The unfortunate, the hero, and the damsel. (PRIVATE)

―Holy grail war

The name of a battle royal, in which, seven master's, and seven servant's do battle with one another in order to reach the sacred wish granting machine. Some fought to reach the 'Origin' or 'Akasha', while others fought in the war to obtain a sense of glory and pride. Needless to say, the path to reach the goal was not easy. Three war's had been incomplete, and the fourth ended with destruction that shook Fuyuki city to its very core. The fifth war ended with one hero and one proficient magus destroying the holy grail war alongside the heroic spirit, Arturia Pendragon. The accursed war ended that day; no one would longer hear or be brought into the catastrophe. ― So, how was it all brought back again? no one knew for sure, but in the war that followed, there was one girl who found pleasure and ecstasy in such catastrophe's. The name of that woman was ― Saeko Busujima. Many fought to win the war, there was one man who fought Saeko to a standstill - but alas, in the end every single effort was futile. She came out victorious. The result of her victory is the holy grail war taking place right now. Unusual summoning, Servant's without masters, Heroes being summoned from all times in history, this was the result of one wish; Eternal war. However, Saeko could consider herself lucky for one thing. The sixth war ended without much madness; Surprisingly, not many victims but the participants died in the end. The harbinger of destruction, fulfilled her wish and now, she would simply win the war once again.To others, however, it was the same as the war's that had transpired before. Seven Servant's, Seven masters, and a supervisor from the church. Oh, how wrong they were.







But then - this is not where our story is taking place, this is simply the condition of the madness known as the current 'grail war'. Currently, a young man, of about 18 summers was standing erect within a large basement. Adorned in a Fuyuki school's male uniform, his age was anything but indiscernible. Brown hair flowed warmly through the air, while firm and confident eye's stared at the symbol constructed before him. Shinbo Asagami was the name of this young man. The direct heir to the Asagami's Magus heritage, he was both a great student in school, and a earnest man to everyone who knew him personally. But today he did something that did not befit his nature at all. Today was spent searching for a relic, a holy artifact, that would allow him to participate in the battle of servant's and master's. Needless to say, his search for relics was filled with nothing but weeks of fruitless strife. Each search was unsuccessful. Each more nerve wrecking then the last; Normally, he wouldn't have given up, and in truth, he didn't. Instead, he did something that may have damaged his reputation. He stole the pendant from well-known Magus of the Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Rin. Certainly, if this doesn't work, the next time people see him he'll probably be ridiculed for this. But then ― that was exactly why failure was not an option. If he could acquire the holy grail, then nothing would be impossible. Right now, he's the most happiest man in the world. ".....Ah, it's time...." He had studied the summoning chant endlessly, prepared his own blood, and right now, he was holding the aforementioned artifact within his firm and robust hand. The pendant looked quite Resplendent, even though it had lost most of it's former shine when the Tohsaka girl possessed it. Without breaking his concentration he put the pendant within the summoning circle and just when everything was going well ― Brrrrrhhhp.



".....Eh?" Shinbo felt an uneasiness within his stomach, this feeling, it couldn't be, could it be that right now, when everything was about to be completed, when all of his plans were about to come into fruition, could it be that in this infinitesimal moment ― that Shinbo asagami needed to go to the bathroom? What was this madness? ― a case of karma, perhaps, for resorting to thievery? he gritted his teeth self-derisively as he tried to keep himself grounded and composed. if he could just quickly summon the servant then he could go to the bathroom and relieve himself, but unfortunately, the uneasiness in his stomach did not abate. "Dammit!...ugh!...i really need to go!" with a scream of comical agony, Shinbo ran towards the stairs and towards the bathroom in order to finally release the unfortunate waste within his stomach. Little did he know, fate would be unfortunate in one more, unusual and karma-induced way.




Such was the feminine voice belonging to a young high school girl of sixteen summers, Mika Asagami. From appearance and personality, she is the normal school girl in every sense of the word. Normally, in any other circumstance, she would not go against her brother's wish and interrupt him during business.....but, today was far too urgent to sit back and leave him alone. Their pet dog had gotten far too wild these day's, very grumpy and very snappy. Mika who had happened to tease the dog and play with him - got bit in return. Her left hand was dripping with dark red blood. The bite wound isn't critical, if Mika was smart enough to find the first-aid kit then she can easily re-correct her problem. However, she loved her brother far too much to leave him be and used this to take a peek at what he was currently up to. "...hm?" Mika slowly walked down the basement to see a summoning circle. To her, this simply a well written drawing on the ground, done by a masterful artist. She also noticed that there was a pendant on the in the center of the circle. "....Pretty pendant!" With childlike glee, Mika skipped towards the summoning circle until she was standing within the center. She held out both of her hand's and just when she was about to grab the pendant ― The wild phenomenon happened. One that would change her life.





Shinbo had returned, but by now he was already too late. The moment the drops of blood fell forth from Mika's hand and onto the pendant, without even using a summoning chant, the summoning had began. "...Wha...M--Mika!? What are you doing here!?" Shinbo's eye's widened in dismay and surprise, while Mika looked down with relative awe. She lost track of grabbing the pendant and stumbled backwards from the flashing lights. "Uwahh...." She sat by the circle and looked on. It was like a fairy tale come to life. For shinbo, who had missed his chance by a hair's breadth, this was a nightmare. Neither brother, nor, sister would expect the servant coming before them in the next moment.

A fate forged in steel, such was his story. A life full of battle, full of pain, but never of regret.Staining his hands with the blood of many to save even more, he trampled over a few to save more - then saved those he stepped upon, creating more hate and more peace than anyone ever did before him. And now was his time to reawaken. The mystery and miracle of the Holy Grail unfolded infront of the view of the siblings. The pendant, glowing with energy and strength, pulsated. It called forth what carried it in the past, future and present, and gave it form. The one who rested at Akashas feet, the one who had sold his soul to save those his eyes could see.
In the blinding white light, it condensed. Why was the summoning even starting without any incarnation? The reason was simple. Mika, even though she had no knowledge of Magecraft or Prana, was undoubtedly very gifted - her blood had so much latent prana that it awakened the magic of Heaven's Feel. With this magic, out of the root of all things, the heroes were called from their throne. He was a hero unlike any other, one who had never taken a throne in their own world. Summoned again and again to save the world from humans themselves, he had become bitter and resentful of his own self, but also accepting of the fate bestowed upon him. His once strong resolve to break out of his acursed destiny had been broken in his last summoning - at least going from this current timeline. Maybe in the future, a still resentful one of him had been summoned already, but was not yet in the happenings of the present. Time itself was unimportant to heroic spirits - and thus, also to him. The Counter Guardian awakened now, but this time, he had not been summoned by the world itself.

At first, the light took the vague shape of a man. He was quite tall, not to say, his own kind of giant - even if he lacked the height of legendary people like Iksander the Great. The white of the light did not vanish from his hair - it had lost color long ago, thanks to his usage of the forbidden magic he had obtained. A true miracle summoned by a Magus back when he was alive, it was a miracle he was even able to so freely use it during his lifetime. His whole body, a catalyst of strength. Even more now, as his body was made out of Ether. As the light began to take form, a slight 'searing' sound could be heard. Burning itself into her already hurt hand, Mika would soon feel it... the energy of the Command Seal imprinting itself into the one chosen to be another Master in this endless, mad war of magic and sword.
Dark skin became visible, together with brown-silver eyes. Another sign of his usage of Reinforcement on his own body, as those eyes had the ability to pierce the darkest night and farthest distance in a heartbeat. Defined, but not bulking muscles, visible faintly under the tight black material making up the clothing. Even as his body had not yet fully formed, his eyes focused - staring into both the boys and the girls eyes, piercing through to their very soul with his stare. A facial expression so serious, carrying so much weight, as if he was the only pillar the world was standing on. The weight of being a Counter Guardian, forever bound to the worlds destiny.
Red. The color of strength, in a way. It focused into the two pieces of the 'coat' like clothing covering him, and with that, it ended. The last light vanished into two orbs on the back of each hand... And then, the grail seemingly finished. The symbol underneath him vanished - the pendant was gone, most likely now in the posession of the hero infront of the two. From the depths of the world, he was...

"I am Archer, following your call to the Holy Grail. What is your name?"

"......" Both brother and sister looked on in awe bearing witness to the very first otherworldly phenomenon ever experienced within their life. The amazing amount of Prana solidifying and forming, was enough to keep them from speaking. Even as those eyes were visible, Shinbo could feel the aura emitting from them and as though he had been frozen looked on in awe. Mika who had nor prior knowledge to the world of Magi, though that this was perhaps, but one of her bigger brother's magic tricks. Mika gulped deeply; What was going on? What was happening? +As she watched on she could see his overall physical form coming into existence. And she had to say, from that sight alone, she was entranced. Shinbo, on the other hand, who had simply wanted to go to the bathroom has now been beaten to entering the holy grail war by his own little sister. Karma was truly like the devil at work here, or was it god? Mika winced and whimpered slightly, when she felt the command seals forming upon her already injured hand . What did she do? Trying to make sense of this situation was impossible; She was only a normal girl and now, she would be brought into the world of the holy grail war and Magi. This was not the life her brother wanted; far be it from him to stop it now, he would only be able to guide her from now on. He also frowned at the thoughts of returning to the outside and shook her head. There was no turning back now. It was time to see who this man was!

as the pure ether solidified into one force, one of the three knight classes's, servant arrived. Archer. Archers are usually talented within the ways of long range combat. While they may not be at the level of Lancer or Saber, their use of independent action makes them more then a threat. "...Ah.... " Mika stared up at the imposing figure before her and felt her legs weaken under the sound of his deep voice. His entire body was a masterpiece: Defined, though not overly bulky muscles, wonderful dark skin and mysterious brown-silver eyes, and his voice was enough to cause Mika's heart to skip a beat as she looked on. After he had introduced himself Mika dusted herself off and smiled benevolently as she walked towards Archer and embraced him softly, blushing as though she had been lost in a trance. "I-I'm M-Mika....Mika Asagami...." Was it the man of her dreams that she had been dreaming about for some time? She didn't care, he was just so handsome. Shinbo broke out of his state of confusion and devastation and saw his sister hugging the man and instantly tried to pull them away. "H-Hey! W-Wait! Mika, first let the man speak what do you think he is? respect! " Though Shinbo had failed to summon this Archer class servant, he still had to show Mika the ropes or people would take advantage of her and even kill her without a single hint of mercy. "He's a handsome man, and this is all a big dream, that your inside brother!" Mika said sweetly her hug getting even tighter than before. "..There's one theory with your assumption, Mika....You're not even pinched, your hand is bleeding and most likely, as i know from research, burning slightly. " Mika simply shrugged it off and continued hugging this man known as Archer. For some reason, all that was on her mind was conversing and cuddling up to this man. She had no idea what servants or masters were so little was her discomfort. Just how would today's turn of events progress?

So this was to be his fate? Another war, another grail. It was all the same to him, even when not summoned by the world itself. A dull grey of nothingness, a repeat of the same thing over and over, such was the fate of a Counter Guardian... But this grey was definiatly... strange. Not to say this was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him - how would he be able to clearly say that? No real memories of getting summoned ever remained. Not for him, not for anyone. He was dead, yet alive forever in the Throne of Heroes. But this feeling of suddenly getting hugged, of all things, was clearly real and the happening of time right now - no matter if time actually still existed for Heroic Spirits or not. Such were the wonders possible with the Holy Grail, even without openly wishing to it... Unlimited prana. The door to Akasha...
His serious expression changed slightly at the efforts of the big brother to get said hugging Master off of him, but to no avail. From serious toned, it changed into cocky, almost belitteling and regretful smile - as if talking to an imbecile unable to comprehend and really, REALLY feeling bad for that. The typical way for Archer to piss into someones coffee with a facial expression alone for sure.
"And here I was thinking to have been summoned by someone capable for once. But judging from the Prana I am getting - which is next to none - the Command Spell did not chose the right person." Archer made no attempts to escape from Mika hugging him just yet. Which god had he pissed off to get summoned by a schoolgirl? This was ridicolous. She was not even a Magus, he was able to tell - after all, he had been one himself in his lifetime. A bad one maybe, but still a Magus.
"Though you should 'wake up' from thinking this is a dream, and fast, girl. I don't know how you did it, but you somehow managed to summon a spirit like me without any knowledge of Magecraft." This almost seemed reminiscent of his own self in the very far past - at least Archer thought it did, his memory was hazy at best. But at least he remembered his true identity. His grey-brown eyes were less belitteling and insulting when looking down at her than when he had his eyes turned to her brother at the very least. Thankfully she was short enough for him to talk over her head with the only one capable of a little bit of Magecraft near here.
"Well, if you're her bigger brother, then you did a great job at keeping your magic experiments secret, really. Survival is already unlikely in the Holy Grail War as it is, and now you've dragged a girl like her into it." No mercy in his voice, and he did not really care if Mika understood him right now or not. He would cut this boy down to size - not literally, of course - before he had to spend most likely multiple days to explain to her just what was going on... And the little to no Prana he was getting from the girl did not help lighten his mood.

All in all, this war was starting of absolutely horrible. Why was he feeling almost a hint of Deja Vue?

"...B-But...I....." It was true in a way, that Shinbo should have definitely did a better job at keeping Mika away from the summoning room; After all, any smart Magus would be able to keep their secrets without allowing even their closest family inside their personal matters. For Shinbo, to be disrespected and mortified by this heroic spirit, it made all of what had transpired not long ago all the more heavy on his mind. Witness, a man now filled with a guilty heart. In a way, this servant adorned in red vestments was quite correct with his words; no matter how humiliating they may be, Shinbo knew that he had failed in reaching that goal set out before him. There was no way he could possibly be seen in the general public. Stealing from a prolific Magus, has left him in more danger then he could imagine. He could do nothing but put his head down. He was Mika's servant, and while the man was filled with a slight anger; No matter what conclusion was decided, his words were right. Usually, this happens in any form or contest of words in the modern world. Some people are usually cynical, and therefore, know just the precise way of crushing the spirit of others with their words. This is a similar case that Shinbo is experiencing. With no way of talking back to this heroic spirit, he bit his lip as he allowed the man to speak down on him. In a way, he still had respect for the Heroic Spirit. Unlike other Magi, who would use a command seal or crush the will of their summoned heroic spirit, Shinbo had an undying respect for the Heroes summoned from all times of the world and from each era. A miracle granted by the holy grail. In any case, Shinbo has been currently defeated in a contest of words that barely had time to begin.

For the girl who was enthralled by the stalwart man in front of her, Mika had no idea what Archer was talking to Shinbo about. Holy grail war? Masters? Magic experiments? Such things are foreign words to a high school girl such as Mika. Her mind had been saturated within the pools of the modern world; a mind pure and devoid of the knowledge and brutality that the world of Magi hold. Even if she knew what he was talking about, none of it would matter. For she was lost within staring at such a handsome Servant. Normally, this should be despicable behavior for a woman, but then, Mika was but only sixteen. Around a certain age, the hormones of teenagers will act in unusual and chaotic ways. Soon, at some point, they'll search for ways to cure the urges and look for a special someone. At the moment, Mika was the happiest girl in the world. There was this man, with a wonderful build, a smug smile, dark skin, and white hair. She was not exactly a lovesick puppy, Mika knew when to keep herself in check. If she didn't, by now, she would probably be an unfortunate young woman. While Archer continued to speak his words of disappointment, Mika watched him talk and the more words flowed forth from his mouth; She felt the butterflies within her stomach fluttering at the speed of light. Her cheeks were now flushed with enough red that one could compare it to that of a tomato. She couldn't take it anymore! She just had to kiss him and show him her affection! So, without no fear as to what he would feel or what he would say, Mika leaped up and wrapped her hands around his face, and without even losing a pep in her step, enveloped his lips within her own. Even as her feet touched the ground, she kept her upper body placed against his own, while she used the tips of her toes to keep up so she would not fall. She had no shame, and she felt not a single ounce of embarrassment. Because for what it was worth, the girl known as Mika Asagami had fallen in love with her own servant.

"........." Shinbo stood there, lost in a daze, completely and utterly caught off guard by what has just taken place before him. If words could only describe Shinbo's facial expression, then it could be likened to a entire city being ravaged and destroyed by a ferocious hurricane. He truly had not expected that his day would take such a turn for the worse. First, here this Archer class servant was, reprimanding him. And then, there was his love struck sister kissing the man right in front of him!

At least the useless older brother didn't dare to talk back. That gave Archer some satisfaction, even if it didn't help the situation. He would make it perfectly clear over time just how badly the boy had screwed this up - Archer could care less about if he had to fight in this grail war. Fighting was just something natural to him, so the difference was simply the prana supply - but that fact didn't change the stupid error the boy had done. Maybe getting his self whipped straight by a Heroic Spirit would give him some more sense of responsibiliy and danger - a Magus had to be ready to die at any time, be detached from life and people. Of course, he as EMIYA was the worst possible example of a 'good Magus', since he had become a hero instead of a true magician - betraying their ideal. But nobody said he had to tell Shinbo that, right?
However, the trash-talk would have to wait for a bit now. It wasn't even that big of an action, if one only watched the motions. Suddenly, two hands on his face. His eyes widened in slight surprise - grey hit the brown of Mika's own eyes. The eye-contact didn't last too long though - because the girl was quick to suddenly press her lips onto his.
It was as if all nerves in his brain fried at the very same time - which was quite an achievement to do to a Servant. Others would be proud of her. The problem was, she just short-circuited her OWN Servant. And the problem expanded - this was not just a short, electrifying kiss. It was a long, drawn-out one, but at least the unmoving tall knight's mouth stayed firmly closed. Who knew what else this girl would've done otherwise? Little did Archer know that he was not the only male held by the same strings of fate with an unfortunate match-up in the partner department. Besides his mind just getting shattered like after looking at an ancient god, he was also feeling her lips quite well with his enhanced senses - a soft, nice sensation. It took a short, awkward moment with Shinbo watching, not saying a word, before Archer managed to snap out of it.
Quickly the Servant raised his arms, as if to return an embrace - but of course, he didn't do that. Grabbing her shoulders - quite roughly, in fact - he seperated them forcefully. Master or not, THIS was going too far! This girl was on the perfect way to just rape him right infront of her brother. Who had cursed this girl with a crest worms lust? Oh, right. The one at fault was called... puberty. Archer had not quite realized he had this kind of effect on women at times...
"Wh-what the hell are you thinking, girl? Stop this nonsense!" His voice was still the same, if slightly angry. The usual deep, manly tone that spoke of confidence in his own self, even if he had lost all belief. "There's hardly time to try to seduce me right now. Your idiot brother over there has a lot of explaining to do... Otherwise, your life might be in danger." Even for a slight freakout - and especially for someone still collecting the pieces of his fragmented mind - his voice was still strong, demanding and commanding. Master or not, this airheaded girl was in no position to use him as she saw fit. At least not yet, since she had no idea how to activate a Command Seal.

Mika would have not expected that her very first kiss would feel so sensational. It wasn't a deep kiss in terms of the conjoined lips. There was only a nice soft press, or rather, embrace between the firm lips of her servant and the delicate and pristine lips possessed by herself. It was bittersweet to be pulled away; She wanted it to last forever. But, of course, the man in red quickly denied her advances. If he did not quickly act, she might well have tried to have her way with the considerably larger man before her. Even if he roughly pulled her away, that in it's self was so entrancing. Was he some kind of bad boy? His voice was so domineering and commanding! it was though the slightly flustered Archer was trying to excite her! She still kept her wonderful smile as she stared deeply within those gray eyes of his. Even when being told, that her life might be in danger, the only thing that went to and fro her mind was this man and this man alone. She was going to make sure his time here was time well spent and one where he could feel comfortable in her humble abode. She shyly blushed when he finished his words and bowed respectfully to him. "Huhu, My deepest apologies, Archer-Sama. It was unladylike of me to attack you off your guard like that. Hm...i think i should wait for when your ready to kiss me, ne? i have always heard that men like to take the initiative..." With her teasing words, she blew him a kiss and descended to where her brother was standing, jaws widened, eyes lost in some world beyond that of mortals. His sweet, innocent, pure, sister kissed a man right in front of him. Wasn't he supposed to be an ideal bigger brother? One who would keep his sister untouched by the hands of men. There was no reason for his self-derision, she had done it in such a manner that it wouldn't have mattered if he had gotten word out from the beginning.

As though realizing the words of the servant were important, he shook his head and came back to reality. "...Nnn...." This man just didn't like him it seemed. He couldn't blame him in that regard, his carelessness mostly stemmed from the fact, that by believing that his sister was out handling her own business or playing outside, that he could go to the bathroom and come back, summoning his Archer class servant without any flaws. So, in the end, only he was to blame for this mistake. Still, he chuckled secretly. Even if this Archer class servant gave him a hard time, his younger sister would give him an equally harder and awkward year in return. He slowly took his time to look at Archer then back at Mika before speaking. "Well..there's no need to keep putting my morale down, or else i'll be too guilt ridden to tell her what's going on, Archer-san. " Even if the man kept humiliating and antagonizing him, he would still have a deep respect for the Archer class servant known as EMIYA. He of course, had no idea that this Heroic spirit was actually a counter guardian; heroes brought into any time to stop threats within the universe. He decided that no good would come of an argument, so little was his anger. "Anyway, we should go upstairs and talk over a nice meal, and a hot cup of Japanese tea. " Without losing a pep in his step, he waved his hands around for Mika to follow, and after winking at Archer, carried herself upstairs following her brother to the kitchen.

It seemed like a miracle that the Servant was even able to put up with this. A slight sigh escaped him after Mika once again took signs wrong and thought he was actually flirting with her - as if a Heroic Spirit would've any interest in that! Or a Counter Guardian, for that matter. She was a cute girl, sure - not only one of many cute girls in the world, and Archer had long since lost his real interest in any females. Living a life of battle was everything that remained for him... an empty existance, in a way. But empty or not, at least it stopped him from getting too big of a mindscrew from suddenly being kissed.
He raised one eyebrow, though. it seemed like the boy still had some fight in him. Annoying in a way, but also amusing. The cocky and confident red knight simply followed along for now - not before giving Mika a slightly angry glare for winking at him - and didn't turn into spirit form. However, that was simply because he lacked the prana to freely change forms whenever he liked. Not a good sign... But then again, this girl had no training at all as a Magus. It was a miracle she provided any kind of prana at all. Still, without a Servants innert ability to also slowly absorb prana, he would've trouble standing alone by now. Fighting like this? Nearly impossible. Someone would need a crash course in Magecraft...

Following slightly behind the siblings, Archer stretched out a few of his improved senses. At least nothing seemed to be watching the house - as far as he could tell. For all he knew, ten familliars could sit in some distance to the house and peek through a window directly at him. Hopefully, Shinbo had at least SOME kind of defense up for this house. They had only barely reached the kitchen when Archer simply stood aside, leaning back against a wall. Normally he was a really good cook - but there was no way in hell he would stand here and cook some tea for his lovestruck Master and her brother while there was explaining to do.
"Skip the tea for now. You'd better start explaining, boy. I doubt she'll listen to a word I say when I break to her what you really are. Or I am, for that matter. We're currently the most vulnerable group in this entire 'Heaven's Feel', you can count on that." Thankfully, it was at least daytime - but some of the more crazy Masters and Servants would not be stopped by the danger of discovery. With his lazy, almost 'cool' looking motion of leaning against the wall, his head was slightly turned upwards, but the grey eyes still followed after both Shinbo and Mika. And it also did not seem like he would start calling either of them by their names anytime soon.
"I hope you know that I won't tell either of you my real identity. A simple familliar with slight hypnosis would be enough to let both of you spill it out to our enemies, and that would seal our fate." Of course, Shinbo could most likely resist a simple hypnosis - but nothing was as sweet as belitteling the boy a bit more. It was the only kind of 'revenge' Archer had on him for messing up the summoning.
But there was one more, bigger reason. From the looks of the house, and the clothing of them both, this was the 21st century. And that meant his 'living self' might still be in this time - but oddly enough, at that proposal, Archer felt... nothing. It was as if something he was supposed to feel at it was missing, and had been replaced by a strange acceptance and some kind of lethargy.

"Hmmnnh...." Archer's disparaging words were starting to wear heavily on the young man's mind, but still it wasn't as though he was wrong. Excluding one fact of course; Shinbo was quite versed in the world of Magi and knew all about hypnosis spells that other Magi could use in order to draw in novices and receive information that would undoubtedly seal their fates. Unlike his sister, who was allowed to live the life of a human girl, Shinbo trained day and night to achieve greatness. These days, however, seemed to be more fruitless then the last. Fate had driven a strong stake within his heart, leaving a large sour taste within his mouth, and a strong pang of guilt for drawing his sister into this madness. Even if Archer told him to stay his hand and explain the situation; Mika would probably make the tea without a care in the world. "Hpmh, while i respect you with the highest honor, the last thing i'd want to do is starve myself. I can explain the situation from this kitchen." Said shinbo, his tone adamant and direct. Shinbo still had a slight irritation deep within the recesses of his most inner thoughts - anyone would feel sour about their failure to summon a heroic spirit. Especially, when everything was right there in front of them, ready to be taken. One person could even discern a slight grumpiness within his tone, but it was soft enough to be pushed aside as a simple reply. "Mika - come here, your bigger brother has something to tell you. " Shinbo directed Mika to the kitchen as he looked inside the large refrigerator. With some consideration towards Mika, he decided to make her a personal Japanese breakfast that consisted of Tempura, Hayashi Rice, and beef Teriyaki. His sister loved many assortments of meat, and today's breakfast was like heaven for her. Since the rest of the day would probably be spent explaining the situation at hand, this would count for lunch as well.

During the process of taking out the ingredients and placing them in five distinct places - Shinbo began to talk with a firm, caring, and serious tone towards his sister. "Mika....mom or dad never told you, but our family is a family of Magi. To begin, Magi or magus, for a lack of a better term, are a group of magicians who as their name entails, use magecraft. We can do things that normal humans would never be able to accomplish. Some have latent abilities and others are complete masters within their art. Those above masters, are true magicians, sorcerers or sorceress's, they can create miracles that transcend the laws of reality. Besides that, each lineage and family has elements that distinguishes one from another family. For example, some families can possess dual elements, some can possess one element, and while this case is not often seen, they can possess elements that may not be conventional within the modern world of the Magi. Fire, Wind, Water, earth, those are but only a few of the things we Magi can control once we reach a sufficient level. " While Mika could not quite comprehend his words, she was using her thoughts to decipher these details which seemed so foreign to her. Shinbo began to cook the Tempura first, as he continued on with detailed explanation. Clearly, despite all of Archer's insulting words, Shinbo was a man who had studied all his life for this knowledge and even did his best to train and hone his mind up to that level of perfection. "In any case, Mika, i am a magus. Not a very talented one like everyone else in this family....in fact, i don't even think i can kiss their shoes with how careless i am. ' Shinbo looked down on himself with disdain. Today was supposed to be a day where, he could prove that he was within the upper echelon of Magi within his family, but today ended in nothing but chaos. Mika frowned at him, and disliked seeing him in this state of self-hatred and despair. She kept her eyes on him and continued to watch him cook before casting a curious glance towards Archer.

"You may be one too, but we'll just have to hope that's the case in the future. I must tell you what i have involved you in. " After Shinbo finished frying the Tempura, he grabbed the closest plate and set down the first dish. "At some point or another, there are a set group of Magi from each part of the world that comes together to do battle in something aptly known as the "Holy grail war". But that's not all, because of the omnipotent blessings that the grail holds, Magi are able to call upon the help of servants and summon them into the mortal plane. The only things needed to make this impossibility into reality is to find a object that was close to the servant when they were alive. This could be things like ancient armor, a sheath, a stone, you never know when or where Heroes made their name. " After explaining the basics, he started to delve within what Heroic spirits were. "You see, Archer's not some dream man or some god-given man from heaven, he is a servant, a heroic spirit from the....i'm not sure where he's from but he must be from some point in time, i'm sure. Servants are Heroic spirits who come from each part of time to answer their Master's call. King Arthur, Alexander the great, Fergus mac roich, these are just a possible list of famous heroes who can be summoned into our world as spirits. The grail only allows seven servants and seven masters. So far, that rule hasn't changed to my knowledge. " However, Shinbo did not know that the Grail was far from what he was currently explaining to his younger sister. Now, multiple servants were being brought into this world, some by the hands of masters, and others by the hands of the grail it's self. "Each Heroic spirit has a distinct class that separates them from the other. " After deftly grabbing the ingredients for Hayashi rice, he started to explain each class. Deep down, he wondered, if he had managed to impress the heroic spirit of the bow, but doubted that such a thing could ever happen.

"Saber, Lancer, Archer, Berserker, Caster, Assassin, Rider. These are the seven classes. The Saber class is regarded as the strongest. These Heroic spirits usually have an affinity with the sword, and their noble phantasm, which i will explain momentarily is usually that of a sword. " Shinbo began to smile widely as he immersed himself within this explanation. "Lancers, are heroic spirits who are most versatile with the lance or spear. They are usually the most agile and quickest of the rest. Heroic spirits summoned into the class of Lancer, will more or less always have some sort of spear-like weapon, a lance, and so on and so forth. Next, the servant you summoned is an Archer class servant. These heroic spirits specialize in projectile attacks, and from what i know, most of them usually use a bow to fire the aforementioned projectiles. Even when their master has died or their connection has been lost, with their skill of independent action, it is possible for the Heroic spirit of the bow, to survive without a source of prana, the amount of time of survival depends solely on their rank. " Mika was still dumbfounded by all of this knowledge being poured down upon her, but after she saw her brother's face and how much he loved this, she payed as much attention as she could. "Berserkers are in my eyes the strongest, but most dangerous heroic spirits of them all. Those summoned to this class have usually met gruesome, depressing, and tragic ends. When summoned, if the master wants to gain an advantage over other masters, they will give their servant "Mad enhancement" a skill which takes away all of their reasoning in lieu of more power and ferocity. They are truly terrifying in the field of battle. " As Shinbo had gotten underway to cooking the Hayashi rice, he continued speaking till his heart was content. Mika felt as though she had been thrown into a class with how much he knew.

"Casters are usually Magi who are in no shape or form like our Modern Magi. Since they exist in a time where Magic was on a divine level, they are much more powerful when it comes to casting spells. Some even have the power to use Magic, which wholly tramps magecraft as a whole. " He was nearing the end of his explanation. "Assassin's, while nowhere near the level of the Heroic spirits i mentioned before, can still bring about victory by using an ability exclusive to them; Presence concealment. This allows them to streak towards enemy masters instead of servants and kill the masters without having to fight an impossible battle against the stronger servants of the war. As a law, most of the Assassin's summoned into this world, are always, as a rule, one of the nineteen Hassan i Sabbah, the leaders of the clan of the Hashshashins who passed the name down. " After cooking the ingredients to perfection, the Hayashi rice was complete. The last part of the meal, was simple to cook and took no more then 20 minutes on the grail. In that time, Shinbo explained the last class and got underway to what situation she was in right now. "Riders are usually Heroic spirits, who made their name known along with a Mount. This could be something like a horse, a dragon, or even something like a special chariot. Sometimes, their Noble Phantasm's can be their mounts. For others, it can be something entirely different. " And with that he was completed with the Beef teriyaki as he grabbed the plate of Hayashi rice, Beef teriyaki, and Tempura, as he brought it to the table. "Noble phantasm's are simple, they are divine mysteries, or the weapons that all of the Heroic spirits use to bring about decisive victory. Keep in mind, however, that revealing the noble phantasm can work against the heroic spirit in some cases, especially when the attack fails. " After explaining this crucial information, he prepared Tea while he allowed the array of food to cool down. "Now, this is where you as the master come in, Mika. come over here and sit down, this is the most important thing you'll need to know as it will decide whether you live or whether you die. " With words as frightening as those, she would definitely listen. And as though he knew her like a book, she nodded and hurriedly sat down at the table. Shinbo soon followed as he sat down opposite of Mika. "You are a master who controls Archer, and those three seals you see on your hand are command seals. They are your right to control your servant as you please. " At those words, Mika's face perked up. "A-As i please?" With an earnest smile, she wanted him to further iterate on these words. With a small smack across the head from her brother, she winced and comically rubbed her head. "As you please, is only when they are too disrespectful or defiant, you mustn't use them for anything besides that..." Shinbo was most serious about this and kept a firm expression as he continued. "You see if you use up all three of those command seals Mika, Archer will leave you, and he won't be able to be your dream man....hehehehehefuufufufufufufu" Shinbo started to make fun of Archer, as he covered his mouth and chuckled inwardly. Mika gasped and whined outwardly as she inched closer towards Shinbo. "N-No i don't wanna lose My lover! " With no shame and all of her recklessness, she spoke those words to be true in heart. As though he knew he had reeled her in, he decided to finish up. "Good. Never use those command seals unless your life is in danger. Since you are not quite well versed in any of this, you're the most susceptible to fall. If you're caught in a corner by an enemy Master, one of these command seals would allow your servant to traverse time and space, and teleport, allowing them to appear directly beside you. " Mika nodded as she made an endearing expression that was serious, but far too cute to be taken seriously.

"As far as this Holy grail war goes....most of the masters are fighting for the 'Holy grail' a omnipotent wish granting machine, that allows the winner to acquire what their heart desires most. Nothing is too impossible when that is put into the equation. But i must warn you, this is a dangerous world Mika. No one will be nice to you in this war, they will do anything to acquire the grail. You could be killed, you could be captured, you could be used as bargaining chip for cruel purposes. You must keep me noted at all times and allow Archer to keep guard of you. But...." Shinbo knew one way for this situation to turn around. "If you think you are unready for this path. Then use all three of your command seals and allow me to form a contract with Archer. Through this way, i will be able to protect you, and while it might not be the same, you can still hang with Archer. What do you say?" Mika took some time to construct deep thoughts about all of this. She had gotten a jist of everything he had explained, and while she still felt like she didn't know anything at all, she knew what her choice was. "I'm sorry Nii-san, but i refuse. I will keep my command over Archer with these command sealie things. " "Dammit!" Shinbo clicked his tongue slightly and cursed inwardly. Even his one chance of trying to sway her to give him Archer had failed, but it wasn't over he looked over to Archer for some help, for a last ditch effort. "Are you sure about this?" Mika nodded earnestly and began to dig into her Tempura, while she tilted her head happily side to side. "Archer - d-do you have any qualms w-with this?" Shinbo asked with his nervousness at maximum capacity. His opinion now would probably be the dealbreaker. What exactly would the man in red say?

Now, it was his turn to explain. A certain fake Heroic Spirit sighed softly while leaning back against the wall of the kitchen. Of course, he could've explained it all himself. Making Mika listen to him wouldn't be too hard... But the Servant had decided to make Shinbo recitite everything himself. Make him realize his error and thus assure his debt to help his sister in full. Although as an elder brother he shouldn't need that kind of 'convincing', he was also a Magus. One could never be too sure about them.
"L- what?! Girl, get your head out of the clouds." Archer shook his head on the remark of the girl upon realizing that the command spells were needed to keep the contract steady. While he could in theory keep his contract with Mika even without seals binding him - as long as he didn't want to break it - he had no intention of telling that to either of them. His Master seemed airheaded enough to do something stupid with the spells otherwise. The bratty boy didn't help at all, either.
//Why do I always get the ones that are more work than worth? Oh well.// Thinking to himself, the red knight of the bow frowned slightly. Why was Mika so... quick about deciding to fight for her life in a war she did not understand? Well, quick was maybe the wrong word, but still way too fast for his taste. His grey-brown eyes met with Shinbos as he was searching for the help of Archer to solve this mess, and the Servant sighed slightly.
"So you want to enter a battle of life or death, where a single mistake can seal both of our fates instantly, without any prior knowledge of even Magecraft? And I thought I myself was defiant of reality in my time." The Servant shook his head - before walking over to the table, leaning onto it, and looking deep into Mikas eyes. In the strong willed look of his own, there was only steel to be found - a cold gaze, devoid of warmth. A soul made out of steel.
"You're my Master, so it's your call alone to make. But don't get the wrong idea about me. I'm not an 'ideal hero'. I'll use any means necessary to grant you the grail - no matter for me what your wish is. But if you want to survive for more than a few days, I'd suggest you ask your brother for some lessons in Magic Circuitry at least." His eyes shifted over to the useless older brother. "I'm not a good teacher myself. But I can feel that you're radiating almost as much Prana as your brother, without any training. I'd say your Circuits have the higher quality of you two. Let me guess, the family decided on you being the heir before your sister was even born?"

So here is were the three parties were. An unfortunate man cursed by Karma, a Heroic Spirit with an unknown identity, and the ditsy and whimsical master of the aforementioned man clad in red. The decision Mika makes will decide their path from here on out. While any normal human would have feared that they would be pitted against other superhuman and magicians of every variety you could think of, Mika--Felt neither fear, nor terror. Perhaps, because her mind was beyond that of a human, she could make this crucial decision with the most resolute acceptance she could muster. Perhaps, because of that love she has for the man, whether lust, or true, perhaps his appearance was all it took for Mika to look at her life with brevity and fearlessness. As the man in red locked eyes with the girl, she returned his serious gaze with her own, retaining the sweet and caring attitude she had been dousing him with so far. "I...I...accept. " That was her answer, and she had no intentions of backing down. She knew herself, that this path, was going to be arduous, and most of all, life threatening. But if one were to say she feared what this journey would entail, then they would be sorely mistaken. There was no fear. She was unnerved, unshaken in the eyes of this new path. With one hand caressing the side of his cheek, she nuzzled her nose against his and then resumed her meal. "I know it's dangerous, and i know i'm foolish for it, but this is a new journey, and mother always told me that i mustn't fear when my life might take a different path. I'm sorry Nii-san, but this path is not your's to walk alone with Archer, it is a path we will all take. If you can train me, i will do my best to understand everything, but i will not hand the control of Archer over to you. " Her tone was kind despite how dismissive her words were, every word spilling out from the pools of her heart were both meaningful and adamant. She was ready to take the path that they had given to her brother.....

How did the first party feel? There were a thousand things that one could say he felt at the moment. Dissapointment. Rejection. Self-derisiveness, and a somewhat shattered resolve. Instead of feeling negative about it, he was proud of her. Proud that she was ready to follow her own path, Instead of following behind him. Even if he missed his chance to participate in this grail war and make his family proud, Mika would undoubtedly carry on in his steed. If it weren't for her eating, he felt as though he would be ready to embrace her and tell her how proud he was, so at the moment, he could only speak how much he felt. "Idiot, there's nothing you need to apologize for. In fact, i'm more proud of you, then i could have ever been in my life. if there's anyone who could win the grail war, then i'm sure it will be you too. Mother and father kept telling me that you had hidden potential, after all, they just wanted you to grow up and live the life of a fair and honest young lady. This was an inevitability in a way - so no, you have nothing to be sorry for. From now on, for the both of us, be brave and stalwart in your journey. " With those last few encouraging words SHinbo shifted his direction towards Archer and nodded softly. "Yeah....From the moment i was born, i was supposed to be the heir of the family, but Mika had much more potential, unlike i, who took nearly all of my life to learn what i do now, and even then that's not much. Ah, heh, i really am useless. " With a deep, almost soundless sigh, Shinbo smiled and patted her shoulder. "But then it's not all bad. I believe if we can work together, and i can help her unlock her hidden talent, most of your abilities should be unlocked. Our family specializes in healing, but for a select few we have huge pools of hidden prana that can be expelled at numerous times, Mika has this pool, but due to living her life as a human without being trained properly as a magus, i bet you can only feel slight residual amounts of her Prana flowing through you. Simply put, that's gonna be our biggest goal. " With a wide smile, Shinbo nodded and accepted the fate that Karma, and perhaps, destiny decreed.

It was... almost a touching revelation, from both of them. A small sigh escaped Archer, but for the first time, it seemed not completely sarcastic or annoyed, but rather a bit resignating and even accepting. His hardened, grey eyes of a warrior could see the resolve inside this young girl, who had decided to storm into a world she did not know, with nobody but her brother and an unknown warrior clad in red at her side. It was cruel of Archer to have even asked a girl like her - but it was not in his power, or his will, to simply break the contract binding them. It was almost as if a small smile was on his face for the fraction of a second when her focus returned to her meal for the moment, seeming like the red warrior took great care NOT to let her see his approval.
"Well, seems like I always get the troublesome ones." A slightly strange, mumbled notation from Archer, before his gaze turned around to Shinbo. For once, his stare didn't seem to try to cut the boy into pieces right away, but the Servant wasn't about to play any favors for him. But still... The boy gave him a slight trip down memory lane, into the story of a young Magus without talent that tried to change the world. His ambitions didn't seem as high as the one's of the boy in the story Archer remembered... But he was still trying to reach his own top of the world. Maybe that was more so the reason why the knight stopped harassing him?
Backing off from the table after his mumbled notion, he looked from one of the siblings to the other. At least having him around would make it that much easier to access all of Mika's hidden potential, even if only as a prana battery.
"Well, sounds as if we have our work cut out then. Once you're both ready, teach her how to access her own Magic Circuits, but whatever you do, be careful. You should know what happens if those go haywire and fry through, right?" Clear instructions for Shinbo for now. He could go back to giving him more cryptic advice where he had to use his own brain and develop deeper understanding once the direct survival wasn't in imminent peril. Archer nodded firmly towards the boy, getting his point across hopefully with some effect.
"After we get that on the way, the rest will come naturally. Having a Servant constantly pulls on one's prana, and will eventually lead Mika to produce and unlock more Circuits. Once that's done, we'll focus on the most important part of it all." It almost seemed like he had done something like this before, and little did they know, he did. Just that back then, the roles had been slightly reversed, but the same tactic hopefully still worked.
"Survival. Neither of you can hope to ever beat a Servant in combat, the gap in power is simply too big. It's like trying to go out in a thunderstorm and then trying to dodge rain." Impossible, in other words. "But what you two can do is survive until I can take care of things. We can't rely on being in an optimal position at any time, but we can surely try to create one." Archer felt slightly nostalgic right about now. Really, always the troublesome ones...

So everything was settled then. Mika would train under Shinbo and Archer's tutelage, and she would learn how to become a magus. The would undoubtedly be filled with grit and grimace, but mika had no reason to think she would fail. After all, her brother and Archer would be by her side. From now on, she would not be able to live her life as the normal school girl that her parents intended for her to be bred as. She had to become a warrior, and win this Holy grail war. As she continued to consume her food with slow, tender bites; she directed her attention towards Shinbo. There were so many things to teach her, in such little time. Surely, teaching her magecraft would be no easy task. However, if Shinbo could successfully teach her how to open each magic circuit within her body, then that would undoubtedly be the biggest step of all in this arduous process. Meanwhile, as the brown haired female continued to eat at her leisure, her brother was engrossed within conversation with Archer, as his attention was focused wholly on him. He knew that he had to be a bit strict from now on. It pained him to do something like that, considering the connection he had between his sister, but he was sure she would understand. If she truly wanted to make Archer happy, and win this war, then she had to be serious. Of course, he wasn't aiming to make her personality take a 360 degree turn in change, but he was at least eager to make an effort on her improvement. It was truly, in every sense of the word, up to her now. He couldn't be caught outside after his crime against the prolific magus, Tohsaka Rin. The magic association would probably do everything in their power to exact revenge. He was sure of that. Archer was right; he truly was an idiot. He sighed to himself as he mentally agreed with Archer's earlier jabs.

"Trust me i may not make the best decisions, but i am quite well versed in how magic circuits work. I won't push her too hard or do anything that might overexert her. " Shinbo didn't need that. He would never be able to live the same if Mika died because he forced too much training on her. Moreover, he also had to teach her to be cautionary with her magic circuits. He knew that there were some lying within her, it's just that trying to unlock those would be the hardest task of all. After Archer gave him the first piece of advice, he quickly went on to the next step. "....Your right...." Shinbo had to agree with his words, they were like cats trying to go up against ravenous lions. He knew that there were probably six other Magi who could easily be masters in their field of expertise. He had to act with prudence and sensibility, and carefully guard Mika at all times. Even though he could not travel through Fuyuki, he could at least go to the school. He doubted highly that any magus from the magic association would be at the high school.

"Ah, well, now that we know what were going to do, i'll do my best to make sure we become reliable assets to you, Archer. " With respect and solemn grace, the young man extended his hand out to request a handshake. Though, deep within the back of his mind, he doubted that he would shake his hand. But, it was worth a try, right?

The strong eyes of the warrior laid upon the 'useless' young Magus who had failed something as simple as summoning a Servant. To work together... Was really strange for Archer, since he was used to working always alone, and being always alone, from his past and the lonely path he once took. A path he regretted taking, but still walked - a path as red with blood as his cloak looked, forcing himself to step over so many lives. Would those two simply become another sacrifice, and two other names he would forget in the time between times, where everything had already happened, but also still needed to happen?
Hell no. That was what he forced himself to think and abide by. So he had an airheaded Master with unforseen potential, and a careless Magus with more guts than it was healthy - somehow, his chances as a Servant were STILL higher than a certain Saber's in the Holy Grail War he remembered from his own time. Well, at least Shinbo didn't run after some weird ideal, and Mika had a very kind-hearted brother in him, unlike another girl he once knew and her jackass of an older brother.
"Well, it's good to know you're at least willing to listen. You might be an idiot, but at least not completely useless." Was that the red knight's way of saying 'let's work well together, Shinbo!'? Most likely it was. Maybe Archer just didn't know how to be friendly anymore after spending a million or so lifetimes as a deadpan snarker by now. It even looked like he was about to shake hands with the Magus - while keeping a watchfull eye to NOT get another surprise glomp from Mika in the meantime - when he heard something.
And once he heard that something, it was almost too late. Forcibly throwing himself forward - and most likely driving any air out of the lunghs of his two allies considering his speed and strength - he grabbed both brother and sister nearly instantly and threw himself onto the ground, right next to the table. With a terrible screech, the window of the room shattered, and a singing piece of metal flew right through, piercing into the opposite wall. A long, curved knife, oozing with some strange, green liquid. The eyes of the red knight only needed a small application of Reinforcement to analyze this thing.
A throwing knife. Dipped into a terrible poison. But that was something anyone could see, considering the knife fell out of the wall, as the hole it made was growing bigger from the poison eating away solid stone like a strong acid. This stuff was for sure strong enough to even affect a Servant, not to speak of a Master.

"Great, an Assassin...! Both of you, behind me! Watch every door!" Getting back up onto his feet, the now completely grey eyes of the former Magus dashed from the window to every single door to even the ceiling. An Assassin could move without making any sound, attack without any notice, and most importantly - break through boundary fields without anyone knowing. If not for Archer's enhanced senses AND standing right next to them both, his Master would've died just now. This was just great - he lacked a large prana supply to afford using much of his trademark Projection without burning himself out completely, and if Shinbo truely was a healer, then he would lack any combat ability. Assassins were generally considered the weakest Servants, but for a healer, they were still deadly without a doubt!

Before either brother or sister could come up with a reply to Archer, their heartfelt session was abruptly interrupted by an intruder outside. Mika, whom – before archer tackled her and shinbo the ground – had still been consuming her incredulous breakfast, and Shinbo – who had been conversing and coming up with plans of action in the future to ensure their victory within the grail war, were at a loss of words. Both of their mouths were gaping, and Shinbo’s expression was the more terrified of the too. This was no surprise. Shinbo was a novice magus, after all. Moreover, even if he had been an expert, the asagami magi were not fit for battle. For a good comparison, they were batteries used to fuel servants and to heal comrades in dire states of duress. The only plausible way to escape from here was impossible. If only – if only Mika could delve into her hidden power and release a well needed emission for Archer to feed off, then their escape was ensured. However, wishing and facing reality were things of two different natures. Only a miracle would save them now. Truth be told, Assassins were not the strongest servants. Their most valuable trait, presence concealment, was the only tool with which they could hold their own in battle. A full force face off was the furthest thing from their desires; in fact their intention usually consists of attacking the master, eliminating the Prana source that keeps the Heroic spirit connected to the world. Thus, when they are robbed of that one covert strength, they become little more than meager little mouse’s scurrying about, ready to be crushed by their feline foes. In any case, when the tables are turned and there exists no clear way to counter these tricky heroic spirits, then one finds themselves in the direst of cases. This is exactly the situation of despair in which the three have found themselves. Can they really bring about victory with such high odds against their favor? Such a question remains to be seen. For now to escape this battle, they must act with uttermost haste and prudence, lest they be felled by the throwing knives of the hidden Assassin. Archer was the first to act. Shinbo soon followed raising himself from the ground in 0.3 seconds. Mika, however, sat absent mindedly on the ground watching the two as they continued to act with caution towards the unforeseen threat. This was her first taste of war. Was this some sort of strategy to confuse the opponent? Surely not. The reason for her lethargy towards this critical situation only stood as a testament to how much she needed to experience the taste of war. Shinbo on the other hand, had on some occasions, prepared for situations just like these. Due to his extensive years of training as a Magi, even if he could not fight offensively, he could at the very least - strategize. With his warrior’s eye, he slowly scoped around the room along with Archer keeping his body low at all times. Standing like a deer in headlights would not bode well for the unfortunate magus. He still cursed the fact that Mika had been the one to summon him, but only for this situation alone. Had he summoned Archer, then surely the servant would be able to use his Noble phantasm. Of course, Shinbo who was a complete stranger to Archer, had no idea that he was one of the most unconventional servants to grace the holy grail war, in fact he was not a servant but a counter guardian; heroes brought into every era to correct the wrongs borne by mankind. So, how would our three heroes evade death today?