AN: Been a while but this ain't dead yet!
No night had been longer for Kiritsugu than the last one. Three separate attacks had left him writhing in pain and heaving his guts out, along with raucous love making from Shirou and Sakura that had carried through the thin walls early on in the night had left no time for any meaningful sleep. He rubbed his eyes as he walked out into the kitchen, before grabbing some rice wine out of a cabinet and taking a liberal swig.
Yesterday had been that kind of day. Yesterday had been ten of those days. This day was shaping up to be possibly even worse, what with the looming specter of Zouken weighing on his mind.
And it was still only 4 AM.
Kiritsugu headed for the phone, dialing a number he'd memorized. Raiga answered on the first ring.
"Kiritsugu? You're up early."
"Never mind that, and I can say the same for you."
The sound of something heavy hitting flesh and a scream of pain came over the other line.
"I had some business to take care of. You understand. You've been busy the last couple of days." Raiga's voice sounded almost disinterested in whatever was happening on his end of the line.
"Sorry about the trouble."
"None at all. So, why did you call me?"
Another meaty thwack came over the line, along with choked sobs.
"Remember that tanker truck I put into storage?"
"That old thing? Sold it off a while back. I did however, keep the contents."
"Can you get them into an old delivery truck on short notice and have someone drive it up about a block from here?"
"I can have someone get it up to there in about... four hours maximum. How many drums?"
"As many as you can fit. Leave the caps closed, throw some gas cans in there after attaching some Semtex to each drum. The truck needs to be air tight as well. I'll rig the rest of it myself. Take the fee out of my accounts."
"Got it. Oh, and Kiritsugu?"
"Yes Raiga?"
"We never talked. Understand?"
Raiga hung up in midscream.
Time slinked by. Kiritsugu stuffed the Glock back into the hole in the wall, and started up the coffee maker. The poor machine was getting more use in this last week than it had in years. Footsteps approached the kitchen, and Sakura came out of the hallway, followed by Rider.
"Morning," he said, watching the maker slowly drip his nectar into the pot.
"Morning." Sakura said, pulling on an apron. Rider said nothing, just gazing at Kiritsugu with an odd intensity.
"How was last night?"
Sakura nearly dropped the pan she was holding on the floor.
"W-w-w-what are you talking about?" she stammered, a blush starting to appear on her face.
"Walls are thin here."
"You mea- Oh. Oh god." Sakura looked about ready to die.
"Yeah. I heard it all. About time in my opinion. You've been dancing around each other for the last year." The coffee maker stopped running, and Kiritsugu pulled out the pot, pouring himself a cup. "Want any?"
Sakura seemed too embarrassed to answer him directly, instead settling for looking down at the ground and shaking her head vigorously.
"Suit yourself." He drained the cup in one go. A thought crossed his mind. "…Where was Saber sleeping last night? In the side room?"
Dawning horror mixed with embarrassment on Sakura's face, and Rider seemed to almost crack a grin.
Kiritsugu left the house after eating a quick breakfast without a word, pulling the backpack of C4 out of the shed, and stuffing a couple spools of wire into it along with some electrical equipment. After slipping his Beretta into his coat, he went to where he'd asked Raiga to leave the truck for him. The moving truck pulled up right on schedule, Gorilla driving it.
"Hey there old man. Got the goods." Gorilla slapped the side of the door. "You must really need someone out of the picture."
"Thanks. You need a ride home?"
"Nah," the mobster said, tossing Kiritsugu the keys as he hopped out. "My girlfriend lives in the neighborhood. I'll just walk."
Kiritsugu watched him go, before sliding himself into the driver's seat and pulling the truck into a nearby alley. Unzipping the bag of C4, he opened up the rear of the truck and began preparing his weapon. The idea was simple – The gas fumes in the rear would turn the truck into a makeshift fuel air explosive on top of the already immense yield that the bomb would create from igniting the tanks full of napalm, white phosphorus, and ammonium based explosives that he'd originally placed into the first truck. The force of the explosion, combined with the massive amount of heat from the engulfing fireball and ensuing vacuum as it receded, would destroy whatever the truck was near when it was set off. Whatever wasn't destroyed would be set on fire, which would also stick to and burn anything it touched. Anything that somehow survived the explosion would be instead condemned to burn to death. It was the maximum amount of destruction for a minimum amount of effort.
Kiritsugu had always considered himself an artist of demolition.
Kiritsugu pulled out the spools of wire and was pleased to note that Raiga had thoughtfully left him a bag of blasting caps for the drums. Each one was attached to a wire, and after each charge was placed, Kiritsugu pigtailed the wires together to link them all to a single ignition source. A generous amount of C4 was added into this branching copper tree of death, placed near the drums. Kiritsugu then started tuning the ignition system. When activated by radio frequency, the detonator (in this case a disposable cell phone) would send a charge of electricity down each wire, setting off the blasting caps, which would in turn detonate the plastic explosives. Kiritsugu poured some gas onto the floor from one of the cans before unscrewing the lids of the rest. Hopefully, the spark would ignite the fumes as well, but if it didn't the rest of the explosives would. Kiritsugu left the back of the truck, tightly sealing it up before hopping back into the drivers' seat.
Now the only question is where to set it off…
The church was an obvious and immediate target. While Kotomine had claimed to be neutral, Kiritsugu highly doubted that. The Executor was a ruthless opponent, and had somehow survived a bullet blowing his heart out the front of his chest. He was not to be underestimated, in any way. He was playing his own game, and Kiritsugu couldn't see where he'd moved his pieces or where he rolled his dice. To move against him without figuring that out was tantamount to suicide. And there also was the chance that the priest did have no stake in this war, aside from being the supervisor.
That left one other openly hostile target – the Matou. Kiritsugu knew that this was the weapon to use against Zouken's home. He'd originally planned on using the low tech cruise missile to destroy either the Matou or Tohsaka houses if push came to shove in the Fourth War. Whatever the bounded fields the old magus had placed around his house, this was something he obviously had not designed them to defend against. Even if he was out of the house like earlier, the message sent would be the same to everyone involved in the War, especially Kirei – "Do not fuck with me. I'm playing for keeps." If Zouken was in the house it would effectively end the War, and allow him to focus on disabling or destroying the Greater Grail, an objective he'd had since the start.
His musings were ended by the ringing of his phone.
"Are you sure this is his number Archer?"
"Of course I am. I found it in Shirou's bag. Might not want to mention that to him though."
Rin shook her head as Kiritsugu picked up the call on his cell phone. She hadn't wanted to do this, but Archer had obliquely reminded her of his relation to the Einzberns. He would probably also know the way to the manor in the forest. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to play Ilya against Shirou – now anyway. Not until that Shadow and Zouken were dealt with.
"Hello Rin."
Rin felt a twinge of fear at the certainty in the former Master's voice. "…How did you know it was me?"
"Caller ID."
"What's that?"
Kiritsugu sighed over the phone, a rush of static. "Never mind. What did you need?"
"Do you know how to reach the Einzbern manor?"
"Obviously."
"I was wondering if you could accompany me there, to help negotiate with Ilyasviel," Rin said, twirling the phone cord around in her finger. There was a pause on the other end of the line.
"Negotiate what?" Kiritsugu asked.
"A truce until we get rid of the Shadow. I'm sure with you there she'll listen to me. After all, you worked for them."
Another pause, before Kiritsugu broke the silence. "Alright. Do you need a ride?"
"I was planning on taking a taxi."
"Got it. I'll be over in ten or so, already out for a walk."
The line cut out, Kiritsugu having hung up the phone.
It was only a short walk from the Matou house to the Tohsaka one. Setting up the truck had been simple enough, and the house was isolated enough that the explosion wouldn't damage neighboring properties as much as it would in most areas of Japan. Still, it bothered him slightly. This was a private feud. Even though he was escalating it, involving others seemed wrong.
He was soft. Oh so soft.
Kiritsugu waited outside the Tohsaka house, leaning against the mailbox until the door opened and Rin strolled out.
"Morning."
"Morning."
No other words needed to be exchanged. This was a job. Kiritsugu kept telling himself this. It wasn't that he was going to see Ilya again, it was to help Rin and possibly Shirou. That was it. There was nothing more to it. Of course there was more to it. Kiritsugu just didn't want to admit it to himself.
"When is the taxi going to be here?"
"Couple minutes I think," Rin said.
Kiritsugu nodded. "Archer with you?"
"Of course."
"Good."
"You don't think Ilya will take offence at it?"
"As long as he remains in astral form, she should be fine with it," Kiritsugu said, fidgeting slightly as the taxi rounded the corner. Something was starting to gnaw at his insides. The pain was slowly increasing. He gritted his teeth and opened the door for Rin before hopping in himself. The impact of sitting down brought another fresh wave of pain.
Son of a bitch, son of a bitch son of a bitch!
An attack. Now.
"Rin, close the divider."
Her questioning eyes met his. "Wha-"
"Do. It."
"Sir are you-" the Taxi driver began but Rin slammed the divider down.
His muscles began to spasm, and Kiritsugu twitched uncontrollably as wave after wave of pain came from inside. He didn't scream. It was all he could do to focus on breathing. He felt a need to throw up, but swallowed it down, clutching his throat. Rin looked on the verge of panic. His eyes rolled back, and Kiritsugu's vision went black and red as he lost control of his limbs. He felt his fingers twitching as he collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut on the seat, pain flooding through his bones and muscles.
It ended as soon as it came. Rin had shoved herself against the door, eyes wide.
"Sorry you had to see that." Kiritsugu said, gasping for air. He felt hollow inside, like something had scooped out part of his guts and replaced it with some sort of liquid.
"What –"
"It's nothing. Aftermath of a particularly nasty curse I had the misfortune to trigger in the last war."
Though nasty doesn't begin to describe it, or what caused it. Hell would be a better term.
"Are you alright?"
"Aside from the pain? Yeah. Nothing broken. Hurts like a motherfucker though."
Rin twitched a little at the blatant curse thrown out without a second thought, before saying, "Is there anything I can do?"
Kiritsugu laughed. It hurt all over. "No, no. You'd kill yourself trying. It isn't lethal." He could tell Rin knew he was lying. "Just don't tell Shirou, alright? He worries enough as it is."
Rin bit her lip before nodding.
"Speaking of Shirou, how's the training going?"
She seemed glad of the change of subject. "Well… not good. I mean, I haven't had any time to actually train him so…"
No progress. Kiritsugu closed his eyes against the back seat. He hadn't expected much more than that.
"Anything else Rin?"
"I can't figure out his element."
Kiritsugu's eyes snapped back open. "What?"
"I can't. I tried a bunch of tests, but I couldn't figure anything out. Whatever it is, it isn't a standard one." Rin said. She seemed disappointed in that fact.
"Interesting… I would have thought it was fire…" Kiritsugu mumbled. He felt tired. Oh so tired.
"What did you say?"
"Never mind. Wake me when we get to the forest." Kiritsugu slipped into the arms of Morpheus without complaint.
Assassins' claws scraped against flesh, talons that would rip a man in twain glancing off Berserkers' thick skin with a noise like steel against stone. He swung around a blow that would have separated his head from his shoulders without any effort, dodging between the massive man's legs, his form flowing and shifting through the small gap, claws once again attempting to rend flesh from the bone to no avail. The girl was within his sight once again, but like before, the giants body barred his way. Assassin felt the Shadow lazily kept creeping in behind him, the inky blackness tainting all it touched with foul curses worse than Assassin's own decaying flesh.
A backhand from Berserker sent Assassin flying, his spine snapping into pieces no larger than his thumb as he collided with a particularly tough oak. The force still nearly uprooted the tree. Assassin howled, channeling prana through his heart to knit his flesh and bones painfully back together. Another life worth of magical energy depleted, like the five others before it. His Master's plan was coming into fruition, the old man watching from the shadows of a thicket of trees as his piece in the game battled for his life. This war of attrition was only delaying the inevitable - Assassin could not win against Berserker. Of course, his Master had accounted for this.
Assassin launched himself at the black giant again as the giant's axe-sword began to change direction, using it as a stepping stone for his attack. His claws and teeth ripped out of his flesh as he went for the madman's eyes. However, just like before, they skittered off Berserker's thick skin without leaving a scratch. Berserker reached out with a massive hand, grasping Assassin across his chest and pulling him off again, his thick fingers crushing bones and organs alike. His heart would be destroyed in the next second, but Assassin smiled. The distraction had worked.
Someone else leapt into the fray from the direction of the shadow, blackness radiating from his form and red eyes burning holes into the mountain of flesh he faced. A reddened blade flashed, and the giant roared, a streak of red jabbing him annoyingly like a fly. He tossed Assassin aside again, moving to face his new opponent. A massive fist attempted to separate the tormenters head from his shoulders with a single mighty blow. Lancer slipped around it, parrying the follow up strike without blinking, the massive slab of stone sparking off of his blood red spear.
"Berserker, no!" The Vessel cried out. "Get away from him! I need you alive!"
The Servant ignored her words, as the Shadow moved closer its corrupting tendrils reaching out towards the behemoth's feet. A quagmire began to engulf them, and the massive man's movement ground to a halt, inches away from Lancer. Assassin again stitched his flesh together, advancing towards the vessel as Lancer toyed with its Servant, lightly cutting its flesh as it roared in anger at his tormenter just outside his reach.
"Bring her to me Assassin. Kill the others in the forest. Leave the vessel alive." Assassins Master began to fade away, his presence growing dim. It had caused him much pain to stay out as long as it had in the sunlight. He would need to rest. Assassin would not fail him. Victory was now in their hands. He slowly stalked closer and closer to the girl, withdrawing his claws. She tried to run away through the underbrush, but to no avail. Assassin could hear her heart beating in terror. This was the moment he had lived for, another life in his hands, and the power to extinguish it if he wished.
Three arrows hissed towards him, as a man in a black coat grabbed the Vessel and ran.
"DON'T STOP RUNNING!" Archer heard Kiritsugu yell, Ilya held under one arm, the other pushing through the underbrush as he and Rin ran for their lives.
Archer. Buy us some time.
He grinned. He could do that. Assassin had avoided his arrows by millimeters, but he hadn't been his target. Lancer knocked them aside lazily with his spear, turning the move into another slash across Berserkers throat, the spear probably doing nothing more than tickling him. Assassin rushed Archer, claws extended, jaws ripped wide open and the smell of rotting meat emanating from his maw. Archer deflected the blow with his bow, before landing a resounding punch into his thick jaw. Serrated and rot covered teeth shattered from the force of the impact, flying from Assassin's mouth. Archer grinned again as Assassin rolled away, screaming curses in a language Archer couldn't distinguish. Merely being near the Shadow now made him feel stronger. Alaya's blessing to her Counter-Guardians flowed through his veins. He wouldn't be able to take on the Shadow in this state, but Assassin stood no chance.
Berserker howled again with rage, and the earth shook. Lancer drew back as the hero ripped his body away from the Shadow, blood spurting out from enormous wounds as the Shadow attempted to cling to his flesh, and he lunged for Lancer. The massive axe-sword smashed down again, clipping Lancer as its owner's legs began to heal the massive chunks missing from their flesh. Lancer flew back at the impact, skidding through the dirt, surprise obvious on his face. The Shadow moved as fast as it could, but the giant was one step ahead of its dark void. Blow after blow rained towards Lancer, as Berserker charged, his roar of defiance overlaying even the earthshaking noise of his footsteps. Lancer was on the defensive, twisting and weaving around one blow, parrying another, seeking any opening to exploit.
The maddened warrior left none. His onslaught carried the force of gods, sonic booms coming from the tip of his slab of stone as he swung it like it was nothing more than a twig. Each blow came with a fury unseen by man in ages. Each step rocked the earth as his charge continued.
Lancer just smiled, and after ducking backwards, made a rapid succession of multiple hand signals. He hefted his weapon backwards, and then chucked it forward.
"GAE BOLG!"
Myriad symbols and waves of energy flashed along the length of his spear as he threw it, Gae Bolg's true curse driving it forwards. The spear of death flew through the air, and now nothing, not even the gods themselves could stop it. The Devils Thorn pierced through Berserker's thick arms, splintering his bones before driving into his heart. Eleven lives were obliterated in a single instant as a multitude of thorns ripped Berserker apart from the inside, each one tracing itself back to the spearhead embedded within him. The black giant stopped moving. Sanity almost slipped through his consciousness before the Shadow enveloped him, and dragged him within, leaving the spear behind untouched and soaked in the blood of a demi-god. Lancer picked it up, running his tongue up the flat of the devil spear's blade, tasting the blood with a relish, a maniacal glint in his eyes showing as he turned towards Archer.
Archer was now aware that he was terribly outclassed. He could sense Rin was roughly half way down the path, urgency and adrenaline propelling her forwards. He needed to buy more time, or at the very least provide a fighting retreat. Archer fled backwards, terribly aware of the two monstrous Servants bearing down on him from behind as he pelted arrows towards them. Lancer lazily knocked them aside but each volley brought fresh howls of pain and rage from Assassin as the black cloaked Servant fell further and further behind.
Archer's mind once again spun his loaded cylinder of swords, before bringing the hammer down on one. It projected out, it's blade twisted like the horn of a ram yet there was no doubt this blade could cut through mountains. Lancer's eyes flashed in recognition before Archer dispelled his bow, grasping the sword in both hands as he pivoted around and turned to meet the attackers, the sword leaving an almost rainbow like arc behind it.
Caladbolg, the two-handed sword of Fergus met the thrust of Gae Bolg in a cascade of multicolored sparks and the characteristic sound of metal scraping against metal. The two combatants moved through blow after blow, the twisted sword and the spear of the Devil following a pattern of a duel over a millennium before. The shimmering twists of the long blade left a multicolored after image behind each strike, rainbows meeting the solid red blur of the bloodthirsty spear. The outcome was set in stone long before. Oath's and geasa left no other possibility open.
Caldabolg moved like lightning in Archer's hands, coming up under the guard of Lancer faster than even the Son of Lugh could react to stop. The force of the blow knocked Gae Bolg from Lancer's hands, the spear flying away into the underbrush as Archer prepared his next blow. Runes flashed as the twisted sword slashed through Lancer's shoulder, stopping it just an inch before severing Lancer's spine and bisecting the darkened Servant in a single blow.
"I yield to the sword of Fergus Mac Roaich," Lancer said, bloody foam pouring from his mouth. "The oath is fulfilled."
The two men stared into each other's eyes, red bloodlust meeting solid steel. With a kick, Archer ripped the sword from Lancer's body, preparing for a blow to behead the crippled hero. A black blur met him then, knocking him away from Lancer before the strike was made.
Assassin had abandoned all semblance of humanity. The stench of disease and decay radiated off him in waves, a nightmarish form now occupying what had been the body of a man. Long talons ripped at Archer as inhuman jaws attempted to rip his throat out. Every limb was twisted backwards in unnatural directions, bone flashing through muscle as the fleshless skull rotated as it's serrated teeth lunged forward at Archer. The Daeva had been unleashed. Caladbolg fell from the Counter Guardians grip, dissipating as Kyanshou and Bakura materialized in his hands, the ebony and ivory swords meeting the abominations blows and slashing back with a fury of their own.
Muscles were slashed to be knitted back together, flesh healing slower and slower as Assassin began to lose energy. His strikes lost force, and Archer struck again, hamstringing him in a flurry of steel. Assassin crumpled to the ground, going into spirit mode to escape death, calling out curses in a demonic tongue once more. Lancer was nowhere to be seen. Archer wasn't sure if the Servant was dead or had fled like his ally. A dark sense of foreboding grew in him as he ran towards where he felt Rin was.
Kiritsugu was gasping for air as he ran, Rin having over taken him in their flight to the edge of the woods. Ilya held tightly in his arms, his heart thumping loudly in his chest, Kiritsugu pressed onwards. He could feel it chasing behind them. The Shadow. That thing from the night in the park. He felt himself slowing down as it inched closer and closer. Something inside of him was resonating with it, trying to reunite with whatever it was. Every muscle and organ screamed within his body.
"Rin…" Kiritsugu gasped, his legs starting to lock up. Ilya's eyes met his for a second before his grip began to loosen. "Take her, and run."
Rin hesitated as she looked over her shoulder, before gritting her teeth and turning back. "You're coming with as well!" she screamed, sweat dripping down her face as she scooped Ilya up in one hand, her other pulling on Kiritsugu's coat. He knocked it away, shoving her forward.
"RUN YOU STUPID GIRL! I'LL CATCH UP!"
The fury in his voice surprised even Kiritsugu, and Rin with a backwards glance, ran forward and out of sight with Ilya in her arms. Kiritsugu struggled to his feet, his legs barely supporting his weight beneath him as he stumbled forward, supporting himself against the trees. The cold feeling of dread behind him increased its chill as he turned. The Shadow was behind him, it's cloth like form and tendrils swaying as if there was a light breeze.
Kiritsugu knew right there and then, he was going to die. A sense of eerie calm flooded through him as he pulled his pistol out of his coat. It wouldn't do anything, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going down without a fight. He leveled it in a shaking hand, and pulled the trigger. Nothing. He'd forgot to put a round in the pipe.
Fucking rookie mistake, he thought idly, and the world went black as a clothlike tendril sprung forward.
Archer saw Kiritsugu fall just before the Shadow's attack would have pierced through his head, the Old Man crumpling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Pure dumb luck had saved his father's life. Alaya's blessing singing through him, Archer broke Kyanshou and Bakura, swinging his blades towards the still extended tendril. The feather like swords sliced through the dark mass, and the Shadow recoiled in pain. Archer could have sworn it was hissing at him as it slunk away, something drawing it back and out of reality.
Archer watched it go before moving to the prone form of his father.
Saber lightly shoved the sleeping Sakura, who wearily opened her eyes. Shirou had just made snacks, and she was sure that the girl would want something to eat considering how she had been looking lately. For an instant, she though she saw something different in her eyes, but she dismissed it. It was time for food anyway.
Kiritsugu felt… nothing. He was floating in emptiness, within a dark void that would never end. And neither would the laughter surrounding him, so familiar yet –
His eyes blinked open, to stare into the tear filled red ones of Ilya. Without a word, she enveloped him in a bear hug, her thin childlike arms tightening around his neck as she cried. Kiritsugu didn't move, instead looking around the room he was in. It was simple, austere and warm, with a large cross on the wall. For the second time in as many days, he'd come to consciousness within the church, it seemed. Kotomine might decide to start charging him rent if this continued.
"Ilya. I need to breathe," he gently said, and she loosened her grip slightly, but still clung to him. "Are you alright?"
"Stupid Kiritsugu. I thought you'd left me again," Ilya mumbled. "I'm fine. Everyone is fine."
"That's good."
The door swung open, and Ilya finally released her embrace, leaving as Kiritsugu looked towards the person he had most expected to see in this situation. Kirei walked in as Kiritsugu swung himself into a sitting position, feeling the comforting weight of his Beretta in his coat.
"I see you survived."
"Don't sound disappointed."
"On the contrary; I'm astounded," Kotomine said, moving towards a row of bottles on a coffee table. "Somehow, you are even still able to move despite having a magical cancer in every cell of your body. A curse of that level should have killed you five years ago. If not for Miss Tohsaka's prompt informing of your condition to me, you would have died of organ failure two hours ago."
The false priest mixed the contents of two bottles into one, a sickly green color forming from the clear liquids.
"And even then, I feel that I did you no favors by saving your life." The priest seemed a little too upbeat about that fact. "You're at death's doorstep already. I give you a week to live."
"That's enough."
Kiritsugu pulled himself too his feet, as Kotomine rose himself, the bottle held in his hand.
"I give you a day however," he said, shoving the bottle into Kiritsugu's hand and wrapping his fingers around it, "If you don't take some of this tomorrow. There should be enough for a dose each day for a week here."
Kiritsugu eyed the warm bottle suspiciously.
"Why are you doing this?" he demanded, pocketing the mixture. "Why are you helping me instead of letting me die?"
Kotomine sighed. "Why? To see you suffer longer. I have no other reason, and need no other. Your suffering brings me joy, so I extend it."
Kiritsugu strolled to the door, saying nothing. The priest was as enigmatic as he was in the Fourth. His answer was obviously not his true reason, but then again, he didn't really need one. It was still infuriating to be caught up in his schemes. Kiritsugu left the church, Ilya in tow.
Should Ilya stay with me, or with Rin? Where would she be safer? She's the vessel in this war, if I know Acht.
Kiritsugu's musings were interrupted by a tug on his sleeve.
"Kiritsugu, let's go hooome…"
The father smiled, and did exactly that. In the end, she was with him. She was safe. That was all that mattered.