The Contract

It was hard to know how much time passed in the void between when spirits returned to the hall of heroes and when they were summoned once again. Having only enough awareness to listen for a master's calling, they maintained a purgatorial existence until a mage contract brought them back to the world of the living.

Though it was confirmed that advancements in SERYPH now lead to mages finding their best match, it was still a match based on mana comparability and a complex genetic algorithm instead of a true blood bond mixed with catalysts. Finding out quickly that catalysts allowed toxic Masters to wield powerful servants for their own ruthless needs, Chaldea confiscated all relics and stored them within the bowels of their headquarters using the story that they would be a large part of the complex summoning process.

Not being able to remove the element of acceptance of summoning by a servant from the process, the blood taken now acted as a signature letting servants within SERYPH assess the Masters's wish and genetic makeup once ideal matches had been determined. According to the algorithm's assessment, each top servant would be propositioned after their catalyst was triggered to see which would accept the contract.

Though none outside of the algorithm could know what servants were queued, it was unfortunate that Emiya ranked higher than Cú, who would have been her top choice had she been allowed to keep his earring on. As a result, the summons was presented and accepted by Emiya first, his soul quivering in anticipation when it recognized her signature, knowing this might be his only chance to act on things he had kept buried.

Never having expected to fall in love after remembering his love for Rin in a different iteration of his life, her eventual death having hit him hard, he had known the version of him from a different time had been able to love her the way he wanted to. Even now, her death still tore at him, making him even less social and more cynical.

Then he met Ria under the worst circumstances possible. She had been cornered, almost out of mana, and Cú, who he had a working friendship for, had his hands full fighting Assassin. He couldn't get to her in time, and Assassins Master was taking the opening to go in for the kill.

The only reason Emiya had been there at that moment was that he was sent to gather information on the winner that might help him win the current war. Instead, he watched as Ria stood her ground against a man a good four feet taller than her in a disgraceful state. The only thing at the time Emiya could fathom was she wanted him as close as possible before she unleashed what would most likely be her last attack. Refusing to give him a chance to capitalizing on an opportunity, Emiya materialized his blades and caught him by surprise beheading him with a swing the enemy hadn't seen coming.

With him dead, Ria looked at Emiya critically. "I suppose I'm next?" Her eyes were fierce, her body recklessly exhausted. She was a mess covered in blood and dirt, but she was the most beautiful mess he had ever seen.

"I was here to bear witness. He just happened to be in the way. I have no intention of harming you today." He smirked.

Whether relieved or exhausted, Emiya never knew, but Ria fell to the floor where he scooped her up in his arms, letting her rest her head against his chest. Walking away from the body, her head rolled enough to cause her lips to kiss his neck unexpectedly, causing him almost to drop her but he recovered quickly before she tumbled out of his arms.

Within seconds, Cú was there taking her out of his arms and resting her against his chest as he stared daggers at Emiya. "Keep your hands off my woman Archer."

"A little thank you would be nice considering I saved her from death. If she is yours, you should take better care of her and not let her get cornered by another Servants Master while you play with the decoy." He shrugged at him though irritation tensing every muscle in his body as he turned and dematerialized.

From that day forward, Ria would be a fire in Emiya's soul he couldn't put out. Every time he saw her, he wanted an excuse to touch her. He even convinced his Master to allow them to form a temporary truce with Cú and her, which only prolonged her participation in the war for two more servant encounters before Proto Cú's inexperience cost him his life and almost hers.

It would be ten more years before he would see Ria again by Cú's side. What he had mistaken for beauty before seemed like a glamour now as he looked upon her mature visage. Her shoulders were broader, hips curvier, chest and lips fuller, with eyes carrying the passion of a thousand lovers. She smoldered now where before she blazed. She was intimidating to those who didn't know her, but her heart remained as sweet as before.

It made him even more jealous of Cú. He loved Ria but didn't value her the way he should. Still carelessly fierce in his love, he forgot to nurture her sweetness. To this very day, Emiya believed it was Cú's lack of attentiveness to the little things she needed that made her so bitter when he left her yet again, courtesy of his folly.

Then sixty years later, Emiya was summoned by her, and he accepted. He didn't care how or why. All that mattered was that she was now his. His to dote on, his to envelop, his to nurture and love in a way that stoked her passion, keeping it alive every day they were together, so she never felt alone or unloved.

It was hard in the beginning. She didn't want him, and he knew it. She was, and still stayed, madly in love with Cú. Emiya didn't let that stop him. He would be her rock and refused to fail the way Cú had.

Much to his chagrin, Emiya was able to pierce her heart much faster than he had expected as time seemed to disappear with her causing a handful of days to go by before she told him she loved him, and they made love for the first time. The following day she asked him to Life Bond to her, and he got down on his knee and swore his body, heart, and soul to her. It was then he told Ria she had always been, since the moment he first saw her so many years ago, the only person he wanted, and she seemed happy.

They had been together since, and he had done everything he could to make every day with her a day she would cherish. He felt he had succeeded in making her happy and helping her forget until the day Cú showed up ten years after she summoned him bound to another man.

Would what we had built be strong enough, or would she leave him for Cú? All Emiya knew was he wouldn't let her go. Cú would have to kill him first.