A glimpse into tracing

Hiding within a tree, I idly wondered if there was any point to training Shirou. After Lancer left, I didn't have any time to give Artoria the talk. Not because I didn't want to manipulate her or anything, but Shirou didn't want his servant to fight without knowing about the corrupted grail. Neither of us could talk to her, before she dashed towards the other servant signature nearby.

Seeing the Counter Guardian EMIYA, was less fascinating than I thought it would be. His container was pretty much the same as other servants from what I could see. I guess it's because he isn't being powered by the counter force at the moment. Or is he? I'm unsure if I could pick up such a thing, even with my Primeval eyes.

Back to the point, I just realized there was little point in me training Shirou. Because I could have just spied on EMIYA, and every time he fought. I nearly flinched when he turned his gaze towards me. However it didn't seem like he could pinpoint me. I casted unseen form on myself before hiding in this tree. If anything I guess he may have thought I was Assassin.

I'm just glad he didn't decide to shoot in my direction. The fact that he can literally feel my gaze, is a bit worrisome. Before the war began, I informed Shirou that I would keep myself hidden at the start and provide support when I deemed it necessary.

I watched as Shirou and Tohsaka discussed his participation in the war, which eventually lead to them heading towards the church. I noticed that Saber didn't deem it necessary to bring up my missing presence. Wait did Shirou actually learn how to mentally speak with Saber? I know I randomly informed him of it before, but I never actually made to teach him the method.

Is the dense idiot learning? What is this feeling? Pride in someone else? Neat.

So it looks like Shirou somehow learned to mentally communicate with saber using his thoughts. Which makes him more capable of a master compared to how this usually goes. Although the magical energy he can provide Saber is still garbage, even though he can actually use his magic circuits properly in this timeline.

Before they made it to the church, I noticed the presence of Berserker. It wasn't that difficult to see with my eyes, the power he gives off is a bit intimidating. However he didn't move as Illya watched the two head into the church. Shirou wanted to save her, but honestly I don't know how. I never went into the field of homonculus, so I didn't know what to do about her situation. At best, I could keep her alive until the end of the war. But she would still die some years later.

Eventually Shirou came back out, and Illya made her move. Unless Shirou asked me to step in, I'd be content to just observe Archer. Holy shit he's moving far away, I decided to tail him in order to get a close look at his tracing.

∞

"It's a lovely evening isn't it, Onii-chan?" Illya smiled from the top of the road. She was dressed in a purple coat and hat. Her hair was snow white along with red eyes, a common trait among Einzbern Homonculi as described by Zieg.

"You are my sister... Illya aren't you?"Shirou hesitantly voiced out.

"Wait, your sister is an Einzbern!?" Rin was surprised and confused as Shirou didn't look like an Einzbern.

"Oh? You know me?" Illya was intrigued that he knew of her.

"Honestly I didn't know I had an older sister until recently." he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He steadied himself before stating firmly. "Illya, I don't want to fight you."

"That's fine Onii-chan, it'll make killing you all the more easier." She gave the same smile that hid her murderous intent. Noticing that it wasn't enough, Shirou tried to explain what Zieg had informed him of before.

"...Every year, dad would leave for a time. Each time he would come back visibly paler than before. Kiritsugu wanted to see you, but the Einzbern never allowed it." Shirou stated solemnly. "He always loved you, and died trying to get you back."

"Shut up." Illya's cutesy voice was gone, her bangs shadowed her eyes.

"But-"

"I said shut up! I won't fall for your lies, Berserker kill them!" She snapped, letting the large servant loose.

"Illya!"

"Emiya-kun get back!"

Berserker's large frame appeared in front of Shirou in a moment, it was just one moment as the giant stone sword-axe was swung. Only to meet an invisible blade. A torrential wind blasted the towering man back a few steps, Saber stood with her sword raised at him.

"I've been told you are Heracles. Ashame, I would have rather fought you without madness clouding your mind." Saber mused as Shirou informed her of the enemy.

*ROAR sfx* Berserker jumped in the air towards Saber, only for an arrow aimed at his head to explode on impact

"You're kidding me." Rin balked at the sight of Berserker continuing his assault, completely unfazed by the blue exploding arrows.

'Saber, please hold him off for a bit.' Shirou's voice rang through Saber's mind.

'Understood.' She held her ground in the face of the monstrous servant.

∞

My eyes remained transfixed on Archer's magecraft. The origin of it's mystery being revealed to me. Tracing, a more advanced form of projection. Originally divided into 7 steps by it's creator.

1. Judging the concept of creation.

2. Hypothesizing the basic structure.

3. Duplicating the composition material.

4. Imitating the skill of it's making.

5. Sympathizing with the experience of it's growth.

6. Reproducing accumulated years.

7. Excelling every manufacturing process.

Due to the extra effort, it is possible to produce incredibly stable ordinary items that can remain in the world seemingly indefinitely after their creation, unless broken or dismissed.

The basic theory and conception has been confirmed and analyzed. I just need to-

"Get a good enough look yet? Or do I have to repeat it?" I was broken out of my thoughts, Archer was looking directly at me in my invisible form.

"Well, personally I would have rather taken my time and observed for a bit longer." I dropped the spell and stepped out towards him. There were no trees to hide by as we were on a building. Evading a servant's senses are more difficult than I thought.

"In that case, perhaps you should take a more proactive approach." He dismissed his bow as a couple of short blades appeared in his hands. Kanshou and Bakuya.

"Fight a servant without my own? That's-"

"Near suicide? I believe that's what you said once upon a time." He finished my sentence as I widened my eyes in surprise.

"Oh... I get it now. Heh, well I didn't see this coming." I chuckled a little before devolving into full blown laughter. "Well if that's the case..."

A traced copy of The Sword of Night and Flame appeared in my right hand as another appeared in the other. Could use more practice, but it'll do for now.

"Let's see how much you've learned, brat." My blood began to boil in excitement.

∞

"Can't we just talk about this!?" Shirou pleaded as a Carian Slicer intercepted the familiar turned sword in the air.

"There's nothing to talk about, just die!"

"Kiritsugu wouldn't want us to fight!"

"Stop saying his name!"

The number of familiars turned into swords increased from 2 to 5 to 20. Shirou nearly gulped at the sight, but stood his ground. As the swords rained down at him, a green gem was thrown in front of him. A green shield sprang to life in front of him.

Shirou found himself dragged away behind a tree in the distance.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, you idiot!?" Rin bonked him on the head.

"Tohsaka... but I can't just leave her. She's my sister." He said with a hand on his head.

"Who is trying to murder you!" She practically screeched. "Saber is still holding off Berserker, and Archer stopped responding for some reason! Nothing is going right!" She threw her hands up.

"What if, I knocked her out?" Shirou hesitantly asked. Incapacitating her might be a good idea.

"That's a great plan, Emiya-kun" She put on the most fakest smile the world had ever seen. "And how are you going to do that, hm?"

"Well I... didn't think that far." He sheepishly admitted. He was sort of winging it at this point. "Was sort of hoping to talk her down."

"The fact that you even considered that possibility, just baffles me Emiya-kun. Are you an idiot?" Rin actually looked at him as if he were insane, which he sort of was.

"Look, can you help me? If we stop her, then we stop Berserker."

"And why should I help you?! If you haven't noticed, we're enemies in this war!"

"Well, you saved me twice so... I don't think you're a bad person." Shirou stated. Before Zieg disappeared, he said that the red necklace was one of Tohsaka's gems.

"You... I... Fine!" She nearly growled. "But you're following my lead, got it?!" To which Shirou nodded with a smile.

∞

Sparks danced in the air, blades clashed and broke, only to reappear soon after.

Archer's face was unreadable as Zieg had the hint of a small smile on his own. The battle continued like this, until Zieg was sent flying back by a kick.

"You know, I always wanted to do that." Archer smirked, with his foot still up in the air.

"I see you've gotten a bit cocky after going all emo in that red and black." Zieg jumped back up and dusted his clothes. "Speaking of which, you wanna talk about it?" he raised a brow.

"I hear there's a saying about swordsmen being able to communicate through their blades." Archer mused, spinning one of his blades in his hand.

"True, but that's only between people who are shit at talking." Zieg retorted

"So it's perfect for us then?"

"You're damn right it is."

The battle continued, nothing much had changed.

∞

Saber and Berserker's battle moved towards the forest. She could hardly believe he was under madness enhancement, with all the finesse that he was capable of. But then again, Lancelot was also capable of such things when he was a berserker. That was still a bit of a sore spot for her.

When she was summoned here, she didn't expect to be greeted by the sight of a servant and random person to be sitting at a table deboning fish. Honestly she had some stress to work out, after the way that the last war had ended. So this was actually therapeutic for her.

A blast of golden light pierced straight through Berserker, only for him to regenerate soon after. According to her Master, he had multiple lives. It was possible to take them down with powerful enough attacks, but she was limited with the amount of magical energy he could provide.

Emiya, that was part of Kiritsugu's name. She wasn't sure what to think of being under another Emiya. Not only that, but it looked like Illya was in this war as well. She didn't interact much with the girl, but she couldn't help but see the similarities between Irisviel and her.

So far her Master seemed to be more... emotional than Kiritsugu was. So that was a plus for her, at least. She would work with him, if only because he looked like he didn't seem like his father at all.

"Berserker!" The two halted their battle, looking over to the figures that emerged from the forest.

"We have your master, stand down." Rin spoke as Shirou stood by with Illya in his arms.

*ROAR sfx* Berserker roared, but otherwise made no moves. Amazing that he can judge the situation despite the madness affecting him.

She let out a breath, glad that her master seemed at least a little competent.