Rin blinked several times owlishly before shooting him a very dirty glare. She instantly knew which clients he was talking about, and had always wondered why they suddenly became so cooperative during the middle of their talks. "We are going to have words once this is over."
"Hoooh?" Lancer spoke to Bazett telepathically. "Looks like the kid's got a meaner streak than we thought. Didn't think he had it in him unless someone pissed him off. Well, then again, they probably did try to kill him first, so that isn't much of a leap."
"Lancer. Be quiet." Bazett didn't want to deal with his sass right now.
"Oi. Come on Master. Don't tell me you didn't notice." Lancer ignored her request, his tone developing an edge. "He didn't show any sign of regret killing those guys in the slightest. He was more worried about angering little red here."
Of course she noticed. She doubted that anyone that was familiar with Shirou's behavior missed it either.
"Noted. However, Miss Tohsaka, please refrain from speaking out of turn."
"… Understood." Rin didn't look away from Shirou, her tone still less than pleased.
"Emiya, again, throughout all of your encounters, you never suspected the Archibald family's involvement in particular?"
It took a moment for Shirou to get himself back on track. "No. The first time I received word that they were up to something was when my resources told me that they were interested in the Grail War once word got around that it was starting early. They weren't the only ones, of course, but the scale of their investigation could only be matched by someone that intended on getting involved."
"Or in this case, involving Miss Edelfelt."
Shirou shook his head. "No. Their research started before she was chosen as a Master. I believe that they would have sponsored and hired anyone that wasn't closely associated with me so long as they were a Master and had a Servant."
"And do you believe that her being a Master affected the outcome of your actions?"
"Yes." Shirou didn't hesitate at all answering the question, getting a few looks.
"How so?"
"She's worth keeping alive."
He said it with an almost casual tone, and yet the words themselves seemed to suckerpunch most of the people that heard them.
"… Explain."
"I respect her. She's a capable magus with experience on the ground and knows how to fight. She's also shown genuine interest into my father and my methods when taking down targets and not once dismissed what she learned as meaningless. Rather, I have witnessed her incorporate what she has learned into her own stratagems. There are few magi that are willing to go the extra mile to utilize "demeaning" tactics and ways of approaching issues like she has, even if it is to increase efficiency. It shows proactive and adaptive thinking, which I appreciate," Shirou elaborated.
"Careful master. At this rate, you might actually blush."
"Quiet Caster!"
"So she proved to be a difficult target for you to defeat using your normal methods then," Animusphere surmised.
"That, and I personally trusted her judgement skills to recognize the situation for what it was, prioritizing the greater issue at hand over a petty contract." Shirou shrugged. "She was one of the first in the War that I requested cooperation with. She did not disappoint expectations."
Luvia honestly didn't know how she should feel right now, or what she was currently feeling for that matter.
"And you were not worried about her contract?"
"A roadbump. At best."
"How did you discover about the arrangement? Did Lord El-Melloi II or Lady Edelfelt inform you? Or do you have any resources that have yet to be mentioned."
"None of those, your honor. The renegade Caster had announced it during one of the earlier confrontations in an attempt to sabotage any efforts of possible collaboration between us. Fortunately, neither of us are so petty as to let something like that blind us to the situation at hand. I had also, correctly, anticipated the possibility of one of the other Masters being hired to kill me during the events as well and made preparations for possible outside interference."
"Which are?"
"Classified and irrelevant."
"I assumed as much…" Throughout the entire conversation, Animusphere was writing down notes and making his own assumptions. "And Lady Edelfelt informed you that the Archibalds specifically were her employers once the contract was annulled?"
Shirou knew that there was trap in the question, but answered it without hesitation. "She merely confirmed my pre-existing suspicions given what I already knew. It was no secret Lord El Melloi II had been tasked with supporting her extensively for the War, nor was it unknown that the Archibald family did not see me in the highest regard. It did not take much deductive reasoning to come to that conclusion. No one does anything for free. They were clearly expecting something from the Edelfelt family for their services."
The judge looked at Luvia's image curiously. "The Edelfelt family is well known for its involvement in mercenary activities and professionalism. I am somewhat surprised that you would expose your employer so readily."
Huffing in a way that only a noble aristocrat could, Luvia appeared more affronted than guilty. "Please keep in mind the context of the situation, Lord Animusphere. By the time we were exchanging information of that nature, my sister had already been betrayed by her Servant and I had become aware of the current nature of the Grail itself. While abandoning the contract will be a mark on the family, abandoning my sister and being responsible for a catastrophe incarnate to walk the planet would accomplish nothing less than drag the entirety of our pride, name, and principles through the mud for little more than some petty benefits is something that I will not tolerate."
Just two words, but the weight behind them was insurmountable.
"Petty benefits". That is what she called the rather substantial monetary and political capital that her family would have come to possess had she had indeed managed to kill Shirou. She had all but severed all ties between the Edelfelt Family and the Archibald Family, denouncing the latter as beneath them despite the difference in social standings.
It was a very, VERY significant and risky move she had just made, and more than one person had taken particular note of it if the murmurs in the crowd generated were any indication.
"I see… And what of the idea of simply cooperating with Emiya until the issue was resolved before completing your contract?" Animusphere probed.
Luvia smirked. "Lord Animusphere. By the time I had enough information to contemplate that option, I had just been informed that the Grail War was a potentially cataclysmic sham, my sister was incarcerated by her Servant, the overseer of the Church was hiding and collaborating with possibly the strongest Heroic Sprit that could be summoned, a good number of my moves and my Servant had been predetermined without my knowing before the battle even started, Zouken Matou had been hiding in the background aware of all of this and in a position to make everything worse. Throughout all of this, for the past two years, for the entirety that I knew him, Emiya had been preparing to address it all without anyone being the wiser."
She sighed and waved her hands in a helpless gesture. "Please, do not take me for a fool, my lord. I am confident in my abilities, but I know a doomed prospect when I see one. His Saber is a remarkably powerful Servant, and more than one of the other Masters and Servants here would jump to his aid without a moment's hesitation after all that he's done for them. I am outgunned, outnumbered, and I owe him a debt that cannot be repaid easily. My common sense and my pride will not allow me to do something so asinine."
She ignored Shirou looking at her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking with his shroud on. Her relationship with him over the past few weeks had been all over the place, to the point that she doubted that either of them knew where exactly they stood with one another now.
She did know that he still, beyond all reasonable logic, trusted her.
Why? Even she didn't know. But… she did owe him her life. And her sister's. At the very least, as head of the Edelfelt family, she intended to repay that debt.
"And you believe that you are not one of these marks now?"
"I am under the impression that Emiya is a rather reasonable individual. The Vice Director is not the sort that would employ a reckless fool. So long as I do not give him a reason to harm me, I have no reason to be afraid. Additionally, he is generously hosting us for the time being. With my sister in the situation that she was in, I was obligated to consider the continuation of my Family's legacy."
"You are speaking of Ore Scales."
"It is remarkably useful at times, but completely worthless if both holders are killed." Luvia admitted without shame. "This is the second time that Japan has almost wiped out both holders. Sadly neither my sister nor I apparently learned from the mistakes of our predecessors."
"Right. There are records that this is not the first time that the Edelfelt family participated in the Fuyuki Grail war." Animusphere shuffled through his notes. "Regarding the Archibalds. I assume that you will not attempt to renew the contract and compensate their expenditures?"
Luvia nodded. "Of course. My sponsors were responsible for procuring the artifacts used to summon Caster, and accumulated information and resources here in Fuyuki. All expenses of which will be refunded in full, even if the contract is no longer in effect. However, the Edelfelt family will refrain from doing any further business with them in the near future. The previous contract was one already written under duress, and now that the matter is being brought to light, I believe it is in my family's best interests to refrain further contact unless necessary to avoid further involvement. I'm certain that we will be able to make due with more reliable and stable resources in the near future. Especially should Caster remain with me as a consultant."
Translation. Being Shirou's ally is more beneficial to her than the Archibald's. If he can ensure that she maintains control over Caster as a resource, she'd be able to make up for her losses easily plus interest. Shirou Emiya is far more dangerous as an enemy to her family than the Archibald family is, and it is in her best interests to be on his good side.
Bottom line. The Archibalds can get bent as far as she was concerned. She picked her side and wasn't moving anytime soon.
For the first time since the court started, one of the representatives of the Archibalds stood up. "The Archibald family would like to make a formal complaint to the Edelfelt family due to breach of contract. Despite not being directly responsible for its annulment, Luviagelita Edelfelt has none the less broken sacred protocol. We demand compensation for this in the form of her Command Seals and control over Servant Master."
The audience could not keep quiet, excited and surprised by the turn of events.
Luvia, in contrast, was surprisingly unflappable. Bored even. It was as if she had been expecting something like this. "Caster? What do you say to this? To be handed off to a Master that will likely not refrain from pursuing Emiya's life?"
The Princess of Colchis knew exactly where her Master was going with this, and chuckled politely while materializing, exposing herself to the audience. "Hmhm. It's an amusing prospect, Master. One that I would enjoy spectating, but would rather avoid taking part of personally. Quite the contrary, if I was forced to play a role in such an endeavor, I would find my time in this plane end even more quickly."
"Familiar! Are you actually saying that you hold more loyalty to the boy than your own Master?!" It was clear that Caster's words surprised and angered the Archibald if the shade of red on his face was any indication.
"Loyalty?" Caster scoffed. "Of course not. Do not twist my words to fit your delusions, you plebian. Even the words of my era cannot accomplish something so fantastical."
Animusphere frowned. "Then, when you meant that you would rather kill yourself…"
Caster smiled genuinely. "I merely implied that doing so would be the lesser of two evils. I have little intention of ever seeing the boy as an ally. However, I have more reason to ensure that he is never my enemy. Witnessing my counterpart going mad with my face is a rather distasteful experience I would rather avoid repeating on myself."
The courtroom went dead quiet.
"For verification, are you saying that Emiya was the one that killed your other?" Animusphere clarified.
"No. He wasn't, not for a lack of trying, I assure you. The final deed was Assassin's to claim." The Princess smiled genuinely. "However, from what I've heard, he's come remarkably close several times over the course of the War. Enough to leave quite a lasting impression. By the time of the climax, the one that the Witch was afraid of the most was not Berserker or Saber, but the boy himself."
Shirou shifted uncomfortably, showing a rare moment of weakness that everyone on both sides of the conversation could see. No matter how much he prepared, he was never comfortable with being complimented. He never desired or liked being put on a pedestal.
"Emiya, is there anything you would like to add to Caster's statement?" the Judge probed warily.
"… Fighting Servants sucks. You'll get beaten into a pulp at the bare minimum if you're unfortunate enough to survive the first few seconds. I don't recommend it."
It was a crass statement that totally destroyed the mood of the trial and completely undid the image that he had given himself up till then.
"Er. Is that so?" The Judge clearly had also been caught in the whiplash.
"While image and reputation are important, please do not make me out to be some monster that is capable of going toe to toe with a Servant of all things." It wasn't exactly pleading, but there was an exasperated desperation in Shirou's tone, as if begging "please don't be as gullible as I hope you aren't".
The fact that he had actually gone toe to toe against Gilgamesh did not even cross his mind while making his statement. As far as he was concerned, he was just unusually suited to fight the King of Heroes so long as the latter was still holding back.
His statement seemed to snap everyone out of their funk, getting a few nervous and uncomfortable laughs from both sides of the conversation.
"Right. Yes, well, regardless, is she telling the truth Emiya? That you have fought and injured Servant Caster on multiple occasions?"
"I'm apt at sneaking around when I need to, and am fortunate enough to have tools that excel in piercing thaumaturgic defenses," Shirou bluntly stated, as if it should have been obvious. "Anyone would be capable of such feats with those two things so long as they weren't being reckless."
More than a few people sitting with him had to choke back their reactions at that statement. Shirou was the very definition of reckless without even trying.
"Even mysteries from the age of Gods?" Animusphere frowned.
"Very fortunate," Shirou stressed.
Rin barely held back a groan, knowing exactly what he had just done and aimed for. Instead of possibly risking his unnatural abilities, Shirou had given everyone the impression that he had some sort of valuable unknown mystic code which happened to be his key tool for killing other Magi.
On the one hand, he had just reduced his odds of getting a Sealing Designation.
On the other, now more people were going to go after his head to try and steal this disgustingly useful and rare artifact.
Turning back to the Archibald representative, the Judge could not help but be skeptical. "Well? What say you to this, Archibald? It is clear that the Servant does not share interests with you. It would be a significant loss, not just to Edelfelt, but to the Association if such valuable insight to the Age of Gods was lost."
"I wouldn't take that gamble if I were you," Waver spoke up casually, as if it wasn't his problem. "Servants are more trouble than they're worth. And from what I've seen firsthand, the family doesn't have good luck when it comes to hedging its bets."
"You speak as though there is value in your words, traitor." the representative sneered, but he already knew that the damage was done. It was already blatantly clear that they had tried to take kill Emiya, who was a direct subordinate of their superior, Barthomelloi. While Waver may technically be guilty, so were they. Worse, their actions had apparently been interfering with a vastly more significant issue to everyone without their knowing, despite all the research and efforts they went into learning as much about the War as possible, ultimately making them look like utter and incompetent fools.
The Archibald family was in deep water. It felt like the longer the trial went, the worse they looked to the Judge, jury and Association as a whole.
If Waver took any offence to the insult, he hid it well behind an amused smile and a careless shrug.
"Lord El Melloi II, please do not speak unless addressed," Animusphere berated halfheartedly, getting just as effortless of a shrug of compliance in return. "Archibald. Your request for Servant Caster is understandable. However, this is not the venue for such demands. Our focus today is on the Grail and Lord El Melloi's actions."
"Tch."
Animusphere looked at Shirou. "Emiya. We have confirmation that while you are responsible for Edelfelt reigning on her contract with Archibald, neither of you were responsible for exposing it, or the details of its contents while it was active. Thus, the accusations that the accused exposed the existence, contents and nature of a contract that he was not associated with are all but resolved. The matter between both mentioned families will be determined at another time. Back to the matter of the Grail. Why did you not inform the Association or your superiors of its nature when you were first invited?"
"I couldn't. As I alluded to earlier, Zouken Makiri had enlisted me as a co-conspirator to his plans before anything was finalized," Shirou reasoned.
"Could you not simply kill him?"
"I… could. However some context is needed. Zouken Makiri was a magus that had aided in setting up the Grail War in the first place, and was already centuries old by that point. Finding a way to deal with him in a way that would be permanent without rising suspicion was… difficult."
"Hoh? Even for one as reputable as you? Even after invited inside his home?"
Shirou frowned. "The majority of Apostles I have encountered can be considered more human than that monster. The worm had a habit of transferring his mind into a new victim whenever he needed. Be it when his current rotting body was failing on him or when he sustained an injury that he could not recover from. Even then, he kept his soul elsewhere to ensure his twisted longevity. The bastard was a worm in every way imaginable. If he didn't want to be found, it would be impossible to find him. Servant or not."
The revelation caused a small ruckus in the gallery.
"He segregated his mind, body and soul among his familiars?" Animusphere was genuinely shocked. "Impossible. There have been experiments before, but no magus has managed to successfully separate all three and remain sane while maintaining control over all three."
"You are partially correct," Sakura spoke up. "If I may, the Makiri family thaumaturgy specialized in mysteries that 'bind onto oneself'. Grandfather felt little attachment to his physical body, so he primarily focused on the longevity of his mind and soul. His soul was always hidden among his familiars in a safe location, but his mind was what was normally in control over his actions, transferring between disposable body to body, acquired from the local populace when needed. I believe that there are stories of puppeteers who have attempted immortality using similar methods utilizing their own creations as hosts."
The room quieted down; however, the discomfort was still present. "Yes. Yes, of course, you are correct, Miss Makiri. If you put it like that, then it does make sense in context. But please, like the others, request permission before speaking."
"My apologies, your honor."
"Emiya, your… effectiveness against Puppet and familiar users is well known. Even if Zouken Makiri was as proficient as you say, I am having trouble believing that you would have so much trouble with him."
Shirou shook his head. "There were two issues that stayed my hand. Zouken's soul, the worm that he kept it in, was secured in a... troubling location. If he had even suspected that I knew where it was, no, that I was even aware that he kept it separate from whatever his current "body" was in the first place, there would have been severe consequences. The second was that playing the long game gave me a reason to team up with one of the other Masters without raising unwanted suspicions when the War began. With this setup, I was in a good position to get rid of one of the biggest obstacles to the War and get more allies."
"How was Zouken one of the biggest obstacles? I understand he would be difficult to find, but was he that dangerous once you had your Servant?"
Shirou frowned, not liking what he'd have to say. A quick glance from Sakura was the final push he needed to reveal what he was hiding next. "Like I said, Zouken was one of the Magi responsible for the Fuyuki ritual in the first place. It is believed he was over Five Hundred years old by this point. A monster, but even I cannot deny his abilities as a Magus were exceptional. At the end of the previous War, he found some of the remains of the one provided by the Einzbern after it had been destroyed, discovered its corrupted nature, and then without hesitating in the slightest, proceeded to construct an improvised version of his own."
SLAM!
"Impossible!"
This time it wasn't an Archibald or member of the tower that spoke out of line, but a member of the Einzbern family that had been sitting in the front row with the rest of the VVIPs that had attended the hearing. "Even if that old worm had found some scraps from the previous vessel, it is impossible that he would have the knowledge or the ability to construct a functioning replacement!"
"Just like how it was "impossible" for Caster to fabricate one from scratch in just a few days? The world is a big place, Einzbern." Shirou stood his ground, not budging an inch.
"Then where is it?! Where is this abominable fake?! Where is your proof!?" Nearly everyone was genuinely surprised by the amount of outrage that the man was radiating. While some parties so far had been annoyed or put off during the trial, no one had actually lost their tempers yet, much less to this degree.
"Classified." Shirou coldly held his ground.
"You dare to-!"
"That is enough, cousin." It was Illya's turn to speak up now, just as composed as Shirou. "As the Einzbern representative in Fuyuki, I can verify that Emiya is speaking the truth. Zouken Makiri has made an improvised version of the Grail. A shoddy and insulting one at that, but nonetheless it has the potential to have a greater compatibility with the corruption, Angra Mainyu, as well. I have discussed this in detail with Caster and the others here, and we have come to a consensus that this is not the proper venue to be discussing such delicate information. Or do you think otherwise?"
Give them a noose to hang themselves with. It was obvious to anyone that if the subject was pressed any further, then information that the Einzbern would kill to keep secret would get out in droves. Illya had just worked against them by working in their interests.
"Ngh. To be spoken down to by a failure… you were supposed to have killed Emiya, Homonculus!" Instead of calming down, the man had merely redirected his anger to the girl.
"Einzbern! Do not speak out of turn!" Animusphere chastised the man before turning to Illya as well with a less severe expression. "Both of you."
"My apologies. Seeing my family lose control seemed to have affected me." Illya didn't seem to hold back any punches as she cranked up her loli factor momentarily, complete with wide innocent eyes and putting lips. She almost looked innocent.
It would have worked better if the images of everyone in Japan were not clearly displayed giving her dry, unconvinced looks that indicated that she was doing that on purpose.
"Ah. No. It's no problem at all, young lady." Animusphere fumbled, not expecting to get a blast of the little girl treatment so suddenly. No one missed the faint blush on his cheeks and his awkward smile.
Said accusing looks were redirected from Illya to him, accompanies by many in the crowd.
"Pedophile."
"Dirty old man."
"Lolicon." Shirou was slightly surprised that anyone in the Tower actually knew that one, let alone used it.
Animusphere probably wouldn't have gotten a reaction like this if the bulk of the audience didn't consist of mostly the student body and young women that were enamored by Waver, and not veteran politicians.
"Get your minds out of the gutter! She reminds me of my granddaughter!"
Somewhere in the back of the audience, a young girl tried very hard to pretend that she didn't exist.
His argument clearly didn't help the situation.
Shirou felt for the man. He really did, but he wasn't stupid enough to willingly walk on that minefield.
"Enough!" Animusphere hammered the gavel down several times, his face flushed red, a mix of embarrassment and anger. "Either the Gallery will be silent or I will erect a bounded field to keep you quiet! Am I understood?!"
The rapidly muted volume of conversation in the room indicated an affirmation to the question.
"Emiya." It was clear that Animusphere was trying to wrap his head around the spirals that was this case if his tired expression was anything to go by. "To summarize, after the Louvre incident, but before you came to the Tower, you engaged in an agreement with the Makiri family to team up with them for the War. During this same period of time, you discovered what Zouken Makiri was doing, his corrupted Grail and his plans, discovered the nature of the Greater Grail from posthumous messages from your father, and began planning to address it all two years in advance. Am I correct?"
"Sir." Shirou nodded.
"And you had no intentions of involving or enlisting Edelfelt into your plans until she was chosen as a Master?"
"No. I intended to keep everything close to my chest until Zouken was addressed."
"And the Archibalds?"
"An annoyance that got involved where they shouldn't have and are now trying to distract everyone from the fact that they got caught and are guilty of their disloyalty. If it weren't for the fact that they are trying to use people I trust and respect as scapegoats, I wouldn't care less about such a useless group."
"Brat…" Several members of the family cursed in the gallery and from the prosecutor's bench.
"So it would be accurate to say that your actions before and during the War were not intended to antagonize them in any way?"
"That is correct."
"And if you find them to continue to be confrontational?"
Shirou shrugged. "Would that not be a question for the Vice-Director, rather than me?"
It was the casual way that he referred to Barthomelloi that sent chills down everyone's spines. When you spoke to or of her while she was around, it was normally with the utmost respect and reverence. Doing anything less had a tendency of yielding, unfortunate results.
Slowly, more than one pair of eyes turned to the calm and seemingly unflappable woman who looked like she had not noticed the shift in attention in the slightest.
It was only the slightest impatient glance to Animusphere that told the Judge what she was expecting. "Ah. Er. Yes. Lady Vice Director. Emiya is quite correct in his assessment. This supposed issue between the Archibald and himself does appear to be something that would reside under your jurisdiction. Do you have anything to say on the matter?"
"Humph. A subordinate family is going through so much trouble trying to kill an adopted errand dog under my employment. It's such a trivial and foolish story that I have trouble even comprehending how it is so interesting to anyone in the first place. A squabble that is beneath my time." Lorelei dismissed the issue as though she were speaking about children having a meaningless fight at the park. It was an event that happened all the time, and completely nothing noteworthy about.
"Then…" The Judge was clearly about to make some sort of conclusion before he was cut off.
"However. It is apparent that this useless squabble had the potential to interrupt an operation that was of genuine significance." She shot an annoyed look at both Shirou and the Archibalds. "Emiya. I do not care how dedicated to your task you were or how good your intentions were. You failed to inform your superior of the Grail. The disrespect you displayed is inexcusable. Archibald. You had ample time and reason to investigate the war after the previous Lord El Melloi's death, and yet you were so obsessed over a mere child that you completely ignored the increasingly obvious signs that something was amiss. As far as I am concerned, both of you are guilty of treason. The only difference is that one of you actually produces results."
The reactions of both parties were as different as night and day.
Shirou had expected her to say as much. He was used to being torn down by headstrong women that barely had anything nice to say to him, so he didn't so much as flinch as Barthomelloi demeaned his achievements, making them sound as something barely worth noting when compared to his recent faults. He just sat there and took it in stride with a resigned look in his eyes, as if to say "oh well, sucks to be me".
Archibald though looked like he had just been stabbed. "Lady Vice Director! You cannot be… you are actually comparing the entirety of the Archibald family to a single brat?"
"What I am doing is merely clarifying the situation, as you seem to be unaware of even that." While Lorelei sounded the same as usual, Shirou picked up the barest hint of annoyance in her voice. "This is neither the time nor the venue to attempt to redeem yourself. I suggest you do not embarrass yourself, or me, any further than you already have. Unlike the dog, you do not have the luxury of hiding your emotions behind a mask like a child."
Shirou would not deny it. He was giving his boss the stink eye from that last bit. He could handle a lot of things, but he did not appreciate being called a coward in an important setting like this.
She must have been really pissed off at him if she had allowed herself to casually throw insults like that around in public. Calling her out on it would not do him any favors, no matter how satisfying it would be.
"Do you have something to say?" Lorelei clearly didn't miss her other subordinate's displeasure.
"No. I'm fine with simply thinking it."
More than a few people stared at Shirou as if he was insane. No one ever spoke to the Vice Director, no, a Barthomelloi in such a manner before without extreme consequences.
Fortunately, or not, Lorelei was not one of those caught off guard. Instead, she just waved off his glare like an annoying fly. "How vexing. I don't know whether to be pleased or disappointed in you proving me correct with your cowardice."
She could start by stop being a blowhard. He almost voiced his thoughts, but a mental kick from Saber stopped him before he could open his mouth.
Stuck between a King and Queen. And they were both stubborn women. He was destined to be forever to be doomed in life.
Saber mentally kicked him again.
"Such a harsh superior I have." It took nearly everyone in Japan's willpower to not look at Archer.
"Another reason why I try to avoid spending time near the boy whenever possible. I already hate myself. There was never any reason to give me yet another reason to further cement that notion. You are welcome." Rin couldn't help but agree with her bitterly amused Servant's statement, regardless of how large of a headache his words had given her.
Animusphere cut into the conversation, annoyed enough to have it leak into his voice. "It is clear to this court that the Archibalds are the aggressors in this event as a whole. They have instigated conflict against Emiya on at least one occasion, knowing full well that he is a direct representative of their mutual benefactor. However, this conflict is ultimately not the main topic of scrutiny for today's events, merely a supplementary tale to provide some much needed context."
That was true. Going over the details of the War from an outside perspective was just a way for Shirou to exemplify just how bad the situation was and maybe justify Waver's actions.
On the other hand, for Shirou, it was a way to shed light on just how close the Archibalds had been to screwing things up for everyone, magnifying their supposed inadequacy and inferiority to the public, in front of Lorelei Barthomelloi no less.
He didn't miss the fact that she did nothing to protect the Archibalds either.
She did not portray him in a good light, but that didn't matter. Shirou was the adopted son of a mercenary. A reputation outside of his ability to kill and follow orders of Barthomelloi held little significance. Right now, he was a glorified hunting dog that knowingly and willingly did something major without her knowing. There was no real reason for her to come to his side in this petty squabble. No benefit. She already owned him. His punishment was hers to decide in the first place.
But for the Archibalds?
For her to not come to the aid of a well-established, long lived, and long allied family like theirs was nothing short of damning. To look down on her singular dog was one thing. To completely ignore the plight of a family was something that shifted entire political spectrums. Regardless of what happened, their reputation after this trial would be in absolute ruins.
Judging from some of the forced calm looks he saw in the gallery, more than a few other people recognized the signs as well.
"Does the Prosecution have any questions to ask Emiya?" Animusphere pretended to ignore the subtle signs of change rippling through the room.
The previously confident and cocky noble grit his teeth, realizing that things were slowly shifting in a way he did not anticipate or like. It was clear that he was going to have to be more aggressive now. "Yes, your Honor. I do. Emiya. For the entirety of this trial, you and the accused have stressed the power and danger of the previous War's Archer, yet neither of you have detailed just how you managed to defeat him. Can you please elaborate?"
"We fought him in Einzbern Castle. The main hallway was enclosed, limiting the output of his Noble Phantasm Gate of Babylon. Saber and Berserker wore him down while I provided support with my thaumaturgy. Then when an opening showed itself, I magnified Saber's speed with the Emiya time thaumaturgy tremendously and took him down in a single blow before he could react."
Shirou's tone was so monotonous and bored that it was borderline condescending. Almost as if what he had done should have been obvious to everyone there. Again, it was an act to mislead his audience. He knew that the Prosecution was looking for any evidence of any illegal or abnormal research to pin on him or Waver.
On a side note, nobody noticed Assassin freeze at the last part of Shirou's description of the fight, viciously resisting the urge to slap his spiritual hand against his spiritual forehead in shame.
Accelerating a Saber to ensure a near unblockable lethal blow against a powerful opponent… why the FUCK didn't he think of that during the Fourth War? He would have been able to take out all of the competition instantly with that move save for Assassin.
"You forgot about the bombs," Illya added, a dry look of scorn in her eyes. Clearly she still held a grudge against him for that.
"Right. Sorry. And preset explosive ordinances used as additional distractions," He added absently.
"You? Directly supported a fight against one of the strongest Servants?" It was clear that the opposition did not sound convinced.
"Do I need to show you my face again?" Shirou deadpanned. "I assure you, it wasn't like that prior to the War."
"No. I am not doubting your, willingness, to fight. I am merely questioning what you could have contributed to it outside of magnifying your Servant's abilities." It was clear that the man was having trouble holding his tongue.
Shirou shrugged, projecting a weapon over his shoulder for the audience to see. "My abilities in Gradient Air and Structural Grasping have been noted by the Association for some time. Due to the nature of the King of Hero's style of combat, you could say I am suited to at least counteract some of his actions, so long as he is not focusing entirely on me."
Another truth that skirted around the greater truth. He would have to be careful here.
"Gradient Air? Structural Grasping? Are you actually insinuating that your fakes are capable of going up against Noble Phantasms? That you can actually recreate Noble Phantasms with such a useless mystery?"
Shirou pointed to his head, annoyance clearly expressed in his eyes. "If I could, I wouldn't be looking like someone failed to experiment on me, would I?"
"Emiya, answer the question in full, if you don't mind." Animusphere was clearly interested in Shirou's answer as well.
Calming down, or at least appearing so, he leaned back into his seat. "Using a personalized, extreme variant of Structural Grasping modified to directly feed information into an equally elaborate version of Projection, I am able to make significantly advanced copies of items that I see. Swords and other melee weapons, if no one has noticed already, have always been a specialty of mine. During the engagement, I was at the time, able to make imitations of a portion of Gilgamesh's armory. Imitations that were decent enough to deflect their originals and preserve my life. Decent enough to lighten the onslaught that Saber and Berserker were forced to manage, if only slightly."
That got him more than a few looks. He was standing on the edge of the abyss now. He had to be incredibly careful.
"You, can copy Noble Phantasms?" Animusphere blinked.
"I can copy what I see, and even then there are limitations. I use a method of information allocation and application that many in Atlas utilize when 'processing' information is unnecessary. It is a streamlined procedure applied to my brand of thaumaturgy. That does not mean I can simply make copies of Noble Phantasms whenever I wish. Please be realistic, sir. There are always constraints to what we can and cannot do. I nearly killed myself in that fight by going beyond those limits. More than a few items that came my way were beyond understanding, and I suffered consequences because of it. Noble Phantasms are crystalized mysteries. There is a reason why we have yet to make them ourselves," Shirou clarified, albeit misleadingly.
He never directly confirmed or denied the Judge's question. Rather, he merely gave everyone the impression of "I could only do it under those specific circumstances that rarely happen in the first place. Isn't it only natural to be able to do something abnormal under abnormal conditions?"
For the most part, it looked like his wordplay had worked, as most of the Gallery seemed to relax and the Prosecutor glared at him loathingly. Waver in particular seemed to be ignoring the whole situation if not for the small smirk of amusement that played on his lips.
Barthomelloi on the other hand, had an unreadable pokerface on. She knew that he could imitate Noble Phantasms. She had seen him replicate the Mace of Odo two years ago, and she had spoken to him enough times, face to face, to know when he was piling on the bullshit.
She'd probably figure out a good third of the things he didn't want anyone outside the loop to know by the end of the trial.
But she couldn't do anything about it. Not without humiliating herself and her family name in the process, regardless of how she approached it.
Good god she was going to be pissed with him after today. He might just fake his death just because of this. He wouldn't be surprised if she started sending him on suicide missions or sending people after his life soon.
"That, does sound reasonable. No doubt McGinty and Lord El Melloi II were the ones that concocted such a risky chain of mysteries for you to use. With their combined understanding of your skills and the King of Heroes' abilities, such an approach is logical, if a bit of a gamble." Animusphere at the very least seemed convinced. "Does the Prosecution have any further inquiries?"
"Yes." Surprisingly the man did. "It was noted that the accused specifically chose Caster to be the Servant of the Edelfelts. Is there a specific reason for this? Was this another one of your precautions?"
Shirou blinked once, the only expression of genuine surprise he was willing to show. It appeared that the Prosecutor knew how to ask decent questions after all… but why didn't he ask Waver this when he was being interrogated?
"Yes and no. I already knew who I was going to summon beforehand. Having Edelfelt summon Caster while I had Saber was… more convenient than anything. However, I maintain that I did not contact Lord El Melloi II since his orders to do the same for me. His choice to summon Caster was ultimately his."
There was a hesitant pause before Shirou added his final thoughts. "I must note, however, that had I the benefit of Ore Scales, from a tactical standpoint, Caster would have been one of my initial picks for a Servant, alongside Archer. If the War itself had been conducted and managed properly from the start, the accused's decision to summon Caster would have been a logical choice, at least from my perspective."
The advantage from having two of the most versatile Servant types on his side was no joke. Outside of Caster and Archer, his next picks would have been Rider or Assassin.
"Your opinion is unneeded, but noted. Please stick to the facts, Emiya." Animusphere jotted down more notes on the papers in front of him.
"You mentioned that it was convenient that Edelfelt summoned Caster while you possessed Saber, but you claimed to have not contacted the Accused for several years. Are you lying, or does this mean that the Accused knew that you would somehow summon Saber ahead of time?" The Prosecutor pressed.
"The latter." Shirou didn't hesitate answering the question without any excess information.
"You have an artifact that made you believe that you would summon Saber?"
"I have one, yes. It would be foolish to assume that I at the very least did not have an artifact related to a decent heroic spirit on hand after all the other preparations we had organized."
"Simply decent, am I?"
"We're dealing with magi. These guys wouldn't be satisfied even if they reached the Root."
"Point."
"Did the accused procure it?"
"No."
"Where did you get it then?"
"I fail to see how that is relevant to the case." Shirou frowned.
Animusphere spoke up. "Allow me to reword the question for the Prosecution. Did the accused take any part in the procurement or acquisition of the artifact you used to summon your Servant?"
"No. I would appreciate it if the court would not probe into resources I use that are not directly related to this case. Anonymity is rather important in my occupation."
"I am merely trying to paint an accurate picture for the audience," the Prosecutor hummed, clearly having something on his mind as he paced back and forth, looking at his notes. "If memory serves, your Father had also summoned Saber in the previous War. Could it be that you managed to summon the same Servant?"
"Emiya. You do not have to answer that," Animusphere spoke up, his tone hard. "None of the Servants are to have their identities revealed to the public or in this court case unless absolutely necessary, as they are likely to become assets for the Association in the near future. Do not tell me that you have forgotten this."
"No. No of course not, your honor. I merely let my curiosity get the better of me. My apologies." The middle aged man didn't sound regretful at all as he bowed.
Shirou wasn't fooled in the slightest as he directed his attention to the Einzbern representative in the gallery. The German had an excellent pokerface on, but there was no hiding the glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes.
Damn. Bastards had gotten one up on him. Even though technically, no information of his Servant was known to the public outside of the fact that he summoned Saber, it didn't change the fact that Kiritsugu had summoned King Arthur in the previous War was unclassified public knowledge. Even if it was mere speculation right now, it wouldn't be long until people would start to assume it as fact.
Very well, two can play that game.
"Be sure that it does not happen again," Shirou droned as if nothing had bothered him. "It would be rather unprofessional if next you asked if I was also capable of destroying magic crests like my father did your client's."
It was as about as subtle as a sledgehammer. And judging from the lack of noise, the impact was just as devastating.
Not a threat, but a humiliating reminder. One that hinted at just the barest possibility of something worse hidden away if pushed too far.
It was interesting to see Archibald react to his words. It was almost as if the man couldn't figure out if he wanted to turn ash white or beet red.
Destroying magic circuits and magic crests. The very idea of someone possible of such a feat was nothing short of horrifying to a magus. Most people knew that Kiritsugu was really good at killing his opponents, but only a select few, well, until then only a select few, knew that he could butcher the lifeline of any self-respecting Magus.
Everyone knew that the Archibald's Crest had been screwed over in the previous war, but most assumed it had been a freak accident caused indirectly by some Noble Phantasm, not on purpose by another Magus.
And like that, the momentum was once more Shirou's.
"Emiya. Please do not antagonize the Prosecution." Animusphere frowned.
"Yes, your honor." Just reminding them that Waver wouldn't be there to bail them out if something happened to the crest, again.
"…" Judging from the look his opponent was giving, it was clear that things would not end quietly. "Emiya. The representative with you from the Church is Crown. A Dead Apostle Ancestor. I find it hard to believe that his being there is merely a coincidence. Can you elaborate on the circumstances of him being there?"
"I'm right here you know," Merem grumbled from the side of the room. Clearly he did not like being awake during the day. "Don't talk as if I can't hear you. Useless meatbag."
Shirou pointedly ignored his guest. "There is not much to say. I have worked alongside him on several missions over the years, and it was no secret that I was chosen to be a Master before the War started. It is common knowledge that Apostle Ancestors are incredibly whimsical and curious individuals at times. Enough so that even I consider haphazardly manipulating them to do anything a suicidal and foolish enterprise. In hindsight, I was only slightly surprised when I learned he was here in the first place. When we did make contact, the idea of trying to get him to do what I wanted never crossed my mind. Rather, I was more focused on ensuring he didn't do anything to interfere with my plans."
"Under the judgement of the Holy Father, I will verify and confirm what agent Emiya has stated as the truth." The King of Rats humbly bowed his head.
"And the idea of killing another Apostle Ancestor never crossed your mind? You were not enticed with the prospect of having another Ancestor notched onto your belt? It would no doubt be a significantly easier prospect for you now with several Servants at your disposal."
A bitter laugh escaped Shirou's throat. "As humbled as I am that you assume my abilities are great enough to organize an accident that can take out one of the Twenty Seven, and a prized member of the Church, without any suspicion pointing back at me, I must regretfully inform you that such a mystery is beyond me. While I was inclined to have Saber… vent some of my frustrations on him for a time after I learned of his presence, I unfortunately lack the immature impulses that you suggested."
"And I personally thank you for your self-restraint." The king of Rats bowed, genuinely sincere in his words. "Regardless of what the outcome would have been, I have little doubt that the paperwork following such events would have eclipsed what needs to be managed now."
Merem visibly shuddered before hiding himself under his blanket. Clearly he had been discouraged from provoking Shirou for whatever reason he might have.
"I am surprised that the underling of the Vice Director would be so lenient towards an Apostle, regardless of his position."
"The Vice Director would not waste time on an underling that was unable to stay focused on the task at hand." Shirou's tone hardened. "And unless you have forgotten, the Association does have an Apostle Ancestor among its ranks, does it not? I do hope that you are not making any unnecessary assumptions about certain individuals, sir."
In a single go, Shirou broke two unspoken taboos.
If there was one thing that was guaranteed to piss off Lorelei Barthomelloi, it was acknowledging Zelretch's position in the Association. As much as she despised Apostles, even she was unable to touch the Fourth Ancestor. Even remotely referring to that fact was political suicide in many circles.
The second, was simply that he brought up Zelretch in the first place. It was like a childish superstition. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"Hmhm. Quite reckless this time around, even for one of your disposition. Agent Emiya." Case and point, said devil was clearly amused, sitting in the front row of the Gallery as if he had been there the entire time. Rather, he may have been, but simply set things up so that no one had noticed.
And now that people noticed, the area around the vampire had become surprisingly vacant.
"Kaleidoscope." Shirou nodded. "It's not recklessness if you expect it coming."
"Did you now? How disappointing." Zelretch's smile widened, as if knowing exactly what Shirou was referring to.
Of course the Old Man of the Jewels would show up. Rin had used a functional copy of the jeweled sword just two nights ago. The Second Magic was his domain. Any form of its use that didn't originate from the old bastard himself would assuredly attract his attention. The War and the current trial were just the most likely places to start looking.
"L-Lord Zelretch!?" Animusphere was clearly as surprised by the Vampire's appearance as everyone else's. "You know of Emiya?"
"Hmhm. You should know by now that technically, I know of everyone here." Zelretch eased back into his seat like an overconfident grandfather, ignoring the glare that a certain Vice Director was giving him. "However, you could say that whenever the Fifth Fuyuki Grail War takes place, Emiyatends to have a rather, curious relationship with it. As do most of the current Masters. Whether or not they manage to survive by this point is another matter entirely."
No one blamed the current Masters in Fuyuki from shifting uncomfortably at that statement. It was impossible to tell if Zelretch was planning something from it.
There was a brief pause.
"Although, it is quite curious for Crown present. To see you in Fuyuki… I never took you for the sentimental sort."
Sentimental?
Shirou didn't know why, but that single word that he didn't know the context of filled him with a sinking dread.
"If you bothered to pay attention earlier, you'd know that I encountered Emiya some years ago. Like you stated yourself, Kaleidoscope, he's interesting." The King of Rats didn't so much as flinch at the odd choice of words.
Shirou impressively pretended that this conversation wouldn't in some way contribute to his premature death before the age of twenty.
"Lady Vice Director, Lord Animusphere, I hope you don't mind my interruption?" Zeltretch asked politely, as if he had only done something slightly offensive.
"No. No. It's fine. Just make sure to let everyone know that you are here in the first place next time." The Judge took a moment to wipe a bead of sweat from his face.
"…" Lorelei on the other hand simply ignored him, and the rest of the world for that matter. Instead, she was quite insistent on calming herself down with crossed arms, closed eyes, and a very displeased expression on her face.
"I see." The Ancestor nodded before turning to the Prosecution with a pleasant and care free smile. "Sorry to interrupt your questioning. Please. Carry on."
"…" If the man had any intention of pushing forward with his Apostle based accusations before, they were non-existent now. He had been wary enough doing it with Merem Solomon listening from the other side of the planet, but there was no way he was going to paint a target on his back while in spitting distance of someone that was arguably even more terrifying.
Two Apostle Ancestors. Even if it could be considered a technicality, there were Two Apostle Ancestors backing Shirou right now. In public. In front of Lorelei Barthomelloi.
Shirou had been playing with the idea of going dark soon, but now he was genuinely considering it.
"… For clarification, Emiya, you did not ask, request, or lead Agent Crown to interfere with the Grail War?"
"I did not ask." Shirou shook his head. "I know better than to make such a lofty demand. The most I did was request that he did not interfere with my plans. Whatever actions or assistance he provided was on his own merit."
"And did Agent Crown, a member of the Church, directly participate or interfere with the Grail War against protocol?"
Shirou opened his mouth to answer before pausing for a moment to think, glancing at the King of Rats. "To my knowledge, yes. Only once, before I knew he was present in Fuyuki. He directly interfered with Einzbern's intention to participate in one of the earlier battles, deterring her from reaching the others. Any other instance I know of could be considered either acceptable indirect activity, or acting within the scope as Supervisor after Kirei Kotomine was removed from the position."
"Crown? Do you have anything to say?" Animusphere turned to the party in question.
"It is as he says." The King of Rats nodded. "I did act outside of my boundaries that one instance. At the time, Emiya's plans had been in suspect, but nothing had been verified. My actions were to his benefit, but, rather, Einzbern's Berserker is a rather potent specimen. I was concerned that things would conclude rather abruptly should she reach her intended target that night. Admittedly, I desired to see things stretch out for a bit longer out of selfishness."
"Her target being Emiya," the Prosecutor verified. "She intended to kill him then?"
"Yes. Most assuredly. She would likely have succeeded too. He was in a suboptimal state at the time, and Saber was preoccupied with Rider fighting the Edelfelt Servants."
No one noticed the Einzbern representative's displeasure. For closure and revenge to be snatched away by the whim of a Vampire that did not even have the nerve to die against their carefully chosen Servant was beyond infuriating.
If anyone had, they would have been at least slightly prepared for what would happen next.
"So this is before Edelfelt's Servant went rogue."
"Yes."
Shirou breathed a mental sigh of relief. If they found out that the Witch actually betrayed her Master that night after encountering him, there was no telling how the story could be spun against their favor.
"Before you ask or insinuate anything, the accused, Lord El Melloi II has not been in contact with me or the Church in any means regarding the War, outside of the standard protocols he managed while preparing the Ladies Edelfelt. We can provide documentation if requested," the King of Rats elaborated.
Frowning, the opposition opened his mouth to ask another question before a loud cough caught his attention. He, as well as many others, turned to see the Einzbern giving him a cold look, nodding ever so slightly, as if giving him a command for some action.
Shirou had a bad feeling about this.
The Prosecutor paused, before ignoring the King of Rats for Shirou, pretending as if the former did not even exist.
"Lord Animusphere, due to my next question, there may be need to extend charges to a new party in this case by means of association and compliance to theft."
The Judge frowned. "I fail to understand. Why is this being brought up now?"
"It was my intention to avoid bringing this matter up in such a public space for the privacy of related parties. However I believe that their desire for justice has surpassed even that now." The man bowed in fake humility.
More than one person felt like throwing up in their mouth. "Justice" never occurred in the Clocktower unless someone benefitted from it.
"Hurry up then. What is it?"
The Prosecution surprised everyone by pointing at Shirou. "We accuse Lord El Melloi II, along with Agent Emiya, of possessing a stolen Artifact from the Einzberns of the highest value, taken by the First Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya. The Scabbard of King Arthur himself. Avalon."
… And things had been going so well too.
o. o. o.
Omake: All work and no good food…
Warning: Spoilers for those who haven't played/gotten far in Fate Grand Order.
Shirou stood casually in the throne room of Camelot, situated where Jerusalem once was.
In front of him was King Arthur. Not the King of Knights, but the Lion King. A divine entity with an aura to match, wielding the Lance that was an equal, if not surpassed Excalibur. It was only due to his familiarity with Saber and her memories oh so long ago that he could withstand looking at the thing without going into cardiac arrest.
To either side, no less than two members of the Round Table stood at the ready with weapons drawn, ready to obliterate him in a moment's notice. It wasn't a saying either. They really could do just that faster than he could react if they wanted to…
… Well, he could hold his own against that prick Tristian if needed, but against all of them at once? Hell no.
"You have my attention." King Arthur stated impassively, looking down upon him as if she was channeling Gilgamesh. "Here, at the end of the world, as the tower activates, I will grant you the boon of speaking with me, if only because I sense some sort of misplaced nostalgia looking at you."
Despite her overwhelming aura and presence, Shirou didn't flinch in the slightest. Rather, if anything, he looked exasperated. Instead of addressing her, he turned to look at Gawain and Lancelot to his left. "… Was she like this when she summoned you?"
Apparently, ignoring her for the others was not the right thing to do if everyone's irritated expressions were any indication.
"Your Majesty. Please do not waste your time on this rude child." Tristian readied his bow. "Give me the word, and I shall pluck his head off so we can hear no more from his insubordinate tongue."
Shirou, surprisingly didn't seem to mind the threat, reaching into his pocket and taking out a sizeable black box.
For some reason, the Lion King's heart jumped seeing it. It took a moment for her to realize that she was feeling joy and excitement at the sight of the parcel. Odd.
"Your majesty, when was the last time you had anything decent to eat?"
The King blinked once in confusion, but didn't say anything.
"… Eh? What the hell are you talking about?" Mordred asked loudly from behind him, Clarent at the ready to tear him apart.
Shirou rolled his eyes as he lazily tossed the box to the person in question. Instead of destroying it on reflex like she normally would, the Lion King instead caught it deftly in her hands on instinct. By the time she realized what she had done, she was already opening the Bento Box with practiced ease, as if she had done this before.
"Your King tends to get cranky if she doesn't eat anything decent for a while." Shirou went on, ignoring the blades that were poised at his neck in the time the box left his hands.
"Enough of your jokes. You have disrespected the King for the last time." Gawain frowned, pressing his Excalibur Galatine against the boy's skin to draw blood… or rather, he should have been drawing blood, but for some reason it felt as though he was pushing his blade against another at that moment… how odd.
Until he heard something that sounded incredibly out of place.
"Om nom nom nom."
Gawain desperately ignored the deadpanned expression Shirou was giving his attackers and glanced at his fellow Knights, all of whom were clearly starting to get just as uncomfortable as he was.
"Nom nom nom nom."
"O-oi. You can't be serious…" Mordred, the only one other than Shirou that had a good look at the back of the room, was clearly bewildered with what she was seeing.
"I told you." Shirou sighed. "It's not as bad as when someone takes off her Ahoge, but not by much."
"You! What have you done to his Majesty?!" Agravain snarled, the only one that pressed further into Shirou's flesh.
"I fed her." The young man deadpanned. "Oi. Saber. You good?"
"Hm?" A distinctively and almost comically shorter King of Knights looked up from her lunch with a confused look in her eyes. "Oh. Shirou. Yes. Thank you. Your cooking is sublime as always. Are there seconds?"
"I got a second box, but that's it. Resources are pretty scarce on the outside." He shrugged.
"Mmm. Mmm. Yes. Completely understandable." Saber nodded. "I will have to show you the kitchens later."
"Already ahead of you there. I grasped the tower when I got here."
Saber paused and gave him a wary look. "… You didn't set up any bombs this time, did you?"
"Couldn't. Security was escorting me every second I was here." He shrugged helplessly.
She instantly went back to her lunch. "Good."
"… What the hell just happened?!" Mordred shouted, more confused than angry now.
"British food sucks." Shirou answered, as if what he said was a perfect explanation to everything.
On that day, another tale vital to humanity lost to history was made. A tale of how truly good food was the salvation to reality.
o. o. o.
Omake:
V2: There appears to be a pattern somewhere…
"Om nom nom."
"Master. How much longer are you going to take?" Without seeming to care to read the situation, Ishtar opened the main doors to the throne room impatiently and walked in. "I know you said you had it under control but… I…"
Ishtar stared.
Not at Shirou.
Or at the Servants poised to kill him.
But at the Lion King…
Or rather, a certain, mature aspect of the Lion King.
*Boing.*
"Ah. Rin. Long time no see. I see you are also among the divine now." Arturia greeted the newcomer while popping a roll of sushi into her mouth.
"SHIROU!"
"You guys can walk away now. I'm probably going to die soon enough regardless." The Second Magus Killer sighed, knowing that there was no hope of escaping. "No. Wait. On second thought. Kill me now please. It'll save me the excess pain."
Sadly, before any of the Knights could register his request, Shirou was yanked away from them violently, and was now being shaken to the beat of his Servant's angry yelling.
"IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT SAY?! DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST ME SHIROU EMIYA?! WHY IS IT THAT EVERY GIRL AROUND YOU WINDS UP ABSOLUTELY STACKED WITH HUGE BEAUTIFUL BREASTS EXCEPT ME?! SAKURA! BAZETT! THAT COW LUVIA! RIDER! SUMIRE! EVEN ILLYASVIEL WOUND UP LOOKING JUST LIKE HER MOTHER ONCE SHE FINALLY HIT PUBERTY! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT'S LEFT OUT?! IS THIS YOUR SECRET FETISH?! DO YOU SECRETLY HATE ME?! ANSWER ME SHIROU EMIYA!"
He would if he could, but by the time Rin, not Ishtar, had gotten halfway through her rant, Shirou had already passed out from the violent handling he was experiencing.
"Om nom nom nom."
As for the Lion King… she was content with the show that accompanied her meal. So long as her loyal chef survived his ordeal, there was no need to do anything for the moment.
She wasn't worried. Shirou would get better. Eventually. He was good at taking hits.
In the end, Rin wasn't the enemy.
Hunger was.