Chapter 18: …What is this?

Night deepens.

Bazett had returned to her base, saying she needed to prepare for tomorrow's battle. Left behind at the Emiya residence, Shirou, Rin, and Illya sat around the dining table exchanging thoughts.

"…Feels like we got played."

Rin muttered bitterly, and Illya nodded in agreement.

"What do you mean?"

Shirou, still not fully grasping the situation, asked.

Rin shrugged and replied to him.

"She was probably waiting for the perfect opportunity… Waiting until we were in a position where we couldn’t possibly refuse her offer. Otherwise, there’s no way she could have timed her support that perfectly."

"W-Why would she do something like that…?"

Illya answered the confused Shirou.

"With our Servants gone, we had no way to resist her militarily. In other words, we had no choice but to accept any terms she proposed. She didn’t even leave room for negotiation. She turned us into her pawns—efficiently."

"But Bazett’s proposal wasn’t exactly—"

Shirou was about to say it wasn’t something worth rejecting, but Rin cut him off with a shake of her head.

"The problem is what comes after… Even after we recover our Servants, she’s going to try to maintain this setup. And when that happens, that written agreement is going to be a problem."

"What do you mean…?"

"Agreeing to fully cooperate with dismantling the Grail means she can use that as a pretext to impose a certain degree of control over our actions."

Illya clicked her tongue at Rin’s explanation.

"…Everything she does is underhanded. Refusing to sign that paper would’ve been the same as ‘declaring rebellion against the Mage’s Association.’"

Illya muttered in frustration.

"Bazett is a Master under the Association’s orders to ‘investigate the Holy Grail War and the Grail itself.’ If she claims the Grail is abnormal and approaches us seeking to resolve that abnormality, it ceases to be a mere meeting between Masters."

Seeing Shirou still confused, Rin elaborated further.

"She’s backed by the Association. If we disobey her, we’re defying the Association’s will. Our only options are to do as she says… or silence her permanently."

"But we have no way to shut her up…"

Shirou was finally starting to understand. He had signed the agreement thinking Bazett’s reasoning made sense, but beneath the surface, a heated power struggle had been unfolding.

"Anyway, we need to start thinking about what to do after we get Saber and Archer back…"

"That woman had Lancer keeping tabs on you, Shirou. That means she likely knows about the peculiarities of your magecraft, too. If we sit around and do nothing, things could take a nasty turn."

Illya’s face twisted in anger.

"She’s probably planning to use you up and preserve your remains in formalin or something. But I won’t let that happen… I’ll find an opening and kill her myself."

"H-Hey… that’s going way too far—"

"Sorry, but I agree with Illyasviel. You don’t want to end up pickled in a jar, do you, Shirou? We’ll use her for as long as we need to, and once we’re done—make sure she’s dead. Not that she hasn’t already seen that coming from us…"

Shirou felt completely left behind. The women’s thinking was far too ruthless.

Maybe he was just being too naive, but both sides clearly intended to use each other.

"Uh… I don’t think Bazett’s the kind of person who’s totally unreasonable… Maybe if we just sat down and talked it out—"

"No, Shirou."

Illya said gently, like an older sister soothing a little brother throwing a tantrum.

"Just by holding the position of an Enforcer, that woman’s already a deviant—both as a person and as a magus. Thinking you can talk things out with someone like that is pure fantasy."

"Remember this, Shirou. In the Mage’s Association, Enforcers are considered troublemakers on par with Wraith Gathamy or those under Sealing Designation. They’re the kind of people you’re never supposed to get involved with."

"You don’t have to worry—we’re not going to make you dirty your hands. Rin and I will be the ones to kill her."

Shirou’s protests were thoroughly shut down by their relentless barrage.

He tried to talk them down from doing anything rash, but the two had already excluded him from the equation entirely.

With no other choice, Shirou headed to the dojo alone to calm himself.

Upon arriving, memories of sparring with Saber flooded his mind. That time they spent pushing each other to grow stronger had been so fulfilling and enjoyable.

He wanted to save Saber. He felt bad for Rin and Illya, but no matter what Bazett was scheming, if it meant saving her, nothing else mattered to Shirou.

"Saber…"

He picked up the wooden sword he had always used when training with her.

"…I’ll definitely save you."

Imagining her figure, he swung the wooden sword. Recalling their days of mutual struggle, he reaffirmed his resolve.

He would become stronger with every passing second. He would take her back from Caster’s hands, and this time—

"—Hah. You’ve gotten pretty good, kid."

Something struck his sword. He opened his eyes at the familiar voice.

"L-Lancer…? I thought you left with Bazett…"

"Sorry to disappoint. We’re working separately right now. Bazett told me to guard this house. The barrier’s down and it’s completely exposed, after all."

"W-Wait, that means she’s walking around outside alone!?"

Shirou stepped forward in alarm, but Lancer only smiled.

"No need to worry. She’s strong. Against a run-of-the-mill Heroic Spirit, she could win even without me. She’s that good."

"…You’re not serious."

"Oh, I’m dead serious. Honestly, no matter what the girls are scheming, it’s all meaningless against her. Any half-baked plan will just get smashed to pieces."

"…You were listening."

"A barrier like that might as well not exist to me. Believe it or not, I dabble in magecraft too."

Lancer grinned, and Shirou instinctively grew wary.

"Don’t be so tense. Besides, it’s better to have a sparring partner, right?"

"Lancer…?"

Lancer grabbed a wooden sword from nearby and swung it easily with one hand.

"It’s not a spear, but I know my way around a blade. Come on, ready yourself. It’s been, what, seven days since then? Let’s see how much you’ve improved."

Shirou silently took his stance in response to Lancer’s provoking gaze.

It was more than he could ask for. Up until now, Shirou had only ever crossed swords with Saber. His fight with Rider had been more of a surprise attack than a proper duel—he’d never had a real exchange with a Servant.

To fight someone real. That would be invaluable in helping him rescue Saber.

“…Not bad. I thought so back then too, but given time, you could become a proper warrior.”

“I don’t care about being a warrior. I just… want to save Saber.”

“Ha! You fight to save the woman you love, don’t you? If that’s not a warrior, what is!?”

Lancer moved. Shirou widened his eyes and infused the image of Archer’s swordsmanship into the twin blades he held in both hands.

Despite being a Heroic Spirit of the spear, Lancer’s sword technique was far more intense and refined than Saber’s. Even with Archer’s techniques, Shirou couldn’t fully guard against it. He was sent flying.

“—Kgh…!”

Pain twisted Shirou’s face.

“Not bad, but you lack experience. That swordplay belongs to Archer, right? I’ve got nothing against copying, but his technique is the product of relentless training. No matter how well it suits you, if there’s nothing inside, it’s just a hollow shell.”

“…I know that! But I need strength now! There’s no time! So I’m going to fill it myself. I’ll gain experience—through you, Lancer!”

“…Fine by me, kid. Shirou, was it? If you want to save the woman you love, then train like your life depends on it! I’ll go along with you—so come at me like you mean it!”

“—Yeah! Thanks, Lancer!”

Shirou dropped his wooden sword. Understanding his intent, Lancer deepened his grin and tossed aside his own as well. What he drew instead was a crimson magical spear.

“—Projection, begin.”

Facing him, Shirou summoned his signature twin swords—white and black, yin and yang. No matter how hard he trained with wooden swords, he would never know the edge of death. He would never experience real battle.

Moved by Lancer’s willingness to accept him, Shirou expressed his gratitude once more—and charged forward.

Reading the experience stored in the twin swords, he challenged Lancer again and again, enduring defeat after defeat, injury after injury.

It was a scene of madness. With the decisive battle set for tomorrow, Shirou was fighting as if he intended to die here and now.

He stepped into lines that spelled certain death. He remained in moments where retreat meant survival. And each time, he searched for—earned—a way to survive.

The illusion frayed, and the twin swords shattered more than a dozen times. He was slammed into the walls, flattened to the floor, again and again.

And yet, Shirou kept charging in. Lancer watched him with a grin full of delight.

“…You really are a fascinating guy.”

The exchange lasted into the deep night. As Shirou collapsed, Lancer knelt beside him, applying healing magecraft, and murmured softly.

“Bazett was watching you for a different reason, but… she wasn’t wrong, in a way.”

“…What do you mean?”

Shirou tilted his head. Lancer answered.

“—Bazett was already wary of you long before I first ran into you.”

“W-Why…?”

Lancer explained to the wide-eyed Shirou.

“Your old man… Kiritsugu Emiya, right? He’s pretty well-known in certain circles.”

“My dad…?”

“Guess you didn’t know. He went by the alias ‘Magus Killer’—an infamous assassin feared among mages. So naturally, she had every reason to be on guard around his son.”

Shirou couldn’t hide his confusion at Lancer’s words.

“My dad… an assassin?”

“From what I heard from Bazett, he was ruthless. Had no problem doing whatever it took. They say no magus ever survived once he targeted them. That’s why, that night—after seeing you fight—Bazett sent me to track you down and kill you.”

Shirou’s heart skipped a beat.

Yes—this man had once… no, twice tried to kill him. And the first time, he had succeeded.

He was only alive now because Rin saved him. Without her, he wouldn’t be here.

“Originally, Bazett’s goal was to investigate the Holy Grail War. So she went around measuring the strength of each Master and Servant pair. But then she encountered the biggest threat of all: you. After all, Kiritsugu Emiya was the victor of the previous war.”

That was something Saber had told him at the start. Kiritsugu—Shirou’s father—had been the outsider magus invited in by the Einzberns.

He summoned King Arthur and fought his way to victory. But he also encountered some kind of disaster that ended in catastrophe.

“According to records from the last Grail War, Kiritsugu blew up an entire hotel, took hostages, just did whatever he pleased. He didn’t even bother to hide the supernatural. Supposedly, he’s been dead for years now, but if his son showed up in this war, Bazett intended to eliminate you without fail.”

Shirou was speechless. The shock of what Kiritsugu had done, and the sheer injustice of Bazett targeting him just for being his son, left his mind blank.

“Well, in truth, you and Kiritsugu are nothing alike. Bazett said so herself after hearing my report. That’s why she accepted my judgment when I said you could be trusted.”

Then, Lancer laughed darkly.

“You really are something else, aren’t you. Bazett’s got what it takes to become a hero too, but you’re on another level. You’ve got no talent, but the way you carry yourself—hell, it’s not even human anymore. In a way, you’re already the finished product of a hero.”

“Uh…”

Shirou looked bewildered, and Lancer continued.

“Doesn’t matter what the girls try, Bazett won’t even bat an eye. But if you bared your fangs at her, that might actually be a problem.”

“I’m not planning on doing anything like that. I don’t care what Bazett’s thinking, I’m not about to turn on her. I’m in favor of dismantling the Grail…”

“But would you still say that if Saber ends up in danger because of Bazett’s orders?”

Shirou couldn’t answer that right away.

“And if the Holy Grail gets dismantled, Saber’s got no choice but to disappear, you know?”

Lancer’s words came hard and fast, and Shirou’s face twisted with conflict.

“Your wish is to keep Saber alive. And for that, you’d need the Holy Grail, wouldn’t you?”

“…The Grail is tainted. I’m not turning Saber into another version of Makiri’s.”

“But if there’s no other way, how long do you think you can keep up that idealism?”

Shirou bit his lip. Lancer’s questions weren’t just idle talk—they were the very trials Shirou would eventually have to face.

Keeping Saber alive—that was Shirou’s wish. But to do that, he would need the Holy Grail. And using the Holy Grail would mean—

“…I’m not going to use the Grail.”

Shirou said it plainly. Lancer narrowed his eyes.

“So you’re giving up on keeping Saber alive?”

“That’s not it… I’ll just look for another way. I don’t just want to keep her alive.”

“Huh?”

“I want—”

Shirou met Lancer’s puzzled gaze and declared,

“I want to make Saber happy!”

Lancer’s eyes went wide.

For a strange moment, it felt like time had stopped.

Then, as if genuinely caught off guard, Lancer was speechless—and then—

“Pff—Ha! Now you’re talking, Shirou! Yeah, damn right! If you want to make her happy, there’s no way you’d use a corrupted Grail! Makes perfect sense!”

And then he burst out laughing. Big, raucous laughter. His eyes even glistened with tears—it was the full-on, can’t-breathe, doubled-over kind of laugh.

“H-Hey! I didn’t say anything laughable, did I?!”

Shirou looked annoyed, and Lancer quickly tried to compose himself with a very serious expression.

“Nah, nah, I’ve gotta hand it to you. You’re really head over heels for Saber, huh? To say all that… I misjudged you.”

“Wait—hold on! Just wait a second! You’re completely misunderstanding something here!”

“Nope, I don’t think I am at all. Isn’t it fine? Just marry her and make her happy already!”

With a refreshing grin and a thumbs-up, Lancer beamed. Shirou looked aghast.

“You’re wrong! You’ve got it all wrong, Lancer! Just so we’re clear, Saber looks like a girl, but on the inside—!”

“Oh, I know. She’s a guy, right?”

“…If you know that, then how the hell are you saying this stuff?!”

“Hey, back in my day, guys hooking up with other guys wasn’t even that rare. I mean, sure, I prefer women, but still.”

“Maybe your era was like that, but this is modern day!! Things are different now!!”

“Even so, just looking at you, it’s obvious you’re totally in love with—”

“N-No, that’s not—I mean, that can’t—!”

Shirou raised his voice in protest—but for some reason, he remembered the time he talked with Saber in the bath, and his face turned bright red.

“Ahahaha! See? I knew it!”

“I told you, that’s not it!!”

“Well hey, you’ve got it rough either way. With her being a guy on the inside, winning her over might take some effort. Then again, if she’s as caring as she seems, you might just be able to talk her into letting you—”

“I’LL KILL YOU!!”

“Whoa now, aren’t you supposed to be aiming to become a hero of justice? Pretty sure ‘I’ll kill you’ doesn’t quite fit the bill, pal!”

“Shut up! That’s it! This conversation’s over!!”

Shirou shouted, his face blazing red, and Lancer howled with laughter, continuing to tease him mercilessly.

Before long, all the noise attracted Rin and Ilya, who came to check on what was going on—only to be greeted by the sight of Shirou, radiating murderous intent like they’d never seen before, chasing after Lancer with Kanshou and Bakuya in hand, while Lancer laughed and egged him on.

Thinking something terrible must have happened, the two girls hurried to the scene—only to stand there in stunned silence, taking in the bizarre sight.

“…What is this.”