Enemies on all sides, the warrior danced amidst the raging flames.

The sword in the warrior's hand severed flesh and bones, spilled generous amount of blood onto the earth. Elegant yet brutal. Artful yet merciless.

Soon dead bodies began to pile up. The warrior stood in the center of this circle of macabre.

More enemies came, each one stronger than the last.

Yet still the warrior danced, still the flames burned bright.

How terrible.

How sad.

How beautiful.

Shirou Emiya opened his eyes.

Disclaimer: Characters and setting featured in this super-sized chapter (and the whole story) belong to Type-Moon and affiliated companies.

Even after he drowned his fourth serving, the man didn't feel drunk enough for what waited him later in the night. And he thought he was a light drinker.

"Tonight you will command your Servant," the words of his captor from several hours ago echoed heavily in his skull. "Would you like to have something to eat and drink before then? I'll do my best to provide whatever you'd like."

He had opted for liquours. Lots of it. To his surprise, the captor did bring several bottles to his room.

"MAstErrr..." the shadowy creature hissed from nearby.

He refilled his glass and downed it in one go.

His Servant. That was what the thing he had summoned the other night supposed to be. He didn't know what it was as his captor never fully explained beyond calling it a 'Servant', but the dark creature always stood by his side, silent and ever watching. It was human in shape, shrouded in alien black smog that looked like projected image. The sight of that thing was surreal enough to haunt his nightmares, but the fact that it never left him, never seemed to do anything other than keeping itself close to him, started to make him consider death as the better option.

Come to think of it, why didn't he die? His wrist was definitely cut right in the artery. Now nary a scar was there. Had the captor healed it with magic?

"Heh. What do you think, buddy?" he asked the creature as the alcohol started to work its magic.

"BlOooOOdD..."

Oh, for fuck's sake. He eyed his bottle and glasses. It shouldn't be hard to break them and use the shards to slice his wrist again. But then... it was painful and scary. He could remember how cold it had been, how agonizing it was to breathe, to lose his senses slowly like they were pulled off his skin. That experience... he definitely didn't want to go through that again.

"It's time," the captor said as he returned. There was no follow up to that declaration. No question on how he was doing, only such matter-of-fact words. He had no choice other than obey. With a sigh, he took one last glass and followed the man. The dark creature, his Servant, followed without a sound.

They passed that dark corridor and went down a set of stairs. The captor opened a rusty steel door, and the locked-in man breathed fresh air again after four days in captivity. It was already night time. Chill wind blew by, sending a shiver over the locked-in man's body. His captor didn't seem to be affected as he walked ahead briskly, uncaring if his captive were to follow or not.

Well, I don't know where to run and there's that thing behind me...

"Where are we going?" he tried to ask, as he looked around, trying to recognize the landmark. There were stacks upon stacks of containers over concrete floor. The harbor?

"The town," a curt answer came in a deep voice. They had reached a black van parked at the far end of the path.

"The town... you mean, Shinto? Fuuyuki? A-Are we in Fuuyuki?"

Once upon a time, he hated the town he lived in. Since his childhood until now well into adulthood, it had been the same town, the same scenery, and the same people he had to live with. Now he missed it more than anything. His boring apartment, his boring parents, his meddlesome next-door neighbors...

"Get in the car," was the only answer he got. He had no courage to do otherwise and entered, and then off they went.

The night was getting darker as they left his prison behind. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe madness finally seized his mind. As the car wheeled into what looked like a city, the locked-in man began to sing with as loud voice as he could muster. It was his dad's favorite song.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep... I am not there... I do not sleep..."

Six Hours Ago

The town of Shinto never stops from bustling with activities even on Sunday afternoon. The Central Shopping District, in particular, began to get flooded by people from every part of the city as the sun began to inch west and down. Walking along a sidewalk in the district among crowds of passerby, Emiya Shirou felt like he just passed through the gate to the real world after spending a whole day in a fantasy land where magic existed and knights can produce lightning with their swords.

Oh, wait that's real too. Haha, I'm so going crazy...

Today had been a long emotional roller coaster ride for Emiya Shirou. Anger, grief, confusion, joy, delight, shock, he had gone through it all. Though never had he imagined that the last thing he felt as the afternoon came was an immense embarrassment. Things hadn't been the same with Assassin ever since Hortensia threw a figurative dirty bomb onto their faces - is she really a nun? The last thing he remembered of his Servant before she decided to escape into intangibility was how flustered she had looked.

Assassin didn't speak to him anymore after that. However, her presence was always close by, and that made it even more awkward to him.

"W-Well, here we are, in the city. It sure is crowded, don't you think?"

That was his attempt at starting a conversation. When Assassin remained silent as expected, Shirou wanted to bury himself.

After the whole Holy Grail War affair at the church had concluded and Joan had lectured both him and Hortensia about the importance of keeping yourself clean from the sin of profanity, they parted ways. Joan and Hortensia had more to discuss between them while Shirou decided to go home. They had offered to call taxi for him, but he declined. He wanted to take some time off, walking around the city to ease his mind. That, and another thing.

"Hey, Assassin, uh... I know you're still in shock over what Hortensia said back there. Trust me, so am I. But now I really, really need your help," he said again. "Please help me find something nice for Sakura."

"... for Sakura-dono?" the way Assassin asked that question was so very uncharacteristic of her. She sounded meek and unsure with herself.

"Yes, I want to give her something as thanks and apology. You know, for everything she's done for me last night and what I did to her in return?"

"I see. Well, I think you should ask for her hand in marriage."

Had he been in the middle of drinking something, Shirou would have spat it out for sure. As it was, he only nearly tripped over the pavement.

"I-Idiot! I told you it wasn't like that between us!" he turned around and yelled, forgetting that he was in public and that Assassin was invisible. Sure enough, the people along the sidewalk stopped and gave him puzzled looks. The old lady he accidentally yelled at looked up in confusion.

"I hope everything is working out for you, young man."

Shirou quickly muttered an apology and fled the scene half-running. He only dared to slow down once he was five blocks away. Assassin was still with him.

"What was that?!" he protested, this time made sure it came out in whispers.

"I was serious. I think a marriage proposal from you would make Sakura-dono very happy."

He blushed at that but still tried to keep his cool. "No, I'm thinking about something simple, okay? Just a small gift she'd like. A treat, accessories, just... stuff. And uh... since you're a girl, like her, I figure you'd know what's best."

Assassin didn't reply immediately.

"You've known her for a long time, but you have no idea what she likes?"

"... This is the first time I'm thinking to give her a present."

The spare key to his house surely didn't count, right?

"Poor, poor Sakura-dono."

Clicking his tongue, Shirou made his way to a nearby alley. Once he made sure that there was nobody around to hear him, he spoke loudly.

"Assassin, let's get real here. Let's talk about the problem we have. The two of us have."

"..." Assassin's presence lingered nearby, but it was faint. She was distancing herself from him.

"Master, what do you feel about Sakura-dono? Do you love her?"

"Damn it, Assassin...!"

Do you love her? Hearing that question echoing in his head was like having an electric current charged into his brain. He couldn't make coherent thoughts for a moment from the shock alone. Even then, after thinking hard about it, he couldn't come up with an answer as quickly as he'd like.

"Sakura is like a family to me," he began, "I find her attractive, I care about her, I want to see her happy, but... I don't think I love her. Not in that way."

"She loves you, you know? In that way."

"... Really."

"I'm a girl, like her. I figure I'd know."

"Damn you."

Shirou crouched down and leaned against the alley wall, burying his reddened face under his crossed arm over his knees. Sakura loved him, Assassin said. It wasn't the most surprising news. Even as dense as he was to social interaction, puberty spared no one. He did notice the way she occasionally looked away flustered when he saw her looking at him, the way she smiled happily from his compliments, her always trying the best to do anything he taught her...

"So... uh, you're thinking that... uh, damn it... if, if we do... what Hortensia suggested, it'll be... bad for Sakura?"

"... I don't actually have to answer that question, do I?"

Shirou dipped his head even lower because now his entire face was heating up. Stupid Hortensia. Stupid Holy Grail War. Stupid me. He had been trying his damnedest to put aside the thought of having to make love with Assassin only to talk about it with her. Perhaps a part of his mind did consider Sakura's feelings, but mostly he thought it would be disrespectful to his Servant. To do as Hortensia said would seem like he was taking advantage of the situation to bed her.

How despicable. Even thinking about it this way made him sick.

Damn it. Is there no other way?

"..."

Now there's an idea...

"Maybe Hortensia didn't know everything," he blurted out.

"Aye?"

"Maybe there's another way to provide you with that prana thing," he said, "even if it has to involve an exchange of body liquid... it doesn't, uh, have to be... intercourse... something like blood transfusion might do the trick, perhaps?"

"... Ah, I see!" there was a noticeable improvement in her mood. "Who would know about it, though?"

"Sakura? She's a mage, right? Let's ask her."

"That... might work. But wait, so you're going to admit to her that you've decided to fight as a Master not too long after your declaration this morning that you're going to try to cancel the war? And this present giving won't be just an expression of gratitude and apology, but as leverage for a favor as well?"

Oh God. Shirou scratched his head. Of course there would be more hurdles to this simple idea. What didn't have one?

"... Yeah, that would be embarrassing as hell. But what's a little embarrassment compared to your well-being?"

Assassin finally laughed after all this time.

"Heh. My well-being you said. You do remember that I'm here basically to put myself in harm's way, right?"

"If I give you prana you might die, but if I don't you'll definitely die. Pretty obvious choice, huh?"

"There's one too many 'die' in that sentence!"

"I could add another one if you like."

They both broke into laughter.

"All right, then! Let's find the best present for our resident good witch!"

"Good, but before that, let's grab some lunch. It's pretty late for that, but screw it. I'm starving."

"Roger that, Master. Hey, is it weird to envy you for being able to feel hunger? I mean, you get to put something tasty in your mouth when you're hungry. All I got to taste since last night was my own blood... aahh, I should have materialized this morning and ate that chicken with you guys..."

Shirou smiled in relief as he got to his feet. He noticed the rather forced way Assassin was raising her voice; she hadn't completely returned to her usual playful, go-happy self. But it was fine. This was the Assassin he had known and come to like.

"When we learn how to fix that prana problem, I'll cook something for you."

"Oh, really? Yay! It's a promise, Master!"

Grinning, Shirou raised his pinky finger and felt a faint warmth wrapped around it.

"Promise."

Fate of Black and Crimson:

- Rumble in the Town -

Being abducted was the best thing that had ever happened to Olga Marie Animusphere in these past three days. Now she was well aware that having thoughts like such might indicate a crack in her sanity, but to be fair, her captors provided her with good meals, nice hot bath, clean change of clothes and high-class hotel room to stay in. It was definitely a way to persuade her to go along with their scheme, but as it was closer to her original living standard than staying on the street, she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed the privilege.

Apart from how annoying my new companions could be, that is...

"Come on, Olga-chan, drink up~" the adult woman, Reika she was called, Saber's Master, said teasingly while holding out her fan of cards. Olga took one of the cards without thinking; she just wanted this stupid game to end as quickly as possible.

"Urgh..."

So close to a match. Queen of heart glared at her, unhappy to find the queen of spade in the same hand.

"My, not getting a match, Olga-chan?" the woman laughed. Olga ignored her and turned to the next person in rotation. Servant Rider's eyes fell upon her briefly, then shifted lazily towards her fan. Olga hated how the gesture made her heart throb.

Her abductor was an incredibly handsome man. Underneath that eerie silver mask he currently didn't wear was a chiseled face sporting perfectly symmetrical cleft chin, aquiline nose, and thin lips. His sharp eyes had this melancholic quality about him with their reddish, ruby color. His eyebrows were thick, arched like an idle longbow split in the middle. His hair was thick, dark, and wavy, completing his charm with its edgy roughness.

"A-hem. Looks like somebody's got a crush~ or rather, Stockholm Syndrome?" Reika's teasing voice brought Olga back to reality, which prompted her to blush.

"Girl, if it's wavy hair that turns you on," said Caster's Master with a smirk - his name was Shinji, family name unknown for now, "there's a safer choice over here. No sharp objects in my pants either."

"May I?" asked Rider, his fingers hovered over a four of diamond in her hand. His mildly deep voice was almost gentle.

Olga scoffed at them all - especially at that lecherous Shinji - but said nothing. Meanwhile, Rider took four of diamond and then discarded it immediately alongside a four of heart already in his hand. Now he only had two remained.

"This Servant's luck must be pretty high up..." Olga thought. Her abductor now was face to face with the one-eyed Saber, who frowned in focus. The girl Servant pulled out one of the two cards and balked immediately after. "Gah! I got the Devil!"

Shinji snorted and broke into laughter. "Haha! What a retard!"

"Fuck did you say, you shit!?" Saber growled, scaring the curly-haired young man. With one eye covered by dark eye-patch, she looked like a vicious pirate from storybooks.

"Now I know how Assassin managed to blindside you, Lass. Baring your fangs too easily doesn't make you a mighty lion, more like an angry domesticated cat," added Caster casually.

"Oh, what an interesting theory, Caster. You wanna try to prove it? When my sword find its way up your arse, try saying that again."

To Saber's boastful challenge, Caster cackled mockingly. "Really? See how you'd like it when your eyes fester and fall off your skull."

"Come on kids, be nice to each other. You'll have all the time in the world to tear each other apart once this alliance is over," Reika drawled like she was used to this. To Olga's utter puzzlement, the argument did stop. To be fair, Caster looked like he didn't really care to begin with, but Saber... the volatile acted like a child scolded by their mother. She made an indignant noise and sulked as she let Caster took a card from her hands. With the way she tutted, Caster definitely didn't take the devil out.

The game continued albeit in awkward silence. On the next round, Rider emptied his hands and left the table to stand by the window, looking over the approaching dusk with a glass of wine in hand.

"Why so far away, Rider?" Reika asked without looking his way. "I'm sure our guest here would be happy to have you by her side."

"I'd be happy to sit with her if she's going to tell us everything about Shielder."

"My, Olga-chan you poor thing... your prince is thinking about another woman..."

Prince. Could it be a clue to Rider's true identity? Olga tried to recall any legend or tale in which a prince was fond of kidnapping women. But it really couldn't be that convenient, could it? The woman might be messing with her for all she knew.

"Shielder is my family's secret weapon. I wouldn't just divulge information about her to you people."

Saber's Master raised her eyebrows. "My, your family's secret weapon? Funny, earlier I got this info about your family... it said, they didn't have a daughter."

It was a bluff and a bad one at that. These people didn't know anything about her family. Right now, a four-year-old Olga Marie Animusphere was spending her day learning to memorize alphabets and alchemical symbols. She kept her face stoic as she said, "And? What else does your info tell you about my family?"

"Oh, whoops, silly me. The info actually said 'no seventeen-year-old daughter'. But Sir Animusphere does have a four-year-old daughter."

That caused Olga to jerked her head in surprise. They knew of her family name? They also knew about her father? But how? Prior to being the director of Chaldea, his name had been practically unheard of outside the Association. And as far as she knew, this woman wasn't even a magus.

"Your daddy likes to brag about his precious daughter to his colleagues, you know? Saying how proud he is of her, how much she inspires him-"

"Lies! Father never-"

Olga realized her mistake too late. She could only gaped in silence as her playmates sent cold stares her way. Reika didn't drop her friendly facade, however. "Are you saying that Lord Animusphere, who currently doesn't have a daughter as old as you are, is your father? How does that work, Olga-chan?"

"T-That's..." she couldn't tell them the truth no matter what. Who knew what these people would do when they learned that she was from the future? Any Master was a potential cause for humanity's impending extinction. She always kept that in mind. "How... how much do you really know about me?"

The woman leaned back on her seat. "Not enough to satisfy my need. That's all I can tell you. Reaally wish you'd add more."

Anger bubbled and popped in Olga's stomach. "I don't need to satisfy any of your need."

"Are you sure about that?" the woman put her cards on the table. "Look around you, Olga-chan, at this pretty prison. Everything you enjoyed here so far, the food, the warm bed, the bath... they might have blinded you to the fact, so let me remind you. They all come from our hands. Your life is in our hands. And to be honest with you, our fingers are starting to feel sore."

"Threats wouldn't sway me either."

"You don't have to take my words as threat, Olga-chan. I actually hate to do that, threatening others, especially an abandoned little girl like you. All alone in the middle of this war with no friends and no Servant to protect her..."

"Rider took me away from my friends!"

"Friends who weren't by your side when he took you. Friends who let you starve in that abandoned house. Friends, whom you know very little about... especially that Master of Shielder. A red-headed girl whom that Servant kept calling 'Senpai' over and over..."

This time she wouldn't fall for the woman's bait. That was nothing Olga didn't already know about. Fujimaru was a stranger to her life and an endless test to her patience, but that girl was simple. She held no desire for the Grail. Nothing to be worried about as far as the Holy Grail War was concerned. Same with Mashu Kyrielight.

"I see you're trying to put your trust in them. Such a headstrong girl," Reika said. "Remember though, people always have something they long for, even your trusty friends. Who could guarantee that their loyalty will stay with you when the path to fulfill their dearest wish open before them?"

That confidence. That almost assured way she predicted these things... Olga couldn't help but shiver.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your talk about desire prick my curiosity. What's yours? What do you truly seek? Don't tell me you want to see Saber becoming the winner again. I didn't buy it one bit then, I'm not buying it now," Caster said suddenly.

"Caster, I thought you're my trusted ally~" Saber's Master said, pouting. "Shouldn't you help me crack this girl instead of prodding me?"

"Heh. Sorry. Can't ever stand seeing a girl being pushed to a corner, especially by the kind of woman that you are."

"My, so blunt."

This group's dynamics confused Olga once again. Rider was aloof, yet always hang around with them and do almost anything they asked. Saber disliked her Master, but stay loyal despite it. Caster and his Master seemed to be the ones who stood as Reika's equals, but still acted pretty respectful. What is tying them together?

"They're all here," Rider interrupted before any further conversation could be had. "All Servants are now in this town, except... Lancer. She's across the river, doing nothing."

When Olga turned to look at the Servant, a dark object was dissipating from his hand like dust into air. He stared down on her, daring her to ask. She averted her eyes, but made note of the object she just glimpsed. It was like a round black mirror...

"All of them, here?" Saber sounded excited. "Hah! Now this is battle royale!"

"Not including Lancer," Shinji said. "Yeah, now I'm sure it's my cowardly sister's Servant."

"Eh, if she wanted to hide, then let her be. I'll get that little snake in time!" Saber waved her hand. "More importantly, where's Assassin!? She's not too far from here, I hope. This time I'll kill that bitch for sure!"

Reika sighed. "As I said, you're not to engage anybody in battle tonight, dear. Assassin already took one of your eye, we can't let her take another before the one you lost has fully regrown."

"Screw you, whore! I know that bitch's tricks now. I can defeat her blind!"

"Oh? Really? Let's prove that claim, shall we? I'll use my command seal to make you gouge out your remaining eye and use the last one to make you fight to the death right after. Does that sound challenging enough for you?"

"Whore, you'll be the first I kill."

"Sure. No problem. Now, with this command seal..."

Saber quickly raised her hands in surrender as her Master's command seals started to glow red. Olga stared at them with wide eyes. That mad woman was actually about to go through with that?!

"Stop it! All right! All right! Shit, what the fuck's wrong with you..." Saber grumbled. The crazy woman only smirked as her command seals died down.

"You have the best Master, lass," commented Caster, "she really knows how to tame you."

"Call me tame again, you hairy-assed Druid. I fucking dare you."

"Why d'you keep talking about mine ass? Makes me think you want to see it up close and personal."

"Fuck you!"

"Now, now, kids, no more playing around," Reika clapped her hands. "Night is coming for us, and it just so happen that the other four, oh wait, does Shielder count too?"

"Yes," said Rider, his silver mask coming to exist in his hand. "And another one. There's a ninth Servant."

What!? Olga almost expressed her disbelief aloud. The information really caught her off guard, as did everybody in the room. Surprised and confused looks were exchanged, although Caster looked rather nonplussed.

"Oh, that's new," said Reika. "Well, it means five Servants other than the ones in this room are going to be in close proximities to each other. It's safe to expect that more than one battle will occur tonight."

"Right. What's the plan, then?" asked Shinji.

"We let them fight," she answered simply. "In fact, if you can lead them to encounter one another, please do so. See the fights from safe distance, take notes of enemy Servants' abilities and Noble Phantasms. If an opportunity presents itself, strike them down."

So this woman acts like their strategist? Their field coordinator? Olga watched in dread and astonishment as the other Master and Servants in the room nodded their heads at the woman's instruction. Who is she, really?

Saber raised her hand like a student in class. "Whore, if it's just an investigative mission, I can do that. I won't fight, but let me see the other Servants fight."

"We talked about it," her Master sighed again. "You're to remain in this room until your eyes are back to normal. Caster and Rider will share what they learn with us."

"But-!"

"No more argument, Saber, or I'll use the seals," the woman showed the seals already burning red. Saber's protest died before it could be said. "There's a mission for you, though. You're going to guard our princess here, don't let anything get near her, or her getting near anthing, really."

"Eh?" Olga exclaimed in surprise when she realized the woman was pointing at her. Saber's gaze was murderous, making her stomach churn.

"Me? Taking care of this useless whelp?"

"No, nothing so troublesome. Just make sure she stays in your sight and not doing anything suspicious. Magi are crafty. I'm sure she's been planning to make her way out of here since the moment she join our party. As she already knew our faces and that we're in alliances, she mustn't escape no matter what."

"What about you? Are you going out?" asked Shinji.

"Yup. Still got that contract with Rider's Master going on. Sorry for not being able to keep you company here, Saber. Please bear with the loneliness for a while."

"Who'd get lonely over your absence, whore!? Get out of here! Vanish! Die for all I care!"

Reika chuckled at that, and so ended this meeting of weirdos. Everyone other than Saber and Olga Marie stood from their seats and started to leave the room. Caster and Shinji walked out first, the latter winked at her before disappearing into the hotel's corridor. Olga hoped he'd be eliminated tonight. Rider was the next to leave after making some inaudible chatter with Saber's Master.

"Hey, Olga-chan. About that conversation earlier, let me tell you that what I told Caster is true. My goal is for my Saber to win the Holy Grail and have her wish granted," the woman said as she put her boots on, Rider having gone ahead of her. "That's not a lie."

Olga knew that there was nothing trustworthy about this woman, but it would be a lie to say that the confession didn't leave her curious. She glanced at Saber and found that the Servant had clamped hands over her ears tightly. To her surprise, the one-eyed blonde's cheeks were flushed red from embarrassment.

"Gaaaah! I'm not listening!"

"Adorable, isn't she?" Reika smiled, looking somewhat fond of her Servant. "However, if we're talking about my own personal, selfish desire, then all I want is redemption. That's all."

Olga blinked. "... Redemption?"

"Yes," Reika said, and for once, she smiled in a way that seemed genuine. Eerily so. "And what can one do to redeem a filthy whore such as myself, if not to make way for the redeemer to take the reign?"

Mashu Kyrielight sat in the living room of Tohsaka Mansion with Fou on her lap. It was already past sunset and neither Ritsuka-senpai or Tohsaka Rin had returned. She hoped nothing happened between the two. Ever since they revealed the truth to the Tohsaka heiress, she had been acting cold towards them. Not that Tohsaka had been particularly welcoming to begin with, but at least in the beginning she had been quite open to speak out her mind. Now Tohsaka Rin was more guarded and aloof, distancing herself from them.

"Hey, don't trouble yourself over small things. Give her the time to process everything, Mashu-chan. It was a lot to take in. The end of the world and stuff."

"Fou!"

Doctor Roman's words and Fou's bark didn't quite dissuade the tight, uncomfortable feeling in her chest. It was doubly uncomfortable as the feeling was directed towards her Senpai. Her Master. Ever since they met with Tohsaka Rin, Fujimaru Ritsuka had become like a stranger to Mashu. She was hiding something from her, that Senpai.

"Doctor, about Ritsuka-senpai's family..."

"Yeah, everybody here was surprised as well, except for that certain one guy... had we all known she is Tohsaka Rin's niece, we'd have treated her very differently back then."

Mashu smiled in agreement. At least people wouldn't just let her fall asleep on the floor after a merciless series of physical tests. They wouldn't have put her in the trial and testing division to begin with, actually. And like that, she and Mashu Kyrielight would never have met.

She didn't like to ponder about that possibility.

"I don't think she wants special treatment, not for something she doesn't earn herself. Senpai wouldn't like that, I think."

Yet she acts like a rebellious spoiled child around Tohsaka Rin. Is that the way she expresses herself around her family? Or is there something deeper under the surface? Mashu just couldn't understand it.

"... Why didn't she just tell me everything?" and quitted leaving her in the dark, she thought but didn't say.

"Everyone has their reasons to keep things to themselves, Mashu-chan. Even now you haven't told her everything about you, right? If you truly need to know, you have to ask her yourself."

"Fou!"

Reaching down, Mashu tickled the white creature under the chin. Fou purred happily from that.

"I still have a lot to learn, right, Doctor?"

Across time and space, Doctor Roman chuckled. "Oh, trust me, there's no end to learning. It's part of human nature."

"But... what if Senpai doesn't like it, that I'm trying to know more about her? If she gets angry at me, wouldn't that interfere with our mission?"

"It's definitely an outcome we don't want. But if you continue to wonder alone and keep it to yourself, wouldn't that hamper your job as her Servant all the same?"

"So the only way to solve this problem is through communication?"

"Yup. The old-fashioned hard and windy path... or as Magi*Mari said in her blog an hour ago: 'Show 'em the true strength of your heart ~' hehe..."

Mashu had to frown. "That virtual idol thing still exists?"

"Hey, that's rude! Magi*Mari is eternal! Remember that call from early morning? That guy managed to get our net back online, and when I checked, she's still in her room! Humanity might be going extinct, but not Magi*Mari!"

Just for that small moment, Doctor Romani didn't sound as meek and wimpy as he usually did. Why could he only be so serious over silly things, though?

"Wait, the facility is now online?" Mashu asked once she realized the missed important detail. "How is the world? Have we... have we changed anything?"

"About that... there's no noticeable change yet, at least as far as my observation goes. The climate's still crazy, people all over the world are gearing up for wars... it seems our future really wouldn't change unless the singularity point is fixed."

"The singularity point... the winner of this Holy Grail War..."

"Yeah. And for the life of me, we can't find anything about that. Chaldea's database doesn't contain that information anymore."

"... anymore?"

"Yup, sadly. A large chunk of data has gone missing. Somebody has erased them on the day of the attack, and anyone who should know abut it had either gone missing or... passed away."

"So... doesn't that mean that they attacked us spesifically to erase that data? Along with preventing us from fixing the timeline"

"Yes, that's the most likely scenario. Even now after things have settled down, we're still wary for the possibility of a mole from The Cult lurking within our ranks."

Mashu frowned in deep thought. The Cult. Since the founding of Chaldea, mages from all over the world had been divided into many factions united by either interest or disdain toward the organization and its purpose. The Cult was among the latter. They saw the widespread of magecraft as a step forward for the evolution of humanity and the world's civilization. The Return of the Age of Gods, they heralded, and in the process of pursuing that ideal world, they turned into fanatics.

However, for the Cult to attack Chaldea with enchanted military gears and utilizing magus-killing equipment... she shuddered to think how big the threats that were out there, looking to intervene their mission.

"Hey, don't go worrying about us now. We managed to get out of that one, right? And our powerful friends are still around to help. It's going to be fine on this end."

Powerful friends? Mashu wondered who the doctor was talking about. Back when the communicator came to life in that abandoned mansion, Ritsuka-senpai had asked how the doctor and the remaining staff of Chaldea managed to survive. The answer was that they had some help from unexpected people. Any further details would be discussed when a better communication channel between them could be established, though, the Doctor had assured them.

"I'd really like to thank them for the help, Doctor."

"Oh, don't worry about it. You can express your gratitude in person soon. Or, as soon as when the connection to Fuyuki City's leyline is fully formed, that is... what time is it over there? Any sign of Tohsaka-san coming back yet?"

"... No. And it's already night right now..."

Mashu looked out of the window. She started to get worried. The sky had gone completely dark. Where were they? Why had Senpai told her to stay home? Sure, the Holy Grail War practically took a break when it was daylight, but now that night had fallen...

Aargh, why didn't I see this coming? This is just like that time when Rider took her!

"Don't worry, it's just a private business unrelated to our mission. You should get some more rest, Mashu. Prepare your body, who knows if it's gonna get rough like last night?" her Senpai had said, winking and grinning like there was nothing wrong before unlocking the door ang getting out of the house. Mashu should have insisted. She should have been more strict, as both her Servant and friend.

"Doctor, We're going outside. Come on, Fou!" Mashu decided, quickly pocketing the communicator and rushing to the front door.

"Whoa, no need to rush, Mashu-chan! ... Eh, it's not like I can really stop you..."

"Fou!" the white squirrel-like creature padded behind her.

Left or right. Getting out, the street in front of Tohsaka residence immediately demanded her decision. Left would take her downtown, right deeper into the suburbs. Trusting her gut feeling, Mashu decided to go right.

"Eh?"

"Fou?"

"What? What do you see?"

"... I found them."

It was a short adventure. Several houses down the block, she found an intersection and from there, she spotted the two people she looked for, walking side by side like they had left together to begin with.

"Senpai! Tohsaka-san!"

Mashu ran toward the two, waving her hand as she did so. Only Ritsuka-senpai returned the gesture. Tohsaka only met her eyes but continued to walk past.

"I'm going ahead," the magus said quietly.

"Oh? Eh, welcome home..."

Tohsaka Rin remained silent. On the other hand, Ritsuka draped an arm across Mashu's shoulders, dragging the bespectacled girl along to the side.

"Hiya Kouhai. I missed you."

"Senpai, where have you been? Were you with Tohsaka-san the whole time? The Doctor and I were getting worried."

"We just happened to meet and talked a little. A bit of a fair warning, though. She might kick us out of the house."

"... What?"

"WHAT!?"

"Fou!?"

"What did you do, Senpai!?"

"Yeah! Why the hell would your own aunt kick you out of her house!?"

Ritsuka-senpai laughed, though there was no joy in it. "Well, she can be stingy and pissy at times, but she's the coolest aunt in the world. It's just... the last time I saw her, we weren't on the best terms. I was angry at her... at the Auntie Tohsaka she has yet to become."

"But that doesn't explain..."

"Yeah, yeah, so I told her all that and she asked me why I was angry at her future self... and... well, I explained why. I don't think I should have. Yup. She wouldn't want to have me under the same roof as her. Not anymore, if she even thought about it to start with. We're back to living on the streets, my bad."

Mashu looked down to her twiddling fingers. Senpai was about to do it again. Keeping it to herself.

"Senpai... do you want to make things right with your aunt? With Tohsaka-san?"

The fake smile on Ritsuka-senpai's face faltered for a bit. "The Tohsaka Rin we meet here is not the one I have problem with... should have kept that in mind from the time I met her..."

"But even so... Senpai, this can't carry on... our mission, we need Tohsaka-san's cooperation-"

"I know her, Mashu. She has learned how big the problem is. With the fate of humanity on the line, she will agree to work with us, whatever it is between she and me."

It made sense. It was only logical that Tohsaka Rin would agree to help them. But even so... there was something upsetting with this arrangement. Mashu took Ritsuka's hand and force the taller girl off her.

"Senpai, you can't just let things be... you... you have to make peace with your family ..."

Ritsuka bit her lip and averted her eyes.

"I... I don't have a family, I don't know how upset you can get with them, how complicated it is to talk things out... but, but if I do have one... I'd definitely want to get along... I want to smile together with them... so..."

"... I told you she's not the one I have problem with. She's not the Tohsaka Rin I'm upset with. It's not her I should have a talk with."

"But you've been acting rude to her nonetheless. At least apologize-"

"I don't want to!"

Mashu took a step back and gasped. Ritsuka-senpai's eyes looked scary.

"Call me selfish, immature, what have you. I don't care. I'm not saying sorry to her."

"Senpai..." her voice trembled.

"Hey... Ritsuka-chan, it's unfair to yell at Mashu-chan like that. She's just trying to help."

"... I know. That's why we should stop it now. We're not talking about this again."

That said, Ritsuka-senpai took a step forward and walked off, never looking back. Mashu was left to watch as her back moved away. She couldn't go after her. Something she couldn't quite understand was holding her back. The uncomfortable feeling in her chest had worsened. So tight and suffocating. She couldn't think straight. She wanted to ...

"Hey, Mashu-chan. You're not at fault here. If I were there I would pull her ear off. You hear me?"

"Fou..." the creature nuzzled her feet, trying to comfort her.

"Doctor, I..."

"You're free to cry. It's okay to get upset."

"No, I... I want to slap her in the face... I... I want to hit Senpai..."

"Eh? What...?"

"I mustn't, do I?"

"A... a little slap is fine, I think...? As long as you're not using your Servant strength, that is..."

"I mean, why is she... why is she so, such... SUCH AN IDIOT!?"

"Fou!?"

"Whoa, there! You're right in my ear!"

"She'll hear me! She have to listen to me! To us!"

Mashu walked, no, strutted over the street in rush. She never felt so much anger burning inside her. That Senpai... that stupid Senpai. She wanted to yell at that girl, force her down to her knees and apologize to Tohsaka-san and to her. Did she know how much her childish acts had worried her? After all they had been through together, shouldn't she at least listen to her for a bit!?

The demi-Servant reach the front of Tohsaka residence and paused. The aunt and niece were having a confrontation in the front yard. It seemed intense.

My goodness...

"That's it! I can't take it anymore! My niece from the future or whatever, my house is off-limit for you from now on!" Tohsaka yelled hotly, finger pointing in accusation. Ritsuka-senpai crossed her arms and huffed, saying nothing.

"You can't just lock-pick my door! If you wanted to go out you should have said so!"

"Oh, and you'd allow it?" Ritsuka shot back.

"No! But at least know some manner! Didn't your parents ever taught you anything!?"

The taunt changed something in the red-headed girl. Her next words were cold and laced with malice. "... You don't get to say anything about my parents."

"Like I care anymore! Now that I know what's going to happen, I can make sure that they'll be around long enough to raise you properly! And then there's nothing for you to get worked up for! All your feelings right now would be meaningless!"

"You... how dare you...!"

"Senpai! No!"

Before Ritsuka-senpai could make a leap for the Tohsaka heiress, Mashu rushed in and tackled her down. The two struggled on the ground. Ritsuka trying to get up and Mashu trying to keep her down. They wrestled, hands reaching for something to grab onto.

"Guh! Let go of me, Mashu! She can't say that to me!"

"No! Enough of this! You stay down!"

Mashu rolled with all her might to put Ritsuka-senpai under her, but the older girl was bigger and heavier. With a grunt, the readhead turned the situation around and threw her junior aside.

Then she got up and found herself face to face with Archer.

"You...!"

Ritsuka-senpai froze on the spot as Mashu looked on with confusion. All signs of anger on Senpai's body seemingly evaporated in an instant.

"This is unsightly," said the dark-skinned, tall Servant. "For a Master and her Servant to fight among themselves, there's no hope for the two of you to survive the Holy Grail War. Let alone saving the world or whatever."

"Archer..." Tohsaka Rin said. "Even you have to come out..."

"You don't deserve to be called a Master," the white-haired Servant continued, pointing at Ritsuka-senpai. "You're only a burden to your Servant and your allies. If it were up to me, there'll be no cooperation between us. My Master and I will do as we like in our own way."

"So the future doesn't matter to you?" Ritsuka-senpai asked, her voice trembling. "I thought a hero would care."

"Even if we decide to save humanity from bad future," said Tohsaka Rin. "It won't be with you by our side. I already made a promise to help you with the leylines, but afterward, I'm cutting ties with you people. I'll see what the future holds, but whatever it is I decide to do with that knowledge, I'm not involving you with that. I think it's fair, considering how untrustworthy you have proven yourselves to be."

Mashu cast her eyes down. So after all this bonding and hoping for the best, they had to lose a potential ally? One as formidable as Tohsaka Rin?

"Fine by me," said Ritsuka-senpai. "After tonight, I won't have to bother you anymore. It's relieving."

Tohsaka's expression hardened, but only for a moment. She gave Mashu a complicated look.

"You may enter and get all your stuff packed. And then we'll leave for the town. Please make it quick."

Saying so, the Tohsaka heiress entered the house, her Servant dematerialized right behind her. Mashu got to her feet. She looked at her Senpai, but wasn't sure on what to say.

"What? You want to scold me? Go ahead. Hit me too when you're at it. I know I deserve that." Ritsuka-senpai said, making a lop-sided grin that was somewhat painful to look at.

Mashu looked down to her hand, considering the offer. She couldn't do it. All her anger had turned to pity.

"I'm disappointed in you, Senpai," she said. "I'm really, really disappointed."

She went into the Tohsaka Residence, leaving Ritsuka-senpai outside. When she started to hear screaming, Mashu gritted her teeth and quickened her pace.

"Why didn't you wake me up?! Hell, why didn't anyone wake me up?!" Shirou hissed as he walked out of the cafe he had had lunch and afternoon nap in. He blinked to wash the dryness of his eyes and looked up. The sky had darkened considerably by now. His plan to get home before sunset while shopping for groceries along the way was now ruined.

"Well, I was about to, but then I thought that you need to have a rest. You looked tired. As for the shop owner and the waitresses, I don't know. They did check on you several times but in the end they just let you sleep like a log. Sympathy, I guess."

Shirou sighed. "Well, there's no use regretting it now... let's go do what we planned to do..."

"Preparing your marriage proposal to Sakura-dono?"

"Ha ha. Nice try," he said, starting to head further into town. "But seriously, that joke didn't take off the first time. Stop it."

"Okay, sorry~" Assassin clearly wasn't feeling sorry. "So, what are you going to get? Did you find inspiration from your dream?"

"... It wasn't a particularly inspiring dream. Not as far as picking presents is concerned..."

He had dreamed of a manslayer on rampage, slashing down men left and right. A bloody dream he'd really like to forget. Must be because of that damn Saber...

"Do you have any idea?" he asked back, trying to shake off the unpleasant thought. "For the gift, I mean. I did ask your help for this."

"Hm, let's see... have you noticed that red ribbon in Sakura-dono's hair, Master? It's an old thing, but she took care of it so well it hasn't worn out as visibly as it should. What about that kind of hair ornament? Wouldn't you like it if she took care of your present as well as that?"

He did notice the ribbon. A lot of times, in fact. It must be something special to Sakura. A memento, perhaps. The thought discouraged him from the idea. Giving her another one would be like he was intruding into that special place, not to mention the fact that two ribbons on her hair would be an overkill. Let us not create a second Tohsaka Rin here.

"That's not a bad idea, but I don't think a hair decoration is something she needs," he said.

"Does it have to be something she needs? Hmm... she cooks a lot, right? Kitchen knife, perhaps?"

"It would look like I'm recruiting her to be my personal cook. Rejected."

"Hmph. Why do you even ask for my opinion, then? Fine, so you want know what she needs? She needs a replacement heart because you broke hers this morning!"

"Hey! That's low!" Shirou protested. "It's what I'm working on right now! And it isn't even funny! How the hell does replacing heart even work in that sense? Am I supposed to find her a guy she might like, to replace-"

Me. Shirou quickly put a hand over his mouth before the damning word was out. That was bad. He almost made a big fool of himself.

Unfortunately, he was not the only one to realize that.

"Eh~ what was thaat~? Did my Master just get worked up over the idea that her girl needs another man~?"

"... Shut up."

"Or perhaps you're angry at the thought that somebody else could be your replacement~?"

"Damn it, Assassin! That's- ... wait... that's it!"

"What?"

The idea struck him like lightning, and Shirou was quick to latch onto that. He moved immediately, almost running.

"Do you always come up with ideas when you're in the middle of a conversation? And would it kill you to tell me what the idea was before executing it?"

To Assasin's question, he grinned and said, "Replacement! That's exactly what Sakura needs!"

Ignoring Assasin's confused 'huh?', Shirou made a stop at a shop with garish pink and purple storefront. It was the kind of shop that sell all sort of girlish things like accessories, plush dolls, makeups, and whatever was trendy for girls. He entered the shop with a sigh, knowing that if anybody from school were to see him right now, his peaceful school life would become a distant, unreachable dream.

"Welcome! Looking for something for your girlfriend~?" a shopkeeper in a pink sailor uniform greeted him. He tried to keep his face stoic as he replied with, "No, just gift for a friend..."

The shopkeeper recommended many things, but Shirou had already decided to buy Sakura a new handkerchief. The one she had lent him the other day had been ruined from Saber's attack and thrown away by Assassin afterward. Therefore, buying her a new one would actually serve three purposes; a thanks, an apology, and replacement for something of hers he'd lost.

"Or perhaps, you could just give her three things instead. A new handkerchief, a hair ornament for apology, and one of those cute dolls as thanks," was another one of Assassin's bright ideas when he explained it all in whispers. Shirou hung his head low. While it was a good suggestion and he did think Sakura deserved at least that much... he didn't exactly bring enough money to afford all three of them.

Not without cutting into the food budget, at least.

"... let's prioritize on what needs replacing, shall we?" he said, crouching over one of the glass cabinets. So many to choose.

"All right. Hey, I think that one is nice."

"Which one?"

"This one I'm pointing at!"

"... Assassin, you're invisible right now."

"... Oh, right. Sorry. Hehe. Um, well, it's over the third rack from above, third row from the right..."

Shirou took one as directed. It was a bright pink handkerchief with white cherry blossoms motifs, reminding him of her apron. "This one is nice, alright..." he mused, though to be fair, there was none that he found particularly striking or suited Sakura. "Do you think this one will suit her?" he asked his Servant.

"I think the color fits for her. I can't know for sure, though. Never bought something girlish for myself."

There was no hint of any particular emotion in her voice, but Shirou found her proclamation a little saddening.

Assassin would have looked good in pink.

"So, what do you think? Are you going to grab that one?"

"Yeah, I think I'm getting this one..." he said. He rarely took a long time choosing stuff when shopping, safe for groceries and kitchen appliances. Speaking of which... many of his kitchen appliances were badly damaged by Saber. One of these days he had to organize them and replace the broken ones. He sighed again. My savings...

"What is it this time, Master? It's like you can't spend an hour without brooding about something..."

"It's hard not to, after everything that has happened."

Assassin didn't comment on that, so he went to the cashier and paid. The item was neither too cheap or too expensive, so when the clerk offered to wrapped it as a gift, he agreed.

"Hey, Master. Would you mind to have a serious talk right now?"

Her voice was different, clearly not the one she'd use for her usual teasings and small talks. Shirou nodded in agreement, thought only when he was out of the store did he ask her back. "What is it, Assassin?"

"Now that you've decided to fight in this war, Master, you can't keep stopping to agonize over small things. You have to be firm with every choice you make and brave through every consequence of your decisions. Be it buying a gift for a woman or bringing yourself to deadly combat. When you've resolved to do anything, you have to prepare for the result, victory and defeat, lost and gain alike. Elsewise, the victory will stay far from your hands."

Shirou scratched the back of his head. "Victory? But winning the war isn't the goal. I told you I don't want the Grail..."

"Remind me then. What is the goal?"

"As long as everyone walks out of this alive and well, then it's a win for me."

" Well, then start acting like you're prepared to fight for that goal, Master."

"..."

She really was at her most somber as today, Shirou thought. It just painted the gravity of the situation even clearer. There was a war to live through. Fights he should expect. He supposed he should try to do as she said, to focus on what truly mattered. Even now, not a full day since his first encounter with a Servant, he began to feel lax already. My stuff can be fixed or replaced, but a moment of hesitation in this war costs way more than frying pans and laddles.

"Thanks, Assassin. I really need to sort my priorities properly, don't I?"

"Nothing to thank me for, Master. The same goes for me."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Let's not talk about it. It has passed."

"... Okay."

It didn't take a second to guess that it was the prana problem thing that had been distracting her. He smiled despite the returning embarrassment. It was good to know that he was not being an idiot all by himself for once. And well, it had passed, just like she said.

"All right. Shall we go home?"

"Unfortunately, we can't."

"Huh? Why?"

"I've been observing for a while, and indeed, someone is following you."

"... What?"

"They have been tailing you since we left the food shop. I think they're waiting for an opportunity to ambush us."

"... A Servant?"

"A pair of Master and Servant, I think."

Shirou felt his heart throb as his feet stopped walking. Would there be another fight? No, calm down. Assess the situation properly.

"Are they getting closer?" he asked, moving over to the side so that he wouldn't be in the way of other passerby.

"No. They stop when you stop, move when you move. They don't want to reveal themselves in this crowd."

So they were waiting for him to be somewhere with no people. This Holy Grail War and the very existence of magic were supposed to be kept in secrecy, after all. This could be exploited as a way to avoid confrontation with this Master, by staying in the crowds... but for how long? To go back home, he had to go through many quiet, desolate spots. Even then, as Saber and Lancer could attest, his house was not a safe haven from Servant attacks.

Rather than delaying the inevitable, shouldn't he just face the trouble and get it done...? But getting it done... how?

"Master. Be firm with your choice. Like we agreed."

Shirou took a deep breath. Assassin's grim voice helped to put the gravity of the situation into place. Fight or resign, taking a leap of faith or retreating back to safety. Well, Hortensia, I'm taking that leap.

"They want us to be away from crowds, right? Okay, we'll give them that. We'll lead them somewhere with no people around."

"And then? Would you like me to use my skill as an Assassin? Am I supposed to ambush them?"

"... I'll leave choosing the battle strategy to you, just... avoid endangering civilian. But more importantly, I'm going to try to talk with the Master, finding out their intention, maybe arranging peace agreement. If there is no other choice, we'll fight. Again, if there is no other choice."

"Understood."

He had made his decision. Now there was no turning back. He gave the busy street a once over before taking off, starting with a quick walk into an alleyway. Then he made several more turns, moving further and further away from the bright part of the town. By the time he reached a quiet and wide street near the outer ring road of the district, he stopped.

"Is this place good enough?" he asked his Servant.

Is was a small two ways street cutting through plots of empty lands. Some kind of large scale construction was supposed to take place in this part of the district by the latter half of the year. Right now it was a street in the middle of nowhere, lit by a dozen of street lamps.

"This is fine. The enemy is near. Master, I shall go into hiding while you find out what they want. If the tension escalates, I'll swoop down."

"All right. But remember, no fighting unless there is no other choice. Try to not kill anybody too if you can help it, please."

"I'll use the back of my blade."

It was Assassin's last word before her presence completely disappeared. She had been intangible and invisible, but now Shirou really felt alone, as though she had just left him to somewhere far. She isn't doing that, though. She has promised to fight by my side, and she'd stay true to her words. I can't let her down.

Shirou stood in waiting, keeping his breathing and heartbeats steady. In the distance, from the end of the street, a silhouette of a person came into view. It was a small person, and as they got closer, Shirou was astonished to find that it was just a young girl, maybe age ten or so. She had very striking features, this girl. White blond hair that shone silvery under the light, a pair of gleaming blood-red eyes, and purple winter clothes that gave an impression of an aristocrat from some far European country.

"Hello, good evening, Onii-chan," she greeted, her voice melodic. "We finally met."

Finally...? The word caught Shirou's attention. His left hand throbbed in pain. When he looked down on it, the command seals were glowing pale with red.

"Those are some nice seals, although a bit too abstract to my taste," the girl commented.

"... who are you?" he blurted out a question without thinking. "Do I... do I know you? You are... are you a Master?"

"My, where are my manners?" she giggled, then lifted the sides of her skirt and bowed like a noble woman. "I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, Master of Berserker. You can call me Illya."

"... I... I am Shirou. Emiya Shirou..."

"Emiya Shirou. I know."

"Huh?"

The girl giggled again. "Eheh, haven't you ever heard about me from Kiritsugu?"

"Kiritusugu...? My father...?" Shirou didn't expect his name to ever pop up in this situation. He gave the girl a sweeping look from her purple hat to to the tip of her small boots. Who was this girl, to know about Kiritsugu? What did this foreigner have to do with his lazy old man?

"Oh, well, you can continue to play dumb, Onii-chan," she said as her smile turned sinister. "It doesn't make a difference. I'm stronger than you. You will submit to me."

"Okay, wait!" he interrupted, raising his hands. "Girl, Illya, there's no need for violence. You know my dad, right? Can you tell me about it? Let's just talk."

The girl pouted. "Talk, talk, talk. Oh, Onii-chan, you are more boring than I thought! I should have shown you my Servant from the start! You'd be trembling in fear, soiling your pants, and begging for your life!"

"What...?" he couldn't make sense of her words. This girl was talking about making him beg for his life? What kind of girl would find that fun, while the normal, peaceful option was boring?

"Ugh. You're so slow. Come out, Berserker," the girl said.

In the blink of an eye, two figures appeared out of nothing at once. First was his Assassin, dropping down behind Illya. The second was a monster, appearing behind the two of them.

When he finally comprehended what had just happened a second later, Shirou let out a choked scream.

"Any funny move, girl, your life will end before you can blink," Assassin said, voice as cold as ice as she pressed the blade of her sword against Illya's small neck.

"Any drop of blood out of my skin, Servant, you will pay it back with the entirety of yours," the girl replied, unnervingly calm considering the situation she was in. The fact that there was a monster currently dangling an enormous stone sword above Assassin's head definitely helped her confidence.

The monster had the shape of a man, only the man was eight feet tall and seemed to be made of muscles wrapped in reddish bronze skin. He had long dark mane for hair. His eyes a pair of mismatched colors that exuded nothing but fury and madness. Through his hard clenched teeth, he breathed raggedly, sending down silent anger towards the swordswoman who currently held a drawn blade against his Master.

Servant Berserker.

Looking at such monstrosity, Shirou found it hard to breathe and stay on his feet. He had never felt so much dread and fear before. Not even against Saber. Not even when the city was on fire all around him.

"Hehe, isn't my Berserker awesome, Onii-chan? He's Heracles, son of Zeus, the strongest among the strongest," the girl said happily. "Your Servant is quite unique too, as weak as she is. Saber with presence concealment, is it? Would you care to tell me your name?"

"Sheesh, this is so unfair... there's no need to keep his name a secret when your Servant is of this caliber, isn't it?" Assassin said. "I'm sorry, young lady, whatever name and moniker I have, there's no way I can stand equal to your Servant, so I have to say no to your request. Now be a good girl and walk a little with me. Leave your Berseker where he stands, though."

"What if I refuse?"

"Want to find out which one is faster? My blade, which is a hair breadth away from your skin, or your Servant's, half my height above my head?"

"My Berserker is very quick."

"I'm willing to bet that my blade is quicker."

"Assassin..." Shirou said, finally able to avert his eyes from the monstrous Servant and regained his voice. "What are you trying to do?"

"Master. Thank goodness you're back to your sense. Let's leave this place," answered his Servant. In her arms, the girl blinked in confusion.

"Eh? You're Assassin? What's going on with this war, really? Strange Servants left and right. First Ruler, now you."

"Fascinating, isn't it? Let's talk about it as we walk, okay?"

"Assassin...?" Shirou asked dumbly as the swordswoman walked toward him with little Illya in front of her. A horrible thought crossed his mind and he couldn't help but say it out loud. "Are you... are we taking her hostage?"

Assassin tilted her head with a pained expression. "Yes, Master. It's the only way. Now, let's move. We're going back to town, and then home."

Shirou wasn't sure about that plan. So they were taking Illya home with them and then... what? He really couldn't come up with any guess. He tried to look at Assassin for an answer, but she only gave him a steely look in return. Trust me, she seemed to say. Still unsure, he looked down at the girl, Berserker's Master. She looked up to him in turn, looking like an innocent young girl she most likely wasn't.

"All right. We're going home," he said, voice trembling. "With her."

Her Master wasn't sure about this, Assassin knew. This situation was too sudden and too heavy for his current mindset. Even though he followed her plan for now, Assassin couldn't help but feel wary at what he might do later. As evident from the fight with Saber, when under duress or in a stressful situation, Emiya Shirou could break into unexpected action without warning. It was what she truly worried about at this point.

His recklessness was a lucky break back then. In this situation, though, it's unlikely to end up the same.

"What's the matter? You're lagging behind," said the little girl, Berserker's Master. She sounded merry for someone with a sharp blade just a paper-thin away from slicing her artery. Wordlessly, Assassin pushed her feet to walk faster, careful so that the girl wouldn't get cut and rendered the entire scheme pointless. "If you don't kill me now, Berserker will hunt you down the moment you're away from me. And when he gets to you, I'll make sure he'd violate you before dealing the finishing blow."

"Silence," Assassin said. If the amount of magical power exuded by this Illya girl - even as she continued to maintain Berserker's physical form - wasn't enough proof to her inhumanity already, then those threats were the damning evidence. No child should speak of hurting somebody so easily, especially when their eyes had lost all signs of childish ignorance.

"H-hey... uh, Illya, isn't it?" Emiya-dono asked as he stopped and turned around. "Can I... can I ask you some questions?"

Assassin clucked her tongue. "Save it for later, Master. You can question her all you want when we're back."

Her Master shook his head. "No... I, I need to know now."

"What do you want to ask me, Onii-chan?"

"Are you here to kill me and that's it?" he began, "or do you have a reason to fight in the Holy Grail War? A wish?"

"Winning the Holy Grail is my duty, but your life is my reward. What does it matter to you, Onii-chan?"

He looked taken aback by that answer. "We never met until now, so why? Why do you want me dead?"

"Dead?" Illya laughed. "No, Onii-chan. I said that you'd submit to me. Do you understand? You'll be mine. My doll, my plaything, my pet. Mine."

What the hell...

"Hehe, you should have a look at your own face! Scared yet? Why don't you order your Assassin to finish me off right now? Let's make this more interesting!"

"No!" he shouted. It was a quick dismissal, his expression changed in an instant from horrified to stubbornly determined. "I won't... we won't do that. You... you're still a child..."

"My, so it's fine if I'm not a child, Onii-chan? Too bad, this is how I look."

She's trying to provoke him. Assassin tightened her grip over the girl's shoulder, and re-angled her sword against her neck. "Enough of this!"

The girl cried out. "Ah! It hurts!"

Disaster came like a flash of lightning.

"Assassin, stop!" her Master cried out and spontantenously one of his command seals disappeared in a flash of red. Assassin froze as the spell took hold of her body. Her ears barely registered Illya's calling of her Servant's name.

Three explosions boomed from behind.

"...!"

The giant crossed the distance with unbelieveable speed, three enormous leaps were all he took. By the time Assassin moved her head to look, Berserker was less than five feet away from her. His sword was already in full swing right then, a split second away from smashing her head off. And it missed.

Assassin had ducked and threw herself to the side with shukuchi. Berserker's blow created a gust a wind and blew a few strands of hair. She was so low to the ground as she evaded, her chin nearly touched it, yet still she pushed forward, avoiding another blow that would have smeared her all over the asphalt. The impact cratered the ground and brought a strong gust of wind, so strong it almost caught her off balance.

She gritted her teeth. We have to escape!

"Master!" she called out hotly, already rushing toward him even before he reacted. She threw her sword over the air as she ran.

"H-huh?"

Dumbfounded, he could only guffaw when she jumped, grabbed his shoulders, and vaulted over his head with a full body flip. A moment later he yelped and then screamed as she threw him overhead, narrowly missing Berserker's downward blow. She was already shooting forward as a blur by then, catching her Master and steadying him on his feet. She grabbed his hand, puling him into a run with peak normal human speed. The distance between the two of them and Berserker had increased significantly.

They would be safe for about three seconds. At best.

"Run, Master, run!" she urged, snatching her sword back as it descended toward her. This time her Master didn't hesitate to comply. He ran like hell.

"More speed, Berserker! More power!" Illya cheered from afar. Assassin wanted to scream.

God! Give me a break already!

But God wasn't being kind. Berserker closed the distance with a mighty leap, roaring as he brought down his giant slab of stone upon the fleeing pair.

"Keep running, Master! No matter what!"

It took everything from Assassin to save her Master. Her senses, her muscles, her breathing, every fiber of body burned at full throttle. She used shukuchi in a blink of an eye to take a step ahead of him. Then she stopped and pivoted on her heel. Her hand pulling his, the momentum of the action took her Master flying again, but this time she was not about to catch him. Berserker's rampage had to be halted somehow, even a single gasp of breath was precious.

So, when the giant's sword pulverized the ground Emiya Shirou had previously stood on, Assassin jumped onto it with all her weight. The sudden addition to his weapon's weight didn't slow Berserker for one bit, though it did trigger his feral instinct to strike whatever it was. The giant brought his stone sword up, but Assassin was already running in full speed by then, advancing over his hand, arm, shoulder and face.

The wolf climbed over the titan's limb, baring her fang as the colossus was forced to look up.

"SEI-YAAAAHHH!"

Hovering above the giant for a split second, Assassin's sword danced furiously. Seven rapid slashes were executed, aiming for eyes and nose and ears. Sparks flew as the blade of Kiyomitsu scratched Heracles' skin. No damage done, not a drop of blood was spilled.

The slashes were all executed with the back of the blade. She wanted impact, not sharpness. Assassin's aim was to push back, not to cut.

"... Rrragh!"

Thus, when the eighth strike landed against his temple, Berserker was forced to take a step back. Assassin's semingly futile assault had broken his balance. The swordswoman took the miniscule chance to kick herself off the giant's face. She sailed over the air, rolling, and landed several steps behind her Master who was running and sporting several new scratches and bruises.

"Y... you got him?" he asked between ragged breaths.

"Nope. Keep running!" she said, chasing after him. Ahead of them, about two hundred yards away, car lights passed by. The city. Lots of people. They could hide from Illya and Berserker there.

"...!"

About sixty yards behind them, Berserker exploded with rage. The night air blew in disarray as the giant let out a mighty roar. Glancing back, Assassin noticed that the giant's knees were in a stance, his posture bend forward slightly. Mana gathered in and around his body. He was about to take off.

Shit.

"Master, jump on my mark!"

"Jump!?"

"Yes! Jump ahead in three, two... one!"

Three things happened at once right when the count should have reached zero. Berserker leaped forward once more, now with much more strength than the previous times. Shirou jumped as ordered, and Assassin, sword dismissed, caught the back of his neck and the collar of his pants, then took off with shukuchi. Right as the Master and Servant threaded over the rest of the street with the speed of sound, Berserker landed sword first.

The ground broke. Rubble and dust shot forward to where the giant's sword was pointed at.

"Guh!"

Pieces of rubble and stones struck Assassin's back as she ran, throwing her off balance. She almost fell, but she held fast onto her Master. In turn, he caught her waist in reflex and the two of them managed to keep standing and go on running. They had reached the end of the street.

Without warning, a speeding car crashed against her side.

Illya approached her Servant who stood as still as a statue. Together they watched as Emiya Shirou and her Servant recklessly crossed over a busy traffic to get away from them.

"Idiots..."

Even after she received a car bumper with her waist, Assassin persisted. She managed to push her Master away from impact and pulled his shirt in time to avoid a furiously honking truck that had failed to slow down. The car, meanwhile, swerved to the right with a screech and stopped after its front wheel got off the road.

The situation after that was as chaotic as it could be. All vehicles in the road jumped to the brake, some stopped, many more collided against each other. Screeches and screams and crashes and horns polluted the air.

All while Emiya Shirou and his Servant crossed over and disappeared into the crowding onlookers, presumably further into the town.

"Cheaters... cowards..."

Using ordinary people as smokescreen... didn't they think that it could expose the Holy Grail War? He was just as devious as the man who had taken him in, that Emiya Shirou. Disregarding rules, endangering innocents to make sure of his own safety... truly despicable.

"We're getting him tonight, Berserker. No matter what."

"Oh God...! Oh man...! Oh God...! Oh man...!"

This was the second night he ran like this, and this time, his panic level was incomparable to the last. His brain was still catching up with the fact that he almost had died several times over in a span of minutes. Berserker almost pulverized him, several cars almost smashed him flat ...

"Keep running, Master! To the city! Get to a crowded place!"

Crowded place. Crowded place. Where was a crowded place? Shirou had known this city for all his life, knew its every corner like the back of his hand, but right now he was lost in a dark jungle. He slowed down into a jog as he spun around, pinpointing where he was.

"This street... there was the pawnshop... watch store... and over there...city park. Right. We can go there. The city park..."

As he spoke out loud, he began to realize how out of breath he was. His legs were on fire. The throbbing of his heartbeats was so strong, it felt like the organ might burst at any moment. Something arose from his stomach-

"Urrrghhh..."

As he bent down and threw up, Assassin rubbed his back.

"There, there, it'll pass..."

"Y-you... did you hurt her...?" he asked, heaving miserably. "Illya... I think I saw you trying to... to cut her..."

"I didn't. She might have cast an illusion on you."

"But I..."

But he saw blood. A lot of it gushing out from Illya's neck-

... it was that dream. That fucking dream.

For a moment he had thought that Assassin was trying to kill Illya because that manslayer, that swordsman in his dream, resembled her.

Idiot. Assassin wasn't some kind of maniacal murderer. She wouldn't just slit a little girl's throat. Especially since she had taken the effort to not hurt her to begin with.

Done retching out the last wave of nausea from his system, Shirou wiped at his mouth. In the process, he noticed that his command seals had changed. What were once three marks had been reduced into two. He had wasted it on accident and it had nearly costed Assassin her life.

Those brutal swings from Berserker... even a slightest touch against one of them could have been fatal. Assassin really could have died and he too...

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot! He punched the ground in anger.

"We can't stay idle any longer, Master. We have to move," said Assassin. He turned his head and looked up, where he found his Servant looking down on him with grim expression.

"Whatever you want to say, save it until we're out of danger," she added, as though reading his mind.

"I... I messed up..."

"I said save it."

Saying so with a cold voice, Assassin offered her hand to him. Shirou took it after a moment of hesitation and she helped him up to his feet. He took the time to let his heartbeats and breathing down to normal level as he took in their surrounding, placing where they were.

"If we're going to the park, it's that way then go right," he said, pointing to an intersection down the street. "It should be quite crowded at this hour, lots of pedestrians..."

"But...?" Assassin was quick to notice the apprehension in his voice.

"This street is too quite. Normally this area would be just as busy with people."

Assassin's eyes narrowed as she seemed to fall into deep thought.

"I think we should carry on to the park if there's no other bustling places nearby. There's no sense in turning back either."

"All right. The park it is."

The way to the Memorial Park was eerily quiet. Stores were already closed, not a single pedestrian or vehicle passed by. All Shirou could hear was his and Assassin's footsteps along with occasional noises from the surrounding environment. That, and...

"Assassin, are you okay?" he asked. His Servant was walking several steps behind him, sword at the ready. "Are you tired?"

"I... I'm not in the ideal condition, but I can manage..."

"Why don't you turn invisible? That should help, right?"

"No... it's too risky..."

Too risky for me, right? Shirou took a glance at his Servant. She was definitely enduring some level of fatigue, with the way she breathe through her mouth. She had overexerted her body to protect him from that monster. Without her, he would have died many times over. And still, she was putting his safety above her own.

There has to be something I can do to help her. Even a little.

"Assassin, here," he said, dropping to one knee. "Hop on to my back."

"Eh!? M-Master!? What are you saying!? Don't joke around at a time like this!"

"I'm not joking. Get on!" he said. "You need to save your strength, so don't walk anymore until we get home!"

"B-but you're just as exhausted if not more so than I am!"

"I'm good! There's nothing to worry about! Come on, this is your Master's order!"

"B-but... uh..."

"I'm not moving until you get on, Assassin."

"What!? Ah... augh, fine! Fine, you big man! Go ahead and carry your Servant!"

Assassin climbed up his back with a harrumph and he froze. Shirou didn't remember what he had expected when he made the suggestion. The drawback of a simple piggyback ride with a girl should have been obvious. Namely, the soft sensation pressing against his back.

"... If you say I'm too heavy I'm going to hit you."

"T-That's not necessary! Your weight is perfect!"

"... Don't say anything anymore. You stink of pukes."

The jab hurt, but it helped him renew his focus. Carry Assassin to the park, blend in with the crowds, and then sneaked their way across the city and back home. Good. He took the first step and jogged. Ignore the soft flesh on your back, Shirou. Don't fail, Shirou!

"You were right, Master. It's too desolate. Very unnatural. The streets, I mean."

"..."

"And now I sense something... some concentrated magical energy in the air..."

Fuuyuki Memorial Park was just ahead of them. Originally a complex of governmental buildings, it was repurposed into a park after the great fire ten years ago. Shirou had planned to go to the southern side of the park, where people liked to hang out, but the whole place was bereft of any living thing. It was possible to get to the bus station from here, but he didn't want to risk facing another ambush.

"Great. We're running away from battle, but now we end up entering a warzone. Master, there are multiple Servants on the other side of this field. They are doing something magical."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a mage. I can sense magical energy as a Servant, but beyond that, I have no idea."

"Are they not the ones we already know?"

"No. They're new."

They had met Saber, Lancer, Ruler, and Berserker. That only left Archer, Rider, and Caster. What to do now? Should we avoid them?

"Master, we can mask our presence with theirs. I can bait Berserker to confront these Servants to give us a chance to escape," said Assassin. "Even now, that giant is approaching us. Just a few blocks more from the street we came out of earlier."

Shirou felt a shiver down the small of his back. His eyes wavered between the street and the briars concealing the other side of the park. Assassin's idea sounded like the safest option, but...

"That Berserker... is he stronger than the Servants over there?"

"... Yup. Absolutely on another level."

"Then... we... we have to warn them. We go there, and ask them to cooperate with us. Fight Berserker together so I can have the chance to speak with Illya."

"Master, I have to say that this is your dumb- craziest idea yet. What makes you sure that those Servants would be willing to help us? Also, you tried to speak with Illya earlier and it nearly got us killed!"

"It will be different this time! With more than one Servant we don't have to take her hostage anymore! We don't have to scare her and make her hostile toward us!"

"Ugh... there's so much problems with that plan. First, that's assuming you can convince the other Servants to cooperate. What if they decide to pounce on us instead? Or worse, siding with Illya and Berserker?"

"Assassin, if there's only a one percent chance that everybody's going to get through the night alive, I'm taking it. I'm not gonna let anybody die or get hurt no matter what. That's what I set out to do. That's why I'm staying in this messed-up war."

Assassin sighed.

"... Fine. I should be arguing more, but our time is short. We're going to check on the other Servants first, though. If I think they're not gonna agree with your proposal, we're going with my plan. We're using them as a bait."

Shirou gritted his teeth. The image of that manslayer flashed behind his eyes. Is Assassin really a ruthless killer, after all...?

"All right, I agree."

If worse came to worst, he would use the next command seal.

Assassin got down from his back then led them deeper into the park. They were getting away from the light, sneaking into the briars and trees covered ground that walled a large open field. In the middle of the field stood the memorial monument. A black slab of marble etched with the names of the victims of the disaster. Shirou recalled seeing it in local tv news several days ago. People had begun to put flowers over the monument, remembering the dearly departed.

Right. The anniversary is coming in two weeks.

He felt a little ill all of a sudden. It always happened when he was near this area. It felt like he was surrounded by smoke and fire all over again. He tasted death in his mouth.

"Master, stop. Let's observe for now- Master? Are you all right?"

"I'm good. Can you see them? What do they look like?"

Under the canopy and well away from the nearest source of light, Shirou couldn't see Assassin's expression, but he could see her silhouette nodding. Several yards away from the monument, he could see shadows of people. A tall one, and three shorter ones. They seemed to be gathering around a tiny source of light on the ground.

"Two Servants and two humans. Two female Masters, one female Servant, and one male Servant - that's the tall one."

"They aren't fighting, are they?"

"No, they aren't."

Good. Then there was a chance to get them to cooperate.

"Hey, Master. There's something strange," Assassin added. "One of the girls, one of the Masters... she... she looked just like you."

It happened too fast. They were standing in circle around the small futuristic device on the ground, listening to Doctor Roman talking about how they have to make sure the airpot thingy don't move an inch from its current position when all of a sudden, her Archer pulled out a sword out of thin air.

"Over there!" the Servant shouted, throwing the weapon past Rin's left ear. She froze on the spot, but regained her sense when she heard a loud clang and a louder yelp coming from behind.

"W-W-What are you doing, you idiot!? You could have cut me!"

"I'm sorry, Master. I detected a hostile," he answered, stepping to stand protectively behind her back. Rin grumbled as she turned around, pulling out a jewel from under her sleeve. At the same time, another sword appeared in her Servant's hand, identical to the one he had thrown, save the color. That one was pitch black, this one was white.

Huh? Twin falchions? Why would an Archer have them?

On the other side, Shielder stood in front of Ritsuka, her huge Shield at the ready. Fou stood by her feet, ready to pounce as well.

"H-Hey...! We're nothing suspicious! It's just me and my Servant, Assassin! We're not here to fight!" a loud male voice came out from the dark trees.

Wait. Assassin!?

"Emiya!? Emiya, is that you!? What are you doing here, you dunce!?" she yelled back. After a brief silence, he shouted in response.

"Huh, you know me!? W-Wait right there, I'm coming over! I'm bringing the sword, I'm returning it!"

Rin looked at Archer. There was a strange frown in his face. It was the look of someone who just saw something he didn't expect. Well, she could relate to that one. To think she'd meet Emiya here. The actual problem, however, was the other girl in this party... the one with the same red hair as Emiya's...

"No way... not so soon..." Ritsuka said, slowly taking a step back with trembling legs.

Her anger at the girl hadn't completely gone, and she was still determined to not let her and Shielder in to her house, but Rin felt she could relate to that one, too. Imagine if it was Tohsaka Tokiomi's voice she had heard...

"Hey, can anybody tell me what's going on over there?" asked the doctor in his radio voice.

"We have Servant Assassin and their Master approaching... I can see their figures, but not their appearance," Shielder reported. Her eyes sharp in apprehension.

Rin flicked up a spell from her crest. A simple ball of light floated above her head, revealing the looks of the approaching figures. Conversely, the two newcomers could also see them in return.

"Tohsaka!? You're a Master too!?" Emiya Shirou exclaimed. He looked like he had just escaped from a dangerous peril in a jungle, as there were tears all over his clothes, bruises and scratches over his skin, and he was covered in sweats. Archer's sword in his hand only strengthened the image. Standing by his side was a petite young woman in sleeveless traditional attire, carrying a sword. Her eyes studying the group before her intensely. Servant Assassin.

What a beautiful person.

"Hi Emiya. I didn't expect to run into you. Not this soon," Rin greeted, trying to sound casual.

"Fou! Foouuu!" the white creature sounded, sniffing the new people.

"Oh, hey, nice poodle... wait, nevermind that! There's something urgent! Berserker is coming for us! We have to-"

"Berserker? Wait, Emiya, why do you...oh, damn it all..."

Emiya Shirou looked like he just got possessed by a spirit of goldfish. His mouth and eyes were wide open as his attention was completely taken by what he might think to be a female version of himself. Tilting his head in confusion, he pointed at the girl from the future.

"You are... I'm sorry, do I know you- I mean, am I supposed to know you?"

What a weird question, though it could be easily chalked as his astonishment taking over. Rin gave Ritsuka a once over, sighing when she found the girl completely flabbergasted. She couldn't look at her old man in the eyes. Her hands shook in front of her chest.

It was- no, it will be that bad, huh?

"Emiya, this is Ritsuka and her Servant, Shielder," she took the initiative, pointing at the two girls. Being the polite kid that she was, Shielder bowed. "H-Hello..." she greeted shyly.

"Shielder?" Assassin said, frowning. "I don't know there's such a class."

"Well, this is an irregularity..." said Rin. "But anyway, Emiya, Ritsuka here is your child. She came from the future. Congratulations."

"... What?"

"A-Auntie! You can't-" Ritsuka protested, but it was cut short.

A large magical presence suddenly loomed over the area. Wave of cold shiver ran down Rin's back. The three Servants immediately put up fighting stances and turned to face the same direction. Over to where their sights were locked on, stood a beautiful little girl and a terrifying dark giant.

"Whoa, Onii-chan! I see that you are inviting friends to play with us! This is going to be fun!" the girl sing-songed, twirling happily.

"What!? What's happening in there!? What is this magical signature!?" the Doctor yelled frantically. Nobody could answer to his question, though. Everyone was too busy feeling dreadful for that.

Rin momentarily forgot that the nervous breathing noise she heard was her own. She couldn't avert her eyes from the giant, no matter how empty her stomach was feeling from looking at that monster. This thing... how are we supposed to defeat it...?

"I'm sorry for this, Tohsaka. And you guys too..." Emiya said in resignation. However, instead of cowering down like expected, he stepped forward. His Servant followed suit by his side.

"Emiya, what are you doing?" Rin asked.

"Assassin and I are going to buy you guys some time to escape. I was about to ask for you all to fight together with us, but well... this is all I can do now..."

Rin really had no idea on what to respond to that. Shielder beat her into it.

"Wait a minute! This is too reckless!"

Over on the other side, the silver haired girl shook her head.

"You can play out any tactic you can think of, Onii-chan. It won't make a difference," she said. There was a considerable distance between them and the girl, but somehow Rin knew that she was smiling.

"Berserker, kill them all."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

If you're wondering why the long delay never ends, it's my own bone-headedness that is the reason. You can say that I'm aiming too high. Multiple interlinked POVs overwhelmed me. It's getting harder to keep track of every character's progress in the story while keeping their personalities consistent and growing. Perhaps it wasn't a problem for you or your favorite authors, but for me, juggling multiple character arcs (that just keep expanding and increasing) is a total pain in the neck. Also, there's the usual problem with real life: it never gives you the time to sort everything out quickly.

On the bright side, I believe that at the very least, we're going to finish through the second day of The Holy Grail War before the year's end. That might not sound much, but trust me, some really big twists are coming. Now for the usual.

- Okita. J. Frickin. Souji. Should have seen that coming from miles away. Nope. Our Assassin here is not equipped with jetpacks. Or swimsuit. It's winter for crying out loud. Although, an omake or comedic spin-off might be feasible. Not promising anything.

- As the Case Files anime (Gray-tan is cute!) reveals, Olga Marie was twelve in 2004. FGO was released in 2015. So, canonically, she should be 23 when the whole time travel shenanigans starts. Well, Screw that. In FBC, Olga is 19. Period. No debate.

- Some of you have noted that Shirou here is a little dumber and wimpier than canon. Yeah... can't exactly deny that. While FSN Shirou was out of his depth, at least he has knowledge in magic and the magus mindset to balance things out. Here, Shirou is a complete stranger to the darker side of the world, making him all the more naive and lost. It will change, sooner than later. The war is just going to get more violent and crazier, and our idiot hero has to adapt and evolve to survive it.

- Are you disliking Ritsuka right now? Well, yeah, that's what happen when you don't know the whole story. Chronologically, she had revealed the truth to Rin, but I decided to cut the scene because there are already too many things going on in this chapter. It will come out later when it's more relevant.

- Some have complained that I made Mordred too thuggish. Okay, I'm trying to rectify that. She couldn't be as fun to watch with Reika than she is with Kairi. Ahocrypha played it safe, so let us not. The central question is, "Why does the knight of rebellion stay loyal to a Master she dislikes?" well, if Kairi was the father she doesn't deserve but the one she needs, then what if we make Reika the mother she deserves but doesn't need? Mothers are by nature selfless, and this self-centered woman for some reason shows this motherly quality toward her Servant and her Servant only.

- Deep down, Mordred just wants love. And Reika might give her just that, in her own twisted, unpleasant way.

- Am I teasing Shirou x Okita too much in this? Anyone? After MUCH consideration, I decided to build their relationship into 'closer than friends but not lovers'; Platonic Life Partners if you know your tvtropes, so I think it's important to show them getting closer and better understanding each other. I hope it comes across well, but if you think it doesn't, please let me know.

- Next chapter: fights, fights, and more fights. Fav and follow if you like, review if you love, take it easy if you hate. See ya!

Most magi wouldn't have felt it, but for ones specialized in divination like the Animusphere family, it couldn't have been more obvious. The air of the city carried residual mana with it, pollution resulting from the clash of several heroic spirits. All over the town, the fifth Holy Grail War was being fought. All Servants were engaged in mortal combats in several different arenas, scattered all over Shinto, Fuuyuki.

Well, except for one.

Saber sat cross-legged by the window of the hotel room, looking over the city with her one good eye. She had been silent in that position for nearly half an hour now, but Olga knew that she was being restless. The knight wanted to be out there, fighting.

"Hey, just go to bed already," the blonde Servant said.

Olga took a sip of her tea before answering, "I can't."

"Why?"

"Imagine trying to sleep with ants and spiders crawling all over your skin. Until the prana disturbance died down, I can't have a good, beneficial rest."

"Tch. You magi and your special needs..."

Saying so, Saber threw her back down on to the floor and stretched like a cat. "Aaargh...! So bored...! If it weren't for you, I'd be out there, beating some sods and taking names!"

"So you'll defy your Master's order if I weren't here?" Olga asked. To be honest, she'd rather spend the night in silence instead of risking accidentally provoking Saber. However, this was an opportunity to learn more about the band of misfits holding her hostage. What made them group together, why an ordinary woman like Reika was picked to lead them... in an off-chance she managed to escape their clutch, the information was crucial for Chaldea's cause to end the Holy Grail War they way it should have ended.

Saber didn't answer the question right away. "Yeah... why the hell not. What can she do to me? Scolding me? It's already getting old..."

But you still take it. Why? She wanted to ask, but it wouldn't sound natural. For Saber to give replies to more intrusive questions, Olga had to carefully lead her on. How, though?

"Saber, from what I see... your Master isn't a full-fledged magus, right? How does she provide prana for you?"

"Hm? Well, she's whoring herself to Rider's Master. Why do you think I keep calling her whore? That's what she is."

Olga felt her face heating up. Prana transfer through sexual intercourse... it was a crude but pretty effective way, from what she had heard. Master of Rider, from the time she first met him, he was with two women... Oh, God.

"S-so, what does that arrangement mean? Do the two of you work for him, then?"

"Huh? Nay. Fuck that sod. He's spineless. The whore is taking care of everything for him for him. But the moment that creep starts to trust her a little too much, we're taking his head."

Olga bit down on her lower lip. Reika planned to betray Rider and his Master. This was big. This could cripple the alliance.

"What about Caster?"

"That bastard just came out of nowhere, claiming that all three of us must work together to defeat the rest. He claimed that our strength and abilities complement each other well."

Now she wanted to see that statement put to test. Olga could imagine how it go. Saber's ability should be simple enough; swordsmanship, magic resistance, excellent constitution - a frontline fighter through and through. Caster and Rider could be tricky to tell, but by the definition of their classes, the former should make for a good long range attacker and battle support while the latter, assuming he possessed a quick and formidable mount, would be the versatile middle-range soldier.

"The three of you are fighting separately, though..."

"Caster told us that Berserker is the worthy opponent for the three of us to fight together, so until then, we're to gather information and plan the strategy... ugh, now I'm pissed again. All Servants are down there right now, huh!? Why am I the only one left out!? So fucking unfair!"

There she went again with the childish rant... Olga could only sighed quietly in exasperation.

"And all because I got to keep an eye on you! Like a spoiled little twerp like you have the guts to escape!"

"Well, I'm sorry..." not!

As humiliating as it was to admit, Saber wasn't wrong. Without her mystic codes and ample preparation, Olga wouldn't dare trying a grand escape. This group might act carefree around her, but they weren't complete idiots. The corridor outside of this room was protected by multiple layers of bounded fields, each one hiding unique defense mechanism to prevent anyone univited from getting in and out of the room. And while the windows wasn't as strongly fortified, it was still seven stories from the ground. She didn't have the knowledge and skill to climb down safely, nor anything to protect herself from the mercy of gravity.

Ah, what a foolish drivel. Why even consider that option? With Saber in the same room acting as her jailer, there wasn't even an opportunity to open a window. Olga poured more tea for herself. An idea came to her mind as she took a sip. Perhaps if she pretended to fall asleep, Saber would actually leave, giving her the opportunity to search around for clues.

A loud crashing sound put a stop to her train of thought.

"W-W-What's going on!?" she screamed in fright, her tea spilled all over the table. A large gust of wind swept over the room, sending curtains flapping wildly. She dared to look at the likely source of the disturbance, and her jaw dropped open.

"S-Saber...? What... What are you doing?"

The Servant of sword was now standing upright in front of a big hole in the glass wall of the hotel room. Outdoor air poured inside freely, the bounded field surrounding the outside of the hotel floor had been breached. A large sword, far too large for someone of Saber's stature to carry around, was held in the Servant's hand, rested over one shoulder. Clearly, she had created that hole and ripped apart the boundary field with it. The question was, what for?

"Yo, hostage," Saber said, sending a sideway grin her way. With the eyepatch covering her eye, the gesture seemed sinister, sending shiver down Olga's back. "I just got a really good idea. See, the reason why I can't go out there is because I have to watch over you, right? Well, the answer is simple, then. I just have to bring you along with me."

"W-What!?" there was no other word she could say at that. The magus began to inch away in horror as the Servant took a step toward her. That wolfish grin... there was nothing good that would come out of it.

"It'll be fine! Nothing's going to touch you with me by your side! Come on, now!"

"W-W-Wait! Wait! This is not a good idea! Please listen to me! No! No! Don't touch me! Aaaahh! No! Put me down!"

No matter how much Olga yelled and struggled, Saber was far too strong to be stopped. The brute warrior scooped her up, slung her over a shoulder, then brought her to the edge of the room, right in front of the makeshift way out.

"Nooo! Please don't bring me along! I'm afraid of heights!"

Her plea reached deaf ears. Laughing like mad, Saber jumped into the open sky. "YA-HOOOOOOO!" she howled. Olga couldn't help but yell along, although it came out as, "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Like that, a scream of joy and a shriek of terror accompanied the final players as they descended into the next stage of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Next Chapter:

"Snake in the Eagle's Shadow"