Senpai?
Senpai, are you awake?
Good morning, Sakura.
Right, same to you, Senpai.
Sorry, Sakura... I should be helping with the morning chores.
Don't worry about that, Senpai.
You were up late again last night, weren't you?
Dummy, that's no excuse.
Senpai, let me handle the morning chores.
If you leave the storehouse this messy, Fujimura-sensei will scold you.
Good point...
I guess I'll have you do that, then.
Sure. I'll be waiting for you, Senpai.
Falling asleep before I finish proves I'm lacking in concentration.
#01 Winter Days, A Fateful Night
Perfect.
I feel terrible, making you do all this, Sakura.
It's no trouble at all.
I do it because I enjoy it.
Morning, Fuji-nee.
Yep, morning!
Let's eat!
Let's eat.
Senpai?
Th-This is Worcestershire sauce!
Worcestershire sauce on grated yams... And it's oyster flavor, no less!
Ha! I swapped the labels on the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce bottles earlier!
Yay!
Who pulls a stunt like that, first thing in the morning?
You'll be twenty-five this year.
But you'll always be the same Fuji-nee.
You deserved it!
It's payback for yesterday!
Senpai, have some tea!
You seemed awfully quiet.
So it was because you'd been plotting this since yesterday.
Damn straight.
And because of that, now I have to get going in a hurry to grade some tests.
So I've gotta run, or I'll never finish in time!
Thanks for breakfast!
See you at school!
Make sure you aren't late.
And don't go back to sleep, okay?
Well, I'm out of here!
Breakfast was as delicious as ever, Sakura-chan!
It was nothing, Fujimura-sensei.
Damn that Fuji-nee.
Even if she's the landlord's daughter, why must she eat here every day?
She's no better than a freeloader.
Did you do something to her yesterday?
I accidentally called her by her nickname.
Then it was really your own fault.
You can't do that.
Your using that nickname is the one thing she hates.
Suspect Had No License, Minivan Had Malfunctioning Brakes
Gas Leak in New Fuyuki Business District
In our next story,
workers in a building in New Fuyuki's business district passed out
and were taken to the hospital late last night.
According to a police spokesman,
Gas Leak in New Fuyuki Business District
since victims seemed to be suffering from hypoxia,
they believe it may have been the result of a gas leak.
However, given a similar incident that occurred last month,
Hear that? Another gas leak in New Fuyuki.
investigating police are exercising extreme caution due to the possibility of a link.
That's messed up.
We need to be careful, too.
Don't worry.
I always double-check the gas valve, so we'll be safe.
No, not about that...
Well, work hard at club practice.
About that, Senpai...
Maybe you could stop by the dojo?
I have to go to the student council office this morning.
O-Oh, of course.
I'm sorry. Forget I asked.
Well, I should get going.
Look forward to dinner tonight, okay?
The school's budgeting priorities are completely out of whack.
Yeah, athletic clubs get the lion's share of the budget, and the rest get crumbs.
Yes.
As a result, the non-athletic club rooms are in poor repair.
They've given zero thought to resolving our heater issues.
There are more broken heaters?
There are.
Like I thought, this one's just showing its age.
Can you fix it, Emiya?
I can.
Really?
Issei, I'll have it fixed in a jiffy, so could you wait outside?
Of course. I'll get out of your way.
Okay, then...
Two spots where the heating element is about to break...
The heat transfer pipes are still good.
For now, I can patch the power cord with electrical tape.
Tohsaka...
Tohsaka?
Well, if it isn't the student council president.
Patrolling the campus so early in the morning?
Or are you making maintenance rounds of the club rooms?
Not that I care either way. Still, you're the diligent student as always.
And what do you have up your sleeve?
Why are you here so early, when you aren't in any clubs?
I just felt like it.
I fixed it, Issei.
Oh, sorry.
I asked you for help, but you did it all, Emiya. My bad.
Where's the next one?
I don't have a lot of time.
The next one's in the A/V room.
They say it's been acting up lately, but it's finally exhausted its lifespan.
If it's dead, I can't fix that. Buying a new one would be faster.
That's true, but I'd appreciate it if you could take a look at it anyway.
It looked dead to me, but you may be able to see if it's just faking or really dead.
Okay, I'll try...
You're here early, Tohsaka.
The art club's heater will have to wait until lunch.
Sure.
You're quite the busy bee this morning, Emiya.
I was wondering what you'd been up to after you quit the club.
You're the student council president's errand boy?
If you need something, you can tell me, Shinji.
If it's something I can help with, I will.
You never were very good at restringing and mending bows.
I don't want your help.
And anyway, you aren't a member anymore, so stay out of the dojo!
What a jerk,
talking to you like that, when he's the one who drove you out of the club.
It's okay. That's just how he is.
When you've known him a long time, you get used to it.
Do you, now?
You do.
Oops, Fujimura-sensei is about to come barreling in.
Yes! I made it!
Good morning, class!
I'll call the roll now!
Emiya, you'd better wolf that down, or you won't finish before lunch ends.
It's okay, I'm almost done.
You could've stopped with the heaters. You didn't have to agree to fix personal items, too.
Don't worry about it.
As they say, "In for a penny, in for a pound."
There's such a thing as being too considerate.
Being helpful is all well and good, but maybe you should be a little more selective.
You take "turn no one away" to extremes.
Do I look that unprincipled to you?
You're opening yourself up to being taken advantage of by the unscrupulous.
Surely you could turn people down, once in a while.
What're you talking about? Helping others is a good deed.
The heir to a temple shouldn't make a fuss over that.
I'm just saying that you take it too far, Emiya.
Keep going like this, and it'll burn you out.
Duly noted.
Okay, all done!
If you don't summon yours soon, you're gonna die, mister.
At times like this, you should really come home early!
I said in homeroom that it hasn't been safe in town lately, remember?
Um... Something came up.
Do you get that from Kiritsugu-san?
I worry about you because you're always trying to help people...
Excuse me, Fujimura-sensei?
Has Senpai always been this way?
Yeah, for as long as I've known him.
Shirou just doesn't have it in him to ignore people in need.
"Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable," you know?
As a kid, he wrote in an essay, "My dream is to become a hero of justice when I grow up."
Wow, you were an amazing child!
Chalk it up to Fuji-nee.
When kids see immature adults, they have funny ideas put in their heads.
If you don't like it, cook your own damn meal for once.
Wha?
You're reducing your "big sis" to tears!
Sakura-chan, refill!
Trace on.
Tracing fundamental structure.
Tracing component materials.
Altering fundamental structure.
Strengthening component materials.
Damn, I failed again.
I can't believe that I still can't do something so basic.
I'm gonna be a novice forever.
I just don't know...
How do I become a hero of justice?
Sakura... Wait a second.
Yes?
What happened to your wrist?
Shinji again?
What's he thinking, raising a hand to his little sister?
N-No, that's not it, Senpai!
I, um, bumped it when I tripped and fell.
You can't get a bruise like that from tripping.
I knew it.
Honest, my brother had nothing to do with this.
I got hurt by myself, that's all!
If that's what you say happened, I'll leave it at that.
It is. I'm sorry, Senpai.
Why are you apologizing, Sakura? Shinji's the one who's to blame.
Do I smell your famous rolled omelets, Shirou?
What's up, Emiya?
Let's eat.
Sorry, Issei... I'm going to eat in the cafeteria today.
You don't usually eat there. Did something happen?
Not really.
Excuse me. Is Ryuudou here?
Yes, I'm here. What is it, Kuzuki-sensei?
Going for the Chef's Choice for lunch today, huh?
You aren't eating with the student council president today?
I guess not.
Say, Mitsuzuri...
Has Sakura seemed okay to you lately?
Sakura?
Yeah, she's practicing her heart out.
Oh.
It's her brother that's the problem.
He's been tearing into the first-year boys.
What for?
From what I hear, he got shot down pretty hard by Tohsaka.
By Tohsaka?
Keep your voice down!
Anyway, ever since yesterday, Shinji's been in a foul mood.
I've had to keep a close eye on Shinji during practice, so I'm exhausted.
Yeah, Shinji does have a nasty temper...
I hear he plans to do something to Tohsaka, to get even.
No, I doubt even Shinji would try to get anywhere near someone who'd rejected him.
But if she comes to where he is, he can't avoid her.
I don't know why, but recently, Tohsaka's been coming to watch at the dojo a lot.
You probably don't know, since you quit and all!
That was hilarious earlier!
He practically peed his pants!
When Shinji gets mad, he doesn't know when to stop.
Hey, you!
Matou Shinji, I hate to break it to you,
but no matter how long you wait, Tohsaka Rin isn't coming!
Maki, this guy doesn't match Mitsuzuri's description.
He doesn't have wavy hair, either.
The way I see it, he just wet his naturally curly hair down today.
A face this stupid-looking could only belong to Matou Shinji!
No, I'm not Shinji.
See what I mean? That's what the bad guys all say.
Wait.
Sorry, but would you mind showing us your student ID?
S-Sure.
NAME Emiya Shirou CLASS 2 C
Maki-chan, we have the wrong man.
Emiya? That Emiya?
That guy who fixes our gear whenever he has a spare moment?
The one they call "Homurahara's Brownie"?
I don't know that nickname, but I do know the track club president when I see her.
We're sorry. You seemed to be looking for someone, so we just assumed...
That's okay. What was that about Tohsaka not coming?
Has something happened?
She stayed home today.
Yeah! Tohsaka says she has a cold, so she's staying home, good sir.
Hard to believe a model student like her is capable of catching a cold, though.
We're sorry if our exotic beast here caused you any trouble, Emiya.
But you shouldn't be here, either.
Weren't you told that students with no club meetings should go straight home?
Did something happen?
You don't know?
There was a murder incident at the intersection near the school.
Of the family of four, the only survivor was a child.
They say the parents and older sister were stabbed to death.
The killer is still at large,
and everyone's freaking out about the way it seems like a random killing.
In New Fuyuki, it's those gas leaks.
Over here, we've got grisly murders.
It's no wonder they're sending students home early.
I do know...
Helping others and being a hero of justice aren't the same thing.
Ah, I see.
Thank you.
Hello.
You must be Shirou-kun.
I'll come right out and ask you which you'd prefer...
Being sent to an orphanage or being taken in by a man you've just met?
I'm glad.
Then let's get you dressed right away.
You should get acclimated to your new home as soon as possible.
Oh, I forgot to mention something important.
There's something extremely important that I have to tell you. Ready?
Yeah.
I should get this out of the way.
I am a magic-user...
I have some time before I need to get to work.
He's alive... He's alive...
He's alive!
Thank you... Thank you!
I'm so glad I found you...
By saving even one person,
I'm saved myself.
All I remember of that day, ten years ago, is that it was hot, and I couldn't breathe.
And people were trying to save others, all of them dying in the process.
I hate that.
It makes me mad when people who try so hard die.
Is it greedy of me to wish for an outcome
in which everyone is saved and happy, and can share a laugh about it afterward?
It isn't that simple.
Because what you're describing is the act of trying to save everyone, Shirou.
My younger self wasn't convinced by Kiritsugu's answer.
I mean, Kiritsugu saved my life, right?
I knew he was a magic-user, who could do anything.
So I asked Kiritsugu if, back then,
he could have saved everyone.
But Kiritsugu... He...
Shirou,
saving one person means being unable to save another.
You see, one can only save those
who belong to one's own side.
It should be obvious, but that is the very definition of a "hero of justice."
I understand that now.
When you put it like that, it's obvious.
But still...
But still, I hate it.
I'm not interested in a salvation that's inherently limited to a set number of people.
I can't bear the thought of strangers dying around me, as they did that day!
That was Tohsaka...
Wasn't it?
Where's Sakura?
She went home early tonight.
Why did you send her home alone?
You were the one who warned us that going out alone wasn't safe, remember?
It's fine, it's fine. I sent one of my guys with her.
You should've been the one to go.
You're our teacher, after all.
If I'd done that, I wouldn't get to eat dinner until after 10...
Anyway, it's your own fault for coming home so late because of work!
On your work days, my stomach always has to patiently wait.
Hey, don't you have the option of eating dinner at your own house?
I've told you, this is my own house.
Sheesh...
What's this?
Luck, Come In! Customer Appreciation Sale
Oh, someone gave that to me, but I don't want it, so you can have it!
I don't want it, either!
If you think you can hit me with skills like yours, you're sadly mistaken.
If you don't like it, I suggest you practice more.
But more importantly, Shirou, I'm famished!
I've been waiting for ages, so hurry up and make dinner!
Yeah, yeah.
Senpai, after tonight, I won't be able to help with dinner for a while.
Do you mind?
Don't worry about it. It's the weekend, anyway.
You should be hanging out with your friends.
No, it's not like that!
It's a personal thing, but I'll still be going to club practices!
S-So if anything comes up, please come to the dojo, and I'll do what I can.
It's not like I'm goofing off, just because it's the weekend!
So, I'd appreciate it...
if you didn't get the wrong idea.
Understood.
If something comes up, I'll go to the dojo.
Okay, that would be great.
Senpai! Your hand!
Where'd this come from? Did I cut myself while I was tinkering with my old junk?
Well, it doesn't hurt or anything, so it should fade soon.
I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about.
Okay, if you say so...
Maybe I'm just tired.
Thanks to you, Emiya, it looks like we'll have all the equipment fixed before exams begin.
I have to thank you again.
No problem. See you later.
No, it was nothing! You think that was amazing?
Shinji...
Still at school, Emiya?
I need to talk to you. Come with me for a minute.
A minute? Sorry.
As you can see, I'm busy.
Whatever your little problem is, it can wait.
Isn't that right, girls?
Hang on, Shinji.
This is about the bruise on Sakura's wrist.
What's this about Sakura?
Don't dodge the question. You hurt her again!
Like I know anything about her!
Even though you're siblings?
Look, Emiya...
You're getting on my nerves.
If it's about something between siblings, isn't that all the more reason for you to butt out?
You really don't know how she got it?
Nope!
Or is Sakura saying that I beat her?
No.
There you go, then.
It's not nice to make reckless accusations, Emiya.
I suppose so. I'm sorry I suspected you.
If you feel bad, then do me a favor.
See, the dojo's kind of a mess right now...
If you have all this free time, maybe you could do something about it, Emiya-kun?
Didn't Fujimura-sensei tell you to do that, Senpai?
She did! If you don't do it, she'll...
It's fine.
Anyway, if I start cleaning now, the shop will be closed by the time I finish.
I know I can count on you!
Wait, Senpai!
Thank you so much!
Man, this place never changes.
Done!
Who are they?
Who's there?
Hey.
Today just wasn't your lucky day, kid.
Now that you've seen me, you have to die.
Dead men tell no tales, and all that.
With your dying breath, curse that you were born with no luck or power.
You make me do some nasty jobs.
It's a sick joke for a hero to act like this.
I understand. I'm not complaining.
The girl's Servant saw me.
I'll be a good boy and return.
Jeez, my Master is a real piece of work.
If his heart was hit, there's no way to save him.
Don't do this to me...
Why are you here?
Why did you have to pick this hour, on this day, to be here?
There's still a way.
What happened?
That man in blue and that man in red...
Who were those two?
They weren't ordinary humans.
So I really was nearly killed.
No,
I wasn't nearly killed.
I was killed.
But here I am, alive.
Someone who came along afterward saved me.
Who was it?
I wish I could at least thank them.
I was trying to be considerate, figuring it'd hurt more if you saw it coming.
Stuck with killing the same person twice in one day...
I guess the human world is a bloody place, whatever the era.
Trace on.
Find your way to the other side this time, kid.
Strengthening component materials.
That's an odd style.
It's faint, but I sense mana.
So that's why you're still alive after your heart was skewered.
This might be fun, after all.
I gave you a chance, but you went and wasted it.
If you're a man, show some dignity.
Checkmate.
That last move was pretty surprising, kid.
I don't get it, though...
You think fast on your feet, but you're hopeless at magecraft.
You do seem to have a knack for it...
Maybe you were meant to be the seventh.
Well, even if you were, this is the end for you.
Screw this...
My life was saved.
My life was saved, so I won't die that easily.
I need to live, to fulfill my duties.
And I can't do that if I'm dead.
I'm not gonna be killed in a place like this,
for no good reason, by a guy like you,
who kills people like it's nothing!
The seventh Servant?
I ask...
Are you my Master?
"Master"?
Your Servant, Saber, has come in response to your summons.
Master, your orders?
Henceforth, my sword will be at your side.
Henceforth, your fate is my fate.
The pact is now sealed.
What do you mean by "pact"?
Coward! What's the meaning of this, concealing your weapon?
What's the matter, Lancer?
If you stand there, you'll give spearmen a bad name.
If you will not come to me, I shall come to you.
Before you do, let me ask you one thing.
Your Noble Phantasm... Is it a sword?
Who can say?
It may be a battle axe. Or perhaps a polearm.
Or it might even be a bow, Lancer.
Very funny, swordswoman!
That stance...
One more question.
Since this is our first meeting, would you be interested in calling it a draw?
I think not.
You will fall here, Lancer.
Is that so?
My objective was simply to observe...
I'll have your heart!
Gae...
Bolg!
So, you dodged my lethal strike, Saber.
A curse?
No, a strike that reverses cause and effect?
Gae Bolg...
You are Ireland's Child of Light!
I messed up...
It needs to be fatal if I use that move, or I'm in trouble.
My lord is a coward, you see.
You dodged my spear, so he's ordering me home.
You would run?
You're more than welcome to follow.
But if you do, be prepared to die!
Wait, Lancer!
I-Is she an idiot?
Hey, are you okay?
What the hell are you?
As you can see, I am your Saber-class Servant.
As such, please call me "Saber."
I'm Shirou...
Emiya Shirou.
Emiya...
This house...
No, that's not right. That isn't what I want to ask you.
I know.
You are not a proper Master, are you?
And yet, regardless, you are my Master.
W-Wait, isn't it weird, calling me "Master" all of a sudden?
Then I shall call you "Shirou."
Yes, the sound of that is pleasing to me.
Wh-What are these?
Those are what are called Command Seals.
Do try to avoid careless use.
Shirou, my wounds, please...
You're asking me?
Sorry, but complicated magic like that's beyond me.
Then, I shall face them as I am.
There are two enemies outside.
One more battle should not pose a problem.
What do you mean by "enemies outside"?
Stop, Saber!
Are you mad, Shirou?
I could have defeated them handily, but you ordered me to stop!
Just hold on, Saber.
I have no idea what's going on.
If I'm your Master, at least fill me in.
You would demand this with the enemy before us?
Hmm?
So that's how it is, Mr. Novice Master?
At any rate, good evening,
Emiya-kun.
I have no reason to fight.
He is, without question, a fake priest.
Shirou is my Master.
Berserker?
Whether or not you decide to participate in the Holy Grail War,
let us decide it here, Emiya Shirou.
Next Time The Curtain Rises