“Because I would live.”
Saber narrowed her eyes. “…I presume you have an explanation for your words?”
Shirou nodded and started to talk. However, at that time the tea kettle went off. “One moment, Saber.”
“…Very well.”
Shirou got up and poured a cup of tea for him and Saber. During that time, he carefully considered his words. When he returned and set down the cups on the table, he had decided. “It’s because I’m not entirely human. At least, not anymore.”
“…What?”
Shirou took a sip from his tea and then said, “Through a certain experiment, my mana circuits and body have fused as one. To put it in another way… I suppose it would be a similar phenomenon to your body. A knock-off of the Third True Magic.”
Saber frowned. “That…” She looked up at Shirou again and then said, “I see. So that is what my intuition has been telling me.”
“Hm?”
Saber shook her head. “I had thought it strange at the time. You give off the impression of a peer rather than a lesser. It might be derogatory but Servants are an existence beyond normal humans. Yet you… standing beside you, I felt not a bit of hesitation or doubt. Rather, I felt as if I had a reliable companion at my side. It was… quite strange considering my last Master.”
“My father, right?”
Saber froze. “…You know?”
Shirou shrugged. “He had logs. Dad thought they were hidden well, but I have my ways.”
Those ways being the foresight of an observer on another level, but Shirou didn’t elaborate.
“I see.” Saber took a sip from her tea and nodded. “Kiritsugu always was meticulous. It wouldn’t surprise me that he kept such a thing. But then.” Saber narrowed her eyes. “You know what he did to me.”
“…The real question here would be why you can remember it at all considering how Servants are supposed to work, but I guess your contract would settle that part. In any case… the reason he did was because the grail is corrupted.”
Saber’s expression darkened. A slight crack echoed as she clenched her tea cup a little bit too harshly. “Explain.”
Shirou raised an eyebrow. “You must have realized this, Saber. The Holy Grail War is meant to summon heroes. Spirits of legend that tout justice and light, not darkness and evil. Yet in the last war, there was a Caster that summoned countless demons through blood sacrifice. Not only that, but the emergence of the grail itself spilled forth cursed flames that killed hundreds, with the only survivors being myself and a few other orphans that were lucky enough to be in the periphery.”
“…That explains nothing, Shirou.”
“I’m getting there. Anyway… what do you know about Angra Mainyu?”
“…The evil Persian Deity?”
Shirou nodded and leaned back. “That’s right. In the third grail war, someone tried summoning it. To put a long story short, the result was a tainted grail and a pathway for future competitors to summon anti-heroes and corrupted beings. Not only that, but the grail became a monkey’s paw. A wish to go back to the past, for example, would kill everyone in the present before turning back time. Even then, it would only bring the user back. Fate and the World itself wouldn’t allow such a slight and forcibly correct the course of history back to its proper state.”
Saber was silent. After a while, she said, “And how do you know this, Master?”
She had reverted to the formal address. It seemed that she was skeptical.
Saber stared at Shirou and said, “How do you know that the grail is flawed? How can you be certain?”
“Because I have seen it with my own eyes, along with its curse. You should know, Saber. Kiritsugu did not have a son. And even if he did, he was not sick enough to have died before that son reached adulthood.”
Saber was silent for a long time. Finally, however, she sighed. “…How unfortunate. It seems that the war this time is pointless.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
Saber raised her head. “What do you mean?”
“Just because the grail is corrupted doesn’t mean that it can’t be used to grant wishes. It just has to be purified first.”
“…And that is possible how?”
Shirou smiled and pointed at himself. “You’re looking at him. It will take a bit of prep work, but I can probably grant your wish, King Arthur. While I disagree with your choice… I can ensure that you get a second chance.”
“…Master. If you are grandstanding, then I swear on my name that you will regret it.”
Shirou laughed. “No worries. As Emiya Shirou, I’ll definitely make sure you get that second chance. However, you’re going to have to help me out with a few things before then.”
Saber nodded. “If you can fulfill your words, I have no objections.”
Shirou held out his hand. “It’s a contract then.”
Saber stared at it before smiling. She grabbed his hand and said, “Indeed. A contract it is, Master… no, Shirou.”
“Now, was that so hard? I thought we already had a pact.”
Saber nodded. “That was then and this is now. Since the grail cannot be obtained in this time, it is important to resolve the conflict ahead of time.”
“True.”
“In any case, Shirou… you never answered me.”
“Hm? What didn’t I answer?”
Saber narrowed her eyes. “Why did you act so recklessly? What gave you the confidence to live against Berserker?”
“Oh. That.” Shirou smiled. “I guess I should return it to you, huh?”
“Return it…?” Saber muttered to herself before her eyes widened. “It can’t be-“
Shirou focused and held out his hand again. With that act, golden light formed until it coalesced into a blue and gold sheath. “That’s right. Avalon, the ever distant utopia. It’s yours, isn’t it?”
Saber grabbed the sheath and muttered, “So he kept it.”
“And used it to save me. Apparently there was just enough power left to keep me alive when Kiritsugu found me.”
Saber nodded. After staring at the sheath for a while, however, she held it back out. “Take it, Shirou.”
“Hm?” Shirou blinked. “Shouldn’t it go to its rightful owner?”
Saber sighed and shook her head. “Even if Avalon belongs with Excalibur, I had already lost it once. While I do not know it for certain, legends have an impact on the present. It is possible that I might lose it once more if it remains on my person. Besides, I will have better peace of mind knowing that your life is safe-guarded.”
“Mm. You’ve got a good point there.” Shirou grabbed Avalon and then absorbed it back into his body.
Saber nodded and then went back to drinking her tea.
Shirou did as well.
Like that, the two spent a comfortable silence.
Again, Saber was the one to break it. “Shirou?”
“Yes, Saber?”
“Do you not intend to rest? The night is long, but there are not many hours remaining until daylight.”
Shirou glanced at the clock in the room. It was already 3 AM. Not much longer and Sakura would come over for breakfast. While it was Saturday and he didn’t need to worry about class, he did have to worry about the other members of his household.
…Right. Sakura.
“About that. We’re going to need a story for you.”