Fate Divergence

Chapter 14

Alter Path C-S Exclusive

Narration

"Talk"

Monologue

*sfx*

Small summary:

- Rin goes to Kirei to complain about the 8th servant.

- Caren and Marisbury left Fuyuki.

- Shirou trained with Liz

*F/D*

"I never expect that it will be you that will reach this chamber,"

Upon entering the chamber, Shirou and Saber are greeted by Lev standing beside Karl's throne. Oddly enough is that Arc's body is seen at his feet, lifeless.

"As part of the prime mover of the fifth war, you and saber are a vital pawn to see if our experiment but now-."

"A fallout?" Shirou asked, raising an eyebrow while ignoring Lev's monologue.

"he outlived his usefulness," Lev replied. "Which is why, like him, I will personally guide you to the exit, faker."

"I have you know that it will not be an easy task," Shirou replied, tracing Kanshou and Bakuya.

"I honestly questioned why they trusted a third rate magus like you, " Lev sneered, shifting his gaze to Saber, Excalibur at hand. "That living berserker and her Lancer is the greatest threat we foresaw on Amakusa's chosen. Manaka and her Lancer are the greatest wild card that can tip the scale-out our favor. But you? What can you and your copies do?"

A mere copy cannot surpass the original

This is the message shishou drilled to me. Even if I have this ability to replicate noble phantasms due to my unique element and origin, I never imagine even in my wildest dream that I can go against servants, dead apostles, and demons alike if I take them head-on.

Proven when I first fought against Liz in Ilya's garden yeas ago. Proven time and time again against several dead apostles we encountered and the multiple servants I faced from the fake grail war of America. Even in this revive war, I am just an ordinary spell-caster.

Without help from the others, the victories I am now known is impossible to achieve.

But it doesn't mean I can't defeat them with my knockoffs

If you can't win on brute strength, you need to analyze the enemy's movements, weakness, and device a way to beat using that information.

This is the constant lesson shishou ingrained to me ever since she began teaching me as one of her students.

"I understand your sentiment," Shirou replied. His right arm raised sideways as a sign for saber to stay still. "I can't match Bazzet's raw strength neither can I provide saber a proper amount of prana like Rin, Illya, or Sakura. The only thing I can use to compete to them is that I am more stubborn than them."

snap*

With a snap of a finger, shadow servants appeared behind him. Shadows based on all deceased servants of the revive war. From Medusa to Altera.

"Let's see how far your stubbornness can get you," Lev said with a smug. "Unlike those that you fought, even if you are an insignificant bug, I won't take my chances."

*F/D*

Unknown land, Midnight.

Inside a castle in the middle of darkness , Illya entered the master bedroom. Walking beside her is the maid Liz wearing a dark Scandinavian maid uniform and a cast supporting her left arm.

"Onii-chan," Illya called to the man sitting beside the large bed of the room. Fatigue and frustration are still seen in his face. "We'll look after Caster. You take a rest."

"Thank you Illya," Shirou said weakly. Letting go of the hand of his servant caster, Shirou stood and walk slowly to the exit. His hand that was holding Caster is now in his pocket. Clenched tightly and blood dripping out.

I am so useless.

Shirou thought as he walks lifelessly towards his provided room. He is so preoccupied that he did not even notice the other maid, Sella, called him multiple times and following him to his room

Turning back the hands of time,

Einzbern castle.

"Shinji, leave,"

an hour past noon, Shinji arrives by himself where Shirou and his servant caster faces him at the entrance of the castle.

"Emiya, is that the tone you give to a friend who came all the way here to rescue you?" Shinji asked, smugly.

"As you see, you don't need to," Shirou replied with tone of skepticism and raised an eye brow.

"Oh you do need one," Shinji replied confidently, raising his right arm slightly. "Archer!"

With one call, three projectiles flies towards Shirou.

*swoosh*

*thud*

*thud*

*clang*

"Shirou!" Caster called as she grabs Shirou with one arm as she evades two and parried one projectile thrown at them.

"Hoh~ for a caster class, you're agile,"

from within the forest, a man with golden hair and a full-body suit made of gold walk slowly. "Let see how well you can hold on with this."

What followed next was a barrage of noble phantasms fired at caster from different angles and varying speed.

"A-archer! stop playing around!" Shinji yelled in a nervous tone.

Shinji already knows Caster's combat capacity from his previous encounter. Seeing caster casually evades the treasures thrown at her and how she slowly closes the distance between them is enough as warning signs for him.

"For a great king, you lack discipline," Caster said with pity while evading the increasing numbers of projectiles.

"How dare a low-class wrench as you lectured me!" Archer replied as he changes his target. From Caster to the red-haired magus that is irritating him for some reason. Shirou eyeing all of his the ground is not helping his case. "A mongrel like you have no right to look at my treasures!"

*tap*

"I'm your opponent,"

*swish*

*zoom*

*clang*

Caster planted her staff to the ground followed by a spell she whispered before dashing towards him, unarmed.

This action case a few second lag to Archer's movement. An appropriate amount of time Caster utilize to her advantage.

At first, he thought Caster abandoned her master when she ignored the projectiles he fired and went straight to him but lo and behold. His treasures were intercepted by clay spears that sprung from the ground.

*pow*

"gack!"

*thud*

*crash*

Caster trusts her elbow to Archer followed by a roundhouse kick that sent Archer crashing to a tree 15 meters away.

"Why you!" Archer growl. Looking at Caster with contempt.

Present

If only I am...

Standing at the balcony of his room, Shirou look at the cloudy sky, remembering his recent battle and how it ended.

*thud*

Shirou slams his bloodied hand to the balcony railing again and again.

"Damn it" Shirou cried. "I'm so useless!"

"You really are an idiot,"

"Eh?"

Looking back, he sees Sella looking at him with disgust.

"I wont berate you as much for saving ojou-sama," Sella continue while her eyes is fixated to the balcony rail. "But know your place."

"What?"

"It doesn't mean that you've been trained by a heroic spirit and can reproduce a functional weapon using a very mundane magecraft means that you can go toe to toe against a servant."

"I know that!" Shirou yelled. "I know it and yet,' Lowering his voice and gritting his teeth. "I... this feeling of helplessness..."

*pak*

Sella walks towards Shirou and slaps him.

"You are not the only one who feels helpless," Sella yelled. "If you want to feel responsible then yes. It is YOUR fault."

Seeing the tears welling up on her eyes , Shirou was speechless.

"Everything is going well. The plan is going well until you... YOU projected that damn spiral sword and fired it at Archer. You force his hands. You made him use that!"

"I..."

"If you really feel guilty then take responsibility and stop wallowing in a corner!"

flashback

As the battle rages on, Archer changes his attack once more and tried targeting both masters by sending a spiral sword to Shirou and the mountain cleaving sword at the castle, destroying 1/4th of its overall structure. This trigger Berserker joining the fray. Shinji seeing this flee out of fear.

With the two attacking Archer, he is slowly being pushed back.

"I guess I am late to the party,"

Lancer who just arrive after Ig Alima crash is lurking quietly in the shadows. Monitoring the pace of the fight where the unknown servant is at a disadvantage at first.

The only saving grace Archer have in this fight is that Enkidu can keep them at bay. But catching two at the same time is a herculean task. No pun intended

Master, that weed that you let go escape, leaving the unknown rouge servant.

"Let him be, " Kirei replied telepathically. "Wait for an opening before making your move.

"Now then, let's see how good your new student is, shishou."

"I guess we don't need to use our escape plan," From inside the ruined castle, Illya looks at how Berseker is closing on Archer while caster is providing support.

Liz and Sella on the other hand are making sure no more projectiles hit Illya.

"████▄▄▄▄▄▄" Berserker roared as he struggles to break free.

With berserker finally chained and Caster getting the full attention of the gate, Archer was able to kill Heracles for the 4th time when a projectile was shot to him. A shot he manages to evade. A shot that grazed his face.

"Wha-" Archer gasp as he looks at the perpetrator that dared to injure him.

This caused all, including Lancer to look at its source, Shirou, and the tree his arrow hit.

oi oi oi!

Lancer protest internally after seeing the spiral sword that is slowly fading from existence.

That's definitely Caladbolg.

Lancer muses as he shifted his gaze back to Shirou.

"You! So you are HIM!" Archer exclaim. Now that he has proper time to examine the lowlife master, he began seeing his similarities to the faker that defiled his treasury the day prior.m. Even the bow they used is similar.

"Him?" Shirou asked as he traced a new arrow while observing Caster's condition.

"Fuahahahahahahaha!" Archer laughs madly. "To think that faker is you! A mongrel who dares defile my treasures. Twice!"

Losing focus to his surroundings, Archer took a cursed sword from his treasury. Walking at a confident pace as he deflects the arrows and some of his treasures fired at him.

"I'll personally deal with you with my own hands,"

*clang*

Archer swings his swords towards Shirou. A crude swing that lacks finesse. A swing Shirou manage to block using the same sword he used.

*crack*

*shatter*

"No wonder she's grooming him,"

From a safe distance, Lancer watches the red-haired magus defend himself from the unknown servant.

He has good judgment now. Far better than when I tried killing him.

Knowing how fragile his projections are against the original, Shirou, timed his movement to move sideways just when his projections are about to way, he managed to evade Archer's sword and at the same time throwing off his tracks.

"It's rare to see a living human of this era that has the capacity of holding its own against a servant," Lancer whispers as he lit a cigarette and leans on a nearby tree. "Granted that servant is enrage to make a proper judgment. Then again we are looking at a future heroic spirit."

This time, Shirou deliberately baited Archer for a clean hit before evading him and kicking the enrage King to the ground.

"..." Archer was silent for a bit before turning his eyes on the human faker with eyes full of rage.

exhale*

"A clouded mind produce a dull movement."

Lancer continues his monilogue as he lament the tragic fate of the red haired magus after noticing the markings in in Shirou's arm. "Shishou used to said that before kicking our asses for calling her old."

"roar"

With all his injuries are now healed, Berserker anounce his comeback by a loud animalistic roar.

Note to self, never fight against those two at the same time.

Lancer sigh as he saw the golden servant multi tasked from fighting the magus one on one to holding back two servants with projectiles coming from the gold distortion in space.

*tsk*

Archer clicks his tongue seeing Berserker charge through, not minding the swords and spears hitting his body.

"████▄▄▄▄▄▄"

"Not so fast," Caster chimed in while sending three spears towards Archer. "You need to focus to utilize those your gates to its full extent."

"I don't need you to lecture me on what I can and can't do to my gate!" Archer roared. Now that they are slowly cornering him, he stepped back from Shirou before taking flight. "You mongrel !" Archer fired a new sword towards Berserker. "A quick death is not enough for insulting your king!"

"A ruler like you, pass," Caster replied.

"I already have a queen to serve so no," Shirou answered flatly as he stood next to caster, heaving heavily.

"Oh? And here I thought you wanted to be more than just be my subject?" Caster tease while trying to pinpoint the new spectator's location.

"I'm not good enough, " Shirou answered honestly which shock Caster. She is expecting him to act all shy and all after all. "But I can work my way up from there."

"You continue to ignore my presence and mock me," Archer said darkly as he remember what the red archer said. "Very well, a copy for a copy, A fake for a fake."

With a smirk, Archer produced a gate from the ground 3 meters away from Shirou.

" Eh?" Shirou gasp after seeing her appear from his fate.

"This is the worst outcome I fear." Caster mumbles as she takes a look on the thing that appeared before them.

Pale blonde hair and skin, a black visor covering the eyes, black and crimson armor with visible wear and tear. Her appearance might change a bit but the one in front of them is definitely saber. the pride in her is no longer seen. All that is left is immeasurable rage and madness."

"Gaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Saber roared, a massive amount of mana is bursting out from her body.

"T-this much pressure-" Shirou said, adjusting his body sideways and putting his right arm a few inches away from his eyes.

"Shirou, be on your guard, " Caster warns him as she steps in front of Shirou. "The other one is here as well."

"Sella, Do we have contingency measure for this?" Illya asked, with her looking at the dead for the 5th time berserker.

"...I..."

"No," Liz answered in Sella's stead who is too shock at how many times Berkserker had died.

"Guess I have no choice," Ilya sigh as she focus all of her energy to her command seal and one quivering hand firmly grasping her skirt.

Present

Caster's chamber.

During Sella and Shirou's argument

Caster weakly looks at the pair of homunculus on the side of her bed.

"What do we do now?" Illya asked, her anger and frustration is reflected in her eyes. "Berserker's gone now and your at death's door.

"We can first try syncing the memories of that failed vessel." Caster said weakly. Her gaze went past Illya and straight to the maid behind her. "Your shell."

"What?"

"She's capable of accessing the grail through you, " Caster explains to the confuse look of Illya. "And is as capable of using that as well."

"Wait... you don't mean..."

"Yes, " caster answered as she winces in pain from the curse she got in her abdomen. "That is the only way you survive this war."

flashback

"Gaaaaaaaaah!" Saber roared in madness as she targets Shirou. swinging her sword with all her might while he tried to evade them with the inch of his life. Though the altered saber gains more power, her speed and reaction time however is slower. "Die!"

clang*

Liz quickly rushes towards Shirou's side just in time and block Saber's strike with her halberd.

"Berserker, hold them off!" Illya ordered. In this dire situation, she uses her two command spell. One was used to heal Berserker and the second is to power him up to compete with Saber's new strength.."

"████▄▄▄▄▄▄"

Berserker roared louder than ever. Exchanging blows per blow with Saber.

"We'll go now," Liz replied as she carry Shirou with her right arm.

"Liz, you're-" Shirou said while looking at her left arm.

"We're going, " Liz replied as she carry Shirou on her right arm and jumps back to the ruined castle where Illya awaits for them.

Present

"I understand the theory but can you do it?' Illya asked after hearing the full detail of Caster's plan.

A plan that involves syncing Illya's memories to Liz's soul and have her access an imperfect third magic using Illya as medium to stabilize the initial process. Then they will have Illya's soul be transferred to a doll.

"Yes.." Caster replied. "There should be no issue regarding compatibility in your case. After that, all that is left is to have the two preoccupied with something while we begin."

"You're joking right?" Illya asked only to receive no answer as Caster closes her eyes.

flashback

Not so fast,

Lancer thought as he flick his last cigarette to the ground and readies himself now that the opportunity is ripe.

While Shirou and Illya proceed to the escape route provided by caster, Berserker and Caster holds back Saber and Archer. At this point it is mostly Saber.

Seeing them act like cowardly mice, Archer mainly let Saber to do the job while he watches from outside the castle.

"Mwahahahahahahaha! Let's see how well you do, faker." Archer laughs in a condescending tone.

"Illya, you go first!" Shirou with his back facing Illya while he provide rear support from the second floor of the ruined castle by firing one arrow after another to the enemy servant at the ground level..

"Onii-chan!" Illya protest outside the room of Shirou. "You have no intention of staying behind, have you?"

"We have a contract," Shirou turn his head and look at her with a smile. "I won't leave you behind."

"You got me there," Ilya sigh with a faint smile as she is about to enter the room where Sella and Liz guarded the escape route entrance.

"Didn't Shishou told you to never let your guard down?" Lancer said. Announcing his presence as he charge pass Caster and Berserker who are busy holding back Saber.

"Go!" Shirou shouted as he block the door of his room and traced Caster's red spear.

"Gae Bolg!" Lance shouts.

"Gah!"

"Caster!"

Just as Lancer is about to pierced Shirou, Caster arrive in time and took the hit from the red spear. Piercing her from her abdomen.

"Shirou, go" Caster yelled as she wince in pain while firmly holding the spear. Preventing Lancer from moving.

*tsk*

Shirou click his tongue, grits his teeth and firmly clench his fist while running inside the room.

"By the power of the command seal, " arriving at the entrance of their escape route, Shirou stops and look back while he activates in of his command seal by firmly clenching his hand.. "Caster, I order you to survive this and go back to me."

A faint red glow shine in Shirou's hand as one command spell disappear.

"What do you know," Lancer said darkly as his eyes is fixated at the door that just produced a faint red light. A sign that someone uses a command seal. "I guess you don't need the kid after all."

"Heh, sorry but I won't be dying today, " Caster replied with a smirk. She feels that her wound is healing at a faster rate to counter the curse if the spear.

"Eh?" Lancer gasp, shock after seeing his foot rise from the ground.

With the spear impaling her, Caster uses her full strength to lift him up and threw him away before removing the cursed spear.

"Gahak" Caster spat out blood while looking at her former student. Disappointed that the last chance she saw to end it all is slipping away with her body in autopilot to prioritize survival.

"What?!" Lancer asked as he saw Caster moves her mouth before turning her frown to a smirk. "Oh crap!"

Lancer panic at the tremendous power Caster is releasing that made him fleeing the place asap.

"Gate of Skye!" Caster exclaimed as a gate appears in the sky.

"Hoh~ And just what could that be?"

Outside the mansion, Archer muses the appearance of a gate in the sky just when Berserker receives the blast of Clarent.

"I'd run if I were you, "

From the castle, the blue Lancer ran with all his might. Escaping like a coward dog that he is.

"What a useless-"

But before he could even finish, the gate opens. It began sucking everything like a black hole.

"What the?" Archer blurted out as he tried to fight back the force sucking him in by impaling a sword taken from his gate onto the ground.

"Enjoy the fireworks, "

Looking up, he sees Caster getting suck into the gate with one hand covering her wound and the other is stretched out with her hand forming a hand pistol that is aimed at the corpse of berserker.

"You-"

"Bang!" Caster said while pulling the trigger of her hand pistol.

present

Tohsaka Manor, midnight,

As Sakura fell asleep, Rin let go of her hand before opening the window of her room.

"Archer, " Rin called.

"Yes, Rin?" Archer asked as he materialized behind her.

"Do you think they are still alive?" Rin asked, gritting her teeth as she recalls what just happened a few hours ago.

They already expect Shinji to attack Illya. They also keep their guards up in case Lancer strikes. But they never expect to see the light of Clarent illuminate the sky of the Einzbern forest.

What came next, a few minutes later is a huge explosion in that area. A possible trap set by Caster as a last-ditch effort to take them out.

"The castle is n ruins and I found no corpse so it is possible," Archer answered as he recalls what he saw at ground zero of the explosion. "But how they escape and where they are, I can't answer that."

"Can you win against all three?"

"All at once, no, " Archer replied seriously, gone are the snide comments and making fun of Rin.

"Is there a chance to get the two to change side?"

"Lancer won't easily betrayed Kirei, " Archer replied as he recalls two routes where Lancer either holds Gilgamesh back to let Shirou and Saber escape or when he stabs Kirei after being ordered to kill himself. "As for this Saber... I think this saber is a corrupted one so negotiation is off the table."

"But Sakura is already-"

"Rin, we may have taken the fragments from Sakura, " archer explains. "But the grail, it's mud and the curse is still there. If one poured the mud of the grail on a dying saber, it is possible to alter her then and there."

"But why let Saber live?"

"That Archer has some history with Artoria, " Archer replied bitterly. "With the grail corrupted, it is possible he is saving her for last. To use Mordred as a catalyst for Saber. To either wish her from the grail or summon her. Just like when Zouken used the corpse of the assassin Sasaki Koujirou to summon Hassan of the cursed arm in a different timeline.

"What can we do to win?"

"I have an idea but you have to trust me on this one, "

"Eh?"

Just as Rin faced Archer, she saw him trust a jagged knife on to her hand before knocking her unconscious. When Rin woke the next day, her command seal faded and Sakura missing from her bed. All that is left is the unconscious enforcer and the knife used to stab him.

flashback

Unknown castle,

The escape route led Shirou, Illya, Sella and Leysritt in a hallway of a different castle. Far older that the Einzbern's with European/Scandinavian design.

"Where are we?" Illya asked, amazed on how the air is different here compared to where. She look at her servants before Shirou who shows no sign of surprise and familiarity to the place. "Onii-chan?"

"Nothing, " Shirou replied with a bitter smile. "I saw this place a lot of times in my dream but I never expect that I will be here."

*creak*

The door of the castle entrance creak open and a bloodied caster came in, limping and using her staff as support.

"Welcome to the land of shadows," Caster greeted them with a pained smile before collapsing to the ground.

Aaaaaaaaaaan cut.

Since Artoria doesn't exist in the fifth war, I set up a scenario starting from the previous chapter to make things personal for Gilgamesh's. A little stretch for his personality but still not far from it. Considering Archer already made a mockery of his treasures in the previous chapter and Shirou graze his face using a fake.

Most of the fight in the forest, it got butchered and are shown as fragmented flashback instead. Got writers block on how to write this one in straight forward storytelling.

For the gate of Babylon and Enkidu, how it works and effectiveness in this fight, I factor the mental state of Archer to nerf it to a degree. Especially with Enkidu's hold considering both Caster and Berserker have divine attributes.

Regarding the update of the story, I am still following the usual rotation (F/D, Danma Emerald, Kaguya-sama: AHWTS) *shameless plugin* and how fast the update will come will still depend to RL workload. Since we are part of the disposable/ immortal manpower(not the medical front-liner), quarantine doesn't affect us much unless we show symptoms or tested positive. It's work as usual. As of the moment of writing this for a triple update in my spare time, we still have tons of workload and game activity for fgo(Skadi preparation) and danmachi.

Servant Profile:

Class: Caster

True Name: Scathach

Alignment: Neutral Good

Attribute: Star

Strength: C

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Mana: C

Luck: D

Personal Skill:

Wisdom of the Haunted Ground A

God Killer: B

Primordial Rune: A

Class Skill

Magic Resistance: A

Divinity: B

Double Class: C

Territory Creation: Ex

Noble Phantasm:

Gate of Skye: Anti-Army A

Gae Bolg Alternative : Anti-Unit B

For the reviews, likes, and follow, Thanks!