They head to the Church

The walk to the church was uneventful, though Ishtar revealing she had no clue where it is had proved a little problematic until Shirou had reminded her that she could fly, and the goddess has swiftly shot off into the nights sky to scan around for it.

Now the trio stood outside the iron gates of the churchyard, the building looming behind them, the darkness of the late night not doing anything to alleviate the eerie air that was surrounding them. Shirou pushed open the gate, and it shrieked like rusted metal being **** to move for the first time in years, and he couldn't help but cringe from the sound. He stepped inside regardless, a graveyard lining either side of the path up to the church front door. He took a step forwards, his footstep against the smooth stone slabs of the path sounding incredibly loud in the deadened silence of the night. That silence was what alerted to him that he wasn't being followed.

Turning around, he saw that neither Saber nor Ishtar had followed him into the churchyard, both seemingly content to await outside, while fixing the Church with a hard and pointed stare. "Aren't you coming?" He asked questioningly.

"I do not believe I should enter this place Master. Something about it seems... Unnatural. I suggest you not enter either."

"After getting here and seeing the place, I think I have to agree. There is something off about this whole place and I think we should leave as soon as possible."

His two servants each gave their own opinions, but he just couldn't accept them. They'd come this far in the dead of night to speak to this Kotomine person, the least they could do was check if they were in. Besides, his Normality would keep him safe. "Alright. You two stay out here and keep an eye out. I'll be in and out in a flash." He gave them a reassuring smile, and the Saber acknowledge his words with a nod, though her pensive expression made it clear she disagreed with his decision. Ishtar cocked her head to one side, his smile bringing a light dusting of red to her face. Neither said a word.

He turned back around and stared at the shadowed building. He took a deep breath, and he headed in.

The door was wooden, solid and quite heavy, and opening it allowed a chilly draught to pass through the threshold, making Shirou act quickly to close it behind him and try to keep the little heat within the church safely inside. Turning away from the door, he looked around into the candle lit interior, and was met by the sight of the Kotomine person they had come all of this way seeking.

The woman turned over her shoulder to look back at him, though his eyes were barely able to acknowledge it given how much her ass was grabbing a hold of his attention. To say that she was dressed provocatively would be underselling it. Despite wearing a fully concealing variant of a Nun's habit, any modesty it might have provided was utterly eradicated by how tightly it clung to her skin.

"Fufufu." The woman laughed into her hand as she watched him stare at her backside, though she did nothing to try to actually stop him looking at her ripe rump. "It seems an unholy beast has entered into this fair house of God. But what are its intentions? Does it come to look for redemption, or instead does it seek a nubile maiden to defile with its savage lust?"

"Umm. Neither?" Shirou replied back, slightly weirded out by the woman's words, and looking up from her ass. It was a taunt tushie to be sure, and looked like it would fit snuggly around his length, but he had held an even better one in the palm of his hand not one hour ago. She was distracting for sure, but not overwhelmingly so. "I've come looking for someone called Kotomine."

"And why would you be searching for this person, past midnight, with school tomorrow, and your uniform in such obvious... disarray." Shirou looked down at himself. He was still dressed in the school uniform he had been in all night, still torn to shreds in places from where he had take chunks for use as bandages.

"I... recently had a run in with." He began, but then he stopped. Why was he trying to talk around the issue and be indirect. Even if this woman had no clue what was going on with the War, he had Normality on his side. There was no point at all in not just being upfront and honest with her. "I have become involved with something called the Holy Grail War. I was told this Kotomine person could answer a few questions for me."

The woman turned fully around to face him, her arms spreading out to either side of her, as if offering him a hug from across the room. Her tits jiggled lightly within their confinement due to her motion, and a slight upturning of her lips at both sides morphed her visage into a smirk. "Then rejoice savage beast! For you have found who you sought. My name is Caren Kotohime-Hortensia, Church appointed Overseer of this fifth Holy Grail War. What is it that you wish to know?"

"Well first off, what is this war?"

"Indeed. The Holy Grail War is a grand ritual battle, fought between seven Magi, who each summon a Servant to fight for them, with the ultimate goal of being the last pair standing, and by accomplishing such claiming a Wish from the Holy Grail."

"And it can be any wish? Anything at all."

"Indeed Savage Beast. Or would It be better to call you lost lamb?" She asked with another smirk, one of her hands coming down to rest on her hip, which she cocked out to the side subconsciously. "Any wish at all can be claimed from the Grail, so long as you know what it is that you seek."

"Alright." He replied, taking a little bit of time to think and ponder to himself on what he should ask next. While he did so, the young woman began to stroll away from her position at the alter, and move over to the side of the church, staring out through one of the stained glass windows of the church, where the moonlight streamed through the coloured glass to illuminate her in deep blue light. This had the effect of exposing him to the sight of her backside all over again, but with the swell of her moderate breasts also being obvious to his sight. He shook his head, trying to keep his focus. "So far that all seems fine, but what exactly are these Servants?"

"It is up to you how you think of them, but the simplest way to describe them would be that they are ghosts. The spirits of the long dead, summoned back to this plane to fight, with the same prize of a wish should they claim victory for you. They are an essential part of the ritual, for the reason that they serve as both familiar and fuel, it is their deaths that fuel the wish, their sacrifices that allows your dreams to become reality."

"So all these other Masters and Servants will be trying to kill Saber?"

"Yes, but also no. You see Servants are not just any old ghosts, called up to fight. They are Heroic Spirits, though that name may now be somewhat of a misnomer due shifting definitions over time. They are the spirits of those who mankind would call exceptional. Great Warriors and Demigods, Kings who ruled vast empires, Assassins who brought those empires down. Powerful spellcasters who with but a word could eviscerate your very soul, or great tricksters, who managed to tame great and terrible beasts to serve as their mounts. Heroic Spirits are humans who have passed well beyond the limit of human capability, and now, enhanced by the **** of their own legends, they walk this world once again, ready to face each other in glorious combat. And who can say who would win such grand battles? For many, it is a risk not worth taking, that their own Servant might prove inferior, that they might lose. And so they look for another option. The Master of a Servant serves as their anchor, their connection to this place, this time. Kill the Master, and the servant cannot remain longer than their mana reserves last. You can defeat them without ever facing them on the field."

"So I'm Saber's weakness?"

"Undoubtedly. It is far more applicable to you than perhaps any other Master out there. It is a known word of wisdom that the Saber class Servant is generally the strongest in the war. If you have summoned Saber, then it is almost assured that a wild beast like you would be a far easier opponent to slay than your servant at full strength."

That was disconcerting. He didn't like the idea of being the one who would need saving, of possibly being the one whose life would be sacrificed for. It was just wrong for him to receive such treatment. He had been saved before. Any more would just be a waste.

"So little lost lamb." Shirou was shocked out of his thoughts by Caren appearing quite literally right in front of him, her hand coming up to rest on his chest, while she lifted her back leg, leaning forwards onto him for support, while her face looked up at him from below, her eyes half lidded and smile almost sinister in its smugness. "Do you still desire to participate in the war knowing you life is on the line? Knowing how disastrously it could go?"

"Disastrously?"

"Oh yes." She purred. "Did I not mention? The battles between beings of the calibre of Heroic Spirits are not exactly subtle. That is my purpose here. I am to ensure the war does not result in magecraft being exposed to the world, and to offer incentives for dealing with Masters who threaten to do just that. But some collateral damage is simply too extensive to be concealed, such was the case with the Fuyuki Fire 10 years ago, that marked the end of the fourth Holy Grail War."

Shirou's blood turned to ice. "The Fire... Was caused by the Grail War?" He asked, his whole body shivering and his voice shuddering in its speech, desperately trying to get out the words without revealing just how invested in this he was.

"Indeed. At the time, there were three of the original servants left remaining, but the Grail had already become partly manifested, the Lesser Grail having already made its transformation, and the cup just waiting to be filled the last droplets of mana. And then one of the Masters ordered their servant to destroy it, perhaps in some spiteful attempt to keep it out of his enemies hands once he realised he would not be able to claim it for himself. The Grail burst open, the Contents being corrupted by the Master's hatred, and everywhere its spilt contents touched, was set ablaze."

His hand clenched at the words, his worst fear confirmed. "I won't let that happen again." It was a statement of fact.

"And how would you prevent it? All who participate in the War desire the Grail. They will seek to summon it even if you do not." Her lips twisted into a visage of victory. "I suppose your only option would be to claim it first, to make sure it is used responsibly."

"No. I have a better idea." Shirou said. The woman looked intrigued at the thought of it, but he did not continue speaking, and so she slowly leaned away, moving back to her alter, and opening the holy book upon it.

"Was there anything else you wanted, wayward beast, or did you receive everything you sought to know?"

"Yes. I think that is enough."

"And you will fight in the grail war?"

"I'm not going to quit if that is what you are asking."

"Then I wish you luck. As of now, 6 of the 7 servants are summoned, only the Archer class container remaining unfilled. The war will begin in earnest when it is. Until then, might I know your name little Master? I will have a gravestone prepared, just in case."

"Shirou. Shirou Emiya." He said. She stiffened the moment he said his surname. Emiya. She knew an Emiya. Did that mean she knew Kiritsugu? He wanted to ask more, but his command seals flashed gold for a moment, and he knew that Ishtar was becoming impatient.

"Very well. Shirou Emiya it is then. I look forwards to witnessing your exploits in this war."

With a last polite nod, he turned and left.

A golden haired and red eyed woman watched from within the church tower, looking out through the glass window at those outside. Her chosen wife was here, a pleasant surprise to be sure. But so was SHE. It seemed that Fate had decided to reward and punish her in equal measure. As the Mongrel Master left to return to the two, she descended from the tower to speak to the girl below.

"Another lamb to my slaughter I think." She said.

"I wouldn't be so sure my King." Caren replied. "He is an Emiya."

"An Emiya you say?" She mused. "So not just a Mongrel but a Mutt. Would you like to watch me slaughter him? Him and his Archer both?"

"Archer? The Archer Class Container as yet goes unfilled. It was a Saber he summoned."

"Is that what he said?" She clenched her jaw, supressing a snarl.

"It is fact. My late father and grandfather had equipment for monitoring the grail system. There is no Archer Class Container in use."

"Then _SHE is... _Your King has suddenly found herself quite unamused. I believe I shall retire for the night, else I might destroy this entire town on a whim."

"Of course my Lord."

"Lady!" She snarled back instantly. "I am the King of Heroes, the greatest of them all. As such, I am both the Cutest and Sexiest of them all. This is a simple fact! This is normal!"

"And yet a potion was required to achieve it."

A golden portal opened over her shoulder, a blade peaking forth ready to impale through the nun's throat. "I tolerate you girl, but it was your father who held my contract and my interest. You I could slay on a whim whenever I choose, like a Mongrel chooses their breakfast."

"My apologies my King." Caren professed, bowing to the irate King in order to abate her anger. But as she opened her eyes, she saw something glowing in her pocket. Reaching within, she pulled out a set of 7 cards, one of which was glowing bright red, the figure of a Bowman imprinted onto its surface, with the word Archer written below.

"It seems the final servant has been summoned." She said, the sign clear as day. "Should we share a drink my king? To celebrate its official beginning?"

"No. I shall see to my own entertainment. Your king permits you to live another day. Go drink to that." Without waiting for a reply or acknowledgement, the Golden Haired woman headed through the door leading down into the Church's basement, Caren being left staring after her retreating back.