DISCLAIMER: I do not take credit from the Fate universe and its characters. The rights and credits go to the original authors.

Read the notes in the first chapter if you haven't done it already.

English is not my native language, so please bear with me. I'm confident in my grammar, but if there are any mistakes, then let me know and I'll try to figure out how to fix them as soon as I have time.

Hope you enjoy.


FATE/Break Dawn
-Chapter Twelve-

BITE DOWN

Planet: Earth
Timeline: [?]
Date: [?]
Location: Fuyuki City (Japan)
Hilltop – Fuyuki Church

(======)

The silence inside the empty Church of Fuyuki was absolute. One could hear a pin drop.

Agitation, tension and nervousness drenched the air like a thick fog. The two Master-Servant pairs stared at each other in complete silence amid the dark and empty Church, both sides observing and studying the other while the pressure that filled the air continued to grow more and more by the second. The feeling of dread and tension was growing so increasingly high that the atmosphere itself seemed to have become stale and lifeless around the four people standing in the middle of it.

Even still, Caren Hortensia cared not for any of that. Her golden eyes were wide and stunned. Her body was rigid and unmoving. Even her face – which would usually display a stoic, unreadable frown in every situation – was now morphed into an expression of shock and disbelief for the first time in months. No, for the first time in years. It had been a very long time since she had last experienced this kind of surprise. So long that she could barely even remember it, to be honest. There were simply no words to describe the sheer amount of shock that was clouding her mind, at the moment. It was simply too absurd to be real.

However, absurd as it was, she could not deny the reality in front of her. She could not dismiss the emotion raging inside of her. Because all her eyes could see right now was the face of the new Servant…

…the very same face she had seen portrayed in her family album when she was a child. The face of the man who she had been told was her father.

Kirei Kotomine.

No matter how much she stared, Caren Hortensia could not believe what she was seeing.

Not even as her father's words echoed inside the Church with a solemn and sacred tone.

"Rejoice, all of you… for the Holy Grail War is about to start right now."

The priestess of Fuyuki Church stared at him with wide eyes, unable to understand the reality of what she was witnessing.

Yet, next to her, Gilgamesh seemed to care not for her inner turmoil. The amused, loud chuckle that escaped the King's lips made it all too clear for her, echoing throughout the empty place with a powerful tone. Even Shinji, arrogant as he was, seemed visibly confused by that reaction.

"Bwahahaha! Oh, the irony of this!" the golden Servant laughed with a distinct note of amusement, shaking his head with an expression of mirth. He was openly ignoring Caren's outraged expression, his attention solely focused towards the Servant of the Assassin class as he stared back at him in silence. Until, when his hilarity slowly subsided, he shot a sarcastic stare towards the man dressed in Church robes. "No matter the circumstances, you never fail to amuse me. I guess you really can't help yourself, can you… Kirei?"

The tall, brown-haired Servant chuckled a bit as he heard that rebuke. "I'm glad the King of Heroes is still enjoying himself in my presence. I was afraid you had forgotten me, given the circumstances."

"Fool, who do you think I am? As if such a thing could ever happen," he immediately retorted with a snort, making the empty smile on the other Servant's face grow even more.

Hearing that strange interaction, both Caren and Shinji seemed taken aback for a few moments. Not that their reaction wasn't justified, however. After all, their respective Servants were bantering and talking to each other as if they were previous acquaintances. As if they knew each other. However, neither Shinji nor Caren had ever witnessed a meeting between the two prior to this night, so they didn't know how it was possible. They weren't expecting such a thing to happen.

This was weird. This was definitely weird, Caren mused.

It was Shinji the first who voiced his doubts, after a moment. The blue-haired boy turned to his Servant, his brows furrowed in suspicion as he addressed the elephant in the room. "So it's true… you really do know that guy, Assassin," he mused, shooting a narrowed stare between Caster and his Master.

The Servant of the Assassin class cocked his head slightly as he glanced at the boy. Apparently, he had already shared this piece of information with him, Caren realized. "Indeed. As I mentioned before, Gilgamesh and I are prior acquaintances," he explained, keeping the same empty smile planted on his lips. "Though how he remembers that, I know not."

Caster snorted at his words again. "That is a naïve question. I am the One True King, and thus I know all there is to know. Nothing can elude my powers," he countered, lazily, as if that answer were a foregone conclusion and the most obvious truth of the world. Shinji openly stared in confusion after that absolute claim, looking completely lost for a moment.

"Indeed," Assassin agreed on his part, chuckling a bit. "Ironic that you ended up using your powers for something so trifling. Have you finally decided to lower yourself to the commoners' level?"

"You dare to spout such nonsense after trying to strike us first? Giving up your body has not changed your rotten nature, Kirei," was the King's sarcastic reply.

Shinji just blinked in confusion at that rebuke. The way the King of Heroes was addressing his Servant was definitely unexpected for him.

"Wait… Kirei?" he repeated, his gaze flickering between Assassin and Caster with obvious perplexity. "Why is he calling you that? Didn't you tell me your True Name was Rasputin? A guy who was supposed to be a big deal in Russia during the late 1800s or something?"

An amused chuckle escaped the man's lips after hearing his Master's demand. The mysterious Assassin – Grigori Rasputin – merely closed his eyes with an expression of mirth, crossing his arms behind his back with a slow yet solemn movement. The blue stole on his shoulders moved a bit, along with the golden cross tied to his neck.

"That's right. My previous statement remains correct, Master. I am indeed the priest who once went by the name Rasputin in the past," he calmly explained with ease, keeping his expression unchanged. His voice was soft and deep at the same time, with a distinct note of emptiness that rendered it very hard for Caren to discern any emotion behind his words. "However, the body I currently possess is not my own. Not entirely, at least."

Caren Hortensia narrowed her eyes as Gilgamesh stared with an emotionless smirk.

While the Servant dressed in Church robes opened his eyes again, fixing the world and the people in it with a cold, unreadable smile. "I share my current form with the body of another person. A man who died in the previous Holy Grail War… and who went by the name of Kotomine Kirei."

Brown eyes filled with emptiness and amusement stared inquisitively at the priestess of Fuyuki Church. The girl with ashen-white hair stared back at him with a scowling frown.

"Does my appearance upset you, Master of Caster?" Assassin addressed her out of the blue, keeping his gaze glued to the face of the young girl.

Caren didn't bother to reply, keeping her expression unflinching as she maintained her stoic silence.

She could not admit it out loud, but the sight of that smile was making her bowels twist and churn.

"…no," she spoke after a long, long pause. Her golden eyes dismissed the previous shock in but an instant, replacing it with a dull, cold expression akin to disdain. "That man is long dead, and I never even met him before. Whoever he was, he never meant anything to me."

Rasputin closed his eyes as he listened to her answer, bowing his head a bit as he chuckled to himself. "How unfortunate. But I suppose it's for the best," he shrugged.

"Wait, wait, wait! How is this possible?" Shinji cut in the discussion again, pointing a finger towards his Servant with a very shocked gesture. The heir of the Matou family was obviously lost and unable to understand what was happening, judging by his stunned face. "How can a Servant possess a human's body?! That's not supposed to happen! It's impossible!"

Assassin was about to reply, but Gilgamesh cut him off abruptly.

"Soul-bonding. The merging of two souls into one," the King of Heroes interjected, sounding almost bored for some reason. His words were aimed more towards Caren rather than Shinji. After all, he was already aware of Assassin's true nature, since his powers and knowledge had already warned him about it, and he could feel that the girl was pondering that same question despite her emotionless frown thanks to their bond. "To think there was someone out there who shared your depraved nature so closely… how disgraceful. I thought you were one of a kind, but the world still manages to surprise me every now and then. Was the merging of your soul something you truly would have wished for, Kirei? I thought you were better than that."

Once more, Rasputin merely shrugged at the jab. "My current form is not something I have desired," he replied, monotone. "Unfortunately, the result of the summoning is not something over which Servants have control. Regardless, the Grail made this choice, and it deemed my presence worthy. The Heroic Spirit Grigori Rasputin lacked both the power and legend to manifest as a proper Servant… thus, the Grail supplied him with the body that was most suitable to complete the task."

…after a few moments of pondering, Caren finally understood the meaning behind those words. And when she did, she felt her eyes narrow in an expression of disgust.

Grigori Rasputin was a figure of legend who had lived in Russia between the end of the previous century and the beginning of the current one. A self-proclaimed 'holy man' who earned the trust of the Tsar by miraculously healing his son from a sickness. A twisted, deceptive and manipulative man who gained power and control by earning the trust of others through lies and unknown methods, and who was partially responsible for the collapse of the Romanov Dynasty due to his questionable acts and lust-filled scandals.

As such, being a figure who belonged to the modern era, he lacked both the legend and power to manifest as a proper Heroic Spirit. His legend was not well-known, his fame still very little compared to the Heroes of old or the figures who lived in ancient times. Therefore, he was not supposed to be here. He was not supposed to be summoned at all; for despite his little fame and deeds, he still lacked a true attribute that could anchor him to the Throne and record him as a concrete Heroic Spirit.

And yet, in an odd and twisted turn of events, the Grail had decided to bring him forth all the same; using the body of another individual and merging their souls together to give him the power and means to exist as a Servant. To give him the anchor he lacked on his own. As such, the Grail had summoned forth the soul of the man known as 'Rasputin', and then placed it inside the body of 'Kotomine'. It had fused the two men together, making them become one and the same. Perhaps thanks to their similarities – and, more importantly, thanks to the controversial and twisted nature that both men shared – they had become compatible enough to be merged into one, allowing the Grail to summon them as a proper Servant of the War.

An outrageous, disgusting twist of Fate that had allowed this meeting to happen.

For Caren, this whole situation was utterly unacceptable.

"That is absurd," the young girl objected abruptly. The expression on her face was a very – very – outraged look. "That man's body was destroyed during the previous War. Your summoning was not supposed to happen."

Assassin's smile grew all the more. "Many things about this War are not how they were meant to be," was the Servant's stoic reply. "I'm sure you're already aware of that, young girl. None of us are supposed to be here."

The priestess fell silent at that, clenching her hands into fists as she glared at Shinji and his Servant with a frosty and icy gaze. No matter how much she loathed it, she couldn't retort to that. And neither could Gilgamesh, on his part.

Because both of them knew that Assassin was right about that.

In the end, there was only one thing Caren could say as she struggled to accept the reality of this sudden twist. Words and phrases could never be enough to describe the complexity of the emotions she was struggling to quell within her soul at the moment… and thus, she could only settle for a single sentence.

"How disgusting."

Apparently, Rasputin seemed to enjoy her reaction all the same. "Is something the matter, young girl? Do you truly dislike my appearance so much?" he questioned her, curious, as if he were attempting to strike her nerves somehow. Next to the man, Shinji Matou was observing their interaction with obvious perplexity.

Caren would not be intimidated so easily. "My, my… you seem to be mistaken, Mr. Rasputin," she countered easily, making sure to curve her lips into a smile that was anything but reassuring. "I am a priestess of God. As such, there is nothing I dislike, for everything in this world shall go in accordance to His Will. The Lord in Heaven works in mysterious ways, after all."

Empty, lifeless eyes closed as Assassin chuckled. "As expected of a fellow Exorcist. You speak wisely for someone of your age. I wish my own Master could share that mindset, sometimes," he acknowledged, shooting a small, sideways glance towards the young boy next to him.

Shinji openly glared at him in scorn as he heard that rebuke. "Do not forget your place, Assassin," he warned him, outraged. His Servant did not seem fazed one single bit.

Caren smiled all the more. "Indeed. However, despite my lack of dislikes… there is someone I think would be better off dead, you see," she added at that point, grabbing the enemies' attention once again. The smile on her face was cold – colder than before – with a dangerous glint glowing inside her golden eyes as she stared pointedly towards the Servant dressed in Church robes. "A man. A man who, after abandoning his child, enjoyed life without a care and met a peaceful death in the previous Holy Grail War. A man who, coincidentally… seems to share your own face and name."

King Gilgamesh stared in silence.

Shinji Matou gaped in shock.

Grigori Rasputin smiled in amusement.

While the priestess with ashen-white hair took a single step forward, glaring at Assassin with a cold and twisted smile.

"Just who do you think you are, to show yourself in front of me like this?" she demanded, straight to the point; her voice laced with a graceful tone that did not match the disdain within her words. "Your presence in this War is absolutely unacceptable. Please get rid of your miserable life at once, Assassin. If you will not comply, I shall be forced to intervene directly on God's behalf. That would be most unfortunate, don't you agree?"

Her soft but solemn threat echoed within the walls of the Church for what seemed to be an eternity.

Seconds passed, followed by dead silence.

Until, the sound of Gilgamesh's laughter echoed around them once more.

"Pfffft―――BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Shinji and Assassin stared at the scene in wonder. Caren turned to him with a scowling frown.

But the Golden King did not care one single bit. "Oh, this is too much! My hips are hurting!" he exclaimed amid his fit of roaring laughter. He was cackling so much that his body was bending forward as he gasped between the amused chuckles, keeping one hand above his eyes and the other grasped on his abdomen. "To think the day would come where I'd be witness to such a ridiculous farce! Hahahaha! This Holy Grail War has truly become worthy of my undivided attention!"

The priestess of Fuyuki Church glared at him with a frosty expression. "Oh dear… did I say something funny to you, Caster?" she stressed, sounding clearly annoyed by his odd reaction.

Gilgamesh just waved a hand at her in dismissal. "Brat, please! You're only making it worse!" he guffawed, struggling to regain his composure.

Shinji Matou was staring at the whole scene with a lost face. This was clearly not the outcome he had expected to see upon coming to this place and asking for an alliance. "Oi… what the heck is happening right now?" he muttered, clenching his fists. Then, he exploded again. "What is the meaning of this, Assassin?! Don't tell me that you know her too? How is this possible?" he demanded, turning to his Servant with an incredulous expression.

Rasputin merely shrugged as he glanced at him, ignoring Caster's continued laughter. "Hm? That is not the case, unfortunately. I'm afraid I've never met this young girl before. This matter is completely inconsequential, so do not concern yourself with it, Master."

Caren's smile thinned. Even her right eyebrow seemed to twitch a bit.

"Inconsequential, indeed… shall we make this meeting more impactful, then?" she offered, out of the blue.

With a twitch on her fingers, before the others could reply, a pair of Black Keys suddenly slipped out from the sleeves of her Church robe. The girl with ashen-white hair raised the thin blades in a slow movement, bringing them closer to her face while she glared at the other duo with a menacing smile devoid of feelings.

"Let's make this quick for all of our sakes. I can help you erase your abhorrent existence from earth, if you're unwilling to do it yourself," she offered, almost innocently with her words.

On his part, Assassin merely smiled at her. "Now, now… you can't just ask someone to kill themselves, young girl," he stepped in once more, ignoring her previous threat and making Caren's eyes narrow in wariness. The smile on his face was still as empty and twisted as before. "That goes against the Lord's teachings, isn't that right?"

Small, graceful shoulders shrugged as Caren answered. "I'm afraid you have long since lost the right to speak of the Lord's teachings," she retorted, deadly serious. Her grip on the Black Keys increased a bit. "Your twisted nature far exceeds that of your foolish Master. Putting my increasing repulsion aside, I must admit that you two make an apt duo as a Master and Servant pair. Both of you are so cruelly twisted that it's sickening to see."

Hearing that not-so-subtle offense made Shinji snarl in anger. The boy with bluish hair was about to lash out at her with insults, but his Servant stopped him by placing a hand upon his shoulder. Shinji turned to Assassin, and he almost filched under his smile. Then, he seemed to hesitate for a few moments, until he decided to relent for some reason.

And then, finally, Rasputin's focus returned to the young girl. "Twisted, you say?" he mused, as if he were amused by the priestess' peculiar choice of words. Then, he chuckled a bit as he closed his eyes in acceptance. "Well, I suppose you're right. In my life, as the owner of this body, I was twisted from birth. I knew the meaning of joy… and yet could not see its true value. While I celebrated my neighbors' happiness, I couldn't take my eyes off their misfortunes. I spent my whole life rejecting this contradiction, this suffering. It's honestly impressive that I made it so far, becoming a Heroic Spirit."

The glare Caren Hortensia sent him was colder than ice itself.

Nevertheless, his smile still remained. "My life as Rasputin was no exception either. I strived to live a life of honorable poverty… but my companionship with women was an exception." He openly sighed at that point, touching the golden cross tied to his neck as he stared unflinchingly back into the girl's golden orbs. "Did you know? I gathered with many female followers every night… for several years. I must have been overflowing with vitality, back then."

Caren's body almost trembled a bit. "Oh dear… are you trying to make me feel sick? Because let me tell you: you are succeeding," she spat, for once sounding blunter and more direct than usual.

Assassin chuckled, deciding to drop the subject. "Heh. I guess I can't hide my true intentions from you."

The young priestess was about to retort, but someone did not allow her to do so.

"Enough of this."

A solemn, powerful voice suddenly made everyone pause.

Gilgamesh's words roused Caren, Shinji and Assassin from their thoughts, putting an end to that discussion once and for all. Everyone turned to the Caster dressed in royal clothes, meeting the stoic gaze of the King of Uruk with a solemn and heavy pause.

The golden Servant was wearing an expression of boredom on his face. Gone was his previous amusement, now replaced with an emotionless mask of indifference as he glanced at Assassin in silence; his crimson eyes narrowed in annoyance. "This farce has gone on long enough. What is your purpose now, and what business do you have with me, Kirei?" he demanded, with a tone that was soft yet solemn at the same time. His words carried both power and curiosity as he made that question, as if denying him of answers would be a death sentence for both the Servant and his Master. "Be quick. My tolerance is growing thin."

Shinji took a step back as Caster declared those words with a powerful voice, looking visibly shaken and scared as the crimson eyes of the King fell on his face for a brief instant. Caren inwardly felt disgusted by the sight. That boy was truly nothing but an arrogant brat filled with ego. He didn't even have the means to back up his overconfidence. Just a little push, he would easily reveal his cowardly nature.

However, Assassin's hand landed firmly on the boy's shoulder again, halting his movements while he smiled an empty smile.

"Now, now… there is no need for such threats, King of Heroes," Rasputin interjected, trying to sedate the tension. "My young Master here has already made his offer to you. We would like to join hands with you both, in alliance."

Caren would have none of that. "That is out of―!"

"And we have already declined that offer," was the King's immediate reply, cutting off the priestess without a care in the world. He was speaking mainly for himself rather than his Master – who glanced at him with a glare for being interrupted – but Caster didn't care about her opinion. He crossed his arms, the fingers clad in his golden gauntlet drumming lazily over his bicep. "It was an amusing proposal, but needless and vain. I no longer have any interest in foolish distractions. Therefore, if you have nothing else to offer me, then you are of no use to me."

Shinji openly bristled in anger at the immediate dismissal. His Servant, on the other hand, merely widened his smile upon hearing that, as if intrigued by the current development.

"What could we possibly offer to one as powerful as you? Such demand is unreasonable at its core," Rasputin defended himself, spreading his arms a bit in a humble gesture. Then, he attempted again, speaking with a deep voice devoid of feels. "Is there no way to make you change your mind? We used to share a partnership in the past, did we not?"

Gilgamesh snorted, but smiled nonetheless. "You shared a partnership with my foolish counterpart," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "And where did that get him? Your previous attempts at winning the War all ended in failure."

"Don't you mean our previous attempts?" was the other's sarcastic remark.

Caster's eyes flashed with annoyance for a moment. "You'd dare to compare me to that lacking version of me? Don't push your luck, Assassin."

Caren and Shinji stared at the two Servants with perplexed looks throughout all that exchange. For once, both of them had no idea of what they were talking about.

"Even still… our offer is genuine," Assassin insisted, seriously. As he spoke those words, Caren inwardly grew tense for some reason. She could detect the seriousness behind his tone, as well as the gravity of the current situation. "I'm sure you have noticed it, but the way this Holy Grail War is unfolding is unprecedented. Nothing about this conflict is how it was supposed to be. Our presence here is the very proof of that. This… This is a chance, Gilgamesh. A chance to succeed in what we've failed to accomplish before. Would you really let such an opportunity go to waste? Despite knowing that?"

Caster did not reply to that question, choosing to remain silent instead. He did not seem fazed by his words, however; judging by the bored, unamused frown on his face. He didn't even move one inch, odd as it was.

As the silence stretched out, Caren Hortensia scowled at Assassin. "You talk as if you know more than you let on. What did you do? What kind of devious, ignoble affront have you committed to discover the truth behind this War?" she demanded, going straight to the point.

The man merely smiled at his daughter's demand. "I did no such thing, young lady. The reason behind my knowledge is due to my own nature; nothing more," he replied, calm and poised.

Golden eyes narrowed in suspicion on him. "Speak plainly, Assassin."

Rasputin's smile grew. Next to him, Shinji widened his smirk.

"Let's just say that the Holy Grail and I… are connected," was the Servant's stoic reply, as if that answer were explanatory enough. After saying that, he fell silent once more, and refused to elaborate further.

The young priestess scowled at his answer. The grip on the hilt of her Black Keys increased all the more.

It didn't take her long to connect the dots after hearing that phrase.

"I see… so that's how you learned of my status as a Master," she mused, with an empty, bored tone that did not match the hostility inside her gaze. Her golden orbs teared themselves away from Assassin's stoic face, moving to glance towards his Master instead. Shinji almost faltered as the priestess turned to him. "I should have known. Once more, you've proven yourself to be useless, Shinji Matou. If it were not for your Servant's nature, you would never have discovered the truth behind this matter. And here I thought your wits could finally surprise me, for once."

Oddly enough, the heir of the Matou family did not take the bait this time. On the contrary, the smirk on his face became even more pedantic and cruel. "Spare me the sarcasm, wench. I may have relied on Assassin's knowledge, but you're no different than me in that regard. You used Caster's Clairvoyance to your advantage as well, and then forced him to share his knowledge with you thanks to the Command Seals the Church had granted you in order to become the overseer of the War… am I right?"

Caren did not reply, not offering her thoughts as she glared at the boy in full.

Seeing her silence – along with the small snort of annoyance that escaped from Gilgamesh's lips – Shinji's voice exploded into a laughing fit.

"Hehehehe… not so confident anymore, are you? Without your Servant, you would have been as clueless as me. I guess you're not as innocent as you claim, priestess," he mocked her.

Soon enough, Caren's smile returned in spite of those words. "Indeed. I did use my Servant's skill to acquire more knowledge, and I even used a Command Seal to force him to reveal the truth to me when he refused to do so on his own accord," she admitted without batting an eye, unfazed by the bold accusation. Even under Gilgamesh's annoyed stare at the reminder, her empty smile remained unchanged. "However, you and I are not the same. Why? Because I actually summoned my Servant with my own strength… unlike a certain someone who had to steal it from his sister," she spat back at Shinji with a merciless tone, her voice as blank as her face. "That's still an unavoidable truth, isn't it, oh foolish Matou?"

As expected, Shinji took offense to that. A great offence.

"Shut up!" he roared, baring his teeth into a frustrated growl. As soon as Caren spoke that taunt, the boy's previous confidence disappeared like smoke, replaced by indignant anger instead. "Assassin is mine! He CHOSE me as his Master! Sakura's role in his summoning does not matter AT ALL!" he declared.

Caren merely stared at him as if he were a speck of dirt. "Sure, sure; if you say so. I shall pray to the Lord so that He may have mercy on you."

"Tch! W-Why, you―"

While Shinji seethed in anger and Caren stared at him in disgust, Assassin observed the scene with a low chuckle all the while. He seemed rather amused by their interaction, for some reason.

"My, my… they're getting along well," he mused in a very sarcastic way, making his deep voice echo throughout the Church. Then, he returned his focus back on Gilgamesh, and widened his smile again. "What do you say, King of Heroes? Don't you think it would be interesting to share a partnership once again?"

Unfortunately for him, the answer he received was not the one he was hoping for.

"My answer will not change, Kirei, no matter how long you try to stall for time," Caster repeated once more, just as resolute as he was before. His fingers tapped on his crossed arms with a casual movement, while Shinji and Caren turned to him once again. "I have no reason to assist you in your goal this time. The completion of the Grail does not interest me any longer; and thus: I have no reason to indulge you in your quest."

Rasputin paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully.

"And what about your Master, then?" he pressed, turning his gaze towards the priestess. The girl with ashen hair narrowed her eyes upon being addressed directly, her expression turning colder in a very noticeable way. "The purpose of our alliance is the fulfillment of a Miracle. Is she not interested in such an offer? The Holy Grail is a Sacred Relic, after all."

Caren's only reaction was pointing her Black Keys at him. The hatred inside her eyes answered him enough.

Yet, Gilgamesh's next words made her pause before she could act recklessly against the enemy. "The Miracle you seek is nothing more than a delusion, Kirei," the King spoke with a bored tone. "Just because that filth spared you a couple of times, fulfilling its wish won't grant you any pleasure. You are just being used by it."

Rasputin's expression remained the same. "That is fine," he acknowledged, unwilling to relent even in spite of that admission. "As long as I bear witness to it, I don't mind becoming a tool."

As soon as she heard those words, Caren Hortensia snorted in disgust.

"Oh my… is that really something to be proud of?" she interjected at that point, unamused. When Assassin turned to her again, he was met with the sight of her disgusted frown, along with a gaze filled with disdain. The girl's cold, monotonous voice seemed even more outraged than before. "You're aware of the true nature of the Grail, and yet you pursue it in spite of that? Dear Lord… your existence is truly abominable. I feel disgusted right now."

The only reaction she received from the Servant was a smile. That exact, same smile that was sending shivers down her spine and making the hatred inside her heart grow.

"While knowing of the true nature of the Holy Grail, I care little for it myself," Grigori Rasputin explained, unwavering. "All I care about is gaining a deeper understanding of myself… and of the world that has seen fit to give life to someone as twisted as me."

Caren felt sick to her core. "…and you think that the Grail's birth will grant you that wish?" she spat, utterly outraged by that man's reasoning and the goal which fueled his actions. "I can understand your Master's selfish desire to obtain the Grail in order to be acknowledged by the Mage's Association," he gaze flickered to Shinji for a moment – who openly gritted his teeth at her sarcastic words – and then returned to the Servant dressed in Church robes. "But this dream of yours is nothing but a folly. Your desire will only bring forth death and misery; nothing more. You are broken as a human being, it seems."

Assassin closed his eyes, his smile widening in spite of those words filled with spite.

"You are correct, young lady. And yet, here I am," he admitted without batting an eye, utterly and completely aware of the twisted nature he possessed. "I have found myself here – again – in spite of my previous failures. In spite of my twisted core and the depraved nature of my wish. Surely, this has to mean something... wouldn't you agree? Why else did the Holy Grail summon me, otherwise?"

Frustrating as it was, Caren found herself unable to reply. She had no answer to that question.

After all, she couldn't exactly deny that the way in which this Holy Grail War was unfolding was… odd, at the very least. It was strange, and twisted, and wrong… even more so than what she had expected to see after all the months of studying and research she had spent in order to prepare herself for it upon having been nominated as its overseer by the Church.

Yes, it was undeniable. The conflict she was witnessing right now was twisted, and that much was obvious. It was impossible not to notice it; especially for her. Not only due to the knowledge she had gained thanks to Caster, but also because she – she, of all people – had been granted the chance to become a Master despite having been chosen as the War's overseer several months prior to its unfolding. This fact could not be denied, and it had always been a major reason of concern for her… even more so once her suspicions had been proved correct thanks to Caster's powers. That much was very obvious to her, and it had always been a huge concern for her so far.

That was why she had chosen not to openly reveal herself as a Master, for now.
And
that was also why she had forced Caster to reveal the whole truth to her once she had discovered his abilities.

It had been the most logical thing to do for her, all things considered.

Next to her, while the girl was immersed in her doubts, Gilgamesh mulled over the words of the Assassin class Servant with an unreadable face. "Is that what that filth told you?" he asked him at that point, curiously.

The fake priest just smiled at his old friend. "I'll let your wisdom figure that out," was the other's immediate comeback.

The King of Heroes closed his eyes at that answer, exhaling a sigh with a weary expression. "You really are twisted beyond any hope," he muttered, shaking his head with an unreadable frown.

Seconds passed, but no one dared to move.

Seeing that his attempts weren't working, Assassin finally began to give up. The smile dropped from his lips, and an emotionless frown took its place on his face as he sighed as well. "I see. Is this your final decision, Gilgamesh? I must say I'm disappointed. This time, things are different… you know they are," he offered again, one last time.

The King of Uruk opened his eyes, completely unfazed by those words and the meaning behind them.

"A King does not repeat himself. And we have no need to discuss what we already know," he stood firm on his previous decision, unwavering. "Unless you have something new to offer me, leave now at once. You have overstayed your welcome."

For what seemed to be an eternity, the King's dismissal made the tension in the air increase exponentially. Even Caren, who was a stoic and indifferent person by nature, couldn't help but grow wary for a bit. After all, the firm, cold glare that Caster and Assassin were sending to each other was too obvious to be dismissed, and the air around the two Servants was dropping by several degrees with each passing second. It was impossible to remain unfazed by the hostility in the air, especially for simple humans. Both Caren and Shinji could detect the prana in the air in spite of their human nature, intense as it was.

One moment, those two had been amiable and friendly with each other… and the next, they had become hostile and tense out of the blue.

It was peculiar. Very peculiar.
Eldritch, almost.

Until, unable to bear the awkward silence, the heir of the Matou family couldn't restrain himself anymore. "T-This… this is NOT how it was supposed to be," he hissed with a frustrated tone. Then, he turned to his Servant, pointing a finger at him in accusation. "Assassin! You said you knew that guy! You said he would have surely agreed on our alliance! So why are you remaining silent now, HUH?!"

Assassin didn't glance at his Master, keeping his brown eyes glued to the King's crimson ones. "That is what I thought too. However, it seems I misjudged my previous ally," he explained. "Nothing has changed at his core… but our interests are no longer aligned, unfortunately."

Gilgamesh closed his eyes, turning his back to the man without a care in the world. "There is no need for disappointment. This result was the inevitable outcome. Your interests may have aligned with those of that lacking version of me… but I am not the same. I have no interest in the Grail's completion whatsoever. And besides," he paused at that point, shooting a cold, side-long stare at the face of the Assassin class Servant. "I have no intention of taking sides with someone who is going to stab his allies in the back eventually. Wouldn't you agree?" he spoke.

Sheer and absolute silence greeted that declaration.

For a second, just for a split-second, Rasputin's expression seemed to twitch and grow serious out of nowhere. However, almost on reflex, his face soon returned to wear the same expressionless frown that both him and Caren used to share, prompting the young priestess to scowl in tension and wariness.

Until, Rasputin mused his thoughts out loud amid the absolute silence. "As expected… you're already aware of that. Your Clairvoyance is truly dangerous, Gilgamesh. It's a shame we cannot share a partnership this time," he admitted to himself with an unreadable tone.

Gilgamesh did not bother to reply. He merely closed his eyes as the other Servant remained silent, turning his back to both Assassin and his Master. "My decision is now made. I shall overlook your previous disrespect in regards to the amusement you've given me so far, but that is all the mercy I will offer you. Begone."

At that point, Caren's reaction was immediate. Way too immediate to be dismissed.

Her head snapped towards Caster with a frighteningly fast speed, her eyes gleaming with sternness as she glowered at him in anger. "Oh dear… did I misheard your words? Are you seriously telling them to leave? You must be joking, Caster," she stated to the golden King, matter-of-factly; her words laced with a distinct note of disapproval as she voiced her opinion.

The King of Uruk glanced at her in silence, his crimson orbs devoid of emotions.

Caren's eyes narrowed even further at his unfazed expression. She raised one arm, her Black Keys pointed towards Assassin's frame in a very threatening way. "That man is a twisted beast, his presence an affront to reality itself. You cannot allow him to leave. We must eradicate him here and no―"

"Be quiet, child. This matter is not for you to decide."

The King's statement cut her off mid-speech. His words were solemn and absolute; his resolve too powerful to be ignored. Even Caren, despite all she had been through so far and her status as a Master, was forced to pause and hesitate upon being faced by her Servant's powerful gaze, unable to dismiss the warning behind those words. Not a hint of hesitation was present on his face, and the decision gleaming inside those crimson orbs was way too oppressive to be denied.

Thus, in spite of her growing bitterness, Caren could do nothing but lower her arm and clench her fists, gritting her teeth in anger as Gilgamesh glared down at her in full.

From the other side of the Church, amid that tense situation, Shinji and his Servant observed that interaction in absolute silence.

Until, Rasputin's smile returned once more. The sound of his amused chuckle roused Caren from her anger.

"Oh? Such generosity… completely different from the King I know," the fake priest pondered in a very sarcastic way, amused by the intense interaction he had just witnessed. "How unexpected. Are you really sure you are the true King of Heroes?"

Oddly enough, Gilgamesh remained unfazed by the rebuke, merely glancing at the man with an expression of boredom.

Now, at this point, it was clear to everyone within the room that the time for talking was over. Caren and Gilgamesh had refused the other party's offer, twice, and despite the odd acquaintance Caster and Assassin apparently shared, a suitable compromise had not been found between the two. As such, there was no longer need for discussions. The alliance Shinji and his Servant had been hoping for was not meant to be, and that was undeniable, given the situation. Besides, Caren had openly made it very clear that she hated both Shinji and Assassin with a great passion. Shinji, due to his depraved and cowardly actions, and Assassin due to his more… 'peculiar' condition and his resemblance to her father. So, it was useless to hope for more, now that it had come to this.

In other words: this whole meeting had been for nothing. Peace was not an option anymore.

That was why Shinji was struggling to accept it.

"Damn it… DAMN IT!"

The loud, frustrated curse echoed within the walls of the Church with an angry tone. The heir of the Matou line cursed loudly without a care, spitting on the marble floor of the Church under Caren's utterly disgusted frown. "Oi, Assassin! This whole thing has been a waste of time! What are we gonna do now?!" he demanded angrily, his blue eyes narrowed into an expression of frustrated panic.

Rasputin remained calm and collected, on his part. He simply crossed both arms behind his back. "Unfortunately, there's no helping it. We shall retreat for the night, and prepare ourselves to face them as enemies in the future," he answered, explaining that outcome as if it were an inevitable prospect at that point.

Hearing those words, Caren openly smiled in mockery. "Yes, by all means, leave," she cooed, her words almost taunting in spite of her monotonous voice. Next to her, Caster was openly sighing at her blatant display of hatred towards that man, ignoring the irritated glare she sent in his direction due to his decision to let the enemies go without considering her opinion. "This is a sacred place, after all. Your prolonged presence would only sully it beyond repair."

Shinji Matou bristled in anger at the insult. As always, he couldn't stand that girl's taunts. "Don't get too full of yourself, wench. You may have refused our offer, but I'll make sure you'll regret it one day."

Caren ignored him just like she would a fly. "Hm? Did you say something? My apologies, I do not speak the language of dogs."

The sound of Shinji's gritted teeth was very obvious to miss. The boy with blue hair glowered at the priestess in full, his body trembling so much as he seethed in anger.

Once more, Assassin stopped him before things could escalate further. "Patience, Master. There's no need to trouble ourselves with useless hassles," he mediated again, almost wisely for someone so twisted. "All things shall unfold as they are meant to be, regardless of alliances and threats. The result we have obtained today will not change our plans one bit."

The young priestess with ashen-white hair was about to ask what they meant, but Caster spoke before she could manage to do so.

"Be careful with what you wish for, Kirei," he called out to him, one last time, preparing himself to return into spirit form. "Get too drunk in your own aspirations, and you'll end up failing once again."

Assassin merely sighed at those words, ignoring the sarcasm behind them.

"Rest assured, King of Heroes: I have learned from my past mistakes," he replied, glancing at the ancient Servant with an emotionless face. Then, he smiled out of the blue, sending a cold, amused stare towards the King dressed in ancient clothes. "This time, I'll make sure to bring forth a performance that not even you will be able to foresee."

All of a sudden, something happened.

A second of silence. A moment of quiet.

Then, out of nowhere… Gilgamesh paused.

He reacted.
Contrary to what anyone would have expected, he reacted.
For the first time ever since the discussion had begun, the King of Heroes finally reacted.

The golden Servant opened his eyes, his body halting all of a sudden.

A second of quietness, which stretched for an eternity.

Assassin smiled. Shinji smirked.

Then, Caren Hortensia widened her eyes, feeling her survival instinct begin to scream at her out of nowhere.

And thus, chaos ensued.


Faster than a man could blink, the two Servants reacted all of a sudden.

Caren widened her eyes, but she had no time to react accordingly.

Before she could even understand what was happening, everything turned into chaos. Gilgamesh and Assassin dashed against each other out of nowhere, moving with a speed that was impossible to see with the naked eye. They clashed one against the other, suddenly and abruptly, making the air hiss and prompting Caren to grow stunned by the sudden turn of events.

CLANG!

A powerful shockwave slammed against her frame, making the young priestess falter for a moment.

Yet, her shock lasted only for a brief moment. She collected her thoughts in a split-second, and thanks to her trained instinct she assumed a defensive stance as soon as she regained her balance. Immediately, her eyes scanned every corner of the Church, and she easily found the source of the crash that had resounded all around the place.

Assassin and Caster were engaging in combat. They were fighting and clashing against each other, both of them standing in the middle of the Church, surrounded by the benches from both sides as they moved and dashed in every direction. The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed in the air, but the movements of the Servants were so fast that the priestess was struggling to notice them all.

However, amid that blur of wind, and prana, and air, her trained eyes managed to glimpse the sight of a golden axe wielded by the King of Heroes, along with a new pair of Black Keys used by the Assassin Servant. The weapons were clashing and colliding again and again… meeting each other at an outstanding speed. The sound of each clash was so loud it was sending shivers through the air itself. Still, in spite of the unexpected turn of events, Caren managed to remain steadfast enough to put her brain into action, and she hastily moved away to distance herself from the Servants before she could be in danger.

It was a wise choice. Not even a moment later, in fact, a powerful blast of air exploded within the Church. Caster and Assassin clashed once more, both of them pushing against each other with their respective weapons. The golden axe of the King of Heroes slammed against a pair of Black Keys summoned forth by the fake priest, and the shockwave generated by the clash was so powerful that it made the very same walls of the building tremble and crack slightly. Caren managed to shield herself from the blast by taking cover behind a Church bench, avoiding the shockwave at the last split-second.

Gilgamesh and Rasputin glared at each other, the former with a thunderous frown and the latter with an empty smile.

"Oi, Kirei… what is the meaning of this?" Gilgamesh demanded with a powerful tone. All the while, Caren watched him from a distance, observing him as he kept putting pressure on the priest with his giant, golden axe. "I clearly ordered you to leave. Yet, you decided to strike without a single warning… again? You have finally lost your mind, I see."

In response, Rasputin merely widened his smile, the emptiness behind his gaze almost sickening to see. "As expected, I could not fool you after all. Was it your instinct that alerted you of my true intentions?"

"Fool. Who do you think you're talking to?"

With a roar of outrage and command, Caster swung his axe in a horizontal slash, knocking the enemy away and prompting him to leap backwards in order to put some distance. Assassin landed several meters away from him, straightening himself with an emotionless face while Caster glared down at him in full. The tension between the two Servants began to grow exponentially, drenching the air with prana and wind.

Taking advantage of the moment of pause, Caren wasted no time and placed herself next to Caster's frame before things could escalate, her body rigid and tense in case of a sudden attack. Beyond Assassin's frame, her eyes saw Shinji doing the exact same thing: the boy's head poked out from behind the altar of the Church in a very hesitant way, before he hastily ran towards Assassin with a frantic pace.

Coward, Caren inwardly scorned the boy as she watched him take cover behind Rasputin's tall body. Hiding himself at the first sign of trouble. Has he no shame?

Apparently, the golden King was not pleased with the current outcome. "Naïve. How utterly naïve. To think that you would stoop so low… I shall revise my opinion of you. Merging with that filth has turned you into the worst kind of lowlife!" he spat.

Rasputin was not fazed by his words. "Once you refused our offer, there was no need to waste our time any further. I just decided to speed up the progress, my friend."

"That's right! That's right! You are the ones who dismissed us and refused our accord!" Shinji exclaimed behind his muscular frame, pointing a finger towards them in a very mocking way. Now that things had come to this, his sadistic and twisted side was showing more clearly than before. "Now, you will pay for treating us like fools! Assassin will dispose of you both!"

Fed up with the boy's antics, Caren decided to intervene. Immediately, she summoned forth her own Black Keys again and threw them at Shinji while he was still mid-speech, without giving him a single warning. The boy widened his eyes at the unexpected attack, caught by surprise, but luckily for him Rasputin quickly moved to shield him with his body, deflecting the incoming blades with little to no effort.

Shinji glared at her in scorn as the weapons fell to the ground. "Hey, watch it! I was still talking!" he protested out loud, raising a fist.

Caren was not fazed in the slightest. "What? I just did the same thing you guys did," she defended herself, emotionless.

Even Assassin seemed to agree with her. "She's right, Master. We have no right to reprimand them at this point."

"Shut up! You should be on my side!"

"On your side?"

Suddenly, everyone turned towards the one who had spoken those words.

Gilgamesh's gaze fixed on Shinji out of the blue. The smirk on his face was wide and sarcastic. Then, much to everyone's confusion, the King of Heroes began to laugh out of nowhere, the sound of his amused chuckle echoing all around.

"Bwahahaha! Oh, the irony of this!" Gilgamesh shook his head, as if he had recalled something extremely funny. "Boy, you should really lop off your Servant's head now while you can," he spoke to Shinji amid the fit of laughter, sounding deeply amused for some reason. His crimson eyes glanced at the fake priest for a moment, the expression on his face looking both serious and sarcastic as he voiced an unexpected warning. "That man will surely betray you later. What's more: he will do it at the moment that will cause the biggest mess. You'd do well not to trust him too much."

Shinji visibly startled after hearing Caster's words, feeling both tense and confused for some reason. He had no idea of how to react upon hearing such an unexpected warning. Actually, he had no idea whether the King of Heroes was actually giving him advice or merely taunting him with those words.

In the end, there was only one reaction he could make.

"W-What…?!" the young boy sputtered.

On his part, being faced by that accusation, Assassin merely chuckled with his eyes closed. "Now, now, that was rude. You nearly hurt my pride," the fake priest groused, still keeping that empty smile on his lips. "And if I recall correctly… you were the one who encouraged me to stab my previous mentor in the back."

Gilgamesh's smirk disappeared, replaced by a sneer of derision, but he refused to indulge him this time. Instead, he did something different: he dismissed his golden axe, gathered Magical energy around his frame, and with a snap of his fingers he summoned a book out of nowhere. A stone tablet appeared in front of him out of thin air, made of rock and golden metal and covered with elegant, red and blue writings of the Mesopotamian alphabet.

Caren narrowed her eyes as she observed the golden tome falling into Caster's gauntleted hand. As soon as her gaze fell on that tablet, she immediately knew what it was, even though she had never seen it before: the Tome of Truth, a Mystic Code that was said to hold the most ancient knowledge of the world, along with the key to access the King of Heroes' vast treasury. One of the most ancient – and most powerful – Mystic Codes in existence; perhaps the strongest one a Caster could possess. Its legend was so old that it even preceded the Epic of Gilgamesh, some people believed. It could well be considered an inestimable Relic, old as it was.

Which, of course, only served to make Caren grow wary as soon as Gilgamesh opened that tome. Magical energy started to coalesce around the golden Caster's frame, and some bright, glowing writings appeared in the air right above the tome.

"Heed my words."

The King's voice echoed inside the Church.

"The Holy Grail is my possession!" Gilgamesh declared, loud and clear. All around him, wind and prana started to swirl as more and more Mana continued to gather, making his crown and clothes flutter by the increasing breeze. "Any mongrels who try to put their hands on it will receive the appropriate punishment, including you and that repulsive beast who dared to stain it with his filth!"

Caren watched with a growing sense of anticipation as dozens and dozens of golden portals suddenly appeared in the air behind the Golden King, each and every one of them filled with staffs, scepters and magical wands ready to fire at the enemy. Their brilliance was so bright that the Church was lit as if it were day again, and her golden eyes saw with crystal clear clarity the way Shinji's face filled with dread at the sight of such a blatant display of power.

However, much to her frustration – and concern – Rasputin remained completely unfazed by it. He even widened his smile, in fact.

"Regardless, I will not stop now, Gilgamesh. After all, I was summoned as a Servant this time, and it's a Servant's role to kill during a War. But as a fake priest, I'll watch over the agonies that befall you all…"

His smile turned colder all of a sudden.

"…for the sake of my goal and my dream, that is."

Gilgamesh waited no further. With a mental command, he fired a volley of blasts from his magical wands, aiming towards Assassin and his Master. The darts of light flew in the air, ready to pierce and strike, but Rasputin moved faster. He quickly pushed Shinji away, making him fall on the floor several meters away, and then moved with a speed that should not be allowed to be. He ran past the first rain of light, escaping its trajectory with a blur-like dash. The blasts slammed against the floor, making the whole Church tremble as the ground shook.

But it wasn't over. The King's wands kept firing even still, following Assassin's movements as they continued to aim at his blurred frame running to the right. In less than a second, the fake priest was forced to dodge and side-step continuously, moving in every direction in order to dodge the volley of blasts. Not even a moment later, countless arrows of prana were mercilessly shot at him with renewed vigor: they started to fly towards his body, faster than bullets, ready to pierce and tear apart.

Still, Assassin would not be fazed. Summoning another pair of Black Keys, he quickly dodged, parried and deflected the blasts with incredible precision, showing a clear display of speed and skill that made Caster narrow his eyes as he observed the man avoid and deflect his attacks effortlessly. As expected, having become a Servant thanks to the Grail's intervention had greatly boosted his strength and abilities compared to when he was just a 'simple' – if that term could be used to describe his previous life as Kirei Kotomine – human.

Yet, King Gilgamesh had already foreseen this. Consequently, he increased the fire rate of his golden portals, and he watched with a cold sense of superiority as Assassin struggled to deflect them all. Some arrows of light managed to strike true in spite of the skills the fake priest had acquired, slamming themselves against his chest and right arm while he struggled to defend himself. His Black Keys were consequently destroyed, and he was struck by two other blasts in the chest, making him grunt in pain.

However, contrary to what Assassin was expecting, the arrows of light did not pierce his body upon making contact with him. They just grazed and burned his skin like fire, making his wounds burn and smoke as if they had been scorched by the heat of the sun. In the spots hit by the blasts, his church robe was ruined and burnt, revealing the smoking, swelling skin underneath.

Rasputin glanced at the burns on his chest and arm, narrowing his eyes on the King of Heroes with an unreadable frown.

Gilgamesh stared down at him with a glare, his face and expression colder than ever.

A moment of absolute quiet passed. Caren observed the scene with rapt attention. On the other side of the Church, hidden behind a small bench, Shinji was seething and cursing with a sweating face.

Still, Assassin would not give up so easily. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and assumed a fighting stance, spreading his legs a bit and pointing the open palms of his hands towards Caster. Then, moving like a blur, he dashed forward at maximum speed and reappeared in front of the enemy Servant in less than a blink of the eye, ready to attack.

Gilgamesh eyed him sideways, reacting accordingly. He jumped backwards, avoiding a palm strike aimed at his heart that would have killed a normal human in an instant. Then, he bent his body to the side, dodging a second fist aimed at his head while a new portal of golden energy appeared right above his shoulder, blocking the enemy's arm with a staff covered in jewels. Assassin retaliated with a kick to his side, but quickly stopped himself and leaped away when two other portals appeared around him out of nowhere, shooting a few blasts of light to protect their owner. He was forced to step back and put some distance from the golden Servant, while one of the blasts scorched his cheek a bit.

When he was distant enough, Assassin exhaled a sigh, ignoring the burning sensation on his cheek. "What's wrong, King of Heroes? This kind of approach isn't like you," he spoke to him, emotionless. "Why are you holding back? A King shouldn't take his opponent lightly."

Caster just snorted, his expression unflinching. "You raise your weapons against me, and yet would speak of the ways of a King? Do not make me laugh, Assassin."

Hearing his answer, the enemy smirked in amusement. Then, without giving the other a moment of respite, he dashed forward a second time, attempting another assault. He reappeared right in front of Gilgamesh like a ghost, faster than light, with his palm open and ready to strike, aimed at his heart. Between his previous disappearance and this moment, only a mere heartbeat had passed.

Rasputin stared at Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh glared at Rasputin.

Until, out of nowhere, something happened.

Suddenly and without warning, Assassin retreated again. He stopped his attack mid-movement, just as he was about to launch his fist forward; his body twisting itself in a very odd way before he quickly jumped away again. Caren observed that scene with wide eyes, confused by Assassin's sudden retreat, but her mind quickly understood the reasoning behind that man's actions as soon as she noticed the golden glow that had manifested out of nowhere.

From the floor, in fact, just a few inches in front of Caster's feet, another pair of portals had appeared. From them, a pair of golden, shimmering chains had been shot out of nowhere, moving in the air as if they had a life of their own and slithering towards Assassin like snakes chasing their prey. They moved and dashed at maximum speed, chasing the blurred frame of Rasputin as he leaped away from left to right, clearly unwilling to let himself be caught by them.

With a scowling face, the fake priest batted away the first chain with another Key, using the weapon's small blade to slam the incoming chain to the ground. Then, he rolled out of the way, dodging the second one as it crashed against the marble floor with an explosion of dust and prana. As soon as he was able to act, he wasted no time and quickly moved to dash in his Master's direction, but the chains were quick to recover. They followed him again, faster than before, forcing Assassin to block them with another pair of blades.

Grunting a bit in effort, he struggled to resist under the pressure. However, his attempts didn't last for long. Not even three seconds later, the blades of his Black Keys started to crack, and they shattered like glass under the chains' oppressive power. Assassin was left defenseless, and he instinctively tried to bat them away with his bare hands, unable to dodge them.

However, that was a mistake.

The reaction was immediate. At the very same moment in which his right hand slapped the chain in an attempt to push it away, the bondage made of Magical energy quickly twisted and wrapped itself around his wrist, trapping his arm into a tight grip. Rasputin winced with a low hiss, but it was too late at this point. As soon as the first chain grasped his arm, it quickly blocked his movement, and he was left defenseless when the other chain arrived. Soon enough, both his arms were trapped by the bondages, rendering him unable to break free or turn into spirit form. They blocked him on that spot, spreading his arms wide and forcing him to fall on his knees with a powerful tug.

And thus, just like that, silence and peace returned to reign inside the Church of Fuyuki city.

Shinji Matou could not believe his eyes. "A-Assassin!" he cried, sounding clearly distressed by that sight. "What the hell are you doing?!"

No answer came from his Servant. Even from his kneeled position, he just kept staring at Caster straight in the eyes.

Caren sighed after a while, finally stepping away from the sideline now that the battle was as good as over. "That was pathetic," she commented, lazily, her empty voice devoid of feelings. Yet, she seemed rather amused as she stared at Assassin's chained frame, along with the sweating face of his Master. "But I guess I should have expected it. This battle was pointless from the beginning."

She placed herself next to Gilgamesh, smiling at Assassin with a mocking glare filled with disgust. Much to her confusion, however, she quickly noticed that the chained Servant was openly ignoring her, just like he did with his own Master. Even Caster was not looking at her, his crimson eyes glued solely to the fake priest's brown ones.

Caren halted abruptly, staring at the two Servants with a growing sense of anxiety.

"…Kirei, you fool. What have you done?"

The words of the King of Heroes reached her ears loud and clear, despite the tone behind them being as low and wary as it could ever be. Caren felt inwardly restless as she noticed the seriousness behind his tone, along with the deep scowl on the King's royal face and the unreadable glint inside his crimson orb. He looked tense – tense like never before – even in spite of his stoic and arrogant frown. Even in spite of his enemy chained and imprisoned right in front of him.

The Servant of the Assassin class smiled an empty smile. Chained as he was, he looked both defenseless and serene at the same time. "There is no need for words, Gilgamesh," he replied in an even tone, calm and poised as he could ever be. "You know how I am. If there's something that can't be seen from the seat, I shall go up to the stage to see it. That's how I always was."

Caster shook his head, his expression assuming a weary, resigned frown. "…to think you would go to such lengths. It seems you've sold far more than your body to that freak."

Caren eyed them both. "…hey, you two. What is going on here?" she demanded, unable to understand.

Both Servants ignored her.

"In my defense, I had no choice," Rasputin continued to speak, completely ignoring the priestess and her probing glare. "I knew from the first moment I learned of your summoning that your presence would have been an obstacle for us. Surely, you can understand my reasoning."

Then, at that point, Rasputin's eyes gleamed with an unreadable emotion as he sharpened his gaze, that fake, empty smile still planted on his lips.

"But there's no need for idle chats. After all, you already know it all," he stated with conviction, his voice sounding so odd that it was hard to tell whether he was actually appraising or taunting him. "That's why you've sent the others to the forest, isn't it? You knew I was going to come for you tonight, and you decided to clear the stage ahead of time."

A faint snort escaped the King's lips. "Do not get ahead of yourself. A King's decision cannot be dictated by a mere mongrel's choice," he spat, crossing his arms as he dismissed his words.

Assassin nodded at the dismissal, but insisted nonetheless. "Ah, yes. Your goal was not to make them clash and fight against each other… but to have them all grouped in the same place, at the right moment. You knew we were going after the vessel of the Lesser Grail… as expected of the King of Heroes. Your knowledge is truly dangerous."

The Golden King remained unfazed by his praise. Caren attempted to talk again.

"Excuse me―"

"And now what?" her Servant cut her off – again – looking as solemn as a statue as he continued to glare down at Assassin's chained frame. "Is this all you came here for? Just to test your luck? You knew that fighting against me would have been a lost cause. Everything you did tonight was pointless."

Rasputin chuckled, low and amused. "No, it wasn't pointless," he countered, serious as well. "I did manage to glimpse your powers, after all. Now, I think I have a solid understanding of the way your Clairvoyance works."

Caster's whole body tensed at his words. The glare in his eyes soared all the more.

He was about to retort, but Caren Hortensia interrupted him. The young priestess was growing angry, and she couldn't stand being ignored so blatantly.

"Enough. I'm growing tired of these mind games," she spat, stepping between Caster and Assassin with a thunderous frown. Her hands lurched towards Rasputin's neck, the blades of her Black Keys ready to pierce his trachea without hesitation. "You will tell me what's going on, or I swear―"

Gilgamesh's hand grasped her wrist. His hard, powerful grip stopped her abruptly.

The young priestess rounded on him, only to falter in shock under his cold, worried expression.

All the while, Grigori Rasputin chuckled amusedly…

…while a black, tar-like liquid began to drip from his skin out of nowhere.

"I told you, haven't I?" The voice of the fake priest echoed inside the Church, prompting Caren to widen her eyes as she stared at his chained frame with a stunned expression. "This time, I'll make sure to bring forth a performance that not even you will be able to foresee."

Caren widened her eyes. Gilgamesh clicked his tongue.

Until, before the young priestess could even begin to understand what was happening, chaos erupted once more.

What happened next, it happened in a blur for her. All Caren managed to see was a wide, black expanse of liquid suddenly erupting beneath Assassin's body, appearing out of nowhere, just below his feet. It enveloped the fake priest in full, covering his entire frame in the blink of an eye and painting the world with a pitch-black color. At the same time, the sound of Shinji's cruel and twisted laughter echoed all around her out of the blue, but no matter how much she tried to locate his presence, the heir of the Matou family was nowhere to be seen. He had disappeared without a trace – just like his Servant – and Caren was unable to detect him.

Then, the rest of what followed was too much to comprehend.

The black mud exploded, and her world was enveloped in darkness. All she could see was a blur of undefined images and screams amid that pitch-black expanse, while the sound of shattering chains echoed all around her ears. The ground shook beneath her feet, making her lose her balance. The world spun and shook before her eyes, and she faintly managed to glimpse Caster's frame shielding her from something. Every fiber of her being shuddered and trembled, as if caressed by something unfathomable. Sweat, and fear, and horror began to cloud her spinning world, and amidst all that cacophony of sounds… everything lost sense, purpose, and color.

For a moment, just before she passed out, she forgot it all. Assassin and Caster. Shinji and the alliance. The Holy Grail War and her duty. Everything disappeared for her… until only darkness remained. Eventually, her world spun once more, and she felt her consciousness wave in distress. Amid the dark, she faintly felt something grabbing her by the waist, while the screech of something abominable echoed in the distance. The poor girl couldn't be sure of it, given the chaos and noise that were covering the world, but she could almost swear that the last thing she saw before falling into unconsciousness was a glimpse of the moon shining above her head.

A moon that was dark and black as the night, shining down on her with its pale and empty light.

Then, her world went silent, and she could feel nothing at all.


When she finally came to be, Caren Hortensia woke up with a gasp.

She rose up abruptly, her face coated in sweat as she panted and wheezed. For a moment, just for a split moment, the sight of that dark, pale moon flashed before her blurred eyes one last time, before it disappeared as quickly as it came. The priestess breathed in and out, quickly, trying to regain her composure and calm her restless mind. Finally, when she managed to calm down a bit, she glanced around to observe her surroundings, and she was greeted by a sight different from the previous one.

"Hmph. Are you awake yet?"

Cold, sarcastic words devoid of feels were the first thing that greeted her waking. Golden eyes glanced to the left, the familiar silhouette of her Servant greeting her sight. However, the girl was unable to reply; her mind was too foggy and confused to grasp the reality of what was happening. Eventually, she managed to dispel her lingering shock, and she started to realize where she was and how she had come to awaken.

As far as she could tell, she was laying on an empty bench on the side of a quiet road, just outside the courtyard of the Church. To the left, just a few meters away from her, Gilgamesh was staring down at her in boredom, seated on another bench close to hers with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his eyes half-lidded in an expression of boredom. Nothing and no one was in sight except for the two of them, both Master and Servant seated under the starry, dark sky which stood unmoving above Fuyuki city. Everything seemed calm and quiet around the two, allowing her to relax and dismiss her inner tension.

The quietness of the night was peaceful, and reassuring. The lights of the city below could be seen in full from the hilltop on which they were located right now, and the only sound that broke the silence at the moment was the occasional chirping of the crickets hidden in the grass, along with the cawing of the crows perched on the trees.

Eventually, Caren Hortensia exhaled a sigh. A heavy one.

She took a deep breath, donning a hand over her sweating face.

"…what happened?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse, as if she had just awoken from a twisted and haunting nightmare.

Caster closed his eyes, humming to himself as he turned his gaze away. "They escaped," was all he said, as if that answer was the only one that mattered to her.

In a way, he knew that he was right.

"…you mean that you've let them go?" Caren spat in a sarcastic tone, her face rounding on him again with a sharp and frosty glare. In spite of her sweating face, the displeasure behind her words was simply too obvious to be missed, just like the outrage and anger that flashed in her golden orbs.

Gilgamesh did not reply, completely uncaring of her words and rage.

The girl with ashen-white hair clenched her fists, lowering her face until her bangs shadowed her eyes. "Why did you do that?" she asked, with a quiet voice that was too stern to be dismissed in full.

For a moment, Caster remained silent. In the end, just when Caren was starting to think that he would not share his reasoning with her, he finally decided to reply.

"I was busy trying to save your life," he explained, scoffing with a sarcastic tone. Faced with her unamused stare, he opened one eye to glance in her direction. "You should be grateful, brat. If it weren't for me, the rubbles would have buried you in full."

Confusion flickered in her turbulent mind. That answer was not the one she was expecting. "…rubbles?" the girl repeated, unable to understand what he meant. Then, realization dawned upon her, and her eyes widened in worry as a vicious thought darted inside her head.

The girl stood up from the bench, her legs moving quickly in the direction of the Church. She slammed the gates open, stepping inside the courtyard with a fast and frantic pace. Upon going beyond the gates, her eyes were met with another sight she was not expecting to see. One that she never – ever – thought she would have seen, not even in her wildest dreams. One that prompted her to pause and startle in disbelief, exhaling a soft gasp as she stared at it in denial.

The Church had been destroyed.

Rubbles and fire stood in its place.

She almost could not believe it. The Church was gone, the entire building demolished and devastated. In the spot where the sacred building used to be, now only rubbles and debris stood in its place. Nothing had been spared: the Church, the naves, the garden… even her home, the rectory which used to be placed right next to the main building: gone. Everything had been reduced to ash. Flames and cinders flickered above the rubbles, covering the site while a few columns of smoke kept rising towards the sky.

Caren Hortensia stood still in disbelief, her mind struggling to process what she was witnessing in front of her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists as her nose detected a very peculiar smell. A smell that surrounded the place in spite of the smoke, and that she had briefly experienced before, in the tense seconds prior to her fainting.

The stench of death, sickness, and hatred. One that was as intense and nauseating as very few others.

Eventually, the girl with ashen hair lowered her eyes, taking a deep breath in order to restrain her struggling emotions.

"Do not act brashly," the voice of her Servant addressed her at that moment. Caster appeared next to her in a cloud of golden dust, his arms crossed on his chest while he kept his eyes closed in apathy. "If you stay here too long, things will only get troublesome. The smoke is visible from the city below. Soon enough, others will arrive to check the damage. I can sense a few people heading here as we speak."

Caren did not reply. Instead, she took a deep breath again, turning to face her Servant with a deep frown.

"Caster… why did you do it?"

Her words were a question, but they sounded like a command.

The King of Heroes cared not one single bit. "If you have something to say, then say it," he stated, resolute and stoic as he could ever be. His eyes glanced at her in boredom, studying her reaction with a cold gaze that was very hard to read. "Speak up. Only a weakling minces their words in front of a King."

"…why did you let this happen?" the girl elaborated, her voice low – extremely lower – than usual. And colder too. "Why did you allow them to go, and to destroy this sacred place? My home?"

Gilgamesh waited a few seconds before voicing his reply. His voice was calm and poised as he answered without batting an eye. "You know as well as I do the answer to that," he spoke, completely unfazed by her distressed state. As expected of him, of course. "This place is one of the evocation sites of the Lesser Grail, as well as an established safe-zone for those who wish to flee from the Holy Grail War. By destroying it, our enemies have effectively broken the rules, cutting off the veil of neutrality once and for all. They have sent us a message. From now on, no one is safe anymore."

"You didn't answer my question."

Caren spat those words with a resentful and frustrated hiss. It was very uncommon for her – almost rare – to display so openly her emotions with her voice. Caren was an Exorcist. A girl who had been trained from a young age to kill and fight, and who had witnessed the dark side of the world ever since she was a child. She had spent her short life in a world filled with fighting, dealing with heresies and hunting down the enemies of the Holy Church. Thanks to that upbringing and her dangerous profession, she had become accustomed to burying her emotions. She had become used to hiding her true feelings, and to face every situation with a cold face, a steady mind, and an impartial heart.

However, due to all the things she had witnessed tonight, her icy mask had been momentarily fractured.

Caster knew that. He knew that extremely well, even without the influence of his Clairvoyance and powers. The unexpected meeting between her and her father had shaken her quite a bit.

Thus, in spite of his mild annoyance, he allowed her to rage in front of him, ignoring her resentment and dismissing it with a sigh.

"That man… you knew him." Caren continued her rant, unwilling to relent due to her anger. As she spoke those words, her voice began to drip with resentment and a distinct note of outrage. "You were, and still are, familiar with him. Why did you not tell me? Why did you not share that information with me?"

Gilgamesh did not react to her anger, eyeing the priestess coldly as she glared at him in scorn. The anger and hatred in her golden eyes were enormous, too fresh and vivid to not be noticed. It was a rare sight, one that would not be easily seen by any person who was familiar with her.

Yet, the King of Heroes cared not for such frivolous details. "The answer is obvious: it wouldn't have made any difference," he answered, plain and direct. Almost as if he couldn't care less of her opinion and thoughts about this matter. Which wasn't surprising, given his nature. "Besides, your reasoning is misguided, child. I am not familiar with that man. I was merely aware of his presence and his past due to my powers. The Archer he was familiar with is not the same as me. We are completely different beings."

Caren would not be fooled. "That doesn't change the fact that you kept his presence hidden from me."

"Do not test my patience, brat. I am the One, True King. I answer to no one, and I do what I please," he warned her, sternly, with a dangerous glint in his eyes that made Caren pause in spite of her anger. She simply couldn't help it, given who he was. "Besides, after the summoning, you used a Command Seal to force me to reveal the truth about the Grail's nature and the true enemy we are about to face. You did not ask me to reveal every little detail about the War and the Servants who were called forth to fight in it."

Hearing that answer, Caren narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. Frustrating as it was, she could understand that much. Caster was right about this. Upon summoning him a week ago, she had used a Command Seal to force him to share the truth about the real nature of the Holy Grail… but she had not ordered him to reveal the identity of every Master and Servant pair. All her knowledge about those matters had been due to her own research and the occasional clues Caster had offered to her out of boredom during the previous days. Therefore, she couldn't exactly deny his reasoning on this matter. Her lack of knowledge and foresight about this had only been due to her own carelessness and overconfidence, not due to the King of Heroes.

But that wasn't what was pissing her off the most. Not right now, at least.

"Even if that's true, why did you let them go?" she pressed, taking a step forward and raising her head to glare at him even more. For once, she did not care one single bit about his status as a King or his powers as the first Hero of humanity. This matter was way too important to her. Way too heavy. Way too personal, to be ignored. "You knew they were about to come tonight. Why did you allow them to escape, instead of killing them both?"

Once more, the answer she received stunned her a bit.

"A King must not make foolish mistakes," the golden Servant stated seriously, looking almost solemn as he glanced at the sky. "Killing them both would have been a mistake. It wouldn't have been wise for us."

Caren was skeptical, eyeing her Servant with a frown and an icy gaze. "Oh really? Care to explain why?" she pressed.

Gilgamesh turned to the girl again, opening one eye to gaze at her in seriousness.

"Because if they're gone, the enemy will start to react."

The priestess fell silent at that, pursing her lips into a firm, hard line.

No matter how much she loathed it, no matter how frustrating it was, she knew that Caster was right. Again. If Assassin and his Master had truly died tonight, then the enemy would have begun to react more strongly. It would have started to react more harshly, and take action against them all. The death of a Servant would have forced the Grail to advance the conflict and speed up things, after all; and this would have undoubtedly destroyed the stability that she and Caster – along with the Lord and his allies – were so desperately trying to maintain in order to prepare for the next phase of the War.

So, in a sense, Caster had been right about his decision to let Assassin and Shinji go. Actually, now that she thought about it, those two must have been aware of this as well. That must have been the reason behind their confidence, along with their decision to attack them so suddenly: because they knew that their death would have been counterproductive for her and Caster. Because they knew they couldn't be defeated. Not yet, at the very least.

Sound as it was, that realization only served to sour her mood even further.

The young priestess clenched her fists, lowering her face a bit as she forced herself to calm down a bit.

In the end, she still couldn't let go of this matter so easily. Not when her home had been destroyed by the enemies. And especially not when her father had suddenly appeared among those enemies out of nowhere. Exorcist or not, Caren was still a human being. She couldn't simply forget about her feelings so quickly.

"Even still… couldn't you have settled things in another way?" she asked, her voice assuming a more composed, neutral tone; similar to the emotionless one she was used to sharing with everyone. Her frosty glare had still not entirely disappeared, however. "Killing them or not, you knew those two were bound to come to us tonight. Why did you allow them to leave and destroy my home? We could have captured them both, and used them as we pleased."

Oddly enough, Caster seemed to hesitate after hearing that question. Until – much to Caren's confusion – he exhaled a weary sigh as he pondered how to answer, suddenly looking more tired for some unknown reason.

Caren observed him with a narrowed frown as his face twitched in annoyance. Then, the King of Uruk sighed again, and muttered his answer with a sneer of utter disgust.

"…because I did not know what the outcome of this meeting would be."

Seconds passed, followed by silence.

Caren stared at him, long and hard. Her eyes narrowed on his frame even further.

Until, her only reaction was a blink. "…pardon?" she asked, unable to understand. She felt as if she had misheard his words somehow.

But on the contrary, she had heard them loud and clear.

"I am the King of Heroes. My powers are absolute, and there is nothing that can elude my knowledge," Gilgamesh stated matter-of-factly under her questioning stare, with a solemn and haughty tone that left no room for discussion. However, as soon as he spoke those words, his expression frowned a bit, and he teared his gaze away as he stared into the distance. Something akin to frustration began to blossom on his royal face. "Nothing… except for one, single thing."

The priestess of Fuyuki observed him in silence, her face betraying not even an ounce of emotion.

Seeing how Caster refused to elaborate further, the girl donned a hand on her cheeks. "I see," she muttered in the end, exhaling a weary sight as she attempted to digest the news. "I guess everything makes sense now. The renowned King of Heroes… is nothing but a charlatan."

His reaction was immediate, as well as unexpected.

With a frighteningly fast movement, Gilgamesh snapped his head to her, his eyes wide and stunned in a very comical way. Even his tattooed body seemed to falter a bit as those words reached his ears amid the incredulous silence.

"Y-You…! Brat, what did you just say?" he spat, glaring at the young priestess with an outraged face. He sounded both incredulous and offended, actually. As if he could not believe what his Master had just said about him.

Caren just eyed him coldly. "Oh dear, did I stutter? I said you're a charlatan," she repeated, loud and clear, making sure to put an emphasis on that word and pronounce it in a very audible way. "A sham. A phoney. You claim to know all there is to know, but now it turns out that you've been lying all along. There is actually something you cannot foresee with your powers, and yet you've kept this fact hidden from me and shrugged it off as nothing. How disappointing. Truly, this is the most shocking news I've received tonight… my goodness."

…considering everything that had happened in the last few hours for her, it was quite the insult. One that Caster could not dismiss so easily, being who he was.

"How dare you say that to my face?!" the King of Uruk bellowed, in a very outraged way. He placed his hands on the hips, staring at his young Master with an incredulous expression mixed with anger. "I am the greatest King this earth has ever birthed! You would do well not to forget your place!"

"Oh my, look at how he's panicking… did I actually strike a nerve, Caster?"

"You cheeky rascal! Master or not, I shall not tolerate such an affront on your part!"

"Is that so? Why did you never mention this to me prior to this night, then?"

"Tsk. I had no reason to share anything with you. If it weren't for the Command Spell you wasted on me, I wouldn't even have told you about the Grail and the War in the first place," he stated, resolute and haughty. "As I said: I am the One, True King, and I shall do what I please. Our contract is nothing but a farce, and that is an indisputable tru―"

"So it was a matter of pride, I see. My goodness, you really are a charlatan after all."

"OI, BRAT! DO NOT TEST MY PATIENCE!"

King Gilgamesh exploded with a furious shout – one that felt uncharacteristically comic, coming from him – prompting Caren to look at him in silence with a dull, unamused stare. The silence stretched out for a while after that sudden and unexpected outburst… until Caster seemed to realize what he had done. Consequently, he forced himself to calm down, recollecting himself and closing his eyes as he muttered under his breath. He even cleared his throat under the priestess' unrelenting stare, turning his head away from her with an angry and annoyed frown.

Finally, when he seemed to have calmed down enough, Caren exhaled a sigh. "…if what you said is true… does it mean that the others are in danger right now?" she asked at that point, staring at Gilgamesh straight in the eyes. "Do you actually know if they'll manage to survive tonight?"

Much to her relief, Caster brushed off her concerns with a scoff. He even closed his eyes in superiority while he answered. "Of course I do. As if one minor hindrance in my foresight could actually trick me into making mistakes... everything shall unfold as it is meant to be, and I care little whether you believe me or not, after tonight."

The girl eyed him sternly. Seeing him return to his haughty self after the previous admission reassured her a bit, however.

"Pretty confident, aren't you? Why don't you bring me there, then? Let's see if you're really being honest or not," she challenged him, curving her lips into a cold, emotionless smile.

Gilgamesh merely snorted at her skepticism, raising his chin in a haughty movement. "Nonsense. Why should I lift a hand to meddle in affairs that will resolve themselves? I'm far too busy for that," he countered, making that claim as if it were an unassailable truth. "A King always bides his time; and as the greatest King of all, I must set an example. Though, I suppose that is inscrutable for those who haven't ruled over a nation, like you."

For the sake of her growing migraine, Caren decided to let this matter go for good. Tonight had been stressful enough, after all.

"Sure, sure, if you say so. In that case, you will come with me and help me find a new place to stay," she declared at that point, with a cold and solemn tone that left no room for discussion. As soon as she saw his annoyed glare, she turned to him with a glare of her own. "My Church was destroyed because of you. You shall make sure to remedy that by accompanying me tonight and buying me a new place to live. Is that clear?"

Caster observed her long and hard. He crossed his arms in a very slow movement. "Don't get too full of yourself, Caren. It wouldn't be wise for you to make an enemy out of me."

The priestess remained completely unfazed. She merely raised her right hand a bit. "By the power of my Command Se―."

"Enough with the Command Seals already! Do you realize how valuable they are?!"

Gilgamesh's shout echoed in the air, his expression blossoming into full-blown annoyance as he rounded on the girl.

The King's outraged cry stunned everything into silence. His usually detached face was now a mixture of rage, annoyance and disbelief all combined together as he glared at his young but outrageous Master. He even donned a hand on his face after that outburst, stunned beyond words by the way this girl had managed to make him lose his cool twice in a row. He honestly couldn't believe it.

"Good grief. Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. "To think that you and that man share the same blood. Your father never dared to use a Command Seal on me before."

Caren ignored those words. She just turned away swiftly, without batting an eye; leaving the courtyard with a fast and solemn step as she headed towards the gates.

"I am not my father," she spat.

Caster eyed her sideways, watching the girl in silence as she kept walking further and further away under the glow of pale moonlight above. He shook his head in an annoyed gesture as he moved to follow her, exhaling a sigh filled with exasperation as they left the rubbles of the Church, and of their previous home, all behind them for good.

Hmph, he thought, disappearing into his spirit form. I shall be the judge of that.


.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/

.

I narrow my eyes, my body still hidden through my spirit form. The small girl who introduced herself as 'Illya' is staring at Rin with amusement, the black giant next to her glaring down on us without emotion. Next to my Master, Saber and the boy are as tense as they can ever be. The fool is sweating so much that I can hear his panicked heartbeat. He is losing his focus quickly, allowing the panic to overwhelm him in full.

Unlike him, however, Rin doesn't lose her cool even in front of that monster towering above us. On the contrary, she is studying the enemy with a sharp and analytical gaze. "…I'm surprised. That thing surpasses Saber in raw power," she muses, staring at the giant warily as she takes a step back.

I watch as she glares at the monster, clicking her tongue in a frustrated way. In her eyes, I see despair… but also the spirit to not lose to it. In spite of her worried mind, she is struggling to overcome her fears, still maintaining a focused mind.

"Archer… this isn't an enemy that can be beaten head on. You should fight it in your unique style."

Her whisper reaches my ears with a tone of utter decision.

I glance at her in my spirit form, my body already moving to obey. "Understood. But what about your defense?" I point out, unwilling to let her face that beast on her own. "If that thing decides to charge at you, you won't be able to defend yourself."

Rin already knows that. I can feel her emotions through our shared mental bond. "There are three of us here. If all we need to do is defend, we should be able to manage for a bit," she says.

I nod at her words, and move to obey her will. As I leave the street with a silent jump, I hear the smaller girl giggling in amusement.

"Are you done chatting now?" she asks, glancing at Rin and the boy with a smile devoid of glee. "Then, I'll kill you now. Get them, Berserker."

The last thing I hear before I move to fulfill my duty is the roar of the giant echoing in the air, along with the clash of metal as Saber moves to intercept him.

.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/

.


Location: Suburbs of Fuyuki City (Japan)
Einzbern Castle

(======)

Breathe in. Breathe out. That was the key, Artoria told herself.

She tried to focus her mind, but in the current situation, it was a hopeless cause. Nothing could describe the emotions raging inside her heart right now. There was simply no way to put into words the sheer amount of shock, and tension, and fear her body was experiencing as she watched, with a growing sense of horror, that black and imposing figure emerging from the soil.

Next to her, Lord El-Melloi II and his Rider seemed to be as concerned and worried as she felt. The sweat running down their faces was simply too copious to be missed. But on the other side of the destroyed courtyard, even the enemies were no exception. Illyasviel von Einzbern and her homunculus maid Sella were staring at the bubbling puddle of Mana with wide, stunned eyes; kneeling on the ground with a baffled and lost expression. The shock and tension amid both groups were simply too overwhelming, and the feeling of something unfathomable – of something twisted – began to drench the air itself as the smell of Mana began to grow.

A stench so foul, so nauseating that Artoria almost felt sick to her very core.

However, even in spite of this impossible reality, even in spite of that mind-blowing sight, someone amid the group managed to react all the same.

"Hera…cles?"

The voice of the Berserker class Servant echoed through the silence, whispered from a sweating face with a tone of sheer disbelief.

No reply came from the creature to whom that whisper had been uttered. The black giant rose to his feet without saying a single word, his body so tall and imposing that every man would have felt like an ant compared to him. He was tall, and muscular, and wide; almost colossal in his entire stature… completely naked and showing off his inhumanly-built body with the exception of a skirt similar to those worn by the warriors of ancient Greece, adorned with armored plates and a pair of steel bracelets and anklets. The amount of muscles on his pitch-black body was impressive even compared to a Servant's standard, and his presence alone was so powerful and intimidating that every person staring at him had been frozen into shock. Artoria, Waver, Illyasviel, Sella… even Rider and Berserker. Each and every one of them had been stunned into silence by the giant's mere sight, and they could do nothing but stare in wariness as he rose from the swirling liquid. The sight of his colossal body was sending shivers down their spines― no, that wasn't right. Shivers were an understatement… because not just their body, but everyone's mind had been frozen as well.

Realization, then, was quick to follow. That thing was a monster. That much was instantly clear for them. For them all, Artoria included. They couldn't understand why, they weren't even close to him, but the giant's sight alone had rooted them to the spot. This fact alone was more than enough for all the humans, homunculi and Servants there to understand the threat that lone figure posed to them.

No one dared to move, no one spoke a single word.

The wind started to blow above the ruined courtyard of the Einzbern Castle, and a chill ran down Artoria's back as the temperature dropped even further. The heir of the Pendragon line watched – with a growing sense of fear – as the ground beneath the giant's feet had turned into a black pond: the puddle of mysterious Mana from which the creature had just emerged was now bubbling and trashing all the more, continuing to agitate as its stench filled the air.

Seconds passed, followed by silence.

Everyone was unable to move. They just watched in shock as the giant stood still in the crater of rubble, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread wash over them under the beast's powerful presence.

Until, after an indefinite amount of time, someone finally broke the silence at last.

"N-No way… it can't be…!"

Illya's incredulous whisper cut through the stillness, echoing in the night with a tone of pure disbelief. Her voice was low and stunned, her tone filled with bewilderment. And yet, everyone heard that. The silence drenching the air was so absolute that her words could be heard loud and clear.

Even the homunculus maid, Sella, was staring at the creature with an expression of utter shock. "M-My Lady… is that really…?" she stuttered, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The odd duo was stunned and baffled. They could not believe their eyes. Artoria was staring at them intently, studying their reaction from afar, and inside their eyes… the girl noticed something. A small glimpse. A feeling. An emotion. One that was clearly being displayed in their wide and crimson eyes, and that none of them was expecting to see there.

It was a very strange emotion. One that the girl wasn't expecting. One that was so strong and unexpected that it outclassed even the shock and fear the two homunculi were both displaying. The one and only emotion Artoria had never seen on their faces so far, not even once, throughout the entirety of their previous battle.

Recognition.
The very same emotion that Atalanta was exuding from her body.

Artoria, Waver and Rider narrowed their eyes, glancing at each other as they noticed that odd reaction.

Yet, they had no time to mull and ponder about it. Even the two homunculi themselves didn't manage to collect their thoughts… for the one who was stunned the most right now, was none other than their very own Servant.

"Y-You… it really is you."

Emerald eyes turned to the right. Artoria teared her gaze away from Illya and the maid, focusing her attention on the Servant of the Berserker class.

On the other side of the crater, divided by debris and smoke, Atalanta's stunned words echoed with a broken hiss. The Chaste Huntress was standing on the rubble, shielding her small Master and the maid behind her body with an expression that was tense in both surprise and anticipation. She was staring straight at the giant's face, her complexion paling more and more as she struggled to understand the reality that was in front of her. She looked completely baffled – almost comically so – as if she could not believe what her eyes were witnessing in this chaotic situation.

Artoria and her allies noticed it as well. They watched in absolute silence as the huntress they had been fighting so far took a single step forward, placing herself in front of Illya and Sella as she spoke to the black giant with a tone of absolute shock.

"How can this be?" the female Servant whispered with an incredulous voice. She was shaking her head in disbelief, her golden eyes widened in an expression of utter bewilderment. "Heracles. H-How is this possible? Why are you here?!"

Gone was her beast-like demeanor, replaced by an overwhelming tension. Now, for the first time in a long while, the Servant of the Berserker class could not believe her own eyes; the sight of that mysterious creature having stunned her into shock. Never, not even in her wildest dreams, she could have imagined to be faced with this kind of development. To meet one of her previous companions in this odd and peculiar scenario, during a Holy Grail War. The surprise and disbelief in her feral face were so powerful that they almost made her forget her Mad Enhancement, for a split-second.

Yet, the black figure seemed unfazed by it. He did not attempt to speak, he made no comments to Atalanta's shock. He didn't even seem to register her words in the first place. Instead, he opened his closed eyes, and stared at the world with a gaze of crimson color.

And then, with a snarl and a beast-like growl, he parted his lips and shouted a howl, letting out a mighty roar that shook both heaven and earth.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Rider, Waver and Artoria gasped. Illya, Sella and Berserker cried out in surprise.

The muscular giant bellowed, roaring at the sky like a beast howling at the moon. His whole body was black, covered from head to toe with mud and prana. Even his long, black hair was stained and lifeless, dripping wet with the foul-smelling liquid from which he had been summoned. Then, under everyone's stunned gaze, a menacing weapon was pulled out from the mud with the tug of his arm, and the giant brandished it with one hand alone.

A colossal, odd-looking sword-axe made of rock cut through the air, while the creature roared his fury with a monstrous cry of battle.

Then, just like that, the moment of stillness was suddenly broken.

Artoria widened her eyes. Her allies gaped in disbelief―

―while the muscular creature disappeared out of nowhere, vanishing from the crater without making a single noise.

Charlemagne gasped in shock, his head snapping to the right with a frighteningly fast speed. "Watch out!" he cried.

Luckily, his shout of warning was fruitful. With a loud gasp, Berserker roused from her stupor, taking advantage of her outstanding speed to react at the right time. Rider watched in slow-motion as the giant suddenly reappeared right in front of Atalanta's frame, with his face morphed into a furious snarl and his stone weapon raised in a swing. Berserker turned to him swiftly, fear and shock written all over her face, but she still managed to defend herself accordingly thanks to her well-developed instinct.

She summoned her bow with a swift mental command, and used it to shield herself from the slash by thrusting the weapon forward at the last split-second. The colossal sword of rock slammed against the dark-blue length of the bow with a concussive shockwave of both prana and wind, making the air itself cry out in pain as the ground around them shook. Illya and Sella screamed in horror behind Berserker's frame, watching in distress as the female Servant struggled to resist under the mighty power of the blow. From the other side of the crater, Artoria and her allies were all shocked beyond words.

"N-NNGH―! AAARGH!"

Atalanta roared in pain, hissing like an animal as she struggled to withstand the giant's monstrous strength. Her arms were visibly trembling while they attempted to contain the blow, her whole body sinking in the ground as the creature put pressure on her with one arm alone. She was being pushed by a force so brutal that no living being should be ever allowed to possess it; the sheer power behind the giant's arm so intense and unyielding that she almost couldn't believe it. Her legs were sinking in the ground more and more by the second.

"He-Heracles!" the woman shouted, sweating and howling in both pain and distress under the creature's overwhelming strength. "It's m-me! Atalanta! W-What's gotten into you?! Why are you doing this?!"

Unfortunately for her, the giant did not react to her desperate and distressed plea.

Instead, the beast did something different: he continued his assault. He batted away Berserker's bow with a twist of his weapon, and with his other free arm, before Atalanta could react, he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her with his hand, holding her in place. The Chaste Huntress choked and sputtered under the tight, deadly hold; the grip around her neck so powerful that her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as she struggled to breathe. Her legs kicked in the air, unable to break free as the giant kept holding her tight, and she attempted to retaliate by punching and slashing his muscular arm, desperately trying to free herself from the death grip around her collar.

But it was no use. Her claws sunk deep into the giant's arm, drawing – much to her shock – mud instead of blood. The very same liquid from which the beast had been summoned began to leak out from the gash, dripping on the ground with a wet and repulsive splat. Yet, the creature remained unfazed by it, his expression constantly morphed into a snarl of absolute madness. Berserker hissed in fury under his mad and beast-like glare, kicking him on the chest as she kept slashing and punching his arm.

In response, the giant roared again. With a tug of his arm, he slammed her on the ground while the Servant kept trashing and slashing at him, making pressure on her while Atalanta cried out in pain. Then, he lifted her up again, and tossed her whole body aside as if she were nothing but a weightless sack of meat, making her fly in the air for several meters, unable to react.

All the while, the others observed the scene with a growing sense of fear. Artoria watched in horror as Berserker crashed against the walls of the Castle, her whole frame disappearing in a cloud of dust and debris as the crash completely obliterated the fortress' main entrance like nothing, leaving only rubbles and smoke behind. Just like her, Waver and Rider were stunned beyond words, utterly horrified by this sudden and unexpected turn of events.

Yet, fast as lightning, Berserker reappeared again. She darted out from the smoke with a roar and a bellowing hiss, charging at the giant again under her Master's terrified stare.

"W-What is this?" Artoria managed to mutter in a tone of complete disbelief. Her mind was overwhelmed with fear while she observed the scene with mouth agape, watching the battle unfold along with Waver and Rider from a safe distance. Berserker and that thing were openly fighting right now, slashing and roaring and swinging against each other, engaging in combat on the other side of the crater. A sight that, no matter how familiar it was, she was still struggling to understand due to its abruptness. "What in the world is happening right now?!"

Oddly enough, Lord El-Mello II was pondering that exact same question. "Is… Is that…a Servant?" he uttered, his deep voice laced with a distinct note of fear and panic. "T-There's no mistaking it: another Servant has appeared. He has appeared out of nowhere… right in front of us!"

Artoria was struggling to grasp the enormity of the current situation. "How…?!" she asked, unable to understand. "How can it be?"

A trembling shake of the head was the only answer she received. "I have no clue. This shouldn't be possible. It shouldn't be happening. A Servant appearing out of nowhere and creating such a catastrophe is not something I have experienced in my previous Holy Grail War!" the Lord replied, just as incredulous as she was.

His low, concerned voice echoed amid the noise of battle, making the girl with golden hair grow restless and worried.

Meanwhile, the bout between the giant and Atalanta was continuing all the more. The two Servants were fighting at a supersonic speed on the other side of the crater, moving like a blur as they clashed, retreated, and then clashed repeatedly again. Berserker fought like a feral beast, with her ears flattened against her head like a cat and her lips parted in a snarl, kicking and slashing against the colossal assailant in a never-ending attack. However, in spite of her impressive speed, the giant was able to match her assault with ease. He was swiftly parrying and batting away her claws with his weapon, dodging every punch and every kick with inhuman reflexes and a speed that he shouldn't be allowed to reach due to his muscular size.

With a twist of his neck, he avoided a second slash and retaliated with a vertical swing. Berserker saw it coming, sidestepping to the left and pouncing on the enemy again while he was still mid-movement. She jumped on him and sunk her claws deep into his shoulder's muscles, her tail whipping from side to side as she dug her fangs into the giant's neck.

A roar of fury and anger echoed through the earth. Waver and Artoria stared in shock as the creature grabbed Atalanta with his bare hands and tore her body away from his, ripping away his own flesh by doing so. He punched and tossed the woman to the ground with a mighty and best-like growl, completely uncaring of the cut and wounds smeared all over his neck and shoulders as he roared back at her. More and more mud was starting to leak from the gashes, but the giant seemed unfazed by it as he slashed at the huntress again, forcing her to defend herself.

Once more, emerald eyes widened in disbelief as Artoria watched Berserker flying through the air, batted away like an annoying fly by the unmatched strength of the new, unexpected enemy.

Until, an eerie and concerning doubt began to whisper inside the girl's head. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, feeling suddenly struck by a very dangerous realization. "Could that be… Assassin?" she asked, staring straight in the giant's direction as she observed the battle from afar.

Contrary to what she and Waver were expecting, the doubt inside her mind was instantly quenched in less than heartbeat.

By none other than Rider himself.

"That is no Assassin, young miss," Charlemagne interjected at that point, suddenly grabbing their attention. Waver and Artoria turned to him in full, confused by that sudden declaration... only to immediately grow worried as they noticed the seriousness on the young King's sweating face. "That Servant is something different. That Servant… is Heracles himself."

That name, the very same name that Atalanta had uttered a few moments ago, echoed inside their ears like a solemn and terrifying omen.

Heracles. Heracles. Heracles.

Again, for the umpteenth time in two minutes, a shiver ran down Artoria's spine as she struggled to digest the news. The teenage girl was by no means an expert on history and myths, but even she in spite of her young age was familiar – extremely familiar – with the legend associated to that powerful and peculiar name.

And how could she not be? After all, Heracles – or Hercules, as he was called by the Latin adaptation – was a figure of old and a very famous Heroic figure whose story was known in every corner of the globe. The greatest hero in Greek mythology, and a figure of legend who inspired awe and mystery even to this day.

He was a demi-god who was said to be born from Zeus himself, as well as a Champion who possessed unreachable talent in almost every field related to combat and wits. In life, he was said to have become a figure of legend who had achieved many victories and overcome many struggles, among which stood the fulfillment of the Twelve Labors, which was a tale of ancient times that many remembered even to this day. He was a powerful and mighty warrior who had single-handedly achieved great deeds equaling those of the Trojan War, and according to myth, he was also a member of the Argo Expedition who sailed on that dangerous quest along with Atalanta, Jason, Medea and many other figures of old.

In other words, he was an extremely powerful being. Heck, he could well be considered the most famous Hero of the world, given his legend. His name and his story were the first things that came to mind for the majority of common people when they thought of myths and legends from times long past. He was simply too famous to be forgotten, given the enormity of his deeds and achievements. Perhaps even more so than Gilgamesh himself.

Which, of course, only served to make Artoria and Waver grow even MORE panicked, at the moment.

"N-No way," Waver Velvet uttered with a very frightened tone. The man's complexion was paling more and more with each passing second, the uneasiness in his eyes just too obvious to be missed. "Heracles?! Damn it. This isn't good. This isn't good at all!" he cursed, taking a visible step back.

Artoria was growing increasingly worried too. "H-How is this possible?" she asked, unable to understand what she was witnessing and hearing. "How did he get here? He just… appeared out of nowhere! This doesn't make any sense!"

Rider offered no reply in spite of his usual confident behavior. Actually, his cheerful face was now morphed into a frown of tension while he heard the girl's demand. His eyes were still focused on the battle between Berserker and that frightening giant of black, studying the latter's movements with rapt and close attention.

Next to him, Lord El-Melloi II was trying to calm down by taking a long series of deep breaths. "Hold on," he tried, tearing his eyes away from the giant to stare at his Servant in wariness. "How do you know he is not the Assassin class Servant?" he asked.

On his part, Rider just eyed him oddly. "Are you kidding me, Master? How does that thing qualify as an Assassin?! Just look at him!" he pointed a finger towards the giant, glancing at Waver with a very incredulous frown. "He doesn't look like one at all. He's way too cool! Look at those muscles. Look at those abs! He's got to be something different, trust me. There's no doubt about it," he stated, looking resolute and convicted about this matter.

Despite the sarcasm in Rider's tone – along with his annoying fixation on cool things – Artoria and Waver could not manage to dismiss those words no matter how foolish and odd they sounded. After all, both of them could see that King of Franks had a point, odd as it was. In fact, they were almost prone to agree with him, for once: because the objection he had voiced just now was one with a deeper meaning behind it.

Not that such a doubt was unfounded, to be true. The way that giant moved and looked was just too different from what a Servant of that specific class should be. The Servants of the Assassin class were supposed to be swift and deadly Heroes shrouded in mystery, able to hide themselves in the shadows and strike without being seen rather than fight directly in the open. That creature, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of that, both on the physical and power-related side. He was so tall, so muscular and imposing that his presence alone was impossible not to notice; and his way of fighting was brutal and straightforward: slashing and swinging a heavy weapon like a brute without wits or reason. He had appeared out of nowhere in a way that none of them had managed to foresee, true… but even still, the way he looked and fought didn't fit the criteria an Assassin should have at all. At least in Artoria's opinion.

Given how the giant looked and moved against Berserker, the Lord of the Clock Tower had to agree with his Servant for once. "R-Right… he doesn't strike me like one either. It must be something different," he mused.

Rider nodded in agreement. "Yeah. A new Servant, perhaps?" he tried to ponder again, confused.

Artoria was incredibly skeptical. "If that's the case, how did he get here? Servants can't just spawn out of nowhere!" she hastily retorted with a panicked tone.

Another valid point. One to which Rider had no answer, either. "Ugh, w-well… that's…"

Those questions echoed in their minds for a while, each and every one of them filled with more tension and uneasiness as time continued to pass. However, unlike the girl and the Servant, the Lord of the Clock Tower was unable to dismiss them so easily. It was his role as a teacher – and as a man of reason who had solved several mysteries and murder cases through investigation – to try to find a logical explanation to every anomaly and every unexplained event. It was just in his nature to do so. It was part of his job.

Consequently, in spite of his restless mind, the black-haired Lord was still trying to formulate a theory while Rider and Artoria were too paralyzed by their own doubts and worries. "T-This… This must have something to do with that explosion from before," the man suddenly reasoned, trying to speculate amid that confusing and chaotic situation. His Servant and Artoria turned to him. "The blast, the mud… they must be related to this sudden event. They have to be."

His words made sense, and they were logical in theory. The others were about to say something, but whatever words they were about to say instantly died in their throats all of a sudden.

Because, unfortunately for them all, this was not the time for theories and speculations.

A powerful roar echoed in the air. Artoria, Waver and Rider's attention returned to the other side of the crater, where Berserker and the odd-looking giant were still engaging in furious combat. The black creature was swinging and slashing the air with his stone sword at an incredibly fast speed, trying to cut down Berserker with his furious and unbelievingly quick swings. The feral huntress was managing to resist thanks to her speed, but the tension on her face along with the strength of the giant were just too obvious to be missed.

Fast as she was, it wasn't enough. No matter how quick she moved, it was clear to everyone that her opponent was matching her in full. And contrary to him, her strength was no match to the giant's. Atalanta was struggling and wincing every time she was forced to block a blow, hissing like a furious beast every time the sword-axe managed to land a hit on her limbs. The pelt of the Calydonian Boar which covered her arms and legs was preventing her from getting damaged directly, but it was clear to everyone who was watching that battle that her stamina was starting to wane. The more the clash went on, the more she looked fatigued, and the woman with feral complexion was visibly struggling to resist under the giant's unrelenting assault.

It was unbelievable. Completely unbelievable.

A Servant of the Berserker class, overpowered in brute strength and force.

Utterly and absolutely absurd.

Eventually, their doubts and worries were proven to be true. The giant roared a furious cry, and slammed his weapon against the ruined ground. A veritable earthquake shook the world, and the earth itself was split in two as the soil began to be torn apart. Atalanta widened her eyes at the sudden and unexpected attack, leaping out of the way with a formidable speed… but her reaction was exactly the one her opponent had been aiming for.

Just as quickly as she had moved, the black creature appeared next to her mid-air, catching her by surprise with that unexpected display of speed. Then, he kicked her in the ribs with a sudden and invisible movement of his leg, making the huntress cry out in pain as she was sent flying to the side. Her slender body crashed and slammed against the walls surrounding the courtyard, prompting the woman to cough and spit out blood.

From the other side of the ruined battlefield, Illyasviel von Einzbern watched that scene with a face filled with dread. "Berserker!" she cried, raising herself from the rubble.

No answer came from the crash site. Artoria observed in wariness as the Einzbern Master staggered and tried to move forward out of the blue, attempting to reach her Servant in order to check on her condition. If it weren't for the maid called Sella holding her in place with her arms, she would have rushed forward and stepped into the battle.

It was a miserable sight. One that was completely different from the confident and cruel behavior that little girl has shown to them before. The small Einzbern Master had always been confident and resolute during their previous fight. She had always shown a great confidence and intelligence throughout the entirety of the previous bout, no matter the disadvantage she had or even the unexpected twists Artoria, Waver and Rider had managed to pull off before during the clash. However, right now, she looked anything but confident. Quite the opposite, in fact: she looked scared, and lost, and stunned. She looked almost fragile, as if she could break at the very first touch. Just like the child-like appearance she possessed, in fact.

It was an odd sight. One that Artoria Pendragon hadn't expected to see… not due to these unexpected circumstances, at least.

Regardless, she couldn't stand it. The girl with golden hair took a moment to recollect herself. "…guys, what do we do?" she asked at that point, unable to sit still anymore.

That was the real question. A question that both Rider and Waver were pondering just like she was.

Eventually, the black-haired Lord gritted his teeth in an attempt to calm down. He knew they had to take action, arrived at this point. They couldn't just stand by and do nothing. They couldn't flee and pretend this never happened, even though that muscular and unexpected opponent was seemingly focused on the enemy, right now. They couldn't take advantage of that, unfortunately. It was not an option, for the sake of their mission.

Finally, Waver Velvet took a deep breath. "…frustrating as it is, we cannot just stand by and do nothing like cowards," he spoke with a nervous tone. His black eyes were still pointed towards the battle site, observing the way Berserker and the giant were chasing each other in a blur of restless movement. "The Einzberns are still our enemies, but we cannot let them die here. We cannot lose that girl, Illyasviel, nor Berserker either. If we wish to find a way to stop the Ritual and put an end to the War, we cannot afford to lose a single Master or Servant yet. We need to do this all together."

His words were nervous but resolute, the tone behind them strong despite being laced with hesitation. But as soon as they heard them, both Rider and Artoria knew that he was right. Their goal was not to win the Holy Grail and defeat the enemies who stood in their way. Their objective was not to reach the prize who had been promised at the end of the Ritual since many generations before their own.

No. Their goal was different. They fought for a greater purpose. They plunged into the unknown to fulfill the promise they'd made. No matter the danger, no matter the darkness, they would see this through in the end. Together.

They had to put an end to this madness.

Just like that, the decision was made.

Lord El-Melloi II turned to his Servant. "Rider… do what you must," he ordered, sharing a nod of the head with the young and bright King of Franks.

Words were not needed anymore. There was no use in commands or orders. They all knew this was the inevitable choice. They couldn't let the enemy die, yet. They couldn't afford to lose the vessel of the Lesser Grail; no matter what.

This was the inevitable choice.

Charlemagne smirked, his eyes growing excited in spite of the sweat and tension displayed on his face. "To face in combat the greatest Hero in all of humanity… I guess that would be pretty cool!" he laughed, brushing off his previous nervousness as steadying himself as best as he could. Artoria and Waver observed him in wonder as he stood up straight out of the blue, brandishing his longsword with pride as he took a step forward. "Alright then. Master, take cover with the young lady. I'll deal with Berserker and that brute."

The black-haired Lord nodded.

Artoria glanced at him with seriousness. "We'll take care of Illyasviel and her maid in the meanwhile. Be careful," she bid.

The King of Franks grinned in response. A moment of quiet passed.

Then, with a resolute smile and shrug of the shoulders, he disappeared.


When he reappeared again, the world was shaken by a shockwave of wind.

CRASH!

Once more, the metallic clamor of steel echoed in the air. In but a few moments, Rider had closed the gap between himself and the site of the battle, darting through the crater like an invisible rocket of prana. Wind bellowed and hissed as he moved, leaving a trail of gust behind his steps. And then, when the moment was right, the young Servant thrust his weapon forward, aiming at the distracted enemy.

Despite the sudden attack, the giant reacted all the same. He was still engaging in combat against Berserker, but he noticed the intrusion immediately. His head snapped in Rider's direction – almost in an inhuman way, the young Servant noticed – and with a twist of his muscular body, he turned around and raised his weapon in a defensive stance, blocking the incoming assault before he could be struck in full. Rider's longsword clashed against the giant's stone-axe with blinding speed, momentarily halting the fight against Atalanta as the pitch-black creature was forced to block the assault.

Berserker widened her eyes at the sight. "Rider! What are you doing?" she exclaimed, stunned by the King's unexpected intervention in her battle.

Rider's smirk widened further still as he pushed his weapon forward with both arms, putting pressure on the giant. "Sorry to intrude, but I can't help it! My blood's all pumped up right now!" he laughed, both sarcastic and serious as he made his entrance in that unsubtle way. His blue eyes never left the giant's face as he used all his strength to make pressure on him, shielding the beast-like woman behind his frame. "I am a Knight and an Emperor! I shall not stand by when such a great battle is unfolding right in front of me!"

Having said that, the Knight took advantage of the moment of pause. While the creature was still distracted by the intrusion, Charlemagne infused prana in his arms, pushing them a bit to the side as he suddenly switched the pressure point on the enemy's sword. The blade of Joyeuse slid vertically against the sword-axe's length as consequence, twisting the giant's hand to the side and prompting the weapon to slip out of his grip. Crimson eyes filled with madness widened as soon as the creature lost hold of his sword, but the young intruder wasted no time and immediately took action.

Now that the enemy had been rendered - momentarily - weaponless Rider brushed the muscular arm aside with a kick, stunning the beast for a second, until his action was quickly followed by a horizontal swing aimed at the enemy's enormous chest. The creature growled in annoyance as his arm was batted aside – the sheer power of Rider's kick would have made a normal human lose his balance completely – but in spite of the unexpected attack, he managed to recover just as quickly.

In fact, Rider immediately realized his plan was not going to work as soon as he moved to execute it. Blue eyes as clear as the sky widened in surprise when the giant's reacted with a speed that could rival Atalanta's in full. With his right arm momentarily stunned, the black Servant used the left one to quickly grab hold of the tip of Joyouse's blade, blocking the longsword with his bare hand before it could manage to land a blow on him. Both Rider and Berserker stared in shock as the creature grabbed the blade with one hand alone, effectively halting the slash and avoiding a fatal injury to his bare torso. Blood and mud poured down from the left hand, which had been cut by the attack, but the giant paid it no mind. Instead, he roared a battle cry and quickly twisted Rider's weapon upwards, forcing the young King to gasp in surprise.

But he had no time to be shocked. Survival instinct kicked in immediately, and Rider hastily took a step back and pulled his sword away from the giant's grip just a second before a formidable punch could land on his face. His head snapped to the side with a yelp of surprise, dodging the incoming fist by instinct alone, but the sheer power behind the punch was so intense that the gust of wind generated by the swing managed to open a small cut on his left cheek. He could almost swear he saw his whole life flashing through his eyes before he managed to avoid the deadly attack, in all honesty.

Yet, one moment of distraction was all the giant needed. As soon as both Rider and Berserker tried to distance themselves from his frame, he swiftly grabbed his fallen weapon once more and slammed it in a vertical slash. An attack powerful enough to destroy a whole mountain swung through empty space, smashing down into the ground. Flying rubbles rained down everywhere, covering the surroundings in a cloud of thick smoke and dust. The entire courtyard shook once more, and the stone walls surrounding the crater moaned and trembled as visible cracks began to appear on their surfaces.

Just like that, the two Servants were forced to back away and retreat from the giant, leaping away from the enemy with tense and sweating faces.

"D-Damn… this guy is unbelievably strong!" Rider stuttered in shock as he staggered to his feet, trying to regain his balance on the trembling soil. He hadn't expected the beast to push him aside so easily. Truly, his strength was absolutely scary, even compared to a Servant's. He was even scarier than Lancer, in Rider's opinion.

Next to him, Atalanta landed on all four as she avoided the attack, her golden eyes narrowed on the giant with feral animosity. The way her tail swung from side to side was a clear signal of her internal distress. "Stand aside, Rider. I know that man. You are no match for him," she ordered coldly, her voice laced with tension in spite of the bestiality behind her words and the fury displayed on her royal features.

Charlemagne would not be fazed. "If he's truly who you claim he is, then none of us are a match for him… but together, we shall defeat him no matter what!" he countered readily, prompting the Huntress to snap her head towards him in a questioning way. The grin on his face was wide and confident even under the woman's glare fueled by the Mad Enhancement clouding her mind. "What do you say? Wanna see something cool?"

Atalanta stared at him for a second, her expression completely unreadable. She glanced behind, her eyes searching for her Master – who was staring at them from a safe distance, along with Sella and the enemy Masters – but upon seeing that the small girl was safe and that the enemies had no intention of hurting her for now, she focused her mind on the battlefield again and pondered Rider's offer for a moment.

In the end, she merely stared at the giant with a hiss. "Do not get in my way," was all she said.

Rider just smiled at her blatant dismissal. "Heh. I guess an unspoken agreement will have to do for now!"

No time for further talk. The enemy gave them no room for discussion.

With another roar of madness, the black giant sprang into action. He leaped at them like an animal, slamming both his feet and his hands on the ground with a fury that could rival Berserker's inhuman bestiality. Then, under the two Servants' stunned gaze, he trashed and pounced towards them in raw fury, his stone weapon cratering the earth with each of his mad swings. His charge was met with an ear-splitting noise that broke the silence, making the air itself moan in horror.

Charlemagne and Atalanta wasted no time. They both moved at the same time out of instinct, charging at him as well despite having formed no plan or agreement at all. The way their enemy was moving was similar to Berserker's – he was thrashing like a beast with no grace – but unlike the huntress, he seemed to be even MORE crazed and furious than her, perhaps due to something different. Atalanta was a Berserker, indeed, but her beast-like state had rendered her capable of speech and composed thinking in spite of her Mad Enhancement. The giant, on the other hand, was completely different. He was acting wildly like a beast with no composure, fighting like a brute who relied almost entirely on instinct.

But this fact alone allowed the two Servants to glimpse a small gap in his movements… and that was enough for them both.

Focusing his mind, Rider sprinted towards the charging giant, while Berserker dashed to the side. The creature eyed them both as they moved, but he didn't halt his furious charge. Instead, he sunk his legs even deeper into the ground, leaping towards Charlemagne out of the blue while his body began spinning mid-air.

It was an unexpected assault, but one that Rider was prepared to. As the giant came swirling down on him with his sword-axe ready to tear him apart, the King of Franks ducked under the massive body, dodging the first swing by a hair and throwing his weapon towards the giant's neck as soon as he saw an opening. Unfortunately for him, however, the giant proved once more to be more impressive than he seemed at first glance: he blocked the incoming slash with his arm, allowing the longsword's blade to cut through his flesh without the slightest hint of hesitation.

Charlemagne widened his eyes, unable to defend himself. When the swing came down on him again, all he could do was jump slightly from the side, attempting to avoid the blow as best as he could, but that wasn't nearly enough. He managed to dodge a direct slash, but the sword attack slammed against the soil right next to him, generating a concussive blast of wind that slammed against his body from the left side, and young Knight took the blow in full.

Letting out a grunt of pain, Rider was thrown to the side with a loud crash, rolling on the ground for several meters and nearly losing his hold on the hilt of Joyeuse. He barely managed to steel himself and recover by the time the giant had already pounced on him again, but luckily for him, this time Berserker reacted as well.

"Heracles! Stop it!"

Atalanta's roar echoed in the air. It was followed by a rain of purple arrows, shot by the Huntress towards the black creature just a few moments before he could crash against Rider's recovering frame. The arrows of prana darted from the dark bow of the Berserker class Servant, faster than bullets and ready to pierce and strike as they aimed towards the target. The giant snapped his snarling face towards them, halting his charge against Rider and turning in full in the direction of the attack.

Loud, ear-splitting explosions detonated in front of Charlemagne, enveloping the air with smoke. He leaped away from there as soon as he was able to move again, but even amid that cacophony of noise his trained eyes could see the harsh reality with crystal clear clarity: the giant was unharmed. He was deflecting each and every arrow aimed at him with his colossal weapon, swinging it back and forth in every direction right in front of his body and batting away the incoming darts with ease. The arrows exploded all around his frame, but the monster remained completely unscathed by the blasts, his body sustaining no damage at all.

Yet, Berserker gave him no respite. She kept firing furiously, unstoppable, even as she moved at blinding speed around the giant to change the firing direction in attempt to confuse the opponent. Her body was running and firing arrows at the same time, circling around the pitch-black creature as she kept shooting her arrows at him from every direction, unwilling to give him a moment of pause. To Rider, the scene looked like a firing assault rather than a concussive series of bow shots; as if he were witnessing a machine gun firing a volley of bullets at its target while moving all the while.

Eventually, the number of arrows coupled with the impressive speed with which they were being fired by Atalanta began to wear down the enemy. The giant openly growled as a few shots slipped past his sword swings, striking him in the chest and legs and piercing his body in spite of his attempts to deflect them. A guttural roar of anger shook the air, and the colossal creature faltered for a split-second as he suddenly lost his balance, his left leg twitching as it was pierced by three arrows in a row. Not even a moment later, the giant emitted a low growl as he fell on a knee, his leg giving out while he struggled to deflect the other arrows that were still being fired at him from all around.

Rider took advantage of the momentum. "Now!" he cried.

Wasting no time, he charged at the enemy while he was faltering, raising his longsword in a vertical slash as he leaped at him. The sharp blade came down on him with inhuman precision, aimed at the neck.

But, alas, it was not meant to be.

Once more, the giant proved himself to be even more impressive – and terrifying – than he looked. Despite his kneeling frame and the arrows striking his chest and back relentlessly, he ignored the assault on his body and instead dug both hands into the ground, roaring at the sky with mad fury. Then, under Rider and Berserker's stunned gaze, he literally began to tear the earth apart with his bare hands, pulling an entire chunk of soil from the ground and using it as a shield to block the incoming slash and the volley of arrows at the same time. In less than a second, a veritable pillar of rock and solid soil emerged from the earth, covering the giant's frame from the attacks.

"W-What the―!" Rider's incredulous exclamation was the only reaction he managed to make. His sword cleaved the rock in half, but it was so thick that it didn't manage to reach the enemy and deal real damage. Instead, the pillar of rock unexpectedly exploded when the giant suddenly reacted out of the blue from the other side. He charged at Rider out of nowhere, attacking while he was still faltering in shock without a single warning. His colossal body charged forward with a bestial yowl, piercing through the pillar of stone as if it were nothing but a thin veil of ice and filling the world with an explosion of dirt and dust, catching the Knight unawares due to the suddenness of the attack.

Instinct cried out at him to run away and hide, but he was unable to do so. Charlemagne winced in pain when the gigantic, thick hand of the enemy Servant suddenly grabbed him by the neck, his vision blurred by dirt and debris as the giant slammed him on the ground. Blood gurgled and rose on his throat as he swallowed a yowl of pain, his body and mind momentarily stunned under the oppressive strength of the creature. Before he could defend himself, he was swiftly tossed and trashed around by the muscular opponent, his head slamming against the soil so many times that he honestly couldn't count them all. The world became a blur all around his vision, and if it weren't for his status as a Servant, he would have surely lost consciousness many times.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Another roar, this one more frantic than the last, reached his ringing ears. The trashing stopped, and Rider glimpsed through blurred eyes the frame of Berserker pouncing on the giant from behind, burying her teeth and claws into his neck. The creature hissed as the Huntress bit on him, her sharp and best-like fangs piercing the thick muscles like nothing along with the long claws as well. Crimson eyes filled with hatred snapped towards Atalanta, meeting her golden orbs filled with panic and fury in equal measure.

"Why are you doing this?!" the Chaste Huntress roared at the giant, desperately trying to reason with him as she scratched and wounded his skin. "What is your goal?"

No answer came from the creature. On the contrary, her words only made him angrier. With another scream of rage, he quickly grabbed the feral woman by the waist with his free hand and tossed her aside, making her crash and on the ground and cracking the earth. Berserker hissed like a cat, snarling at the giant in anger as she recovered, and pounced on him again with a spinning kick, her body rotating mid-air in a blindingly fast speed. Her leg covered by the mangy-looking pelt of the Calydonian Boar slammed against the flat side of the sword-axe wielded by the Servant, prompting Atalanta to widen her eyes in shock at the display of skills her old companion was demonstrating. Her attack had been faster than a heartbeat, yet the maddened Heracles had managed to block it.

Snarling in rage, she pressed her foot on the blade and used it as support to leap and jump above, summoning her bow once more and taking aim at his head. However, the enemy reacted faster. He quickly slammed one foot on the ground, and tossed Rider's slumping body against the woman before she could manage to take aim accurately. Atalanta widened her eyes as Charlemagne was thrown at her, his armored frame crashing against her body with the strength of a rocket missile.

They both flew in the air like dead bodies, crashing against the walls of the Castle with a loud and empty thud. When they managed to recover a bit, Rider openly winced as Berserker growled beneath his frame, pushing him aside as they both hurried to rise and stand on their feet again. The King of Franks' whole body felt heavy and sore at this point, his mind still struggling to regain lucidity after having been used like a living whip and having been slammed on the ground several times.

"U-Ugh… my bad," he apologized, using his longsword as support as he shook his head a bit.

Berserker merely growled, focusing her eyes on the giant's incoming frame.

A few dozens of meters away, the creature was walking towards them in silence, staring at the two Servants with a gaze devoid of emotions. Gone were the wounds on his body caused by the arrows and the previous bout, replaced by a thin layer of black mud which tampered the gashes fully. Despite this peculiar reaction, however, the creature remained unfazed, the only emotion inside those crimson orbs being a never-ending hatred that could rival Atalanta's own. It was extremely intimidating to see, even for a trained and experienced Hero like Charlemagne. The opponent they were facing right now was a ruthless and mindless beast, the way he fought so brutal and instinctive that they could barely believe the man in front of them was Heracles himself. And yet, in spite of this paradoxical fact, his skills and reflexes were outstanding like few others, and his ability to predict their attacks was way beyond what they were expecting.

Realization, then, dawned upon their features. Their previous assumption had been wrong. This man was no mindless beast. The gap Rider and Berserker had previously seen in his movements had been a distraction. A feint. The giant had been fooling them all along, taking advantage of his wounded leg to fake an opening through his attacks and lure them in, all in order to strike them at the last moment. He had tried to catch them by surprise by luring them in a trap, and they had completely fallen for it in spite of their skills.

This fact alone spoke volumes about the caliber of the opponent they were facing right now.

Rider swallowed dry spittle, a trickle of sweat falling from his chin.

Clearly, this man in front of them was not an animal at all. His battle skills were unbelievable, even in spite of his maddened and beast-like state. He was strong, and fast, and resilient as a legend, able to completely overwhelm not one, but two Servants at the same time without batting an eye. Such a feat was no easy to achieve, not even for a Saber class Servant, which was said to be the best and strongest summon amid the seven Classes of the Holy Grail War. Yet, this giant was capable of dealing with more than one Servant at a time, without a hint of hesitation and doubt, and he was doing so with an enormous display of strength.

Another undeniable testament of the greatness of Heracles' legend.

A wide, nervous grin made its way on Charlemagne's lips. "H-Heh… as expected from the greatest Hero. I don't know what happened to him, but he's pretty damn cool!" he spoke with a hoarse chuckle, unable to restrain himself from praising the enemy in spite of his pained state. He just couldn't help it. The way that giant had moved and fought against them was simply too strong to be dismissed. Not to mention his colossal body covered with muscles, moreover.

Even Atalanta seemed hesitant as she summoned back her bow, staring at the giant with a gaze filled with apprehension. For once, she let go of her anger for a moment, opting to study the enemy from afar now that they had a moment of respite from the previous clash.

"Even in this state, he's still as strong as I remember," she admitted, recalling the memories she had shared with that man during their quest on the Argo ship. A fickle of emotion darted in her golden eyes, but she dismissed it quickly. Berserker or not, she couldn't help but struggle to digest the sight of her companion reduced to such a worrying and unexpected state. "Heracles… you truly are…"

Rider glanced at her. "Any idea why your friend is so angry right now?" he asked, hoping to discover more information.

The female Servant shook her head. "No clue. All I know… is that he's not supposed to be here," she spat.

A nervous grin made its way on the King's lips. "Yeah, so you can feel it too, huh? There's definitely something wrong with him. I'm sure of tha―"

His words were interrupted abruptly by a bellowing cry of war. Rider and Berserker both startled and tensed in fear as the giant suddenly roared in madness, shaking his head from side to side as he stomped on the ground, the rubble and concrete exploding under his foot. Then, without waiting a single moment, he charged at them again, like a mad animal blinded by rage and fury. Each of his steps cracked the soil and made the earth tremble, making the two Servants' concern grow exponentially.

But they couldn't falter now. Their lives were at stake here.

Wasting no time, both warriors reacted. The King of Franks leaped to the right, while the Chaste Huntress darted to the left. The black giant came crashing down on the empty spot they had occupied shortly before like a hurricane, completely obliterating everything in his path and destroying a great portion of the stone wall surrounding the Einzbern Castle. Smoke and debris covered everything, while the beast's furious growls echoed in the air amid the rumble of debris and falling rock.

Alright… time to get serious! Rider thought, unwilling to back down from such an exciting battle.

He steeled his mind, readying himself. As soon as the giant burst out from the debris, the young Knight swiftly dashed towards him with a focused mind, his legs moving like a blur, fervently resolved to shift on the offensive this time. He swung his sword horizontally, aiming for the creature's left side, but his blade was quickly blocked by the colossal sword-axe of the enemy. Yet, he didn't relent, using his skills as a Knight to bat the weapon aside and try again, getting close for another slash. The first swing was followed by a second, a third and a forth, each of them parried and blocked by the giant's sword-axe. The clangor of metal clashing against metal echoed in the air, while Rider and the black giant exchanged blow after blow.

Their weapons collided back and forth, time and time again, plunging the two Servants in a dance of death and indomitable will. A stab to the right, a swing on the left. A small poke here, and then a thrust to the heart. The longsword of the King of Franks moved like a blur, its speed matched by his wielder's movements, but it wasn't enough. The giant met each of his attacks perfectly, dodging and blocking every swing with his weapon in spite of its colossal size, and moving with a rapidity that would normally be impossible for a body as muscular as his. They exchanged swings and slashed for a whole minute straight, their bodies advancing for the entire length of the stone wall towering above their frames. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, Rider couldn't manage to land a blow.

In the heat of that furious duel, the giant roared all of a sudden. The King of Franks widened his eyes as he saw the enemy's speed starting to increase out of nowhere, his swings and slashes becoming faster and faster with each passing moment. He adjusted his speed as well, struggling to deflect the blows as best as he could, until he was finally forced to stop the dance of death when a mighty slash almost cleaved him in two, placing his longsword in a horizontal swing to block the incoming attack. The stone weapon crashed on the blade of Joyouse with a shockwave, and Rider's legs sunk in the ground as the earth was cratered a bit.

"N-Nnngh!" he grunted, using every bit of his strength to resist under the unyielding pressure. Then, he widened his eyes, and cried out in shock as soon as he was pushed away by the giant, who increased the pressure on his arms even more to bat him away like a baseball ball. His body was still flying in the air as the enemy suddenly appeared next to him in a blur, and Rider had to spin his torso skillfully and swiftly to block the incoming slash, parrying a sword swing aimed at his chest that would have turned him into a bloody mess.

His body crashed on top of the stone wall, destroying another portion of it. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he regained his strength and reacted just a second before the giant came crushing down on him again, rolling out of the way before he could be reduced into a pulp by his stomp. Another explosion of debris shook the world as the colossal beast cratered the stone, and from the cloud of smoke, a kick was slammed against his armored chest, taking away all the air from his lungs.

Rider staggered backwards for ten meters, the sheer strength behind the blow so intense that his white breastplate was horribly bended and ruined as it blocked the kick. Still, he managed to resist long enough to counterattack, throwing his blade into a horizontal slash that forced the giant to bend his body backwards to dodge it, twisting himself so much that it was almost unbelievable. The hiss of the sword swing echoed in the air aimlessly, followed by another one. Just like before, the giant avoided it by bending his body to the side, thrusting his fist into the concrete below and rotating his body in a second kick thanks to the momentum.

Rider barely managed to dodge it, his sweating face morphed into an expression of bewilderment. D-Damn it! This guy is no joke! he thought, while the giant's muscular leg swung right in front of his face, avoiding him by a few inches. He quickly darted away as soon as he was freed from the relentless assault, trying to gain some distance and find another opening.

Luckily for him, in that moment, something happened.

"With my bow and arrow, I pray."

All noises disappeared as the wind stilled for a moment. The night shifted imperceptibly as the feeling of something unfathomable drenched the air.

Both Rider and the giant noticed it immediately. The change in the air was subtle, but for Servants like them, it was impossible to miss. The King of Franks turned in the direction of the voice, while the colossal Servant he was facing in combat did the same several meters away from him, his enraged face snapping to the left. Around them, they could feel an enormous amount of prana starting to gather all of a sudden, while small bits of liquid energy rose from the soil and floated in a specific direction.

"I pray for the protection of the God Apollo, and the protection of Goddess Artemis."

Their eyes fell on the other side of the stone wall, on the opposite part of the courtyard. There, on top of a lookout tower near the Castle, a lone figure was standing still, her silver frame lit by the moonlight.

Atalanta stood still under the moon, her eyes scanning the world below. In her hands, her bow was wielded proudly, Tauropolos, with its blue and black colors shining even brighter as she started to chant in a low tone. Prana and energy gathered all around her frame, her feral body enveloped by small bits of liquid similar to blood, made of Mana. She nocked two arrows to her bow, and then aimed it at the sky.

"I offer thee Peace. I offer thee Calamity."

When she aimed her bow to the sky, Rider realized what she was about to do. Immediately, he darted away at maximum speed, while the black giant howled at the moon, glaring at the Huntress staring down at him from the above with a face filled with hatred.

Berserker cared not. Golden eyes glowed in the night as she stretched the string of her bow, and fired the two arrows in direction of the moon. They shone brighter and brighter as the energy coalesced into their tips, searing the sky with a soft, entrancing glow. The clouds were split in two as the arrows disappeared in the atmosphere, reaching the heavens to deliver the huntress' prayer, and her complaint hidden inside of it.

A moment of quiet. A second of peace.

And then―

"Phoebus Catastrophe."

―hell rained down on the earth.


Just a few minutes before this, however, Artoria Pendragon was facing a dilemma.

'Archer, where are you? Please answer me, Archer!'

It was no use. The teenage girl began to realize this fact more and more by the second, as she kept trying to reach out to her Servant through their shared mental bond. However, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how long she waited for a response, no answer came from Archer. His voice did not echo in her head like it always used to do when she called out to him. She couldn't even feel their connection anymore, and this fact was making her grow worried. It was making her grow restless. Muffled sounds could be faintly heard inside her head, like a distant whisper echoing from a far off distance, but they felt distant and far too intelligible to be heard and discern a meaning.

Panic and doubt blossomed in her heart. "I-I can't reach him," she spoke, prompting Lord El-Melloi II to turn towards her abruptly. Her emerald eyes filled with tension and concern met his black ones with a gaze filled with dread. "Archer is not responding to me."

Contrary to what she was expecting, Waver didn't share her concern right now. Actually, he looked like he was expecting this, for some reason. "Worry not, Miss Pendragon, this is a normal reaction," he spoke, his words cutting through her worries like a knife opening a sealed box. "You lost consciousness a few minutes ago, so your bond with your Servant was tampered by the shock. The human body and its functions can get altered for a bit when they face a mental trauma, and that goes for your Mana and your spiritual bonds as well. Your connection with your Servant will come back in a few hours."

His stoic explanation left her baffled for a bit, but it also managed to relieve some of the tension she was feeling on the inside. "I-I see… wait, how do you know that?" she asked, feeling perplexed by the certainty in his tone.

The annoyance on his face was very hard for her to miss. "I lost consciousness many times during my previous War," he explained, inwardly wincing a bit in shame as he recalled his – rather pathetic, let's face it – exploits during the Fourth Holy Grail War. The number of times he'd passed out due to his King's actions were too much to be remembered. "I know from experience. As long as you have the Command Seals on your hand, the bond with your Servant will remain no matter what. You have nothing to worry about."

Hearing those words, her eyes fell to her right hand. Seeing the red, intricate marks still placed on top of it managed to calm her down a little bit.

Once she was reassured about this, her focus shifted again, and after a few moments of deep breaths, she poked her head out of the wide stone fragment behind which she was hidden next to Waver. While the Servants were raging in furious combat on the other side of the destroyed courtyard, the girl and the Lord had taken cover between the debris, away from the spot where Rider, Berserker and the giant were engaging in battle, observing the fight from a safe distance.

When their gaze returned on the battlefield, the two Masters felt their bodies begin to sweat.

The black giant was a living apocalypse. He was fighting like mad best, with a strength that was outstanding to behold, and a fury that could rival – no, that overcame, to be honest – even Berserker's own. He was fast, and strong, and scary, with an agility and reflexes that had no sense whatsoever considering the size of his body and his weight. But not only that, he was also able to completely overwhelm Atalanta's strength with ease, and if it hadn't been for Rider's intervention, the Chaste Huntress could have been in a very dangerous situation right now.

Yet, it seemed that not even the King's intervention would be enough to turn the tide of the battle. That creature just kept coming at them again and again, relentless. Almost as if he had an infinite amount of energy. Facing two Servants in combat at the same time should have been no easy feat in theory – Saber himself had wisely chosen to retreat instead of fighting Rider and Archer together, two days ago – but this giant was able to hold his ground and overwhelm the enemies with ease in spite of the numerical disadvantage. This fact alone was extremely concerning, and it was becoming very vexing for the humans.

They had to do something. They just had to.

"This is bad," the black-haired Lord knew this situation could not last for much longer. The more he observed the way Rider and Berserker fought together against that giant, the more he became convicted of this. It was very obvious, considering the way he was facing them both with no effort whatsoever. "I was hoping for a stalemate by sending Rider to aid Berserker against that Servant, but this… this is just plain wrong."

Artoria could see that as well. There was no denying it. "I-Indeed… this is the strength… of Heracles himself," she uttered, her voice a mixture of awe and terror at the same time.

Both of them hesitated for a few seconds, but quickly recollected themselves due to the fear. They couldn't waste time now. The situation was dire, and they had to do something. If they waited for too long, Rider could get in danger, and that was not an option anymore. They had to discover more before things could escalate further.

Instinctively, their eyes moved away from the clash between Servants, and moved to the right.

Once more, Artoria's emerald eyes found who they were looking for. Illyasviel von Einzbern and her maid Sella were located near the entrance of the Castle, away from the clashing site. Just like herself and the Lord, they were taking cover amid the scattered debris, observing the clash from afar with wide eyes filled with terror and concern. The small girl, Illya, especially. Her crimson orbs were filled with so much dread and shock that it was honestly surprising to see. She had always been so calm and confident before… so, seeing her so scared right now felt off to Artoria. Extremely so.

She looked like a lost child in search of her parents. A child who didn't know what to do in spite of the maid trying to reassure her.

Artoria's resolve returned once more. "We must reach them," she spoke.

Lord El-Melloi II nodded in agreement. "I agree. Let's move carefully."

Wasting no time, both Masters sprang into action. Making sure the Servants were occupied, they darted out from the cover amid the rubbles and headed in the direction of the Einzbern homunculi. They moved as fast as they could, careful not to stumble as they crossed the ruined courtyard filled with debris, and trying to move unseen from the Servants who were still engaging in combat.

In less than one minute, they reached their target. As soon as they came closer, however, the two homunculi noticed them. Sella immediately shielded her small master behind her frame, using her body as a shield as she placed herself in front of Illya. The small girl turned her head in their direction, her expression still morphed in a mask of utter tension.

"Stay back!" Sella warned, her tone both serious and tense as she eyed the approaching pair with wariness. "Don't get close to the Lady, or I will face you both."

Halting abruptly, Artoria and Waver raised their hands.

"Wait! Hold on! We do not wish to fight you!" the heir of the Pendragon line exclaimed with a resolute tone.

The Lord of the Clock Tower nodded frantically next to the girl, his hands still raised to the sky in a gesture of non-aggression. "That's right, please calm down, both of you. We're not here to fight," he tried to say, sounding more nervous than he would have hoped for. Considering how 'weak' he was compared to the Einzbern Master, it was no wonder he was feeling restless as he approached her. "Just… hear us out, if you would. We just want answers."

Illyasviel and her maid seemed to hesitate for a bit. They shared a silent glance, so many emotions flashing inside their eyes that it was difficult to list them all. Eventually, after a few moments of uncertainty, Sella appeared to relent slightly. Artoria and Waver noticed that she was extremely tense as they stepped closer to the smaller girl, but unlike the homunculus Bazett was facing in the forest, she still hadn't summoned forth a weapon to defend herself and her master. Perhaps she was not a homunculus designed for combat, they inwardly mused at the same time.

Regardless, Waver Velvet took advantage of the moment. "Please… we don't have much time, but we need to talk. Now more than ever."

Unable to take a decision, Sella turned to the younger girl. The child-like homunculus stared at Waver, then at Artoria, with a tense expression, unsure about what to do. Until, after ten seconds of absolute silence, finally, she exhaled a sigh and nodded her head.

"Fine… I'll allow it," the small Master relented.

Sighing in relief as the enemy agreed to talk, Artoria and Waver relaxed as well. They took cover behind the ruined rubbles, moving closer to the Einzbern girl under the maid's watchful eyes. Her stern and worried expression hadn't changed one single bit.

When the silence became too much to bear, the Lord of the Clock Tower finally took a deep breath. It was time to put aside their previous hostility and address the elephant in the room, in order to gather as much information as possible and try to speculate about a possible solution.

And thus, he voiced the dreadful question.

"That Servant… what is he?" he asked, tilting his head in direction of the battlefield. In the midst of that chaotic battle, Berserker and Rider where still struggling against the giant, the former firing arrows at him while the latter tried to slash him with his sword. Despite their combined efforts, the black creature was fending them off with ease. "Do you have any information about him? How did he come here? How did he appear in front of us in that absurd way?"

Illya's worried expression grew even more tense as that question lingered in the air. Her brows furrowed together as she pondered for a while before answering.

"I do not know," was her short reply, her tone cold but laced with obvious tension due to the circumstance they were facing right now. She shared a look with her faithful maid, before glancing at the Lord with a more collected gaze. "He just appeared out of nowhere. I've never met that Servant before, and I have many questions as well."

Cold resignation flooded Artoria's mind. This was exactly the answer she and Waver had feared to hear. That giant was not connected to the Einzberns, apparently, so even the enemy had no idea of who he belonged to and how he had appeared so suddenly. This was a mystery for both factions involved, and they all shared the same doubts and questions.

This was worrying indeed. Extremely worrying.

Sure, this Illya girl could be lying with her answer, or maybe she was omitting some details… but Artoria could see in her eyes a genuine hint of concern as she glanced at the black beast facing the other Servants. She was telling the truth, and that much was very clear for her. Artoria was ready to bet on it.

It was with this doubt in mind that she spoke the next question seriously. "But you know him, don't you?" she pressed, her face as resolute as it could ever be. Illya and Sella turned to her at that point, their brows furrowing further as they assumed a tense expression. "Both of you recognized him as soon as he appeared, just like Berserker did. I saw it."

More than a question, it was a statement. Artoria could still vividly recall the flash of recognition appearing inside Illya's eyes as she stared at the colossal Servant. The shock and the disbelief behind her stunned gaze had been far more shocking to her than the whole situation itself. That was why she was certain of it. That was why she couldn't let it go. Because that was not the kind of reaction a normal person would have had upon facing such an unexpected turn of events. It was simply a logical conclusion.

She may have never met him before… but Illyasviel von Einzbern knew that Servant at first glance. There was no doubt about it.

Apparently, she had struck the nail in full with that assumption. The way Illya's lips twitched for a split-second was a sign the girl with golden hair could hardly ever miss. Even the way Sella's frown deepened and became more worried was another silent confirmation of her doubts. Lord El-Melloi II noticed it as well, and he was starting to share the very same reasoning.

Having been caught unawares by the question, the small Master looked away. She assumed a haughty expression – one that made her look more like a child rather than a deadly and experienced member of the Einzbern family – but it was clear for both Artoria and the Lord that she could not remain silent any longer. She had to tell the truth, arrived at this point.

And the truth she told. "I do not know him… but I saw him in Berserker's memories," she said, her voice colder than before. "The greatest Hero, Heracles. He is said to be the strongest Hero of the world, and the most powerful Servant among all the Heroic Spirits. There's no way I couldn't be aware of him at first glance. And besides…"

Waver and Artoria listened closely. So far, her answer was truthful, and it also made sense in a lot of ways. Just like both the girl and the Lord were able to see their Servants' memories through dreams, it was reasonable to believe that this girl could do it too. The possibility that she had seen Heracles inside of Atalanta's memories was real, especially since they were both Argonauts according to myths and legends. So far they had no choice but to accept this.

However, both of them knew there was more behind this matter. "Besides?" the black-haired Magus pressed, unwilling to let go of this matter. It was too important to be dismissed.

Illyasviel exhaled a sigh. Her hands clenched into fists.

"…he's the Servant I tried to summon when I became a Master in this Holy Grail War."

For a few moments, the only reaction to her answer was an absolute and dreadful silence.

Until, an enormous amount of shock blossomed on Artoria and Waver's faces.

"Y-You… You tried to summon Heracles as your Servant?" Lord El-Melloi II exclaimed in disbelief, stunned beyond words by that sudden and shocking news. The implications behind this statement were more concerning that what he could have ever anticipated. "Unbelievable. To think that the Einzbern family was willing to go that far… were you really so desperate to win the War, Lady Illyasviel?"

Sliver-white hair fluttered in the wind as the little girl glared at him with a sneer of disdain. "My goal and motives are not for you to know, Lord of the Clock Tower. Be grateful I haven't killed you yet. My generosity might not last much longer," she threatened, as both a warning and a dismissal.

Given the gravity of the current circumstances, the man wisely chose to let this matter go. "My apologies. That was rude of me," he apologized, coughing a bit in shame. "But if he's not a Servant of yours, then who―"

"I do not know. I have no answer about that."

Illya cut him off while he was still mid-speech, unwilling to let him finish that sentence. Her tone was frosty and tense at the same time, the expression on her face both irritated and wary. When silence returned, her ruby eyes moved away from the taller Magus, focusing back on the battle raging amid her own courtyard. The nervousness and concern inside her orbs was growing more and more as she watched the battle unfold. The way she was staring at that giant was both obsessive and terrified, in Artoria's opinion.

But she couldn't hesitate now. This matter was too important.

"Do you think… he is the seventh?" the young Pendragon asked, turning to the smaller girl directly. "Is he the Assassin class Servant?"

"…No."

Her answer contained no hesitation this time. Illya was absolutely sure of it. The way her expression hardened made both Artoria and Waver grow confused out of nowhere.

Even Sella seemed taken aback by the certainty behind her tone. "My Lady?" she asked, unsure of what to say.

But Illyasviel cared not for their doubts and inner concerns. Her focus was completely aimed towards the black giant, her eyes studying him closely with morbid and rapt attention. "That Servant is no Assassin. His parameters are too high," she explained, raising her small body from her kneeled position. The shockwaves of wind generated from the clash between Servants made her hair flutter all the more. "I can sense something extremely twisted coming from his core. Something dangerous. He is definitely not a Servant who was supposed to be here tonight. That much I can say with certainty."

as expected of the vessel of the Lesser Grail; her knowledge and ability were outstanding.

Lord El-Melloi II nodded with a serious expression, along with Artoria as well. This kind of deduction was not something they could have hoped to achieve on their own. Artoria was a Magus specialized in swordsmanship and combat, and her skills were aimed towards the field of strengthening and enhancing her physical abilities. She had little to no knowledge about the aspects of Magecraft related to the soul and the spiritual matters. And that was true for Waver as well. Despite being a Lord and a knowledgeable and experienced teacher, he was still a third-rate Magus with a weak Magic Crest; and his affinity with the spiritual matters was non-existent to say the least. Consequently, they would never have been able to discover so much about that giant with just their eyes alone.

Unlike them, however, Illyasviel von Einzbern was a powerful and sophisticated homunculus. One who also happened to be the very same vessel of the Grail, along with a descendant of Justeaze herself. It was no wonder her perception skills were so outstanding compared to their own. She had been specifically designed to fulfill her role in the Holy Grail War, and as such, she was far more knowledgeable and instructed about the things related to the War and its Servants than Artoria and Waver could ever hope to be.

That was exactly why they had to bring her on their side. Having such an ally was surely going to shift the tide of the War to their advantage. There was no question about it.

"…then what is he?" Artoria demanded, unable to understand.

Illyasviel just shook her head. "I don't know."

That was her only reply, and she refused to elaborate further. This fact made everyone grow worried. Extremely worried.

Because if that giant was not Assassin, then what was he? Artoria and her allies had already met every Master and Servant pair except for the Assassin one. They already knew the identity of every Master and every Heroic Spirit participating in the conflict except for those two (and for Caster's Master as well, but they were inconsequential, according to Gilgamesh). So, this question was still unanswered to this day.

If the black giant was not Assassin, how was he summoned? And by whom?

Did he belong to another Class? Was his summoning a mistake? Was there a reason behind his sudden appearance?

And more importantly, why did he appear here and now, of all times?

Those questions were just a few among the doubts that were plaguing the three confused Masters right now. And all of them had no answer in spite of their pressing importance. They knew that Servant was apparently Heracles, the greatest Hero in Greek legends… but apart from that, nothing. No answers, no details, no clues; only questions. It was a mystery of gigantic proportions; one they could not afford to ignore due to its impact on the conflict.

Waver Velvet knew that all too well. "I see… is there anything else you can tell us about that Heracles?" the black-haired Lord asked, trying to remain as calm as he could. "A Servant who is not Assassin has just appeared out of nowhere. This is something completely unprecedented so far. I've never heard of anything similar to this, not even throughout all the research I've done about the previous Holy Grail Wars."

The white-clad maid Sella eyed both him and Artoria warily. "Are we to assume that you have nothing to do with this, then?" she demanded.

The young heir of the Pendragon lineage took offense to that. She didn't like the hint of accusation behind the maid's tone. "Of course not. How could we possibly be responsible for this absurd situation? No one can summon a Servant out of nowhere without a ritual and a proper catalyst," she groused, glaring at the older homunculus in anger.

Sella would not relent. "Your statement is correct in theory. However, that Servant has appeared tonight, at the very same moment you two had – coincidentally – come to our home. Uninvited, may I add. This is fishy. Way too suspicious to be a coincidence, in my opinion."

"We didn't come here to fight! You two are the ones who attacked us first!" Artoria countered, irritated. "We've even sent Rider to help your Servant against that creature! How can you accuse us of being behind this in spite of everything we've done so far? We're just as confused as you are!"

"That doesn't change―"

"Enough, Sella. Now is not the time for this."

With a solemn and haughty tone, Illyasviel cut in the discussion before things could escalate further. Artoria and the maid fell silent, glaring at each other with annoyed frowns, but both of them did not fail to notice the seriousness in the smaller girl's face. Illya's eyes were still glued to the battlefield even in spite of the heated discussion, her focus solely aimed towards the black giant and its unusual way of fighting.

Once more, Waver Velvet decided to step in. "Lady Illya is right. This is no time to be at each other's throats," he stated, looking as resolute and serious as he could ever be. "Something very odd has happened right in front of our eyes. Something none of us had been expecting to see at all. This matter cannot be overlooked; and as much as it pains me to admit it… it also proves my previous point."

Illya and Sella turned to the man. Artoria saw their eyes harden with a weary and resigned frown.

But the Lord of the Clock Tower remained unfazed by their uncertainty, delivering the truth with a solemn and resolute voice. "There is something wrong with this Holy Grail War," he declared, as both a statement and a deduction. His voice was harder than before, and it could be heard clearly even amidst the noise of war and the clash of metal echoing from the battlefield. "This situation is completely unprecedented. A Servant appearing out of nowhere – one who doesn't apparently belong to the seven, moreover – is not an event that would normally ever occur. This proves that there's something odd behind this conflict… you can no longer deny it, Illyasviel von Einzbern."

The girl with silver hair pursed her lips with a mighty frown. The way her small hands clenched into fists only accentuated the conflicting emotions raging inside her head.

Seeing the hesitation on her face, Artoria decided to move closer to the homunculus. "Please, can you give us a chance?" she asked, trying to convey all her hope inside those words. Despite the fact that this little girl had tried to kill her a few minutes before, she had to put her feelings aside for the sake of their mission. This was way too important to be ignored. "If we join hands together, we might be able to discover the truth. The real events behind this War. That is all we want to do."

Her question lingered in the air, accompanied by a dreadful silence.

For what seemed to be an eternity, Illyasviel and her maid offered no answer to their offer. They just remained silent, seemingly hesitating for a long while as they pondered what to do. They could not deny that the appearance of that black giant was something they had never anticipated; and it was also an indisputable fact that such an event was not supposed to happen 'in theory'. A Servant appearing out of nowhere, without the – apparent – influence of a Master, was an event that was never meant to be. That much was undeniable, and both Sella and her young master had to deal with this fact no matter what they thought about it. Whether they liked it or not.

Regardless of their goals, ambitions and reasons for fighting in this War… that doubt remained true all the same. And there was nothing they could do about it. At least for the moment.

As such, after a long pause filled with hesitation, the girl known as Illyasviel von Einzbern finally relented with a nod.

"Very well," she spoke in the end, stepping out from the cover of rubble to stare at the battle more directly. "After everything that happened tonight, it would be foolish of me to not consider every option."

Waver and Artoria smiled in relief. They shared a nod of accomplishment while the Einzbern Master looked away. At least the small homunculus was reasonable enough to see their point.

The older maid glanced at the small girl with a serious gaze. "My Lady, are you sure about this?"

Illya nodded, her face both serious and suspicious as she watched the black giant roaring at the sky. "Yes. That Servant is an anomaly. He's not supposed to be here. Moreover, he has destroyed my garden, and threatened the stability of the Sacred Ritual with his actions and presence alone. That much I cannot ignore," she explained, with a voice so serious and firm that it was honestly surprising to hear. It was not the tone of voice a child like her was supposed to have, after all.

Yet again, she wasn't really a child. Even if her body looked like one.

Lord El-Melloi II rose himself from the rubble, turning to the child-like Master in full. "Does it mean that you'll accept to cooperate with us?" he asked, trying for a more direct approach this time.

She just eyed him coldly, as if she weren't interested in his words in the slightest. "Make no mistake, Lord El-Melloi II. Your goal to dismantle the Ritual is nothing but a folly," she retaliated, making the Magus frown in hesitation and wariness as she made that point cross once more. Even Artoria herself couldn't help but tense slightly as she placed herself next to him. "I will refrain myself from fighting you two for now, at least until the current situation is resolved. But once that matter is settled, do not expect the same generosity from me again."

…it wasn't exactly what they had been hoping to hear, but it was an acceptable compromise. For now, at least.

"Very well," Artoria quickly accepted it. She couldn't afford to waste this chance, even if the deal was not the one they had been aiming for. "In that case, please allow us to cooperate with you for a bit. At least until we've discovered what's happening. We need to know what's that Servant's deal, and how he was summoned in the first place. This matter is of utmost importance."

Illyasviel narrowed her eyes. A cold fickle of emotion flashed in her crimson eyes.

"I have a better idea."

Waver and Artoria blinked, confused by that statement. They were about to ask what she meant, but they had no time to do so.

In fact, as soon as the small homunculus spoke those words, she raised her right hand to the sky. Once more – just like what happened a few minutes ago – glowing marks of red color began to appear all over Illya's body, covering her face, her neck and her arms completely. They glowed bright and intense, making her assume a look that was both mesmerizing and fearsome. The heir of the Pendragon line and the Lord of the Clock Tower immediately began to grow wary as they noticed the immediate change.

"W-What are you doing?" Waver demanded, looking uneasy for some reason.

The small girl offered no answer. Instead, her focus shifted once more on the Servants raging in battle on the opposite and far-off side of the destroyed courtyard. Their eyes followed her gaze, and Artoria felt her heartbeat begin to increase all of a sudden.

Rider and the giant were engaging in combat on top of the stone wall surrounding the Castle. They were fighting at supersonic speed, each clash of their weapons so powerful that it sent shivers across the air. Smoke and rubbles were flying everywhere as the two Servants fought against each other, their blades meeting again and again in a furious and never-ending exchange of swings that made everything tremble around the two warriors. However, even amid that blur of chaos and movements, the two Masters could see the harsh reality: Rider was losing. He was struggling more and more as the clash dragged out, his movements too slow and frantic to match the assault of the muscular giant.

Illya's gaze shifted again, and it landed on the Berserker class Servant. Unlike Rider, the feral Huntress was not fighting directly against the giant anymore, opting to observe the clash from afar this time. She was watching the bout between Rider and the creature from the top of a surveillance tower on the left, with her bow already in hand her brows narrowed in focus.

But when her golden eyes glanced at the crimson ones of her Master, the Chaste Huntress immediately stilled, and her whole, feral body began to glow amid the dark.

Waver and Artoria widened their eyes, immediately realizing what the homunculus was planning to do.

"By the power of my Command Seal, I order you."

Illya's voice echoed in the courtyard. The red markings on her skin glowed all the more, their brilliance growing brighter with each and every word that was coming out the girl's lips. She cut through the noise of battle, the power of her Command Spell being activated for the second time in the exact same night.

Sella watched the scene in complete silence, her eyes narrowed in silent observation. Artoria and the Lord took a step back, unsure of what to do or say now that the Einzbern Master had made her decision.

And on top of the tower surveying the courtyard, amid that moment which stretched for an eternity, Atalanta the Huntress nodded her head, her bow glowing brighter while her Master uttered her order.

"Berserker… kill him."

The reaction was immediate, as well as mesmerizing.

Once the command had been given, there was no turning back. Berserker's frame glowed all the more, raising her bow to the sky and nocking two arrows on the string. Then, while prana and glows of light began to coalesce towards the Servant, a solemn chant was whispered from her lips, and the Huntress of the Argonauts released her arrows, shooting them towards the night sky.

Artoria stared in utter disbelief. Waver gulped audibly with a tense and worried face.

While the arrows soared to the sky, flying through the air at a speed that was great enough to pierce through the clouds while leaving behind a glittering trail, disappearing towards the Heavens. Their glowing shine cut through the clouds, disappearing in the darkness above, until a faint flash of white light glowed in the distance. Then, for a moment, no sound and no reaction could be heard or seen by those who witnessed the scene.

Atalanta lowered her bow, staring at the moon with a solemn and resolute gaze. Beneath the stone tower, several meters and feet below, the giant stilled abruptly, pausing his mad frenzy and raising his head to stare at the night sky above. Rider had already darted away, taking as much distance as he could in the meanwhile as soon as he'd heard the Huntress' solemn complaint.

Seconds passed, followed by silence.

Then, Artoria widened her eyes, and her legs nearly trembled in shock.

Because from the Heavens above, Hell began to rain down on the earth.

A sound echoed in the air. A sound similar to falling rain, coming from a great and far off distance. However, as the seconds continued to pass, it grew louder and closer… until the young Pendragon girl realized that it was not water the one she was hearing…

…it was a rain of arrows.

Artoria exhaled a gasp, while Illyasviel smiled in gleeful cruelty.

Arrows began to fall from the sky. A veritable downpour of them. Like drops of water during a storm, a silent but deadly rain of arrows began to fall from the clouds, gleaming in the darkness like flashes of white and blue. They came at an unbelievingly fast speed, each and every one of them aimed towards the giant on top of the wall, like a downpour solely aimed to a specific target. They fell and rained on him like a volley of bullets, ready to pierce and strike with precision and accuracy.

There was no time for words. Nor Artoria, nor Waver, and not even Illyasviel and her maid had time for comments as soon the Noble Phantasm was released. All they could do was watch in silence and awe – along with an instinctive tinge of terror – as the downpour of light came crashing down on the black giant out of the blue, enveloping his colossal frame in full and making him disappear in a blast of blinding light. An explosion soon followed suit, swallowing its target and a whole portion of the stone wall in a blast of cataclysmic proportions.

This was Berserker's Noble Phantasm, released against Heracles in an attempt to bring him down.

An ear-splitting roar of pain and madness echoed from the blast, followed by a column of light that lighted the night as if it were day again. The explosion lasted for several minutes, shaking the world so much that the ground and air themselves started to tremble in pain. Artoria struggled hard to keep her balance on the shaking soil, her expression one of bewilderment as she tried to observe the calamity raining down on the giant amid that blinding pillar of light. Soon enough, the girl with golden hair began to understand what Illya's reasoning had been, and when she realized that, she felt a shiver run down her spine in spite of her trained instinct.

Now, everything made sense.
Now, Illyasviel's goal began to become clear inside Artoria's racing mind.

The Master of the Einzbern faction had had no intention of indulging them in their quest. She had no interest in discovering the truth behind the War, or in taking sides with her and Waver to uncover the mystery behind the giant's intrusion. None of it and none of that had been her intent, not her goal in the first place.

No… from the beginning, her plan had always been the same: to kill the intruder Servant so that she could resume her previous fight. She cared not for any truth behind the War, she had no interest in discovering the reason behind the recent events. All she wanted was to deal with her and Waver, removing the unexpected obstacle in her way to start their battle once more.

She had just killed the intruder Servant, uncaring of any mystery and any answer he could have given for their quest.

"There… that's much better already."

As if to prove her inner speculation, the homunculus' next words made her startle a little bit.

The explosion began to dissolve, and the rain of arrows started to disappear as the Noble Phantasm died out in full. Illya's voice echoed in the silence, her tone more cheerful and relaxed now that the threat had been eliminated by her Servant's latest attack. The spot hit by the downpour had been pulverized to ash completely: the entire section of the defensive walls now reduced to nothing but a mountain of debris, with smoke and dust and debris covering everything for several meters straight. The tremors and the shakes began to diminish bit by bit, and they were followed by a dead silence along with a feeling of death and anticipation.

Artoria narrowed her eyes, while Illyasviel turned back to her in full. Next to the girl, Waver Velvet had reached her exact same conclusion, his face clearly showing the nervousness that was growing inside their heart.

On her part, Illya just smiled at their baffled expressions. The smirk on her lips was both innocent and twisted as she giggled in a childish way; a flash of wild amusement flickering inside her ruby eyes.

"Now, with that out of the way… shall we resume from where we left off?" she offered, strangely innocent in the way she posed that question. She tilted her head to the side, looking visibly pleased by the disbelief growing on both of their faces. The way Artoria and the Lord began to back down from her was only making her amusement grow, judging from her twitching lips.

Artoria took a step back, her teeth parted in an incredulous snarl. "Y-You…" she stuttered, unable to believe that girl's foolish actions. "What have you done?"

Illya just tilted her head again, looking confused and innocent as she pondered that question in silence. "What do you mean? I've just removed that annoying distraction," she answered, as if it were the most obvious conclusion. "Now that he's gone, we can continue with our previous fight once more."

"What are you saying?! Didn't we just agree to cooperate?" the Pendragon girl countered in agitation.

"I agreed to refrain myself from fighting you until the situation was resolved," was the other's immediate comeback, amused. "Now, it's resolved. There is no need to continue this farce any longer."

Artoria gritted her teeth, her mind unable to believe this absurd development.

Even Lord El-Melloi II could hardly begin to grasp that girl's twisted madness. "Good grief… you didn't even hesitate, did you?" he muttered, with a cold and tense trickle of sweat running down his left cheek. "Is this really how you want it to be? Does the possibility of having a threat behind this War truly mean nothing for you? At all?"

Illyasviel giggled again, her laughter echoing in the ruined and silent courtyard.

Berserker leaped down from the tower, her feral body landing close to the site where Heracles had died. On the next side of the ruined walls, looking both wary and tense as they felt, Rider was staring at the smoke with disbelief, his eyes widened and morphed in a stunned expression.

"I told you: I have no interest in useless talk," Illyasviel von Einzbern declared with a solemn smile. She spread her arms wide as he spoke those simple words, her gaze challenging the world with a will that was not entirely her own. "This is a War. Nothing will matter except for victory and reaching the Grail. Even if the events are twisted, even if there's someone trying to pull the strings behind this conflict, all I need to do is defeat them and stop them. With the aid of Berserker, I will bring down anyone who stands in my way. By doing so, the Miracle will be achieved… and my purpose fulfilled at last."

The Lord narrowed his eyes. Artoria's hand grabbed the hilt of her sword.

While Illya stepped forward with a smile and a childish giggle, her face morphed in cruelty as she glared at them both in full. "My purpose remains unchanged. The Holy Grail War shall unfold as it was always meant to be. The Dismantling of the Ritual is not for the likes of you to decide."

Suddenly and without a warning, the maid Sella interrupted her speech.

"L-L-Lady… Illya…"

A hand grasped her shoulder, and the small homunculus blinked in confusion.

Artoria and Waver followed her gaze, and they too fell silent once more.

Illyasviel blinked in confusion, her brows furrowing a bit as annoyance flickered on her features. She snapped towards the older maid, ready to lash out at her for being interrupted; but before she could do that, her voice died inside her lungs, and she remained stunned for several moments.

Because contrary to her usual face, it wasn't a calm and collected emotion what shone inside Sella's eyes.

It was horror.

Crimson eyes snapped towards the smoke, and the Master of the Einzbern faction took a sharp breath in shock.

"No… i-it can't be!"

Berserker's words followed suit. They echoed with a tone of confusion, emphasized by the shock on her face. The Chaste Huntress of the Argonauts was staring wide-eyed at the column of dust and smoke, her whole body trembling as if she had death throes while she struggled to contain her emotions. Similarly to her, Rider leaped away from the wall during the moment of common pause, placing himself closer to Waver and Artoria with an expression of absolute bewilderment.

Just like that, amid an absolute and deafening silence, every single person in the courtyard – Servant, homunculus or human alike – stared at the figure which stood towering in the middle of the cloud of smoke.

The black giant.

He was alive.
And he was completely unharmed as well.

Artoria, Waver, Illya and the others could not believe what they were seeing.

As soon as the smoke cleared completely, the giant reappeared once more. His body was still intact and imposing, his complexion completely unchanged from the last time he had been seen before the Noble Phantasm had struck him in full. He was looking absolutely fine and unharmed by the previous rain of arrows, with not a single scratch or wound displayed on his muscular body. It was a sight Artoria couldn't explain. One she could not understand. The previous attack should have skewered him alive. It should have killed him on the spot, and filled his body with thousands of wounds and cuts from head to toe… but instead, not even one inch of his skin was harmed in any way.

Yes, that was what worried her the most. The creature was completely fine, with not even a scratch displayed on his skin. The only exception was the black mud dripping from his frame, covering his whole body just as it did when he had first emerged from it. But apart from that… he was unharmed. He was still standing, and more importantly… he was ALIVE; with his expression still morphed in the exact same snarl he'd used to display a few moments ago.

Nothing had changed. Almost as if he hadn't been hit by the attack in the first place.

It was an odd sight. The way he stood unharmed amid that crater of ruins and rubbles was a paradoxical sight for all who saw it. And none of them – literally none of them – was able to understand how such a thing was possible.

"N-No way... that's impossible!" Illyasviel's words cut through the silence, for once her voice sounding as stunned as it could ever be while her head shook from left to right in a gesture of complete denial. The horror inside her eyes was too deep to be described. "How can this be?! He should be DEAD!"

Yes, indeed. By all means and meaning, he should be dead. The previous attack should have killed him on the spot. And yet, he was not. He was alive, completely unscratched. And that was a pill they were all struggling to digest.

But impossible or not, the sight in front of them was real.

And the events that followed made it clear for them immediately.

This time, the giant wasted no time. His eyes ignored the world. They ignored Berserker and Rider. They ignored the Waver and Artoria. They even ignored the smoke and the destruction smeared all around their range of sight. But what they could no longer ignore, however… was none other than Illya herself.

Two pairs of red eyes met for the first time since the beginning of the battle…

…and in that fatidic moment, the tide of war shifted once again.

The black giant roared again, splitting both heaven and earth with a furious and bellowing cry of fury. Then, before anyone amid the presents could begin to fathom what was happening, he began to twitch and thrash his arms around, like a furious beast suddenly struck by a fit of frenzy. His sword-axe slashed the air, swinging in every direction wildly as the giant stomped and thrashed in a violent and convulsive way. Artoria, Lord El-Melloi II, Sella, Rider and Berserker watched the scene with horrified eyes, utterly scared by the unnatural scene.

Until, finally, slamming a fist on the ground and shaking his head like a howling beast, the giant blurred out of sight, disappearing without a trace.

Atalanta's terrified cry split the atmosphere with its intensity. "MASTER!" she yelled.

Illyasviel just blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

Everything that followed, it happened too fast to be comprehended.

Artoria's whole body shivered, suddenly, as if death itself had just appeared next to her out of nowhere, caressing her cheek without a warning. Blinking a few times, her body instinctively recoiled back when she glimpsed the black giant reappearing out of the blue, his colossal body closer – FRIGHTENGLY CLOSER – to the spot where she was standing next to Waver, and Illyasviel, and Sella. He was roaring and pouncing like an animal, lunging towards the Einzbern Master with a charge similar to a beast's.

Her lips parted in a gasp, but her body could not move itself at all. In a scene that moved in slow-motion, her eyes saw Berserker suddenly leaping at the giant from behind, her speed so fast it broke the sound barrier and her claws sinking deep inside that body made of muscle and smelly mud. The Huntress' bellowing cry was both desperate and filled with fear as it reached her ringing ears, making the heir of the Pendragon line startle in shock and fright and fear.

"HERACLES! NO!"

But it was no use. The giant saw her coming. He grabbed Atalanta by the neck, moving so fast Artoria couldn't see him, and he slammed the feral woman on the ground with another yowl of fury. Lord El-Melloi II screamed in fear, horrified by the scene in front of him, but next thing she knew… Artoria's entire world suddenly began to spin and move, and for a time that was indefinite, she could see nothing at all.

Everything around her moved in a blur. Her mind distantly registered something cold and hard and firm grabbing her by the waist out of nowhere, while the sound of moving air swallowed every noise she had been hearing before.

Until, Rider halted his dash, turning around with a frantic expression.

Just like Berserker had done before him, the King of Franks had instantly hurried towards the Masters as soon as the giant had disappeared, heading towards Waver and the teenage girl before it could be too late. However, instead of charging at the assaulting Servant – like Atalanta had done out of instinct – the Knight had grabbed the two humans with his arms and leaped away at maximum speed, trying to bring them both to safety and away from the maddened beast.

When he skidded to a halt, the King of Franks was already on the opposite side of the crater. Artoria was held in his left arm, safely held by the waist; while Waver was thrown over his right shoulder instead, looking as lost and confused as the girl was feeling in turn. Both humans, however, could not tear their eyes away from the scene happening near the giant…

…where an absolute and horrible chaos had disrupted the previous silence.

Berserker was laying on the ground, looking battered and covered in blood, desperately throwing one arm in direction of her screaming Master. A few meters away, Sella was doing the same, laying on the ground with a panicked and worried expression.

And there, just a couple of meters away from the two, the giant was towering over Illya's minute frame, with both arms raised to the sky and his weapon aimed in a vertical slash. Rage and fury were displayed on his enraged face, along with a snarling roar that made everything shake and tremble even as the world paused for a bit.

The last thing Artoria managed to see was the look of utter fear shining inside the homunculus' eyes―

―before the colossal weapon slammed against her frame, cratering the earth with a gigantic explosion.

BOOOOOOOM!

The blast shook the world, the noise so intense that it made Artoria's ears ring for a bit. The column of smoke rose towards the sky, almost as tall as the blast of Berserker's Noble Phantasm. Everything shook and was covered by dust, the roar of the colossal giant the only exception amid the noise. Rubble, stone and concrete rained down on the earth, falling in every direction no matter how far they were from the site of the crash. It was a gruesome scene: one so surreal and sudden that none of them knew how to react. It happened so fast that neither Artoria or Waver could wrap their minds around the scene.

For what seemed to be an eternity, only the noise of falling debris could be heard inside the dust. The girl with golden hair coughed and sputtered as the smoke began to dissolve, her body still safely held in Rider's arm while she struggled to see anything amid that chaos. Lord El-Melloi II was faring no better, visibly retching as the nausea slowly subdued now that his Servant had stopped to move.

But then, the smoke was cleared, and the sight that was revealed to them shocked Artoria to her very core.

The giant was still there, in the spot where Illyasviel had been. He had swung his blade against the homunculus' frame, trying to kill her and reduce her into a pulp. All that was left now was a crater in the wounded soil, the ground split apart in two on the spot where the weapon had landed. The sheer amount of strength and raw fury behind that single attack had been so powerful it had split the soil in two, cleaving both the concrete and the earth itself due to the giant's monstrous strength.

But of Illyasviel, however, there was not a single trace.

"N-No… NO!"

Sella cried out in horror, tears cascading from her paling cheeks.

Artoria felt her heart beating madly inside her chest. She could hardly even believe the event she had just witnessed with her own eyes. "N-No way," Waver muttered from Rider's shoulder, his expression one of shock. "Did… Did he kill her?"

That was the only logical conclusion. The only possible result upon being struck by such a deadly attack. However, in spite of that flawless logic, Charlemagne smiled with a relieved expression.

"Heh. I wouldn't be too sure of that, Master."

His voice echoed amid the silence, and it made everyone pause. Then, before they could understand the meaning behind those words, the giant's head suddenly turned to the North, where his eyes narrowed in a fit of furious anger.

Soon, everyone followed the creature's gaze, guided by the feeling of something unexpected. Artoria and Waver. Berserker and Sella. Even Rider, who had been glancing at that spot for a whole minute straight. And then, as soon as they noticed the shift in the air, Artoria and the others felt the air in their lungs disappear all of a sudden.

Atalanta the Huntress widened her eyes. The homunculus Sella gasped in relief.

Because Illyasviel was well and alive―

―and she was standing at the top of the ruined wall nearby, held closely and with security in the arms of a Servant dressed in red.

And thus, as soon as she saw that sight, Artoria's face shone with visible relief. For the first time ever since the start of the battle, a smile of visible joy split her lips in spite of the shock. Because now at long last, her own Servant was finally here. He was finally back to her.

He was here.

"…Archer."


.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/

.

My eyes are focused on the enemy, my gaze entirely glued to the battle unfolding in the far-off distance.

In the small park near the main street, more than 4 kilometers away from my current position, Saber and Berserker are engaging in combat. They are exchanging furious blows, their weapons too fast to be seen with the naked eye. Even with my enhanced sight as a bowman, I am struggling to follow their movements. But my eyes do manage to see the way Saber stomps on the giant's stone blade, creating an opening in his study and relentless flow of attacks.

I observe in rapt interest as the girl in silver armor aims a slash towards Berserker's chest… only for him to avoid it with a sudden twist of his upper body. With a few rotating kicks as a follow-up, he forces Saber to retreat once more, recovering his weapon in spite of the previous flaw.

Rin and the boy are staring at the scene in bewilderment. "He's way too agile!" Rin exclaims in a waspish voice. The frustration in her tone is too obvious to be missed. "How does that thing qualify as a Berserker?!"

As the giant growls at her, Saber observes him in both wariness and awe. "He must be a Hero of great renown," she says, her voice laced with nothing but respect. "Even in the grip of madness, his skill with a blade remains unblunted." She assumes her battle stance again, narrowing her eyes as the giant takes a step forward. "I cannot help but be impressed."

Rin grits her teeth in anger, while the boy is too shocked to utter a word. "Archer! Fire support!" she says to me, unwilling to let Saber lose the current battle.

From my position on the roof of the Central Building, I stare at the black giant with a gaze devoid of feels.

"…he's less a frenzied warrior and more an embodiment of savagery," I muse to myself out-loud, readying my bow in order to fire the next attack. "He may be mad, but his ingrained swordsmanship hasn't left him in spite of that, huh…"

Wasting no time, I nock another arrow on the string of my bow. Taking aim with careful precision, I shoot the dart towards the enemy's head. The arrow darts throughout the air, silent as death itself, and lands on the target in full by striking him on the temple.

A blast of white-blue energy covers the giant as the arrows explode. When the smoke begins to disappear, Illyasviel sighs in a disappointed and bored way; while Rin and the foolish boy gasp in utter disbelief.

Because the giant is completely unharmed, and he hasn't even moved one single bit.

I lower my bow with a frown, staring at that monster with a frustrated click of my tongue.

"tch."

.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/

.


Location: Suburbs of Fuyuki City (Japan)
Einzbern Forest ―― EASTERN SIDE

(======)

"W-What was that?"

Rin's head snapped to the South, her question lingering in the air with a worried and wary tone.

Just like she had done, the others reacted as well. The woman she was attempting to defeat, Bazett Fraga McRemitz, suddenly turned in the exact same direction, her magenta eyes narrowed in an expression of concerned tension as she gazed at the distant trees. In spite of the wound on her left arm, she was still standing and fighting relentlessly, completely uncaring of her physical condition. But she wasn't the only one who paused the fight once the noise could be heard: even the homunculus maid Leysritt immediately stopped while she was about to launch another attack, her gigantic halberd pausing mid-swing.

For a few seconds filled with tension, none of the three was able to move.

Then, another explosion echoed from the distance. It came from the Southern direction, where – Rin had already assumed it during the fight – the Einzbern Castle was likely bound to be located. It wasn't the first time this was happening, either: for the last fifteen minutes, a long series of blasts and explosions had been echoing from that direction, all of them followed by the echo of a distant roar. It was becoming more and more frequent… and it was making everyone grow worried for some reason.

Something was happening. Something was definitely happening there. But none of them could understand what.

The ground shook, an earthquake plaguing the whole forest. Rin almost yelped in shock as she fell to the ground due to the tremors. The vegetation shook, the woods moaned in pain. A column of smoke and dust began to rise towards the sky, so high and wide in its height and width that it could be glimpsed even beyond the towering trees. Another blast echoed in the distance, this one more frantic than the previous ones.

Next to the Tohsaka girl, Leysritt's stoic face crumbled into a mask of concern. "The Castle… my Lady…" she whispered, her tone growing more and more worried as the tremors shook the world. When the sound of a massive explosion echoed in the air, her expression blossomed in full-blown panic. "No… No!"

The homunculus stared at the column of smoke towering on the sky with wide eyes filled with worry. For a moment, all her focus shifted from the battle, her emotionless expression shattered by fear. Rin saw her distressed state immediately, but she didn't know what to do. From the other side of the clearing, she saw that Bazett was readying herself to take advantage of the maid's moment of distraction, but luckily for them both, she was unable to do so.

Because as soon as the explosion died out, the ground shook once more, prompting the two women and the young teenage girl to struggle in order to keep their balance.

Once more, a bellowing and furious roar echoed in the air, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

Bazett held her balance by moving closer to a tree and leaning against it. "What in the world is happening over there?" she exclaimed, her face morphed into an incredulous expression. "Is this Berserker's doing?"

That was the only explanation – or rather, speculation – the Magus could think of at the moment. Neither she nor Rin could not tell what was going on from the other side of the forest, and they were still too far from the Castle to discern any presence or noise in a definite way. All they could hear was the blasts of the explosions, along with the quakes of the earth and the sound of a beast-like roar echoing in the distance.

It was worrying. Both Rin and Bazett were finding this extremely worrying.

When the ground finished shaking, Leysritt wasted no time. She spun her body all of a sudden, leaving the clearing amid the dark forest and heading in the direction of the smoke with a fast and maddened pace.

Rin widened her eyes as soon as she saw her leave. "H-Hey! Come back here! The battle's not over yet!" she yelled, feeling frustrated by her ally's unexpected retreat. She knew the situation was worrying, she understood she was concerned for her master… but she couldn't just leave her here, at the mercy of that monstrous woman.

The maid paid her no mind. She ignored her outraged cries, disappearing amid the trees as she headed in the Castle's direction. As soon as she was gone, a tense silence fell between the two Mages, and an overwhelming feeling of dread began to wash over Rin's mind.

Just like that, the battle was halted abruptly.

"Well… it seems that your ally has chosen to abandon you," Bazett spoke from the opposite side of the clearing. Rin turned to the woman with a paling and sweating face, openly glaring at her at the sight of the smirk blossoming on her lips. "It's just the two of us now."

This was bad. It was terrible. It was absolutely nuts.

"…are you really going to let her go like this?" Rin tried to shift the subject, in attempt to make the enemy hesitate. "That maid is strong. Aren't you worried she might cause some trouble for your allies?"

Unfortunately, Bazett did not take the bait. She was too smart for that. "My goal is preventing you from reaching the Castle. The others can deal with the Einzberns on their own. They're not as helpless as you think," she replied, cracking her fists with a smirk on her lips.

The heir of the Tohsaka family swallowed a silent curse.

However, in spite of her growing restlessness, Rin refused to show panic in front of the enemy. Instead, the girl with raven hair quickly tried to consider every option inside her mind. Without Leysritt by her side, fighting that woman was a hopeless cause. It was suicide. Bazett was a monster, her skills and abilities far above anything Rin had experienced prior to this day. If she were to fight against that woman on her own, she was surely going to be defeated without question. So far, she had managed to hold her at bay and maintain the upper hand in the battle by using the numerical advantage and the strength of Leysritt's attacks to avoid a direct confrontation. But without the Einzberns' aid… the situation was much more difficult. And dangerous to boot.

Rin Tohsaka was a Magus, and as such she did not excel in physical abilities. She could manage to hold her ground against someone of her age thanks to Reinforcement and evasive spells, but against Bazett that kind of strategy would be completely useless. That woman was specialized in close-range combat, so this option was out of the question. Rin would be crushed like a bug if she were to fight her directly, no matter what kind of tricks she could try to pull out of her sleeves.

That, consequently, only left three main options for her at the moment. One: trying to regroup with her Servant and join forces with him to face the woman and Lancer in battle. Two: using her skills to mislead the woman in an attempt to strike her down. And three: trying to distract her in order to retreat. That was all she could manage to do, given the current circumstances.

Surrendering herself was not an option, unfortunately. She couldn't afford to lose, now that the situation had escalated so far. Rin was a logical person, one who would always try to follow the path with the highest chance of success, however slight. As long as there was a chance of victory, she would always try to grasp it no matter what. It was simply in her nature to do so. Therefore, unless it was absolutely unavoidable, she would not consider herself defeated no matter the danger she faced.

Still, retreating was not going to be an easy feat. Bazett was faster than her, and she would catch up with her quickly. The best option was trying to regroup with Saber, and find another way to deal with the enemy along with him. That was the safest option she had.

The only downside was that Saber was not here with her. That was the main issue. Her Servant had been lured away by Lancer several minutes ago, who had forced him to move deeper into the forest in order not to involve the Masters in their fight. They had moved so far in the forest that the two warriors could no longer be seen. That was a problem. It was going to be troublesome for her to wait until Saber could come back here.

Yet, she had to at least try. Her life was on the line here.

'Saber, do you hear me?' her mind reached out to her Servant, sending a request to the King of Knights during that moment of unexpected pause. 'I need backup, quickly.' she said.

The King's voice didn't take long to answer her command. It was heavy and focused, probably due to his efforts being aimed towards his battle against Lancer. 'Roger that. I'll find a way to get past Lancer as soon as I can. Be careful, Master.'

Rin took a deep breath. Now that her Servant had been called, it was time to formulate a strategy. She had to stall for time. She had to gather enough time so that Saber could manage to flee from Lancer's assault and find a way to return back to her. She had no other choice: Bazett was smart, and she was surely going to take advantage of the moment, in order to finish this battle as quickly as she could. Therefore, in order to resist long enough for Saber to reach her position and fight on equal terms, she had to find a way to keep this woman at bay.

She still possessed all her Command Seals. They could be used to speed up the process. But that was her last resort. It was not the time to spend one of those, yet.

Unexpectedly, however, Bazett chose not to attack her in spite of the moment of pause. Even though they were alone, even though this was a perfect opportunity for her to finish it at once, she didn't make any move. She made no attempt to rush at Rin or attack her in any way. It was not a deliberate choice on the woman's part, but rather a consequence of the events that soon followed.

Because in that exact, same moment… something unexpected happened.

RIIIIIIING. RIIIIIIING.

The sound of a ringing phone echoed in the air, making Rin Tohsaka startle in surprise while Bazett widened her eyes.

The girl with raven hair sucked in a shaky breath. Her aqua eyes stared with a stunned and tense expression as the woman named Bazett took a cellphone out of her pocket. She pushed a button on the mechanical object – Rin wasn't very acquainted with technology, being a Magus who didn't own a phone – and brought it close to her right ear. "…yes?"

Silence descended between the two. Rin observed the whole scene in absolute bewilderment, unable to believe that that woman would actually use a phone in the middle of a battle. However, before she could grasp what was happening completely, the heir of the Tohsaka family glimpsed a sudden change in the expression of Bazett's face. The woman's focus shifted all of a sudden, her magenta eyes widened imperceptibly, and her head was hastily turned in a specific direction: South. Her calm and serious frown was now morphed in a mask of shock, as if she had just received some news that had struck the woman deeply.

Whatever she was hearing on that phone, it had to be pretty damn important.

Rin observed her warily all the while, feeling extremely tense in case the enemy decided to do something brash out of nowhere. But fortunately for her, that was not the case. The woman was still staring at the horizon, her eyes focused on the same spot where Leysritt had disappeared a few moments ago while she listened to someone talking on the phone, visibly distressed about something.

Still, Rin wasted no time. This was a chance for her, after all.

"Anfang," she whispered.

The spell was activated in but an instant. Taking advantage of the enemy's distraction, the girl took out three jewels from her pocket – a ruby, a sapphire and a topaz – and then she uttered a silent incantation while she tossed them at her feet. The precious gems shattered in a cloud of dust as soon as they hit the solid ground, releasing the Magical energy stored inside of them. When the energy was released, it flew in a single spot in the air, creating a sphere of liquid Mana that floated in the middle of the clearing. And then, from the sphere itself, a shot of beaming energy was suddenly fired out of nowhere, aimed towards the woman with magenta hair.

Bazett noticed it immediately, despite being distracted by the phone. She glanced at the incoming beam of light, avoiding it by ducking her body under the shot before it could strike her down in full. The beam of energy crashed against a tree, piercing a whole portion of the trunk and creating a hole in the middle of it from where lymph began to leak out. Rin inwardly cursed as she observed the impressive speed that woman possessed. Despite being wounded and distracted, she was still as dangerous as before. She had to respect her for that, at the very least.

Once the attack missed, Bazett glanced at her sideways, her lips twitching upwards a little bit. "…got it," she spoke, closing the phone call all of a sudden.

When she took her phone away, her focus shifted back to Rin in full. "I'm impressed, Miss Tohsaka. In spite of your age, you still have the gist of things," she said, regarding the raven girl with an amused face. Rin narrowed her eyes, unsure of whether she should take her words as a compliment or a taunt. "I can see why you've been chosen as the heir of the Tohsaka line. Striking a Magus while they're distracted is not something another Magus would do, unless they're ready to toss away their pride. Your mindset must have been practical since a very young age."

In spite of her nervousness, Rin couldn't help but smirk in a challenging way. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not one to miss an opportunity when it presents itself," she tried to deflect.

"I'm not disappointed. It was a compliment," Bazett corrected, her gaze suddenly turning more serious. The glint inside her eyes made the teenage girl step back a bit out of instinct. "You are a dangerous Magus. If these had been normal circumstances, I would have killed you right away. An opponent of your caliber could become very troublesome during a Holy Grail War."

She meant it. That woman had meant every single word. Rin was absolutely sure of that.

"…but you won't kill me, I presume?" she asked, reading between the lines. Rin wasn't stupid. She knew this woman was restraining herself for some unknown reason. If she'd wanted to get rid of her, she would have done so long ago. "Did you receive some news on that call?"

Bazett scoffed at the sarcasm, closing her eyes. She turned her head away, staring in the southern direction for the second time in a row. No matter how long Rin waited for her response, the woman offered no answer.

Until, Saber's voice echoed in her eardrums.

'Master, watch out! Lancer is headed in your direction!'

A shiver run down her spine as the girl startled with her whole body 'W-What?' she shrieked.

'She broke away from our duel out of nowhere, heading towards your location again,' the King of Chivalry briefly explained in a hurried tone. Judging by the haste in his voice, he hadn't been expecting that reaction from his opponent. 'I'm on my way as well. Please be careful until I arrive.'

It didn't take her long for Rin to understand what was happening. Bazett hadn't responded to her question not because of pride or for any petty reason… but because she was communicating with her Servant all the while. She had been calling Lancer back, presumably having something in mind after having listened to that call a few moments ago.

Unfortunately, the girl didn't have much time to speculate about that. Because, faster than what she would have expected to see, the Servant of the Lancer class suddenly appeared next to her Master not even ten seconds later, catching the young girl by surprise as she appeared out of the blue. The Witch with purple hair stepped out of the darkness like an invisible ghost, silent as the moon itself and swift as the deadliest weapon. She leaped out of the darkness, faster than light, landing on the spot next to her Master with a stoic and resolute frown.

Rin Tohsaka gasped in surprise as the masked Servant stepped close to Bazett, briefly glancing in her direction before focusing on her Master with unnerving intensity. When those crimson eyes devoid of feels landed on her face, the girl with raven hair almost felt a shiver running down her back.

"Master, is it true?"

That one, singular question was spoken softly from the Servant in purple attire, aimed at Bazett with a tone of solemn inquisition.

The woman with magenta hair nodded at the Servant. Not even a glimmer of hesitation was present inside her gaze. "Yes. Waver just called me a few moments ago. We have a situation, and he needs our help," she explained, as if those words were explanatory enough.

In that moment, Saber arrived as well.

The King of Knights appeared after a second of pause. He rushed out from the thick vegetation of the forest, stepping inside the clearing at maximum speed and quickly dashing in front of Rin's awaiting frame. He moved so fast that his body seemed like a blur, but he was still a bit slower compared to Lancer, who had suddenly revealed herself without making a single noise.

"Master, are you ok?" the blond King asked, his invisible blade always pointed at the enemy. "Are you injured in any way?"

Rin shook her head, feeling much more relieved now that her Servant was finally back to her side. "I'm fine. I just can't help but have a lot of questions," she spat, her words aimed towards both Bazett and the deadly Lancer as she stared at the enemy in full.

Hearing the annoyance behind her words, the older woman exhaled a sigh. She shared a glance with Lancer, and then focused back on Rin while another explosion echoed in the distance.

And thus, amid a silence so thick that it could be cut with hands alone, the Master of the Lancer class Servant revealed the news to Rin and Saber as well.

"Lord El-Melloi II has called me on the phone. He's requesting our aid to face a new threat."

Rin widened her eyes. Saber lowered his weapon.

While Bazett Fraga McRemitz delivered the truth for the whole words to hear, staring at them both with a gaze that was filled with tension, and a great amount of resolve.

"A new Servant has been summoned in the Einzbern Castle."


.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/

.

Silver light runs through the darkness. The two swords clash: the giant sword of Berserker, who comes down through a volley of arrows; and the sword of Saber, who runs to his landing spot. The weapons collide, sparkling upon contact. The girl with silver armor grunts in effort as the enemy's colossal blade blocks her mighty swing in full, and then she grits her teeth in effort when the enemy forces her to defend.

The flow of the battle is already obvious to me. Saber is visibly struggling against the enemy. Berserker is slower than her, but his strength and ability with a sword are slowly becoming harder and harder for her to match. But even though she is overpowered by his relentless attacks, Saber refuses to yield.

In spite of myself, I cannot help but wonder as I watch that furious fight. Just how much Magical Energy is stored inside that small body of hers? Although Saber is obviously weaker, she is proving to be a match against Berserker against all odds. She is blocking, parrying, and facing the assault head-on, unwilling to back down for the sake of her foolish Master.

Yet, that is not enough to stop the relentless beast.

Rin is growing worried as Saber begins to be pushed back. No matter how many times I tried to aid Saber with my arrows so far, the monster's Noble Phantasm has nullified their damage without batting a single eye.

Illyasviel is laughing as the battle continues to unfold. "That's it. Crush her, Berserker!"

Even with the distance between us, I can see Rin's enraged face grow more resolute as she decides to step in directly. "As if. Not if I can help it!" she spits.

She starts to run closer to Berserker out of the blue, while the boy tries to stop her with a stunned and incredulous face. "Tohsaka!"

Rin pays him no mind, tossing a few stones in direction of the mad Servant.

"Archer!" she cries, scattering obsidian jewels towards the sky.

Her words are needless to me, for my hands are already moving to take aim with my bow. When the stones disappear in a shower of gleaming dust, a powerful Gravitational Spell is released upon Berserker, forcing the black giant to halt in his assault as his body becomes heavier than stone. My arrows follow suit in less than a heartbeat, and numerous silver lights come flying down from the heavens. They strike the target straight in the back, and a glow of blinding red envelops the beast completely.

A long series of explosions shake the silent world, and the night is lighted briefly for what seems to be an eternity.

But when dust and smoke begin to clear, Berserker is standing tall exactly like before. He has sustained no damage in spite of our efforts combined.

Rin and the boy stare at him in horror. I just narrow my eyes on my part, opting to observe in silence now that my aid has been proved to be useless.

.

/+/+/+/+/+/+/

.


Location: Suburbs of Fuyuki City (Japan)
Einzbern Castle

(======)

Heroic Spirit Emiya exhaled a sigh, feeling somewhat relieved that his rescue attempt had been successful.

It had taken a while, but he had finally managed to arrive at the Castle before it could be too late.

Grey eyes harder than steel stared at the world with a gaze of utmost focus. Standing at the top of the stone wall surrounding the Einzbern Manor, he surveyed the ruined courtyard with a critical eye, taking in the sight of the damage, of the shattered battlefield, and of its terrified occupants in absolute silence. Wind bellowed around his frame, restless and agitated, making his red cape and white hair flutter in the breeze. In the distance, far above the clouds, the moon and the starry sky observed the scene in silence, waiting for the events to unfold once more.

"W-What…? You are―!"

In his left arm, Illyasviel von Einzbern exhaled a loud gasp, blinking owlishly at him as she found herself safely held by his firm and unyielding grip. She looked stunned, shocked beyond words, unable to understand how she had managed to finish in this kind of situation.

Archer paid her no mind. Now it was not the time for this. Instead, his focus moved towards the black giant glaring at him from below. That was a sight he could hardly ever miss. That colossal and muscular frame… that ominous and overwhelming strength… he remembered them all too well. There was simply no way he could ever forget this particular Heroic Spirit, having been forced to face him several times in the past; in more ways than one. And each and every time he had been forced to do so, he had always felt the exact same emotion he was feeling right now, with no exception whatsoever.

The feeling of awe and terror combined, along with a desire to stay away from that giant.

But alas, it seemed that Fate was a cruel and twisted master. Even in this world, in this distant reality, that unspoken rule would always remain unchanged. And now, because of that, Heroic Spirit Emiya, Servant of the Archer class, had found himself in another troublesome situation. One that he had to resolve as quickly as he could, in order to avoid a greater catastrophe. In order to save himself, his allies, and his young and inexperienced Master from a depressing and ruinous end.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Several meters below, amid that courtyard filled with destruction, a mighty and beast-like growl echoed all of a sudden. The strongest Hero roared at the sky, glaring at the man of tempered steel who had just stolen his latest prey.

Emiya narrowed his eyes, studying the black giant closely from his position above.

Heracles, huh…

No matter how well he remembered him, no matter how many times he had seen him before, finding himself in front of that man felt like facing death for the first time. It was an overwhelming sensation, the feeling of standing in front of destruction itself. No matter how powerful his opponent was, no matter what kind of Hero would stand against him, that giant and his oppressive pressure would always be felt in spite of everything. No one could remain unfazed by it, Servants or humans alike. He was simply too strong – too famous – for that. The fear and awe he inspired were simply an unavoidable consequence.

Such, he knew, was the power of Berserker Heracles.

There was no doubt about it. Archer had seen him too many times to be uncertain about it. The giant in front of him was Heracles, and that much was obvious. He looked exactly like the Berserker he had met in his previous Holy Grail Wars, with the same blackened body and the same weapon as well. The only noticeable difference was the mud leaking from his torso, along with the crimson glint covering his eyelids. But apart from those details, he was exactly the same… and this fact was only making his concern grow exponentially. Even more so as he noticed those peculiar differences.

The stench, the mud… he had many questions.
None of them would be answered tonight.

Another roar, more powerful than the last, shook the air and the ground as he was pondering those thoughts. The black giant cried out in fury, his feet stomping against the concrete as he glared in anger at Archer's frame. His beast-like and furious eyes glowered at his distant silhouette, fixing him with a gaze that was more piercing than his deadliest arrow.

In that moment, as the giant roared at him, Illya suddenly shivered in his arms… and Emiya narrowed his eyes.

No, that was wrong. The bowman realized it immediately. He noticed it for the first time, as soon as the girl shivered in his grip. The creature was not glaring at him. Those eyes filled with madness and raw fury were aimed in his direction, true, but they were not staring at him at all. On the contrary, they were ignoring him without a care, dismissing his presence completely. The one their gaze was truly focused on was not him.

It was Illyasviel. The giant was aiming at Illya herself.

Concern and tension blossomed in his mind. This realization was worrying to say the least. Yet, Archer knew better than let his emotions show on his face. Instead, he steeled his mind, and his eyes quickly scanned the occupants of the courtyard, studying the situation while he could still afford to do so.

What he saw did not ease his concern at all, unfortunately for him. Berserker was wounded, her body battered and bloodied. She was laying on the ground in the middle of a small crater, panting and wheezing in pain as she struggled to raise herself from the soil. In spite of her condition, her eyes were staring at him in surprise, relief blossoming on her face as she realized her Master was safe in his arms. Next to her, the homunculus maid was trying to help her back on her feet, with tears in her eyes and tension written all over her features.

They would not be of much use at the moment. Archer realized this fact as soon as he noticed Berserker's condition. The Huntress was wounded and tired. She needed time to recover. It was foolish to count on her aid, for the moment.

Grey eyes shifted to the side, focusing on the others. Rider was standing on the far-off side of the crater, holding safely in his arms both Artoria and Waver Velvet. Both humans looked fine, and the Servant himself was in good condition overall. He looked tired after having fought both Berserker and the giant, but his condition was way better compared to the feral woman.

For a second, just for a second, Emiya allowed himself to relax at the sight. His Master was fine, and he had to thank Rider for that. Thanks to the intervention of the King of Franks, in fact, he had been able to grab hold of Illya and took her out of the giant's range of attack before it could be too late. The Knight's immediate instinct to protect the humans from harm had paid off pretty nicely. At least he could be reassured about that.

Finally, his gaze landed on his Master, and Emiya pursed his sealed lips. Artoria was beaming at him, tears of relief glistening her emerald eyes as she allowed herself to smile in his presence. Seeing the emotions on her face, the bowman inwardly cursed his inability to reach out to her through their bond. Their connection had been tampered when the girl had experienced physical trauma, and it would take at least a few hours before it could return as it was again. It was not a major concern, of course, but it had rendered mental communication impossible for the moment.

Yet, even in spite of that, he couldn't afford to hesitate. He couldn't afford to waste time.

He knew what he had to do… for it was the only logical conclusion.

Illya was whimpering in his arms, her body trembling madly under the giant's powerful glare.

All the while, Archer stared at his Master, his expression one of resolve. He tried to speak to her through his eyes. He tried to convey his thoughts through eye-contact alone. The girl seemed to glimpse something inside his gaze, her relieved expression turning into one of surprise, but unfortunately for them both, there was no time to try to explain his intention to her. The distance between them was too wide, and she wouldn't hear his voice no matter how loud he tried to speak. Besides, on the other side of the courtyard, the giant was already preparing himself to attack, so he had no time to rush back to her as well.

Time was running out. He couldn't afford to hesitate.

In that moment, Archer made a decision. One that was not easy and immediate to accept, but that was still the only one he could rely on. A decision for the sake of everyone. For the sake of Illya, for the sake of his allies, and for the sake of Artoria as well.

He offered one last glance at his Master, hoping she would understand. He sent a nod of utmost resolve in her general direction, meeting her stunned gaze with one of tempered steel. Then, as soon as the giant moved to intercept him, the bowman reacted, ready to set his plan in motion.

He swiftly turned around, and under everyone's stunned gaze…

…he fled from the scene.

. . .

Illyasviel screamed as the wind blurred out her vision.

Moving at breakneck speed, Archer fled from the Castle. He leaped away from the stone wall, abandoned the open clearing surrounding its perimeter, and delved deep inside the Einzbern Forest. He rushed at maximum speed, uncaring of everything and everyone, leaving behind the giant along with his allies, his Master and all the others as well. His mind was solely focused on moving as quickly as possible, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself – and the girl in arm – and the black giant who had tried to kill her a few moments ago.

"Kyaaah! W-W-What are you doing?! Let go of me!"

Her panicked screams fell on deaf ears. The small girl with silver hair squirmed in his arms, unable to move or see anything when the world around her eyes became nothing but a blur of movements. Archer refused to let go of her, holding her tight as he continued to dash away as fast as he could. The surroundings became nothing but an incomprehensible blur of air; shockwaves of wind slamming on her face with each leap of the Servant's legs, battering her body already tense from fear and shock.

Emiya ignored her protests, completely focused on running away. Despite his brash reaction, he knew that the enemy would not let them go that easily. If he wanted to succeed, if he truly wanted to have a shot at this, he had to seize this chance and waste no time in spite of the girl's opinion.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅▄▄▅▅!"

A horrifying, heart-wrenching howl of anger echoed behind his frame.

Archer narrowed his eyes, but refused to glance over his shoulder. Illyasviel dared to do so, however, and her face paled in sheer terror as she let out a frightened gasp.

The giant was chasing them. Like a beast chasing its prey, he was following them close. Much to Emiya's frustration – and Illya's increasing horror – the black monster was already closing the distance in spite of the bowman's unexpected attempt to run. His body was thrashing and charging like a wild animal, furiously moving at an unbelievable speed as he tried to close the gap between himself and the fleeing Servant. He had completely forgotten everything else, leaving behind Berserker, Rider and the others at the Castle and focusing entirely on the girl in Archer's arms.

Illyasviel's scream echoed in his ears. Emiya gritted his teeth as he tried to increase his speed and pace, unwilling to let the enemy reach him before the estimated time. However, that was not an easy task. Heracles' charge was furious and mighty as a quake, his body moving so fast and with such an overwhelming strength that nothing could halt his advance. Trees, rocks, trunks and stones; everything that stood in his was completely destroyed by that mindless and wild charge, and the sound of falling trees began to echo behind the two escaping fugitives. The more quickly they advanced, the more fiercely the enemy followed them. And now, for the first time in a long while, Emiya finally realized how a tiny prey would feel while being chased by a colossal predator.

He was hunting them down. Chasing them like a beast only bent on destroying.

Trees fell to the ground, and the rumble of death resounded in the distance. Still, Emiya refused to give up. Tossing Illya on his shoulder, he wasted no time and summoned his bow. The child-like homunculus shrieked in surprise as the Servant in red clothes spun around while mid-leap, firing five arrows against the colossal giant following them close.

Lit by the moonlight, the arrows rained down on the giant like shooting stars, their glow cutting through the darkness. Each arrow was long and covered by prana. One shot could pierce through rocks; five of them could mow down entire buildings. And yet, as soon as they crashed against their target―

"No way! It has no effect!"

Illya's terrified cry was both stupefied and disbelieving. She could not understand how such a thing was possible. The giant sustained no damage upon being struck by the shots of light, his body completely unharmed in spite of the blasts detonating around him. Just like before, he remained unscathed and woundless, similar to what had happened after the release of Berserker's Noble Phantasm.

But contrary to the girl, Emiya was not surprised. He had expected this. He was deeply accustomed to that Hero's Noble Phantasm, having witnessed it several times during his previous Holy Grail Wars. And just like those previous times, its effects were as stunning as ever.

God Hand: the physical manifestation of the immortality Heracles had received in his life after completing the Twelve Labors. It was a continuously active-type Noble Phantasm, acting like a curse and a blessing combined; one that granted him a 'body that knows no death.' It transformed his body into a tough suit of armor, one that was able to sustain and dismiss almost every kind of damage, even those that would have killed a normal Servant.

But more importantly… it was a curse that granted Heracles more lives; allowing him to revive 11 times without fail, no matter what kind of damage he sustained or even in what way he had been defeated during a battle. In other words, in order to defeat that Servant for good, his opponent had to kill him 12 times in a row. Any number lesser than that would always end up with Heracles' revival. It was a troublesome skill, and an ability that could well be considered one of the most powerful in existence, due to its nature. That, coupled with his monstrous strength, his impressive battle skills and his Battle Continuation ability, rendered him an extremely hard opponent to defeat. There was no question about it.

With this important knowledge seared in his brain thanks to experience, Heroic Spirit Emiya knew all too well that his arrows would have no effect on that man. If this version of Heracles was anything like the ones he had met in the past, it would require at least an A-rank attack or a Noble Phantasm that exceeded even that in order to wound him concretely. Anything below that specific rank would be useless against this peculiar Hero. And for this reason alone, Heracles could be considered the most powerful Servant of them all.

Having said that, the prospect of facing him again in combat was not a very reassuring one. Not even one bit.

But even in spite of this, his previous attack had not been entirely meaningless. Damage or not, the giant was still susceptible to alterations, and the smoke that enveloped his frame momentarily blocked his vision. It was just for a brief second, but that second alone was enough for Archer to move out of the way just a moment before the black creature could come crashing down on his frame, avoiding the furious charge by leaping to the right.

Heracles crashed against the ground, making the forest – and the entire world around them as well – shake and tremble in an ominous way. Emiya took advantage of the momentum to increase the flow of prana in his legs, dashing away in a different direction while the beast was still buried into the soil.

All the while, Illya whimpered as he increased his escaping pace; her small arms wrapped tightly around the Servant's neck while he ran away at blinding speed. The bowman could feel her body trembling against his chest, both in fear for her life and in terror for the giant's weird obsession with her.

Focused eyes narrowed even further. This question was still lingering in his mind. Why was Heracles aiming at Illyasviel? Why was he trying to kill her like this?

This was odd. It was odd and worrying and wrong.

In all of his previous memories, Heracles the Mighty had always been Illya's Servant. He had always acted as her shield, her weapon, her steadfast protector; even in spite of his Berserker class and the madness clouding his vision. No matter the circumstances, that man and his loyalty had always been in the palm of this tiny girl's fragile hands.

Now, however, it seemed that this unspoken rule had been finally broken. This situation was the complete opposite. Heracles had appeared out of nowhere, his Master currently unknown and his allegiance bound to no one… and he was trying to kill the Einzbern homunculus, ignoring everyone else as soon as he had met the girl's worried gaze.

Archer glanced at the girl in his arms, his expression unreadable as he buried every emotion deep inside his empty heart. No matter how hard he tried to think about that matter, this was not time to be distracted and ponder those thoughts. He had a job to do, after all, and he needed to finish it quickly.

The giant's distraction had allowed him to put up some distance between them. As soon as he was outside Heracles' range of sight, Emiya reacted immediately. Leaping on the branches above, he abandoned the solid ground and opted to move through the trees, hoping to erase his trail more efficiently. As more and more distance began to separate him from the muscular pursuer, he allowed himself to look back, making sure that the enemy was far enough for a moment.

Eventually, the race ended abruptly. Archer continued to run on the trees for at least two minutes, running so deep in the forest that the Castle could no longer be seen in the distance. Then, when he was satisfied enough, he jumped back on the forest soil, and finally stopped his escape altogether.

He glanced in every direction, making sure that the giant was nowhere in sight. His howls of rage and madness could be heard echoing in the distance – a clear sign that he was still looking for them both – but he was still too far to be seen or detected directly. Thus, knowing that he didn't have much time, the Servant of the bow gently picked the small girl with both arms and released her on the ground without saying a single word. Once he was done, he moved towards a specific spot, and waited for her reaction in absolute quiet.

Illya blinked as soon as she was released, still feeling confused and overwhelmed by all the events that had happened to her in such a short amount of time. She stared at her stoic rescuer with wide eyes filled with shock, but Archer refused to meet her gaze, however; his expression entirely morphed in a mask of stoic indifference.

His whole attention was aimed towards a certain spot. A spot he had noticed long ago thanks to his enhanced sight as a bowman, and that was now located just a few meters in front of them both.

The girl with silver hair followed his gaze amid the tense and nervous silence, and she instantly realized that the Servant was looking in direction of a hollow tree. It was a small beech with a hollow trunk; one that – judging by its appearance – had withered a few years ago. It was small and curved at the top, having been probably suffocated by the taller vegetation around it, unable to get enough sunlight to survive. Thanks to that, the trunk had withered and snapped in two, creating a hole at the base near its roots that was large enough to contain a small body.

Realization dawned upon Illya's features. Her eyes widened in utter shock. "Y-You… You want me to… hide in there?" she asked, unable to form any other coherent sentence.

Emiya didn't bother to reply. He just turned his back on her and moved to walk away.

The homunculus' eyes widened even more when she saw that he was about to leave. "W-Wait!" she called out, prompting the Servant to stop mid-movement. He was still refusing to turn in her direction, keeping his back to the smaller girl as he dismissed his faithful bow. Illya watched him with furrowed brows amid the tense and nervous silence. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, unable to understand. "Why are you… helping me?"

No answer came from the red-clad Servant of the bow. He just glanced at her from behind, before resuming to walk in the opposite direction.

He couldn't answer that.
He couldn't answer that no matter how much he wished to do so to her.

Because nothing had changed, in regard to this little girl.

Yes, that was the reason. That was the cause of his unnatural silence: nothing had changed from his previous Holy Grail Wars.

Just like in the past, in fact, even in this world he was unable to speak to her directly; the regret in his heart was way too oppressive to allow him to do so. Every time he was forced to see her, every time he was forced to deal with her like this, the Heroic Spirit known as Emiya would always end up unable to talk, rendering him incapable of speaking to a small and fragile girl.

The same old pattern, repeated in a loop.

Emiya was aware of this. He was aware of the regret he felt towards his adoptive sister. No matter what kind of version of her he was forced to fight or face as a Servant, the result would always be the same. All he could do, all he could try, was act for her own safety without saying a single word, hoping that by doing so he could be relieved of his haunting pain.

Just like his previous Wars, however, it wasn't working in the slightest.

Archer pursed his lips, refusing to give any explanation. Regardless of his personal feelings, though, the decision he had made was the correct one without question. Keeping this girl alive would be beneficial for both himself and his allies. After all, Illyasviel von Einzbern was the vessel of the Lesser Grail. She was the body in which the Grail was meant to manifest concretely in the end. This fact alone rendered her important for the sake of their mission. Extremely so. Especially since their goal was preventing the Grail from reaching its completion, at least until they discovered the truth about its corruption.

Consequently, keeping her alive was the smartest choice. They could not afford to lose this girl, no matter what. Even if she was an enemy for now, even if she had tried to kill his Master during the battle, they could not allow her to die. That much was certain for the Servant with white hair.

And – more importantly – Emiya himself could not afford to lose her like that. Not again, not anymore. Not after everything that had happened in one of his previous timelines. That much was indisputable for him. It wasn't even an option anymore. In his War as Rin's Servant, in fact, Illyasviel von Einzbern had been murdered by Gilgamesh. She had been killed in her own home, right under everyone's nose, and Archer had been unable to do anything to prevent it, because he had been too focused on his quest against Emiya Shirou. He had been too obsessed, too blinded by his goal… that he hadn't even cared about this little girl's eventual fate. All that had mattered to him back then was getting rid of that foolish boy, in attempt to revoke his helpless and ruinous fate.

Now, however, things were different.
Here in this world, there was no such goal occupying his mind.

And this fact alone had allowed him to see things more clearly.

Archer remained silent, unable to explain all those reasons to the girl behind his frame. Seeing that he was ignoring her, Illyasviel's frown deepened exponentially.

"Answer me!" she spat, her voice assuming a haughty and solemn tone in spite of the dire situation they were currently facing. Her shout echoed in the silent woods, almost as powerful as Heracles' roars howling in the distance. The suspicion and tension inside her eyes were just too obvious to be dismissed. "Why are you helping me? What are you scheming?"

Another silence followed her demand. Archer's hands clenched into fists.

The clock was ticking. Time was running out.

The giant roaring in the distance was still following their trail. He would not lose his prey. No matter where they ran, he would track them down and kill them.

He couldn't afford to waste this chance.

Therefore, steeling his mind and exhaling a breath, Heroic Spirit Emiya turned his head towards the smaller girl. And then, for the first time – for the first time ever throughout all his experiences so far – he finally spoke to his adoptive sister directly.

"…Illya."

The name was uttered in the air, fluttering in the silence like a gentle and resigned whisper.

Upon hearing it for the first time, the homunculus of the Einzberns widened her eyes. She looked both stunned and confused, caught completely unawares by that sudden and unexpected reaction. Being addressed by her first name from a Servant she barely even knew was the last thing she had expected, after all. Her surprise was too intense to be described with words alone.

I-Illya…? she thought, her mind filled with utter confusion.

Archer paid no mind to the perplexity on her face. He just glanced at the small girl from behind, his expression resolute as he spoke his gentle plea.

"Stay hidden. You'll be safe here."

That was all he could manage to say. His intention and objective had already been conveyed to her.

And so, having said that, without wasting a single moment, he turned around and leaped away, leaving the homunculus alone inside the deep and silent forest. Uncaring – or unwilling – to wait for her eventual answer.

He disappeared amid the shadows, delving deeper inside the woods. All the while, Illya watched him leave with wide eyes and mouth agape, surrounded by a silence filled with tension and silent hope. She remained like that for a while, unable to move or react in any way, until her legs began to hurt at a certain point, prompting the homunculus to lower her head.

She snuck inside the hollow beech, her eyes shadowed by silver bangs.

But as she sat there in silence and hugged her legs close to her trembling chest, she felt her heart-rate begin to increase, echoing in her ears like a soft and gentle drum. And thus, for the first time in years, the girl allowed herself to break.

A single tear fell down from her eye, and she wiped it away with a motion of her hand.

The emotion inside the Servant's gaze had struck her deeply to her core.

Because it mirrored her own regret, and the loneliness she felt inside.


IMPORTANT NOTES
(read them in case you have questions, please)

Soundtrack used for the title of this chapter: "BITE DOWN" composed by Hiroyuki Sawano for the Fate/Strange Fake - Whispers of Dawn anime.

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This chapter was originally meant to be longer than this, but as I neared the end of my original idea, the length of the draft became too much to be contained in 1 chapter; so I decided to split the draft in 2 parts to make the flow of the story more reasonable and easy to read for you all. That's why I changed the title of this chapter: because it's split in 2 parts. The next one will be called "He Comes Back Again and Again", as it was meant to be originally.

Also, for the first time, I tried to follow a suggestion that many readers have told me in the past: I asked some people to beta-read the chapter for me in order to help me with the misspellings. This chapter was beta-read by several people (due to its length) who I will list below.

Serafeim;
PsychWardWorks;
plomien9;
julietcrown;
And 2 other readers who chose to remain anonymous.

I thank each and every one of them for the help they have offered me. I've always thought that asking people to beta-read my drafts would be a burden for them, but their help and their words of support helped me a lot in spite of my doubts. I appreciate their help immensely, and if another opportunity arises, I will try to find someone willing to read my drafts before publishing them in the future as well.

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Now, having said that, there are some things I'd like to explain regarding the events of this chapter, in order to make things more clear for you in case you have any questions or doubts about the unfolding of this story.

Let's start with the elephant in the room: Heracles. There are a few things I want to point out about him.

1 – The first is thing I want to clarify is a curiosity: according to the Wiki, Heracles was already supposed to possess the "God Hand" Noble Phantasm during his life – not just upon becoming a Servant – since, according to official sources, he received its protective powers upon completing the Twelve Labors when he was alive. In the Apocrypha novels, Atalanta even witnessed its effects during the Argo Expedition, and she was supposed to be aware of Heracles' resurrection curse from the start. In my fic, however, this was not the case, and it was a deliberate choice on my part.

The reason for this decision is due to actual mythology: according to some Greek authors from the past, in the real legend of Heracles, when he sailed off in the Argo Expedition he had yet to undertake the Twelve Labors – unlike what's stated in the Fate canon novels – or, at least, he had yet to complete all of them completely. Consequently, it is reasonable to believe that he wasn't immortal by that time. Not only that, but I thought it would make things more interesting (and believable) to make that NP exclusive to Heracles as a Servant. His character would have been way too OP, otherwise. God Hand is not a weapon like Excalibur, but something far more complex and OP to possess during one's life, and the idea of Heracles possessing it during the Argo Expedition felt too jarring to me. It was simply a matter of personal taste, so I wanted to point it out in case anyone noticed the difference.

It won't make a difference in the scheme of things. That much I assure you.

2 – In case anyone was wondering: no, the Heracles featured in this story is not related to the Heracles we see in the UBW or HF routes. He is not related to the Fate route either. There is a specific reason for his presence, his summoning, and his role in the plot, and all of it will be revealed pretty soon. But he's not the same character we saw in those specific 3 routes. I've already left some clues in the chapter (and the previous ones as well) regarding the reason behind his presence, but I will not list them here. It would spoil the fun, after all.

So, for all who wanted to ask: What is his deal? Why is he here? How? My answer is: we'll see in due time ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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This is a question that many people asked me during the previous months. So, I want to make a small statement here about this specific matter, in case anyone is interested in it as well.

I'll be straight with you all: No, alternative Servant Classes like Ruler, Avenger, Foreigner, Alter Ego and so on won't be featured in this story. They won't be present in the plot in any way.

Do not misunderstand: I'm not saying that we won't see unexpected faces in my fic (I already told you that the biggest reveals are yet to happen). However, all Servants appearing in this story will always belong to the 7 main classes. Impossible Reality or not, this is still a Fuyuki Grail War. Therefore: this rule cannot be broken. Events and Servant Classes from FGO, Apocrypha and other stories apart from the 3 Routes of FSN won't be featured here, unfortunately. And even if they did – like Rasputin, for example – they're still bound to this rule and specific context. That's why Rasputin is an Assassin, in this fic.

But be warned: I'm not planning to turn this story into a scenario like Fate: Oppression where several Servants appear and fight against each other for no reason. The events of this specific War are all caused and connected by one, singular thread. Many clues about this matter have already been scattered throughout the story so far, so that's all I'm gonna say for now.

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Now, let's talk about the other elephant in the room: Rasputin/Kirei. There is A LOT to say about him. Oh boy…

First, let's get this straight: in my fic, Assassin is both Kirei Kotomine and Grigori Rasputin. He is the result of the combined union of those 2 souls merged into Kirei's body.

This fact should be pretty obvious after the events of this chapter, but I wanted to make it even more clear with a statement to avoid any eventual confusion.

In FATE/ Break Dawn, Assassin is the union of those 2 souls merged into 1. Rather than a Pseudo-Servant – which is not wrong, technically – he is more like an evolution that the souls of those 2 people achieved through the Grail's influence. An elevation of their status and existence as a whole. Consequently, Assassin possesses every skill, every knowledge and every trait that Kirei and Rasputin displayed in their lives. This peculiar event is not far from the actual status of Rasputin's core in FGO - where they are 2 separate and different people, but still connected in their spirit - and it is possible since both Kotomine and Rasputin are canonically similar at their core in the universe of Fate – almost identical – due to their twisted personalities, their faith, their immoral actions and even their similar ways of thinking. Their compatibility is outstanding compared to the norm; even compared to other Pseudo-Servants like Ishtar, Muramasa, Zhuge Liang and most Heroes who occupied the body of other mortals in FGO.

So, in short, you can consider Assassin as just Kirei, or just Rasputin, or both. There is no right or wrong, for they are one and the same, at least in this fic. You may wonder how such a union happened, or how is it possible and why… but that is a question for another time. We'll get more info in the future, rest assured.

In all honesty, though, looking through the reviews and DMs of the previous chapter… I got the feeling that many people tend to underestimate Rasputin a little bit. Many readers told me that there is no way he could ever win in a battle against Caster Gilgamesh… a statement to which, honestly, I do not agree. Not fully, at least.

Just because Caster is more powerful and has an advantage thanks to his Clairvoyance, that doesn't make him invincible against Rasputin (or against anyone else, for that matter). The result of a battle between Servants does not depend on stats and skills alone – which are enormously important, of course – but circumstances, luck and preparation play a huge factor as well. Emiya himself is the living embodiment of this. He's weak as a fly stats-wise, but he has gained the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to manage to survive even in the deadliest circumstances. Rasputin's situation is no different. He is not just Kirei Kotomine – with his arsenal of skills and experiences – but he has also gained both power and knowledge after becoming a Servant, along with Rasputin's abilities and knowledge too. He has more than one trick up his sleeve, and under the right circumstance, he could win against any opponent… especially against Gilgamesh, since he's deeply familiar with him. This goes for every Servant in existence, obviously.

And no: Class Advantage is NOT an incisive factor. This feature doesn't even exist in the FSN novels and works. It's just a game mechanic introduced in FGO to make the gameplay more interesting and variegated. But it has no impact or value whatsoever in a real battle between Servants, no matter the timeline and universe. Otherwise, Fate would become like Pokémon: where Water-type creatures are more effective against Fire-types, etcetera. In Fate, this kind of advantage between Classes doesn't exist (not in this specific way, at least). It's just a game mechanic, nothing more.

Every Servant has a chance of winning against another one, no matter their Class, Origin and skills. (Sure, some Servants are extremely overpowered compared to the norm. Like Gilgamesh, Scathach, and some others… but there are always ways for them to be defeated. Emiya already proved this to us. Many times, and not just in this fic).

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One last thing: some people tend to believe that Gilgamesh's Clairvoyance should make him unbeatable. That it should make him basically impossible to defeat, because nothing can surprise him or catch him unawares. Guess what: that's wrong too. In order to understand this, I think it's better to explain this matter a bit more in detail.

Gilgamesh's ability to foresee all knowledge and events is due to his Noble Phantasm "Sha Naqba Imuru". It allows him to discern heavily concealed truths with a single glance, and it works as a form of instruction for him and his allies. It basically guides his actions (or the actions of those he commands), allowing him to follow the most optimal tactic to overcome the threats he faces.

While this ability is an enormous advantage in battle, it has its shortcomings and drawbacks too. For instance, contrary to what Gilgamesh himself would say, this NP does not allow him to see EVERYTHING. Instead, it basically allows him to oversee nearly every eventuality in existence: past, present, future. This goes for every timeline, every universe and every route too. That's how he knows about Kirei and his partnership with Archer Gil, despite the latter and him being 2 different characters. Caster's power allows him to see all the timelines he's directly (or indirectly, according to some) involved with. Every eventuality, with almost every possible outcome and result.

Now, you may ask: how is this any different from him basically seeing EVERYTHING? Simple: he has restrictions. And he has shortcomings as well due to his status as a Servant. For example: upon being summoned as a Servant, Caster is still subjected to the Grail's influence and the rules of the Throne of Heroes. As a consequence, his knowledge and vision CAN get tampered and adjusted in accordance to the entity – not really sure how to describe the Grail's core – to which his soul is bound due to his status as a Servant. In most cases – like FGO for example – this normally means that the Throne of Heroes adjusts his memories and knowledge in accordance to the world in which he is summoned, rendering him unable to see other timelines fully (in FGO he can still glimpse some things about them, but he cannot see every event and detail. There's a huge difference). This happens in order to keep him from being confused by multiple sets of memories.

Having said that, in this fic, things are the same but also a bit different. This timeline is an "Impossible Reality", as I've stated many times, and things are quite… complicated, shall we say. I cannot go into details yet, but rest assured that there's a reason behind everything in this plot.

Moreover, due to Gilgamesh's nature, even with this ability his personality would cause him to reject certain timelines and dismiss them as nonsense: like his death caused by the corrupted Grail's mud in the UBW route, or even his demise at Sakura's hand in the HF route. Caster or not, Gilgamesh will ALWAYS refute any notion of him being defeated, and this is a weakness that can alter his vision as well. This fact is also an unspoken reason why, in my fic, Caster is so averse to being compared to his Archer counterpart. He cannot accept the fact that he was defeated not only once, but twice, in those timelines. He simply cannot accept them as a "real" fact. Talk about having a huge ego…

Also, it is a canon fact that the Grail's mud can TAMPER and BLOCK Gilgamesh's view and his foresight. This is stated in the Wiki as well. Seeing how this timeline's Grail seems to be… peculiar at most... and considering the fact that Grigori Rasputin is a Servant canonically linked and bound to the Grail's mud and to Angra Mainyu… things won't be easy, somehow. Not even for Gilgamesh, whether he likes it or not.

That's all I'm gonna say for now. I've already explained too much.

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Now, if you've managed to read it all up to this point, you have my sincerest gratitude. Here's a little glimpse of the next chapter as a treat for your patience.

Heracles: *Beating the shit out of everyone*
Illya, Artoria, Rin and the others: *
Screeching in horror*
Rider: D-Damn, he's kicking our ass! Cool!
Berserker: *Angry cat noises*
Saber: What is this foul creature?!
Lancer: Finally! A worthy opponent! Our battle will be LEGENDARY!
Archer: Can I die, please?

Meanwhile (in this chapter)…

Assassin and Caren: *Having a nice father-daughter reunion*
Caster: *Losing his absolute shit as he rolls on the ground*
Shinji: Why am I here…? Just to suffer…?

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As always, please forgive me for any eventual misspellings and grammar mistakes. If you point them out to me, I will gladly correct them as soon as I can.

Next chapter: "He Comes Back Again and Again." For real, this time.

See you next time. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.