Chapter Twelve: The Knight Treachery and the Demon

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long.

I'm so amazing this passed 100 reviews, like "Path of the Broken Mage", I never expected this to get super popular, I'll be working on that fic when I feel like it. In the meantime, fire up "Gregorian Chant - "Dies Irae" on YouTube and enjoy it!

Charles Zi Britannia let the stranger approach him in the Imperial Palace.

"If the King of Knights has personal Mages, then I should procure one for myself, will you enter my service, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia?"

"I would be honored to serve the Emperor of Britannia," Darnic replied.

"I will give you anything you require, but how shall we deal with the King of Knights?" Charles asked him.

"I know of a way that we can deal with them, but it is something only us Mages can do. We will summon the Holy Grail and use it to grant your wish, a wish for the King of Knights to…disappear."

"Do whatever you must to make it so! I will not be undone by an idealistic fool," the Emperor told him. "My wealth and power are at your disposal."

The Mage bowed to him, "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!"

Darnic smiled, The Mages Association will pay for casting me aside!

Prince Schneizel came and bowed before his father.

"Why did you summon me here, Father?" the Prince asked.

"Go, Prince Schneizel, give Arturia Pendragon our regards before she departs," Charles Zi Britannia ordered the Prime Minister.

"As you wish, Father," Schneizel rose to his feet and left. He began searching Pendragon Imperial Palace for her, but he could not find her or the Knights of the Round Table.

Earlier that morning, Arturia and the knights had awoken and searched for the chapel, they found it, abandoned with weeds growing all around it.

Arturia had read that when Henry VIII had been excommunicated by the Pope, he declared himself Head of the Church of England and torn down most of the monasteries in Britain, but Britannia had been religious for a time until Charles Darwin's theory of evolution gained popularity and the Royal Family had embraced Humanism as their belief system. They had left the chapel to rot, not even using it as a place for marriages or funerals.

Using her sword, she cut down the high grass around it; they pushed open the doors and used an electric torch to see inside. They took cloth and cleaned the dust of the altar and cleaned the pews. They put flowers at the base of the altar and lit the candles.

The Priest and Bishop walked in stood before them.

The Supreme Governor of the Church of England gazed at the bishop of Canterbury and spoke to him, "Lead us in Mass, Father."

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all," the Bishop greeted them.

"And also with you," Arturia answered him with her Knights.

"God our Father, your gift of water brings life and freshness to the earth; it washes away our sins and brings us eternal life."

"We ask you now to bless this water, and to give us your protection on this day which you have made your own. Renew the living spring of your life within us and protect us in spirit and body that we may be free from sin and come into your presence to receive your gift of salvation."

"We ask this through Christ our Lord."

"Amen," the small group replied.

The bishop and priests began to sing, the King and her knights joined them.

Dies iræ, dies illa
Solvet sæclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sibylla.

Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando Judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Tuba mirum spargens sonum,
Per sepulchra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando Judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Lelouch watched with interest as Kallen, who was also a Knight of the Round Table sang in Latin, the long-dead language. The others had not compelled her conversion, but she occasionally attended mass with them, mainly as a formality more than a religious experience.

Lelouch knew Shirley practiced some denomination of Christianity as she did attend church on Sunday, but she didn't say much about it.

Schneizel notice that the priest would walk among the knights and sprinkle them with Holy Water, it wasn't something he understood anyway.

Tuba mirum spargens sonum,
Per sepulchra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus judicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit:
Nil inultum remanebit.

"Do you know what they are singing about, Lord Kingsley?" Prince Schneizel asked, curious.

"From what the King of Knights told me, it's about when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the world. When all of humanity will stand before Him to be judged, rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked. I find it fascinating."

"Such things are truly old fashioned, but they seem to find hope in it, but isn't the material world more important than what we cannot see?" Schneizel asked.

"I'm not a theologian or scholar that I can answer those questions for you. I find the message to be comforting, that someone will judge the evil in the world."

There was a strange smile on Lord Kingsley's face, as if his words had a double meaning.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus,
Cum vix justus sit securus?

Rex tremendæ majestatis, be
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis.

"Ridiculous, to believe in God! There's no such being!" Cornelia smirked.

"Cornelia please, this is the castle chapel!" Princess Euphemia hissed.

"Why didn't they just tear down this old place?" Princess Cornelia grumbled. "It's not like we use it!"

"Quiet sister, let us just enjoy the sound of the Knights of the Round Table singing to their God, it's not like it's an unpleasant sound," Prince Schneizel scolded her. The Princess became silent and listened.

Recordare, Jesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuæ viæ:
Ne me perdas illa die.

Quærens me, sedisti lassus:
Redemisti Crucem passus:
Tantus labor non sit cassus.

Juste Judex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis,
Ante diem rationis.

"The song speaks of God's vengeance and yet the singer begs the Lord to remember that man is the reason he came to Earth in the first place, perhaps that is why the song sounds so beautiful, because it could terrify a man down to his very soul," Lord Kingsley gazed at them. "I can only watch my King and be in awe of her. She continues to stand before me in her righteousness."

Lord Kingsley looked at the Prime Minister, "Normally, this Gregorian chant is sung at funerals, I suppose that it being sung here is more symbolic than anything."

ngemisco, tamquam reus:
Culpa rubet vultus meus:
Supplicanti parce, Deus.

Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.

Preces meæ non sunt dignæ;
Sed tu bonus fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.

Inter oves locum præsta.
Et ab hædis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

Confutatis maledictis,
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictis.

Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis,
Gere curam mei finis.

Lacrimosa dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favilla,
Judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus:

Pie Jesu Domine,
Dona eis requiem. Amen.

They began to speak of things that Prince Schneizel did not understand; the Communion and Eucharist and then of the Word of God, the Mass went on much longer than he anticipated.

It was at least two hours before the knights got up and left the chapel.

"How can they sit idly for hours and listen to him?" Cornelia grumbled.

"It's important to them, just let them be," Euphemia scolded her.

"Hmm, they're all fools, there is no such thing as God."

"I would be careful, Your Highness, Christ in Heaven may be merciful, but insult the Greek gods and they curse you out of spite," Arturia warned her.

"And how would you know that?" the Princess sneered.

"I fought against a demigod, Hercules; he was not one to be taken lightly."

"It sounds far-fetched," Cornelia walked away.

"To you, it would," Arturia turned her attention to Prince Schneizel.

"Please pardon my sister's remarks about your religion, she takes after our father when it comes to such things," he bowed before her.

"I have pardoned her; I do not expect anyone to share my beliefs within the royal family, it is the way of this era," Arturia smiled.

"I came to tell you that my Father bids you farewell and he hopes that your next meeting will be better than this, he advises you to reconsider your stance on the Numbers and unite Britain and Britannia under him as his Queen."

Saber laughed, "Tell me Prince Schneizel, did you merely come here to proffer that ridiculous and laughable offer from your Father? If the Emperor of Britannia is truly smitten with me, he should at least come to me himself. The man I love was gracious enough to take me on a date!"

Arturia bowed to him.

"I bid you farewell, I will meet again with your Father in the Tokyo Settlement, until then, Chancellor Schneizel."

Arturia began walking away.

"Father?" Mordred asked, moving to walk beside her.

"By my Faith, we must leave before I lose all patience and kill them!" Saber snapped.

"I'd like to see that," Mordred grinned.

I will start when I am ready. Come my friends, we're heading home to London for a few days, and then to Japan, I am having a video conference with the 40-Man Committee soon. My business is done here."

"Your Majesty, I have been told by my father that I am to accompany you home…as a bargaining tool," Euphemia Li Britannia bowed politely.

"Please, do not consider yourself a hostage, the Emperor has taken no hostage in exchange for you. You shall be my honored guest."

Saber took her hand, and led the Princess away.

"Finally," Mordred huffed, "I can get away from these obnoxious wankers!"

The Knights and the King boarded their private plane and flew to London. Arturia was sitting across from Mordred, who slouched her shoulders with an indifferent expression on her face.

"Mordred, there is something I wish to know," Arturia gazed at her daughter.

"What is it, Father?"

"Why did you want to become king? Were you unsatisfied with my rule, you said that you wanted me to acknowledge you, isn't that right?"

Mordred shifted and sighed, "I…I didn't really want to become King at all," Mordred looked at her.

Arturia was surprised, "Then why did you rebel against me?"

"I…I wanted to ease the solitude you felt! You were unable to laugh or even cry! I believed that if I became king it would put an end to that suffering!" Mordred gestured to her. "I thought if I just kept picking up the things you discarded that would be more than enough to satisfy me!" Mordred gazed at her earnestly.

Arturia stood to her feet and moved over to Mordred. Much to the knight's surprise, she embraced her.

"I have always been fond of you, Mordred," Saber told her softly.

"But you said you only cared about my knighthood," Mordred protested, unsure of what to make of the affection her father showed her.

"I said many things during my life, even if they weren't completely truthful. You are like Shirou; all you ever wanted was for me to live as a person."

"I thought that if I could shoulder that burden for you, you would be free to live like a human being."

Saber pulled away from Mordred, wiping tears from her eyes. "When I give you my kingdom, what are you going to do?"

"You know what, Father? I've always thought about ruling as king, and yet, I'm still trying to figure out how to be a good one. I'm startin' to think I'll never know."

Much to Mordred's surprise, she laughed, "You are completely clueless!"

"Don't mock me, Father!" Mordred snapped.

"I am not mocking you, all this time, you have wanted my throne, and yet you do not know what you will do when you get it."

Saber put her hand on Mordred's shoulder, "What are your plans as King? Your hopes and dreams for our country? When I pass the throne to you, you will rule over most of the world. So tell me, what are your hopes and dreams for Britain?"

"Wait, father, you're going to conquer the world?!" Mordred balked.

"It can't be helped, it is the current size of the Empire," Saber smiled.

"What are my plans for Britain?" Mordred was thoughtful, she began clutching her head. "It's too much! It's giving me a freakin' headache!"

Arturia patted her head affectionately, "You'll figure it out eventually, and I have high expectations of you, Mordred."

"I'll surpass your expectations of me, Father, you'll see!" Mordred clenched her fists.

"You server, bring us more plates, fill them up, I'm starving!" Saber called to him.

"Your Highness has had two full plates already," the server called to her.

"We've had an excellent breakfast, second breakfast, and now onto Elevenses, a splendid luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper!"

"Seven meals Your Majesty?"

"Never underestimate my stomach!" Saber laughed.

The food was placed before them.

"I hunger, time to eat!" Mordred shouted.

Lelouch sat in his seat, gazing at a chess set. He saw a handsome man with white hair sit down across from him.

"My Lord Galahad, is there something I Julius Kingsley can do for you?" Lelouch asked the greatest knight of the Round Table. He had been silent throughout most of his time in the Pendragon Imperial Palace. The knight had not openly criticized the Emperor for their polices of discrimination nor stood up for the Numbers, he had merely watched and observed everything quietly.

"Tell me, my King has given you a new name and a new purpose in life, despite your deep seeded hatred for the Emperor and the Holy Britannian Empire, why would someone such as you follow my King? I'm sure you could accomplish your desire to obliterate this country without her."

"Tell me, Sir Galahad, what is the most important trait for governing the world?" Lelouch asked the knight.

"It's pride, the pride of self-governance, the King has spoken to many other rulers about such things."

"Good answer, Arturia speaks with wisdom, but I would submit another answer: the will to destroy."

"Oh," Galahad set up the chessboard.

"Destroy the world, and even one's self!" Lelouch smile at him, he gazed at the chessboard.

"I see, that's your plan isn't it, you would set yourself as an evil tyrant that the entire world would hate you, and then you would be assassinated by the symbol you yourself created, Zero." Bedivere spoke to him.

"The wisdom of Bedivere is truly legendary, to deduce my plan from merely this conversation is a testament to your wisdom," Lelouch nodded at the knight.

"I have given great thought to the story the King has told us about you and your sister. You are a man who would do whatever it took to bring about the world your sister wishes for. You are willing to stain your hands with blood as a villain. That is the sort of man you are. One could say that you are mad."

"Is my desire for a better world so wrong, Sir Bedivere?" Lelouch asked him.

"Only a madman would make himself a scapegoat when he could easily find a peaceful means to break the cycle of hatred you often speak of," Bedivere scolded him.

"The cycle of hatred is not easily broken; I destroy the world, and even myself, so I can recreate the world anew. At least, that is the plan that I had conceived, before I found her, that is the Zero Requiem. I would have Suzaku slay the Emperor Lelouch, the enemy of the world, as Zero."

"Heh, what's the point of setting yourself up as the big bad if all you're gonna do is die?" Mordred smirked.

"Speak for yourself, Knight of Rebellion," Lelouch chuckled.

"Now, now, Mordred, do calm down," Galahad gripped the knight's shoulder.

"It bugs me, why is that sister of yours so damn nice? If it were me I'd hate the bastards who did that to me," Mordred observed.

"It's because she's very kind, but not without her faults, I know that when she's alone, she'll throw tantrums, but she mainly did that when she was little," Lelouch told her.

"I figured that much, she's not a saint after all," Mordred scowled.

"My sister has endured far more than anyone should, that's why I'm going to destroy this rotten world," Lelouch clenched his fist. "I will find out who killed my mother, and destroy my father."

"Destroying Britannia or discovering who murdered your mother, which is more important to you?" Galahad asked, curious.

"The two are of equal importance. The royal family members are competing with each other to see who will ascend the throne and become the next ruler. Or rather, they're being forced to fight by that man!" Lelouch felt his body shaking.

"But the very thing you hate is the same thing that makes Britannia strong. The royal heir who is best fit become the next ruler of Britannia is the last one left standing," Bedivere, "It is the tyrant's way of choosing a successor."

"Exactly. The weak ones lose and they're cast aside. Britannia is that kind of nation. That kind of world," Lelouch glanced at the knight.

Survival of the fittest is the most basic rule of all, you know that right, kid?" Mordred sneered.

"You have nerve calling me a kid," Lelouch smirked.

"I'm not a human being like you, I was created to be the heir to this kingdom, and I'm superior to you, do you really think you can take down an Empire?"

"And you have a better plan than my own, Mordred, Knight of Rebellion?" Lelouch challenged her.

"My father did not approve of me, despite my bloodline; my skills weren't enough to sway him either, so I taught the King a little lesion, just to show him that his governing meant nothing at all!" Mordred grinned. "I could overthrow your father with little trouble at all."

"I still find it unbelievable that someone as ineloquent and simpleminded as you could gain the loyalty of an entire country," Lelouch scowled at her.

"Why you—!" Mordred unsheathed her blade, rushing at Lelouch, who raised his staff in defense.

"Mordred!" Saber was on her so quickly Lelouch was startled at how fast she moved.

"Father?!" Mordred stopped.

"You will not harm my Master, Mordred, calm yourself, and sheathe your sword, should you threaten Lelouch again, I will cut you down without hesitation."

Mordred clenched her fist, "Very well father," she turned and left.

"I beg your pardon, Mordred," Lelouch bowed quickly.

"Fine, you're polite when you're not being a pain in the ass," Mordred huffed.

"Forgive her, she's always been the brashest member of the Table," Saber sighed. The King went back to her seat.

Lelouch turned back to Sir Galahad.

"Still, I do wonder, Sir Galahad, why someone as righteous as you said nothing during your visit to the Imperial Palace," Lelouch glanced at the greatest Knight of the Round Table.

"I have no need to speak of them, like that lot would listen to me," Galahad gazed at the board. "The King will make her move against them, and I shall protect her, as I always have done."

Lelouch laughed, "I would expect no less from the pinnacle of knighthood; still this is going to be a long war."

"Do not underestimate us, magecraft trumps many of the so-called technological advances of this era, do not underestimate such things."

"I have seen my Uncle's abilities as a mage, but even something like that isn't enough," Lelouch gazed at the chessboard; they had not even begun a game yet.

"You haven't seen anything yet, we will crush these scoundrels easily," Galahad smiled.

"You're confident, but this era is so different from your own," Lelouch smiled at him.

"I have never been defeated, and I have never lost a battle, and I doubt that I will now, even with your technological advantages."

Galahad moved a white pawn forward.

"Would you care for a game Lord Kingsley?" Galahad asked.

"Of course," Lelouch smiled, he prepared to play chess against the finest knight of Britain. This would be fun.

Arturia Pendragon entered the London Clocktower and made her way towards the office of the Head of Summoning. A servant had greeted her upon arrival and had told her that he had important news for her.

She entered the office accompanied by Lelouch, dressed in his Zero costume and sat down as the rough and tumble mercenary and the Head of Summoning rose to their feet and bowed before her.

"You have my permission to speak freely Mage," Saber glanced at him.

"Sit, join me, have some tea," Saber made them some tea and they drank.

"Yggdmellenia has announced their succession from the Clocktower. Following that, it seems they formed a new Association. It seems that Emperor Charles Zi Britannia has acquired their services. The Emperor has joined forces with the Mage Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia," Rocco Belfaban began informing her.

"Lord El Melloi II, tell me more about this Mage family," Saber told him.

"Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia was cast from the Mages Association after a prophecy foretold the decline of his clan. He participated in the Third Holy Grail War but vanished for both the Fourth and the Fifth."

"In that clan, they don't pass on their Magecraft to just one child. Instead, they work under the mindset of quantity over quality when seeking comrades. Quite peculiar, Mages try to pass on Magic Circuits, having as many as possible strengthens the Crests. Yggdmillenia's concept is different from that. So if they mobilize, I'm sure quite a few Mages out there will try to jump on their bandwagon."

"I see, quantity over quality can be a bad thing, have a large army of poor soldiers, and all you have is cannon fodder," Saber glanced at him.

"What would happen if seven Mages allied together?" Saber queried.

"Seven allies, and seven foes," Rocco Belfaban gestured. "We are the Masters of Red, which means the Yggdmillenia are the Masters of Black. This Holy Grail War is fought between two teams of seven."

"It's all part of an emergency system that had been built into the Greater Grail," Lord El Melloi II explained. "If seven Servants form a union under one power, that causes seven more Servants to be additionally summoned. It will be an all out war, unlike anything the people of this era have ever seen."

"The Great Holy Grail War, that is what Yggdmillenia has decided to call it," Rocco Belfaban finished the explanation.

"The Magecraft the Yggdmillenia deal in are Kabala, Alchemy, and Witchcraft. Most are second-rate at best," Rocco Belfaban gestured, explaining further. "But among them are exceptional first-rate Mages, like Darnic."

"Never underestimate the power of a Mage, Lord Rocco. My Master Shirou Emiya was nothing more than a novice and yet I brought him victory in the Fifth Holy Grail War, and even the Shirou in this world survived that War," Saber glanced at the elderly man.

"Indeed Your Highness, that is true, it was why we allowed him to come to the Clocktower," the old man smiled at her, bowing.

"I have absolutely no doubt that there are supporters of them at the Clocktower even as we speak," Rocco sipped his tea.

"So everything's being leaked to them," Kairi Shishigou noted. "You know, if you assassinate a Master quickly, you can end the Grail War before it even begins."

"Do you really think we haven't thought of that already? When they proclaimed their intent to start another Holy Grail War, we sent a Disciplinary Squad their way. However, of the 50 elites we sent in, all but one of them were completely slaughtered."

"Huh?" Kairi flinched.

"Yes, all slaughtered by a Servant," Rocco Belfaban glanced at the King. "In other words, it's clear that Yggdmillenia has already summoned at least one Servant."

"So it looks like you get to be the messenger," Darnic told the trembling Mage, 'This is Yggdmillenia's, and Britannia's declaration of war!"

Saber looked at them, "So the Emperor will forgo declaring war formally even as he mobilizes his armies and his Mages against me. Does he think I don't know the games he's playing?"

Waver Velvet looked thoughtful, "I fear we are ill prepared for the Great Holy Grail War, perhaps that's why Zero has Command Seals, but you are a special case, are you not, Arturia?"

"I am, but I have won the Holy Grail War before, our enemy does not know that."

"What of the Church?" Saber asked.

"Apparently, they're sending a nun to oversee the Grail War, she's siding with Yggdmillenia."

"Kairi Shishigou, will you fight for me?" Arturia asked him.

"If the Mages Association will give me the hydra in the office of the head of Summoning, I'll do it."

"That's far too much," Rocco protested.

"I have no guarantee that I'll make it out alive, I request good compensation," Kairi Shishigou countered.

"Very well, you may have what you have requested," the Head of Summoning sighed.

"Is this enough compensation for you, Mage Kairi Shishigou?" Arturia asked, pulling out a medium sized bag of gold. The Mages eyes widened in shock, what she was holding in her hand was a fortune in gold alone.

"Your Highness, that's—" Kairi protested.

"My friend, the Holy Grail War holds many risks, you may not come back alive, and during the Fourth War there were only three survivors. In the Fifth there were also only three surviving Masters. If you are going to risk your life then you should be paid what its worth."

The Mage took the bag from her, "I could live the rest of my life in luxury, if I survive the War."

"I humbly accept this, Your Majesty. I shall join you as a Master of Red, King of Knights; lead us your humble servants to victory!" Kairi bowed to her.

"Now you are flattering me, my friend," Arturia smiled, "Referring to yourself as my humble servant."

Arturia Pendragon stood to her feet, "I Arturia Pendragon, order the Mages Association to win the Great Holy Grail War! I will fight at your side and lead you to victory! I will win the Holy Grail."

"Yes, Your Highness!" the men bowed.

"Lord El Melloi II, I will leave the selection of the Masters of the Red Faction to you."

"Very well, we hear and obey your majesty!" the Mage bowed before her.

"If I might trouble you Head of Summoning, with your permission, I wish to address the students of the Clocktower."

"The King of Knights has arrived at the Clocktower and wishes to address the students immediately, all students gather in the auditorium!" Lord El Melloi II said over the speaker.

The students rushed out to the auditorium talking excitedly among themselves. They all eagerly gathered together as close as they could to hear her.

"I apologize for interrupting your studies, Mages," Saber bowed, apologizing, to them. The students laughed, saying they were glad to have a break from class.

"I know that the war between Britain and Britannia is coming soon. The Emperor has already made moves against the Association. I have been told that the mage Mage Darnic Prestone Yggdmillenia has broken from the Association and pledged his allegiance to the Emperor of Britannia."

There were outraged cries from the mages and the students shook their fists.

"I know that you have both the ability and capacity to do incredible things as mages. I myself have the capacity but not the patience to learn magecraft. But I will need the help of everyone here to overcome the formidable nation of Britannia."

"Here, here!" the students cheered.

"War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."

Saber gestured to them.

"I will lead you to victory, and not just in the Holy Grail War, but in the war with Britannia! For I am the undefeated King! I have said all that must be said for now, I bid you go back to your studies and become fine mages."

Lancelot's keen eyes spotted a woman run in and fall to her knees before the King before the other Knights of the Round Table could reach her.

"My Lord, King Arthur, I am Mage Olga Marie Animusphere, I am the Head of the Chaldeas Security Organization. We are tasked with preserving mankind's future. The Light of Chaldeas is gone!"

"Please, stand to your feet and tell me everything," Saber smiled gently at her. She knew the mage was frantically disturbed by something important.

"I am Professor Leff Lynor, Chaldeas was created from an exact replica of Earth's Soul, if the light of that civilization is extinguished then—"

"All we know is that the Empire of Britannia and the Geass Order has been doing research into the forbidden knowledge concerning the Ragnarök Connection and Thought Elevators." Olga Animusphere replied.

Professor Leff bowed quickly. "Your Highness Britannia seeks to conquer countries where Thought Elevators are located. It is assumed that with their forbidden knowledge that they would try to kill God!"

"But that's impossible; the Emperor has mocked God, not just Saber's God, but any god or gods that exist! The royal family openly embraces Darwinism and Humanism!"

"It doesn't matter what he says publically concerning God or gods, but in private they are conducting research that is forbidden to mages and they wish to destroy the Root, Akasha. Is this Great Holy Grail War merely a distraction?"

"It's not a distraction, I would interfere with their plan to destroy God, I would not permit someone to upset the balance of the world. That is why heroes and heroic spirits exist, to protect the world. What of the deterrent force, the Counter Guardians?"

"We haven't seen any sign of any activity by the Counter Guardians," Rocco Belfaban replied.

"All the Mages who are ready to follow the King prepare to leave with her at once!" Olga Marie Animusphere ordered.

"Yes Ma'am!" the mages said as one. They left the room as many of them ran back to the dorms to prepare to leave with the King.

"Come Zero, we're going to leave for Japan shortly," Saber told him. "I thank you, Olga Animusphere, you have given me much to think about."

"You're welcome, Your Highness, I am at your disposal," the mage bowed to her.

"Inform me if the future has changed, that is of great importance to me," Saber turned and began walking away.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Zero followed her as she left. No one was going to stop them now!