Merry Christmas to all my Ever-patient reviewers.

Not a lot of action in this one sadly, but some plot progression for the Emiya Faction.

Chapter 5: Preparations.

Situated at least thirty kilometers away from Fuyuki proper lay the stretch of dense forest. Officially it was privately owned by one of the many, many shell-companies owned by some elusive Foreign Noble family, which only served to add strength to the rumors about a 'legendary castle' residing deep within.

Many had chalked it up to a mere urban legend, a modern-day fairy-tale used to scare children away from wandering into the woods alone. Even if some hapless hitchhiker did manage to catch a glimpse of the building, they never stuck around to take pictures, and their memories of it tended to fade the moment they left the forest proper.

Needless to say, the only reason those people had been allowed to leave had been because they posed no threat to the residents. Had they possessed even the slightest grasp of Magecraft, the Bounded Field over the Forest would have sensed them coming, erecting an illusory barrier that would send them walking in circles, preventing them from drawing near whilst allowing the Master to pick them off at their leisure.

After all, despite allying with the Tohsaka Family for the sake of the Heaven's Feel Ritual, that didn't mean the Einzberns trusted the Second Owners of the land any farther than they could throw them.

It was a well-documented fact amongst Association that the Tohsaka were descended from Hidden Christians, and thus held closer ties to the Church than was considered proper for Traditional Magi.

And unlike the Matou, who back then were known as the Makiri, the Einzbern weren't so desperate to accept handouts from their co-conspirators, let alone establish an outpost in their territory. A wise policy as it turned out, especially given how things had eventually turned out for Zolgen's lineage.

That being said, operating in the Grail War without a secure base of operations was a folly that had cost the Einzbern twice. And so it was that, prior to the Third War, Jubstacheit von Einzbern had used the clan's considerable financial connections to purchase a sizeable portion of the leyline-rich forestland just outside of Fuyuki, upon which he quickly constructed a small, by the standards of the Einzbern at least, Castle which would serve as their fortress for any future Grail Wars.

That being said, as an almost perfect, if scaled down, replica of the main Einzbern Castle in Germany, the Castle came with a complete retinue of servant Homunculi that had arrived ahead of the Emiya-faction to ensure that not-only was everything immaculate, leaving not a speck of dust despite the castle being all-but abandoned for the last sixty years, but to also ensure they possessed enough provisions to withstand a prolonged siege if need be.

A precaution that, following Kotomine Risei's shocking declaration, that the Emiya Faction found themselves all-too-grateful for.

Castle Einzbern - Dining Room

'How did everything turn out like this?' Irisviel sighed, not for the first time as she closed her eyes due to the tense atmosphere of the dining room, where she, Saber, Kiritsugu and his assistant Maiya were currently brainstorming their next course of action, or rather had been since the Overseer's Declaration hours ago.

"Are you tired, Iri?" Kiritsugu asked, briefly breaking his emotionless façade to reveal the concerned features of the man she'd grown to love, the man whose child she had willingly born, the man whose dream she was willing to sacrifice everything to obtain "Do you want to take a break?"

"It's nothing." She assured him, doing her best to hide her exhaustion with a soft smile, knowing full well that Kiritsugu had yet to get any rest whatsoever, while she at the very least had managed a few hours' sleep following the events of the previous night "I'm not tired, keep going, please."

"…I see." Kiritsugu conceded after regarding her in silence for a moment, his concerned expression morphing back to the cold mask he'd worn ever since arriving at Castle Einzbern in order to fortify it for the coming invasion, having never intended to use it as a base of operations, preferring to have Irisviel masquerade as Saber's master while he and Maiya worked in tandem to eliminate the other Masters from the Shadows. However, with the Overseer's declaration, that strategy was no longer viable.

Even before arriving in Fuyuki, Kiritsugu had voiced his suspicions regarding the relationship between Tohsaka Tokiomi and Kotomine Risei. While Grandfather Jubstacheit had never really given the matter much thought, obsessed as he was with ending the Einzbern's losing streak, Kiritsugu wasn't so narrow-minded and had taken the Tohsaka's relationship with the Kotomine's into account.

As descendants of Hidden Christians, the Tohsaka Family had always maintained an traditionally close relationship with The Holy Church, to the point many of their detractors believed it was for that very reason they were declared the Second Owners of Fuyuki in the first place.

A belief, it should be noted, that was all but confirmed by Kotomine Risei having befriended Tokiomi's father during the 3rd Grail War despite having been assigned as Overseer.

Now while the elder Kotomine presented next-to-no threat, his lack of Magic Circuits essentially relegating him to a supervisory role, as the official representative of the Church he arguably possessed more influence in Fuyuki than even Tokiomi, allowing him to cover up the various battlegrounds and signs of Magic before the public grew aware of the war being raged in their humble City.

As such, all it would take was a single Phone Call, or lack thereof, and Risei could have Fuyuki flooded with Executors out for the 'Heretical' blood of every Magus within a hundred miles, regardless of whether they were involved in the Grail War or not.

Factor in his reputation for retrieving Holy Relics regardless of the obstacles set in his path, treating each challenge like a 'Pilgrim's Ordeal' and it was clear that those who underestimated the elder Kotomine did so at their own peril.

With this in mind, upon learning Tokiomi had accepted Risei's son as an apprentice, only to cast the younger Kotomine out the moment he was 'conveniently' revealed to be a Master, Kiritsugu had been fully prepared to push the rules of the Grail War as far as they could go without overtly stepping on the Overseer's toes, and in doing so had not only confirmed that Kirei's Servant, Assassin, was not only alive, but had been operating from the shadows despite his Master claiming sanctuary from the Church.

This alone would've given the Einzbern faction the ammunition they needed to cry foul, had Risei not literally beat them to the punch, the Overseer not only revealing Kiritsugu's existence as Saber's true Master, but framing him for the destruction of the Matou Clan.

Unfortunately, in this instance, Kiritsugu only had himself to blame, as his reputation and tactics as the infamous Magus Killer were not only well-known, but universally reviled by all those who considered themselves to be 'True Magi'. Add to that the tantalizing offer of not one, but two additional command seals in return for his elimination, and it was no wonder things had degenerated so quickly.

In short, in the space of a single night, Kiritsugu had been effectively cornered, and despite his best attempts to keep it from showing through the cold mask of the Magus Killer, Irisviel had known him long enough to tell her husband was absolutely terrified.

Not for himself mind you, to be a Magus was to walk with Death and as much as he despised it, Kiritsugu had long since come to accept that fact as gospel. No, it was for their daughter, Illyasviel, waiting for them back home, that Kiritsugu currently feared.

"Have you confirmed that you have a handle on the Bounded Field covering the Forest?" Kiritsugu pressed, nodding towards Maiya, who was standing still as a statue behind him "While we found no openings during our examination, we never intended to use the castle as our base of operations, so we haven't had time to add to the defenses."

Irisviel grimaced, not only due to their situation, but also because of the intense glare that Saber was sending her husband's way. While the two had never really been cordial with one another, mostly due to Kiritsugu purposefully distancing himself, the King of Knight's opinion of her Master had taken a sharp downturn following the Overseer's declaration.

"…the Bounded Field is working perfectly." She assured her husband calmly "However, our real concern is the curse on Saber's left hand." She glanced at the Servant concernedly "It has been eighteen hours since you defeated Lord El-Melloi, yet Saber's wound has still yet to heal."

"Meaning that, at the very least Lancer is still alive." Kiritsugu deduced "And since Lancer Class Servants lack the Independent Action skill, it's safe to assume that either Kayneth survived or Lancer has formed a contract with another Master." He glanced down at the map "Either way, he'll be among the horde coming here to challenge Saber. The problem is how to keep the other Servants from interfering until we can eliminate him."

"Rider might not be a concern." Irisviel proposed, earning a look of surprise from Saber and a quirked brow from her husband "During the exchange at the docks he made his displeasure at Kayneth's interference clear. It's possible he won't challenge Saber until after she concludes her duel with Lancer."

"Or he could be luring them into lowering their guard before taking them both out in one decisive move." Maiya countered, the stoic woman breaking her silence for the first time "Such a tactic would not be above the King of Conquerors."

"True, and even if it were, there's still Berserker and Archer to account for." Kiritsugu pointed out, ignoring the glare Saber was sending towards his assistant "Given Tohsaka and Kariya's absence during the initial altercation, it's highly unlikely either will make a showing, leaving the actual fighting to their Servants, both of whom we have been unable to identify."

"Not quite." Maiya countered, matching Saber's heated glare with one that was equally cool "From what we can tell it's clear that Berserker is obsessed with Saber. Most likely he's an enemy from her past, or at the very least someone who resented her in life."

Saber flinched, knowing all-too-well that she had made many enemies during her reign, though ironically enough her most prominent of foes had all been members of her own family.

Her uncle Vortigern, in an effort to oppose her reign, had consumed the blood of the White Dragon to counter her Element of the Red Dragon. Her once pure Sister, Morgan le Fey, had fallen to become the Witch Queen who sought to end her reign, and in the end succeeded through their bastard child, Mordred.

"Do you hate me!? Do you hate me that much!? Did you hate me for being Morgan's son!? Answer me…answer me, Arthur!"

She closed her eyes, fists clenching as she recalled that fateful day so long ago, when she had slain and was in turn brought low by her own child. Even now, on the precipice of another battle, the memory of her 'son's' face as she ran the Knight of Betrayal through with her spear continued to haunt her.

As she recalled watching the light die in her eyes, recalled seeing the hatred and despair clash with the childish longing of a forsaken child as she reached feebly towards the father she believed resented her simply for being 'impure', she couldn't help but wonder how history would have changed if only she had acknowledged Mordred as her child, if not her heir.

"If Berserker makes an appearance, assuming Kariya survived the destruction of Matou Manor, then Rider will likely take steps to prevent him from interfering with the Duel." Kiritsugu opined, snapping Saber out of her thoughts "And even if he doesn't, assuming Kayneth doesn't intervene like before, Lancer is unlikely to permit outside interference to begin with."

"That leaves only Assassin and Caster unaccounted for." Irisviel noted softly, more than a little troubled by the news, for while they were technically the weakest of the Servant Classes in terms of raw power, they were also the trickiest to pin down "Caster in particular remains a virtual unknown."

"True, under normal circumstances a Caster would be better off fortifying themselves and laying low until the majority of the other Servants eliminated themselves." Kiritsugu confirmed "However, given the Overseer's offer, it's likely they may ally themselves with another Servant to challenge Saber."

"In which case, the most likely Candidates would be Lancer, Archer or Rider." Maya opined "Setting aside Rider, who has made his offer of alliance clear from the outset, Lord El-Melloi is currently the most vulnerable, so it would make more sense to approach him than Tohsaka Tokiomi."

"And that's assuming none of the other Masters realized that Assassin is still in play." Kiritsugu added with a scowl "And given the Overseer's revelation of my Master status, it's likely he and Archer will coordinate their efforts to eliminate myself and Saber."

It was, in short, an impossible situation. Kiritsugu's original tactic had been to hunt down the Masters from the shadows while Saber drew away their Servants, but with Assassin in play that plan was no longer feasible, even if they factored in Maya's support.

However, as many a corrupt Magus had learnt too late, impossible was not a word that existed in Emiya Kiritsugu's dictionary. So long as his opponents were mortal, so long as the concept of 'death' still held sway over them, then the Magus Killer could bring them down.

"Our best bet would be to take advantage of the Masters' greed." Kiritsugu proclaimed after a moments silent pondering "If anything, painting a target on us works to our advantage, as the Masters will be too busy trying to claim the 'prize' to properly coordinate their efforts, especially Kayneth."

Irisviel frowned, glanced down at the impressive dossier Kiritsugu had gathered on Lord El Melloi, documenting his numerous academical achievements and Dueling History. From what little she had read, it was clear that, in a more traditional Grail War, Kayneth would have been the Strongest Master bar none, even without factoring in Lancer's Noble Phantasm.

"Assuming he survived, his pride as a Magus will lead him to challenge me directly." Kiritsugu continued with an underlying hint of mockery "Since no sane Magus would directly confront Saber, it should be easy enough to lure him into the Castle while Saber holds off Lancer."

"Good." Saber intoned, the first word she'd spoken in response to her Master's words since the Overseer's declaration "This is how the Grail Wars should be fought. Perhaps now you will conduct yourself as a Master should, since all your underhanded tactics has done is unite our foes against us."

"Saber…" Irisviel began, only to trail off with a sigh when Kiritsugu showed no sign of acknowledging his Servant's admonishments, an act which only served to further anger the already livid King of Knights.

While Irisviel didn't question Kiritsugu's innocence in regards to the Matou Mansion, his destruction of the Hyatt to get to Lancer's Master, coupled with the Overseer's proclamation, had done little to endear her husband to his Servant.

As strange as it sounded, Irisviel almost wished that Kiritsugu would react to his Servants accusations, knowing deep down that if the two could simply air their frustrations then Saber would finally understand her complete faith in Kiritsugu's innocence.

However, as much as it pained her to see the man she loved reviled by one she had quickly come to consider a friend, she could understand why it was Kiritsugu refused to defend himself. After all, what would even be the point, considering he'd done far worse things in the past?

"Maya, with the exception of Kotomine & Tohsaka, it's likely the other Masters are unaware of your existence." Kiritsugu noted, once again ignoring Saber in favor of his stoic assistant "I want you to coordinate with Irisviel, take advantage of the bounded field to ascertain their numbers." He gestured to the map before him "If it looks like the Masters are coordinating their efforts, try and separate them or take them out at your discretion, just don't draw unnecessary attention to yourselves."

"Understood." Maya acknowledged, glancing briefly in the direction of her Master's wife, matching the homunculus' uncertain gaze with her own opaque stare before turning back to the map "And should Kotomine Kirei make an appearance?"

"Prioritize his elimination at all costs." Kiritsugu commanded, earning a look of surprise from both Saber and Irisviel, Maya's eyes merely narrowing in acknowledgement of the order "His alliance with Tohsaka aside, Assassin is too dangerous a wild-card to be allowed to remain."

It went without saying that if Kotomine didn't make an appearance, eliminating Assassin would be next-to-impossible. While considered the 2nd weakest Servant in terms of close-combat, where Masters were concerned Assassin was arguably the most dangerous Class in the Grail War.

Put simply, if Assassin made an appearance without any sign of his Master, then the best Kiritsugu could hope for would be to hold on long enough for Saber to come to his rescue or use another Command Seal to bring her to his side.

"As for the evocation sites, we'll discuss the matter of securing one once the current situation has been resolved." Kiritsugu concluded with a sigh "With that in mind, are there any questions?"

"Saber, is there anything you would like clarified?" Irisviel tactfully enquired of the King of Knights, hoping to soothe her pride by bringing her into the conversation, only to instantly regret it as Saber's eyes narrowed challengingly.

"Master…no, Emiya Kiritsugu." She demanded, refusing to acknowledge the man before her as her Master given his actions of late "On your word as a Magus, swear to me that you will not interfere in my duels with Lancer or any other Servants henceforth."

"I cannot make such an impractical promise." Kiritsugu countered impassively as he gathered up his documents "Setting aside the other Masters, Kayneth will be targeting me personally. If you wish for your duel to go uninterrupted, I would suggest you focus on eliminating Lancer before I eliminate Kayneth."

"I suppose that is the best I can expect from you." Saber noted coldly, her eyes like frozen emeralds as she watched her Master stride out of the room alongside the ever-impassive Maya to prepare for the coming attack, heedless of the look of concern she was receiving from Irisviel.

Einzbern Castle Wall

"Kiritsugu." Irisviel called out, having followed the scent of cigarette smoke to find her husband overlooking the front garden of their castle home.

Much to her relief, it appeared that Maya was still off securing the grounds, she dimly recalled Kiritsugu mentioning something about a minefield during the earlier parts of the meeting, though considering they only had a single evening to prepare it was far more likely she was only covering the main entrance points.

Kiritsugu, having sensed her approach, as unlike Maya she was by no-means trained at concealing her presence, turned to face his wife, who braced herself for the coming lecture, as she could no longer tolerate his treatment of the Servant, no, the young woman, she had come to consider a friend.

It wasn't that she couldn't understand the reasoning behind her husband's actions. In order to prepare himself for the war, Kiritsugu had been forced to assume his old Magus Killer persona, a cold, emotionless killing machine that focused solely on the results, regardless of the means, not only to improve their chances of victory, but to also reign in his disgust, not at Saber herself, but at the people who would force the destiny of a kingdom on the shoulders of a girl barely into womanhood.

Unfortunately, given how rapidly his relationship with Saber had deteriorated, Irisviel couldn't help but feel it would have been better if Kiritsugu had voiced his displeasure openly, at least then he and Saber could have better understood one another, even if they didn't particularly like one another.

As it were, Irisviel suspected that Saber was one slight away from lopping her husband's head off on principle, which would force him to waste a command seal to stop her, possibly more than one given the sheer strength of her Magic Resistance.

In short, as far as Irisviel was concerned the fate of the Grail War, of Illyasviel, depended entirely on Kiritsugu and Saber making amends before their enemies arrived to finish them off.

They didn't have to become friends, indeed, she suspected it would take an act of True Magic for something like that to occur, but at the very least they had to put their differences aside so it didn't feel like she was suffocating whenever they were in a room together.

It was with this intention that she had sought out her husband, intent on lecturing him, for the first time in…well, ever, for his behaviour, only to pull up short as he turned to face her, her resolve shattering in the face of the expression in Kiritsugu's eyes.

During the time she had known him, Irisviel had quickly come to admire how effectively Kiritsugu's eyes could reflect his emotions. Whether it was the unrestrained joy he felt whenever he held Illyasviel in his arms, the gentle patience he would employ whenever he tried to teach her about modern appliances or the grief the knowledge of her fate caused him, his eyes always betrayed his true emotions.

It was for this very reason that she despised his 'Magus Killer' persona, not just because it belittled everything she knew about her husband, but because in order to achieve it, Kiritsugu had to effectively seal away his emotions once more, replacing the man she loved with the cold, emotionless killing machine his enemies accused him of being.

When Illyasviel had been born, Irisviel had scoffed at the idea that Kiritsugu believed himself unworthy of holding their daughter, refusing to believe the sins of his past could in any way taint the young life they had brought into this world.

It was only now, having witnessed first-hand the depths to which the Magus Killer was prepared to sink in pursuit of victory, and more importantly, the retribution his actions could inspire, that Irisviel not only understood, but supported Kiritsugu's desire to prevent the Magus Killer's sins from staining their daughter's future.

However, as Kiritsugu turned to face her, Irisviel found all thoughts of reprimanding her husband vanish, for rather than the cold, impassive mask of the Magus Killer, she found herself gazing into the bloodshot eyes of a lost, desperate child.

Never had she seen her husband so cornered. Even when confronted by Jubstacheit, whose word was law so far as the Einzberns were concerned, he'd never come out looking so haggard, so thoroughly beaten. Indeed, more often than not he'd manage to obtain whatever he wanted from the old man simply by virtue of claiming it was to support their efforts for the Grail War.

The only time she'd ever seen him even close to this helpless was when he'd been unable to prevent Jubstacheit from experimenting on Illyasviel. Despite his constant assurances that he would obtain the Grail for the Einzberns, Old Man Acht had deemed it necessary to 'prepare' their daughter in the event he couldn't live up to his words.

"Iri…" he croaked, Irisviel's eyes widening as he suddenly took her in his arms, the desperation in his tone and the trembling of his frame against her own sending a spike of fear through her heart "If I decided to just abandon everything and run away right now…would you come with me?"

"What about Ilya?" she reminded him desperately, for while she wanted nothing more than to comfort her husband, even if it meant abandoning his dream of world peace, the memory of the little girl waiting for them back in that frozen castle, and the knowledge of what Jubstacheit would do to her, stayed her heart "She's still in the castle!"

"We'll go back and pick her up, killing anyone that stands in the way." Kiritsugu vowed, the blood-lust emanating from every syllable sending a shiver down her spine even as his frame continued to tremble "After that…I'll devote everything I have to our family! I'll protect you and Ilya with my life!"

For a moment they stood in silence, Kiritsugu's body trembling as he continued to cling desperately to his wife, waiting desperately for her to give him the motivation he needed to flee from this den of vipers they'd stumbled into in order to rescue their little girl.

It wasn't as if he couldn't make good on his promise either, as Kiritsugu had taken on entire families before, and that had been without knowing the inner workings of their household. And while the Einzbern were undoubtedly a powerful Lineage, in all honesty, their combat ability was decidedly lacking, as evidenced by their prominent losing streak in the previous Grail Wars.

Indeed, it was for this very reason that Jubstacheit had been forced to swallow his pride and seek out Kiritsugu to act as their Master representative for the Fourth War, so even if they were forced to sacrifice Saber to escape Fuyuki, it would be no trouble at all for Kiritsugu, Maiya and herself to storm the Einzbern Castle and rescue Ilya before disappearing into the night.

Hell, if they could avoid sacrificing Saber, they might not even have to vanish at all, for while the Combat Homunculi of the Einzbern were more than a match for any number of Enforcers or Executioners, they still paled in comparison to the likes of a Servant.

Such would have been the case if Kiritsugu was still the man he'd been when Jubstacheit had hired him nine years ago, for despite his best efforts to regain his cold persona, it was clear to Irisviel, and possibly Maiya as well, that the Magus Killer, the cold, emotionless Soldier whose cruelty knew no bounds, the logical tactician willing to sacrifice anything, even his own life, to achieve his objective, had been irrevocably crippled.

And in that moment Irisviel knew with absolute certainty that she herself was the architect of her husband's destruction. Had she not met Kiritsugu, had they not fallen in love with one another, had she not borne his child into this world, then he would've remained unchanged.

It was almost painfully ironic, practically Shakespearean really, that the man once hailed as the Magus Killer, a killer with nothing to lose so long as he achieved his objective, had finally gained something to lose, and with it, lost that which had made him such a force to be reckoned with.

It was clear to her now that Kiritsugu was trying to return to his former self, to become the Magus Killer once again in order to better protect her. But nine years as both Husband and Father had irrevocably changed him to the point he had to struggle to maintain his mask of cruel indifference, whereas before there had been no need, as he truly had not cared what anyone thought of him.

"Will we even be able to run away?" she wondered aloud, wishing to comfort her beloved but unable to find the words. How could she, when she herself was the source of his predicament?

"We can." Kiritsugu insisted, his tone desperate as he hugged her tighter, his gaze locked onto something only he could see in the distance "If we run now, we can still-!"

"You're lying." Irisviel cut in, gently and cruelly shattering her beloved's fragile illusion even as she gently returned his embrace, offering him the comfort of her body even as her words tore him apart "You could never run away. You would never forgive yourself for abandoning the Grail and your ideal of saving the world."

She closed her eyes as his trembling increased, tears formed in her eyes as she laid her head over his heart, reaching up to return his embrace even as she cursed herself for her cruelty. "As your own first and final accuser, you, Emiya Kiritsugu, would end your own life as penance."

And like that, the dam was broken, Irisviel's own tears joining her husbands as Kiritsugu finally allowed the tears he'd been holding in to flow free, the man once known as the Magus Killer and the woman once little more than a doll, taking what little comfort they could in one another's embrace.

"I'm so scared…" Kiritsugu choked, his voice trembling like a child's in the face of how hopeless their situation had become "Things were bad enough when it was just Kotomine Kirei…now all of them are gunning for me and I can't see a way out."

"Is Kotomine truly that much of a threat?" Irisviel inquired. While she didn't doubt Kiritsugu's evaluation of the former Executor, she still found it odd that he would be so intimidated by one who had been a Magus for less than a year, over the likes of Tohsaka Tokiomi or Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.

"He knew that I'd go after Kayneth that night." Kiritsugu explained grimly, "He used him as bait to try and corner me. If it weren't for Maiya, he could have very well gotten me that same night."

He shivered, and for the first time Irisviel understood the fear that Kiritsugu had been carrying within himself. After all, despite his dreams of becoming a 'Hero of Justice who saves Everyone', at his core Emiya Kiritsugu was nothing more than a highly proficient killer.

Even if he were able to somehow ascend as a Heroic Spirit, the only class he would be qualified for would be Assassin, silent killers who cautiously stalk their prey, taking the route of least resistance to ensure victory at minimal risk to themselves.

And that is precisely why Kotomine Kirei weighed so heavily on her husband's mind, for as any true Hunter will likely tell you, there is no greater fear than to find yourself being hunted by another.

If Kiritsugu were still the Man he'd been nine years prior, the knowledge of Kotomine dogging of his steps wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest. He would have simply devised the most efficient solution to eliminate the man, perhaps even making use of his pursuit to pick off the other Masters, or at least discredit both Tokiomi and the Overseer by revealing their deception.

But as it stood, the Kiritsugu currently trembling in her arms, the Kiritsugu who had finally found something he couldn't afford to lose, was so overcome with fear that he couldn't think of a way to prevent it from happening.

"I've already sacrificed you, Iri. And I left Ilya behind." Kiritsugu croaked, "Despite all that I was prepared to do whatever it took to win this war…but even before tonight, the thought of facing that man terrified me." He gripped her closer to him as he gazed desperately into the night "Now I know for certain he'll be coming for me…Tohsaka won't hold anything back at this juncture. He'll throw everything he has at us to ensure our destruction."

A terrifying prospect, especially when you stopped to consider the multitude of Noble Phantasms that Archer had displayed during his confrontation with Berserker at the docks. Indeed, it was highly likely those had been but the tip of the iceberg, as Archer had seemed prepared to go full out in his bid to kill the Black Knight had Tokiomi not called his Servant off.

Despite the faith she held in Saber's abilities, Irisviel couldn't find it in herself to believe the King of Knights could face the Golden Archer without Avalon, the existence of which they had kept hidden from Saber at Kiritsugu's behest, in order to use it as trump card when backed into a corner.

Currently the Ever-Distant Utopia resided within Irisviel's body, granting her it's advanced regeneration due to her proximity to Saber. The plan had been to use this to offset the eventual degradation of her body as the war progressed, before either returning it to Saber or transferring it to Kiritsugu so that he could fight at her side once Irisviel's body was beyond recovery.

Now, however, it was clear that this strategy was useless, for not only would the other masters be gunning for Kiritsugu specifically, but given the intensity of a battle between multiple servants, it was likely Irisviel's body would begin to break down much sooner than anticipated.

Knowing this, Irisviel pushed herself away from her husband, concentrating her prana into her fingertips as she brought her hands up as if to cup her heart, Kiritsugu looking on in shock as a golden light filled her hands, lighting the wintery darkness and bathing them in the warmth of a summer's day.

"Iri…" he breathed, looking on in wonderment as the light gradually formed itself into a silhouette, slowly fading until the iconic golden scabbard that was Avalon fell into Irisviel's hands "What are you."

"I love you, Kiritsugu." Irisviel declared, smiling lovingly as she reached out to gently caress his cheek, her other hand holding Avalon to her chest "In the few years we've been together, you've given me more than I ever could have imagined…a husband…a daughter…even if I were to die now, I would have no regrets for the life you've given me."

"Iri…" Kiritsugu breathed, wanting nothing more than to take the woman in his arms again, only her gentle hand on his chest keeping him at bay, "I couldn't keep all the promises I made to you."

"I'm fine with that." Irisviel assured him, smiling up at him adoringly even as tears formed in her eyes at the thought of all the things they'd promised to do but never could "You took me out of that Frozen Castle, showed me flowers in bloom and the stars dancing across the waves."

And in truth, in a roundabout way, Kiritsugu had accomplished everything he promised. True, the one escorting her had been Saber, but none of it would have been possible if Kiritsugu hadn't become the Einzbern's representative for the Grail War.

"The only thing I regret…is that I will never be able to share those things with Ilya." Irisviel continued, locking eyes with her beloved as she pressed Avalon into his unresistant hands "So please, give them to her in my stead." She urged "Bring our daughter here, let her feel the same joy you have given me. Let her see the cherry blossoms in spring, and all the other things I will never see."

"…I promise." Kiritsugu croaked, his voice hoarse as he clutched Saber's Noble Phantasm in his undeserving hands, the same hands that, to this day, he felt unsuited to hold his beloved daughter "I swear to you, I'll make up for the time you've lost together."

"Then I have no regrets." Irisviel sighed, embracing her trembling husband once more, content in the knowledge that he would see this through come hell and high water. It was a cruel act, she knew, to coral her husband onto such a destructive path, but this was the only route she could perceive that held the slightest chance of salvation for their daughter.

The sole wish of Irisviel von Einzbern, the only one of her countless sisters to ever experience the joy of motherhood, was that her beloved Illyasviel be spared the fate of becoming the next Vessel of the Grail, that she not become another sacrifice in the Einzberns obsession with the lost Third Magic.

And so, in order to break the shackles of fate, and finally bring an end to this farce of a ritual, Irisviel would place her faith in the man she loved and the Servant they had summoned to emerge victorious, even if she didn't live to see it.

However, even as she prayed for their victory with all her body and soul, in her heart of hearts a small, selfish part of her silently prayed that she could continue to embrace the man she loved just a little longer, never once believing her prayers would be heard.

In the Shadows

To say that Caster was intrigued by the situation before him was an understatement.

When he had first found himself standing before the towering castle that Saber's master and the other Doll had sequestered themselves in, he had found it impossible not to draw parallels to the first time he'd laid eyes on the towering spires of Castle Cainhurst.

Indeed, were it not for the lack of snow, blood-starved monstrosities and wailing specters, he would have sworn he had once again set foot in Annalise's domain for the first time since taking up ownership of The Dream.

There were other differences of course, chiefly that the servants clearly took their cleaning duties a lot more seriously than those of Cainhurst if the overall cleanliness of the place were any indication, most likely due to not being driven insane by blood and the horrors the Executioners forced upon them.

Then there was the fact that said servants, with the exception of the Eastern woman currently patrolling the grounds, were clearly some make of Doll, similar and yet somehow innately inferior to the one who had caught his attention.

As he watched the Doll embrace Saber's Master, no, as he watched Irisviel von Einzbern embrace her Husband, Emiya Kiritsugu, The Good Hunter could not help but draw parallels to another couple he had met all but briefly during his past life.

In truth, he could see a lot of Father Gascoigne in Emiya Kiritsugu, and not simply because he was a monster whose family adored him, effecting a mask of a taciturn killing machine to hide the fragility of their humanity, yet inherently fragile in regards to anything relating to their family.

It was that very humanity that had led to Gascoigne's fall come the end, first when surrendered to his blood lust to avenge the murder of his wife by blood-starved Yharnamites, and finally when the Good Hunter had manipulated his love for his family to stun the Beast long enough to put him down for good.

While it was unlikely that Emiya Kiritsugu would turn into a Beast anytime soon, The Good Hunter would wager that the Magus Killer would have been one of the more dangerous prey he would have faced during The Night of The Hunt, simply because he had more to lose than just his own life.

For a moment, he almost found himself feeling grateful towards the Cursed Chalice that had brought him here, as it seemed he would once again be able to atone for his failures towards Gascoigne and Henryk, by ensuring the cycle of loss and abandonment did not repeat itself.

However, whatever sentiments he might have felt were instantly dashed whenever he laid eyes on the Doll, Irisviel, his Insight allowing him to perceive the cancerous form of the Tainted Chalice forming within her now that she had forsaken the Ever-Distant Utopia, threatening to consume her very essence to give birth to All the World's Evils.

Not while he drew breath. While the Good Hunter hardly considered himself a Hero, having ascended to his current position for entirely selfish reasons, the idea of something so abhorrent being allowed into the world ran counter to both his innate sensibilities and his nature as a Great One.

He would not allow this young Doll to be sacrificed for the ambitions of mankind. He would not allow another family to be ripped apart in the pursuit of knowledge best left alone. He would not tolerate All the World's Evils being unleashed upon humanity, regardless of whether they deserved it or not.

However, just as he moved to materialize, to lay his hands upon them and pull them into The Dream, where he could begin the work of liberating Irisviel of her burden, he sensed a disturbance in the wards around them, his eyes narrowing as explosions tore through the night, following on the heels of a thunderous roar of mighty hooves.

Einzbern Castle Wall

"Rider." Kiritsugu noted, his expression quickly hardening into the mask of the Magus Killer as he separated from his wife's embrace "I suppose it was a fool's hope that the minefield would slow him down."

"Still, a full-frontal assault?" Irisviel marveled, stunned at the sheer audacity of the King of Conquerors, though in all honesty she probably should have expected as much, given Iskandar's actions at the docks and his reputation "Is he truly so confident in his victory?"

"We haven't truly seen what he's fully capable of, while he himself is all-too-aware of Saber's limitations." Kiritsugu, no, the Magus Killer noted coldly, his words sending a shiver down Irisviel's spine "Irisviel, prepare the crystal ball, the other Masters will likely use that idiot's entrance as their chance to slip past the defenses."

"Right." Irisviel acknowledged, her momentary discomfort at the coldness of her husband's tone vanishing as she turned on her heel and raced back into the castle, confident in her husband's ability to protect himself, especially now that she had entrusted Avalon to him.

While the Ever-Distant Utopia would not afford Kiritsugu the same level of protection it would the King of Knights, it would still ensure his survival provided his head remained intact and Saber remained alive. It was without question the strongest Trump Card the Einzbern could play in this war, and Irisviel felt there was no-one, other than Saber herself, who could wield it as efficiently as Emiya Kiritsugu.

"Are you alright, Irisviel?" Saber called out, the Once-And-Future King of Knights appearing from the corridor, already prepped for battle, Excalibur, clad in Invisible Air, held ready in her hands "Are we under attack?"

"It would appear so." Irisviel confirmed, grimacing slightly as she felt the after-effects of Rider tearing through the Bounded Field surrounding the property like it was so much tissue paper "Kiritsugu has already moved to co-ordinate with Maiya, so it falls to us to greet out unruly guest."

"I see." Saber acknowledged, her eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of her Master, no doubt suppressing her disapproval of his methods "Very well, I shall greet the King of Conquerors, stay beside me, Irisviel."

"Yes." Irisviel nodded, more than confident in Saber's ability to protect her from all attacks as she fell into step alongside her friend, arriving in the main hallway just in time for the doors to be torn from their hinges, unable to stand before the might of the Gordius Wheel's Divine Oxen.

"Ho, King of Knights!" Rider greeted, the King of Conquerors clad not in his usual vestments, but in a modern T-Shirt that strained to contain his muscular physique. This, combined with the joviality of his call, stilled Saber's hand, though she did not lower her guard.

"I heard you'd managed to get your hands on a castle so I came to take a look for myself…" Rider noted as he glanced around, clearly unimpressed "Kinda gloomy thought isn't it? It'd be a lot more inviting without all those trees blocking the entrance, so I cut some down for you."

"Rider…" Saber growled, even as Irisviel sighed at the Servant's antics. Alexander the Great had always had a reputation for being unpredictable, but meeting him in real life really put the legends to shame.

"Hey, what's with that tasteless armor of yours, King of Knights?" Rider demanded "That suit you wore when you confronted Lancer at the docks suited you far better than that dress."

"What are you doing here, Rider?" Saber demanded, her eye twitching, though whether it was at the Servant's antics or his slighting of her attire was debatable. Either way, she wasn't about to let her guard down around an Enemy Servant, now that every single one of them would be coming for her head.

While she cared little for Emiya Kiritsugu, indeed, this entire mess could most certainly be levelled at his feet, she would die before she allowed Irisviel to pay the price for his treachery.

Fortunately, he had yet to rescind his order to act as his wife's protector, and so she would remain at Irisviel's side, protecting her from harm, while Emiya Kiritsugu received the retribution he deserved from his fellow Masters.

'I can only hope that Lancer's Master does not force him to ally with the others again.' She mused, grimacing at the thought of facing all the other Servants without the full use of her Noble Phantasm, tensing as Rider reached down into his Chariot…only to blink as he hoisted up a massive wine casket.

"Isn't it obvious?" the King of Conquerors proclaimed, a shit-eating-grin adorning his bearded face as he beamed up at the dumbstruck King of Knights and Irisviel, while his Master shook his head in exasperation "I've come to have a drink with you!"

Apologies for the long wait, life hasn't been kind.

Consider this a Christmas Present. With luck, the next chapter should be up for new years.