Fate/New Life

Battle in the Einzbern Forest: Part 2

3rd Person View:

The group of young mages composed of Shinji Matou, Bazett Fraga McRemitz and Shirou Emiya, are sprinting in direction to where the other two female mages are. The distance seems infinite as the group's overall patience is getting thinner by the minute.

One's motivation is duty-bound, the other is by guilt and atonement, even if he doesn't realize it yet. Lastly, the other is driven by love, the desire to help not only others but his loved one, the one who has helped him to become someone better and not fall in the same path as his other self.

"How far do you think we are from our captured allies, Emiya?", the magenta-haired Enforcer asked as she struggled to keep up with the others.

"Hopefully not far. We should see a house or something soon", said Shirou hastily but then abruptly stopped. The others did the same, standing at his side in confusion.

"What's the hold-up, Emiya?", asked Shinji, slightly irritated as he looked at Shirou.

Shirou did a 360-degree scan of his surroundings, checking for anything unusual that may justify his suspicions. He feels like they're walking into another ambush. Seconds later, black figures, resembling dogs, were coming out from the trees, blocking their way.

"What are they??", questioned Shinji slighty frightened at the dog-like figures, taking a step back.

"They must be familiars. Maybe from a Servant?", responded Bazett as she and Shirou took fighting stances, ready to either take the initiative or defend themselves when needed.

"That can't be it. If it were a Servant, there should more of them surrounding us. This may be an enemy Master ambushing us", analyzed Shirou as he projects Bakuya on his left hand.

"Matou, are you alright? Can you defend yourself?", asked Bazett as she glanced at Shinji who was hesitating on what to do.

"I-I'm fine! Don't look down on me as a helpless kid!", barked Shinji as he took out a book from his jacket's pocket.

"Good, because we're about to get really busy", said Shirou as he scans the familiars, waiting for them to take the first move and react to it.

The group is confronted by 6 familiars, their bodies shaped similarly to hounds based on their shape and somewhat semblance in their faces. They easily are bigger and taller than normal hounds, making them look more intimidating and dangerous. The hounds started to step closer to the group in unison, their paces getting hasty until they were at a full-sprint to their prey. Then they divided into pairs of two, each getting a target of their own.

The first pair reached to Shirou Emiya. The first hound jumped at him, their mouths wide open at him, but he responded with taking a step on the side and slashing downward, striking the upper mid-section of the hound and mortally wounding it. However, the other hound took this opportunity to bite on Shirou's right arm, the collision taking him down on his back to the ground and drawing blood and a grunt of pain from him. However, he swiftly thrust the sword, impaling the hound on the neck, perishing its life. Shirou throws the lifeless body of the hound, stands up and approaches to the other hound to check on it but he laid there still, lifeless.

At the same time, the second pair arrived to where Bazett was, both of them jumping at an attempt to bite and injure the Enforcer. However, she lifts her leg and swings it down against one of the hounds, hitting it on the head, blood erupting as the crack of its skull was heard soundly. Rapidly, she hit the other hound using the back of her hand, shifting her body to use the momentum to draw as much force as possible. Again, another crack is heard and more blood is drawn. Both hounds lay dead as pools of crimson blood engulfs them. She exhales in relief, maintaining a calm yet serious composure, waiting for any enemy's to come at her.