I've finally done it! Chapter 14 is here!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Fate/Dominance

Semiramis smiled as the girl her Master had saved stood before her, still holding the hand of his daughter. Of course, she was nervous. She stepped right the enemy's territory. Yet, she moved forward with a steadfast desire for answers. And perhaps...

"Come, child." She beckoned. "You must have questions. I shall indulge you, until he arrives."

"Umm..." Sakura hesitated. "When we fought Morgan, she called him an...Outsider?"

"Ah, of course." The Queen nodded. "And that is correct. He is not of this Earth, yet cannot exactly be called alien, either."

Sakura blinked with a confused look.

"He has the ability to travel to other Worlds, other Universes." Jeanne clarified. "He's just from an Earth where Humans were born with a different power from Magecraft. And it is through that power that he covered Fuyuki's sky with clouds."

Rider's brow furrowed. Such power was commonplace where he was born?

"Has...Has the Grail affected him in any way?" Sakura asked.

"Are you kidding?" Avenger scoffed. "He purified the damn thing."

That answer surprised Master and Servant.

Semiramis nodded. "Using the comparison he used when he personally examined the Greater Grail, the Grail, prior to Angra Mainyu's defeat, was a slipper, waiting to be filled with the Prana of the defeated Servants. Once he was defeated, his corruption turned the empty slipper into a boot filled with mud. And once Master absorbed Avenger, he took away the Mud, but the Grail remained a boot. As such, the current Greater Grail could be considered more powerful than it was before its corruption."

"At the very least, it's still able to summon Anti-Heroes and Villains like Gilles." Jeanne shrugged.

As Sakura processed the answer, the door to the Throne Room opened.

"Oh! I wondered why the aura of Divinity in this place was stronger!" Nobunaga Oda grinned. "We've got visitors!"

"N-Nobunaga Oda..." Sakura muttered nervously.

"Umu, umu, that's me!" Her grin widened. "And I recognize you too! You're little Sakura, the kid Master saved from that worm guy!"

"For what reason did he do so?" Rider interjected, causing Sakura to turn to her in shock. Nobunaga looked at Rider's face with interest.

"Suspicious?" Jeanne smirked. "Well, let's not pretend he did it out of the kindness of his heart. Zouken tried to spy on him with his worms, and was dealt with accordingly. He had nothing to gain from taking a child's soul and, instead, used her to get to Kariya Matou. But I'm sure she knew that much. I doubt even Master himself expected what's happening right now."

"It's kinda funny what people think they can get away with, sometimes." The Demon King Archer commented, still looking at Rider's face. "Are you hiding Mystic Eyes under there?"

Rider made no comment to confirm or deny her.

"...How'd they even get here, anyway?" Archer asked after a moment. "Can't have been Master."

"A Pegasus." Semiramis answered with a knowing smile.

The Demon King's eyes lit up. "A Pegasus? Then, if you really are hiding Mystic Eyes under that blindfold..." She pointed right at Rider's face. "You have to be the Gorgon, Medusa!"

Once again, the Gorgon made no comment, although she was more on guard.

"Peace, Guardian of the Shapeless Isle." Semiramis placated. "The Demon King is this way with everyone."

"What's wrong with my attitude?" She blinked.

"That you have to ask is telling enough." The Queen smiled as Archer pouted.

"Her mindset is what made her so feared in the first place." Sakura turned to the door in surprise.

Naruto, followed by Mordred, walked into the throne room. Semiramis smirked and Nobunaga had a big grin on her face. There was a discernible glow to Mordred's face, one she could not hide even as she kept a neutral expression.

There was also a glow in her eyes, but that was something else entirely.

"Papa!" Julie rushed into her father's arms. He caught her and placed her on one of his shoulder.

"Now then..." Naruto stepped up to Sakura. "I'm honestly surprised you came here, of your own volition, to boot. What's the matter? Why return to me, and away from your family?"

"I did not remember what you'd done for me until earlier today." Sakura answered.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "But you did not simply forget, did you?"

She shook her head. "Father's decision, once again..."

"So, locking away memories is not as uncommon as I was led to believe..." He hummed. "And the seal broke accidentally?"

She nodded. "Shinji, the last living Matou, along with Uncle Kariya, mentioned those things..." She writhed in disgust. She could almost feel them crawling within her...

"Byakuya's kid? Kariya's taking care of him, then? How is he?" He asked, curious.

Sakura blinked in confusion. "Umm... He seems nice. Has a disdain of Magecraft, especially the Matou's."

"Well, that's different." He chuckled. "More like his uncle than his old man, a much more pleasant outcome."

"What?" Sakura asked.

"Trust me." Naruto shook his head. "You don't want to know what he'd be like if you were still there."

"That's why I'm here." She said. "I don't want it to happen again."

"You think Tokiomi would do it again?" He raised an eyebrow.

"...Maybe not that again." She admitted. "But he's... always making the final decisions. Mother is too submissive to object, even when she disagrees."

"A doormat." Mordred rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to wait until it's too late to do anything." Sakura said. "I can't stay there, where my future as the daughter who is not the heiress is uncertain and could lead to misery."

"No matter where you are, your future is uncertain." He warned. "Seeking me out will not change that."

"Please, do not discard me." She pleaded. "I want to stand by your side. I will fight for you, if it means earning my place."

Semiramis smiled. And there it was... This was the reason she came here.

Naruto looked into her eyes for a moment.

"...If you stay with me, then that means leaving everything and everyone behind."

"Nee-san and Uncle Kariya are the only ones I would miss." She said. "But they are also the ones who would understand why I am here."

"...I see." He said. "We still have plenty of time here, so we can wait to see if you are still absolutely certain by then."

Sakura smiled. This was a good start.

Suddenly, the Hanging Gardens started shaking.

"What the hell!?" Mordred shouted before closing her eyes.

"Caster, Shinto's business district!" Naruto commanded.

A screen appeared in the throne room, showcasing the golden beam shooting into the sky and clearing it of clouds.

"The King of Knights again." Archer said.

Elizabeth, Carmilla and Medea barged into the room.

"What happened?" The Princess asked before noticing the pillar of light on the screen. "What is that?"

"Excalibur." Carmilla recognized it as well as Elizabeth.

"A dazzling light fit for any spectacle." The younger self added.

While her appearance hadn't changed much, anybody that knew her would notice the absence of her horns, tail and diamond-shaped scales. This was because she was given a physical body. One that would only show these features when she received a boost of power exclusive to Dragons, such as Jeanne's Dragon Witch Skill. She could still pull her wings out whenever she desired.

"Mordred?" Naruto asked.

"Mother is saying the Berserker Card is defeated, but still unclaimed." The Knight of Treachery answered as she opened her eyes. "And, get this, the Card's identity? Hercules."

"Wait!" Elizabeth gasped. "He showed up as a Servant and a Card!?"

"Herakles was summoned?" Medea asked with surprise.

"The Einzbern are meticulous in their attempts to win the War." Naruto explained. "Even without Illya, they simply found another way."

"I call dibs!" Nobunaga grinned. "I have to see how that body of his interacts with my Noble Phantasms!"

"All right." Mordred rolled her eyes. "Guess that means I gotta be a good Master and assist Mother."

"That leaves Cu Chulainn and the three Counter Guardians free to interfere, along with their newcomer." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Your Majesty, get the Gardens above the battle. Everyone will drop in from there."

"It shall be done." Semiramis smiled.

Naruto created a Shadow Clone, to Sakura and Medusa's shock, and handed Julie to him.

"Get ready. This might be the War's last battle." He said, walking away. "I've got some business to take care of. I'll be along shortly."

"The Lancer Card?" Jeanne asked.

"I am the only one who has the right to wield that Card." He claimed, passing through a portal.

Stepping into the Mirror World of the cemetery, he stood before the Lancer Card.

An armored man with a billowing red cape and a blood red cross on the chest piece. Sensing his presence, Lancer hissed, showing his vampiric fangs and glowing red eyes.

Different, yet it felt like staring at a mirror...

"Kazikli Bey!"

As Lancer and Archer chased down Morgan, the red Faction hurriedly left the roof.

Until Saber grabbed onto Gray, stopping Illya, Liz and Waver in their tracks.

"I must speak with Kay." She said.

"...His name is Add." Gray objected.

"It's fine, Gray. This is important." The cube bounced.

Gray reluctantly held the cage toward Arturia, keeping her face under her hood.

"...What happened to you, my brother?" She asked.

"I didn't get cursed, if that's what you're thinking." He said "I chose this fate."

"What?" She blinked.

"Steps had to be taken for your return from death." He explained. "So, I took the shards of your armour, as well as your lance, and sought the Alchemists. The result is in front of you: A seal that preserves Rhongomyniad's Mystery."

Illya gasped.

"You...You have my Lance?" Saber's eyes widened.

"Yeah, it's nice, cozy and as powerful as ever."

"But, why go through these lengths? Why such a sacrifice?" She asked, downtrodden.

"Do you have any idea how devastated I was to see your corpse?" She flinched at his broken tone. "I may be one of your knights, but I am also your brother. Yet, I failed as both."

"No, none of this was your fault." She pleaded. "If anyone failed, it was me. I brought down my own kingdom during Mordred's Rebellion. I caused grief to many of my people, turned my own knights against each other. I should have never-"

"Alright, time out! Hold the damn phone!" Add bounced against the bars of his cage, surprising his sister with his sudden outburst. "What the hell is with that attitude!?"

"Kay?" She blinked.

"I refuse to hear such words from you! You are no failure! You are the best of us, the wisest! The Once and Future King is the pinnacle of Might and Justice, the symbol all knights seek to reach! Each and every one of us believed in your cause, your goals! As your loyal subjects, our faith in you was never questioned! You...You... You are my sister. I have seen you grow from the hopeful girl who loved tending the horses into an indomitable sovereign, who won battle after battle to solidify her peerless rule of the land."

"Brother... I have made mistakes. If I had more actively reached out for Mordred, this could have been avoided."

"So? I've seen your mistakes more than anyone!" He laughed. "What's wrong with that? You're just as human as the rest of us! And your rule will return, someday! You've got plenty of time to figure out what you've done wrong and fix it!"

Arturia smiled.

Gray pouted. Why was he never this encouraging to her?

"Now, enough of your gloomy attitude! Jump off and chase that witch!"

She chuckled. "You're right. I can't let her slip away now!" She ran and leaped off the roof.

"That was amazing!" Illya cheered. "I've never seen her so motivated!"

"Gotta say, this place has done some good to her." He admitted. "After she took the Sword from the Stone, that cute face of hers was never this expressive! It reminds me of our younger years!" He let out a jovial laugh.

"Add..." Gray muttered.

"Huh? What's up Gr-Awawawawawawawawawawawawawa-what are you doing that for!?" He screamed as Gray shook the cage around, her cheeks puffed in jealousy.

Waver sighed while Illya looked confused and Liz's lips curved up in amusement.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast upon the trio on the roof.

"Huh?" Illya looked up and her eyes widened. "What is that!?"

The flying fortress blocked the moon's light overhead.

"This was hiding in the clouds?" Waver wondered before he realized. "Caster of Silver!"

"Is that...her Noble Phantasm!?" She gasped.

"What's going on outside?" Bazett wondered aloud, looking out one of the windows. "Is there something covering the moon?"

"The sky was cleared by Excalibur." Kayneth said as he and the others followed in her action. "They wouldn't be covering the skies alre-" His eyes widened.

"A flying building?" Miyu thought to herself. Summoned Heroic Spirits are full of surprises. She doubted someone with that Servant's Class Card could create that thing.

"The Hanging Gardens of Babylon..." Amakusa Shirou Tokisada realized. The Wise Queen of Assyria was summoned by the Master of Silver. And nobody mentioned it beforehand. Not even Archer...

"Is that where they were hiding this whole time?" Rin wondered.

"Who is their Caster Servant?" Chloe asked.

"That would be Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria." Rin asked.

Ruler raised an eyebrow. She was summoned as Caster? Well, her Double Summon makes both Classes the same, to her...

As he pondered, Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors began flying down.

"We must hurry." He said. "If their numbers become too great, they could cause a distraction and give Morgan Le Fay an opening to kill either Archer or Lancer."

The group agreed and continued running downstairs.

Deflecting Cu Chulainn's thrust, Morgan gained downward momentum and landed. She leaped toward the Card on the ground, only for Archer to shoot in the near vicinity, causing the card to fly off further away from the impact.

Morgan clicked her tongue and turned around, facing her opponents. Glancing toward the sky, she saw the Hanging Gardens approaching...

"Be careful." Archer warned. "With that body, she can stand toe to toe with our Saber. Even with the two of us fighting together, our chances are not outstanding."

"No shit?" Lancer asked. "Anything else?"

"That aura of hers has an offensive and defensive use." He said. "It increases her physical power and she can channel it through her sword to launch bursts of Prana from a distance. Unlike our Saber, however, she's a stationary fighter, and is much slower than her because of it. But I wouldn't be surprised if it also increased her Magic Resistance to compensate."

Lancer clicked his tongue. "So, that's a fragment of the King of Knights' power, huh..."

"Sustained by a Master." Morgan added. "Which makes this body more than a mere fragment."

Archer raised an eyebrow.

"But, I must thank you." She said. "For taking the time to explain what my brother's body is capable of."

Ah, that's her angle. Archer smirked. "You're quite welcome. But if you think you are the only one that's buying time here, you're wrong."

Morgan's eyes widened before she looked behind her. Where was the Card!?

"Here it is." She turned back to her enemies to find Assassin of Red behind them, holding the Berserker Card in his hand. How? Even with Presence Concealment, he couldn't have retrieved it so quickly!

"Good job." Archer said. "Now, we can focus on her."

Morgan's eyes narrowed for a moment before she smiled. "Perhaps I would have been alone, if Excalibur hadn't cleared the sky and grabbed their attention."

As she said this, a shadow was cast over them. They looked up to see the Hanging Gardens.

"...Holy shit." Lancer whistled. "This was in the skies all along?"

"The clouds!" Archer realized. He cursed the fact that he never thought to shoot an arrow in the sky to clear the weather.

Morgan charged, snapping the trio out of their stupor just in time for Archer to block the strong swipe, sliding back a few feet. Morgan leaned backwards, dodging the spear aiming for her head, and blocked the knife with her sword. Backing away, she began blocking the onslaught of attacks, using the sword to parry the spear and her left gauntlet for the knife.

Focusing Prana in her sword, she swiped along the ground, creating a shockwave that forced her attackers to jump back. Archer leaped over his partners, twin swords readied for an overhead swing. She met his strike with her own, the power of the Blackened Holy Sword shattering the traced Swords. As she channelled Prana to her free hand, Archer jumped back and traced a new pair of Kanshou and Bakuya.

Their attention turned to the sound of a powerful landing. At the base of the building, a crater had formed from the sheer force of impact.

The King of Knights charged with a battlecry.

Morgan straightened her position and smiled. She blocked the swing and their swords clashed.

"How good of you to join us." She said. "But why only now? In need of a pep talk from that brother of yours?"

"Pretty standard family attitude." Arturia smirked. "You'd understand if you weren't such a rotten witch."

"Ara." Morgan pushed her away. "Haven't you heard about 'sticks and stones', Brother?"

"I pulled Caliburn from the Stone." Saber said, pointing Excalibur forward. "I can break your bones with it as I please."

Mildly amused by the comeback, Morgan nodded. "Good, because now is where the real fun begins."

Semiramis' Winged Dragon Tooth Warriors began to land and surround the quartet. Both the ground and the air were filled with the sight of these grunts.

Archer kept his eyes on Morgan. However, as she back away, she disappeared into the crowd. His eyes widened as he realized he couldn't feel her presence anymore. How!?

The Dragon Tooth Warriors charged. Each Servant struck, even Assassin could destroy the grunts with ease. But it was always their numbers that made them a threat. There was no end to them in sight.

Assassin pulled out his Calico, shooting down the Skeletal Warriors in front of him. Feeling a new presence behind him, he rolled forward to dodge a blade.

"Firearms." Morgan said as he turned to face her. "A more recent Heroic Spirit than most, I see."

Saber, Archer and Lancer couldn't join him, as the grunts surrounded them.

She went for an overhead strike, which Assassin dodged to the side. He pulled out his Thompson Contender and aimed for her torso.

Morgan considered catching the bullet, but her body instinctively dodged the bullet before she made the decision. The bullet hit a Dragon Tooth Warrior's spine, breaking it and somehow reshaping it, but the Warrior fell to the ground, unable to move its legs or wings.

"...I see. The bullets of this gun serve a dual purpose. They injure and incorrectly heal, hindering motor skills. Perhaps it even works on Magic Circuits?" She theorized.

Despite his face being hidden under a hood and behind bandages, Assassin did not allow any expression to appear.

"This body is made entirely of Prana. I'd be a fool to give you such an opening." She backed away into the crowd, her presence disappearing once more.

"That was no Presence Concealment." He thought. How could she disappear in such a way? He did not enjoy this lacking information. But, he knew who to ask.

Once again using his Calico, he shot the Dragon Tooth Warriors standing between him, Archer and Saber.

"She did not use Presence Concealment." He said, covering his fellow Counter Guardian's back. "Saber, do you know anything about the ways she could hide her presence?"

"Her powers seem limited, within that body." Saber theorized. "I am unsure if she is simply holding back, or if she cannot fully use her magic with the Card acting as her body. My apologies."

"The Card." Archer said with realization. "She was able to turn back from the Card form into her Servant form after I used Rule Breaker on her. Maybe it goes both ways."

"So, she's turning into a Card, and these guys are passing her around until she can catch us by surprise?" Lancer clicked his tongue. "What a pain in the ass..."

"Crude, but apt." Saber said. "I must agree. That is her kind of stunt."

"...I see." Assassin nodded. "Alright, support each other, I'll deal with these petty grunts."

"What, you think you can handle them all on your own?" The Hound of Culann challenged.

"I'll be fine. They can't keep up with me." The Magus Killer said, readying his knife.

"Ah, that's what you're doing." Archer smirked. "Alright, then. I'm trusting you two with my back, Saber, Cu Chulainn."

"Very well." Saber braced herself.

"You guy fought side by side in life or something?" The Blue Lancer asked. "Fine, whatever, if you know what he's up to, I'll play along."

Assassin shifted slightly. There were still plenty of Dragon Tooth Warriors in the sky. In order to find Morgan, he needed to take them down faster than they would be replaced.

"Time Alter: Triple Accel." He thought before charging. "Chronos Rose!"

Lancer whistled in appreciation. Assassin was very quick, cutting down dozens of Warriors in a matter of seconds. Where did that come from?

One after another, The Counter Guardian known as Kiritsugu cut down Grunt after Grunt with his knife. The ones in the sky were already moving downward to replace them, but they were too slow.

He did get surprised by the sight of a Dragon Tooth Warrior mid-swing. He had no problem ducking under the sword, but the fact that it was mid-swing in the middle of the crowd, rather than in the fight itself, was the surprising part. His guess was that Caster of Silver was trying to predict his rapid movements and controlling her grunts to strike.

Futile, but A for effort.

As the numbers went down, Assassin finally saw Morgan's Card in the hand of a Dragon Tooth Warrior. As he approached his target, he reloaded his Contender and aimed point blank at the Card...

"Where did this speed come from?" Medea wondered aloud.

"That is Chronos Rose." Shadow Clone Naruto said. "Kiritsugu Emiya's application of his Family Magecraft, turned into a Noble Phantasm once he became a Counter Guardian."

"That's Illya-chan's father?" Sakura gasped.

"This Kiritsugu never married into the Einzbern Family." He explained. "As such, he remained the same mercenary that sacrificed the few to save the many. An ideal Counter Guardian, if anything."

"How does he perform this Magecraft?" Medea asked.

"According to Archer's memories of working with this Kiritsugu, and my own research of the Emiya Family prior to the previous patriarch's death, this time manipulation was once a large-scale Bounded Field that could accelerate or stagnate the flow of time within the field. Kiritsugu managed to limit the range of the Field within his own body, effectively making something akin to a Reality Marble that manipulates his own flow of time."

"Any side-effects?" Nobunaga asked.

"A few, especially before he became a Counter Guardian." He nodded. "As I observed from another Fourth Grail War, his body is in a lot of strain when using it, especially the internal hemorrhaging whenever he slows down his body to conceal himself. In the other Fourth War, he made use of Avalon to heal his body as he tripled and even quadrupled his own time." He pointed at a Dragon Tooth Warrior. "That one. Make it swing now."

The Warrior swung, and Assassin ducked under the sword and cut off the head.

"Reaction time is key." He said. "If you can see his movement, you can counter him."

"My Dragon Tooth Warriors will not cover for her eternally." Semiramis warned.

"No need. Mordred, stab." Naruto opened a rift and Mordred immediately stabbed her sword through it.

Assassin saw a strange hole appear and a sword aiming to stab him. He jumped back, forced to give up his kill to avoid losing his head.

The bare hand holding the sword then gained a gauntlet and was soon followed by Mordred's fully armored stature.

"Yo." She said. "That was a neat trick you did there. How about using it against an actual fighter?"

Archer and Lancer joined Assassin, while Jeanne, Nobunaga, Elizabeth, Carmilla and Medea came out of the rift.

Rather than join her group, Saber stood between them, and faced Mordred.

"What's up?" Mordred asked before her eyes widened. "...Wait, you're not gonna ask for the rematch already, are you? Weren't you full of self-doubt when I pulled Calibu-"

"I'm sorry."

Mordred's words died in her throat.

"I was too quick to judge your worth as King." She said. "And for that, I have failed you, both as a King and as a Father. It should not have taken you pulling Caliburn from the Stone to make me see that."

Archer's eyes widened. She pulled Caliburn!? How!? When!?

"I should have been more human, more flexible." She said. "Then, I would have reached out to you, when you did the same for me. I know I would have, because I would have accepted you wholeheartedly. I never despised you for being Morgan's child. After all..." She smiled. "You were not the only Knight to come from her. And each one of you were precious comrades to me, and always will be."

Mordred looked at her with shock, unsure how to process what she heard.

"How sweet." A voice echoed. "It almost makes me want to gag."

The Saber Card burst with Prana before Morgan appeared.

"Are you trying to stake your claim after so long?" She asked, stepping forward. "After all the pain she felt because of your-"

She stopped when a blade was held just short of her throat.

"...What changed?" Mordred asked, her sword arm held out to her side.

"I talked to Kay." Arturia answered. "And he made me realize that I simply had to accept my mistakes, and learn from them."

This confused the Silver Faction.

"Kay?" Mordred repeated. "Here? How the hell is he here?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?" Morgan smiled. "Just look for a little box. They should be here soon."

At that moment, the bigger group of the Red Faction got out of the building.

"Looks like we're just in time." Chloe said.

"I don't see Uzumaki among them." Kayneth observed.

"Uh-oh." Rin realized. "I think he went after the Lancer Card."

Amakusa Shirou cursed under his breath. This was bad, but...

"Assassin!" He called out.

Assassin pulled the Berserker Card out of his clothing. That did alleviate his worries, however slightly.

As the Masters joined their Servants, a rift appeared again.

Rin's eyes widened as Sakura and Rider appeared from it, followed by the Shadow Clone with Julie, flag in hand, on his shoulders.

In the Mirror World of the cemetery, Naruto's body was impaled by spears that came from the ground. His injuries were searing hot.

"They don't feel like holy weapons. They're too foul." He grunted through the pain.

The Lancer before him stepped closer, raising his spear.

Naruto smirked and burst into bats, stopping his opponent in his tracks.

Following the bats' path, the Lancer turned around to see them reform.

Only, someone else appeared. A tall, regal man in a butler suit with a cape, red on the inside and black on the outside. His white hair was shoulder length and he had a goatee.

"The true battle begins." The man said. "One Dracula against another."

The chapter itself is slightly shorter than usual, but adding more would just be obvious padding. So, this is alot of set-ups for battles in the next chapter. If I decided to write the fights in the same chapters, who knows how much longer it would have taken for this chapter to come out?

The quartet stood on a rooftop within the same district as the Hyatt Hotel, the tall building before them. Currently, the hotel was being evacuated.

"This hotel is where Kayneth and Diarmuid have made their base." Naruto told Arturia. "He even booked multiple floors for the sake of trapping them."

"I see." Arturia nodded. "So, this is where I face Lancer again?"

"Not quite. Look." Naruto pointed to the hotel's evacuated residents. In particular, an employee making the rounds.

Arturia narrowed her eyes before she noticed him.

Kiritsugu was talking to that employee, who drew a line on his list and walked away. Kiritsugu also walked off, and pulled out a bulky cellphone. After a minute, he pocketed the cellphone, lit himself a cigarette and pulled out a detonator.

The King of Knights' eyes widened.

Explosions came from within the hotel and it collapsed, lighting up a great fire and causing a panic among the evacuated residents.

"This...This is horrible." She said. "All of these people have now lost a great deal of belongings, if not their entire livelihood... Why?"

"I will admit, the method is barbaric." Morgan said. "But, hardly unexpected from a freelance mercenary."

"He's also got the element of surprise." Mordred said. "No Magi would expect this kind of tactic, especially since they don't know he's here yet. Hell, the Red Faction only found out when he tried to shoot Master."

It was true, Saber realized. Granted, that was the whole point of Irisviel pretending to be her Master, but she didn't think Kiritsugu would cause such collateral damage...

"Right about now..." Naruto said. "Kirei should have snuck up on Maiya."

Arturia's eyes widened and turned to him.

"See? Kiritsugu is running." She turned to the streets and saw him rushing to another building. "It is unfortunate for him. Had Kirei not attacked Maiya, he might have stuck around long enough to notice Kayneth's Volumen hydrargyrum, once the flames waned."

"They survived?" Arturia asked.

"The explosion did not reach them immediately, so Kayneth used his mercury ball of a Mystic Code to protect themselves. Tomorrow night, he and Lancer will come for revenge."

"Around the same time Caster comes for me." She realized. "No matter how many of his vile creatures I destroyed, that accursed grimoire of his kept bringing more. It wasn't until the King of Conquerors arrived that Caster retreated."

"And then, the banquet started shortly after." Naruto smirked. "Tomorrow night will be eventful, trust me."

As before, Gilles de Rais came to the Einzbern castle in the forest, with children as hostages. He demanded that 'Jeanne' reach him whenever she was ready, as he brought 'entertainment' to pass the time. As for the children...well, Arturia felt sick remembering their gruesome fate. She could not save them, for Caster had already doomed them.

By the time Saber had caught up to him, only one child was left...and he was bait that caught Saber hook, line and sinker.

Restrained by a Starfish-like monster and surrounded by many more, Saber unleashed a burst of prana, destroying the one restraining her.

"You've made this personal." She said, her gaze was the most murderous Mordred and Morgan had seen from her. "I shall forget about the Grail, for now. The world must be rid of an existence as depraved as yours."

"Goddamn." Mordred whistled. "I get where you're coming from, but wow."

"A pleasant surprise." Morgan smiled.

"Oooooh, how noble!" Gilles was beaming. "As valiant as always, Jeanne! Yours is a light brighter than God's."

Saber charged with a battle cry. She cleaved through the monsters as they stood in her way.

However, Caster's Noble Phantasm, Prelati's Spellbook, was capable of recreating them endlessly. Rather than a simple Grimoire, it was as much a creature as the demons it created, with more than enough Prana to spare into their creation, to the point where none was required from the user.

As their numbers refused to go down, Saber was eventually restrained by multiple monsters taking a limb each. She couldn't even put a strong struggle with her left arm as the grip on her neck tightened.

"How disappointing." Two spears were thrown into the dirt, slicing through the tentacles restraining Saber. Diarmuid landed before her, grabbing his spears. "I expected the King of Knights to show better prowess against such small fries, Saber."

"Lancer." Arturia blinked. "He arrived much earlier than Rider did."

"You know what's messed up?" Mordred piped in. "Admitting that means Kiritsugu's demolition helped you."

"Urgh..." She didn't want to say it, but it was true...

"Kayneth should be reaching the castle right about now, too." Naruto said. "At this point, Irisviel and Maiya should be escaping in the opposite direction, and encounter Kirei."

"Kotomine again?" Arturia asked.

"Yes, Kiritsugu is Kirei's primary target." He nodded. "A part of him wonders why Kiritsugu lives the he does. He is trying to find purpose for his own twisted existence through what he believes to be a kindred spirit."

"Is there no end to these creatures?" Lancer wondered aloud, unsure why they couldn't reach Caster, no matter how many monsters they killed. They were back to back, surrounded on all sides.

"That grimoire of his." Saber said. "It's the source of these things."

Lancer glanced at Caster and saw the Spellbook radiating Prana. "In that case, Gae Dearg will only need one hit."

Saber smirked. "Then, would you bet it all on that one hit?"

"Is that mischief in your voice?" He asked, amused. "What do you have in mind?"

"This sheath of wind can also be used for offensive strikes. It can clear the way towards him. Think you can ride the winds of Victory?"

"Heh." He smirked, turned around and stood beside Saber. "I shall take that bet."

"Hm?" Gilles perked up. "Oh, have you finally given up?" He grinned. "In the face of endless numbers, skill is but a futile attempt to delay the inevitable. This is truly the greatest disgrace for heroes!" He held his free hand out, keeping Prelati's Spellbook to his chest. "Now, my Holy Virgin...let me see the agony of defeat on your face!"

The monsters leaped. If the duo did nothing, the demons would pile on them.

Saber readied her sword for a stab. "Strike Air!" The moment she stabbed, the wind sheath exploded forward, creating a small tornado that blew away the monsters before her.

Lancer charged right into the winds, running towards the shocked Caster. Cutting through two creatures that stood in his way, he reared his red spear.

"Now, Gae Dearg, bring an end to this battle!" He cried out as he stabbed through the Grimoire.

Rather than torn paper, red mist poured out of the organic gash from the book. Each monster exploded into puddles of blood, to Saber's relief.

"Oh... All that blood and somehow you remained perfectly clean." Morgan sounded disappointed.

"I never want to see these monstrosities ever again." Arturia frowned.

"Hmm, then perhaps I should try and gain a new Caster Card." Arturia turned and glared at her amused sister.

Gilles gritted his teeth and screamed. The blood on the ground rose and turned to mist, obscuring the view. When it dissipated, he was gone.

"He fled." Saber frowned before she noticed Diarmuid's expression. "Lancer?"

"My Master is in danger." He said and turned around. "As much as I desire to face you again, I must take my leave."

"Of course." She nodded. "To our next encounter, First Spear of Fianna."

"I shall look forward to it." He swore and disappeared.

"Currently, Kayneth is down for the count." Naruto said. "Kiritsugu has damaged him in a way that could never be fixed."

"Never? How?" Arturia asked.

"Imagine a beautiful painting: Flawless, masterfully crafted with the utmost care." He began. "And then, something claws at it, tearing it to pieces, and sews it back together, stitches all over. Despite the painting returning to its normal shape, it's not the same quality, is it?"

"...What has Kiritsugu done?" She asked, dreading the imagery used when compared to a man.

"He has destroyed Kayneth's Magic Circuits. And very little will remain of the Crest."

Her eyes widened.

"To a man like him, Death would have been a better fate, no?" He asked rhetorically. "Rider should be on his way for the banquet. This time, however..." He smirked. "Gilgamesh will be present."

...That smirk did not reassure her in the slightest.

Is this length too long for an Omake? Maybe just right?