I…have nothing to say for myself. I'm sorry. Happy belated New Year, I guess. I'm alive, though. Just extremely stressed and done with real life. Hope your New Year's/Christmas rolls went well.

Also, another note: Thanks for all your support, everyone! I never realized I'd get so many followers and favourites on this fic. Once again, I'm sorry for the late update. Very late replies to reviews are at the end of the chapter.

"Are we all here now?" Jeanne asked once Mordred had settled down.

"Everyone that opposes Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, I think," Gudako said, yawning. "Let's get this over with before I fall asleep." True to her word, she was leaning on Karna's shoulder, eyes half-closed and her head buried into his fluffy fire cloak. Karna gently pushed her away and nudged her until she was sitting up straight.

"I was about to ask you for your input since you said you knew everything that was going to happen, but..." Jeanne trailed off as Gudako yawned again, clapping her cheeks to wake herself up.

"It'll take Semiramis and Amakusa around three days to prepare themselves to manipulate the Greater Grail to fulfil his wish," Gudako said. "You're going to have to figure out a plan to get into the Hanging Gardens on Babylon by then, disable the automated defences, take down the Red Servants and hopefully stop Amakusa from even making his wish. Which, by the way, is currently impossible with the Servants we currently have."

"What do you mean?" Vlad asked.

"Semiramis's defences are top-notch due to her Double Summon ability; allowing her to manifest as an Assassin with the abilities of a Caster. It's not like any of the Servants here have Noble Phantasms that nullify magic right now. I mean, I could summon Medea here..."

"Absolutely not," Karna and Arthur spoke in unison.

Gudako scowled. "You guys are no fun. I just need her Noble Phantasm. Please? It'll be temporary and she won't need much mana."

Karna and Arthur exchanged glances, mentally conversing for a few seconds before Arthur spoke. "Only if there is no other choice will we allow it."

"Love you guys too," Gudako sighed.

"Actually, I have a Noble Phantasm that can completely nullify magic," Astolfo piped up.

"What?!" Caules cried.

"I can only activate it the night of the full moon, though. Plus, I also forgot its True Name." The androgynous Rider giggled sheepishly.

"The next new moon is in 4 days...it will be too late by then," Fiore said.

Gudako groaned. "So this is the price I pay for speeding things up by a day. I'll think up something later. You guys can think up a plan to successfully distract the Red Faction, right? The more firepower or decoys the better. Now if you'll excuse me I really need to sleep." As soon as she finished her sentence, she closed her eyes and fell back into Karna's cloak.

Wordlessly, Karna lifted Gudako up, turning to Vlad. "Is there a place for her to sleep? From her current condition, she will remain asleep for a significant amount of time."

Vlad nodded and turned to a homunculus standing behind him. "Prepare a room for her."

The homunculus bowed, gesturing for Karna to follow him before he left.

"Father, are you staying?" Mordred asked Arthur.

"I will stay to pass on any further information on to Gudako," Arthur replied. "You can hold your discussions without her input-she can add her information tomorrow."

"All we need right now is a plan to attack and infiltrate the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, right?" Sieg asked.

Arthur nodded.

"Well then, can I propose something...?" Caules asked.

Vlad turned his eyes on the younger Forvedge sibling. "What do you have in mind?"

With a slight stutter in his tone, Caules began explaining his plan.

Gudako opened her eyes to find herself in her bedroom back in Chaldea. "Huh...was I dreaming the entire thing?" Sitting up, she glanced around her room. Her charger was still stuck in the wall, and everything remained the exact same as she had left it.

Wait.

Her belongings had been moved around slightly. Maybe Emiya had gotten in to clean up a bit? A more possible candidate would be Mashu, though. The candy basket on her desk was gone as well, replaced by an apology note written by Robin. Sorry for taking your candy, Master, but I needed some way to bait Ibaraki. I'll make it up when you come back. ~Robin

Gudako got out of her bed, and only then did she notice her entire body was transparent.

"Oh great, I'm dead. Best way to come back home," she groaned.

Deciding to explore the rest of Chaldea, she walked through the door and into the hallways, making her way to the cafeteria. On the way, she noted that no one acknowledged her presence, which meant she was definitely dreaming. She passed by an arguing Nero and Elizabeth (with an exasperated Tamamo watching both of them), Gawain flirting with one of the staff (what was the person's name again?), and surprisingly, even her beloved kouhai dragging Lancelot away from Da Vinci's workshop.

(She snickered at that scene, knowing that the purple-haired Saber would be thoroughly scolded by Mashu later.)

Peeking into the kitchen, Gudako saw Emiya cooking with Boudica. Saber Alter lurked outside in casual clothing, munching away on a burger. She smiled at the familiar scene and turned to leave, but then she heard Emiya say her name.

"...wonder how Gudako's doing."

"I do hope she's safe," Boudica said worriedly. "Karna and Arthur may be there to protect her, but I doubt it's enough. She wouldn't have ended up in a place with a harsh climate, right?"

"No," Emiya replied. "I asked around regarding the Great Holy Grail War. Romania is a relatively mild place. Gudako will be fine as long as she keeps a cool head. The problem would be how she manages herself in a true Holy Grail War."

"You're right," Boudica replied. "It's nothing like the singularities. A full-out battle between magi and other Servants, and she has close to no support from us. Speaking of Chaldea though...we're still able to contain the more chaotic Servants, right?"

"Worse comes to worst we'll just incapacitate them," Emiya said with a shrug. "She's been gone for about three days and Zelretch said she'd be back in a week, so we just have to hold out for four more days. I never expected that many to go crazy the moment she disappeared, though. Guess that shows just how much control a Master has."

"Do you really trust that...that vampire?"

Emiya shook his head, exasperation in his features. "I've dealt with him a number of times. He does a lot of things out of boredom. Including messing with universes."

Gudako turned away and ran down the hall before she could hear Boudica's reply, as she had just seen Kiyohime approach the kitchen. She did not want to go near the Berserker, no matter if she was a spirit or not.

She stopped near the general room, looking inside to see Marie and Jeanne conversing with Mozart playing the piano nearby. Sanson and D'Eon hovered in the area, both shooting wary glances at Caster Gilles de Rais, who was staring at Jeanne. Farther away from them was Edmond, watching the entire scene with a dispassionate gaze. Jeanne Alter was nowhere to be seen, which was mildly strange because she usually hung around her fellow Avenger. Maybe she was sparring?

Gudako drifted closer to Edmond, settling down beside him on the couch. She jumped, however, when she heard him speak. "Welcome back to Chaldea, my Master." He turned his head to meet her gaze, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Y-you can see me?!" Gudako squeaked.

"I can hear your voice and sense your presence, but I cannot see you. How goes the Great Holy Grail War?"

Gudako gave him a brief breakdown of what happened as well as her current problems. Edmond listened silently, his face unreadable. When she finished, he spoke. "Do not be afraid to try what seems to be impossible."

"...Edmond?"

"If you call for me, I will come, no matter how far away you may be, Master. Now, you should wake up. Bring down your enemies with no mercy." His smirk settled into a small smile. "Do come back quickly; or else Chaldea will fall into a state of disorder."

"Got it. Thanks, Edmond!" Even as she spoke, Gudako could feel herself floating away from Chaldea.

The last things she saw were Edmond's golden eyes, alight with amusement.

Gudako opened her eyes, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She turned her head and saw Arthur sitting beside her, a smile on his face. "Good morning, Gudako. Did you sleep well?"

"Not bad, I guess. Where am I?"

"In a guest bedroom in Yggdmillenia Castle. You've been asleep for around 12 hours."

"Oh. Wow. Guess I won't be needing any coffee for a while. Where's Karna?"

"Sparring with Siegfried."

"Oh." Gudako sat up and stretched. "Do we have a plan yet?"

"Yes." Arthur summarized the plans Caules had laid out the night before, and Gudako nodded.

"That's what they did last time. With enough mana, Medea would also be able to deal her own damage to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Guess I'll summon her now." Gudako swung her legs over the bed and onto the ground, only to wince as her stomach growled. "On second thought, I'm going to eat something first."

"I'll take you to the dining room, then."

After practically inhaling her breakfast, Gudako went to see Vlad for permission to use the Black Faction's summoning circle. He readily gave it but asked that he be allowed to watch. Gudako let him. Somewhere along the way, everyone else minus Mordred, Kairi, and Roche ended up in the chamber as well.

"I really don't get why you guys are interested," Gudako sighed. "It's nothing special...oh wait, I'm screwed."

"Master?" Arthur asked.

"I just realized I don't have anything that could summon Medea and I need one. Okay, what's Plan B?"

"You don't have a Plan B?" Sieg asked.

"Nope."

"Actually..." Arthur spoke. "If all you need is someone who can nullify magic, can't you summon someone like Emiya?"

Gudako stared uncomprehendingly for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Arthur, you're a genius! And I have his catalyst on me so this is going to work!"

"Who are you talking about?" Vlad asked.

"Emiya is considered a Heroic Spirit from the near future, but he's also a Counter-Guardian," Karna answered.

"In life, he was a third-rate magus, but his elemental affinity and Origin were aligned, and he participated in the Fifth Holy Grail War of his time," Gudako added. "He's pretty cool." Gudako pulled a card with an image of a red pendant and dropped it into the summoning circle, and then took out 3 Saint Quartz. All the magi in the room gasped at the sheer power emanating from it.

"So much mana..." Caules breathed.

"You're not getting any," Gudako shot back. "They're mine." She placed the quartz next to the catalyst and stepped back, sending a burst of prana from her circuits into the circle. The circle glowed brightly as both catalyst and quartz were consumed, and the figure of a tall white-haired man in red and black armour materialized.

The man opened his eyes and calmly looked around the room, analyzing his surroundings. His eyes then landed on Gudako. "Good grief, what a troublesome Master you are. What do you need me for?"

"To blast some stuff," Gudako replied casually. "I didn't catch you in the middle of cooking now, did I?"

"No, but I was with Boudica and Kiyohime. You'll be in trouble when you return."

Gudako groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Kill me now."

Ignoring her, Emiya turned to nod at Arthur and Karna. "Thanks for taking good care of her. We're all worried about her well-being."

"How is the situation back at Chaldea?" Karna asked.

"Blackbeard, Mephistopheles, and some other trouble Servants are being monitored by Okita and a few others, and the Berserkers haven't broken anything yet although Kintoki's had to restrain Raikou from attacking the oni a few times. The doctor's been sending the occasional party to minor singularities for supply runs, but each team is made up of level-headed Servants. No one's been killed yet."

"Huh, sounds like you guys are fine without me," Gudako said. Remembering she wasn't alone, she turned to Emiya. "How about you introduce yourself to the Black Faction and then we'll make a plan?"

Emiya nodded. "But first, Master..." He had a certain glint in his eye.

Gudako noticed and took a step back, a nervous expression on her face. "Yes, Emiya...san?"

"What were you thinking when you agreed with Zelretch's idea? Did you have any consideration for the consequences when we found out that you disappeared? Almost everyone freaked out and had no idea if you were safe! Honestly, I thought I taught you better..." Emiya continued to lecture Gudako, while everyone else watched in amazement.

"Are you sure he's a Servant?" Fiore whispered to Arthur.

Arthur gave her a reassuring pat. "Emiya tends to be a bit overprotective of Gudako. Most of the Servants in Chaldea are."

"I get it, Mom!" Gudako finally whined. "You can lecture me later. Let's just get this done and over with so we can go home, okay?!"

"No, you are not off the hook," Emiya shot back. "I expect you to fully think over your actions once we go back home."

"Yes, Mom."

"Don't call me Mom."

"Whatever, Mom."

"Emiya? Master? You two can continue this later."

"We are at a disadvantage when considering the number of Servants on each side that can fight," Semiramis commented in the vault where the Greater Grail rested.

"It matters not," Amakusa replied. "Gudako was bluffing. She cannot summon any other Servants to her aid from her world with a single Command Seal. I also have a plan to add two Servants to our numbers."

"Two?"

"Normally, in a Holy Grail War, defeated Servants are transferred to the Holy Grail since they are in essence one mass of prana. It is impossible to retrieve their spirit cores, but since this is the Greater Grail, I am able to use my Ruler-class authority to recall the fallen Servants back onto the field. As a cost, though, their Noble Phantasms will be sealed and they have no sense of self. However, they are still Servants, and will greatly increase our advantage."

"So, you will summon Caster and Berserker of Black?"

"Yes. Let us begin."

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would not lose. Not until he had achieved his wish.

This probably isn't how the Greater Grail works, but Gudako's faction can't have a complete upper hand. And so, Amakusa's plan is to gather Shadow Servants. And let's welcome everyone's favourite mother into the scene: Emiya Shirou himself! A note before replying to reviews: once again, I'm very, very sorry for the late reply. I hope you still enjoy this story. We're almost at the end!

Stratos263: Very different from canon. :)

Fall2Glory: Or will she?

Gabriel790: Thanks for always reviewing! Sorry for being extremely late for this one. Hope you continue to read this story.

TrueVirtuoso: Not in Gudako's timeline yet. Also, regarding your other review, I have absolutely no idea who you're referring to.

skoren: *gasps* Someone called me senpai? Uwahhhh you don't know how happy I was when I first read your review. I'm glad you like the story! Hopefully you didn't abandon it after my months-long absence.

OneWhoCharms: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked how the plot went.

Jose-B-DragonMarino: I hope this chapter evens out the teams somewhat.

PasiveNox: Thank you!

valkiria1996-pd: I'm glad you like my fic! I never realized I'd be getting readers from Peru, so this is really cool. Maybe I'll get a fic about Karna, Arjuna and Gudako out some other time.

King of Fans: Glad you liked my ideas! I just wanted more minor characters to have a more important role. The advantages the Red Faction has are noted, but I do have a plan for it. Emiya's part of it. Rip your quartz, I hope you saved more.

RadioPoisoning: True.

Sakamaki Suzuku: Ah, school. Too relatable. Once during a math test, Carnival Phantasm's OP was stuck in my head and I could barely concentrate. Rip my mark. School is actually the main reason I haven't updated. Exams, exams, marks, and yeah. Sad reality. And yes, I totally agree with you on the subject of school starting later. I hate waking up early. Don't worry about generic comments, literally anything positive makes my day. I just need confirmation that you guys read and enjoyed this. I know I'm a few months late, but hope that history unit test went well. All the best on your other tests/exams!

JdkLeBleau728: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm honestly feeling pretty bad that this chapter came out so late. By the time you read this, Babylon and Solomon (cries) are already released and I'm desperately waiting on Shinjuku. As for CE questions…hm, summoning Muramasa with Limited/Zero Over sounds viable but I'd rather not get anything about him wrong when DW finally decides to release him, so he's out for now. As for mapo tofu…Gudako hates its very existence, so she refuses to touch it. Bond CEs are not tackled in this story, although it makes for an interesting plot device. Thanks again!