to rent the place to other tenants, but they would always leave the very next day or within a week at the longest."
To Ayako, she never really paid attention to such things in the beginning. Having only learned such a detail through her brother, who mentioned it earlier on.
"You really think they left because of the ghost?" Now, the one who held a fair amount of skepticism for the existence of the supernatural found herself feeling uncertain — all of this visible on her face as they went past the eighth floor with the restricted area getting closer.
"H-Hopefully not…"
"You're sweating."
"Shut up! Also, why did we just not take the elevator to the tenth floor and then take the stairs here!? All of this walking is making me nervous…"
"..."
Honestly, Ayako just forgot… and so did Kane from the look she made.
Seeing those two start to feel more uneasy, Ayako continued, with their only not being much left to the story within the book. "After that, people say the echoes of the little girl who died that night still return. Mr. A, the man from the story, couldn't sleep because every few nights he'd hear knocking on his door. When he looked through the peephole, no one was there. It kept happening, over and over, always at night when everyone else was asleep. The knocking would start softly, then grow louder each time, until it sounded like someone was desperately slamming the door. Whispers of a young girl came with it too, faint but clear enough to send chills down his spine. At first, he never dared to open it. Maybe his instincts warned him, or maybe he already knew that whatever waited beyond that door wasn't something human. I wonder if he thought it was something like a judgment because he didn't do anything. Anyway, he was convinced it would go away, but the knocking never stopped."
With each mentioned passage from the story, the sound of their own steps grew louder to her ears. The stairway they took after reaching the tenth floor, being so close to their destination—her eyes lingered on the no entry warning on the wall. In bold red, words warning people from going anywhere near the place, saying that it was under construction.
A flimsy excuse at best, but it worked for many years.
A glimpse at the hallway ahead was dimly lit, the lone yellow bulb flickering above them. She hesitated to head any further, her hold on the book tightening before she whispered under her breath, just loud enough for Kaede to hear. "It's just a story. It's just a story."
The place ahead has a similar layout to every other floor in the apartment, yet very much different at the same time. Lacking any sort of decorations from other tenants, no nameplates on the doors, layers of dust on both floor and wall, cobwebs, and a lightbulb that seemed it had not been changed for years.
There, as per the story, she recognized the apartment, which from the story would be Mr A's, Room 2. "Then this one…" All three girls' heads turned to the one next to it, a simple-looking door to anyone ignorant of the story. But to all three, it was something worse that now none wished to approach.

--Room 1. Site of the family suicide.
Again, Kaede repeated those words from earlier. That it was just a story, and none of it was real. Working up the nerve, she spoke to Ayako.
"That's right, it's just a story. Say, Ayako, we came this far already, we don't have to go any further for something that's probably fake."
Kane, feeling that she should say something, after coming this far, offered a of facts. "You know me and Ayako were living in the apartment when it happened. It was real. I'm pretty sure you visited around that time."
"Gwah!"
"Say, Ayako, did you hear anything around then?"
"It's not like I can hear everything going on in these walls. We did have a bit of distance from this floor. It doesn't help that most floors only have two apartments to rent. You?"
"No, but my father did speak once about how it would lower our complex's property value," Kane mentioned, now all three are standing without moving. No one, even willing to turn the doorknob first. "S-Say, how did the story end again?"
Ayako paused for effect before going on. "He'd sometimes peek through the peephole again, and the hallway would flash red for a second, showing bloody handprints smeared across the wall before disappearing in the blink of an eye. He thought he was imagining it, but the sleepless nights and stress started getting to him. Eventually, he snapped. One night, he finally had enough and opened the door, ready to confront whoever it was. But once again, there was no one. Not only that, the voice and knocking suddenly vanished. For a moment, he finally believed to had been freed from all those mind-numbing noises, he closed the door and intended to walk back inside his apartment."
She took a moment to gather her breath.


"But then, right before him, a figure stood there alone. He could barely see her face, but she was smiling, a wide grin carved across her cheeks, red like fresh blood. Her voice didn't sound human when she spoke. She just said, 'Press the button… the little r—'"
"Excuse me?"
"WHAAAAAAAA!!!"
Kaede, Kane, and even Ayako screamed out, their voices raw from panic and loud enough that half of Fuyuki most likely heard it. Ayako jumped, a chill racing through her when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She spun around quickly, her breath catching in her throat, only to find a familiar face staring back at her with the doors to the elevator that should have been blocked access to this floor opened and soon closing behind the newcomer.
"…A-Ayaka Sajyou?"
------------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.