Shirou woke up with a start that day.
Not because of what he had dreamed last night, no matter how vivid that was. No, he was woken up by the sound he's very much familiar with.
The sound of Taiga screaming.
It wasn't something he should be alarmed of. Taiga is typically loud and hearing her scream in the morning is basically a norm in his household, especially when said sister figure of his is very hungry. He would then have to appease said woman for a normal day.
Except, this scream is far different.
It was a scream of horror and embarrassment?
Already, Shirou was up and running with no care around the world. He pounded on the wooden floor boards as he crossed the distance from his room towards Taiga. His imagination is running wild already.
Were they attacked?
Who is it?
Why?
It's still morning!?
Too many questions but too little time to find answers. He has to act.
"Taig-urk!" Shirou was expecting an assailant. A servant or a master, someone who managed to find out his involvement in the war and an attack on his own home.
Instead, what he got was an attack on his pure innocence.
The first thing he saw was Taiga-nee herself, the older girl herself had backed away in the corner of the room, eyes wide and jaw gaping wide to where she was huddled.
And she's also nude.
Like… naked as the day she was born.
It's really an awkward sight. Taiga-nee was a sister to him. He may say that he raised himself and Taiga by himself, but Taiga does care and take her role seriously from time to time. She's the one who took care of him in the early days he was with Kiritsugu, days just after the fire. She made sure he was well fed and… clean.
Which also meant they bathed together as a kid and young teen.
He had seen her body before but that was when she was still a teen.
But now?
She's fully matured.
He can see the swell of her breasts between her knees, her shapely thighs sculpted by her time in kendo. Her lowe-
Shirou immediately averted his eyes, killing whatever intrusive thoughts he had for her sister figure. That's his own sister, goddamn it! Keep it together!
But as he did, he was once more assailed with a much bigger threat.
Splayed carelessly on the crumpled futon and discarded sheet (Taiga's doing most likely in her retreat), was a Saber's fully nude form.
She was by far bigger.
And Shirou stared.
He never saw the lamp coming at his head and the following concussion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Stop laughing, you gremlin." Taiga gritted with a red face.
"I'm not laughing." Illya quipped with mirth.
"I can see your shoulders shaking!"
With today's early morning incident, the entire household (minus berserker) is now gathered in the living room for breakfast. Unfortunately, Shirou didn't get to have the chance to cook today due to his concussion courtesy of the woman currently treating his head with ice. This left Saber as the cook for today.
Which is entirely made of fried dishes such as pork and eggs.
"Forgive me but these are the only dishes I'm confident enough to cook." Saber said sheepishly at the laid spread.
"Hmm, it's passable." Illya didn't mind. She got Sayla and Liz to cook for her if she's still hungry after this. Not to mention, she can brag about eating food a servant personally made.
"It's good, Saber." Shirou eased the servant that it's fine.
Taiga? She just glared at the blonde woman and reluctantly ate.
She's not gonna get drunk with this woman again!
~~~~~~~~~~~
After breakfast, Taiga went ahead to prepare for her day as a teacher. She made sure to reprimand and advise Shirou from going to school today due to his concussion. Instead, she gave him a pass to skip for today.
"Leaving already?" Shirou asked as he helped Illya gather all of Kiritsugu's belongings.
As it turns out, she had snuck around the house to find if Kiritsugu had left anything valuable. Him and Saber are not even bothered by her actions. For them, it's only natural for her to seek answers that only she can find. Not to mention, Shirou doesn't really distrust his step-sister and Saber found no I'll intent on the girl.
"Of course, my maids are probably looking for me now." Illya huffed, pulling a very heavy luggage containing Kiritsugu's extra guns.
"I'm sorry for intruding your home but I had to do this."
"It's no problem. I'm actually glad you did." Shirou smiled.
"Oh, and why is that?" Illya tilted her head.
"Well… If what you found out is true, then maybe, just maybe, we might understand Kiritsugu… even a smidgen of why he did all of it." Shirou said before looking at the journal placed on the table.
Last night, Illya found Kiritsugu's logbook.
It basically detailed locations, info and targets. It was used in the 4th Holy Grail War.
With this discovery, Illya decided upon herself to take back every single Magi and items he had as a Magi. Using these items, she investigates and tries to trace Kiritsugu's actions in the 4th Holy Grail War.
As of now, she had a solid timeline and events from Shirou after he relayed what the neutral priest overseer told him.
But…
Illya found it sketchy.
She doesn't know why but something is not right in the narrative and she needs to find out.
Like why Kiritsugu didn't take his prize as the winner?
"Then thanks for your hospitality, Oni-chan." Illya bowed, "It's been a pleasure meeting you minus that woman. I'll be sure to come back and tell you what I find."
"It's fine and thank you too, Illya." Shirou said, which confused the girl.
"For what?"
"For not killing me."
"Oh, that option is still on the table until further notice from my investigations."
"Now you're just scaring me!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Shirou, I'm sorry. I made you and Taiga uncomfortable."
Saber suddenly said as they both walked towards the busy area of Fuyuki.
After he had done his morning clean up and chores, he and Saber are currently on an errand to find her some proper clothes instead of Taiga-nee's clothes. Said woman had left behind a sizable cash money to get Saber a few sets and more.
"Uhm, not really. I was just surprised. Yeah, surprised." Shirou nervously chuckles, trying to forget this morning's incident.
It doesn't help that a certain pair kept on bouncing at each step she took.
"Still, I need to apologize." Saber sighs, "I have forgotten how this isn't my era and my… forwardness isn't acceptable in this time."
Shirou turned his head to look at the servant. The blonde woman herself gazed at the modern surroundings with a hint of awe and sadness. Now that he thought about it, he had no clue about Saber's past or origin. He only knew that she's a Heroic Spirit, a heroine recorded in the throne.
And nothing else.
"It's fine, Saber. No need to kick yourself down for a mistake." Shirou placated her.
"But you probably should apologize to Taiga-nee."
"I definitely should." Saber sighs.
"I was only trying to help out, that girl was too stressed and wound up and I thought a night of skinship would alleviate it." Shirou blinked.
"Taiga's stressed?" Shirou frowned. He didn't notice or did he not see it?
"She's a strong woman, Shirou and a great sister. Of course, she would show it. It's the responsibility of the older sibling to not show weakness in front of their sibling."
"That's not…" Shirou paused.
He never saw Taiga cry. She did cry in Kiritsugu's funeral and when she's in her drunken rants but other than that, he never saw her cry or even show that she's struggling. She simply went on and smiled ahead of whatever she faced.
To think he never saw it.
"I should probably get her something when we get back."
"That's an idea and an apology from me." Saber added.
"Still, did you really have to…you know?" Shirou asked with a deep blush.
He's still innocent at such things afterall, something Saber definitely took notice of.
"Sex?" Saber finished with a grin.
"...yes." He said in surrender.
"Hmm, sex back in my day wasn't a subject of sensitivity back, simply a tool. It's merely something we do. Not only it helps in relieving stress from our duties but also clear one's head once you simply go through the motions." Saber explained without an ounce of shame.
"Even then, I don't simply sleep around." Saber continued, "I only relieve myself in the comforts of my girls, knights who dedicated themselves to me and my kingdom to uphold order to the realm."
"You came from an order of all female knights?" Shirou was surprised by this.
Clearly, Saber is a knight and knights came from Western culture. He wasn't great on the subject but he knows that female knights are a rarity and an order full of them is even impossible.
"Surprised?" Saber smirked, crossing her arms underneath her bust in pride and inadvertently pushing said globes together.
Already, Shirou can see the stares she is garnering from both genders as they walk. He even spotted multiple instances of people being distracted by her leading to minor accidents.
Like walking straight to a pole.
"My order was my pride and joy, built from the ground up ourselves." Saber nodded proudly.
"Must be a great order." Shirou wondered.
"It was."
The melancholy behind those words can't be hidden. It reminds Shirou that at the end of the day, Saber was a spirit of the past. Someone who became a legend through their past actions and legend. Even still, she was still human. She might say she didn't have regrets or whatsoever, but surely she had deep desires beneath her facade.
Shirou suddenly paused as he finally noticed Saber wasn't following him anymore.
"Saber?" He turned his head around to look for the servant. With her foreign looks and height, it wouldn't be hard for him to spot the woman.
Except he wished he didn't.
She was standing in front of a store.
A lingerie store.
Saber turned her head towards him and he felt a shiver down his spine as a teasing grin plastered itself on her beautiful face.
It would be a long day for him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Einzbern Castle…
"Why did you hesitate, master? Killing him would be easy." Sella asked the little girl currently working on what looked like a massive investigation board. Pictures, papers and strings linking each evidence are littered across the board.
"I already thought about that but I'm delaying it for now." Illya replied, nailing a particular page she ripped out of the journal.
It detailed the identities of the Servants in the 4th war.
"Killing Shirou would very much satisfy me but in the long run, I don't have to."
"And why is that? He is weak as you said and his clueless about the moonlit world. It would be merciful to kill him now." Sella responded.
This Shirou, he's an enemy.
"I thought about that and I concluded he would be a good pawn instead." Illya smirked.
"Oh? What strategy have you come up with in this war, Master?"
"Shirou is very naive, that's true. As such, he's gullible. He's the perfect pawn I can use in this war." Illya explained.
"With his lack of intent to kill the other participants, he would be the best shield to other Masters. Unlike us, our castle's well defended and Berserker's might would make anyone hesitate before attacking us. The Einzbern reputation also helps in shielding us from future attacks. As such, we would be likely attacked when other Masters are either dead or have decided to band together to kill us."
"You plan to force a siege?" Illya nodded.
It was a mirror of her father's strategy in the 4th war. Wait and scout out enemy masters and servants while keeping themselves safe. Unlike other Masters, Kiritsugu utilized connections and tools frowned upon by Magi in the war. Something she picked up in a sense growing up in Einzbern's Castle.
"We'll wait and let the other Masters kill each other while scouting their Servant's abilities and identity."
"Are you not confident of Berserker's to win this war?" Sella inquired, this was a surprise to her.
At the very start, Illya is very much confident and proud of Berserker's strength. It's not a matter of question if he can win the war but when in her own words.
Illya answered by pointing at a photo.
"That's Lancer of the 4th War, Diarmuid. The knight of Diana. His Noble Phantasm is a spear that nullifies healing and was a thorn to Kiritsugu's Saber at the beginning of the war. What do you think will happen if Berserker got killed by that spear? Would it nullify God's hand or would Berserker simply ignore it and heal after death, wasting one of his many lives to heal a wound."
Illya bit her lips. Hate for her to admit it but she is starting to doubt Berserker's chances in winning the war. If this 5th war is anything like the 4th, then the likelihood of Berserker losing many of his lives before the end of the war is very high. Instead of simply bulldozing her way to victory,
She has to be cautious.
Not to mention, something isn't adding up in the events of the 4th war.
Kiritsugu fought Kirei, Assassin's master of the 4th and current overseer of the 5th war, while Saber fought the last servant Archer.
He noted he killed the priest yet he is still alive.
Then where did the death of Tokiomi Tohsaka fit in?
There's something wrong.
"Aah, detectives." Leysritt.
"Good idea! Sella! Get me a detective costume! We are getting the bottom of this!" Illya announced.
Sella sighs. In the end, her master is still a kid in heart despite her age.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Kuzuki-sensei, am I gay?"
Souichiro dragged the pen across the poor student's paper in surprise from his colleague's sudden question.
He gave the resident tiger a blank look that made the girl blush in embarrassment from her question.
She should probably ask someone else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's notes:
Illya might hate her Daddy but she's still her daddy's daughter.
Saber is about to ruin Shirou's innocence.
Taiga is now swearing off alcohol and maybe questions her sexuality.
Where's the cute Kohai?
Where's the murder, war crimes and seggs!?
Tune in next time to find out.