FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 1: Unexpected Playing Piece

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This and any future stories involving Connla will assume that you have read all previous stories, so some details already covered there will not be explained here. If you haven't read those, I recommend you do so before this one so you aren't too confused. In addition, this particular story assumes you have prior knowledge of what occurs in Fate/Unlimited Blade Works since this tale is a deviation of that route.

It was another quiet day in Chaldea. Life continued as normal for the one Master, her multitude of Servants, and the staff members. Just a week ago though, the entire organization was in turmoil after a bizarre event had stranded two of the Servants in an unknown alternate world, forcing everyone else to scramble to find them. The pair were eventually rescued and the Singularity occurring in that world was resolved, which essentially settled the matter.

However, the two Servants did not return uninjured. The first one, the Treacherous Knight Mordred, had been tortured without remorse, and then immediately had to fight several life-threatening battles. Even so, her boundless vigor and high resistance stats as a Saber-class Servant allowed her to withstand the brutality and emerge relatively intact.

The same couldn't be said for Mordred's partner; the Child of Cuchulainn, Connla. Since she was only a seven-year old Servant, she didn't have the same pain tolerance thresholds that Mordred did. Furthermore, right at the conclusion of the incident, Connla had pushed Mordred aside to protect her from a vicious Noble Phantasm, but wound up being caught in the blast and thrown through several thick castle walls. This left her so horribly battered that most of her bones had been shattered, and she was so traumatized that she slipped into a deep coma.

One of Chaldea's other Servants remained on a vigilant watch over her. He was one of the incarnations of Cuchulainn, specifically the Berserker-class Alter version. He stared at his daughter's sleeping face, which was partially hidden beneath an oxygen mask. The heart monitor rhythmically beeped in the background, and her breath continuously fogged the mask every few seconds. Her hair was bundled beneath a hospital cap, and her entire body save her face was wrapped in layers upon layers of bandages. A miniature plushie replica of Cuchulainn, nicknamed Mini-Cu, was tucked beneath her arm. Her condition had improved significantly compared to the first few days of hospitalization, but Roman and Nightingale weren't sure that they could declare her stable just yet.

During this time, Cuchulainn grew to despise himself even more than before. He had secretly accompanied Connla and Mordred during their outlandish adventure in the hopes of protecting Connla. Even so, he had failed to do so once again. He was so despondent that he refused to go on missions unless Ritsuka absolutely needed him, and once his duties were over, he would head straight back here. He sat next to the bed and held Connla's right hand, which bore the ring he had forged and given to Aife so that she could pass it on to Connla when she left for Ireland. It was the proof of their bond, forever connecting them as parent and child.

He dared not make a sound, fearing that he would wake her up prematurely. Though he felt guilty for allowing this to happen to her, he was also relieved that she would not cause him more trouble with her careless gallivanting while in this state. He wished he could converse with Connla, but he believed it was better that she got her rest. No one knew when she would awaken, but Cuchulainn was determined to be the first one to welcome her back home.

For now, he would wait patiently until that day came…

"Bazett! Hey, Bazett! What the hell happened here!?"

The Fifth Holy Grail War's Lancer Servant, Ireland's Guard Dog Cuchulainn, had only just been summoned to his Master's side when the unthinkable happened. Before he knew it, the magenta-haired woman who stood before him – an Enforcer for the Mage's Association, Bazett Fraga McRemitz - suddenly had her left arm sliced clean off. As the limb tumbled in the air, someone else caught it as casually as if snatching a sports ball. While Cuchulainn was busy kneeling next to his Master, he sensed that the Command Spells binding him were being transferred from the lost arm onto someone else's hand.

Cuchulainn glared over his shoulder at the interloper and demanded, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am Kotomine Kirei," the fellow in Christian priest's garb declared in a chilling, detached tone. Already, Cuchulainn could tell that this guy held no compunctions for what he just did.

"… You took her Command Spells, didn't you? All so you could make me bow to you?"

"Come now. No need to hold a grudge for careless Masters like her. She would have had no chance of winning the Grail; such a thing would have happened to her anyway, and you would've disappeared in an anticlimactic fashion. Instead of her, why not contract with me? If you are serious about obtaining the Grail, then you have no reason to refuse."

Cuchulainn sighed in resignation. For all of the tenacity and strength he possessed, he always did have the worst luck. Coping with this arrogant bastard's conniving schemes and demented personality was just one more addition to the many troublesome things he had to put up with. Still, he had to admit that tolerating a shitty Master had to be one of the top three worst things for him, along with surviving in the Land of Shadows with Scathach as his teacher, and the war goddess Morrigan constantly harassing him just because he turned her advances down.

"Fine," Cuchulainn relented as he stood up and turned away from Bazett, leaving her to bleed out on the ground. His snarling grin was vicious as he declared to Kirei, "But you better burn up a Command Spell if you want to have a good night's sleep, you hear? I know a thing or two about tiresome it is to watch my back all the time. An aged fart like you would collapse from the pressure, y'know?"

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Kirei muttered, barely sounding fazed by the threat.

The two men thus departed, not sparing a glance for the heavily injured woman they abandoned. About five minutes later, Bazett regained enough strength to clench her teeth in pain. Though she had passed out during Kirei and Cuchulainn's exchange, somehow she had managed to witness it in some brief flash, like a dream or a vision. Her mind wandered in a flurry of confusion. She couldn't understand it. She had come to know Kotomine Kirei as an ally and confidant. How could he do this to her? Or was his friendship little more than a façade, maintaining the front of charity while waiting for this opportunity?

Bazett couldn't believe it. She had summoned her childhood idol Cuchulainn, a feat she thought only impossible, only to have him taken away by a proverbial snake. She grew up with a fascination for the Celtic hero's exploits, and she often wound up grieving for the many tragedies surrounding his tale. She always intended to summon him as a Servant, and her wish was to 'save' him from his fate as a man who didn't know what real peace was.

She was so close! She couldn't just give up and walk away from her dream!

I want to save him… I want to save him! All my life, I've dreamed of saving that man from his destiny! I can't let it end like this!

Someone, anyone!

Respond to my prayers!

Help me save him!

As Bazett finally succumbed to unconsciousness, a different vision entered her mind. She recognized the pattern instantly – a Command Spell. But this one didn't belong to any of the traditional seven Servant classes. This pattern resembled a Celtic knot interweaved with a three-leaf shamrock design in the center…

You're… a Servant…? Who… are you…?

Fifth Holy Grail War – A.D. 2004

Humanity Foundation Value: B

Irregular Struggle For Desire – Fuyuki, Japan

Second Lancer

There once was a family of Magi that lived in Fuyuki, known as the Edelfelts. This was a family which achieved the height of their power during the Renaissance Era, not just by possessing a unique Sorcery Trait, but by also shamelessly stealing various types of Magecraft via intervention in conflicts that they otherwise would not have been involved in. Then in 1934, at the eve of World War II, the Third Holy Grail War began, and two sisters were the Masters of the same Saber-class Servant, albeit manifesting this Servant as completely different aspects.

However, they wound up having bad relations with each other and split apart, constructing different mansions for themselves in separate areas of Fuyuki. The older sister had her residence in the old town, while the younger lived in Shinto. In the end, the younger sister disappeared under unknown circumstances, while the elder abandoned Japan with the promise to never return.

In the present, 70 years after the Third War, the two manors were practically in ruins and thus not used by anyone in the general populace. Many of Fuyuki's citizens believed that they were both haunted houses and stayed far away out of superstitious fear. This was the perfect cover for anyone with seedy intentions to utilize, though not even a homeless person took shelter in either of these buildings over the last 10 years. Crumbling away from severe neglect, both dilapidated manors were overrun with wild foliage, and only a few rooms with necessities like beds, chairs and tables survived the arduous passage of time.

In the elder sister's manor, far outside the reaches of the modern civilization that had established itself in Fuyuki, Bazett's comatose body had been dragged here and put to rest in a bed that still maintained decent structural integrity. The stub of her left arm was covered in bandages, but she would otherwise make a full physical recovery, albeit having to live with a handicap from now on. The trouble was that her mind suffered such a serious shock from Kirei's betrayal that it was difficult to ascertain when she would wake up again.

As Bazett laid there, the aged wooden floor suddenly shone azure from a summoning glyph that had materialized spontaneously. Although she couldn't speak on her own behalf, it felt as if someone else had taken temporary possession of her body and was using her to recite the familiar invocation:

"I hereby propose… My will shall create thy body… and thy sword… shall create my fate. Abiding by the summons… of the World… if thou dost accede to this will and reason… answer me. I hereby swear… I will be all that is good… in the eternal world. I will be the disposer of evil… in the eternal world. Thou, clad in the Great Trinity… come forth from the circle of constraint… Guardian of the Heavenly Scales…"

The entire room flashed a blinding white for a few seconds, permeating through any gaps or cracks in the room. A windy vacuum swirled around and blew around anything not heavy or tied down, before settling and spreading about a hazy vapor. The magic circle lost its aura, but the entire spectacle was not without results.

From within the crest, a little girl no older than seven or eight appeared. She had short lavender hair tied into a ponytail, soft brown eyes, and an extremely short stature that belied the great potential as a warrior sleeping within her. She wore a mint green bodysuit with a white shawl and skirt over it, adorned with a brown leather buckle and knee-length boots – certainly the kind of attire a seasoned adventurer would wear despite her incredibly youthful age. Nestled on her right thumb was a golden ring with blood-red markings, which had fused with her skin and made it impossible for her to remove.

The child Servant vapidly faced the comatose woman… Or rather, at the Command Spell etched upon Bazett's surviving right hand. No doubt, it was the same intricate symbol as what the Enforcer observed before fully passing out. It was what bound the girl, a genuine Heroic Spirit, to this world and gave her a temporary physical form.

"… Master," the child whispered sullenly.

There was nothing but absolute quiet.

"You can't say anything to me, can you?"

The girl paused after asking her question, knowing she would never receive a response. Eventually, she murmured, "I understand. I will be the executor of your will. Leave everything to me."

The girl materialized a boar spear that was longer than she was tall, and she gripped it in her hand like a proper knight would. It was a frightfully plain weapon compared to the armaments wielded by legendary heroes with far greater tales than hers. It was just a leaf-shaped blade mounted upon a long pole made out of pure yew, and had a pink tassel on the opposite end – a nameless weapon that no one would ever celebrate. Even so, she did not let things like others' fame and posterity dissuade her from fighting her utmost with what skills and talents she had in her repertoire. Her possession of this otherwise bland spear was proof of her conviction.

That being said though, she was rather puzzled as to why Bazett would summon her. During her summoning, she had been shown what she needed to know in order to exist in the modern world. This included at least the faces of the seven Servants who were already called forth to participate in Fuyuki's Fifth Holy Grail War. Unfortunately, the flood of knowledge was not sufficient enough for her to determine exactly what she needed to do to succeed. Already she could tell that the seven Servants would be extremely powerful adversaries, and with Cuchulainn mixed into the bunch, the child began to grow doubtful of her chances for survival.

She had to think of a plan… However insurmountable it was, and with almost no information to go on regarding the Masters and Servants' movements, she needed to formulate a strategy. Tension stirred within her like a cauldron's viscous bubbling contents slowly being mixed around with a large paddle. She knew that this was one huge game, and that she had been thrust upon the board as an unexpected piece to disrupt the proceedings. She had to treat it as such and think carefully while her presence was still unknown to everyone else.

What should my first move be?

The girl stared at Bazett and thinned her lips. Numerous ideas and possibilities ran rampant in her mind, but she couldn't string them together into something coherent. She was practically playing chess against someone who used invisible pieces. As she continued to hopelessly brainstorm, that was when something broke the immense silence between Master and Servant:

"So an eighth one has appeared."

An angelic, bitter-sounding female voice resounded, disrupting the child's thoughts. She looked over to find a woman in nun's attire. She would have been considered humble upon first glance, but her long silky white hair greatly contrasted against her modest attire. She was gorgeous, elegant and sexy – traits that went against the very notion of being a humble servant of the Church. The lady had brought some fresh bandages to replace the bloodstained ones on Bazett's arm. She had opened the rickety door to the room, but the child had been so lost in her musings that she failed to notice.

The nun continued, as if in a trance, "It seems the Church's instinct was correct. Ever since the previous war, too many strange things have been happening around Fuyuki. And now, an irregular Servant has been summoned as an outsider to this war, which in itself should not have occurred for another 50 years."

"…"

The child Servant narrowed her eyes. This woman was clearly not surprised by her unexpected presence, and she was fully aware of her existence as a Heroic Spirit. She watched the nun treat Bazett's wounds before changing the bandages. She noticed that the stranger had a great amount of gauze wrapped around her own body, but opted not to say anything about them for now. When the lady finished, she stood up and faced the young Servant.

"Please excuse me," she murmured softly. "I am saying such strange things without any context."

"It's fine," the girl replied. "I've already been apprised of the current situation."

"My, that's very helpful. Servants really are caught up to speed with the modern world and the state of the Holy Grail Wars. Then tell me everything you know, Irregular One. Tell me your class and True Name."

"I am Lancer, Servant of Bazett Fraga McRemitz. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to say my True Name to anyone, not even to my Master."

"Oh? You're forbidden from saying your name? Is it because it's more strategic to protect your identity from the enemy?"

Lancer couldn't deny that argument. She really had no idea if the nun was a friend or foe. Her pensive silence told the lady everything, so she added, "Are you saying that the one who saved your Master's life should be treated with suspicion?"

"I don't know anything about you, madam. Since this is a war, it is dangerous to assume that an ally will remain an ally for the entire duration. Treachery and betrayal are part and parcel with such conflicts. Besides, what guarantee is there that you won't steal me from Master in a similar fashion?"

"Don't mistake me for some conniving boor. I have my pride, you know."

"…"

"Well, I can certainly admire your cautious nature. Ultimately, a Master can only rely upon their Servant, and no one else. However, your Master is currently unable to issue any orders to you. Therefore, you would be lost without anyone to provide you with a sense of purpose."

The girl closed her eyes and said firmly, "That won't be necessary. When I was summoned, I had an order placed upon me - something akin to a geas. I am able to take any action, so long as it fulfills that mission in the end."

The woman glanced at the sleeping Bazett and murmured, "She really put a lot of thought into this summoning, didn't she? Or was it really her who summoned you…?"

The child wondered what she was talking about. The nun quickly changed the conversation by saying, "Anyway, let's think of it this way – you cannot protect your Master like this. Should any of the other Masters or Servants discover this location, Bazett's life will be in jeopardy. Therefore, I propose this to you; I will act as your Master."

Lancer widened her eyes. "You mean… as a decoy?"

"You catch on quickly, don't you?" the nun smiled lightly. "If only you weren't so feeble-looking, I might have more respect for you."

The young Servant said nothing in rebuttal. Her calm, acquiescent nature seemed to irritate the nun, but she tried not to show it. The white-haired woman suggested, "In any case, we should partner up as a false Master-Servant duo in order to lure the enemy's attention away from Bazett. What do you say, little Lancer?"

She mumbled lightly, considering the offer. After some thought, she muttered, "I want to understand one thing. Should we go forward with this plan, your life will be greatly endangered. What exactly do you hope to gain with such a risky strategy?"

"Well now… Remember what I said about the Church being suspicious of this war? We are impartial arbiters who observe and judge the Holy Grail Wars to determine the rightful winner of the Grail, and the lone wish it grants. However, it seems things have not been going well for these last 10 years. From my understanding, Kotomine Risei was the arbiter of the Fourth War, but was suddenly assassinated. That means his son, Kotomine Kirei, immediately inherited the role and is supposed to be the arbiter of the Fifth War in 2054.

"However, the Church has grown to distrust Kirei. Even though he has worked as an Executor in the past, there's no guarantee that he won't go after the Grail himself. After all, I was informed that he was one of the participants of the Fourth War, so he already has experience with commanding a Servant. In my humble opinion, since he enjoyed a taste of power back then, he'll seek to satisfy his craving for more power. Followers of the word of our almighty Lord and Savior should not possess worldly desires, or else they should be immediately purged."

Lancer tilted her head and wondered, "I thought an arbiter was not allowed to be a participant at any point."

"As if such rules are kept sacred any longer. No matter how holy or righteous they believe themselves to be, humans are always prone to finding loopholes in any kind of regulations."

"I guess so…"

"Now, there are signs that the Grail is ready for another summoning after just 10 years, even though that only happens once every 60 years, in the town being overseen by a priest that the Church no longer trusts. I'm sure even you can figure out how frightened the Church is of this prospect. That's why, even though I am but a lowly apprentice, I've been dispatched to oversee this matter on the Church's behalf. I was supposed to make contact with Bazett, but by the time I found her, she was already like this."

They stared at the unconscious woman in silence. The nun clasped her hands in prayer and murmured, "I only have myself to blame for this tragedy. If I had arrived sooner, I could have done something to prevent Bazett's original Servant from being stolen. She had everything ready to summon the Child of Light Cuchulainn as this war's Lancer. Losing his services has been a serious blow to us investigators. If only I knew who was responsible, I would personally mete divine punishment upon them."

"The Child of Light, hm?" the girl whispered. Then her expression turned dark as she blankly said, "Just as I thought. The Church had every right to be worried."

The white-haired woman looked down at her in muted surprise. With a firm tone, she demanded, "Explain yourself."

"I'm not really sure what happened as I was being summoned, but I could hear Master's voice as she pleaded and begged for help. She wanted to save someone from his destiny… And she also wanted to take him back from the man who betrayed her. Then I saw what happened through Master's eyes. Right after she finished summoning Cuchulainn, she felt a horrible pain shoot through her left arm."

"That's when it had been cut off, right?"

The child nodded. "She barely had time to look at her Servant when she found herself lying on the ground, seeing the vision of a sinister man in a priest's stole. His eyes were as dead as a fish's… No, it's more accurate to say they belonged to a demon in human flesh. He smirked, clearly relishing her suffering as she lost consciousness, and forced her angry Servant to leave her to die. There's nothing else to remember afterwards except darkness. I was informed during my summoning that he and Master had been close compatriots for quite a while though."

The woman's golden eyes slightly widened in horror. She turned away from her and grumbled, "Honestly. As if things could not get any worse…"

"What are you talking about?"

"That cruel priest you mentioned…" the nun trailed off, then glared back at the child. "He can be none other than Kotomine Kirei."

The Servant now shared in the nun's shock. Their claims were starting to intertwine seamlessly, and the resulting story greatly disturbed them. Lancer kept her composure and murmured, "So this really is the worst turn of events. The arbiter has stolen a participant's Servant and is illegally taking part in this conflict as a Master."

"Indeed. That man has no soul. I know him well enough, and he is the embodiment of schadenfreude. If a creature like him got his hands on the Grail, Armageddon would befall us without a moment's hesitation. My mission is to secure the Grail and return it to the Church properly before Kirei or any of the numerous Mage factions can use it for their own misdeeds."

"But Master is part of the Mages' Association. As her Servant, it would behoove me to assist her in bringing it to the Association instead."

"If she was that determined to secure the Grail, then she shouldn't have been foolish enough to trust the wrong people in the first place. She got herself into this mess, so she has no right to complain what happens to the Grail in the end."

The pair fell silent for a moment. From Lancer's perspective, the woman sounded no different than Kirei just now. Although they disagreed with each other on this one issue, the Servant felt it was not her position to argue. Her job was to fight, not to deliberate. Whatever happened in the end would not be her concern, as she would be returning to the Throne anyway. With that in mind, the small girl said, "In any case, one of my Master's orders is to use any means necessary to eliminate that man. Judging by your reaction, I'm sure that's something you would want to see as well, isn't it?"

"Of course. Although I am not an Executor, I feel it is my duty as a priestess of the Church to ensure that this world's balance is maintained. For the good of the world, I will take that man's head if it's the last thing I do."

"So this is the reason you've been asking for my help. I see… Since our goals align for the most part, I'll go along with your plan of pretending to be your Servant. I don't care for exposing innocent people to such danger, but you're the one who proposed it, and I am simply agreeing to it."

"Good. I don't care for dealing with difficult people," the woman said tersely. "Don't think for a second that I'm some helpless ordinary Magus however. I can provide you with all the information you need so we can plan our strategy. Furthermore, should the time come, I'll have no problem with dispatching the more troublesome Masters. I'm going to need your help in dealing with their Servants, however. I certainly hope you don't disappoint me, Nameless One, especially since you are but a mere whelp in comparison to the great heroes summoned in this war."

"Maybe so, but I am still the 'son' of the Child of Light. I'll prove myself to not be the complete pushover you think I am."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "The 'son' of Cuchulainn…? Oh."

She murmured in realization as she thought about the Ulster hero's legend, then said, "I remember now. That skirt-chaser gave birth to a child while he was training in the Land of Shadows. That same child would appear several years later to challenge Cuchulainn, and lost their life in the process. So you're that petulant scion who was cursed with three geasa, one of which forbade you from revealing your identity to anyone until your death.

"Now I understand why you were so hesitant about saying your name. You must be the long-lost Hound-Pup of Ulster, and one of only two people to be slain by Gae Bolg during Cuchulainn's life. Your True Name is none other than the innocent, yet tragic son of Ulster; Connla."

The girl closed her eyes, then murmured forlornly, "I'm surprised anyone remembers my part of Father's tale. Usually my death is considered just another notch under his belt."

"I blame Bazett for filling my head with such useless knowledge about Celtic mythology. She was especially obsessed with Cuchulainn's legend, and memorized every detail by heart. I never thought her ceaseless babble would actually be useful. It's no wonder she subconsciously summoned another Celtic Servant who was so closely attached to that man."

"So I take it you're acquainted with my Master?"

"We've had some run-ins in the past. I am an emissary for the Church, while she is an agent for the Mages' Association. Bazett and I had the same mission of investigating this war, though she made the fatal mistake of trusting Kotomine Kirei. Now that I think about it, I haven't told you my name yet, have I? I am your second Master, Caren Hortensia, a priestess in the eternal service of God. Though we represent different organizations, Bazett and I were tasked with correcting the anomalies surrounding Fuyuki while making sure the same mistakes made in the Fourth War would not happen again. Now that she has been incapacitated, you will have to fight on her behalf while keeping me safe."

"Fighting for Master was my intention anyway."

Caren sighed, then flipped her hair aside and grumbled, "Even so, couldn't she have summoned someone better than you, like Scathach or Fergus? I have my doubts about your reliability, considering you lost against Cuchulainn in the only true fight you ever had in your life."

"I can't promise anything except my best. Besides, that's only because Father used Gae Bolg on me. If he hadn't, who knows what the outcome of that fight could've been."

"Probably still not favorable for you."

Connla became quiet. However harsh Caren's words were, she couldn't deny the brevity behind them. The priestess rested a navy blue beret on her head and said, "Well, we'll just have to make do with what we have."

"Do you have some kind of plan?" Connla wondered as she dematerialized into her spirit form, following her false Master around as an invisible presence in order to conserve Bazett's mana.

"Not a fleshed out one, but my aim is to inform the other six Masters of Kirei's deception without alerting him to our presence until the time is right. If they're not willing to listen to me, they should at least understand that something is wrong when they see two Lancers running around in this war. Concrete facts are more convincing than tall tales, after all."

"You're right. Who do you intend to speak with first?"

"I'm not sure at the moment. Though I am aware of most of the Masters involved, I will have to send familiars out to investigate everyone. Given a day or so, we should be able to determine our first move."

"Understood. I'll guard both of you in the meantime."

"I expect nothing less than an extremely vigil watch. If you die on the first day of your job, then it will be nothing but proof positive of your worthlessness."

"You're starting to remind me a lot of my mother," Connla murmured, sounding almost detached from the conversation.

"Meaning what?" Caren demanded.

"Nothing important. If you'll excuse me."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, guys, you have spoken, and the FSN rewrite is the winner of my little mini-poll from Brothers in Destiny, specifically a play on the UBW route and part of Hollow Ataraxia. I'll be taking it easy with the writing for this month, putting my foot in the door before going all out during NaNoWriMo 2019. If I make any errors in the lore during writing, let me know so I can make adjustments – this series is pretty tough for me to make heads or tails of.