>>2450892
>Questions
The Third Night- Monday, 4/18

"It's a long story." Illyasviel's expression is curious, so I continue. "I wanted to talk with you, about a lot of things."

"Alright, mister. Like what?"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"At the moment? I think the Holy Grail War is acting strange. There was that black knight, but before that, I fought someone that had the powers of a Servant, but wasn't one. Someone's managed to summon at least another Servant, in a war that should only support seven, from what I've been told."

"...I didn't sense them, though." The girl's expression is confused, but her Servant nods.

I feel the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face, I realize, now that I can see him clearly.

From the expression he has, the feeling is mutual.

"No, that one we were fighting wasn't a Servant who should be here. " He says, looking over at Lancer with an indistinguishable expression. "I suspect Sa-, pardon, your Servant will be able to shed more light on his identity, if her reaction to him was anything to go by."

"I... Need to consider things. I will let my Master know, once I am certain of his identity." Lancer's tone is evasive sounding, and full of something like worry. "Until then, we should discuss the other concerns. Like the fake Servant, or who all have been spoken with."

I nod to Lancer, and give the other two a glance.

"So what should we call you?" I ask the red man, and he grimaces.

"In any other Grail War, I'd say 'Your end'. But for now, you can call me... Caster."

"...Pray tell me you're not using swords just because they're easier than spells."

The red Caster laughs, shaking his head. "Somewhat. Now, to business."

"Yes. I'll be contacting Assassin's Master, to explain what's happened." Illyasviel smiles and nods. "Have you spoken with anyone else?"

...Lancer and I share a glance. She was already allied with that scary biker guy?

"The Masters of Rider and Saber, and I spoke with Berserker's Master tonight. She seemed to need to go talk to someone else, too." I manage to say, getting a gasp from my little sister. "I think she said something about taking care of a rat...."

"...You certainly work quick, Shirou Emiya." Caster has another strange expression on his face. "Then that would just leave Archer for us to deal with or convince to stand down. It's not exactly the best time to do that, but..."

He trails off, and the room goes silent.

>We may as well try tonight.
>Ask about your prana situation.
>Talk with Lancer about the black knight.

>>2450894
>>Ask about your prana situation.

>>2450894
>Ask about your prana situation.
Good to see you back, QM.

>>2450925
>>2450935
Two replies will be enough, I suppose.

>Writing

>>2450925
>>2450935
Yo man supporting.

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>>2450894
You have no idea how happy i am you came back.

Because this got me into Fate you bastard.

>Ask about your prana situation.

"Illyasviel, I actually had a question for you." I say, breaking the lull. "Do you know anything about people producing excess amounts of prana?"

There's another silence, and she gives me the oddest look.

"Mister... " She trails off, but then nods. "I'm a homunculus. Of course I know what that's like. Why?"

"...Because I just noticed that I was regaining far more this afternoon than I was yesterday." I stare blankly at her. Of course she's a homunculus. "Would you, uh... Have a guess?"

The room is dead silent for another few minutes, and Caster sighs loudly.

"Shirou Emiya. Did you ever come into contact with anything that had a name starting with 'Kaleido-'?" He asks, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps a stick? A sword? Something like that?"

"...You lost me."

Illyasviel's expression turns from shock to horror as something seems to sink in, and Caster sighs again.

"Then do you remember anything from when your father found you?" He continues, and I grimace.

The feelings I have about that day are mixed. Kiritsugu's smiling face when he saw my eyes open was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, all the relief and sheer joy overwhelming him. But the smell of ash and blood that was so thick I could taste it still lingers in those memories, and always give me a feeling of unease.

"No. Nothing that might explain it." I manage, and Lancer gives me a comforting look.

Illyasviel seems to have gotten her thoughts together from the sudden horror her Servant encouraged, and frowns. "Hm... Well, I don't know, then, mister. You're sure you're not a homunculus?"

"I... Know the magical feeling of a homunculus, Lady Einzbern. I can assure you, that is not it." Lancer finally speaks up, shaking her head. "Perhaps your father grafted magic circuits to him without his knowledge?"

The emphasis on the 'your' is only reinforced by her giving both myself an Illyasviel a meaningful look, and it's not lost on either of us.

"...Kiritsu- Dad. He never wanted me to learn magecraft." I manage to say under the pressure of Lancer's gaze. "He taught me the basics of how to form a magic circuit before he died, and about structural magic, but everything after that I owe to Shinji and Kariya."

Caster's expression shifts slightly from his stony look. I don't think the girls noticed it, but he seems... Confused? Curious?

"Then it's a mystery for another time." He says, shaking his head and returning to his normal expression. "Now that our home is ruined, we'll need to find a new place to use as our base for the time being. I don't suppose you'd know of any suitable mansions, castles, or the like around the city?"

(1/2)

>>2451240 (2/2)

That's right. Whatever the black mud was knew where to find them, and was powerful enough to put a Caster in his home territory on the ropes. They need somewhere new. Somewhere like-

>Ryuudo Temple. Issei's family is sure to take in a cute girl that needs a place to stay.
>That run-down mansion on the other side of town. Nobody's been there for decades, at the least.
>One of the hotels in Shinto. Illyasviel should be able to afford it, right?
>Home. She's your sister, after all.

>>2451241
>Home. She's your sister, after all.
This seems like a Shirou-tier decision.

>>2451249
Yo this.

>>2451241
>>Home. She's your sister, after all.

>Home. She's your sister, after all.

I let out a sigh.

"Well, you can stay at my place for a while." I say, watching both Caster and Illyasviel's expressions. The former seems exasperated, while the latter... Enthusiastic. "I've got plenty of rooms, and you are Kiritsugu's daughter. He'd have wanted me to.

"Really, mister? That's great!" She practically squeals, acting entirely her apparent age as she rushes out the door. "Sella, Leysritt! Pack everything you can! We're going to papa's old house!"

The synchronized "Yes, mistress. " from the two maids is eerie, but my attention is drawn to the Look that Lancer is giving me.

"I know, Lancer. But she's..." I stumble over my words, giving her a pleading look until she sighs.

"I know, Master." Lancer smiles weakly. "She's the only family you have left, correct? It's only natural you'd want to take her in.

"I certainly know I'd like to..." The thought trails off, as Caster laughs.

"Well, Shirou Emiya. In any other time, I'd be berating you for this decision," He says, pulling my attention from Lancer and her worries. "But this time, well... This Holy Grail War has gone beyond the usual kind of disaster it is.

"You get a free pass, and I suppose I'll even help you some." The smug grin on his face is irritating, but I bite back a retort. "Alaya knows you'll need it."

He turns himself astral with a grim chuckle at that, leaving me alone with Lancer.

>"Man, what a dick."
>"...What were you saying?"
>Discuss the black knight
>Write in

>>2451373
>"...What were you saying?"

>>2451373
>>"...What were you saying?"

>>2451373
>>Discuss the black knight

>>2451373
>"Man, what a dick."
Nice to see you're back Caster, been waiting ages for you to run again.

>>2451097
Holy shit I can't believe someone actually saved my shitty edit.

>>2451373
>"Man, what a dick."

Switching to "Man, what a dick."

>"Man, what a dick."

I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding in.

"Man, what a dick." I say, getting a funny look from Lancer.

"He's being all mysterious. Just yesterday, he wanted to kill me, but now he's saying he'll 'help' me instead?" My clenched fist slams into the wall, and I barely grimace. "I know the situation looks bad, but... Does he have to be so smug about it?"

"...Perhaps that's all his pride as a hero will allow him to do." Lancer says, after a moment of pause. "He put aside what was obviously a personal vendetta for the greater good.

"Despite his... Trickery and craven tactics, I'm certain that he will do what he can to help resolve this Grail War. Even if he does not like you."

I shake my head. That Servant is getting under my skin too easily, for only having spoken with him a small amount.

"Well, whatever it is, I guess I'll have to figure out how to explain things to Taiga before tomorrow morning." I sigh, letting go of the unease. "At least Illyasviel is Kiritsugu's daughter, so that should be easier to explain away."

"Then I suppose there is naught much for use to do, aside from help them move their effects, is there?"

"I guess not."

Illyasviel is just sitting on the steps in the entry hall with a bored pout on her face. It takes us a few minutes after that to find the maids.

When we do, though, I see the same one I spoke with earlier, Sella, barely carrying a box filled with breakable looking objects. An alchemy set, then? Huh.

The other maid, however, has a pair of large suitcases, and is moving them down the hall without any effort.

After a few more minutes of preparing and loading the car Illyasviel's family had left her. It's... Remarkably nice. An old Mercedes-Benz, still kept in top condition, and my curious structural analysis shows that it works just as well as it did when it was made.

Sella and Illyasviel take the only seats in the car, and I can feel Caster's presence on the roof of it.

"Mistress Illyasviel and I shall meet you at your house, Shirou Emiya. Please ensure that Leysritt arrives safely as well." Sella's words are simple as she starts the engine, and I nod.

"We will."

I get a nod in response, and the car pulls away, headed down the road, and leaving me alone with Lancer and Leysritt.

>Head straight home.
>Write in

>>2454361
>>Head straight home.

>>2454361
>>Head straight home.

>>2454361
>Head straight home.
So we've got F/SN, Extra, Apocrypha, Prisma Illya and Prototype. What're the chances we get jumped by someone from F/SF as well?

>>2455306
I'm legitimately waiting for Sigma to show up because Maiya literally worked for Kiritsugu and died for him essentially.

oh also welcome back CoG.
>Head straight home.

>>2454361
>Head straight home.

>>2451240
>But the smell of ash and blood that was so thick I could taste it still lingers in those memories, and always give me a feeling of unease.
So, Caster keeps emphasizing the "smell of blood". I'm thinking it's got something to do with our weird mana situation. Or how Kerry saved us. Or something like that.

I hope we're not really a Dead Apostle or something.

>>2454361
>Head straight home
I don't think we'll get any more trouble tonight, but it doesn't hurt to minimize our chances of it. Right?

>>2451240
>Caster's expression shifts slightly from his stony look. I don't think the girls noticed it, but he seems... Confused? Curious?
>>2451373
>"But this time, well... This Holy Grail War has gone beyond the usual kind of disaster it is.
>"You get a free pass, and I suppose I'll even help you some." The smug grin on his face is irritating, but I bite back a retort. "Alaya knows you'll need it."

Also, we definitely have an EMIYA as Caster, and it sounds like he's been through a few HGW already. And like he has a different background than we do, if he's confused about what we said about Shinji amd Kariya.

>>2454361
Dead CoG

Rip CoG

>>2458722
>>2459994
He came back once, he'll do it again.

>Head straight home.

No sense delaying. Besides, I'm sure my kitchen is at stake, if I don't act fast enough.

It takes the three of us a surprisingly small amount of time to close the distance on foot, with my reinforcement allowing me to keep up with both my Servant and the surprisingly fast homunculus.

As we dart through the night we pass the park where I fought Bazzet, and I repress a shudder. That woman's fists... If I hadn't been reinforcing myself then, I would have been dead if even one had hit me.

...Though maybe I should start practicing Projection magic more. It at least kept me from being killed outright.

I'm lost in my thoughts for the next few minutes, but eventually the three of us reach the gates of my home. No car is in sight outside, but once I've gone through, I can see where it was parked inside the walls. As expected, the kitchen light is on, and I make as much haste as I can to get inside.

Illyasviel is peering curiously around the dining room, while Sella is seated, drinking a cup of tea with apparent grace.

"Oh, mister! You made it!" Illyasviel's expression is cheery. "Faster than big brother said you would, too!"

>Action?

Apologies for the super slow update. Yesterday was... Busier than I had anticipated, and this morning was too. I should be good to go for the evening, though, and do plan to get a few updates out.

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>>2461120
Wait a second...
>Sella is seated, drinking a cup of tea with apparent grace.

>Look Sella in the face with our pic related stare
>"Did you make that tea inside MY kitchen?"

>>2461120
>"Really? What else has that dic...I mean dedicated Servant said about me?"

>Did you make that tea in my kitchen?
>What else did he say?

I stop in my tracks. Leysritt and Lancer both make their way inside, the former checking on her employer, and the latter letting out a sigh as she takes a seat.

"Sella." I say, looking at the tea cup she's holding. It's obviously one of mine from the pattern, and even from here, I recognize the scent of my usual type of tea. "Did... you make that in my kitchen?"

"I did not. Lady Illyasviel's Servant presented it to me when he had finished bringing in the luggage." Her face is blank, as I somewhat expect, but...

"...What else has that di- dedicated Servant had to say about me, then?"

There's a series of clinks as Caster comes into the dining room from my kitchen, carrying my tray with a pot of tea and several teacups on it.

His expression is of such innocence, helpfulness, and cheer that even I can tell he knows what he's done.

"Oh, nothing much. Just that tea would help you relax once you finished with your run back." He says, smiling as he does. "Because you seem upset."

...Yet again, I really want to punch him in the face.

>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."
>"Illyasviel, what's your plan for now?"
>"So, have you decided on your rooms yet?"
>Write in

>>2461554
>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."
>"So, have you decided on your rooms yet?"
Shirou's not upset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC8RwJXlgTM

>>2461554
>>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."

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>>2461554
>>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."
>>"So, have you decided on your rooms yet?"

>>2461554
>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."
>"Illyasviel, what's your plan for now?"

>>2461554
>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."
I was half expecting Caster to say he projected the teacups just to mess with us.

>"You know, that's my kitchen you're using."
>"So, have you decided on your rooms yet?"

"...That's my kitchen you're using, you know." I say, getting the same smug smile from the Servant in return.

I let out a sigh, after a moment of locking eyes with him. He's only doing it to get under my skin.

"Have you decided on your rooms?" I say, sitting down and looking to Illyasviel and Sella. "You can have your pick, aside from mine or Lancer's."

"Yeah! We're going to take the ones near you two! Big brother said he doesn't need a room, since he's a Servant, but I told him to take the one, anyway." Illyasviel smiles happily, nodding. "He said he'd take the one looking out at that burned slab in your yard!"

...That's right.

He blew up my shed. My shed.

I give Caster another dirty look, and he just grins.

"That's... good." I manage to say. "Then tomorrow, we're going to try and talk with the Master of Archer?"

"That would be the best option." Caster's tone turns serious, and he sets my tray on the table, and rubs his chin. "But I don't really know if we will be able to negotiate with them. In most Holy Grail Wars, there's at least one Master who just wants to kill everyone else.

"Of course, there's also that fake Servant that we fought today, and the one that Assassin found. Either of them could be the one that 'just wants to kill everyone'." He sighs, shaking his head.

"Why can't there be a simple Holy Grail War for a change? Seven Masters, seven Servants, none of these extra Servants running around."

Illyasviel coughs, taking attention back from her Servant.

"Those are why we're calling the ceasefire, big brother. Maybe we can talk with the mediator, and let him know about what's going on?" ...Her expression looks intentionally cute, with her finger in front of her mouth. "He should help, right?"

I grimace, and see Caster do the same.

"I... Don't know. He should be neutral, and want to protect the grail war, but... That priest seemed sketchy to me." I manage to say, and Illyasviel frowns.

"Well, we can at least try?" I ask, and she nods happily. "His daughter seems more reasonable than him?"

Yeah. I'm a sucker for my little sister, aren't I?

The discussion goes on for a few more minutes, before Illyasviel yawns, and her maids push her to bed. Caster vanishes into an astral form, smirking as he does.

Only Lancer and I are left in the dining room, my tea set sitting dirty on my table.

>Actions?

>>2462254
>"Man, what a dick."
>Clean tea set furiously while imagining you're scrubbing Caster's smug face

>>2462254
>Flirt with Lancer unknowingly. Like only Shirou can.

>>2463191
Supportan

>>2462291
Backing.

>>2462291
>>2463191

>Supporting both

>>2462291
I'm up for making this a mandatory vote whenever Caster leaves a room.

>>2462291
>>2463191
Both of these.

>>2462291
Supportan

>>2463772
I'm up for making it an automatic action, even. And not even waiting for him to leave, even. That whole walking-out-and-overhearing-at-the-edge-of-the-doorway kinda thing.

>"Man what a dick"
>Clean up

"...Man, what a dick." I say again. Lancer chuckles, but I just shrug, gathering up my dishes to take back to the kitchen.
"Seriously. He gets into my house, and uses my kitchen and my dishes to make tea." I continue, shaking my head. "He could have waited for me to get home, or had Illyasviel call, or something."

"I'm sorry, Master. I understand your sentiment, but.. I feel like we're missing something. He seemed to want to protect his Master above all else, correct?

"...Why was he so willing to change his opinion of you, that quickly?"

I glance back over my shoulder. With how much I'm scrubbing these cups, I'm surprised the finish isn't being removed.

"I... Don't think he did. I think he just sees whatever's going on as more dangerous to her than I am, and wants to take care of it first." I say, rinsing the cup I was washing and moving onto the next. "Which honestly worries me, given how he was coming after me to start with."

"Indeed. The situation must be grave, in his eyes."

"Exactly. And I think we're going to need to get all the help we can to take care of it, first." I finish rinsing the last of the saucers, and start to dry the first cup. "Illyasviel is willing to work with me. Tohsaka seems alright with the idea. I know the Matous will help me if they can.

"That just leaves Bazzet, who didn't seem unwilling to help, whoever that shotgun using guy was, and whoever the Master of Archer is." I finish. The dishes are stacked neatly, and I start to put them away when I realize something.

My dishes are all still in their cabinet.

Untouched.

"That dick." I manage to say before the projections in my hands finally explode.

It takes me a few more minutes to get over the 'surprise' that Caster had left for me, but fortunately my reinforcement kept anything from actually cutting me before it dissipated. A nasty headache has formed, but I'm not quite sure why.

After a few more minutes of discussion, Lancer and I wind up heading to bed. Tomorrow will be hectic, if my guess on Taiga showing up is right...

The Third Day- Tuesday, 4/19

As usual, I'm awake early in the morning. I manage to get dressed quickly, and rush to my kitchen, intent on keeping it safe from any interlopers this time.

I'm successful, and I set to work cutting vegetables, boiling water for rice, and the various other kitchen duties.

Not long afterwards. I glance back into the dining room to see Sella standing near the door to the kitchen, awkwardly looking between the now seated Lancer and myself.

>"Go on and have a seat. Breakfast will be ready shortly."
>"...Did you want to help?"
>Keep cooking at let them sort it out.
>Write in

>>2474366
>>"Go on and have a seat. Breakfast will be ready shortly."

>>2474366
>>"Go on and have seat. Breakfast will be ready shortly.

>>2474366
>"Go on and have a seat. Breakfast will be ready shortly."

>>2474366
>"Go on and have a seat. Breakfast will be ready shortly."

>The dishes actually were projections
Fucking ddddiiiiicccccckkkkkkk

Oh shit, CoG's alive! Fuck yeah!
>>2450894
>"In any other Grail War, I'd say 'Your end'. But for now, you can call me... Caster
>Caster EMIYA
Fuck yeah.
>>2454361
>Mercedes-Benz
>works just as well as it did when it was made.
That'll change as soon as we drive it ten feet.
>>2474360
>"That dick." I manage to say before the projections in my hands finally explode.
You absolute shitcunt, EMIYA.

>CoG's back
Fuckin' A
>>2474366
>>"Go on and have a seat. Breakfast will be ready shortly."
She might feel out of place with the Japanese style seating, let's invite her.

Due to my poor timing, and age of the thread, new thread is up. >>2481685