Greetings, and welcome to another chapter of TPoM! :)

Sorry for the delay, got stuff to take care of in RL since society is slowly coming back on track.

Anyways, without further ado, enjoy the new chapter worth of almost 18k words.

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…

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"Spells" or "Abilities"

* Sound Effects *

[ Moon Cell ]

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Chapter 13 – Dangerous Encounters

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In an unknown location, there was a young woman sitting in one of the chairs of a vast theater by her lonesome.

The young woman was completely unbothered how she was the only one inside the elegant opera-like theater, despite the eerie darkness that lurked in every corner of the area. The theater itself was showing a series of scenes via a magic device in real-time. It was no different from watching a movie set in real-time events, except the show was better than any other ones in her opinion.

"To think that you would actually be related to that man…" She muttered under her breath. "The world truly is small, despite its vast size."

She was so preoccupied with her entertainment, she almost missed the arrival of a certain man.

Said man has short light blonde hair that was slicked back, and has well-regulated features that wore a calm yet severe expression. He has a pale complexion that was not usually seen before, almost as if he was pale as death itself. He has the appearance of a man in his 30's or 40's, but with a somewhat healthy physique, which hinted that he was a capable fighter.

He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt, black formal slacks, and dress shoes. Hanging around his neck was a long gray scarf and fell to his front, while a pair of black gloves covered his hands.

While the severity of his expression was eye-catching, it was his eyes that stood out the most about him. Unlike a normal person's eyes, his own was different. His irises glowed an unnerving shade of yellow and his sclera was as black as the night. What was even more disconcerting was the lack of humanity in them, as if every emotion in him had disappeared with one exception, the urge to kill.

Most people would be fearful to be in his presence, but the young woman remained unbothered.

"Thought you'd never come…" She paused, giving the newcomer a side glance. "… Monsieur Cordelion."

Bazdilot Cordelion stood beside where the young woman was seated, merely giving the latter a glance before turning to the large screen in front of them with a curious glint in his amber eyes. The man (if he can be still be called as such) slipped his hands inside his pockets as he watched the 'show' with an observant expression.

"I changed my mind. This seems to be more interesting." Bazdilot responded, nodding to the 'show' they were watching.

The young woman smiled at his answer, turning her fascinated gaze back to the screen as she continued.

"Right you are." She grinned with amusement. "Now, if you're here, I take it that you're done with your tasks for the day?"

"Yes." He said with a slight nod.

"And how's the 'project' doing, monsieur Cordelion?" She asked idly.

"It's going along well enough." Bazdilot gave the young woman a glance, who happened to be looking at him in return. "The materials for our preparation is still insufficient, but it's getting there. It'll only be a matter of time before it is ready to ascend to the next phase."

"I see." She said, though the smile on her lips hinted that she was pleased by the news. "While I'm glad to hear it is going along nicely, the lack of materials is a bit worrisome. If the need to make up for the insufficient items arises, do not hesitate to double the harvest for the project's materials. There's plenty of resources we can get it from, after all."

"Very well. Should I rush the harvest ahead of schedule then?" He inquired.

The young woman was quiet for a few moments, her smile morphing into an unpleasant manner as she watched the events on the screen with fervor before she answered his question.

"No." She finally said with a hum. "Although it is imperative for the project to be complete soon, I feel that we have more time in our hands to do everything that needs to be done. There's no need for us to rush. Not when the main star of this show has yet to step into the stage."

Aware of what she meant but not knowing what to say about her somewhat vague statement, Bazdilot had decided to change the topic.

"I see that that snake is not around here." He commented with his usual severe expression.

Noticing the silent inquiry in his words, the young woman indulge his curiosity.

"Yes, I have sent him along with the others." She said in a sing-song voice, a feat that would unnerved most people.

"Why?" He asked with a raised brow.

"To send my greetings and the invitation, of course." She answered with a wide grin that showed too many teeth. "He was also curious about ma petit obsession, so I thought 'why not'?"

"I see…" He said in a monotone voice.

"Granted, his curiosity regarding the Spider can be a concern, but since he promised me to behave, I'm sure it'll go smoothly." She said with a grin.

In response, Bazdilot merely gave a slight grunt, disbelieving that the man he consider a snake would know how to 'behave', but was uninterested in voicing out his reservations, let alone caring about it. Instead, he changed his attention to a different subject, one that he was more curious about.

"So… he's the one?" He asked.

"Why yes, em effet, monsieur Cordelion." She said brightly, her pearly whites in display as she grinned. It would have been a normal scene if not for her dreadful appearance and her next words. "He's quite a fascinating subject for me, one that I would certainly not mind to pick apart and prod to my heart's content." She gave a forlorn sigh, one hand on face. "If only he wasn't so protected…"

Then, she tilted her head as an idea came into mind and she gave the man standing next to her a coy stare.

"Why do you ask, monsieur Cordelion? Are you perhaps… jaloux?" She asked with a mischievous grin. "If you wish, just say the word and I'll gladly give you some of my attention to warm your harsh, cold nights. Just be aware, I intend to be utterly faithful to him, so I'm afraid that you will only ever be a passing interest for me."

To his credit, Bazdilot didn't even took her bait that would have made many people shirked in disgust and discomfort, much less blink at her behavior. Instead, he stared at the screen and spoke in his usual unperturbed tone, speaking as if he never heard her in the first place, which caused the eerie young woman to pout when he ignored her teasing.

"What makes him special?" Bazdilot asked, gesturing to the person being displayed on the screen. "Other than what is obvious, I don't see how he is crucial to our project."

"Ah, but first, tell me… what do you think of him?" She answered his question with her own, staring at him from the corner of her eyes.

Bazdilot arched a brow, but paused as he thought about her question.

"He's quite talented, despite being young. I heard from that fool, and yourself, that the boy was a survivor of the grail war. There's also this… talk that the boy received the grand rank of 'Crown' by the higher-ups of the Clock Tower, something that the people in the Mage's Association were only happy to agree with. Combined with his power and heritage, he would make for an ideal harvest. Is that why you have him in your sights? Other than wanting to cut him open and add to your collection?"

For a few moments, the eerie young woman was silent, humming as she mused over his response and question.

"Hmm… oui and non." She finally said. "You are correct to say that he is an ideal ingredient. The most tempting one, if I do say so myself." She grinned at the last part before it disappeared as she went on. "But non, I've decided that he has a far more important role to play in our project."

"And what is that?" Bazdilot inquired.

"Patience, monsieur Cordelion." She giggled, a vile sound that can make a person's skin crawl. It was light in tone, yet held an ominous vibe. "You shall see soon enough. In time."

With nothing more to discuss, the two individuals turned their undivided attention to the wide screen where the actions of a certain blonde haired young man was being shown, aware yet ignorant of the loud blood-curling screams and suffering of the kidnapped victims that were located somewhere nearby the opera-like theater.

…

…

[… The Watch – Underwater Headquarters …]

Hadrian frowned as he watched his retainers' ventures through the monitor.

It had been fifteen minutes or so since his Arash and the others had ventured into the Spider's nest, and it was admittedly one of the most nerve-wrecking things that he had experienced. The worst he had the displeasure of knowing was that one time when he discovered about the existence of the Far Side of the Moon, of which had some nasty things that lurked within in the forms of data errors.

Although, watching his retainers venture the strange island through a monitor was still one of the worst experience for him, and it took him to restrain himself from accompanying them.

However, as much as it pained him, Hadrian had to stay behind to protect the base and the members of the Watch.

Fortunately, Arash and the others seemed to handling themselves well against the intruders. Their training within the Arena had paid off as they all worked together to corner their opponents, attacking their enemies with the combination of great team work and strategies that they often use in practice runs in the Moon Cell's dungeons, much to his mild surprise.

dHis retainers' combat prowess and well-balanced team work were so smooth and executed with ease, it made Hadrian feel a bit nervous at the thought of training with them in the future. His retainers have a habit of proposing practice battles with a one-vs-two or more to increase his own battle experience.

Speaking of Arash, Hadrian was glad to see that the magical trinket he gave to the servant of the bow had worked on earth.

The small vial attached to the bracelet contained a single feather that was called the 'Phoenix Down', one of the things that Hadrian brought over from his old world via the Armiger Arsenal.

In his past life, Hadrian had travelled the world of Eos in search for the tombs of the previous kings and queens of Lucis. He had done so in order to collect the thirteen royal weapons of the past Lucian rulers as it was dictated by tradition, and along the way, he came across a large tuft of strange feathers that belonged to a divine entity named 'Suzaku'.

According to Gentiana, the High Messenger of the Gods, Suzaku was an entity whose power was on par with the seven astral deities. She had even gone as far as to say that if Suzaku wanted to, he could defeat the estranged astral, Ifrit, in a straight-up battle, despite the both of them sharing the same fire element.

Moreover, Gentiana explained to Hadrian that Suzaku had approved of his character then, which was surprising given the divine entity's personality.

Apparently, Suzaku had somewhat of a reserve personality, preferring to have less contact with the dealings of mortals than most of its kind. It was only when Hadrian came along that the divine entity became interested and had become more active with his involvement with humans. Although, the great phoenix still preferred the subtle approach instead of revealing himself outright.

Said 'subtle approach' came in the form of tufts of phoenix feathers, which Hadrian had gathered a lot in his travels from his first life and kept in the Armiger Arsenal for safe-keeping.

It was only recently that he made use of the Phoenix Downs in his special inventory again when he discovered the negative effect in Arash's Noble Phantasm.

He had been worried that the magical item would only work within the premises of the Moon Cell, but he was relieved to see that the Phoenix Down still works, despite being in a different world with a different set of rules in magic than it normally was in his original world. If not for the Phoenix Down, Arash would have been lost to him before their contract even lasted for a month.

The servant of the bow has the tendency to accidentally use his Noble Phantasm sometimes when the fight goes hard, which would cause his death in effect, something that Hadrian would prefer to prevent. Arash might not have minded dying for a good cause, such as protecting his master, but Hadrian considered him as a friend whose loyalty and character deserved to be rewarded.

Needless to say, the reward was the Phoenix Down that was imbued with the power of True Magic to maintain its effect in an everlasting manner, and Arash was more than happy to receive it.

'Thank goodness for the Phoenix Down…' Hadrian mused with a sigh.

As for his main reason for staying behind, it was due to a certain sensation that he was being watched once again.

It started as a niggling ominous feeling, as if red ants crawled up his skin, and that was when he knew someone was watching him. Ironically enough, the Moon Cell was helpful to notify him about the matter earlier, something that he appreciated. He had his suspicions that someone was keeping tabs on him, but it was nice to have it confirmed instead of him wondering about it whenever it happens.

Considering that it was second time, Hadrian had no doubts that whoever is watching was involved with the intruders. The timing of the intruders' arrival was too coincidental not to be viewed as such.

Regardless of what he feels about the matter, the objective still remained the same for him, but the downside was that his movements had become a bit restricted once again. Having someone watch his every move was frustrating on his part, more so as it meant that Hadrian was unable to use most of his abilities and spells, especially the kind that was designed solely for destruction.

Hadrian had been intending to use some of his unique spells to assist his retainers from far away, but with someone watching him, he was having second thoughts.

Don't get him wrong, he still wanted to help his retainers, but he also didn't want his stalker to know what kind of tricks he has under his sleeve. Hadrian would rather keep his stalker in the dark of what he can do for as long as possible, not when he still had yet to discover his enemies' identities.

'Well, there's two, but I have this feeling that there might be more…' Bright cyan eyes narrowed at the thought.

He was snapped out of his musings when Kieran spoke nearby.

"Looks like the dudes and dudettes are doing just fine." He commented as he watched the proceedings through the monitors.

"Hm, our practice runs seems to be paying off." Dia agreed as he stood near to Hadrian's right.

"They got their asses in the bag, I'm s– oh, never mind. Should've kept my mouth shut." Kieran muttered under his breath.

The reason for his sudden change in tone was due to his fellow retainers' formidable encounters with the intruders. His retainers held the advantage at first, but as the minutes went on, they seem to be having some difficulties in taking down their respective opponents. Hadrian can tell that they were restraining themselves from going all-out, which would simply spell a lot of trouble for them.

Hadrian was tempted to open the mind link to provide them his commands to settle the battle in their favor, but seeing the looks of concentration on their faces, he felt that it was not the right time yet.

"Charles seems to be having a tough time out there." Kieran mused aloud, frowning at the screen.

True to his observation, the cheeky retainer was struggling a bit as he tried to move on the offense against the enemy.

Unfortunately for Charles, the intruder had proven himself to be quite a skilled combatant, given how seamlessly his enemy defended himself from both Charles and Scáthach's attacks. The way the intruder moved, behaved and respond to their attacks, Hadrian was beginning to realize that the intruders might not be the average magi.

A thoughtful frown made its way to his face, something that Kieran and Dia took notice of.

"Milord?" Dia said in a low voice, catching his young lord's attention.

"Just thinking, Dia." Hadrian answered, smiling faintly at the look of concern that the servant of the lance gave him.

"Care to share, Boss?" Kieran asked, raising one brow.

When he saw Hugo and Edward turned their attention to him, Hadrian had decided to speak his thoughts then and there.

"Very well then." The young heir huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Those intruders… they are not ordinary people."

The four men blinked, processing his statement before Kieran spoke.

"Obviously, Boss. I think being able to give our guys trouble to capture them speaks for that." The amber-eyed servant said with a skeptical expression.

In return, Hadrian gave him an exasperated look, something that only amused Kieran.

A cough nearby caught their attention, causing them to turn to Dia who was the source of the noise.

"I think what milord is trying to say, Kieran, is that the intruders are not ordinary human." Dia elaborated, turning to Hadrian for confirmation. "Isn't that right, milord?"

"Yes, what you said is correct." Hadrian agreed with a nod. "How the intruders fight are too graceful, which speaks of their immense battle experience, especially the one that Charles and Scáthach is fighting. The terrain they are fighting in is unknown to both parties, yet the intruders fought back with equal intensity. I find that suspicious."

"Perhaps the intruders have certain heritages then?" Hugo suggested, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I would've been inclined to consider that as a possibility if it weren't for the fact that there aren't many magical bloodlines left in this world with great potential like mine." Hadrian said with a sigh.

"That's true." Edward agreed. "There's not many mage families like the noble ones, nor any prodigious magi with great power known as of now."

"Cept for the boss right here." Kieran cut in with a small grin.

"Silence, you." Hadrian reproached in a calm tone, disliking the amber-eyed servant's unnecessary boasting.

"Just saying." Kieran chuckled as he raised his hands up in defense.

It was a testament to Hadrian's familiarity with Kieran that the blonde haired young man merely sighed again in response, used to amber-eyed retainer's behavior.

"Back on topic, the theory with the intruders being prodigious magi in disguise is also not possible. If they were, someone would have taken notice of them and the Mage's Association would have been aware of their existence, particularly opa." Hadrian stated with a thoughtful expression.

Hadrian gave Hugo and Edward a knowing look, something that the two older magi understood.

If there was someone who is well-informed of any changes occurring in their world, it would be the infamous Magician of the Kaleidoscope, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Therefore, the two magi felt no need to refute the young heir's words since what he did say was the truth, which brought a question to their minds.

"Then, what do you think they are, young master?" Edward asked in a polite tone.

Silence pervaded upon them as the four males watched Hadrian mused quietly to himself, staring at the monitor with a calm and regal expression. The look in his bright cyan eyes told them a different story though, they were focused and held a cold, calculative gleam that can only be seen on a first-rate magus.

It was something that Hugo and Edward were highly familiar with, considering as they had seen such an expression from their Lord Zelretch whenever he was thinking seriously, or intended to dissect a poor bastard for pissing him off. The two magi felt a bit unnerved how similar the young heir was to his grandfather at that moment, judging by the expression he wore alone.

'Like grandfather, like grandson, I suppose…' Edward and Hugo both thought, unaware of each other's similar opinion.

"I have my suspicions…" Hadrian began slowly, watching the battles through the monitor. "But, I would rather not say."

"Why'z that?" Kieran asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I think we're about to find out anyway." Hadrian smiled grimly, gesturing in front of him.

As one, the four males turned their questioning gazes to the monitors, their eyes widening in surprise as they all watched the proceedings recorded in perfect clarity.

"Oh…" Hugo muttered in surprise.

…

…

[… Spider's Nest – West ...]

Fate has a strange way of doing things sometimes.

In the case of Scáthach, it happened to her in the least way she had expected.

Once, Scáthach was a mortal. She had been as normal as any other people in the past, albeit blessed with power, beauty and wisdom. As the sole owner of her lands, she had people that served under her rule and Scáthach had done her best to be fair and just in role as their queen. In return, she was respected and highly revered as someone in a position of power.

Then, slowly, monsters of all various types descended upon her lands. And in time, she gained a certain lust for battle, growing continuously as she fought against powerful creatures as it went on.

She supposed that was when everything began to slowly change for her. However, she certainly did not expect that her favorite past time would eventually turn into her own worst nightmare.

The more she fought all kinds of beast that intruded upon her territory throughout the years, the more she grew experienced and powerful. Too powerful. So great that Scáthach became greatly feared even by the gods themselves, and she was only too late to realize the consequences of the subtle changes in her body as her victories continued to rise.

When Scáthach noticed that her body remained unchanging, no matter how time had passed on, that was when she knew that she was no longer a mortal.

She had panicked at first and tried to find other ways to stop her body from turning into a true immortal, but all the methods she found yielded no true results. Except for one, the crimson spear that she made from the materials of a special tree that she took great care in nurturing, 'Gae Bolg'.

The crimson spear became the perfect tool to slay creatures who have immortal attribute, which she then used to slay many enemies that pervaded her territory. She had originally intended to use the spear for her own purpose, but when so many monsters came to her home, Scáthach was left with no choice but to defend her lands by using the murderous spear, along with her prized runes.

Her reputation grew so fearsome that she earned an ominous title from the local folk, the 'Warrior Queen of Dun Scaith'.

But, Scáthach didn't care. What only matters to her was that her territory was clean of monsters, keeping her people safe and her lands peaceful.

However, not all things can last as the era of the Age of the Gods began to wane, what with the phantasmal creatures and the gods themselves retreated to the reverse side of the world. There was an unknown calamity that caused the deities to escape to the other side out of panic when most of their kind died under the hands of a powerful enemy that seemed despised them.

By then, it was already too late to know the source of the calamity when Scáthach herself became so busy with defending her territory from hordes of monsters.

It had been sudden, like a dam bursting due to overflow of water, when the monsters came upon her lands and made themselves comfortable by building nests upon nests around her beloved territory, much to her annoyance. And Scáthach was left with no other choice but to hunt down and kill the rats (monsters, wraiths, gods, etc.) loitering about near her home.

The pests stained her lands with their vile energies, turning the once rich, healthy soil and untainted meadows into something dead and incapable of even producing grass, much less any plant life. Her lands was so littered with wraith-like creatures, Scáthach gained an immense power that she can control over and close the gate of her realm to ward off the dead, turning into a ruler and gatekeeper.

It was at that time when the realm under her rule began to separate itself from the world, eventually turning into a dreary and dangerous place known as the 'Land of Shadows'.

When the last of her servants had passed on and Scáthach became the only one left alive in the castle, she first had thoughts of committing suicide to join them. The thought of living alone by her own lonesome in the castle for an indefinite time scared her, not that her pride would ever admit it out loud. But, her sense of duty to her previous subjects and her pride kept herself from doing the deed.

And so, for countless years, Scáthach had lived in quiet solitude, only leaving the castle to deal with the monsters appear upon her lands every once in a while.

Somewhere in between those years, she took in many warriors that sought out her teachings and wisdom, among that stood out were Ferdiad and Cu Chulainn, who both made their respective marks down in the history of mankind. Scáthach was proud of her pupils and their achievements, but she would never admit it out loud in fear of stroking their already inflated egos.

The idiot duos were already unbearable enough with their usual antics, she doesn't want to give them another reason to become even more annoying.

When it was time for her students to leave, Scáthach did not see them off due to having already passed down all her teachings to them. Using her foresight, Scáthach had predicted her student's final moments, and she lamented that the man who might be the only one that she would allow to end her life had also beaten her to the grave.

After the death of her pupils, Scáthach became more closed off from the world as she merely focused on her duty as the sole ruler and gatekeeper of the realm, which had effectively caused the Land of Shadows to be completely sundered from the mortal world, fully becoming a land of the dead.

Still continuing to exist unto modern times and unable to become a Heroic Spirit on the Throne of Heroes, Scáthach had not ventured outside of the Land of Shadows for two thousand years. Unable to die, she could only wait until the time of the world its outside would finally disappear. At least, that was what she had always thought.

Never did she expected that her life would quickly change its course just by meeting a strange young man.

And that strange young man would become her Master, Hadrianus Mathius von Schweinorg.

Scáthach's lips almost twitched into a smile as she thought about the young man in question, absentmindedly ducking under the roundhouse punch that the intruder sent in her direction. She retaliated by using her crimson spear twirling it in her hand as she turned around after evading the punch before whipping at her foe with the side end of her weapon.

*SMACK*

Her aim was true when her attack landed on the intruder's temple, quickly forcing the intruder away from her by ten feet or more.

Scáthach let out a smirk when she immediately noticed the few droplets of blood on the ground that came from the wound on the intruder's temple.

The end of her spear was designed with a small yet sharp point, which can easily pierce through the skin and cause it to break if enough speed and force was used into the attack. The spear appears similar to Gae Bolg, but lacks the 'cause and effect' ability. She decided to forgo with her cursed spear for the meantime, opting to save the chance to use it when she truly needed it to.

To the intruder's credit, he remained composed and aware as he managed himself upright, even as Charles rushed in and took her place, almost coming out of nowhere.

"UOH!" The cheeky retainer shouted out a battle cry as he attacked.

With a speed that can't be tracked by the naked eye of a normal person, Charles went on the offense.

Flashes of silver appeared in the air as he attacked with his wave-patterned straight sword, whistling through the air as his assault continued on relentlessly. Charles was quite determined to not give the intruder the upper hand in the fight, but sadly, his opponent was too skilled, too fast for him to hit with his sword skills alone.

Nevertheless, Charles was not discouraged by it as he simply remained on the offense and waited for an opportunity to land a fatal hit on the enemy.

He wasn't the only one active in the fight though. Every now and then, the intruder would counter his attacks with one of his own, either by punching or kicking at him after evading or parrying Charles's sword strikes. Most often than not, Charles had to take a few moments to do his best to roll or dash out of the way to avoid being on the other end of his foe's counters.

It was only thanks to his own experience and honed instincts that he was able to do so. That, and Scáthach's sneaky interventions had helped him as well.

Scáthach would subtly attack with her spear here and there close to wherever the intruder might back away or move as she went to his blind spots. While Charles prided himself in being skilled with the sword, he was not foolish as to deny the crimson eyed woman's help when it comes to a battle that he obviously can't win on his own, as much as it rankled on his nerves for being weak.

'No…' He corrected himself. 'Not me. This bastard is just too strong!'

Only a minute had passed, and Charles was quick enough to realize that the intruder was a monster.

Every single time he strike, the big guy never failed to respond, either to parry or to counter his attacks. One would think that someone of his build would have trouble moving faster within a blink of an eye, but the bastard Charles was fighting at the moment certainly does not have any qualms about it.

Not only that, he was outclassed by the intruder's physique as well. Charles was given a body that was quite strong and durable enough to handle the powers of a Servant. But, it wasn't without its own limitations. Using too much of his powers can possibly cause his physical body to explode. Hence, the reason why he and the others often prefer to switch to their servant forms if the battle goes hard.

Unfortunately, the option was strictly closed off for the time being, due to the current circumstance.

The intruder was too strong and nimble to take down, even with him and Scáthach joining forces. Heck, they have yet to even make some real damages on the bastard's cloak. He and Scáthach have been trying to cut at the intruder's cloak for a while now to reveal the bastard's face, but the process was slow. So far, they have made scratches on it, and the wound on his temple went ignored.

Charles's only saving grace was due to his own experience and Scáthach's timely interventions. If not for that, Charles might have died in the few times he exchanged blows with the intruder earlier.

They were managing the flow of battle so far, but he would rather not delude himself into thinking that they could bring the intruder in without sustaining some injuries on their end. As his liege had often told him, one can never expect how a battle would end, especially when the enemy was also an experienced fighter.

'One thing left to do then…' The cheeky retainer mused.

He saw Scáthach gave him a slight nod, and that was when he knew it was time.

With narrowed eyes and gritted teeth, Charles sidestepped a high kick, barely escaping the counter by a hair's breadth, and did a swift turn before he pulled the sword back to his chest, bending his legs a bit as he poised right arm with the blade into a coiling position while his left held the sheathe to his waist.

Once he saw an opportunity, the black and white haired retainer quickly dashed forward and he went in for the kill. He thrust the sword with great force, exerting the necessary magical energy into his right hand to give the piercing strike a bit more strength. The intruder saw the attack coming and merely dashed to the side a few feet away from him, which was just as he expected.

Charles smirked.

"Got ya, bastard!" He taunted.

Before the intruder could process what he said, a flash of white bluish light of a rune appeared on the ground near his feet and a great explosion followed immediately after. The kinetic force blew the giant of a man further away from Charles, who only looked on at Scáthach's runic handy work with an appreciative eye.

A large, black crater appeared where the intruder had stood, cracked with web lines and gauged by six feet. And as for the bastard himself, Charles saw the black cloaked form that laid so still on the ground, located just outside of the crater. What elated him more was that the cloak looked quite damaged, appearing tattered and incredibly singed.

'Heh, that's big sis for you. Primordial Runes for the win!' The cheeky retainer grinned.

He heard footsteps nearby, but Charles kept his eyes on the intruder's downed form, unwilling to let his guard down.

"Think that's enough?" He asked Scáthach, who stepped beside him.

"No, it's not." Scáthach replied, her tone was clear yet ominous. "I'm afraid it'll take more than that to bring that cur down."

Charles glance at her in surprise and curiosity, noticing the glare on her beautiful face before he turned his gaze back to their enemy. He turned just in time to see the intruder slowly standing back up, and Charles can't help but make a comparison. It felt as if he was watching a beaten zombie right itself into a standing position, arms spread and back arched in a creepy manner.

His humor quickly dissipated when a loud ominous growl emanated from the intruder, who then proceeded to take off the cloak from his body in a rough fashion, almost ripping it in the process.

The intruder's appearance was as uncanny as his presence.

The first thing that they noticed was the long black and gold shroud that covered his face from front to back. It had diamond patterns that run along the length of it. Two sets of small black chains were wrapped around his head to keep the shroud from falling off. Although, it caused Charles to wonder idly how the intruder was able to see through the cloth since there were no visible holes.

The enemy was taller than the average man, and quite muscled, from top to bottom. The enemy's skin was dyed red, but over his chest near his heart, a shape of a large scar was dyed white.

He wore black pants that ended his knees, a large black sash that was wrapped around his waist like a belt, and a knee-length chlamys with a similar design that covered his rear and sides. He was also wearing a pair of black leather sandals to protect his feet.

'Well, at least it's now confirmed that this bastard's a guy.'

Charles opened his mouth to taunt the enemy, but was rendered speechless when he sensed a familiar sensation permeating from the intruder.

It was the aura of a Servant.

As if in response to his thoughts, the dark red skinned intruder lifted both of his arms slightly and opened his hands. A flash of crimson magic particles later, a large wooden bow and a few long arrows appeared in his left and right hands respectively. Such an image was the only thing that Charles and Scáthach needed to confirm that their enemy was truly a Heroic Spirit.

"Oi, oi! What the fuck is this?" Charles growled lowly, glaring at the taller spirit. "How the hell is there a Rogue Servant running around? I thought Kieran was the last one."

"No clue." Scáthach answered, calm and poised. The slight tension in her shoulders hinted that she was on guard though. "And for the record, Kieran's case was different. Also, we do not have time to argue. That cur seems intent on wreaking havoc in this place. We have to prevent him from causing too much disturbance, especially if he uses his Noble Phantasm."

Knowing that she was right, Charles silenced his protests and followed after the crimson eyed woman, who reinitiated the battle once more.

As he assisted her in the fight, he can only hope that his fellow retainers and his liege were doing better than he and Scáthach were. Charles had been a bit skeptical with his master's warnings before regarding the intruders, but after knowing their true nature and realizing the danger they represent, he was beginning to believe that the case had become a lot more difficult.

...

He could use a drink right about now.

…

…

In the east of the island, a furious battle had taken place in a small clearing of crystallized trees.

Yan Qing, Astolfo and Medusa fought against an enemy Servant that they had just recently uncovered. The clashing sounds of metal upon metal and the noises of punches and kicks making contact against one's skin disturbed the tranquil silence of the area. The three retainers glared at their mutual enemy, determined to not give their foe any breathing room.

After a few clashes that led to an eventual draw, the three retainers retreated to a safe distance, disengaging from the enemy to gather their bearings and reassess the situation.

The trio had been fighting the intruder for quite a while, and they have yet to make actual progress in capturing the damn interloper. Recently, they had a bit of success in uncovering their foe's cloak off (courtesy of a certain pink haired paladin), but trying to knock them out unconscious was much easier said than done.

The source for their failure and difficulty was due to the intruder himself, and they also can't help but tense in his presence.

Standing eleven meters away from them was a tall man in his late 40's, who still has a hale physique and broad shoulders despite his age.

Said man has a long light gray hair, coupled with a pair of blood red eyes and a beard. He was attired in a complete set of black plated armor, the left side of which was almost completely stained with blood, and a crimson red, tattered cape that attached around his shoulders and neck. The cape was pinned together by a fang-like ornament to keep it from falling off.

In his hands were two different polearms, one was made out of dark gray metal and the other was a dark bronze. Both have different structures, but has the same needle-like point. Although, they look simple and almost regal in style, the polearms gave out a dreadful aura that reminded them of a certain crimson spear that was favored by one of their allies.

The polearms does not emit an awful bloodthirsty aura like Gae Bolg does. Rather than an aura, they felt as if the polearms in the enemy's hands has a history that was as dark as the (in)famous spear of Scandinavian legend, as if they too had been used to kill many people, regardless of whether the victims were innocent or not in the eyes of its wielder.

What was more disturbing about him was the crazed look in his crimson eyes. They held the glint of someone determined yet deranged. The combination of his blood stained figure, the zealous light in his red bloodshot eyes, and the manic grin on his bearded countenance left a very intimidating impression upon those who looked at him.

Medusa might be unperturbed by him due to her having seen something worse before, but Astolfo and Yan Qing were not. Therefore, their tense expressions were understandable in this case. The two had fought against monsters before in the past, especially after they have been summoned by their liege, but never have they seen someone like him before.

Unbeknownst to the two, Medusa stared at the intruder with her usual placid expression. Yet, her light lavender eyes held a hint of familiarity in them, as if she recognized the enemy's identity.

Medusa has her suspicions as to who the black knight was, recalling that she had seen him somewhere before, but she was not sure where and when. It was somewhere in the back of her mind, but she could never remember it for the life of her. Nevertheless, the white-haired knight's presence does make her wary of him. She simply had more experienced in hiding her emotions than her allies.

As if to prove their thoughts, the blood-stained knight let out a bellowing eerie laugh. Unlike how most B-rate villains in movies would do it, the one that the bloody knight made was unsettling enough it caused the smalls hairs on both Yan and Astolfo's skin to rise as they watched their mutual foe with cautious eyes, inwardly resisting the urge to take a step back.

"Mon dieu, this guy's not quite right in the head, isn't he?" Astolfo chuckled nervously, perturbed by the intruder's sudden laughter.

"Ya sure have a knack for understating things, pinky." Yan muttered with a sigh of exasperation.

"Well, they do say that it's one of my charming points." Astolfo grinned, almost forgetting about the enemy.

"Says who?" Yan retorted, looking annoyed and skeptical.

"Why, the beautiful ladies I encounter in my journey, of course." Astolfo answered cheekily, amused by the glare he was given.

"Here he comes, brace yourselves." Medusa warned, interrupting their bickering.

"Oh fuck…!" Yan cursed under his breath.

"Merde!" Astolfo grimaced.

"Huhuhuhahahaha! More! More! MORE!" The bloodstained Servant raved out loud, a maniacal grin on his face. "Show me your struggles! Show me your love!" Here, his red bloodshot eyes grew even wider, if that was even possible. "And let me paint! The ground! With your BLOOOOOOOOD!"

Right after he shouted, the blood-stained knight ran towards them and vanished in a sudden burst of speed after a few steps, almost leaving an afterimage behind his wake.

He reappeared in front of Astolfo, who nearly flinched at the quick appearance of the mad black knight a few feet in the air above him.

"Where the hell did he come from?!" Yan complained from nearby.

The pink haired retainer was quick on his toes, materializing a white and gold paladin lance in his hands a split second later before he used it to guard the intruder's overhead attack.

*BANG*

*CRACK*

Astolfo managed to block the attack in time, but he didn't expect the force behind it to nearly overwhelm him.

Violet eyes widened in shock when he felt his feet sunk slightly into the ground, nearly causing his knees to buckle and the earth under him to fissure once the intruder's weapon came into contact with the shaft of his lance. The idea of the interloper being strong enough to make him almost kneel down through strength alone was as startling as it was vexing for him to accept.

"Damn…" Astolfo grunted through gritted teeth.

He held the lance above his head, trying to push back using the strength in his upper body. The pink haired servant might have the most delicate appearance in their group (with his Master following as the second to this claim) and an unreliable servant for most of the time, but he was confident in his strength.

And yet, the more Astolfo tried to push him off, the more he slowly felt the shift in balance as the intruder continued to lock weapons with him.

Astolfo nearly flinched when he saw the crazy bearded servant leaned in close, crimson eyes flashed as the manic grin turned almost unhinged and bloodthirsty. A pair of fangs made itself known as he opened his mouth and let out another roar of laughter, glinting ominously despite of the lack of sunlight.

"Kuahahaha! Yes! YES! Struggle! Show me your mettle! Show me the will for your love!" He bellowed passionately and zealously.

'Ugh! What are those two doing?!' He shouted in his mind, feeling uncomfortable.

As if sensing to his thoughts, he heard footsteps nearby and a quick charge of magical energy nearing close in his direction before he heard the familiar voice of an ally.

"FUCKING BASTAAAAAAAAAARD!" Yan roared.

"… Eh?"

Astolfo blinked in shock, feeling surprised when the bloodstained knight disappeared from his peripheral vision, as if blinking out of existence.

Instead, what greeted him was Yan, who looked at him with a dubious expression of his own. His fellow retainer and friend, Yan Qing.

The Yan Qing, who was currently in mid-air with his body positioned in a flying kick, and whose foot was charged with his distinctive bright yellow magical energy.

Knowing of what was about to happen, Astolfo just felt like crying at that moment.

"NO WAI–"

"AH OI! DU–"

*THWACK*

"AUGH!" Astolfo cried out, reeling from the pain.

With the intruder avoiding the sneak attack at the last second, the magically charged flying kick that was supposed to hit the crazy bearded old man had hit Astolfo instead.

Yan's left foot had planted itself directly on Astolfo's face, causing the pink haired paladin to fly backwards. Astolfo's back slammed against a peculiar black crystal that stood out of the ground, then he slid down onto his front in a painful heap a few feet away from where he had stood, looking a bit out of it.

Before Yan could even feel sorry for his friend, he was suddenly accosted by the bloodstained knight, who turned his demented attention upon him before right after he sent Astolfo away.

Yan's face turned grim when he saw the ominous glint in the armored Servant's red eyes and the dual polearms gripped in his hands, both readied at his sides as he got closer to him.

The intention in his enemy's eyes was clear, and Yan, while surprised by the sudden turn of events, was not unprepared. He had some experience with sparring individuals who uses spears or lances, so he was not concerned for a close up battle, despite being unarmed. The one thing that does worry him though, was whether he can hit the enemy with his attacks.

Yan's fighting style mostly revolves around unarmed techniques. He has the speed, strength, and proper instinct of an assassin class Servant that was above the average. His experience with enemies that favor spears or lances can help him greatly in the fight. He honestly would have no problem, if not for the fact that his opponent seems to be stronger and faster than him.

Earlier, before they managed to uncloak the bearded bastard, Yan noticed the difference in strength and speed.

Even handicapped as he was by fighting the three of them at the same time, the intruder managed to last for thirty minutes or so before they got the chance to inflict enough damage on the black cloak to render the protections inscribed upon it useless. Their Master warned them that there were spells casted on the cloak, protecting the intruders from his abilities to discover identities.

Yan has some suspicion that his Master knows why, but for now, what was important was for them to damage the cloak enough that the protections would be rendered inert.

The white bearded bastard was mostly passive and silent earlier before the cloak was damage. Then, when he, Rider, and Astolfo managed to successfully damage the cloak enough for the enemy to discard it away, the mission to take down the intruder had simply become a lot more difficult from then on, especially when spikes specifically designed for impalement kept coming out of thin air.

It was as if the black cloak was restraining the enemy's true parameters, which would explain the reason why the white bearded old goat had suddenly became a lot stronger, faster and kept resorting to cheap tricks by trying to impale them with black spikes from whatever hellhole he pulled it out from.

The evidence of that last observation can be seen in the small clearing they happened to be fighting in, pinned on the ground and tree crystals here and there.

With an irate huff to himself, Yan dashed forward and met the intruder in the middle.

"HAAH!" He shouted, a determined glare on his face.

Yan started the fight with a quick jab to the face, undaunted by the polearm that was about to close in on fist.

He had already charged his fist with his magical energy, so he was not concern about being injured. While the polearms gave off an ominous vibe, he sensed that they were normal enough and he has expectations that he would be able to deflect them with just his fists alone. But, he would need to be careful since the bearded bastard has the advantage in range and power.

It was only speed that Yan felt he was in equal terms with the intruder.

His turn (and mental preparation) for a one-on-one fight had gone down to the drain when a certain lavender haired servant stole his highlight by landing a roundhouse kick on the enemy's chest as she suddenly came out of nowhere, which caught the bloodstained knight off guard as he was thrown back to the side.

Medusa followed up on her attack by a series quick slashes, unwilling to let the bloodstained knight get the upper hand again.

The statuesque woman thorough and precise with her assault. She had made use of her weapon and the flexibility of her body in an efficient manner. She used her deadly scythe, Harpe, as her main offense, then her powerful kicks to keep the intruder off his guard, which often worked in her favor as it lets her flow continue without interruption.

The chains attached to the scythe was also not spared as she uses it to restrain the enemy's foot or arm every time she gets the opportunity.

The white bearded bastard tried to retaliate, to counter, but Medusa was vicious, diligent and opportunistic with her attacks. She attacks whenever it was safe, and she defends whenever she has too. It was a matter of timing when to strike, guessing the next move and how to evade them. She was like a beautiful and deadly snake, striking hard and viciously yet nimble and fast enough to get away.

She was so meticulous in her strategy, it almost made Yan forgot that she stole his turn to fight the bastard.

Yan shook his head slightly, ridding his mind of the childish negativity.

"Ah, no. I think she can handle that bastard for a while." He muttered under his breath. "Gotta check on pinky first."

He turned to look over his shoulder and sighed when he saw that his fellow retainer still got swirls in his eyes.

"Ey! Pinky! Get up!" Yan shouted as he ran to his friend's side. "C'mon, get off your ass. You can do that later once this is over!"

"Ugh… my head…" Astolfo groaned as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Sorry, but no time for that. We'll get Master to heal you up later, but try to stay in the game." Yan urged as he dragged him to assist their fellow retainer in the fight.

"Argh… right." Astolfo said dazedly, slowly coming to his senses.

Then, as if realizing something, he turned his head and glared at Yan as they jogged to where the two servants were fighting.

"Your kick hurt, by the way." Astolfo began, violet eyes squinting as a scheme formed in his mind.

"It's supposed to hurt." Yan laughed dryly, slightly sheepish at his previous blunder.

"You know I'm going to get back at you for that." Astolfo stated with a glare, which doesn't seem to affect Yan in the slightest.

"What?! The hell would you do that for? I didn't expect that bearded bastard would just vanish, you know?" Yan reasoned, glaring back.

"It still hurt, ya know! Merde, look at my face!" Astolfo shouted, pointing at himself after he saw his reflection via the crystal. "I got a shoe mark from my forehead and down to my chin!"

Quelling the urge to laugh out loud, Yan shook his head in exasperation.

"Argh, whatever, pinky!" Yan coughed into his hand, feigning irritation before jogging ahead of him.

"Oi! You were laughing just now, weren't cha!" Astolfo accused.

"I don't know what'cha talkin' bout!"

So focused were they in their banter, the two servants did not noticed the seemingly black crystal (the one that Astolfo had slammed his back against by coincidence) had moved, twitching every few seconds as if it was alive by the time the two male retainers joined in their fellow ally in the battle.

…

…

[… at the same time …]

Arturia stilled, then looked over her shoulder with narrowed green eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" A familiar voice asked nearby.

Arturia turned to face the source and saw Arash standing a couple of steps ahead of her, looking back at her with a curious expression.

The two of them were on their way to their destination, which was in the south of the island that somewhere close to the center. At first, they started their venture by running, but when Arturia's instincts began to act up, she suggested for the both of them to proceed to their destination by walking.

Something told her that by venturing ahead without exerting proper caution would bring them trouble later on. Her instincts have yet to prove her wrong even now, so Arturia had no complaints in being extra cautious. It was something that their Master had suggested for them, to begin with.

Therefore, they proceeded deep into the island with their guards up and their senses at the ready.

The former King of Knights looked down at her feet, a pensive expression on her beautiful and elegant countenance.

"Hmm… no." Arturia eventually said, tilting her head up to look at her companion. "I merely felt that the others are probably fighting the enemies right about now."

"Ah, well, that just leaves us then." Arash said with a smile. "Why don't we go along and meet our target? Don't want whoever it is to become too bored now."

Used to his carefree behavior, Arturia smiled slightly at her companions words.

"Then, let us be off." She agreed, following after the servant of the bow's lead.

Despite her calm and poise, Arturia couldn't help but feel on edge.

Having been in tune with her magical energy, Arturia felt a disturbance in the air earlier. Hence, the reason she paused and looked over her shoulder before. It was a spike of foreign magical essence, so quick that she almost thought that she had imagined it. But then, her instincts began sending signs of danger, slowly and steadily, as she followed Arash deep into a valley of crystals.

Speaking of her companion, Arturia glanced at Arash with her usual stoic and regal expression, noting the lack of a smile on the bowman's face.

Her companion would normally have a smile on his face, no matter where he is. The tan skinned bowman was simply a cheerful man in mind, body and soul. Therefore, it was rather surprising for her to see him acting serious and wary the moment they began their trek deep into the valley of crystals.

Then again, Arturia could hardly blame him, given their current situation.

The eerie quiet that permeated the area as they ventured deeper was enough to make a cheerful man such as Arash wipe the smile off his smile. The level of danger that they both sensed was simply on a different note than anything that they had encountered before, which caused for them to put their guards up.

The way the dark clouds and the rumblings of thunder in the distance only made the situation grimmer and made them wary of anything that might come at their way.

Ironically, the tenseness in the air and grim outlook of the area reminded Arturia of that one memory from long ago.

That certain moment when she looked up at the dark skies of Britain while standing on top of a pile of corpses, holding Excalibur in her hands, taking a few moments to compose herself before she had to go into the castle and meet her dear old uncle Vortigern to kill him, to claim what was rightfully hers and free her people from his terrible reign.

'No…'

Arturia closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath before exhaling through her nose.

Recalling that moment of her life while venturing on a dangerous territory was not good, she scolded herself. Arturia could even argue that being on this island was affecting her way of thinking, but not to the point that she felt like panicking. Instead, it was as if the dreadful atmosphere surrounding the island was causing her mind to think of negative things.

There was something in the air, and Arturia would bet her sword that it was the Spider's magical energy that was the source of it.

Speaking of which, their current destination was towards the crimson light that kept blinking from a far distance.

They had been informed that it was where the intruder was last seen, and so they are now on their way to reach the designated location. Although, they were also warned by the Chief Director, Edward Miles, that it was where the Spider had made its dwelling before it went to its hibernation.

If anyone had told her that she would heading towards the territory of one of the most powerful beings in the world, Arturia would have thought of them as crazy.

But then, here she was, wary yet willing to venture into the depths of a powerful alien, all at the behest of her master.

Fortunately, the various colors of light within the crystals were bright enough to clear their way, at the very least. Although, the crimson light flashing from a far distance and above their heads made the shadows of the tall crystals eerie as they loomed over her, making her heart thump nervously against her chest.

The former King of Britain gripped handle of wind covered Excalibur, feeling her restless heart calm by the assurance of her sacred weapon at her side.

By the time Arturia regained her poise, she saw Arash suddenly held up his hand the moment she looked up. The gesture held a simple meaning, and that was to stop moving. Without questioning him, Arturia stopped, but her gaze followed Arash, who kept on moving but at a slower pace this time.

Curiously, she watched him stop, then slowly crouch down with one knee on the ground. He slowly reached out with one hand and gently touched something with his fingers. The area was dark, so she didn't realized what he was touching until he pulled out a small flashlight from his pocket with his other hand and cast a light on it.

Arturia's brows raised in surprise when she realized that he was touching a wire, which reflected from the flashlight and the light from the crystals.

"Look here." Arash said to her, gesturing to the wire. "A trap, and a dangerous one at that."

As emphasis, Arash looked up and Arturia followed his gaze, green eyes widening slightly in surprise when she noticed something attached on the crystal trees, covertly hidden from the naked eyes. It would take someone with great eyesight as the one that Arash has to notice due to how well hidden the devices of what she presumed as bombs.

"By the looks of it, those things seems to be bombs." Arash explained, confirming her assumption as he inspected the objects with critical eyes. "I don't know how many there are, but given the amount of wires that I can see from here, I'm guessing it's a lot. They may be small, but I suspect that they have enough power to blow this part of the island sky high, which won't be good for us."

The former High King's brows knitted in thought.

"The intruder managed to set up an elaborate trap in such a short time?" She stated the words in a questioning manner.

"Well, we did took our time getting here. Bastard probably got bored and took his sweet time in setting this up, most likely just to make our lives difficult." Arash shrugged, then moved the light in front of him. "Look there, see how many wires are connected? From that tree to the next, there're bombs attach on each of them. One trigger will probably create a large domino effect of explosion in one go."

"Which might cause a large explosion that can shake the island." Arturia summarized, emerald eyes narrowing in distaste.

"And will surely wake up an angry alien." Arash continued with a deadpan smile.

"How do we proceed then?" Arturia asked, frowning slightly in displeasure. "It'll be dangerous if we simply jump over them. Can you dismantle them?"

"Can't." Arash shook his head, scowling at the wire. "It's too risky since I don't know what kind of set up this is. I've only ever dismantled bear traps and the likes, but not bombs like these. So, this kind of thing is out of my depth. Master probably can, but he's not here right now. Besides, even if I can, I wouldn't be able to since there are bombs on the ground as well. I think they're called mines."

"Then, how can we proceed without triggering these… traps?" Arturia asked again.

"Hmm… we can try that one method." Arash answered in an idle tone, standing up and turning to face her.

Seeing the suspicious glint in his dark brown eyes, Arturia frowned at him as she had an inkling to the plan he was about to propose.

"No, we are not going to use a boat to fly over these things." She refused adamantly.

To her surprise and mild annoyance, Arash blinked and let out a roar of laughter, obviously amused by her response.

"Huh? Wha– No! Hahaha, no, no. That's not it." The tan skinned bowman shook his head with a grin, wiping a tear from his eye. "I was just about to say that we can go around this area. There's a way around this forested part – or should it be crystal forest? – that we can just walk around. Whoever set this up, he probably thought that we're amateurs and could catch us off guard with these bombs."

"Then, off we go." Arturia said with a sigh, relaxing her stance.

With a chuckle at her expense, Arash led the way and the two of them walked around booby trapped entrance.

True to his expectation, there was an open gap by the edge of the path filled crystal trees that was untouched, which surprised Arturia slightly. Given the elaborate set up of the traps, she had expected that the intruder would not leave such an oversight for them to use. She also had a feeling that the intruder might be quite the schemer to be able to pull of such a thing.

As they went passed the trap filled area, Arash had taken the time to point out the black pillars in some parts of the area, some of which were close by as they walked past them.

Arturia and Arash were on their guard as they slowly maneuver their way out to the entrance, mindful not to step too close to the black pillars. There was simply something about them that caused their instincts to ring, as if stepping too carelessly near the pillars would bring about a great danger upon them in less than a moment.

Thus, they both did their best to not be near them and carefully treaded their way around.

It was silent between them the entire time, but they took no notice of it due to their focus on the task of getting to safety.

Few minutes later, Arturia and Arash managed to reach the entrance safely and, without wasting time, stepped into to the crystal valley.

Upon entering, she heard Arash say "whoa" under his breath, causing her to look up, only to share his reaction.

Greeting their sights was the view of a low ground floor filled with tall pillars of crystals that jutted out from the ground in a haphazard manner, creating a beautiful yet foreboding scenery. The entrance she and Arash were standing on was elevated by a wide yet short set of staircase, which provided them a good view of the new area.

As far as the eyes can see, all they can find were crystals almost as tall as the buildings in a modern city. The sizes of the crystals differ from one another though, along with their positions. Some were leaning over one another, while others stood straight. The magical energies within them glow with different colors as well, varying from white, blue, green and more.

Leading down the staircase was a spacious pathway that leads upwards. It was truly a valley of crystals.

However, both their attention was directed to the odd crystal formation that can be seen in the far distance, which was in the center of the island.

It held a strange, spiral shape structure, twisting upwards to create a dome shape at the bottom. Although, the thing that grabbed their attention the most was magical energy within the twisted pillars.

They were brighter than the ones that they have seen, including the others that were scattered around the clear vicinity. There were crimson lines inside of them, which were easily seen through from the outside, glowing an eerie blood-red color as if they were veins pumping up blood.

The strange structure was tall enough to be seen in the distance outside of the island, but they didn't get to because of the small hills and taller crystals that surrounded the vicinity. The dense fog and the black clouds did not helped them get a clear look at it as well. The best that they could managed at that time was to follow the crimson light blinking in the center part of the island.

Now that they had seen it properly, the crystallized structure seemed to be a tower of some sort, but Arturia and Arash have an odd feeling it was not meant to be climbed.

It was as if it was meant for something else…

"It's like a creepy beacon of red light. Blinking in and out like that, yeah?" Arash commented beside her with a strange expression.

"Hmm." Arturia agreed, gazing at the alien structure in the center with narrowed eyes.

"Would've been nice if the light was gold or something. At least it wouldn't be so eerie." The bowman bemoaned.

Soon after he said that, Arash began to scout the area with his Clairvoyance, using his current position to his advantage.

Arturia, on the other hand, busied herself with searching for the Blood Beads her master had requested of them to retrieve.

She and Arash had yet to see one along the way, but with the amount of crystal trees down below the ground, Arturia had a good sense that they would be able to find some here. After a few moments of searching, she finally managed to find one. Several of them, in fact. They were on the ground level and a bit far from where they are standing.

"Arash, there are Blood Springs over there." Arturia informed him, pointing the location with her index finger.

"Yeah, I see them, but that's not important for now." Arash spoke lowly, causing her to face him with a confused expression.

Arturia saw the solemn look in the usually cheerful man's face, and she knew there was something amiss.

The bowman didn't turned to face her. Instead, his stern gaze stayed fixated to somewhere far away as his deep red bow materialized in a beautiful display of blue and gold particles in his left hand that he hid from behind his back. The usually cheerful bowman not smiling and quietly summoning his main weapon, they were clear hints of him preparing for battle.

With narrowed eyes, Arturia followed his gaze and saw a small humanoid figure standing in the distance.

It was the intruder.

The black cloak they wore had blended in with the dark, lifeless ground, causing her to almost miss them if not for her companion's good eyesight.

"Then, let us go." Arturia stated, squaring her shoulders as she readied herself for conflict.

"Hm, let's." Arash agreed, nodding slightly.

Together, the two of them made their way down and ran towards the center where the cloaked figure seemed to be waiting for them.

The crimson lighting from the crystalized structure shadowed over their forms, looming over them in an intimidating manner, making them feel a bit tense as the knowledge of a certain alien hibernating within it was nearby. Just there in front of them, and it did not eased their worries that their possible conflict with the intruder might just be the trigger to rouse it from its slumber.

The two of them didn't need to confirm it. The vast magical energy emitting from the spiral crystalized structure was enough of a hint for them to know the answer.

Concerned of such a possibility, Arturia suggested an idea as they moved along the spacious pathway.

"Once it begins, we will need to draw the enemy away from that place." Arturia stated, knowing that her ally would know what she meant was 'it'.

"Like usual, then?" Arash asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Yes." The former King of Knights affirmed.

"Welp… here goes nothing." Arash muttered beside her, smiling grimly.

In less than thirty seconds, the two servants arrived to the center.

Both held onto their main weapons, Arash with his bow and Arturia with her wind covered sword. They stepped closer to the intruder, whose back was turned to them as they slowly came to a stop until they were ten feet away. The distance might give a human trouble to get to the enemy, but not for servants like them. No, ten feet was enough for them to cross in a blink of an eye with their speed.

As soon as they did, a deep, smooth voice of a man broke the silence.

"Quite a spectacular sight, isn't it?"

The two retainers exchanged looks of mild surprise, realizing that it was the figure in front of them who spoke before they turned their gazes back to the intruder.

As if oblivious to their exchange, the black cloaked man continued on as if he was speaking his thoughts aloud. From the angle of his head, the two retainers can tell that the intruder was looking at the spiral crystalized structure in what seemed to be admiration and curiosity, given the tone in his voice.

"No one has come near the Spider's nest, given its danger and risks. Perhaps with the exception of the Kaleidoscope wielder, no other beings had ever entered and come this far into this island. Is this not a cause for celebration? We are the ones that step foot unto this dead island. Do you not think so?" The intruder queried in a nonchalant tone, as if he was simply talking about the weather.

When no response came, the cloaked figure chuckled as he turned around to face them.

The two retainers were glaring at him, bodies tense and ready to engage in combat. But, they were waiting for the intruder to make his move, and their foe was well aware of it as he simply continued on as if he didn't noticed the stern glares sent in his direction. Then, upon realization, the intruder took a step back, causing the two retainers to shift where they were standing.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Archer." The intruder introduced himself, giving a gallant bow. "A pleasure to meet the both of you on this fine afternoon."

Having enough of horseplay, Arash took the initiative by releasing an arrow from his crimson bow.

The surprise attack was perfectly timed, Arash had calculated it before the intruder got to complete his intro. And yet, it was easily parried to the side like it was nothing, which caused a mild irritation to rise up in Arash's chest after he saw that his sneak attack had failed.

At least, that was what he thought at first.

The moment his arrow was deflected, Arturia took that chance to dash forward and swung her invisible sword at the intruder, who almost got cleaved in half if not for his last second reaction. The black cloaked figure appeared surprised by her sudden strike, but managed to jump away to safety just in time.

"Ah, so close!" The intruder taunted.

Arturia ignored him, opting to continue her assault by unleashing a series of slashes amplified by the powerful winds covering her treasured sword.

Her prowess with swordplay was displayed in the fight. Coupled with her own parameters as a Heroic Spirit, her attacks were powerful enough to disturb the air in wherever way she directed her sword at. Arturia was famously known as the King of Knights for her skill with the sword, and that testament was proudly shown in the current battle she was engaged in.

To a normal observer's eye, they would only get to see brief bright flashes of silver and gold particles of light that vanished as soon as they appeared, which can cause one to wonder if they imagined it. Arash, however, had no trouble following the proceedings of the fight, thanks to his keen eyes and acute senses as a servant.

The tan skinned bowman frowned, assessing the confrontation with astute eyes.

Arash had noticed something off from the battle. His fellow retainer, Arturia, was still going strong with her assault yet the intruder was able to somehow avoid them all. Some strikes manage to land on him, but the injuries were superficial at best, endurable and light. While the enemy was obviously not a powerhouse like Arturia, the intruder was agile enough to dodge most of her attacks.

What worried Arash was that he can see that the enemy was strong, but most of all, cunning to make use of his abilities.

Just as he thought of it, the intruder changed his tune and went on the counterattack, seemingly having enough of being on the receiving of Arturia's assault. It happened when Arturia was in the middle of a vertical slash, and Arash himself even had trouble believing what he saw was real.

In a display of gold particles, the intruder summoned a cane bearing a chameleon theme and pointed the tip at Arturia, whose emerald eyes widened in shock and alarm.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Three shots were fired, breaking the silence that appeared for a brief second as the loud sounds of a firing gun echoed throughout the crystal valley. Fortunately, Arturia had managed to deflect the two bullets with her sword, thanks to her high instinct, but one got past her senses and grazed at her right arm, taking her by surprise.

Both Arash and Arturia's eyes widened when they noticed a hint of blood seeped through the torn sleeve of her blazer.

'It got through!' they thought in unison.

The body that Arturia was using was mostly mortal in flesh and senses, but modified to handle the burdens of a Servant's power. Before the fight began, Arturia used a reinforcement spell to make her delicate vessel a bit more tough and durable to handle even the most intense of combat. At best, bullets that were magically enhanced would only be able to bruise her body.

The ones that hit her, however, appears to be a different story as it seemed to have ignored the effects of the reinforcement spell and penetrated through it instead. It was a simple graze on the arm yet the pain shock her enough out of focus for a moment, which almost caused her to gain another injury.

The intruder used her distraction as a chance to attack again, shifting his stance into something that Arturia was familiar with.

His feet were spread slightly apart, shoulders relaxed yet an underlying tension lied beneath. It was the stance of someone who was about to draw a sword. Her suspicion was proven correct when he suddenly dash forward, just in time for Arturia to prepare herself as a long, thin blade was revealed from within the cane.

*CLANG*

Sparks flew as the cane-sword clashed against her invisible one. There was a bit of struggle of strength between them for a brief moment, but it was Arturia who won the attrition. She used the strength in her lower body and legs to shove him away from her. She was about to follow up on her counter when she quickly noticed a shadow above her.

"Tch!" Arturia gritted her teeth in irritation.

The former King of Knights didn't bother to look up, opting to prioritize her safety first as she disengaged and pulled away from the enemy.

*TWIP*

*WOOSH*

*THWACK*

As she did so, Arturia heard the familiar sound of a bow releasing an arrow and hitting something. What that was, Arturia does not know, but she was aware that the arrow came from her ally and fellow retainer, Arash, who was located somewhere behind her. The projectile was released at the same time she jumped back before the shadow could land on her.

*BOOM*

Dust and dirt exploded as something heavy crash-landed from where she once stood, making a small crater and web-like cracks on the earth. When the cloud dissipated a few moments later, the two retainers narrowed their eyes into a glare as they saw the object in front of the intruder's figure.

It was an object that eerily resembled a coffin that was two heads taller than him, adorned with a few metallic ornaments and a chain attached to it. The other end of the chain was wrapped around their foe's left wrist, who was doubled over and holding his face with his right hand. The cane-sword was in an upright position, stabbed into the earth, while the sheath was on the floor in front of his feet.

Arturia startled, quickly noticing that the intruder was unmasked and the hood was torn off the cloak.

Footsteps was heard from behind, but Arturia didn't turn, keeping her eyes on the intruder instead. There was only one person who was behind her, and that was Arash. Sure enough, the footsteps was gone once he stood beside her. The bow in his left hand was pointed down, but the slight tension in his stance told Arturia that he was still prepared to release an arrow anytime.

"Well, I got his mask…" Arash said with a sigh.

"That you did." Arturia nodded. "But it's not over yet."

"Yeah, I can see that." Arash muttered in a deadpan tone.

But Arturia ignored him, observing the enemy instead.

She noticed that the intruder has white hair, long on top but short at the back and sides. His features remained hidden from her eyes since he still had his hand over his face and was facing the ground, but Arturia didn't dare to take advantage of his seemingly unguarded state. He might appear distracted and in shock, but her instinct was telling her that it was a feint.

Alarm bells kept ringing in her head, warning her that attacking him right now would be unwise.

While she was eager to take him down, Arturia was no fool. She didn't get far in life to simply listen to her impatient side than to her common sense. She would not put it past him to take advantage of her initiative in the fight, turning the situation into his favor. Based on what she had seen so far, the intruder was quite manipulative like that.

Thus, Arturia stood by, alert and watchful of the enemy's movements instead of rushing in to attack.

A few seconds only passed by as she mused over her assessment, then the intruder began to move.

"Prepare yourself." Arturia warned, tightening her grip on the handle of her sword. "I presume that this is where the difficult part comes."

"Got'cha." Arash noted, shifting his stance as he readied his bow.

The intruder straightened his posture, standing upright before he pulled his hand away from his face. The towering coffin cast a shadow over his head, creating an ominous effect, but with perfect sight, the two retainers had no trouble seeing the face of their mutual target, saving his features into memory.

The intruder took no notice of this, stepping forward and out of the shadows as he stood in front of the coffin.

"Ahaha, I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this. Just so you know, those bullets are quite limited in quantity." Archer smiled depreciatingly, shaking his head lightly in disappointment. "I suppose I can't do this half-heartedly. Hmph, very well then…"

With that said, Archer lifted his right hand and tore off the cloak from his person, revealing his full appearance to them as he chucked the cloak away to the side without so much as an afterthought.

The intruder was a man in his early fifties, much to their mild surprise.

He has a pale complexion, cheeks slightly sunken, and was 5'9 tall. He has a lean physique, but seemed to be nimble enough to handle himself in combat. His features was similar to someone bearing European descent, most probably British judging on his accent. His white hair was swept back with a single strand hanging over his right dark gray eye, and he also has a mustache.

He was attired in a white formal shirt with slightly puffy sleeves and a high collar, a maroon vest with a red cravat on his neck, black trousers with pinstripes and gold accents on either sides of the leg, and a pair of black formal shoes. Covering his hands were a pair of black gloves, but the two retainers did not paid any attention to his attire other than mild interest.

Instead, their gazes met his dark gray eyes head on, noting the gold halos in his pupils.

Archer has the appearance of a dapper older gentleman with a hidden agenda

He has the bearings of someone dignified and charismatic, but the heartless and cruel glint in his eyes made him look evil and eerie to an observer's eye. The golden halos in his pupils emitted an odd light that can render someone to cower and feel dread should he set his sights upon them.

Arash and Arturia, however, did no such thing. Instead, they glared back at him, undaunted by his intimidating appearance and uncanny aura.

The older gentleman noticed this and simply chuckled in amusement, which sounded ominous when it came from him.

"So, shall we continue?" Archer asked, lips pulled back into a small sinister smile.

With that signal, the three reengage into combat.

…

…

[…The Watch – Underwater Headquarters …]

'Bloody hell…' Hadrian cursed in his mind.

He didn't need to turn around to see his companions' reactions.

The silence in the room alone was enough for him to know that everyone were speechless by the current events, except for him and the two retainers by his sides. Unlike the others, Kieran and Dia were composed and relaxed, observing the conflicts with narrowed eyes.

The two servants had been through enough stuff to simply gape and question reality. Instead, he felt that they were more surprised by the new enemy servants and concerned for his other retainers.

"Boss…" Kieran said lowly, his amber eyes darkened as he watched the battles with a stoic expression.

"I know. But, it's not time yet…" Hadrian replied calmly, knowing what his retainer wanted to say.

With his retainers placated for now, the young magus returned to his thoughts.

He had already suspected that the intruders were servants. It was not a difficult assumption to make, in all honesty.

He already had entertained such a possibility when Arash reported to him of their encounter with an unknown presence yesterday when they visited one of the murder locations. The unknown spells casted upon the cloaks might have given him a bit of trouble, but the way the intruders' managed to keep up with his retainers made it easier for him to reach such a conclusion.

It was an unsettling thought that kept bothering him throughout the day, but he was not surprised as it was eventually confirmed in front of him.

Also, he noticed the runic schemes on the cloaks through the monitors, and Hadrian felt that he had seen them before in the past.

He just couldn't remember where and when he did, for the life of him.

Moreover, what surprised him were the three intruders' identities.

The moment the cloaks were discarded and their faces were revealed, Hadrian didn't waste a second as he tasked the Moon Cell to collect all information it could dug up about them. Information was precious and plays an important role in battles, and it was a habit that was pounded in Hadrian's head time and time again. One of the main components he managed to survive the Holy Grail war.

It didn't took the automaton more than a few seconds to report to him its findings, and what Hadrian discovered made him realized how dire the situation truly was.

Because the intruders were Heroic Spirits, information such as their myths and legends were simply easy for the Moon Cell to find. The alien artifact's only true objective was to record everything that happened on earth. However, it was their true identities, capabilities and current circumstances that caused him to feel as if he was in a Holy Grail war once again.

The Heroic Spirit in the west was a hero from the Greek myths, whose legends had spread far and wide across the world. His true name was 'Alcides', but that was only the name that he was known by when he was still a mortal. Alternatively, he was more famously known as 'Heracles', the demigod who had been gifted with immortality by the Greek gods for his heroic deeds and more.

The one in the south was not a hero, but the opposite, an anti-hero, whose deeds (or in his case, misdeeds) were well-known throughout all of Europe. The old man in the suit's true name was 'James Moriarty', the 'Emperor of the Criminal World'. He was usually known as a genius in mathematics and considered as the greatest rival of Sherlock Holmes, the great (in)famous detective.

While these two servants were new and notably powerful in their own right, Hadrian was more intently focused on the last one that Medusa, Astolfo and Yan were battling.

'You again…' Hadrian frowned at the bloodstained knight.

Having encountered the knight not so long ago, he already knew of the white-haired servant's true identity.

The bloodstained knight in question was Lancer, whose true identity was the infamous Romanian King of the past, 'Vlad III'.

Vlad III was known as the 'Prince of Wallachia', a famous hero turned monarch in the history of Romania. However, he was more well-known by the name of 'Dracula', the 'Lord Impaler'.

After viewing the man's background, Hadrian can't help but conclude his life as tragic in every sense of the word.

The Vlad III in the automaton's records was the real man, who was the model for the legend of Dracula.

Many sources had depicted him as a fiendish tyrant, whose brutality and lust for blood in battle was boundless. But, according to the actual information that the automaton provided to him, the man was a well-respected and noble warrior, who had rebuilt and maintained the kingdom of Wallachia as well as became the shield of the Christian world against the threat of the Ottoman Empire.

He had a very clear sense of justice yet was also brutal, having executed about one fifth of the population of his country throughout his life. His homeland, Wallachia, was a small country stuck between the large nations of Turkey and Hungary. He led a tragic life, during which he murdered his father, buried his older brother alive, and went to war against his younger brother.

His war against the Turkey was a desperate battle that included guerilla warfare and scorched earth tactics, and several times, he left mountains of Turkish enemy soldiers he impaled. He was captured in Hungary due to political circumstances, and spent twelve years in prison. Then, in 1476, he turned his back on Orthodox Church and converted his country to Catholicism.

It was also that same year that he died in battle against the Turkish army and his younger brother, Radu, due to his nobles' betrayal at the age of 45 years old.

And so, the name Dracula, once the name of a proud family worthy of honor and respect, became one given to a monster whose past had been grossly distorted as a result of his actions in his mortal life. The inevitable distortions and exaggerations of scholars throughout the centuries was unable to wholly cover the well-documented horrors and atrocities committed by his direct command.

Although Vlad III was seen as a hero and savior to some, the lengths he went to preserve the independence of Wallachia and to repel the Turk had forever painted him as an incarnation of satanic evil on earth. The man's guerilla tactics were the reason for his many successes against a demonstratively superior force, yet he was repaid with treason and slayed by his own allies in the end.

As someone who had been a king and led a great nation through war, he understood the choices Vlad had made.

The young heir may not have gone as far as Vlad did, but there were times that Hadrian had been close to make such decisions. It was only thanks to the guidance of the seven astrals and the help of his subjects that Hadrian had managed to keep Lucis (and his people, by extension) safe for many years from the tyrannical advances of Nifleheim and its despicable emperor.

Without question, he held great respect for Vlad III for he was a man of true honor and never hesitated in battle to protect his beloved nation.

The one main thing that held him back from showing it outright, however, was the fact that Vlad and his female master, Run Ru, met him as enemies during the Moon Holy Grail war. Like with the rest, the memories of intense encounters that he and Arturia went through against Vlad and his master were still fresh and quite unforgettable.

After sensing such bloodlust from the bloodstained knight via first contact, Hadrian had been almost afraid to step out of the Private Room and throw in the towel.

It was only due to his desire to survive through the war and Arturia's faith in him that made him moved forward and swallow down his fear. Long story short, he and Arturia won against Lancer (Vlad III) and Run Ru during the fifth round of the Elimination Battle. They moved on to the next round, while the latter pair were forcefully deleted by the automaton for losing.

Such were the strict rules of the Moon Holy Grail war.

Seeing how the bloodstained knight looked unhinged, even when he was surrounded by the three retainers, Hadrian reminded himself that the Vlad he was watching through the monitors was simply a different version of the original. The actual Vlad III was a noble and dignified man, this was not in question. The one he fought, the same one that was in the island, was similar, but clearly deranged.

The reason for the bloodstained knight's 'charming personality' was due to one of his skills, 'Protection of the Faith'.

Said skill was an ability bestowed upon those who have sacrificed themselves for what they believed to be for the greater good. Although obstinately a form of divine protection, it does not necessarily meant that one received the blessings from the gods. Instead, it was a manifestation of one's absolute faith and self-righteousness.

The glaring downside of having such a skill was that the more powerful the ability was, the more detrimental the effect it would have on one's sanity and personality.

Thus, when he learned the details of said skill, Hadrian couldn't help but pity him and how the world dealt him with a bad hand.

At first, he had thought that the reason why the servant he met during the war was already the way he did (deranged and downright murderous) was due to the anger and disappointment he felt before he died, presuming that Vlad's grudges had somehow carried over even as his spirit entered the Throne of Heroes.

But Hadrian was proven wrong, eventually realizing that the bloodstained knight's mind and personality took a harsh toll was due to the skill in question.

'He gets to enjoy the benefits of the skill, but at the cost of his sanity. Tragic, really…' Hadrian mused, huffing in resignation.

Taking his mind off the deranged knight, the young magus focused on the matter at hand.

While it was concerning that the intruders turned out to be actual servants in the flesh, especially the re-emergence of one mad knight, what was more important was for him to make an assessment of the situation. It would be unacceptable for him to stand by and watch, while most of his retainers were out in the island and doing their best to follow his command.

His servants would need all the help they can get, considering who they are up against.

Watching the individual battles with a critical eye, Hadrian began to make his observations.

First, he started to make comparisons of the three battles occurring in the island, assessing who was in real danger between the three groups of his entourage.

Scáthach and Charles seems to be doing quite well against Alcides. They had a rough start, but were performing well enough to contend with a top servant, despite the pressure. Although, after seeing the two retainers' efforts, it was more like Scáthach was the one between them who was strong enough to go toe to toe with the enemy. Charles was just doing his best to keep up with her momentum.

Hadrian can trust Scáthach to keep an eye on Charles throughout the fight.

Sometimes, the cheeky retainer has the tendency to overexert himself during intense fights. But with Scáthach present, Charles was in good hands.

Arturia and Arash were also doing quite well, executing a perfect level of teamwork as they go against Moriarty. The enemy was an Archer class and held the advantage of long range attacks, but this was curtailed by Arash's presence, who kept assisting Arturia in the sidelines while she goes and initiate close range encounters, which was something Moriarty seemed to hate.

The fabled criminal mastermind would often resort to tricks and feints, trying out new methods to get away from Arturia. But Arash kept giving him a hard time with the amount of arrows that was sent in his way from time to time. Needless to say, Moriarty doesn't seem to be having a good time, judging by the small frown on his weathered face.

Hadrian sensed that he has no need to worry of their situation as well, not when they can work together like a one minded unit.

Seeing the two groups work together with their partners, Hadrian concluded that they were doing well. At least for the moment. Finally, he turned his attention to the last group, which were Astolfo, Yan and Rider. The flow of their teamwork was still smooth and they seemed to be contending against the bloodstained knight well enough.

That was, however, slowly being overcome as the seconds pass.

Even with his sanity and personality downgraded by his skill, Lancer (Vlad III) still remained to be a capable fighter. No, rather, as Hadrian continued to observe their battle, perhaps the deranged knight might even be more powerful than the one he and Arturia had defeated in the war.

Lancer (Vlad III) still appeared to have the same parameters as the one he had before back in the war. Although, his agility had changed from [E] and up to [A] rank, which was a significant boost in his opinion. Along with his agility, his magic resistance changed from [C] to a solid [B] rank. Fortunately, the rank of his Noble Phantasm, 'Kazikli Bey', remained the same. It was still dangerous, however.

Kazikle Bey was an anti-army type Noble Phantasm. With it, Lancer can summon a large amount of black spears to skewer his enemies to death. From what Hadrian can recall, his attack radius was at one kilometer, and the maximum amount of stakes he can create out of thin air can reach up to twenty thousand (20,000).

What was dangerous with his noble phantasm was the 'Sacrifice' curse on his target, which can cause a great amount of damage every one minute.

Hadrian remembered how Arturia nearly got killed by such a curse in the war when they were paired against Lancer and his master, Run Ru, down in the Arena. It was only by sheer luck that Hadrian managed to remove the curse effect from his servant and healed her, so that she can fight the troublesome knight at full strength.

Fortunately, after that blunder by Astolfo and Yan Qing earlier, they focused on the fight and seemed to be holding their own.

Their teamwork was preventing the bloodstained knight from using the full extent of his abilities.

By the expressions on their faces alone, Hadrian can tell that they sensed that something terrible would happen should they let the enemy Lancer continue to do what he pleased. There had been a few moments that he almost got one of them, but the other two would jump in before he could land a direct hit.

If Hadrian had anything to say about it, it would be that the chances between them seemed to be even on both sides now that all of them were focused.

Sensing the three retainers work together had put the two servants beside him at ease, for Hadrian knew they were concerned about their fellow allies. On second thought, it might just be Dia since the knight of the lance was the type to worry about others. His other servant, Kieran, not so much, considering this was Kieran he was thinking about.

If Kieran showed concern about others, it does not mean that he was worried for their well-being. Rather, it was more like he was worried that he might fight the enemy if the others get killed. Seeing as he was still Hadrian's servant, it was expected that he would need to fight if the others are gone, despite not being as commanded by the young magus as often as he did with the others.

Kieran might be keener on his survival than most, but he made a deal with Hadrian and would see it through to the end, even if it comes down to joining the fight and risking his neck in the process.

Hearing the quiet sigh of relief from Kieran, the cyan eyed magus can only shake his head at his servant's (highly possible) line of thought.

Turning his attention to a different monitor, Hadrian observed the battle between Arturia, Arash and their enemy.

Archer (Moriarty) was not much of a threat in direct combat, but in the long run, Hadrian would need to be careful with him, considering his true identity and his unnatural talent for schemes. From his knowledge of earth's history, people like that were often the most dangerous as they leave most of the hard work to their underlings while sticking to the shadows to avoid attention.

Following that train of thought, Hadrian wondered if he would need to summon Sherlock Holmes to deal with the infamous fictional criminal, seeing as the two were known to be great rivals. Moreover, he also wondered if that was even possible. But, considering Moriarty's existence, the possibility was highly likely.

'Hmm… something to think about later on…' Hadrian mused, entertaining the idea.

The last enemy servant was a different story, however.

Alcides was on a different class on his own.

All of his parameters were all either exceptionally high in rank, consisting of three [A] and two [B] ranks. His Magic Resistance was at [A] rank, and Independent Action was at [C]. His personal skills are all equally ridiculous as with the others. He has 'Eye of the Mind (True)' at [B] rank, 'Battle Continuation' at [A+] rank, and 'Bravery' at a surprising rank of [E].

What was even more ridiculous about him were his Noble Phantasms, he has multiple of them.

'King's Order: Twelve Glories' and 'Nine Lives: The Shooting Hundred Heads'.

The first was a manifestation of his ability to summon twelve Noble Phantasms that were the proofs of him completing the twelve labors. Although, it seemed that he was limited to using all of the items as there were only two on his person, such as 'Pelt of the Nemean Lion' (which allows him to withstand any weapon wielded by man) and 'War God's Sash' (increases his power via divine aura).

The automaton informed him that using more than two might cause the death of Alcides's master via insufficient magical energy. Thus, he was limited to using two.

Nine Lives appears to be a technique turned Noble Phantasm, which can be performed in various ways with a weapon or even barehanded. The range can be as occasion demands, depending on the maximum power of the weapon and the attack can go from anti-unit to anti-army, and up to sieging. It was an amazing technique that compliments the servant's prowess in battle.

Hadrian almost felt jealous.

Alcides was a renowned Greek hero, and his impressive stats and skills showed as such.

However, Hadrian found something eerily wrong about the servant in question.

He had wondered why his 'Bravery' skill was at an [E] rank, considering as this was Heracles he was talking about. The famed Greek hero possessing a low 'Bravery' rank skill, and the same one who had surpassed the twelve labors. Then, as Hadrian read the details of Alcides's stats again, he found his answer…

The servant was distorted, as in a literal manner. He even has it in the form of a skill.

'Distortion' was a skill he received as a result to the botched process of his actual. He was originally the same class as Moriarty, an Archer, but for some unknown reason, he received another class in the process, which was 'Avenger'. Conversely, he received both classes, but he received no skills from latter and his 'Independent Action' dropped to [C] rank.

Also, Hadrian get the sense that his 'Bravery' was at [E] rank due to the forced distortion as well.

Either way, Alcides was simply too dangerous to be left alone. His retainers, Charles and Scáthach, might be doing well against him for now, but he knew that the situation could turn at the flip of a hat once the enemy servant start to use his noble phantasm. Not that he has little faith in them, but he felt that he might even have to join the two retainers to help them win against Alcides.

Suddenly, the image of a certain King of Heroes and the gifts he bequeathed upon him weighed on his mind.

Hadrian's brows furrowed slightly, his lips thinned as he thought about the two weapons that his benefactor cherished among all of his treasures combined. The idea he had once, such as him having so much power and objects of great powers, quickly became a distant afterthought as he watched Alcides fight.

'No, not yet. Scáthach is there with Charles, her skills and abilities alone should be enough to match the likes of him. But if they do get in trouble somehow, then…' A pair of cyan eyes narrowed as he stared at the battles through the monitors. 'How would I do it without letting that person see what I can do?'

A familiar prick ran along the nape of his neck, causing Hadrian to pause and close his eyes briefly.

Then, he willed for the automaton to search the building. His intuition was warning him of something terrible that might potentially become dangerous soon, and his intuition had never prove him wrong. It helped him greatly to listen to his intuition and be quick on the uptake.

After a few moments, the automaton found the source and sent various images in his mind.

Someone was about to infiltrate the headquarters, that was what the automaton was telling him.

Slowly, Hadrian opened his eyes and exhaled through his nose.

Seeing how the people within the room were acting, recording and relaying reports to the Chief Director every now and then, it seemed that he was the only one aware of it for the moment. Planning on his next course of action, Hadrian came into a split but deliberate decision.

"Kieran. Dia." The young magus called, surprising the two retainers out of their reverie.

"Yes, milord?" Dia inquired in a polite tone, curious.

"Whassup, Boss?" Kieran asked.

"We are about to have an uninvited guest." Hadrian stated, smiling faintly at their alarmed expressions. He pointed an index finger upwards. "Why don't you two give them a warm up there?"

In an instant, Dia straightened his shoulders with a solemn look and gave him a small bow.

"As you command, milord." The knight of the lance said, looking calm yet determined.

"Yo, Boss, do I haf ta go too?" Kieran protested, appearing reluctant.

Hadrian almost chuckled at the amber-eyed servant's somewhat terrified façade.

It was quite obvious to him that Kieran was scared to join the fight. His speech pattern changed as well, which was an obvious hint of his inner distress.

"Go with him, Kieran." Hadrian insisted gently. "I'll pull you out if something happens."

And by 'something', he meant if his life was in danger.

The petulant pout on his Kieran's face was enough to tell him that he understood what he implied.

However reluctant and anxious his retainer may be, Hadrian has faith in him to follow through command.

…

Author's Note

…

Okay, so that's another chapter down.

Full of actions in this one, so I had to take my time cramming in the details in this chapter properly. Also, new characters are revealed, and I'm sure that I don't need to point out who their identities are. I know that the descriptions were enough hints to give you guys an idea of who they really are.

As for why I chose them, well, because they are strong and can give Hadrian and his servants plenty of trouble, in more ways than one.

The enemy servants' parameters were mostly the same as the one they have in canon, except for Lancer (Vlad III). His parameters is a mix of his two versions, which are (ironically) the same class. But the version in Fate/Apocrypha is faster and stronger than the one in Fate/Extra, so I mixed his profile here a bit.

Here, we also see how Hadrian was feeling a bit frustrated in being by the sidelines, especially when his subjects are going toe to toe with a powerful, dangerous servant like Alcides. It's only natural to feel irritated and to want to do more to help his friends.

But, he was split with indecision since joining the fray would allow the enemy in the shadows to see what he can do, and that's a no-no in a top-class mage textbook.

Now, from what I know, magi do not initiate fights unless they have what they needed to know, which is who their true enemies are and the chances of winning against them.

They (magi) tend to be very careful when it comes to direct confrontations, preferring to observe first before doing anything, and I'm applying this type of mindset in Hadrian since he was born in a prestigious magical bloodline, the Schweinorg. I highly doubt that Zelretch would simply let his grandson initiate fights without planning things first.

At least, this was only from my understanding based on what I've seen on the fate series so far. The 'knowledge is power' theme in the series has influenced me to go along with it.

So, Hadrian's hand is pretty tied. At least, for the moment.

The question is, will he make a move and reveal one of his trump cards so early in the game?

On a side note, I finally managed to finish the first Lostbelt! Yay! \_(^_^)_/

It was fun as hell, and I'm excited to try the next ones. No wonder you guys kept asking me about it. It's only a pity that the NA version of FGO is a bit behind of the JP version when it comes to lostbelts. I would have liked it if the devs could speed up the process of translating the next Lostbelts. That cliffhanger with the first left me wanting more to play the next ones.

I'm on my way to finish the second, but I wish the rest of Lostbelts becomes available soon.

Hmm… I just noticed that I said 'lostbelt' too many times here. Oh well…

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you all think about it. I always like to hear feedback from you guys since it's one of the fun things about being a writer.

Also, a great thank you to those who continue to support by reading this story, despite the slow updates. I'm well aware that I haven't been updating this story regularly, but due to real life circumstances and my responsibilities, my time to write keeps getting cut down. Hopefully, I make up for that downside with these long chapters.

Moreover, I also hope you guys are doing okay. To those who are stuck at home, stay healthy and strong. To those who are ill, stay strong and I pray that you have a speedy recovery.

I'll see you all in the next chapter. Stay healthy and safe, people.

Adieu for now! :)

…

Q & A

…

Robobot:

A – Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :)

As for your question, no, but the idea went through my mind before.

The spawns will make their appearance in the next chapter. Here's a hint: they look more like a creature in a movie that I've seen before.

It's actually one of my favorite movies, despite the bad reviews it got.

…

Dxhologram:

A – Yes, he does :)

And nice found, I didn't even know about that lore.

…

Gen2324:

A – Yes, it's a Phoenix Down.

As for where he got it, he found some during the time he was looking for the royal tombs in the past.

He kept all the feathers he found inside the Armiger and had kept it there ever since.

…

Doortolight47:

A – To be fair, the war he had with Nifleheim was different.

Personally, I think the grail war in Fate/Extra was a lot crueler than in any of the ones in the series.

The choice to spare the enemy or not was literally out of his hands.

Not to say that he didn't killed anyone before, but the ones that he did offed were not exactly innocent since they tried to invade his kingdom and hurt his people. What he experienced there pales in comparison to what he went through in the grail war, his desire to survive ultimately ended the lives of others, especially kids like Shinji Matou (of Fate/Extra) and Alice.

Being forced to kill people is different to killing people out of his own volition.

…

Kensei-1085:

A – Arturia, Kieran, and his other servant (the one he left at home). Zelretch has his suspicions.

As for the girls' feelings for him, he'll know eventually. In time. And it'll be most exquisite to see his reaction.

His feelings for Arturia is not yet at that phase. More like, he considers her important to him.

Hadrian is grateful to her for choosing him as her Master, so Arturia has a special place in his heart. What he feels for her is more akin to how one would feel with a great friend you would go above and beyond to save if they are in trouble. It just needs a slight push in that direction for his feelings to turn intimate.

For now though, he's not aware of her interest in him. They have been through rough times, so it's expected he would think that she cares about him greatly because he's a good friend and master, not as a potential lover. Guy died in his first life without knowing what romance was, after all.

It would be strange if he suddenly became aware of their feelings for him.

…

fruitpunchsamurai-987:

A – About that part, I think I'm going to try a different route.

I've always find it weird how Altera was there, despite the Moon Cell being an all-knowing alien artifact.

So, that idea from canon is going to be put on hold. I'm considering not following it since that part doesn't really appeal to me.

…

Urek:

A – Really? That's surprising!

I've always found their interaction funny as hell, especially Orion. I'm on my way to finishing the second Lostbelt, so I'm guessing that the Lostbelt the idiot duo are in is probably in the last then?

If so, I look forward in playing that Lostbelt.

Oh, since you (most likely) have an account in JP version, can I ask you something? Why Caenis is such an ass?

Don't give me spoilers about the Greek Lostbelt, but I just want to know about that bastard. I don't like hating on something without reason, so I'm asking why he's (she's) like that. Also, I just can't seem to take him (her) seriously when she got those rabbit-like ears on the side of head. Rather, it's like she's a cockroach I want to step on and don't want to take bullshit from.

This big update we got from the devs left me with a desire for more options to respond and talk shit to her for even daring to show up on my screen.

Really hated it that the responses are still quite limited to one or two.

…

Shiroyasha Rises:

A – Yup! :)

Hadrian got loads of Phoenix Feathers in the Armiger Arsenal.

He travelled throughout Eos and found phoenix tuffs along the way, which I'm sure you've read from this chapter.

…

Anyways, that's all for now.

See you all in the next chapter! :D