8:30 PM, Random House
Everyone had gathered around the table for dinner. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, EMIYA, Team JNPR and Oscar Pine are seated. The most eye catching thing was EMIYA wearing everyone's favorite t-shirt as per usual, 'If lost, return to Ruby'
"Um... about that t-shi--" Oscar was interrupted.
"Stop." EMIYA sighs.
"Sorry." He let out nervously.
"Oh, uh, I forgot to introduce you guys to each other, by the way!" Ruby let out, pointing at an agitated EMIYA. "Oscar, this is Emiya, he's my Servant."
"Your what?" Yang let out.
"Your what?" Weiss questioned.
"Your... what?!" Oscar was the most surprised.
"Yeah, it's kind of a big deal when you hear it for the first time." Pyrrha let out, taking a sip from a cup of tea.
"So, like, are you commanding him around right now? Telepathetically?" Pine raised a brow.
"Not exactly."
"Weird."
"And Emiya, that's Oscar! He's the reincarnation of my old headmaster."
"That's me!"
EMIYA gave Pine an unamused look, causing Oscar to chuckle nervously.
"By the way, this food is horrible." EMIYA let out after he had taken a single bite out of the food that had been put in front of him.
"I made it..." Ruby drops her head in despair. Nora clears her throat in response. "I mean, we all made it."
"You should have just let me taken over. You already know how my dishes tastes." A soft smile appearing on EMIYA's face.
"What would you have made though?" The master asked.
"Mapo Tofu--"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Kotomine ate that thing in front of me the first time I met him. It was like he was eating it straight off the stove! It looked like a horrible boiling pot full of lava, I'm not sure how'd he even eat it."
Even just thinking about it, Rose felt as if her mouth was set on fire.
"How are Emiya's dishes?" Jaune questioned.
"Great!" Ruby let out.
"Yeah, the one time he served us it was pretty good." Yang let out, reminiscing.
"It wasn't bad." Weiss let out, a bit hesitant.
"Please, allow me to translate ice language: She meant to say she loved it." Yang said with a sarcastic tone in her voice.
"Hey!" The ice princess called out, with the group collectively breaking out into laughter afterwards.
"Say, master." EMIYA called out to Ruby.
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind helping me with a few injuries later? I had to fight your mother earlier for the sake of the ice princess here."
The scene had just been made 10 times more awkward than before, with EMIYA not knowing that Ruby and Yang's mothers were different.
"You mean Yang's mom?"
"What?"
"Different moms." Yang pointed out.
"I thought you two were sisters."
"Half."
"I guess that works too. Long black hair, crazy."
"Yep, definitely my mom." Yang let out, sighing. "What'd she do?"
"Well, she wanted me to join her tribe or something, to provide her assassinations. She patched me up along the way, but she was a bit rough. I'm sure she botched it on purpose."
"That's strange, she'd usually give tasks like that to one of her bandits. Must have seen something in you." Yang scratches the back of her head.
"She did say something about a Magus Killer..." Weiss let out.
"Wait, wait, Magus as in mage?" Oscar asked.
"Yes." EMIYA let out in a cold tone.
"Magic IS real! Like, completely real! Real real!" Nora responded.
"Looks like it, but the question is... what about the 'Killer' part?" Pyrrha questioned, glaring at EMIYA.
"Long story." EMIYA let out, brushing past the story.
"Right." Ren squints his eyes.
"So, then explain--" Jaune was interrupted.
"Emiya, why don't you and I go check on your injuries? Sorry, guys! He made it seem like it's really really super fatal!" Ruby stood up, patting EMIYA once on his shoulder as she walked away. EMIYA stood up, following her.
"You really pulled me out of that situation."
"Do thank me later. Let's see what happened to your body first." After a while of walking, they'd gotten away from the main group. The both of them sit on the ground, Ruby behind him. She slightly lifts up his shirt from the back, only to be met with the sight of... that. She gags. "Sheesh! She had absolutely no mercy, did she?"
"Guess not."
"I'll have to redo these." She grabs onto a section of the bandages, slightly pulling them down to be greeted with the sight of a horrible injury. Ruby cringed, putting them back in it's place. "How'd you even get yourself into this?"
"Long story short, ice que- princess' father grounded her, so we had to go sneak on a cargo ship. I don't know what exactly happened, but when I woke up, it was about to crash. So, it was mainly a combination of that, and the fact that I had to guard her with my body so she wouldn't be too injured."
"Come on, seriously? She's Weiss, that stubborn personality of hers would have pulled through for her regardless!" Ruby chuckled. "What happened after, though? Like, how'd you meet Yang's mom?"
"She kicked in Weiss' face, so I kicked their faces too in return. Granted, I didn't kick her mom's face in as hard, but regardless."
"I don't mean to offend you, Emiya, but I'm really surprised you didn't finish her off if you really kicked her face in." Ruby closes her eyes, now taking off the bandages on his back. She didn't want to see the injuries, no thanks.
"I was about to. It was an adrenaline rush, and unfortunately for me, the pain always comes in at the worst time."
"Okay, I see. That makes a whole lot of sense." Ruby kept on going as EMIYA sat still. "But, just a question, why do you keep calling Weiss the ice princess? I'm sure it used to be ice queen before."
"Winter Schnee. I did already say that I partnered up with her at my time at Atlas, right?"
"Right."
"She's more of a queen than Weiss is from my view. I do have a lot of newfound respect for her after Ironwood had put us on the same boat." A soft smile forms on his face. "If it ever comes to it, I wouldn't mind working with her again. She reminds me of an old friend."
Ruby cleared her throat in response. "What?" He let out in confusion.
"Mr. Kiritsugu Emiya! You and I are partners, not you and Winter! Like, we make a totally cool team with the same sense of fashion and cool abilities that revolve around speed and roses!"
"Oh, is that jealousy I see?" He scoffs.
"No, it's just that Winter is totally an old hag who contrasts you in every way possible! Y'know, she wears blue, she's older than you, she's ice cold, and she didn't summon you!"
"Except the white hair."
"EXCEPT the white hair! Maybe the white hair too, you used to have black hair back at Beacon. What happened to it anyways? Stressed out?"
"That might be a contributor. After all, I have been summoned as a Counter Guardian countless times before. But, the main reason as far as I know is the fact that I've been using Time Alter too much."
"Counter Guardians? What?"
"Counter Guardians are somewhat like Heroic Spirits, though they're more powerful than the average one. They get called upon when humanity needs saving. If humanity didn't need me you would have summoned someone else."
"So, you're gonna save humanity then?"
"I guess so. Or maybe I'm going to help you do that."
"I see."
"Anyways, well, I'm not exactly all that happy and cheerful either. I do think that her personality is a much better match for mine than yours."
"You did not just say that."
"Which part? The second part of the sentence or the first--"
"Emiya! You're forgetting the fact that before you met me, you were a depressed robotic assassin with a heart of stone. Now, you're a slightly less depressed yet lovable Servant with a heart of half stone! That's progress, you know."
"Do you think Winter could have pulled that off?"
"Nah, she couldn't. Everyone in the Schnee family is ice royalty, to be honest." She chuckled.
"Yeah." He then ponders as Ruby rearranges his bandages. "Hey, by the way, I'm going to go check on a few churches around. I think you already know why."
"Kotomine, right?"
"Right. From what I've heard from your sister, he's apparently on our tail. And, given the fact that he has two Servants, it'd be for the better if we caught him offguard rather than him catching us offguard."
"I'm sure our combined strength could beat him. Besides, Lancer's with us! He was a cool guy when we saw him."
"Command Seals. Usually, they're rare, but I have absolutely no idea how many Kotomine has. He throws them around like they're nothing."
"Have you seen it happen?"
"Yeah. The only time I fought him, he countered my Origin Bullets by using a Command Seal to boost his own mana. The Origin Bullet targeted the source of the power, which was the Command Seal and not his own body at that moment. If he can use Command Seals on himself, then he can surely throw one at Lancer, even if Lancer is a good guy, he's still open to Command Seals as a Servant."
"You're right. Count me in! We'll get the jump on him for sure." Ruby stood up, having finished wrapping his bandages.
EMIYA got back on his feet as well, walking away. "You can go tell the others, see if they want to come or not. I gotta take this thing off first."
Ruby made her way towards the table at which they were enjoying dinner. Yang and Nora are currently arm wrestling, Yang with her new mechanical arm. "Nora! Nora! Nora!" Oscar cheered on.
"Come on, Oscar, let them have a fair fight." Pyrrha let out, poking at her food.
"Hey, guys?" Ruby called out.
"Yeah?" Yang responded, struggling against Nora.
"Emiya and I are going outside to check on a few churches. Anyone wanna come with?"
"Nah, we're fine." Jaune responded for all the others.
"Yeah, we're feeling tired, besides, you can consider it a date with him! Lovebirds!" Nora continues her struggle against Yang. The faces of everyone around the table turns red. "What?"
"C'mon, Nora. We're like family, not like that."
"Yeah, yeah, sure buddy, you keep saying that, until--" Nora's hand suddenly slammed down to onto the table. "Noooo!" Nora stood up, walking back to her spot at the table.
"Haha!" Yang celebrated.
"Suit yourselves." EMIYA's voice called out from behind. He had already suited up. "We're going. Are you going to come with that?" He points at her pajamas.
"I wish I could. But, can't go out with this. I'll be back, you stay here." She pats him on the shoulder, walking past.
EMIYA went back to the table, sitting down in front of Yang. "You want some too, Emiya?" Yang let out with a smug smile on her face.
"I just sat down in front of you, that's all--"
"Do it! Do it! Do it!" EMIYA turned to see Oscar and Nora both cheering him on.
"Come on, don't be a buzzkill." Yang suddenly used her hands to cup EMIYA's chin, turning him around. "Now, come forth, champion!"
EMIYA's expression changed quickly. A smug smirk appeared on his face. "Fine, don't blame me if I break your arm." He grabbed onto her mechanical arm.
"Oho, don't worry. Come, play with fire, be burned." She nods at EMIYA. "Now, in 1... 2... 3!"
The struggle started. Oscar and Nora were mainly rooting for Yang as they were far more familiar with her, and she wasn't as much of a joykill as EMIYA was.
It was truly a battle for the ages (it wasn't). EMIYA increased the pressure he was putting on her mechanical arm, gritting his teeth, but Yang wasn't just gonna sit there and take it. She yawns as a means of taunting him. They kept on going and going.
"Yang! Yang! Yang! Yang!"
"Give uuup!" Yang let out to EMIYA through the pressure. Veins start to show up on EMIYA's face.
"I think he's going a little too far..." Jaune's eyes widen.
EMIYA was clearly having more trouble than Yang did. He had a D in terms of physical strength stats, whereas Yang was a seasoned brawler. Eventually, his hand dropped to the table, Yang pinning him down. He started to pant.
"I'm the best." She said with a smug smirk on her face.
EMIYA pulled away from her grip. "Don't get cocky now, the only reason you won is because I'm not that strong anyways, in terms of physically at least."
"It's okay, you did good." Yang's hand reached out towards EMIYA's head, ruffling his hair. EMIYA's face turned red as he grit his teeth once more, not knowing how to respond. Thankfully, a voice saved him from the situation.
"Come on, Emiya, we're moving." Ruby called out to him. He glares at Yang one more time, standing up and walking away.
"Psst, hey Ruby, Yang totally owned your Servant!"
"Shut up Nora." Yang let out playfully, giving her a punch to the arm.
Ruby raised a brow, but nonetheless, followed EMIYA to the exit.
10:19 PM, Church at Mistral
Knock knock knock. EMIYA and a tired Ruby both stand at the front of a church, awaiting a response from anyone in there. "Are we there yet?" Ruby asked, a bit confused from her tired state.
"Yeah." EMIYA knocks once more. "Looks like no one wants to open. May I?"
"May you what--" He suddenly used his shoulder to barge into the church, breaking the door. "Woah woah woah! Emiya, doesn't this count as breaking in?!"
He slowly got off the ground, putting his hand on his shoulder. It was still injured, so it didn't exactly feel very good to do that. "There's a reason I'm an Assassin class Servant. We'll be out of here in no time before anyone notices." He walked in, Ruby reluctantly followed.
"Maybe we should head back home. I'm feeling tired."
"We will if we don't find Kotomine around."
"Alright."
Their footsteps echoed through the silent church. EMIYA looks around. He was unable to find anything, that is until he heard something. It felt like a weak scream from below the church. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Something, no, someone's under here. See if you find a basement door or anything like that." EMIYA pulls out a throwaway pistol. Not the Contender, that and it's bullets are far too valuable for now.
Ruby turned into roses using her semblance, scouting the building. Her eyes caught onto something. A few stairs down into a door. "Hey, found something!" She yelled out. EMIYA rushed over. He stood in front of Ruby as a means of protecting her.
"I can fight too, you know." She let out, unamused.
"Not against Kotomine. If he really is here, then you need to rely on your Servant." He walks down the stairs, slowly approaching the door. He gripped the handle, opening it at a sluggish pace, just so he can peek inside first. "Looks like none's in here."
He fully opened the door, before gasping. "What is it?" Ruby asked, peeking from behind EMIYA's back. Coffins. "Why do they have coffins...?" Her eyes widen.
The sounds of the screams got louder. "Someone's in one of these. Stay back." Ruby did so this time as EMIYA went to one of the coffins. He aimed his weapon at it, slowly pushing off the lid.
And he was met with the sight of something no one should ever go through. He recoiled at what was inside of the coffin. "What is it? What is it, Emiya?!" She rushed over, only to see it. Hell. She dropped onto the ground, backing away.
In the coffins, there was a ghoul like humanoid with charcoal black skin. They had rotten, but they weren't dead. No. They were alive in a state of suffering. The living corpse let out an inaudible cry with all their might, it was far too weak for anyone outside of the church to hear. "What... what is that?!" Ruby let out, horrified.
Picture not to be shown as some may find it disturbing. Search it up at your own risk.
"Orphans." Another voice called out from behind them, Ruby and EMIYA turned around.
"After the Fourth Holy Grail War, you failed to find any survivors out of the fire I wished for. I was the reason. The people in these coffins are orphans gathered from the fire. Their nutrition, energy and mana were all drained from them. They're in a state between life and death. After all, it's not easy keeping a Servant like the King of Heroes around." That voice was Kotomine. He smirked, unfazed by the two invaders. "I must say, that one child you had managed to find... he was quite lucky he didn't end up like the others."
"You're...!"
"It's rather hilarious seeing you as a slave, Kiritsugu Emiya. Even though after I've done so much to you, the world refuses to let you go rest in peace with your lover and daughter. So many sins, it's only deserved."
EMIYA suddenly draws his weapon, firing at Kirei. Kirei's coat was made of bulletproof material. Putting his hands up, Kotomine deflected the bullet with ease.
Kirei Kotomine deflects a swarm of bullets from Kiritsugu Emiya
"And as for you, extra batteries are never bad. You wouldn't mind, they need new friends." Ruby's eyes widen. No way in hell she'd ever become like that. Pulling out Crescent Rose, she fired a shot at Kotomine. Kirei pulled out a single knife like object, deflecting it. A Black Key.
"I needn't fight you. I shall let the predator defend his own food. Gilgamesh!" Kotomine yelled out, walking away. "They're all yours. Make sure to get the girl's Command Seals."
Footsteps can be heard from the stairs. Kotomine turns away from the two, walking away. "You're not getting away--!" Ruby was interrupted.
"Aren't you mongrels a sight to behold?" A voice called out.
As Kotomine exit the room, another man entered the room. He had spiked blonde hair and royal golden armor, hand on his hip.
"I must be honest with you two, I'm quite excited for another battery. More mana never hurt anyone, except for you, woman." He smirked.
This is bad.
The duo prepare themselves to attack.
"Not so fast. Will you not allow me to pull out my own weapon?"
EMIYA and Ruby both use their abilities to speed themselves up, attempting to get the jump on Gilgamesh.
"Gates... of Babylon." He let out.
Suddenly, there were what felt like hundreds of golden, puddle-like portals behind Gilgamesh. They had weapons sticking out of them. The weapons were hurled at the two, who managed to barely dodge them.
The Gates of Babylon houses what feels like an infinite amounts of unique weapons collected by Gilgamesh during his life as a king. It's linked to a vault in which all of his riches are stored in and pulls the weapons directly from there.
More and more portals came to Gilgamesh's side, weapons being hurled at the two fast opponents. They couldn't focus on being offensive as they had to dodge the millions of weapons thrown at them. Portals had surrounded Gilgamesh, weapons being launched from all directions to avoid sneak attacks.
"Speed related Phantasms? I see." Gilgamesh's smirk turned into a frown. EMIYA in specific was far faster than he could ever anticipate.
Servants were already fast, but EMIYA had superspeed even with Servant standards. He was almost invincible in one on one fights, impossible to hit.
Gilgamesh suddenly felt something hit his armor. A bullet which just bounced off. He scoffed.
"Mongrel!"
The rate of fire of the blades start to increase, as do the portals around him. That wasn't enough.
EMIYA jumped over the portals around Gilgamesh, slashing at his face once with a knife. Gilgamesh was quick to react, grabbing onto one of the many swords from the gates. He deflects the attack.
After a while of running around, dodging spears, swords, arrows, and so on, EMIYA looks at Ruby, nodding. She returns his nod.
The two of them flip over the portals once more, making their attempt at an assault. Portals form above Gilgamesh, meaning that they had to dodge the blades and make their attempt at an assault at once.
Gilgamesh's defense was strong, but not unbreakable. Ruby had managed to finally get a single hit on his cheek, causing a pretty strong wound. It was clear that he was pissed off.
Suddenly, chains wrap around EMIYA's legs as the King of Heroes fends off Ruby.
The golden chains were surely tight, but he would be able to get out of them by wiggling in time.
...
Not fast enough.
One of the many weapons from the gates suddenly stabs through EMIYA's abdomen region as he coughs out blood.
"Emiya!" Ruby called out to him. Using this moment of distraction, Gilgamesh kicked away Ruby, straight into a wall.
"You two put up much of a fight, but I'll end this here."
"Chronos... Rose!" EMIYA yelled out with his remaining power. His speed managed to give him enough time to wiggle out of the chains, dashing at the ancient king.
He started his assault, now alone. Gilgamesh had no problem blocking his attacks.
"I've had enough."
Suddenly, twelve portals appear right in front of EMIYA. They shot their weapons at him. A smirk appears on Gilgamesh's face.
But, when the dust had finally settled, EMIYA and Rose both were gone.
"Cowards." Gilgamesh let out, scoffing.
10:34 PM, Mistral
An injured EMIYA rushes to the house the team had been staying at, Ruby in his arms. His hair and cloak both fluttered in the wind. It'd been painful, but if he could at least get her to safety...
"Stop, Emiya! You're going to die!" Ruby wiggled around in his tight grip with no success.
The orange aura slowly started to die down. Eventually, he fell to the ground, the pain kicking in. He coughed blood into the grass below, breathing heavily. Ruby went to check up on him, grabbing him by his shoulders, shaking him.
"Wake up! I told you, you'd...!" She grit her teeth, picking him up and carrying him to the house. Fortunately, it wasn't that far away so they could make it in time. She couldn't waste any time.
Ruby thinks of the encounter they just had in the basement. Those poor kids, that man...
Lancer had mentioned someone named Gilgamesh needing extra fuel.
That was him, and he truly was horrifying.