The Sixth Holy Grail War. The successor to the Holy Grail War that last came about several decades ago in Fuyuki.

However, this war is different, for there is not one, but two Holy Grails active. Just as the Greater Holy Grail War had two factions, each with their own set of Servants, 14 have been called into action.

Humanity is not alone. For the first time, other factions have joined the war.

The first major battle of the Sixth Holy Grail War has passed. Of the original seven, only five remain. The Secondary Servants have begun to enter the stage of destiny.

A new conflict in this great war is about to commence.

Fate/stay night:
Dragon of Dragons

2nd Moon, First Night:
The Girl in the Fog

Issei spent the entirety of golden week in hell.

Ordinarily, one might think that getting to spend the next couple of days with a woman as beautiful as Rin Tohsaka would be a blessing, especially for a man as hot-blooded and perverse as he was. He was no fool, the woman was a ten out of ten knockout and by far one of the most sexiest women on the face of the earth. Her elegant, if otherwise cold and aloof personality, only helped bolster that image. However, that said, she was also his grandmother and barely looked like she passed out of her teenage years and into adulthood. She was also a very strict teacher who would accept no less than perfection, nor would she stop for minor things like breaks until she felt he earned them with his blood, sweat and tears.

If it wasn't Rin Tohsaka, then it was Hineko Fujimura. A volatile spitfire incarnate, as they almost always found themselves bickering at every turn, whether it was about him being a pervert and her under the misconception he was a creep, which he was used to given the female student body's treatment towards him, and him being annoyed by her antics and constant attempts to dropkick him every time they met. It was only by pure luck that he somehow managed to reinforce his body and brace for impact when he saw her coming. Rin claimed she had no magical potential and couldn't qualify as a magus, even if she were to learn the same basic abilities as his grandfather, but she more than made up for it with her superhuman strength.

There was also the fact that she didn't like to be called any variation of cat. The one time he called her Neko-chan as a way of teasing, he almost lost his head. In the distance, he could swear he heard the resounding roar of a very pissed off tiger.

Seriously, what was with the women in his life being quasi-monsters who could rip him to pieces if they wanted to?

"At least we're finally back home..." Issei groaned, slumping in his seat. Golden Week had passed and he was now on his way back home, where his sweet, sweet soft and comfortable bed were waiting for him, along with Asia's beautiful and angelic smile. "Ugh, my whole body hurts. I feel like I just got done with a month's worth of boot camp!"

Altera smiled wryly at her Master. "Come now, Ise. It wasn't that bad."

"You weren't there." Issei glared. "You spent all that time chatting with Illya-san and that damned cat!"

While Issei endured the grueling training set by his grandmother, Altera had been spending time with Illya and Hineko. The former wanted to get to know her better while the latter was curious about her. Hineko was still thinking that Issei was blackmailing or had her a sex slave, a conception that he was seriously getting annoyed with. All because Altera referred to him as her Master. Illya, on the other hand, took every opportunity to tease him, and occasionally give him a light tap on his rear. At first, he thought it was because of a subtle incest thing going on, but she clarified her actions by stating that she did it to rile him up, knowing full well he wasn't used to such interactions before with any woman, not even that she-devil Aika!

Seriously, what the hell had his life become?

"I can't wait to get home..." Issei grumbled. As the train continued on its path, he peeked out the windows and blinked. "Weird. It's really foggy today. Did it rain while we were gone?"

"I do not believe so." the Saber-class Servant replied.

Rias stared at the book in her hands for several seconds before she sighed deeply, shutting it closed. "I can't concentrate." Her Peerage and their Servants all turned to look at her curiously. "This whole debacle is just one question after another."

"I take it you're referring to the Rider with Issei Hyoudou?" Berserker asked as he set the tray down on the table. Koneko beamed up at him as she took the plate holding the slice of cake while Medb and Yuuto took the cups. "I admit, it is quite odd that there would be another Rider summoned, but I do not believe it to be the first. If memory serves, wasn't there a public record of something similar to this in the Akashic Records that the Grandmaster of the Mage's Association published?"

"There was, but that still doesn't explain why it's happening now." Rias groaned. "I thought that this would have been simple, but evidently, I was wrong."

"It also doesn't help that the Executioner arrived today." Akeno hummed, cupping her chin. "What was his name again?"

"Kotomine, Kiriya." Yuuto answered. He looked like he swallowed a lemon. "Otherwise known as the Black Saint of God. To say that he has quite the track record would be understating it."

There was a reason he was known as the. Church's Top Executor. In all his years of service, he had slain countless Dead Apostles, monsters, Stray Devils, anything and everything that proved to be a threat to humanity.

Every extermination mission he's been on has been a success. Not only is he strong, but he has a sharp mind and cunning. Virtually anyone he's ever fought has wound up critically injured or dead, and the former were considerably lucky to walk away with only some serious wounds.

Rias was very nervous. She had been anxious when Caren Hortensia arrived, but she was only here to observe the proceedings of the Holy Grail War before another Servant belonging to a class that had already been summoned was called. The Executioner from the Black Sect? That was enough to make her paranoid and wonder if the Church deliberately sent him here. She didn't have the resources to investigate the truth as to why he was sent here to her territory, and when she tried to contact her brother about the matter, she learned he was away on urgent business.

All in all, what should have been something simple was now well out of her control. Thinking back on it now, maybe she had been arrogant. When she became a Master, she thought it would have been easy, being a Devil and possessing a Servant of considerable strength. She didn't truly have a wish for the Holy Grail, and even if she did have one, she wouldn't be fighting her peerage over for it. In fact, if she had to say, the only person among her peerage who did have a wish for the Holy Grail was probably her Knight, having a few good guesses. Still, she was unsure and never inquired about it.

Lancer himself didn't have a wish, which was surprising given who he was. Given what she knew about Servants, she would have believed that he would have wished to undo the damage to his own legend caused by Bram Stoker's novel, but he was actually fine with what he had become. He accepted his nature, but he wouldn't rely on his Noble Phantasm if he could help it, as he considered it to be the same as forfeiting everything that made him Vlad Tepes. The public called him a vampire, but as far as Vlad Tepes was considered, the only true vampire was "Dracula, the man who forfeited everything that he was." He was a warrior and a ruler, first and foremost, and it would be a cold day in hell before he would become a monster. This was also the basis behind their contract: so long as Rias did not order him to use his Noble Phantasm, he would fight for her.

Rider and Berserker were a bit different. They had wishes, but they willingly bowed their heads to Lancer as they knew they could never take him head-on. They also know that their Masters had also sworn their services to Rias and owed their very lives to her, so they couldn't exactly try and coerce them either. And if they ever turned traitor, Lancer had promised to give them a very painful death. Rider cowed with ease, but Berserker had already accepted the circumstances behind his summoning and willingly chose to obey his Master's wishes and serve Rias.

With all of these things, Rias' worries then were her competition. Sona and she had no real hard feelings, but Sona did have a wish of her own. The Holy Grail, assuming it wasn't like the one corrupted in Fuyuki, had more than enough power to grant her wish and change the social structure of the Devils for the better. A chance for reincarnated and lesser devils to gain a place in an otherwise traditional society that focused more on the privileges of higher-born and pureblood Devils. While Rias and Lancer did not have a wish, they wouldn't go easy on her when the time came. However, there was always that tiny bit of doubt in her mind that maybe she was taking their friendship for granted. She could just simply hand over the win to Sona, but wouldn't that also be condescending passion?

At that line of thought, Rias knew for certain that Sona would never forgive her if she did that. For as long as she could remember, the two had been rivals of sorts. Not helping matters was that both had elder siblings who were Satans. If Rias conceded defeat just so Sona could have her wish granted, all without so much as a chance to prove herself, well...

The redhead sighed and shook her head, ridding herself of such thoughts. She was beginning to realize that the Holy Grail War, and her reasons for becoming involved, might have been quite selfish when compared to others. Sona and Rias' peerage, plus the Servants, knew of her circumstances and Lancer had been more than happy to rectify the situation, but she still felt as if there was something off. Was it wrong to fight when one's reason was simply to get out of marriage and test her friend's own strength?

"Speaking of troublesome things..." Medb remarked as she peered out the window of the clubhouse. "Anyone else notice how foggy it seems to be?"

"I have, but it did rain not too long ago." Rias replied. "Having said that, I do find it quite odd that the fog would be this thick."

Lancer looked out the window and stuck his head out. His nostrils flared as he inhaled. "...this is no fog. I smell blood in the air." he said, surprising all those in attendance. "This fog was not made by nature...or man, for that matter."

"What does that-" Rias stopped when she felt the room suddenly grow warmer, followed by a familiar sigil burning into the floor of the room. She scowled. "Of, for the love of-"

Flames erupted inside the clubhouse in a column before abruptly fading, revealing a roguish-looking man with blonde hair in a nice suit with an equally stunning woman at his side. Immediately, everyone present grew hostile.

"Riser Phenex..." Lancer smiled viciously as his fingers twitched. "This is surprising. I believe I told you what would happen if you dared to come here unannounced. Shall I remind you?"

Riser grimaced. "As...interesting as that sounds, I will have to pass. I'm not exactly here for pleasantries, much less continue our talks. I'm here on a more personal matter."

"If this is about the marriage, I believe we already settled the matter the last time you were here." Rias glowered.

The man that was chosen as her fiance raised his hands. "Relax. I'm not here for that. Rather, as much as it pains me to say it... I need your help." Rias' eyes widened. "It's Ravel. She's gone missing."

"Sheesh, this fog is thick." Issei remarked as they entered Kuoh. Their surroundings were heavily shrouded to the point where he couldn't see a few feet ahead of him. "How hard did it rain while we were gone? I can barely even see my own nose. Hey, Altera. You okay?"

"I am fine." his Servant assured him. "I can see through the fog just fine. It's strange, though. We are in the shopping district and it is in the afternoon, but I do not see anyone out. I believe they are indoors."

"Wait, really?" Issei asked. Even with fog this thick, surely there would be some amount of people walking about. It was a weekend. Usually there were people in the district at this time. "That is strange. Are they really scared a little fog or something? Granted, I'm practically walking around blind, but it doesn't seem that bad."

"I don't believe that is the case, Master." Altera shook her head, causing him to turn to her general direction. "Despite the fog, I suspect that there should be some people present. But no matter where I turn, I see no one. There aren't even vendors nearby. The district looks deserted."

"Seriously?!" The brunette whipped his head around wildly in vain. Due to the thick fog, he couldn't even see a few inches in front of him, leaving him to rely only on Altera's word. Now that he took a moment to think, he realized something. Silence. There were no sounds of footsteps, no gentle thrums of a car engine, not even a gust of wind. The area around them was essentially dead. "...we should be worried right now, shouldn't we?"

"I believe so, Master." The Saber nodded as she steeled her features and materialized her sword.

Issei panicked when she did. "W-why do you have to automatically assume this is the work of some bad guy?! Granted, the situation is weird, but on the off chance somebody comes by, how the heck am I gonna explain why you have a freaking-" He got no farther than that when Altera suddenly shoved him to the ground. "Hey! What's the big-!"

At that exact same moment, Altera swung her sword and clashed blades. Sparks flew for only a second before the red-eyed warrior pushed and threw the assailant back. It all happened so quickly that Issei didn't get a good look at his attacker, only that they were wearing a tattered cloak.

"A woman! You're a woman! We thought we recognized that smell!" the voice of a child laughed, seemingly echoing within the fog. "Ooh, but you're so strong. You're a Servant!"

Issei moaned. "Not even a week and I'm already being attacked by another Servant..." he muttered as he got up on his feet. "Saber, got any idea who it is?"

"No, I do not." Altera replied. "If this fog is their doing, then they must be either Caster or Assassin."

'Then, it's just like Asia.' Issei frowned. 'Another Servant of the same class. But who is it?'

Altera moved again, swiftly reaching his side and deflecting another attack that came directly from behind him. "Aw, we thought we hid ourselves well that time..." the child-like voice whined. "You're pretty fast, miss! But, shouldn't you get your Master out of this fog? He might diiie~"

"What are you babbling about now?" she demanded coldly. If she thought a taunt like that was going to work, the enemy Servant had another thing coming. She soon learned that it wasn't a taunt, however, as the fog suddenly shifted in weight. She heard Issei coughing behind her. She looked behind her and immediately panicked when she saw him on his knee, hand over his mouth and blood seeping through his fingers. "Master!"

But before she could rush to his side, she raised her blade to deflect another knife swing. Meanwhile, Issei remained crouched over. His lungs were on fire as the taste of iron filled his mouth. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even cough. Every time he tried to suck in air, he felt suffocated.

His vision started to grow dizzy from the pain and lack of oxygen. Don't even get him started on the sensation of several needles stabbing into him from the inside starting with his lungs.

'What's wrong with me? I...I feel like I'm dying!'

Growing tired of interference, Altera pushed as much prana as she could into her next swing without draining too much from Issei. The result was a powerful swing that cut straight through the fog, briefly tearing open an exit. She swiftly grabbed him and dashed forward through the open cut she made, moving as fast as she could while leaving their assailant behind.

"Aah! Hey, wait!"

The enemy quickly gave chase after the fleeing duo, refusing to lose sight of their prey.

Altera picked up Issei and slung him over her shoulder as she dashed through the gap in the darkened haze. The walls of mist quickly converged to fill the opening, but the small reprieve was enough for Issei to recover. He took greedy gulps of air once he was free from the fog. Altera successively swung her sword again and again to keep the path open.

She continued to move forward, faster and faster while swinging her sword.

'This fog goes on forever. Am I dealing with a Caster? No, if they were, they wouldn't try to engage me outright, even with the fog. Could it be an Assassin? But who is it?'

More importantly though, why was Assassin even fighting her in the first place? The Overseer had called for a ceasefire, and she had not heard of any news of that order rescinding during the time she and Issei were away.

Whoever the Master to this Servant was, they made a grave mistake going against the order.

No matter how much fog Altera sliced her way through, she was still no further away from finding the limit. That either meant all of Kuoh had become enveloped in a Bounded Field, hence the mist, or the most itself was following her now that the Servant had discovered its target. Perhaps a chance of scenery was in order. With a grunt, Altera changed the direction of her blade and cut her way straight upwards, then leaped up with as much physical strength she could muster without seriously injuring Issei in the process. She sliced and cut her way through the fog until she finally breached, flying all the way up into the air where she could see the orange-red sky hanging above her head, the sun beginning to set.

Altera looked down, lips thinning as she saw that nearly all of Kuoh was enveloped in the fog. "That is annoying." She looked down at Issei. The rough departure and sudden burst into the air was hell on his lungs as he coughed, but he sounded better than before. "Master, please hold your breathe when we enter the fog again. It is dangerous to breathe in."

"What makes you think you'll escape?" a new voice called out before they too joined the fray. A crescent arc of flames was aimed at Altera's head, though she quickly sliced straight through it and dispelled it with ease before glaring at the new foe and possible Master.

Looking down on the Master and Servant was a young girl, likely in her first year of high school. If Issei hadn't been in agonizing respiratory pain, he would've make a comment on her beauty. She had a light, clear complexion that somewhat resembled porcelain. Her dark blue eyes were harrowed with a hint of condescension. Her blonde hair was long and tied into twintails with large, drill-like curls kept in place with blue ribbons. She was garbed in a pink, victorian-style dress that highlighted her well-developed curves. But what stood out most was the pair of fiery wings on her back keeping her airborne.

It almost drew away attention from the girl's hand.

More specifically, the red markings on the back of her hand. There was no mistaking it. Two of the three sigils resembled widespread wings while the last appeared as a ball of fire. They were Command Seals.

Altera's suspicions had proven valid. This girl was a master.

Altera descended and landed atop one of the water tanks, her eyes never leaving her target. "I assume you're the Master of the Servant?"

"Correct." the woman smiled arrogantly as she performed a curtsy. "Ravel Phenex, how do you do? If you would do me a favor, would you kindly allow me and my Servant to kill your Master?"

"If you think I would obey your orders, you are sorely mistaken." Altera answered coldly. "You dared to harm my Master. I will see to it that your head rolls at my feet."

"You're so loyal, aren't you? I can't understand why. If you just let me kill him and contract with me, you would have much more power at your disposal. As you can see, I am a Devil. We have much more innate magical energy at our disposal than humans like your Master. Would be able to access your full capabilities. Winning this war would be a cakewalk." Ravel attempted to negotiate. Her goal was to kill a Master and take their Command Spells. If she so happened to come across a Servant who would willingly join her and Assassin, then it would simply be a boon.

"I refuse." Altera glowered at the girl for making such an offer. "As I said before. You shall not harm my Master as long as I draw breath." Her expression was fierce and unyielding. Nothing the Devil could say would change her mind.

"...I see. Seems like negotiations have failed." Ravel huffed before smiling. "Oh well. Assassin? Be a dear and kill them both please."

"Okay, Mommy!" The child-like voice chirped up from behind the Saber.

Issei, who managed to recover now that he was completely out of the fog, snapped back to reality and realize what was gonna happen. He reacted almost immediately and raised his hand, circuits running along his arm.

"Gandr!"

Assassin was caught off guard and was struck dead-on by the attack, though the damage wasn't lasting or severe. If anything, all it did was repel her as all his attack seemed to do was blow off her cloak. Without the fog obscuring her, Issei now had a good look at the Servant...and promptly gaped.

'Oooh, Matsuda would be having a field day with this one.'

He thought that Assassin sounded childish back in the fog. Now he saw the reason why.

Their enemy was a young girl, likely in her pre teens or even younger. She was even shorter than Koneko-Chan! She also bore a slight resemblance to her with her short white hair. She had green eyes that gleamed with childish innocence. Not even the scar on her cheek or the one below her eyes detracted her cuteness. She had a pair of knives in her bandaged hands. What was most shocking is the attire a child her age should not wear. She wore a black buttoned vest-like shirt that exposed her stomach. The only things that covered her lower half was a pair of skimpy black panties that were more akin to a thong and black thigh high socks.

He looked at Ravel questionably. "Please tell me you are not the one who put her in that outfit."

"Of course not!" Ravel's cheeks turned pink as she huffed and crossed her arms. "That's how she was when I summoned her! Believe me, it's not like I approve of her choice of attire, either!" Okay. Issei could see that happening. When Altera was summoned, she wasn't exactly dressed conservatively either. Ravel blinked rapidly. "Wait, what am I doing arguing? Assassin!"

"Die for us!" Assassin cheered as she leaped. At the same time, Ravel conjured another volley of fire.

"Saber!" Issei ordered. Altera swung her sword at Ravel's flames while he dealt with Assassin. He sucked in a breath, then threw his first forward. Assassin giggled at this, wondering if he knew he was trying to punch a pair of knives that could easily carve through his flesh. She continued without a care in the world and aimed to slice off his hand completely, right down the middle-

[BOOST!]

-only for a crimson red gauntlet to impede its progress, followed by a green light emanating from the jewel on the back of the boy's hand. "Huh?" Assassin tilted her head in confusion and quickly retreated as he attempted to throw another punch.

'I don't think I'll be able to handle Assassin, but we don't actually have to fight her.' Issei thought logically. 'All we gotta do is take out the Master, or at the very least incapacitate her.'

"Reinforce." Issei muttered under his breath, soon feeling his body change subtly. "Okay. Let's try this again!"

He was told time and time again by his grandmother that it was impossible for a human to fight a servant and expect to win. It was basically suicide to fight one in the first place. But he wasn't aiming to win. He just needed to buy time for Altera to beat down Assassin's Master.

He quickly ducked underneath a jumping knife swing and roll away from his opponent.

...assuming he doesn't get carved up like a turkey first.

"Ravel is missing?"

Rias' relationship with the Phenex family was a bit of a mixed bag. She absolutely abhorred Riser's condescending attitude and arrogance, especially with his constant reminding of superiority of Pureblood society. His redeeming qualities were that he genuinely cared about his sister and his Peerage, and if any dared to cross those under his care, there would indeed be hell to pay. His parents treated her as if she was their second daughter, though their remarks on occasion told her that even they had reservations about Riser's attitude. Rias had rarely ever met his brother, but the man had been pleasant enough. Ravel already considered her to be an older sister and wished her marriage the best of luck, though there were times when Ravel could be pushy, as she was clearly on her brother's side of things.

Before she got involved in the Holy Grail War, Rias had been looking for any opportunity to get out of her marriage with Riser. She practically rejoiced when Lancer had come into her life and promptly put Riser in his place when he realized what a pompous ass he was and gave him quite the skewering. Though they were still to be wed, the roles had changed. For once, it was Rias who had the upper hand in their so-called "relationship" and not him. He had to play by her rules, something that irritated him greatly.

Despite her problems with Riser, Rias had no problems with Ravel. In truth, she actually saw her as the little sister she never really had and spoiled her whenever she had the chance. To hear that she was missing, and the look of desperation Riser had on him, spoke volumes on par with his being here. He wouldn't be here unless he was truly desperate.

That was enough to make her alarmed.

"How long has she been gone?"

"Since yesterday." Yubelluna answered. "We contacted Lord Phenex and tried every possible means of communication, but all attempts to find her have failed."

"Perhaps she left on a personal venture?" Yuuto offered.

Riser shook her head. "No, she was studying up for our next Rating Game. Which we were supposed to be at hours ago."

Rias' eyebrows shot up. While she knew that Riser purposely forfeited two Rating Games as a sign of respect for his opponent, to hear that he was willing to not attend and give up by default for the sake of finding her told her how serious it was. Especially since Ravel, the most ardent about them succeeding, had vanished on such an important day.

This was very serious.

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone?" Lancer inquired. "Any clues?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be here!" Riser growled, the room heating up. He quickly quelled his anger when Lancer narrowed his eyes, letting out a tiny amount of his killing intent. Yubelluna tensed, inching closer to her lord. Rias held up a hand, causing Lancer to cease. "I've asked everyone affiliated with House Phenex and even people Ravel was close to, to the best of my knowledge. No one has seen her. If she left of her own volition, she told none of us. She wouldn't do this without reason."

"Maybe she doesn't wanna be found."

Riser grimaced. "I sincerely hope not."

Rias pursed her lips as she folded her arms. It truly was a concern. There were no clues or signs of Ravel's disappearance or where she might have gone. In all likelihood, she had been kidnapped. But who would even be capable of abducting the youngest heir of the House of Phenex right under their noses? Something just wasn't adding up.

"There must be SOMETHING." she said after a moment. "Was she acting any differently before she went missing? Did she seem off to you?"

Riser rubbed his chin. "Not that I recall. You know Ravel, Rias. If she could, she'd spend days on end locked away in her room reading books and studying up on our competition for a Rating Game." He stopped after a moment, eyes uncertain. "But...now that you mention it, she did start becoming a bit evasive. Around the time this whole Holy Grail War thing began, Burent told me that Ravel had been hiding in her room more often. Sometimes, she'd catch her staring at her hand."

"Her hand?" Akeno asked. "Why?"

"I'm not sure, but..." Riser frowned. "Actually, now that I think about it, my brother asked me if Ravel had gotten a tattoo recently. Said he saw a red mark on her hand."

Rias froze.

"...well." Lancer said, expression mimicking her thoughts. "This just made things complicated."

"Riser." Her voice was tight and full of dread. For once in her life, she was hoping she was wrong. "Ravel's room. Was there any signs of a summoning having been carried out recently? Like a magic circle or a rune carved into the floor?"

"What? No, nothing like that. Why?" Riser asked. Her stared at her for a moment, then noticed the mark on her hand. Her Command Seals. Realization dawned on him and paled. "No. That can't be. There's only supposed to be seven."

"Not anymore." Rias hissed. "Everyone, we're heading out. Find Ravel Phenex before the Executioner or the Overseer does, otherwise there's going to be a war, treaty be damned!"

"WHAT?!" Riser exclaimed. "There's an Executioner in town?! And why would there be a war if the Overseer finds her?!"

"It's because we're currently in a ceasefire upon her orders." Rias answered as she and the other members got to leave. "If she finds out about your sister in the area without her permission..." She didn't need to finish the implication.

There was also the fact that Rias knew that House Phenex wouldn't take this lying down. Even if Ravel didn't know there was a ceasefire, there would still be anger. Tensions were high enough as it was.

From her viewpoint, Ravel Phenex's death may very well be the powder keg. And the Devils weren't ready for a second Great War.

None of them were.

At this point, Issei believed it was a complete miracle that he hadn't died yet.

The reason? He was still fighting the Loli Assassin who was fully intent on mincing him to bits. Although, he did not escape unscathed. He had several cuts across his body. If he hadn't reinforced it and the Boosted Gear hadn't been increasing his strength, he'd likely be down one or more limbs right now.

It was through sheer dumb luck he was barely in once piece against a fast and stealthy servant like Assassin.

"Aw...please hold still, Mister! We can't mince you if you run around like that!" She pouted. If she hadn't been trying to kill him for the past few minutes, he would've viewed the sight as lethally adorable. Now? She's just plain lethal.

"That's the point!"

If he wasn't trying to dodge her attacks, he was minding his surroundings. He knew the second he fell back into the fog, he was a dead man. And it was a nightmare trying to avoid being killed by a tiny psycho kid while avoiding falling off a building. Reinforcement or no, a slip and fall on the head was like asking for death.

He ducked and weaved to the side and avoided another fatal wound before rounding on his heel to deliver a roundhouse kick. She evaded it easily and used his leg as a springboard, getting behind him and making another slash on his back. He gritted in pain and quickly moved away, raising his armored hand. "Gandr!" he roared as the air in front of him exploded.

Despite his rapid counterattack, Assassin reacted faster. Since she had been struck by the spell before, she knew that he would use it again and remained vigilant. Despite the spell missing, it gave him the brief reprieve he needed to step back and think.

Not far away, Altera was battling Ravel Phenex. The Devil was thankful for her ability to regenerate from any wound, as she realized very quickly that she was sorely mistaken. Despite having a human Master, Saber was not in the least-bit weak. She expected as much, really. The Saber-class Servant was always said to be one of the strongest of the seven, but she never could have imagined that Altera was so powerful. At first, she wondered if the Master must have had incredible reserves on par with the Devil, until she saw the Sacred Gear on his hand.

Being the avid reader she was, who made sure to study up on the competition her brother would face and the possibility of encountering potentially powerful enemies, she studied up on what information there was that the Devils knew about Sacred Gears.

The sketchings of Boosted Gear did not do the gauntlet justice. The fact that the human possessed a Longinus Sacred Gear terrified her, but there was a silver lining. She could see that, while he was trained, he was still a novice. That meant she could still take him down.

She just needed to distract Saber for a while longer. Unlike her brother, who endured any attack thrown at him for being confident in his ability to regenerate, Ravel preferred being on the cautious side. Especially given she was facing off against someone who was possibly well-known in myth and legend. She racked her brain, trying to discern the identity of the Servant before her, but she couldn't unravel the truth.

For now, all she could do was fight.

Rings of fire swirled around her hands as she threw them forward, watching as they spun and burned like saw wheels. Altera barely batted an eye as she cut through the flames with ease, then followed up by swing her blade at her. She narrowly avoided the strike, but she couldn't evade the second strike. She hissed as she saw her arm suddenly go flying, though it was consumed by fire before it could touch the ground. As she put some distance between them, Ravel regrew her arm and flexed it.

"That makes the sixth limb I've cut off." Altera remarked. "I also know for certain that I cut through vital organs. Devil or no, wounds like that should be lethal. You are...different from other Devils." Her ruby eyes narrowed dangerously. "I once encountered a member of House Phenex, but I never had the opportunity to test his limits. I see now that his boasts of his family's regenerative ability were now exaggerations. However..."

She took a step forward. Ravel flinched and inched back.

"...how many tears can you shed before you finally fall?"

"Don't underestimate me!" She coalesced the flames in her hands into a burning bright ball that shone like the sun. Unlike before, sweat gathered on her brow as this technique was still a work in progress due to the concentration needed. But its power was well worth it. She quickly flung the burning sphere at the approaching Servant who barely batted an eye.

'Even if she cuts through or evades it, I just need a second!' Ravel thought, her eyes diverting to the brown-haired human and potential threat engaging her Servant. 'Just one second!'

Altera put a bit more effort into her swing, obliterating the gigantic fireball as if it was paper. Her eyes widened when she saw Ravel no longer facing her, but instead at Issei, dozens of smaller fireballs around her. Realizing what she planned on doing, she quickly moved to defend her Master and incapacitate the woman.

Except someone did it first.

Just as Ravel sent the fireballs forward, each of them bearing enough power to equal at least two tons of dynamite, they were all struck down by crescent arcs of jet black.

"What?!"

"And now, o kings, be ye wise."

All in attendance stopped. Altera turned her head and stared at the newcomer with wariness, feeling a sense of wrongness emanating from him. Assassin stopped her attempts to kill Issei and looked on curiously. Ravel's face paled and trembled. Issei stared at the new arrival with shock as his jaw figuratively kissed the ground.

"G-Gramps?!"

Shirou Emiya, or rather someone who looked very much like his grandfather, stood there and garbed in dark clothing, thin silver blades with black edges betwixt his fingers. His gold eyes stared at Ravel coldly, his steps echoing.

"Be admonished, ye judges of the earth. Serve the lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling."

A dark aura seeped from his form. Each time he stepped forward, he left behind a black footprint which began to push upward and writhe with shadowy limbs as if it were alive. Though he was dressed as one of the dangerous men of the cloth, the aura he expressed was anything but holy.

"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, though his wrath be swiftly kindled." Kiriya Kotomine, Executioner of the Black Sect and child to Avenger, bared his teeth, looking more like shark fangs than actual pearly white. "Amen."

The Girl in the Fog: END

*the screams of despair and hatred gave birth to him*

"It's a bit hard to explain, but I suppose the long of it is... I guess I'm your uncle?"

*the flames splutter in fear as the fog begins to recede to the shallows*

"W-why is an Executioner here?!"

*as the illusion lessens, a new foe emerges*

"▂▂▃▃▃▃▄▄▄▄▅▅▅!"

*a new moon rises, bearing misfortune for those beneath its light*

Second Moon, Second Night: The Black Executioner

Servant Report

True Name: Jack the Ripper
Class: Assassin
Master: Ravel Phenex
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Base Stats:
-Strength: C
-Endurance: C
-Agility: A
-Mana: C+
-Luck: D-
-Noble Phantasm: C

Class Skills:
-Presence Concealment: A

Personal Skills:
-Murder of the Misty Night: A
-Mental Pollution: D
-Information Erasure: B-
-Surgical Procedure: E+

Noble Phantasm:
-Maria the Ripper: (Anti-Unit) D+ ~ B+
-The Mist: (Barrier) C+

Author's Note: A bit on the short side, but that's mainly due to me currently going through hell. I'm sure some of you might have noticed, but pretty much almost half of my stories have been deleted, and some of the projects I had planned on doing sometime in the future have all been removed as well. If you want to know why, well, look at my profile page for more information. It's a sad state of affairs when a man is forced to take anti-depressants. Jesus christ.

Jack's stats are a little higher due to having Ravel, a Devil, for a Master. Thinking back on it now, I should have done the same for the other Servants under the command of Devils too. Might fix that if I have the time.

Rias' thoughts regarding her role and goals in the Holy Grail War, and her relationship with her Peerage who also have Servants, is expanded a bit, namely to answer some criticism in regards to that. I should also point out that Lancer is an amalgamation of the different incarnations of Vlad. Specifically, Vlad from Fate/Apocrypha when summoned in his country and Berserker Vlad from Grand Order, who embraces his own tainted legend. This one accepts what has become of his legend, but believes that if he were to use his Noble Phantasm, he would give up being Vlad Tepes altogether, something he will never concede as it is all he has left of his original identity. Hope that clears some things up.

That's it for now guys. I'll see you all in the next update.

See You.