Chapter 2: ――――Why?

They say truth is stranger than fiction, and perhaps it’s true—if this can even be called reality. Frankly, I have no idea what kind of karmic twist landed me in this situation.

Sitting beside me is a boy—Emiya Shirou, the protagonist of the game Fate/stay night. And no, it’s not just someone with the same name. It’s actually him. A fictional character, now in the flesh, speaking with his own mouth and voice. That alone is already absurd beyond belief—but the kicker? I’ve also become one of the game’s characters.

Specifically, Saber’s Servant: Artoria. One of seven Servants summoned by magi to fight for the Holy Grail, and the story’s main heroine. For reference, Servants are the manifested souls of legendary heroes—so-called “Heroic Spirits”—anchored to the world through vessels known as Classes.

There’s a mountain of things I don’t understand, but at least one thing is clear:

――――I’m screwed.

Chances are, I died when I got hit by that truck. And somehow, I ended up possessing Saber’s body right after being summoned by Shirou. In this world, there’s a magical relic called the Holy Grail that can supposedly grant any wish, but due to certain circumstances, it shouldn’t function properly. Besides, I doubt there’s any way for someone like me—lost in a fictional world—to return to the real one.

All I can do is sigh.

“Hey, are you even listening?”

Rin-chan, who’s currently giving Shirou a lecture on the Holy Grail, shoots me a glare.

Apparently, she’s taken it upon herself to help us out—an inexperienced Master and an amnesiac Servant. I do appreciate it, but honestly, I’ve got bigger problems on my mind right now...

Rin narrows her eyes at me as I continue spacing out.

“...Sorry. I’m just having a hard time sorting things out.”

“Saber…”

For now, I’ve asked Shirou to call me by my class name, Saber. Regardless of what happens from here, our fates are tied. Eventually, I’ll have to explain everything, but now doesn’t feel like the right time.

“Well, I think that’s all for now. So—what are you going to do?”

“Do about what?”

Shirou tilts his head at Rin’s question.

“Do you intend to fight? I’ll be blunt—at your current level, surviving the Holy Grail War is close to impossible.”

She’s absolutely right. Even in the original story, survival was a close call. And now, Saber is me. After seeing that fight between Lancer and Archer, I get it—I don’t stand a chance against other Servants.

Still, Shirou is the type of protagonist who’ll choose to fight. If he learns people might die in the Holy Grail War, he’ll resolve to protect them, even if it means risking his own life.

“...Shirou.”

“What is it?”

There’s still time. Maybe it’s not too late.

“Do you have a passport?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Money? Do you at least have some savings?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a bit saved up, but…”

“Then it’s decided.”

I pull Shirou to his feet without giving him a choice.

“We’re getting out of the country. We’ll wait for the Holy Grail War to end from somewhere safe.”

“Huh!? What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden!?”

“Didn’t Rin just say it? We don’t stand a chance in this war. So we’re running.”

I drag Shirou out into the hallway before he can object.

“Get your stuff ready as fast as possible. We’re leaving tonight.”

“W-Wait, Saber! I—”

“I’m not letting a kid like you take part in a battle you clearly can’t survive. If I could fight, it’d be a different story. But I can’t go up against Servants like Lancer or Archer. So—”

“Calm down, Saber.”

Rin spoke in a quiet, composed voice.

“I don’t know how much you understand in your current state, but just so you know—if you leave Fuyuki, you’ll lose your connection to the Holy Grail. Temporarily might be fine, but if you’re gone for several days, you’d need an exceptionally skilled magus as your Master just to stay materialized.”

I didn’t know that was a thing.

Still, I wasn’t ready to back down.

“Even so, if it saves Shirou’s life, that’s good enough. A child’s safety takes priority. Besides, I’m already technically dead…”

I gave a bitter smile as Rin shrugged at me.

“Hmph. Judging by your status, you’re quite an exceptional Servant. But without your memories, it’s just too much?”

“‘Too much’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. I don’t even know how to fight. I can’t use my Noble Phantasm, or even swing a sword. If I run into another Servant in this state, I’ll be killed instantly. I can’t protect Shirou.”

“...Isn’t there any way to get your memories back?”

“Doubtful. I’m not even sure if those memories still exist in this body.”

“Hmph. Even so, fleeing the country doesn’t sound very realistic.”

“What do you mean?”

Rin shrugged again.

“For starters, the Overseer would definitely issue a warning. After all, letting a Servant leave the city raises the risk of uncontrolled damage outside their jurisdiction.”

“...Is that a serious problem?”

“The warning itself doesn’t mean much. The real issue comes if you ignore it. The Mage’s Association and the Church will both punish you.”

In other words, escape was practically off the table.

“If you were to run, Saber would need to act as your bodyguard until you reached a safe location. But just by having Saber with you, the Association and Church would hand down punishment. Either way, Emiya-kun would end up in serious trouble.”

“Then…”

“Your best bet is still asking the Overseer for protection.”

“That’s… but…”

The Overseer in this case is Kotomine Kirei. Truth is, he’s actually the game’s final boss. Asking him for protection is basically walking into the lion’s den.

“I’m not saying I recommend it. But it’s still more realistic than trying to flee the country.”

Another sigh escaped me. I was out of options.

“...Let’s go meet with the Overseer for now. At least we can get more details there, and maybe secure some protection for Shirou.”

Now then, what to do… Heading to the Kotomine Church is basically walking straight into the lion’s den.

“...What should we do, Saber?”

Shirou asked.

“Yeah...”

There aren’t many options left. If we can’t run, then we have to fight—but to do that, we need an ally.

And in that case, the only viable candidate is the girl standing in front of me. Everyone else has their own problems.

“Rin.”

“...First off, could you not call me Rin-chan?”

“No good? Then... how about just Rin?”

“That’s fine. The ‘-chan’ makes me feel weird.”

“Got it.”

“So, are you going or not?”

“About that... I’d like to put that on hold for now. More importantly, I want to ask you to protect Shirou.”

“...Yeah, I figured you’d say that.”

At least she’s quick to understand.

“Of course, you can do whatever you want with me. As long as you keep Shirou safe.”

“W-Wait a second, Saber!”

Shirou raised his voice, clearly offended by my words.

“I just have a gut feeling... but I don’t think relying on the Overseer is a smart move. It’d be better for you to place your trust in a reliable Master—you’d have a higher chance of surviving that way.”

“You seem to have a pretty high opinion of me, Saber.”

“Yeah. The moment I saw you, I could tell—you’re a kind-hearted girl. Besides, you took the time to patiently explain everything to your enemy’s Master, and even warned us to keep us from getting ourselves killed.”

I turned to Shirou.

“Sorry, but I’m not accepting any objections. I’m not about to let a kid like you get killed before your time.”

“B-But still!”

“Please, Rin. I know the only bargaining chip we have is me, but...”

“I don’t mind. But I’ll need you to use a Command Seal to swear you won’t betray me.”

“Of course. I won’t ask for anything in return except for Shirou’s protection.”

“...And what about you, Emiya-kun? Are you okay with that?”

I nearly clicked my tongue. Don’t ask unnecessary questions.

“I... can’t agree with this.”

Shirou said.

“It’s not that I don’t want to work with Tohsaka. It’s just... I don’t want Saber to make sacrifices for my sake...”

“That’s not something you need to worry about. Believe it or not, I’m older than you. So it’s okay to lean on me.”

“But still!”

“If you keep complaining, I’ll have to tie you up and lock you in a room.”

“T-Tie me up...!?”

Shirou was at a loss for words. Sure, maybe that was a bit extreme, but if he kept acting this defiant, I had no choice.

“It’s better than letting you die. Of course, once this is all over, you’re free to punch me as much as you like.”

“But... Tohsaka’s going to fight, right?”

Shirou asked. A direct hit.

“Of course. Securing the Holy Grail is the duty of the Tohsaka family.”

“...Shirou. You might be misunderstanding something, but she’s an extremely capable magus. She’s not like you.”

You’re the kind of guy who dies the second you step on a death flag. Rin isn’t.

I’m doing everything I can to protect Shirou because he’s the type who dies from the tiniest misstep.

Sure, most of his deaths come from the heroines, but Rin Tohsaka is the exception—she causes far fewer of them than the others.

If anything, she’s the one who ends up saving him most of the time.

“To be honest, I think she’s the most likely person to win this war. So if she’s willing to protect you, your survival chances will skyrocket.”

“B-But...”

“Hold it, Saber.”

Just as I was starting to get irritated with Shirou’s constant objections, Rin stepped in.

“A Servant who ignores her Master’s will isn’t someone I can trust.”

“What...?”

“I understand your intentions—wanting to protect Emiya-kun above all else. But if you’re going to dismiss his will and push your own opinions instead, then sorry, I’m not interested in working with you. A Servant a Master can’t control is no better than a live bomb.”

“I... I would never—”

“For example, if Emiya-kun’s life were put in danger for some reason, can you swear you wouldn’t betray us?”

“......”

“You can’t, can you?”

I had no comeback. A girl a few years younger than me had just out-argued me. I felt crushed.

“Also, to be honest, there’s not much benefit for me in partnering with you two. At the very least, I need two things: one, Saber needs to be able to actually fight; and two, Saber needs to start respecting Emiya-kun’s will. Unless those conditions are met, I’m not interested.”

“No way...”

This is the worst. The Rin I knew from the original story was kind to the point of being called naïve. Whenever protagonist Shirou was in serious trouble, she’d always reach out and help him.

But now, she’s the one turning us away—and it’s all my fault.

“...For now, let’s call it a day. I’ll agree to a temporary truce. If you meet the conditions, come find me. I won’t make any promises, but I’ll at least hear you out.”

“W-Wait, Rin. If it’ll convince you, I’ll even kill myself right here. Just protect Shirou—!”

“No thanks. If Saber’s out of the picture, I have even less reason to protect Emiya-kun. Remember—when it comes to deals between magi, equivalent exchange is the rule. Don’t forget that.”

After Rin left, I buried my head in my hands.

Total disaster. This is the worst.

"W-What should we do…?"

Our last hope had just vanished.

"H-Hey…"

Shirou timidly placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Ah, Shirou-kun. I'm sorry. This is all because of how unreliable I am…"

"No, it's not that… I mean, Saber."

"What is it?"

"Why are you so against letting me fight?"

"Because you look like you’d die right away."

The instant reply made Shirou pull a rather entertaining face.

"H-Hey! What makes you think I'd just die right away!?"

"How should I put it… It’s written all over your face. Like, one bad decision and you're dead."

"You’re kidding, right!?"

"Nope. Dead serious."

This was bad. Really bad. At this rate, the biggest death flag of the early stages was about to trigger.

"…We’ll try persuading Rin again."

Realistically, we're going to drag her into this. Or more precisely, we’re going to borrow Archer’s power.

"But, Tohsaka—"

"Come on, let’s go. What, you want me to carry you?"

"I-I can walk by myself!"

Had he hesitated even a second longer, I really would’ve carried him. But Shirou quickly sprang to his feet and headed for the front door. The moment we stepped outside, a cool breeze brushed our cheeks.

"You know which way Rin's house is?"

"Uhh, I think it's in the upscale neighborhood to the south…?"

"Alright then. Let’s go."

We picked up the pace a bit. Shirou looked desperate, but I was completely at ease. The performance of this Saber body was truly remarkable.

Eventually, we reached a fork in the road—and there, ahead of us, we spotted Rin's back.

"…My answer hasn't changed."

"Please, Rin. There's no one else I can turn to."

"No matter how many times you ask, the answer will be the same unless your stance changes. And if you keep pestering me like this…"

A dangerous glint lit up in Rin’s eyes, just as a sweet voice rang out from behind.

"—Finally found you, Onii-chan."

She had arrived. A girl’s voice, melodic like a song—and yet it sounded like the scrape of a scythe being sharpened by a reaper.

When we turned around, a monster stood before us. An utterly inhuman creature, so unreal it shattered the sense of reality.

Knowing that thing was alive was enough to send chills down my spine.

"Berserker…"

Rin muttered.

Lowering my gaze from the monster, I saw the girl who had spoken.

"Good evening, Onii-chan. This is our second meeting, isn’t it?"

She smiled sweetly at Shirou as she spoke.

"…No way. That thing has all A-rank stats except for Luck, which is off the charts."

Furrowing her brow, Rin raised her head as if to rally herself.

"Archer. That thing won’t go down to brute force. Stick to your true style of combat."

She whispered to her partner in a voice only he could hear. Though unseen, Archer responded.

"Understood. But what about defense? We can’t rely on Saber."

"Well, there are three of us. We can hold out for a bit. But not for long…"

"Got it."

Something seemed to slip away from behind Rin. I had never felt anything like this—maybe this was the sensation of a Heroic Spirit?

"That’s the situation, Saber. Sorry, but I need you to fight alongside us."

"Understood. But first, Shirou-kun."

"W-What?"

My sudden address startled Shirou so much that he practically panicked.

"I want you to use a Command Spell. If you do, I might be able to tap into my true power, even if only briefly."

"Right, that’s an option."

Rin leaned over and began quietly instructing Shirou on how to use a Command Spell. He nodded with a pale face and closed his eyes.

"――Huh?"

Rin let out a confused voice.

At the same moment, the white-haired girl opened her mouth.

"Done talking? Then… I’ll kill you now."

With impeccable manners, she gave a polite bow—entirely at odds with the deadly tension in the air.

"Nice to meet you, Rin. I'm Illya. Illyasviel von Einzbern."

"Einzbern…"

Rin’s eyes widened in shock, while Illya smiled sweetly and gave her monster an order.

"Now, go, Berserker."

"Shirou-kun!!"

"Y-Yeah! With a Command Spell, I order you! Saber, unleash your full power!!"

In that moment, something within me shifted. I naturally drew my sword, naturally blocked Berserker’s blade.

My body just knew what to do—before I could even think, my instincts were already ahead of me.

Berserker halted for just an instant—and eight arrows came screaming toward him. Like a machine gun, that barrage must’ve come from Archer.

But all of them were deflected by Berserker’s skin. That monster has a skill that negates all attacks below a certain threshold.

Behind me, I heard Rin gasp in shock—but I couldn't afford to look away. Right now, my focus had to be on the enemy before me.

Maybe it was the Command Spell's effect, but the fear had dulled. I parried his blade, forced an opening, and in that instant, Archer’s arrows rained down again.

"Archer!!"

At Rin’s signal, a silver flash slammed into the top of Berserker’s skull.

Of course, that wasn’t enough to bring him down. Knowing that, I didn’t let up on the follow-up.

"Seaaaah!!"

A full-power strike—blocked. I tried to create distance, but before Berserker could give chase, several silver flashes rained down, blocking his path.

"Gewicht, um zu Verdoppelung――――!"

Rin hurled a piece of obsidian. Simultaneous attacks from both Archer and Rin caused the concrete all around us to erupt.

But the crucial point remained unchanged: Berserker was completely unharmed.

"Ignore Rin and Archer’s attacks! They’re useless against you anyway! Just target Saber and kill her!"

What a terrible girl. Her cute appearance only made it more aggravating.

Still, the surefire way to beat Berserker… targeting the Master was just too hard to stomach.

Maybe if she were older than me, I’d consider it—but I couldn’t bring myself to kill such a small child.

"Which means…"

On the way here, we passed a wide open field. If I could lure Berserker there, Archer might be able to finish him off.

"――Crap!"

A moment of thought turned fatal.

Berserker's axe-sword came crashing down. I barely managed to raise my blade to block, but my body was launched like a wad of paper.

I bounced along the ground over and over, unable to do anything but groan from the overwhelming pain.

"...It hurts…"

Tears welled up from the sheer agony, blurring my vision.

This is bad. Really bad.

Blurring my sight in a moment like this—

"Saber!!"

Thanks to Shirou-kun’s voice, I barely managed to block the incoming axe-sword with my blade.

But I was sent flying again, and it felt like every bone in my body had been shattered.

I was barely breathing. Everything I saw was dyed in red.

This is bad… Archer can’t use his trump card here. The impact radius is just too wide.

"If it’s come to this…"

No more hesitation. I channeled the wind cloaking my sword. My target: the girl standing behind Berserker.

It’s fine. Berserker would definitely block it. That would give us an opening to escape.

"Finish her, Berserker!"

Before I could release the wind, Berserker suddenly changed course.

"No way――!"

I was sent flying again, and my consciousness began to fade.

I had no strength left to stand.

This is it… I’m going to die. If I had to suffer this much pain just to die, then I should’ve gone to the afterlife the moment I got hit by that truck.

Why… Why do I have to go through this kind of agony in a place like this?

"Aha, did you really think you could win? My Servant is the greatest hero of Greece, you know?"

"The greatest hero of Greece… you don’t mean—"

"That’s right, Rin. His name is Heracles. He’s on a whole different level from the kind of Heroic Spirits you can summon."

I could hear Illya and Rin talking.

Seriously, what are they doing? If they’ve got time to talk, they should be running already.

"Tohsaka, this way――!"

Shirou-kun grabbed Rin’s hand. Yes, that’s right, get out of here――

"Damn it…"

I forced my wrecked, screaming body to move.

Because Berserker had begun to pursue them.

Damn it… kill me first, will you…

"Let go! Turning your back on that thing is—!"

"Huh?"

Rin shook off Shirou-kun’s hand and unleashed a flash of light at Berserker. But it didn’t even faze him—he swung his axe-sword without hesitation.

"――Hah, kuh…"

It was a fatal blow. Yeah, I’m definitely dead this time. My arm was blown off along with part of my shoulder and side. If anyone could survive that, they’d be the monster.

What the hell did I ever do to piss off the gods this badly?

"S-Saber…?"

"…Run."

I couldn’t protect them any longer. I didn’t want to watch a child die. So please—just run.

I begged with everything I had.

"Alright, Berserker. Finish that one off first. He’ll be a pain if he regenerates."

That damn devil girl...

Even now, when I’m already on death’s door, she wants to keep piling on the pain...

Fine. If that buys the two of them enough time to escape, then I don’t mind. Go ahead, drag it out as long as you want.

"Yoooouuuuuu bastard!!!"

You idiot. Dammit, you absolute idiot.

Why do you think I’ve been enduring all this pain?

Shirou-kun suddenly came running in—only to take Berserker’s descending axe-sword head-on in my place.

Crimson blood burst out like blooming flowers, and his body collapsed next to mine.

Just because he has Avalon doesn’t mean he’ll definitely survive. But… if it’s now, maybe I can restore enough mana to save him.

"Shi… rou…"

Don’t die. Not in front of me. Watching a child die is one of the hardest things in the world.

Ugh, my consciousness is slipping again. Please… don’t die…

And in that final moment, someone’s voice reached my ears.

"――Why?"