Chapter 2
Of Strawberries and Fairies
Finish him. Rip his servant apart. Kill him.
"I want to see him suffer more."
Lies.
"It's true! I will finish him!"
Lies, you have fallen for him.
"I have not!"
Why did you hesitate? Why didn't you keep him alive for a few more minutes and murder his companions?
"So I can torture him more..."
He may have died, you left no insurance of his recovery.
"I had faith that his comrades would heal him."
Faith? Didn't you have faith in your father returning? In mother coming to you every day but failing to come when you truly needed her?
"Mother didn't do anything wrong!"
But she left you all the same.
"I-I..."
Hunt your prey once more. Kick him as many times as you want.
"I have more pressing concerns!"
Why do you delude yourself? Why do you try to deviate from your goal?
"Enough."
-
Illyasviel stared at the despicable worm that is Zouken Matou and despite her, every urge to murder the insect, his status as the head of the Matou family demanded at least a minor chat.
"So, what do you want, Zouken Matou?" Of course, that doesn't mean she would respect the old fossil.
Obviously irked by her blatant disrespect towards his person, Zouken grunted. "You need to relearn your etiquette, little girl," he grouched out with a glare.
Dismissing his ire, Illyasviel merely giggled. "Oh? Why should I display my etiquette to a failing house such as yours?"
This little jab of her's didn't do anything but irritate the man even further. "I offer you a proposition," he declared, seemingly stuffing his pride for a second or perhaps dismissing it as a child's hubris, "I offer an alliance."
"Oh? What can you possibly provide me with that I don't already have?" she inquired as she started to descend the massive stairway of her castle.
"I am the master of Assassin and I am the head of the house of Matou," he declared, his inhumane eyes twinkled with righteousness and his lips curled into a crook grin.
Is that... Really to be proud of? The thought of someone revealing that they were the master of Assassin, arguably one of the weakest servants, and declaring that they were of a failing house was amusing, to say the least. It could be even considered outright hysterical.
Therefore, Illyasviel laughed at the declaration. She laughed so hard that she had to grip her stomach.
This didn't go well for the old croon and he made it well known. "Doll, do not try me," he threatened. "You have no idea what-"
Illyasviel stifled her laughter as a smile took control of her lips. "Kill him, Berserker."
Suddenly, Zouken Matou's head rolled on her pristine red carpet in courtesy of Berserker who had appeared before him.
"You can't kill me, doll." Suddenly, the body of the Matou burst into insects including the severed head. "I will come for you in due time, mark my words."
Illyasviel merely smirked as she declared, "Run; run for there is no one where to hide. Run for no defenses can stop me. Run for Berserker is the strongest servant of them all!
"However be warned for there is no one, there is nothing that can outrun my servant! Do you see it? My magnificent power of my servant? Do you see the monster?"
With a simple mental command, she lifted the bounded field she had conjured in order to hide Berserker's stats. Yet despite this and her little declaration, Zouken did not utter a word, and yet she knew he saw.
"Is there no servant that can challenge my Berserker?" she asked with a grandiose pose.
Despite the silence, she knew that the people she directed it to got the message.
-
Illyasviel strolled the streets, passing many people who were in a rush and some who weren't. People were in fear, after all, who wouldn't be with all the strange happenings going around such as missing people, murders, and gas leaks.
To add to such a dumpster fire, she noted that the internet and news outlets were comparing such things to what had happened before the Fuyuki Fire. This little comparison was leading to many people trying to ramp up work and go on a vacation for a little while or moving out entirely.
To put it frankly, everyone was running.
Hell, only a handful of people had even bothered to try to tell her to go home as many had awakened their self-preservation instinct and ignored everyone else.
While the lack of attention did allow her to go mostly unimpeded, her little stroll was beginning to become boring.
Of course, when she had thought things were becoming boring, an explosion rang out in the distance. She frowned at the distant action taking place, feeling a bit left out, but didn't bother to intercede with that distant battle.
Why? Well, she wanted to see something first.
While people were distracted with the distant explosion, she mentally commanded Berserker to carry her.
Closing her eyes for a mere second, she immediately found herself on top of a building overlooking the Fuyuki park. "Thank you, Berserker," she said excitedly as she found a nice spot on the edge of the building to sit on.
As expected, Shirou and his little entourage entered the park. It was quite a particular scene as they were hooded and all, making them seem like they were up to no good.
Well, she supposes they were up to no good if her information was correct. "Protecting his love one, huh," she muttered as she dangled her feet. "He kind've sounds like you, Berserker."
Berserker merely growled as he sensed the malicious and sarcastic tone she used in her statement. "You know, I wonder if you would berate me if you were sane..." she muttered absent-mindedly.
Soon, she watched as Zouken Matou appeared via his swarm of bugs. Interestingly enough, the old fossil seemed to be rather smug if she could say so herself.
"I do wonder if Assassin is all he has," she wondered out loud as she hummed.
As if to prove her wrong, the old Matou had summoned Caster of all servants. It was quite mysterious in what the old man wanted to do with the servant as surely Caster did not have the power to overcome two knight-servants.
"It's unfair, isn't it?" she asked Berserker as she kicked out of boredom. "Why don't you crash their party, Berserk-"
Then, something wrong sent a shiver up her spine. Something dastardly wrong that she couldn't help but hitch a breath.
Yet... Why does it feel familiar...?
A black entity emerged from the treeline, interrupting the fight with its sheer presence alone. Caster seemed repulsed at it as she attacked it with what seemed to be a miniature sun.
Illyasviel felt her heart skip a beat for a beat was how long it took for the entity to consume.
Suddenly, the bright radiance of Caster's attack vanished, and due to it not having made contact with the ground, it seemed as if the attack never existed. As if the very existence of Caster's attack was consumed and erased.
"It hungers..." she muttered as she studied the entity from her spot. "This hunger... Where have I seen it?" Right, that girl that bastard was with at school.
Suddenly, a massive shadow extended from the entity. The shadow then simply absorbed Caster as quickly as it had with her attack.
Then, it turned its sight on Illyasviel's prey.
She stood up, her face angry as it started to extend its shadow towards her prey. "How dare that bitch try to steal my prey..." she spat out with blind rage. "Berserk-"
The shadow then quickly extended and aimed to hit the Tohsaka. Now, usually, that wouldn't be enough to make her stop her dialogue but what happened next threw her into another loop.
Her prey sacrificed himself by pushing the Tohsaka away and instead allowing himself to get hit with the shadow.
Illyasviel grit her teeth at the display of selflessness exhibited by her supposed selfish prey. "Why... Why can't you just be like that old bastard said you were..." He's a good person...
Berserker was becoming restless now as this was the second time she had subconsciously reigned him in despite her about to send him out. "Berserker... We're going."
The entity recoiled and retracted all of its shadows as if terrified at what it had done. Then it disappeared by slinking into its own shadow.
As she turned around to allow Berserker to carry her back home, she thought of something dark. If she becomes a nuisance, I wonder if he will kill her?
-
"Lady Illyasviel, are you going to take your daily stroll?"
Illyasviel didn't bother turning to Sella as she continued to look outside her window. "Sella... What is it like to have a sibling?"
"I do not understand, my lady..."
"How does it feel... To be an older sister?" Illyasviel started to play with a strand of hair whilst continuing to look outside. "How do you see Leysritt?"
"As a homunculus, I hold no attachments. I only live to serve you." Sella's reply was swift, practiced, and emotionless which only served to frustrate Illyasviel.
"Hmph. Prepare some snacks."
"Yes, my lady." Sella bowed and then exited Illyasviel's room.
Leaving the room with two people again.
"How does being an elder sibling feel?" Illyasviel inquired as she watched the snowfall. "Hey, Berserker... Can I see your story once more?"
The servant's only response was a grunt.
She smiled.
-
"Lancer has died?" Illyasviel asked with confusion, a slight disbelief briefly overcoming her.
"Yes, a few days ago, Lancer's connection to his master was severed," Leysritt responded with her usual emotionless voice.
"Why wasn't I aware of this before?"
"The mediator had just released this information to us."
Illyasviel turned to Berserker with a slight glare. "Muuu why didn't you tell me, Berserker?" she pouted.
Obviously, Berserker didn't really react but it did sense the slightly angry tone in her voice, making him ready to pounce.
She sighed at the obvious lack of intelligence in Berserker, truly a tragedy if she were to say so herself. She turned back to Leysritt who kept her emotionless demeanor intact. "Anything else?"
"Saber has vanished as well," the maid revealed.
Illyasviel tilted her head slightly before realization hit her. "The stain has gotten her..." she muttered with slow-growing horror. "This..." She turned to Berserker once more, deliberating on taking action.
This is becoming problematic, ain't?
"What would you do?" she asked Berserker, knowing full well that her servant could not answer her question. "Leysritt, tell Sella I am going on that stroll."
"Okay."
-
She found herself confronting someone who just a mere week ago she had dreamed of killing, her adopted brother, Shirou Emiya.
Currently, it would seem that he was lost in his own thoughts, undoubtedly trying to reel in Saber's death. Or perhaps he was just depressed that he had lost his shot to the Holy Grail?
Now that she was able to properly greet him, she felt the need to make an entrance that he would never forget.
"Berserker, throw a big snowball at him."
It was quite hilarious using a servant to throw a snowball but surely having a bit of fun would be nice.
It took her a little bit to come back to her senses and when she did, all she was greeted with was a confused immaterialized Berserker. She sighed with disappointment at her servant's inaction but perhaps it was for the best.
After all, Berserker's sheer strength and the potential mass of the snowball he could create may perhaps kill Shirou.
"Well that sucks," she pouted as she resumed following Shirou who had yet to notice her appearance.
Using the fact that he had yet to notice her presence, she brainstormed on various entrances before coming to one conclusion. Wouldn't hurt to just tease him for a bit.
As Shirou stopped in front of a map and seemingly studied it, she too stopped. Then, she quickly but skillfully made two snowballs on each hand.
She grinned a bit as she readied her to throw.
She fell into a stance, her back straight and arm cocked to throw.
This was it! This will decide her fate! The throw of the century!
Throwing the snowball in her left hand, it soared in the air with accurate precision. Her unsuspecting victim still busying himself in his own little world. Well, he was going to have a rude awakening.
The snowball hit his shoulder with a little splosh, it was barely audible to her. Worst yet, he didn't even recoil to it.
Nevertheless, Illyasviel grinned as she readied the other snowball in her right hand. Now that I have gotten some critical stars, here comes my critical buster!
Shirou tore his gaze from the map and turned to his left, briefly snapping from his dazed state.
Only to receive a snowball in the face courtesy of the little girl who sliced him open a few days back.
"Haha! I got you!" Illyasviel proclaimed with childish cheekiness and a smile. "Little brother!"
"Eh?"
Chapter 2 End
I swear I have caved my skull in just by the number of times I banged my head on my desk.
Why?
Well, first off I am getting less sleep cause I wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Second of all, whenever I try to write I just draw blanks. Third, I tried to boost my writing confidence by reading some trash stories cause I am that desperate. Fourth and finally, I actually tried to read some good Bleach fanfictions cause I wanted to get back into the habit of imagining things again but I then realized that the newer Bleach crossovers were also garbage.
Yet, I couldn't come up with much.
Therefore, I only have half of the number of words in this story compared to the first chapter and no cool fight scene to make it up.
Dunno if it's my inherent arrogant, lazy ass but I feel unmotivated nowadays and only find pleasure in comparing myself to other people.
Yeah, I think I'm slowly going over the edge and becoming an asshole.
Must be Florida that is fucking with me and fucking me upwards.
Hell, I bullshited the last parts cause I suddenly remembered what had happened in the first movie and I was like "oh damn, I forgot that Saber and Lancer died". Then I threw in some humor cause why not.
Also, going to start to diverge the story from here on out. Why? Cause Ima make Illyasviel a big sister.
Oh, I may just bash Fate as I did to my head cause I love Bleach.
SaveTheWeak, out.