First was Sakura. Not only was she the closest to him, but she was also the wild card in the situation. Matou Zouken… no doubt he was watching everything that Sakura saw. But even so, he was ready. There would only be one chance, but he was assured of its success.
Next was the grail war. Caster, Gilgamesh, and Kirei were the main opponents to face. The other Servants could be relegated to neutral parties with some negotiation… No, maybe even Caster. Gilgamesh and Kirei though were lost causes. They had to be taken out.
So much to do… there was still Archer and Rin to consider as well. Then Ilya and Berserker…
No. He was thinking too much. There was a simple solution to everything, and that was just to gain the power to force them to accept his plans. A brutish stubborn action, but the only one he could do.
“So what do you plan on doing today, Shirou?” Fuji-nee called out to him. “You aren’t planning to just sit around inside with Saber, are you?”
“Hm? Of course not.” Shioru shook his head. “I’ll be taking her out to tour the city. It’s changed a lot in the years since she’s been here.”
“Good! So you’ve got a brain after all!” Fuji-nee smirked. “And here I thought that you’d be too dense to know how to react with a guest.”
Shirou sighed. “Fuji-nee. Could you not berate me in front of Sakura and Saber?”
“Just making sure you know your place!” Fuji-nee grabbed another piece of toast in her mouth and then stood up. “Well, I’ll head off first, Sakura. Don’t stay and flirt with Shirou too long, alright?”
“F-Fuji-nee!”
Taiga laughed and started walking off.
That reminded Shirou. “Ah, wait.” He pulled out the key Shinji gave him and held it out to Taiga. “Shinji told me to give this back to you, Fuji-nee.”
“Hm?” She stared at the key and frowned. “That guy… did you help him clean up again, Shirou?”
Sakura froze when she heard that. Afterwards, she rounded on Shirou. “Senpai!”
He held up his hands. “How was I supposed to turn him down? He’s my friend, after all.”
“Tch. Some friend he is.” Taiga took the key and pocketed it. “Well, I’ll be off then.”
Like that, Taiga left.
And then there was just Saber, Shirou, and Sakura.
Saber was engrossed in eating, so she didn’t contribute much to the conversation.
Shirou and Sakura were finished, however, so they decided to clean up the plates in the meanwhile.
After that, Sakura left with a smile and a promise to be back as soon as Archery Practice was finished.
That left Shirou alone with Saber again.
Shirou put the last of the dishes away. At that time, Saber called out.
“Sakura is quite considerate towards you, isn’t she?”
Shirou wiped off his hands on his sides and nodded. “She is. At times I wonder why she bothers with a guy like me.”
A mix of his emotions and Shirou’s. Sakura… really, she was too kind. And Shirou spent all those years never realizing her pain.
His expression steeled. “That’s why I have to save her.”
Saber noticed the shift and nodded. “What are your thoughts, Shirou?”
He held out his hand and conjured a sword. Deep crimson, just like Gae Bolg, but double-edged like Excalibur. Staring at its core, he sighed and then released it. “For now, we do as I said: tour around the city.”
Saber nodded. “A patrol it is.”
“Mm… not quite. Since it’s day-time the others shouldn’t be too active. This is more to familiarize you with the changes.”
“Changes?”
“…Well, like I said the city has changed a bit since you’ve last been around, hasn’t it? I wouldn’t want you operating on false premises.”
Saber blinked. “I… suppose that is true?”
Shirou nodded. Internally though, he hid the fact that he just wanted to walk around the town with a pretty woman by his side.
…Or did he?
Where did that thought come from?
Shirou shrugged.
===
After clearing the rest of the table from Saber’s breakfast, the Master and Servant pair headed off into the city. Saber was still wearing her blue dress, making her seem like a foreign cosplayer. Meanwhile, Shirou had changed into casual attire. A white and black hoodie, jeans, sneakers… the usual clothes for going about the town.
Walking along the mountain path, Saber glanced around with a smile. “This place is quite peaceful during the day. I had never noticed.”
“Yeah. You probably wouldn’t have with the war and all.”
Sunlight filtered down to the path through tree branches. A gentle breeze swept past, rustling them. All in all, an idyllic scene.
“Indeed. At that time there was rarely a time like this… though I suppose Irisviel took me on a few shopping trips.”
“Irisviel?”
“…Did Kiritsugu never tell you?”
Shirou shook his head. He knew about her, but ‘Emiya Shirou’ shouldn’t. “No.”
“Hm… Well, she was Kiritsugu’s wife.”
“Wife? Kiritsugu was married?”
“Yes.” Saber frowned. “And he had a daughter as well. Illyasviel…” The Servant’s frown deepened. “And she should have taken on the Einzbern side… I almost believed that the Master of Berserker could be her, but with how much time has passed…”
“She should look older, right?”
Saber nodded. “Fujimura has already become an adult woman from the last time I saw her. The Ilya that I recall was a young girl. With how much time has passed, she should be… around your age if not older, I believe.”
Shirou nodded as well. That lined up with what he remembered.
“Wait.” Saber stopped and then stared at Shirou. “You mentioned that you knew about that Illyasviel we met and that the situation was complicated. What did you mean, Shirou?”
“…It’s complicated. But let’s say that the Einzbern family is filled with scum that should be wiped from the face of the Earth.”
Saber’s eyes narrowed. “…You mean to say that the young girl we face…”
“Should be that Ilya you know, yes. My adoptive sister and Kiritsugu’s real daughter.”
Saber’s eyes took on a dangerous glint. “Those dastards…” She glanced towards Shirou. “I presume you have a plan to deal with them?”
“Definitely. But for now, we need to pick up some things. Preparations are needed before we act. We’ve only got one shot at this, after all.”
“I see.”
Shirou nodded and started walking again.
Saber followed him.
The time was spent in peaceful silence. But after a while, Shirou got bored. He glanced back at Saber to see that she met his gaze.
“Did you require something of me, Shirou?”
“Not really. I was just wondering… what made you take up your path?”
A question. Even if he wasn’t the person who could save her from her path, he could at least get her to find some solace.
“My path… you speak of my history?”
Saber seemed careful to phrase her response.
Shirou frowned before remembering where they were. “Ah, one sec.”
Although they were walking alone along the mountain path, that didn’t necessarily mean that they were unobserved.
Shirou focused a bit. His magic circuits… yep, they were up to par after rest and the spar. A means to keep their conversation quiet… well, a neutralization field should work. Borrowing the theory of the world egg, parallel dimensions, wave neutralization… While Shirou didn’t have the nature to cast the spell directly, he was more than capable of forging a tool that could do it for him.
After a bit of effort, he made a small sword talisman and tucked it into his pocket. The moment he did, an invisible ripple spread out to envelop him and Saber.
The Servant of the Sword immediately noticed and turned her attention to Shirou. “…I thought you said you were not a magus, Master.”