Disclaimer: I don't own even one of the characters or anything from the series they are from.
A/N: So! I was talking with TIM, AKA The Infamous Man a few months back. Many of you should know him. He's the author of many great fics such as "Fate: Zero Sense", "Fate: Stay Away" and "Just an Unorthodox Thief", which are all awesome crossover fics and the first two of the mentioned inspired many other authors to introduce other video game and anime characters into the Holy Grail War and F/SN world to create creative little crossovers with a wide array of characters taking the place of regular Servants.
I got an idea that wouldn't go away regarding the subject, so I got his permission and approval, since he is the inspiration here, to give my idea a go.
This is just something I'm doing for fun and to get some writing juices flowing. Thusly, it's only a one-shot hence the length. However, to separate myself from some of the other similar fics, I followed a theme here. You might catch it as you read about the Servants I replaced. Can you guess who they are? Enjoy!
The GARthering of Heroes
Here he was. It had finally happened. It was a one in a million shot, but he'd been summoned to the past as a Servant, Archer to be precise, in the Holy Grail War that had changed his life. Heroic Spirit EMIYA had been granted the opportunity to end his contract with the world that would finally and hopefully end his existence as a Counter Guardian. Killing his past self would create a paradox that would erase his existence with any luck. In the end, it might be a futile effort… but he had to try, and he wouldn't waste his chance.
Still, his murdering of himself in the past would have to wait for as long as he was following Rin Tohsaka, his Master in this War. While it would've been ideal if he could've gone and killed off his old self before he summoned Saber, Rin was still as determined to win the war as he remembered her being and they had spent the nights after his summoning patrolling the town. Tonight, they had ended up at the school and while his memories about the details of the war and those in it were foggy, Archer remembered that he'd had his first encounter with Lancer here.
He would've died that day if Rin hadn't saved him with her magic.
All in all, nothing had seemingly changed so far in the war despite his summoning so if all went according to plan, he'd just have to find some way to prevent Rin from reviving him like she had during his life and all would be well. His past self would die and that would be that.
Of course, no matter how great simple plans are in someone's head, things RARELY ever go according to plan.
Only a few minutes had passed when out from the blue a shout loud enough to break his eardrums echoed from above. He had grabbed Rin and dove out of the way just as someone struck down on the area they had been standing on before and the ground exploded from the force of their attacker's impact. Rin had retreated to cover while Archer had waited for the dust to clear. Lancer had been the Servant he had encountered here in the past, so it wasn't entirely unexpected for him to run into him here. Archer had projected Kanshou and Bakuya and held them at ready, preparing to fight the famous Irish spearman of legend.
And that's when EMIYA's world flipped upside down.
Archer nearly dropped his swords in shock when he saw the person facing him. If there was one thing Archer remembered about Lancer, other than his lust and excitement for battle, it was the distinct blue battlesuit that the spearman had worn as a Servant. The person in front of him was painted in opposite colors. Red coat that revealed his chest, pants with red flames on them, red headband that held his spiky brown hair at bay, and not one, but TWO red spears pointed at him?
Archer only had one thing to say to the Servant opposite of him.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man who was not the Lancer he remembered smirked in response to his words, spinning his two long spears before striking a pose and spoke with such volume that it made Archer's ear hurt.
"I am Lancer of the Holy Grail War!" The red Lancer proclaimed in a loud voice that could've awoken the entire neighborhood. "Thus is the title I've been granted but the Holy Grail, the very object we compete and fight for! But that is not the only title I possess! I called the Tiger of Kai, the Matchless Spear, Ruler of the Heavens and many more! But these are mere titles, testaments to my accomplishments but I hold only one true name! And that name is-?!
Just when he was going to reveal his true name, Lancer stopped, eyes widening when something in the corner of his vision caught his attention. Archer followed the spearman's gaze, catching a glimpse of a familiar face with an expression of shock. The red haired youth properly turned on his heel and ran in the direction of the main school building.
Lancer was quick to respond, raising his spears in the air and taking off at an astonishing speed and screaming at the top of his lungs.
"THERE CAN BE NO WITNESSESS!"
Archer cursed as the Servant took off, noticing that his Master was also missing before gripping his swords and moving in pursuit of the red Lancer. As he ran, only one frantic thought echoed in his mind.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Shirou was having an off night.
It had started like any other. Sakura had woken him up, he had breakfast with the beautiful freshman and Taiga as per usual, attended school and listened to Ayako pester him about rejoining the club, ran some errands and fixed a few things for Issei, and then had stayed a little after school to clean up the Archery Club. After the sun had set he started hearing someone shouting from out in front of the school, and finding such a thing odd, he had gone to investigate. If there was a gang or a group of delinquents messing around, Shirou had resolved to boot them out of the area so they wouldn't damage the school.
What he hadn't expected to come across were two men dressed in red wielding very dangerous, very realistic looking weapons. When one of them, the one wielding the two spears, spotted him and chased after him there really wasn't much else he could do other than run despite not knowing a clue about what was going on. He had run through the hallways at top speed, but ran into the red spearman at every turn. Eventually, he'd been cornered and one of the spears had been thrust forward and stabbed through his chest.
Shirou shivered to himself as his hand hovered over the hole in his shirt, feeling the ghost pain of the tri-tipped spear piercing his skin and drawing blood. Before he had blacked out he vaguely remembered two voices speaking to him but couldn't remember the faces accompanying them. One tone was familiar and the other he had never heard before. An acquaintance and a stranger? Regardless they were probably the reason that he wasn't dead and if Shirou ever found out who his saviors were he'd have to thank them for saving his life. Shirou groaned and rested his forehead against the table, idly fingering the large red pendant he had found at the scene after regaining consciousness. It probably belonged to his savior as well.
"What a crazy night…" Shirou tiredly muttered to himself.
Honestly, all sorts of odd happenings had been occurring in Fuyuki lately. First there was that little girl who had approached him two nights ago and had warned him about something he could no longer recall. Her words had been so confusing and vague he just could barely understand, but she had definitely made an impression on him with her fairy-like appearance despite how quickly she had appeared then disappeared. Though he remembered the atmosphere of that night being unusually ominous during their strange meeting. Then the next night he could've sworn he'd seen the school idol, Rin Tohsaka, standing atop the biggest building in Shinto one night after work. Shirou had long since convinced himself that he had just been seeing things. Not only that, but for the past week students had been coming up with these outlandish rumors that seemed to be getting really popular in town lately. He'd overhead some of the track club members in class, specifically Yukika and Kaede talking about something the former had seen when she had visited Ryuudou temple some time ago. The girl had claimed that she had seen a dragon flying in the skies the day she had gone. No matter how ridiculous that sounded, Kaede had topped the girl's outlandish story by insisting she had seen a giant robot while jogging in the neighborhood. Himuro had been quick to reprimand the girls for saying such foolish things and encouraging such rumors, but she had contributed to the gossip by letting her two friends know that there had been reports of a sexual deviant walking around at night lately and warned them to be careful when out alone. And last but not least was Shirou's recent encounter with Sakura's grandfather. He had walked Sakura home a few nights back due to his increasing worry in regards to the rumors going around and while visiting her and Shinji's house to check up on the girl had met the old man. Shirou just felt uncomfortable being around him, and it wasn't just because his withered appearance that almost made him look like a corpse.
Then to top it all off on this night he had stumbled upon a strange scene that looked like it belonged in some play or festival and had nearly gotten killed by some spearman in red clothes. Shirou scratched at the bandages wrapped around his right hand over where that peculiar bruise had appeared a night or two ago. It had started throbbing again and was causing him a certain amount of discomfort. Shirou stumbled to his feet and turned towards the hall, intent on heading to his room and collapsing onto his futon and just fall asleep.
Unfortunately for him, his night wasn't over yet.
Shirou yelped when suddenly the wall adjacent to him was destroyed in a blast that sent splinters of wood and plaster flying all over the room. The boy's eyes widened when he recognized the man who had busted into his house and the pair of spears he held, one of which had nearly killed him earlier that night.
Apparently the man was intent on finishing the job, and would make sure that Shirou's death would stick this time.
"Seems I underestimated you during our initial encounter! To survive a fatal blow from one of my spears… have you warrior's blood in your veins?!" The man asked loudly as he struck forward with his spear. "Then let's see you survive this!"
Shirou immediately jumped backwards, thanking his daily training for conditioning his body and reflexing to dodge the fast strike.
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"
Unfortunately, Shirou was unable to avoid the follow up from the second spear as it's long handle smashed into his torso and sent him through the door and crashing out of the yard with enough force to send him bouncing and rolling across the dirt and grass until his tumble was stopped by his back slamming into the door of his shed. He hissed in pain as his hand throbbed again, and the bandages came off due to getting his wrist cut from the wood from the broken door he had been smashed through. Even with his body screaming in agony and chest throbbing from either internal bruising or cracked ribs, most likely both, Shirou leaned up and flung the door to the shed open and quickly crawled inside. He had barely made it in when he heard footsteps echoing behind him.
"Hm… you're stronger than the average person! I commend you for surviving for as long as you have, but no more! I regret that I must kill you when your happening upon my battle was mere coincidence, but there can be no witnesses to this war!" Shirou's eyes widened when he saw the man raise his spears. "I will take your head this time so that your body shall not rise again! Please accept my apologies!"
Shirou's mind froze as the spears were pointed at him again. Was this the end? Was this how he was going to die? Unable to do anything against the man who said he had to die?
It wasn't fair.
How had everything gone so wrong? Everything that had happened lately and he was destined to die here? To survive only to die again? It was stupid. It was ridiculous. This unbelievable situation where every path led to his death was something he couldn't take. He wouldn't take it. There were still things he had to do. Things he had to accomplish…!
No…
Shirou refused the fate that ended with his death. He refused to die again to that spear.
No way…
He had promised his father he'd become a hero. He'd become an Ally of Justice and save those who needed to be saved. So how could he die here when he hadn't saved anybody yet? When he had yet to become a hero? He would not die regretting that he had not accomplished his dream. So that's why…
That's why the boy known as Shirou Emiya shouted…
"I REFUSE TO DIE!"
Only now did the boy notice that the floor beneath him was shining and only in that moment did he register the pain in his right hand as it felt like something was carving into it. The red spearman also noticed what was happening, eyes widening and trusting both of his spears forward to impale and end the life of the boy who had survived…!
The sound of metal grinding against metal as both spears were knocked away was music to Shirou's ears. However, the voice that followed it was a beautiful melody the likes of which he'd never heard. He looked up and saw the back of a figure garbed in red, wielding a large crimson sword in one hand. The woman stepped forward and swung her blade with such strength that even when the spearman raised his spears to guard her attack he was still sent flying and crashed out the doors of the shed due to the force of the blow. Shirou's mouth was agape as she woman turned towards him, smiling down at him as she extended her hand.
"I heard those words of yours! They were beautifully spoken, flowing naturally from your lips like you were an artist weaving your brush on a canvas…" The woman smiled at him, and Shirou felt his cheeks flush in the face of her regal beauty. "So, answer me this… are you my Master?"
Shirou's mind was still numb from everything that happened. Narrowly avoiding death for a second time and the girl's sudden appearance made it hard to think but… even then he knew the answer to her simple question. So as he grasped her soft but strong hand in his and she tugged him back on his feet, Shirou gave his response.
"…Yeah."
The woman smiled proudly and confidently, nodding to the one who had summoned her.
"Very well then! I won't ask if you feel worthy for the position, but your words, few they may be, have granted you the privilege of being my Master!" The girl smiled. "I am Saber of this Holy Grail War! Now…"
The girl hefted her crimson blade onto her shoulder. Shirou found it hard to believe she could lift that massive thing with a body so small. She took a few steps toward the door, pausing for a moment to turn back towards him with an excited grin and a confident pose.
"Please, enjoy the show, Master. Bear witness to the power of my beautiful instrument and the sound it makes as we do battle." Saber smiled. "For whenever I wield it, I only play the song of victory!"
It was in that moment Shirou became aware of two things. One, that bruise from earlier had transformed into three glowing red intricate markings on the back of his right hand.
The second was that he could see through the girl's dress.
Saber smiled at her flushing Master and bounded out the door, her crimson weapon clashing with the two crimson spears her opponent had brought to bear.
Rin quickened her steps as she and Archer got closer and closer toward the sounds of battle. She should have known better than to leave Emiya alone like that. While she had been able to save him, she should've known the Servant that had tried to kill him would've come back to try and finish the job. She had already wasted a precious jewel saving his life once, and she didn't want him to lose his life against an opponent he had no hope of beating by himself!
…And it wasn't like she cared about him or anything! She just didn't think it was right for innocents to pay the price for accidentally getting caught up in things that they shouldn't be involved in!
"You know, things sound pretty intense over there." Archer pointed out as they ran. "Really, why are we even bothering with this? So one guy gets killed because he stuck his nose where he shouldn't. Why do you care so much?"
"I don't! It's just he's one of my classmates and people might ask questions if he suddenly disappears out of the blue!"
"So you have no other motives for saving his life?"
"N-None at all! Why?!"
"No reason…" Archer smirked. "It's just unexpected for my Master to care this much about one person…"
"You… that's… ugh!"
Ah, nothing put him in a better mood than getting his little Master all riled up.
As they rounded the street corner they stopped when suddenly a familiar red form sailed over a wall and crashed into the street. The man supported himself on his two spears, coughing as he got to his feet.
"Such power! To think she can match or even surpass me in strength is just…!" Lancer turned his head in their direction and his eyes widened when he caught sight of them. "R-Reinforcements?! This soon?! Against both of them…! But I can't just retreat…! Then again my Master's orders were…!"
The young man shouted in agony, clutching his head as he fought with himself. Archer and Rin looked on, not entirely sure how to react to Lancer's demeanor before the red spearman righted himself and bowed his head as if he were apologizing to someone.
"Forgive me, but I'll have to retreat for this night! This war shall not end in a day, and I will emerge victorious when next we fight! This I promise you!"
With that, the Servant took off down the road at as speed that left a cloud of dust in his wake, shouting as he disappeared into the night. Rin and Archer just stared at where he once was for a few moments before Rin spoke up.
"Well, that was-"
"A-ha!"
Whatever Rin had been about to say was interrupted by another person who had burst forth from the doors of the Emiya house and pointed a sword at them. Rin was immediately on guard, taking note of the woman's odd wardrobe and large weapon and accurately deducing that she was another Servant. Archer also recognized her obvious Servant status, but felt his annoyance increase and a headache begin to form as he took in the woman's features.
He remembered Saber, the fabled King Arthur, most of all. She had been his Servant long ago and the woman in front of her was almost identical to her in features. They had practically the same face, same hair, same stature, but the face, height and hairstyle is where the similarities ended. Her eyes were an emerald green, her dress was a large splash of red and white as opposed to the blue clothes and silver armor that his Saber had worn. It was not Caliburn hidden by Invisible Air that she held in her hand, but a massive crimson blade that glowed like molten lava. Not only that, but her dress displayed a lack of modesty that Saber never had, and those mounds on her chest were two things the Saber he knew had never once possessed.
The person standing before him, no matter how similar looking, was not the Saber from his past.
"Not even you could stay the same, Saber?" Archer muttered under his breath. His eyes widened when suddenly the girl was on top of them with her sword coming down first.
Alaya was laughing at him right now. Archer was certain of that.
"Uwoooooh! FORGIVE ME, KIREI-SAMA!"
Kirei did not respond to the Servant in front of him as he repeatedly bowed to the priest. Ears ringing from the volume of Lancer's voice, Kirei held up his hands to get the Servant to stop bowing. Slowly, once he could hear again, Kirei spoke.
"It's not a problem, really. All I asked from you was to scout out the other Servants, nothing more. Attacking them wasn't necessary. I only gave you permission to respond if they attacked first."
"Please forgive my saying so, but it would betray my pride as a warrior to not engage an enemy that stands in front of me!" Lancer shouted. "Hiding in the shadows, silently observing and waiting for a chance to stab my opponent… I don't like it! Battles should be fought head on, both warriors at full strength, trading blows until only one is left standing! Do you not agree?!"
Kirei didn't.
"And even though it hurts that I disobeyed this order, I could not even bring you the head of even one opponent! I have brought shame to you by being unable to vanquish even one foe! I am a failure as a vassal and as your Servant!" Lancer's head met the floor again. "Please forgive me!"
Kirei rubbed his forehead tiredly, feeling unusually frustrated. He wondered if this was divine retribution for his deeds in the past.
The Fifth Holy Grail War had come earlier than expected, probably due to Emiya Kiritsugu forgoing his wish and destroying the Grail in the Fourth which allowed for the next War to start the a decade later rather than the usual sixty years it took for the Grail to gather the prana necessary to pull Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes to act as Servants. Even though Kirei was chosen as to be the moderator for the fifth, it hadn't kept him from meddling for his own purposes and amusement. There had been one magus from the Association, Bazett, who had been chosen as a Master and was on good terms with him. She had trusted him and he told her about the War. Excited, she had planned on summoning a great warrior to fight in the Holy Grail War with her. She had actually planned on summoning a childhood hero of hers, Cu Chulainn, as her Servant.
She… hadn't gotten the Servant she expected.
Regardless, Kirei had cut off her arm and taken her Command Seals for himself, effectively making himself Lancer's new Master and left the woman to bleed out in an abandoned building somewhere. Unfortunately, the Servant she had summoned was furious sore about what Kirei had done to his former Master and if it wasn't for him using a Command Seal to prevent Lancer from attacking him, he would've died right there. Still, even if he couldn't harm Kirei due to the Command Seal enforced upon him the Servant resisted his orders, citing his loyalty to his TRUE master and he would never follow a villain who took her life from her. In response, Kirei had used another Command Seal in a simple solution to make Lancer more obedient.
"Forget your old Master."
That had been the order, and Lancer had indeed forgotten everything from before Kirei giving him that order and everything about Bazett. The result had been Lancer directing his ferocious loyalty from Bazett to him.
The priest still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not…
"I told you it's fine." Kirei sighed. "You've done well for the first night and this war won't end in a day. I still have use for you, and I need to at your best if your wish is to serve me."
"Oh! My Master's forgiveness knows no bounds! I won't let you down again!"
That loyalty and need to please made it easy to manipulate him though. Of course, when he expressed such commitment and dedication to following orders Kirei couldn't really call it manipulation…
…He was a little disappointed because of that.
"Yes, well… there are still other Masters and Servants whose existence you have yet to confirm. See if you can find them."
"At once!" Lancer bowed and took off again. "I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD BY BRINGING BACK THE HEAD OF AN ENEMY SERVANT! WATCH ME, KIREI-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"That's not what I-"
Kirei sighed as the church doors slammed shut. Even through the thick doors it took a few minutes until Lancer's shouting faded into the distance.
Honestly, did the Servant not know how to speak normally? It seemed like every time he opened his mouth he was yelling. It was little wonder that Gilgamesh had gotten fed up and left the church earlier that night. Kirei was actually surprised that the King of Heroes had restrained from killing the loud Servant outright with how much he had been annoyed by the red spearman.
Kirei idly wondered where the arrogant Servant had gone off to…
Gilgamesh clutched the stump of his shoulder hand become after he had his left arm torn off by the monster he had encountered in the forest. The golden Servant's red eyes flashed dangerously as he scanned the forest, trying to catch sight of the man he was currently battling.
And losing to.
Having had enough of Kirei's new dog constantly barking at the top of his lungs, Gilgamesh had decided to go for a walk to get away from all the noise. The atmosphere surrounding the dull city he had spent his time in had changed recently, and he knew it was because the beginning of a new War was starting. He was excited not only because watching the mongrels struggle and fight offered a modicum of amusement, but it also gave him the chance to see HER again. The little girl parading as a king that he had encountered in the Fourth War. She had been so defiant and seeing her spirit break into pieces helped him sleep at night. Even if this war ended up disappointing him and she didn't appear before him, it wouldn't be bad to spectate the event and see who came out on top… then swiftly take the prize for himself because no one but himself had the right to use his possessions. Everything in the world belonged to him from the Grail to the Earth itself. He only allowed the peasants that thrived on the surface to live because they occasionally entertained him. A quiet world was a boring one, after all.
However, he hadn't been the only one who had decided to take a walk that night. Walking through the forest, where he was sure the red mongrel's voice could not reach him, Gilgamesh had stumbled upon quiet the peculiar being.
A Servant to be exact.
Tall and wearing a long red duster complimented by red fedora atop his head, the man strutted through the forest confidently and seemingly with purpose. His arrogant gait, sharp smile, form illuminated in the darkness by the moonlight and glinting off of the tinted glasses he wore…
…Gilgamesh couldn't stand for such arrogance. Not from someone far beneath him and not while he was in front of him. Such pride, such gumption was a grave offense to him and for that this new Servant would have to be punished.
So he had opened up the Gate of Babylon and dozens of Noble Phantasms rained down on the man, skewering and impaling his body until there was nothing left but tatters the man's clothes, strips of flesh and chunks of bloody meat. Shame that whoever that Servant's Master was lost his or her dog before the War had even started, but then they should've humbled their Servant properly so he would've have offended The King. Giving a satisfied nod and an arrogant smile, the King of Heroes decided to turn in for the night.
That was when things had gone wrong.
"Tell me, is your blood as shiny as your armor?"
Gilgamesh's eyes widened when he heard the deep voice come from behind him, rumbling with sinister laughter. The King of Heroes turned and watched as the chunks of flesh had morphed into some kind of black, shadowy substance that had come together and grown into something vaguely human shaped. Arms and legs burst for the darkness and other details sprout out from it. Eventually, the Servant that Gilgamesh thought he had slain was fully reconstituted, smiling widely at him and showing off his sharp teeth.
In response to the creature's spontaneous regeneration, Gilgamesh had opened the Gates of Babylon a second time.
It had proved to just as effective as the first time. No matter how strong his Noble Phantasms were, nothing was able to kill the Servant permanently. This annoyed Gilgamesh. When he wanted something to die, it died. That was one of the rules those who lived in his world had to follow. All his rules had to be obeyed.
The creature was defying him and this could not stand.
Gilgamesh's eyes had widened in shock when the man was suddenly in front of him, grinning down at him with a manic smile.
"Hi. Can I get a hand?"
The man had gripped onto his arm with enough strength to crack his armor.
"Never mind. I've got one right here!"
And that's when his arm had come off.
Unfortunately the mongrel had forced him to retreat for the time being. This man, this… this creature was an oddity. It was more than human. More than a Servant. It took a different sort of beast to weather his Gate over and over and come back from the hail of Noble Phantasms the vault stored each and every time.
"Aw, come on. Don't leave me alone out here." The Servant's voice called out to him from close by.
Gilgamesh turned his head, looking out from his cover and barely kept himself from screaming in disbelief and outrage when he saw the dog… chewing on the limb he had torn off like it was just some snack! The man's lips smacked as he chewed off bits of flesh from the limb, echoing loudly through the forest.
"Mm… thish stuff's prime cut." The red Servant commented with his mouth full. "Gots a little, hm, kick to it Ish thinks. Tashtes a little familiar too. I've think I've had thish before… tashtes like…"
He swallowed before smiling with bloodstained teeth.
"…Demi-God."
He tore off another chunk of the limb and resumed chewing.
This… this mongrel… who did he think that he…?!
And then the monster's chewing stopped with music suddenly began to play. It was a catchy tone, and Gilgamesh watched as the man tossed away the limb he had been eating and took a small device out from his duster pocket, flipping it open and lifting it up to his ear.
"…Yes?" The man spoke into the device, drawing out the word playfully. Even from several meters away, Gilgamesh could hear someone's voice scream loudly from the device.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
From several miles deeper into the forest in a large castle, Ilyasviel von Einzbern was throwing a temper tantrum. All because her Servant had once again left without her permission. Sella and Leysritt stood by their young mistress, the former of the two maids sharing her master's anger and exasperation while Leysritt… well, she didn't really seem to have an opinion on the matter based on her expression.
"Sorry. Getting a lot of static from where I'm at. Connection is just terrible here." The man responded his Master cheekily.
"I know you hear me just fine you big, stupid… argh!" Ilya huffed, stamping her feet in frustration as she spoke through the cellphone. She hated that this was the only viable way to communicate with here Servant. Whenever she tried to communicate through their mental link she got a massive headache, but even with the cellphone there were times when Berserker would ignore her calls and never pick up! Still, it was the only option she had. She only wished the Servant was here in front of her so he could see the fury on her face and so she could hit him a couple times. Maybe then it would wipe that constant mocking smirk off of his face. "Berserker, where are you?!"
"Are you asking where I have been, or where I'm at currently?"
"Oh, I know where you've been." Ilya said, seething through the phone. "Hell, there are lots of women who can tell me where you've been for the three days you've been missing if the rumors are right! What are you thinking?!"
"I'm thinking that I had needs to be satiated and that my fulfilling of those needs has made you angry."
"That's part of the reason, yes."
"Oh, so you really are angry then?"
"YES. I. AM."
"Well, that's your problem." Berserker replied flippantly. "Honestly, Master, is this how a noble aristocrat like yourself should act? I've met and had many upstanding ladies in my time, and you're nothing like them! You should really get those anger management problems of yours sorted out."
"Berserker…!"
"I know! I'll get you started! First, let us begin by addressing your daddy issues…"
Sella took the phone away from her mistress before Ilya's screaming could break the speaker. Leysritt immediately went about calming down the furious girl as Sella handled the Servant.
"Berserker, you-"
"There you are!"
Sella paused as Berserker's voice over the phone cut her off, followed by the sound of ripping flesh, exploding earth and trees being uprooted. Over the noise she could vaguely make out her mistress' Servant shouting something along the lines of "don't run", "why are you being so cold", and "give me a hug". Eventually, the noise died down until there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. Sella waited a few seconds before speaking again, asking a question she had asked the Servant many times before.
"…What did you do?"
"That hurts. Why do always ask that question and make it sound like I'm the one at fault?"
"What did you do?" Sella repeated the question.
"…Okay, first, you should know… I was just minding my own business-"
"BULLSHIT!"
Sella's voice rose as her anger got the better of her.
"No, seriously! This time I really was!"
"Oh, so I assume this was just like the other times you were minding your own business." Sella spoke in a voice that was dripping with sarcasm. Her tone was serious again as she continued. "There were fires, explosions and piles of bodies back in London. Those priests are STILL in therapy from what I've heard and the people at the Vatican spent weeks cleaning the bloodstains off the walls. All of it a result of you just minding your own business. Is this anything like those times?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Like I said. I was just minding my own business…"
Sella groaned and slapped her forehead.
"…When all of a sudden I spot this guy in golden armor staring at me from between some trees. I assumed he was some kind of forest fairy or something given how shiny he was, so like a good neighbor I was going to greet him but was interrupted when swords began raining on me."
"…Swords."
"Yep. Probably should've paid more attention to the forecast before I went on my walk."
"Yes, because the weather is obviously our biggest concern when you go out on walks."
"I'm glad you understand."
Sella began grinding her teeth together.
"So anyway after that brief shower and pull myself back together when I realize the fairy caused the sword rain! It's awefully rude to just change the weather when someone's just trying to go on a peaceful walk through the woods at midnight, so I tore off his arm and ate it as a snack. It was pretty good. I can bring some of it back if you'd like to sample a taste?"
"…I'm not one for cannibalism."
"Your loss."
By this point Sella had deduced that whoever Berserker had encountered was obviously a Servant so it wasn't that bad of an incident… but it didn't disregard the fact that he had cause her mistress distress and was quite cross with the Servant.
"What happened next?"
"You mean what's still happening." Berserker smirked as he held the phone away from his ear and called out to the Servant he'd encountered. "Do you want to say anything to them? They always get so mad at me…"
Silence.
"Ah, what good are you…"
"BERSERKER!"
"Ah, Master!"
"I don't care who you ran into or what you're doing, all I want is for you to get back here RIGHT NOW." Ilya ordered, punctuating her words.
"…I didn't hear the magic word."
"RIGHT. NOW. BERSERKER!"
Tonight was supposed to BE the night she went after her Onii-chan and made him pay for making her father abandon her and her mother. She was sure that he'd already summoned his Servant by now. But she couldn't kill him by herself without her Servant. Her nerves were calmed slightly when she heard Berserker give a resigned sigh over the phone.
"Eesh. Fine. Just let me finish up here." Berserker huffed as he flipped the phone closed. He puffed a sigh and stretched a little before smiling into the darkness. "Well, it's been fun but I really must be going. Master missed me so much so I really shouldn't keep her waiting any longer. But my walk has left me a little famished so… you don't mind if I take something for the road, do you?"
Even Gilgamesh was alarmed by the Servant's ominous words. He felt dark and sinister energy blanket the area around him, covering the forest in a veil of darkness. Acting immediately, the Gate was reopened and a different sword poked out from the golden portal. It was different from the other weapons within the vault, alien and possessing overwhelming power. Just as Gilgamesh reached his hand out to grasp Ea's handle…!
Tendrils of darkness kept his arm from extending any further and Gilgamesh felt hands close around his throat. The monster's voice chuckled sinisterly in his ear, warped and distorted.
"Now, how about that hug?"
And the King of Heroes was swallowed up by the darkness, the Gates of Babylon closing and taking Ea with them as the golden Servant was devoured.
"So he's to be my Master for the War, hm?"
Sakura nodded at Rider to confirm her order, and the Servant only nodded in response seemingly accepting the matter for what it was. Shinji pocket the Book of False Attendant that would give him command over Rider and stared at the Servant his adopted sister had summoned.
"Hmph. So this is the Servant you summoned?" Shinji sneered, taking in the man's appearance. "What's with those clothes? Are you really a Heroic Spirit from the past?"
Sakura had to admit she shared her brother's opinion on her Servant's strange appearance. While his clothes were form fitting and looked fairly neat and expensive, they looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. The red uniform almost reminded her of a military or navy soldier, and a highly decorated one at that if the markings and medals on his suit were of any indication. However, what stood out most about Rider was the mask he wore that completely covered the top half of his head and a mask that covered his eyes. She could see bits of wavy blond hair peeking out from underneath the helmet though.
"Seriously, what's with the helmet? It looks so stupid." Shinji scoffed, hand reaching toward the man's face.
Sakura jumped when Rider's hand shot up like a snake and slapped Shinji's hand away, making the boy recoil and jump back in shock. His eyes were wide as he gazed upon Rider's stoic visage before frowning and glaring at his sister, who flinched under his gaze.
"Sakura… doesn't your Servant have any manners? Does he understand that I'm his Master and that he shouldn't assault me like that?"
"With all due respect, Master," Rider interrupted, tone polite. "It was just a reflex. I was a soldier during my life, you see so a response like that is natural for me. Really, I'm sensitive about my helmet so if it's not too much of a bother I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to remove it."
"Whatever." Shinji rolled his eyes as he glared at Sakura. "So he'll listen to me, right? You've made it clear to him that I'm his Master now, not you, right?"
"Yes, Nii-sama. So long as you have the Book of False Attendant, Rider will obey you."
Sakura cried out a bit when Shinji suddenly yanked her to him by her hair. He growled at and she winced as he tugged at her.
"I just want to make sure. If he tries anything funny or ignores my orders, I'll-!"
Shinji's eyes widened when his feet were suddenly kicked out from underneath him and he was slammed onto his back. The air was pushed out of his lungs when Rider's boot pressed down on his torso.
"N-Nii-sama!" Sakura gasped when Rider had performed a quick leg sweep and slammed his foot down on Shinji's stomach. "R-Rider, what are you doing?!"
"Oh, I just don't think for a man to be so uncouth. Acting like a brute and treating a lady so harshly… and your sister at that." Rider smiled though his grin was everything but pleasant. "After all, family should be cherished and treated with respect…"
"W-Why should I care about that adopted slut?!" Shinji growled before yelping as Rider pressed his foot down harder on his chest. "S-Sakura! Call him off!"
"R-Rider! Stop it!"
Rider frowned but removed his foot from Shinji's stomach. Sakura quickly rushed over to her brother to help him up but was immediately sent to the ground when he gave her a vicious backhand. Shinji growled and gave her a kick in the stomach as he glared at her.
"You… your Servant almost tried to kill me, you bitch!" Shinji shouted down her. He rounded on the Servant himself. "What do you have to say for yourself."
"…"
"Ah? What? Now you're not saying anything?"
"Rider…" Sakura mumbled softly as she got to her feet. "Shinji is your Master now. Listen to him and follow the orders he gives you, okay?"
"…Understood." Rider nodded after a brief pause.
"Tch. So long as you know where you stand." Shinji snapped at the Servant though shrunk back when Rider's head whipped towards him. "A-Anyway, let's get going! I wanna go see if there are any Servants we can take out tonight. Let's go."
Sakura sighed to herself as she watched Shinji go. These past few days had been happy days for her. Her Senpai that she cared for so much had been so thoughtful and caring lately, constantly checking up on her and even taking her home at night. While she felt guilty for abusing his kindness she couldn't help but indulge in his care and concern, things she never got here. But she had seen the strange bruises on his hand and worried that there was more to the injury than he claimed. She just prayed that she was wrong…
"This is how your family treats you?"
Sakura jumped when she heard Rider's voice, turning towards the Servant that had not left yet. She looked down and wrung her hands together, her voice coming out in a monotone.
"It's just how things are. My real family is… they no longer needed me so I was adopted by my grandfather." Sakura confessed, wondering why she felt the need to tell her Servant this. "It's… it's not like I mind. Nii-sama is just-!"
Sakura stopped when she suddenly felt her Servant's gloved fingers on her lips, keeping her from continuing. The man leaned down close to her ear, whispering so that only she could hear.
"And you don't hold a grudge for any of it?"
Sakura paused, gulping down the lump that had formed in her throat before replying.
"…No. Not at all."
Rider did not believe that. He'd seen the way her so called brother treated her. He'd seen the horrors her grandfather put her through in that hell pit. Those insects crawling through and invading her body… he'd barely been able to stomach it.
If it were him… he'd never stop until he exacted his revenge upon those that had wronged him.
But his Master was kind. Soft. But he could feel the resentment wafting off her. He could see the bitterness from within those empty eyes. Yearning and hoping for someone, anyone to lend her their aid.
Luckily, Rider knew more than a little about grudges and revenge… and how satisfying it was when such goals were accomplished.
Rider chuckled to himself and leaned away from the plum haired girl. He stepped down the hall in the direction his new Master had gone in, glancing back at the girl one last time and smiled his most reassuring smile.
"I'll do my best to follow your brother's orders than."
Sakura bit her lip as she watched Rider depart. Something about the Servant's words and tone put her on edge…
…But also made her anticipate, though for what, she wasn't exactly sure.
Souichirou Kuzuki stood silently gazing at the three red marks on his hand. He looked up from where he was standing from within the temple to the boy who sat silently at the top of the steps of Ryuudou temple. Said boy had appeared out of nowhere one day not long after three red markings had appeared on Souichirou's hand. He had quite literally appeared out of nowhere, as strange as it was. The former assassin had been walking around the temple late at night, wishing for a little more than the listlessness that was his life at the temple now, and that's when his hand began burning and the boy appeared in a plume of smoke.
The boy had glanced down at Souichirou's hand, nodded once when he spotted the strange markings on his hand, and silently went to sit down on the steps leading up to the temple. He'd been there ever since, unmoving. As if waiting for something…
He looked no different than any other teenager. Blue jeans, black shirt, red cap and jacket. Still, there was something about him that set him apart from other boys. There was a definite pressure surrounding him, suffocating anyone who dared get close. He had a hidden strength about him that gave the boy an impeding aura of some sort, intimidating anyone who got close. Souichirou wasn't sure if it was his own strength or some other unseen force giving it to him, but the boy was strong. Confident. He was a seasoned warrior, much like Souichirou himself. Silent, but powerful. A mountain only the strongest could hope to conquer.
And he would accept all challenges.
Souichirou tensed as the boy finally stood to his feet, adjusting his cap a little as he stood under the moonlight. The boy turned in his direction, smirking a little from underneath his cap before turning up to stare at the sky. Souichirou could see it in the way he moved. He was getting ready for a battle of some sort, though as to what he was battling, the man wasn't sure.
The boy stared up at the moon. He could feel it. From up atop the mountain he could somehow feel the other Servants out there. The people who would come to challenge him. A rare smile came to his face at that as the young man imagined the battles to come. The excitement they would bring. The struggle to see which of them was the best of them all.
Who would be the champion among them?
During his life, he had been a champion. He had been granted the title at a young age after overcoming many trials and overcoming many different opponents, proving he was superior in his battles. He'd defeated not one, but two champions to earn his title and was regarded as a sort of hero for the deeds he'd accomplished. That hadn't mattered to him. In fact, everything seemed to become much duller after accomplishing his goal and earning the title he had. So, he had retreated to a secluded place where there were many strong roaming about. It still hadn't been enough. He found meaning and excitement in battle, but when victory came so easily he felt hollow inside…
…Until one opponent had decided to try to climb the same mountain he had and met him on the peak. This person had accomplished the same deeds he had, if not more. They met as equals, and for the first time in a long time, he had felt excitement once again. There had been no words between them. Both knew what they wanted.
Until the day he died, he had always remembered that battle. The joy, the excitement, the tension and finally… being defeated by that person.
The opponents were strong, he knew that. Possibly even stronger than that person. This war, this battle, would prove to be an experience he hoped.
However, his strength was not his own. He was weak when he was alone. It was only because of his friends that he was able to become a champion. It was only because of them that he was strong. And together with them, and only with them, he would fight.
Caster grabbed a small red and white ball from his belt, pressing a button on it as it grew. He tossed it in the air and it opened up.
From within the temple, Souichirou's eyes widened when a dragon suddenly appeared in a burst of white light, roaring a spitting a gout of flame into the air. As Caster watched his companion, he smirked and wondered…
…Would he reign as champion once again, or would he be defeated by those who were his better?
Either way, he was looking forward to finding out…
Luvia Edelfelt wasn't sure what her chances were in this war. When the Command Seals had appeared on her hand she and her family had been overjoyed that the Grail had chosen her to compete, especially since they had missed out on the Fourth. This was her chance to shine, to make her family proud and to win the Edelfelt family the coveted wish granting artifact that was the Holy Grail!
…Unfortunately the Servant she had summoned was very underwhelming. The Edelfelt heir tossed her blonde hair back, frowning as she regarded her Servant. While his tall stature impressed her, it didn't take away from the fact she had summoned a commoner dressed in rags to be her Servant.
Assassin walked silently next to her dressed in a one-sleeved red kimono top and wearing long black pants with red leaf designs on them. The top of his black hair actually reminded her of a leaf somewhat, though most of it was tied back in a long ponytail that extended past his waist. He was silent, eyes hollow, listless and expressing nothing as they walked along the dark streets.
Oh, how she wished she had listened to her parents and acquired a catalyst before summoning her Servant. She had thought that with her noble bearing that the Grail would grant her a Servant befitting of her status even without a catalyst.
How the hell had she even summoned an oriental commoner anyway?! If he really was of the Assassin class like he claimed upon his summoning, shouldn't he have been one of the white masked Hassans?
"Is something wrong, Master?"
"No, no. Nothing's wrong, Assassin." Luvia smiled, maintaining her elegant demeanor. Even if she was… dissatisfied, it wouldn't do her any good to let it show. Besides, even after flying to Fuyuki to take part in the War she hadn't seen any of her Servant's abilities yet. Maybe she had drawn a stronger card than she thought?
…Of course, the Assassin class was never really known for their strength.
Still, knowing that Tohsaka bitch had probably gotten a guaranteed spot in the War thanks to her family having a hand in the Grail's creation, it was finally her chance to upshow that lowborn sow. Luvia smiled to herself as she thought of lording the Grail over the defeated Tohsaka wench who would bow in deference to her superiority as a magus.
Luvia was brought out of her fantasy when her Servant's arm stopped her.
"A Servant approaches." Assassin told her, expression unchanging even as he gave her the news.
Luvia actually felt a little excited at the idea of being in her first battle of the Holy Grail War and moved to take cover. She paused and gazed back at Assassin, who had not moved from where he was standing.
"Well?" Luvia asked her Servant. He turned his head to stare at her.
"Well what?"
"Um, you're an Assassin aren't you?" Luvia asked. "Shouldn't you hide or something so that when the enemy shows up you can kill him from the shadows."
"No. I'm fine like this."
Luvia's eyebrow twitched at her Servant's tone. He was really beginning to tick her off…
"Ah! Just as I thought!"
A red spearman dropped own onto the street in front of them, pointing two spears at the Master and Servant pair.
"I am Lancer of the Holy Grail War and I won't return to my Master unless I bring with me the heads of either a Master or a Servant!"
"…Is that so?" Assassin replied idly.
"What's with that reaction?" Luvia demanded, amazed and fed up with how unresponsive her Servant was being. She pointed at the Servant who had challenged them. "Fight him!"
"…Is that an order?"
"Huh?"
"Is that an order?"
"Y-Yes! Of course it is!" Luvia huffed.
"Do you have any other orders you want me to follow?" Assassin asked, turning toward his Master. "If you have anything else you want me to do for this War, tell me now so I know what I should do."
"Er, fine… um… I've only got two!" Luvia said after a moment. "My first order is, to protect me. I don't want to die in these battles to make sure to keep me safe at all times, got it?"
Assassin stared at her for a long moment before giving a slow nod. "…And the second order?"
"Protect yourself. I can't win this War without a Servant." Luvia said, raising a finger for emphasis.
Assassin's eyes widened a fraction before his lips turned upward in a slight smile. He nodded and turned to face his opponent.
"Understood. I will protect you and I will protect myself." Assassin said. He eyed the spears Lancer was holding. "…Am I allowed to break his weapons?"
"Huh? Of course. Why wouldn't I let you?"
"Just making sure." Assassin smirked before taking a stance with his legs spread apart and his palms open.
"Here I come!" Lancer shouted as he dashed forward with one of his spears out in front, aimed at the opposing Servant. "Your life is mine."
"I don't think so."
Lancer's eyes widened as he watched, almost in slow motion, as Assassin moved forward and his arms wrapped around his spear and pulled it against his back. The red garbed Servant's muscles tensed as his arms tightened and Lancer could only watch as the spear was broken into wooden splinters.
"Y-You…!" Lancer retreated back for a moment before he dashed forward again with his remaining spear in front. "This time…!"
Assassin's form flickered and suddenly much to his shock Lancer found that the tip of his spear had been broken off. The spearman jumped away and stared at the remains of his spear in disbelief.
"Is that all?" Assassin asked.
Lancer smirked as he tossed away the shards of his broken weapon. He tense and clenched his fists at his side as he took a stance.
"Not even close!"
Lancer breathed in and out, and Assassin and Luvia watched as a red aura seemed to surround the Servant and cover his body, almost as if he had been lit on fire. Suddenly, two more red spears appeared on Lancer's back and he immediately grabbed them and swung them out in front of him. They were unlike the spears he had earlier, obviously stronger and Assassin could see flames dancing along the metal tips.
"You have strength enough to destroy my Sunset, but can you withstand the heat of my Phoenix spears?!" Lancer shouted as he twirled his spears in the air. "With these weapons, I'll light the fire of victory!"
"Go ahead and try." Assassin replied, taking another stance.
The Servant smirked as the next words he spoke were confident and flowed from his lips naturally, almost as if they were a reflex of some sort.
"However, by that point you will have been torn to pieces."
Shirou took a deep breath as he went over everything Tohsaka had told him. The Holy Grail War, huh…
The aspiring hero glanced down at the red Command Seals that confirmed his status of a Master. He turned towards his Servant, Saber, who smiled at him in response. Rin sat at the other end of the table, waiting for him to say something.
Meanwhile, Archer stood off to the side leaning against one of the walls Rin had repaired with her magic and he couldn't stop staring at the red Saber that Shirou had summoned. He had his worries that things were much more different than he expected when he saw the red Lancer at the school, and had tried to convince himself it would be the only odd change to the War… but now he wasn't so sure. Things had developed the same way they had in his old life frustratingly enough, with Lancer attacking, stabbing his past self, Rin saving his life with her magic as he hadn't arrived quick enough to deter her from doing so, and then summoning Saber to be his Servant.
But the Servants were different now. Sure there were four others he had yet to see but knowing his luck Archer knew he could probably safely assume they had changed as well. Who knows. Maybe some of the Masters were different from before too. Fact of the matter was he had been summoned into a very different Grail War… and he was worried.
"So what do you plan to do with the Grail if you acquire it, Tohsaka?" Shirou asked, breaking Archer's train of thought.
"Like most other magi, my goal is use the Grail and find the Root." Rin answered.
"I see… why don't team up then?" Shirou smiled.
"Huh? W-Why?"
"I don't have anything specific that I want to wish for, although…" He trailed off, glancing at Saber. "Unless Saber…
"I have no need for the Grail or its wish." Saber said with a disregarding wave of her hand. Her expression was wistful for a moment before she smiled again. "My life… did not exactly end on a high note, but a true artist never regrets her work and I am proud and satisfied with how I lived my life. I have no wish to grant."
"Yeah. Definitely not my Saber." Archer sighed mentally. The Saber he knew had nothing but regrets about her life and had always hoped she could use the Grail to change that.
Shirou, for his part, was a little in awe of his Servant as she proclaimed that. Though her face was sad, she spoke with such pride and confidence that he couldn't help feel in awe of her. Such drive that he'd never seen before… she truly was a woman without regrets. He admired and respected that. He shook his head and found his words again so he could continue speaking.
"So you don't mind teaming up with Tohsaka and Archer?"
"Hm… I have nothing against it personally, but how do we know we can trust them…?" Saber asked.
"Oh, Tohsaka's a classmate and she already saved my life once. We can trust her."
Both Saber and Rin's jaws dropped at that. Rin was the first to recover. "W-What! I never saved…!
"You think I didn't know?" Shirou asked, holding up a ruby pendant and sliding it over to the flushing girl. "Archer had been the one fighting Lancer at school. I can't imagine his Master saving my life after he stabbed me so the only one who could've healed me is you." Shirou gave Rin a bright, grateful smile. "Thank you, Tohsaka."
"I-It's nothing!"
"It's not nothing! If you hadn't saved Preator's life, we wouldn't be here now!" Saber grinned, clasping the girl's hands in her own and causing the magus to jump. "Forgive me for doubting your integrity! I would be proud to call you an ally in this War!"
"T-Thank you…"
"So our alliance is set then?" Saber asked, turning towards Shirou.
"I'm fine with it. Tohsaka…?"
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Rin took a look at the pros and cons of teaming up with the amateur magus. Really, she couldn't ask for a better deal. He had summoned the strongest close range Servant and she had one that specialized in long range, or so she assumed since Archer HAD had those swords when they were confronted by Lancer, so they might make a pretty good team. Plus both Shirou and Saber claimed they had no interest in the Grail's wish and if they won promise to relinquish the wish to her. And then Shirou had stopped his Servant from killing her after his Servant had batted Archer away with her massive sword when he had her dead to rights…
…Honestly, there was no reason not to accept.
"Alright then." Rin nodded, wrenching her hands away from Saber's and extending one towards Shirou. "So… partners?"
Shirou smiled as he grasped her hand with his own.
"Partners."
"Wonderful!" Saber cheered as she watched the two Masters shook hands. "Now, let us have a feast to celebrate our alliance and toast to our future victories! Where are your chefs, Praetor?"
"I don't have any chefs," Shirou chuckled as he stood up. "But I can cook up a couple things if you're hungry."
Archer watched Saber and the two Masters though he wasn't listening to what they were saying. While some things seemingly hadn't changed he had been summoned in a different Grail War than he remembered, and now he was beginning to fear that his contract with the world would be broken that easily.
He could only wonder what had caused this change to occur…
From within the Holy Grail, the spirit of Avenger was satisfied. It had power left over from the Fourth Heaven's Feel, and he had put that power to good use. It had sufficient prana to start the War a decade after the last despite the usual sixty year interval it usually took and still had plenty leftover to summon overwhelmingly strong heroes. It had even gone as far as to summon heroes from different worlds to take part in the battle. Each one had their talents, different in their abilities, but strong all the same. Which would come out on top?
Either way, this gathering of heroes would make the Fifth a Holy Grail War to remember.
Interlude
Everything was black and her body felt heavy. Her mind floated in the void, and she found herself feeling scared and helpless. She had been so excited… she had been optimistic about her chances…
…It just wasn't fair. She wished that she had gotten one last chance. If only to pay that person back for what he did and avenger herself for what he did to her.
…But she wouldn't get that chance now…
But from within the darkness, a voice called to her.
"Get up, Master."
Bazett groaned as her vision returned. She slowly and painfully pushed herself up, stumbling a little when she found only one arm supporting her rather than two. She glanced at the bloody stump where her arm had been cut off by the priest that had betrayed her. Only now it was bandaged up. But who had…?
"So you're finally up."
Bazett turned towards the voice, recognizing the abandoned building she had summoned her Servant in and that she was still in it before her eyes came across someone leaning against the wall across from her, figure bathed in the moonlight filtering through a broken window. Short, dark hair framed her face and she wore a red coat over a blue kimono. The girl's face turned upward to gaze at Bazett, and the Irishwoman felt like her eyes were piercing into her very soul. The young woman smirked, and raised her arm, handcuffs dangling from her wrist and knocking slightly against the knife she twirled around in her fingers.
"Apparently I've been named the Avenger of this Holy Grail War." The girl, Avenger smirked.
Bazett's eyes widened and she immediately glanced down at her remaining arm, shocked to find three glowing Command Seals on her hand. She slowly turned to stare at her new Servant, who gripped the knife in her hands and pushed off the wall.
"So who do I need to kill?"
INTERLUDE OUT
A/N: Ah, feels good to get that off my chest. I had fun writing it and I hope you all enjoyed it. Did any of you correctly deduce the identities of the Servants? Obviously EMIYA stuck around since he fits the theme, and I think I dropped enough hints and clues in the text for you to make some good guesses. The title alone is quite possibly the biggest clue.
I honestly have no plans for continuing this… but if enough people like it and it gets enough feedback, who knows? But don't count on it.
Anyway, I thank The Infamous Man for giving me the inspiration for this and for lending an ear and a helping hand to my own work and ideas. He's a great author and for those of you who haven't seen his fics you should really give 'em a read.
Thanks for reading. Have a good one, everyone.
Kiiam