A/N: Wow...uh looks like theres quite a number of you who wants Hakumen. I like that

Disclaimer: I do not own niether Blazblue nor the Fate series.


White Reflection


"No fair!"

A high pitched voice pierced through the cold winter air.

"No fair! No fair! No fair! No fair!" A small silver haired girl stomped and screamed in front of a kneeling Kiritsugu. "You've been cheating the whole time, Kiritsugu!"

An apologetic yet playful smile crept onto the father's face. "But...Daddy has no chance of beating you otherwise."

The little girl's cheeks started to expand as she turned around with a huff, crossing her arms and pouting her little heart out. "If you keep trying to cheat, then I'm not going to play with you anymore!" Illyasviel boldly warned.

"Oh no, I don't want that." The man then held up both hands clasped together in a pleading manner. "I apologize."

Illyasviel was still looking the other way with arms crossed and both eyes closed in a pout. One eye opened however, as she spared her father an inquisitive glare. "Do you promise not to cheat anymore?"

Kiritsugu's smile widened. "I promise."

"Very well." The small girl uncrossed her arms. "Then I shall accept your challenge." She proudly put her hands on her hips in a triumphant pose. "A champion must take on all challengers, after all!"

Kiritsugu bowed low. "You honor me…your highness!" He quickly then scooped up the little girl, pulling her up so that she was sitting on top of his shoulders.

"Ahaha! I'm up high!" Illya cheered as she was propelled forward as her dad carried her, until he abruptly went to a stop. The quick deceleration almost knocked the small homunculus off his shoulder.

"Kiritsugu?" Illya looked down at her father.

Kiritsugu turned around, looking past the snow covered trees and up towards the massive Einzbern castle. More specifically up at a particular window, where he felt a pair of eyes observing him, almost judgingly. Behind the window, a tall white figure was standing with it's arms folded across it's chest. The eyes adorned on it's shoulders were boring into the Magus Killer and his daughter.

Kiritsugu grimaced at the sight; his smile turning into a scowl, and a dark look washing over his eyes.

"K-Kiritsugu?" Illyasviel bent down so that she was looking directly at her father's eyes. The man refocused his gaze when he saw his child's crimson eyes.

"Ah...ahaha. It's nothing, princess." Kiritsugu quickly brushed it off and turned around, walking away from the ivory castle, still feeling the steely gaze of his "servant" burrowing into his back.

Irisviel carefully balanced the silver plate carrying the tea set as she opened the door. Upon entering, she saw the tall white figure standing with crossed arms, looking out the window. The eyeballs located on the back of it's shoulder pauldrons immediately locked onto her as she opened the door. Irisviel flashed a friendly smile in response.

"What are you looking at, Saber?" Irisviel asked as she set up the tea onto the table.

"Saber" didn't reply for a while, standing as still as a statue as the homunculus poured tea into her cup. The servant's mask hiding all emotions and thoughts. The eyes adorning his upper body tracing over the man in black as he walked away further with his daughter on top his shoulders.

Finally, he spoke.

"That man…"

Irisviel's eyes began to glow with excitement, finally able to engage in conversation with the mysterious servant. "Yes?"

Once again, silence permeated the air, making Irisviel a little bit anxious. "To think that such a man could show that much compassion…"

Irisviel giggled. "Kiritsugu may seem like a cold man on the outside." Her eyes began to soften, "But inside, he is a man with a great heart."

"I doubt that." Saber replied back in a biting tone.

Her smile began to wane. Saber kept his helmet directed out the window. "I do not trust...this man."

A sad but understanding and apologetic smile graced the woman's face. "If this is about our first meeting…" The crimson eyes on the back of Saber snapped its gaze back to the woman.

"I care not for the lack of pleasantries about my summoning." Saber dismissed the topic.

"You must understand that we were just a little...surprised is all." Irisviel carefully chose her words. "We used the Avalon in order to summon a specific spirit."

"The Great 'King' Arthur?" Saber inquired.

"Yes. So it came to a surprise to us when you appeared. We meant no disrespect. You're obviously a very capable servant."

Saber sighed audibly as his thoughts drifted back to last night, in the cathedral right after he was summoned.


Last night


"Answer me..."

Hakumen stood tall behind the remaining smoke created from the ritual summoning. He looked down at the dumbstruck man, and demanded, "Are you...the one who shall be observing me?"

Kiritsugu said nothing. He couldn't help but stare up at the tall, faceless, and almost demonic looking white armor. Something went wrong during the summoning, that much he figured out. Luckily, Irisviel was there to act as his voice.

"Are you...Arthur Pendragon?" The homunculus asked shakily. Hakumen merely inched his head towards her direction.

"Hmph, so that child back there was the legendary King of Knights? Ridiculous." He shook his head. "Listen well, as I will not repeat myself." The air around him started to stir. The atmosphere dropped in temperature. A bright light started to linger around the armor. The ground started to shake a little. "I am the blade that shall purge all the evils from this world, and return all to nothing." The smoke around the armor suddenly dispersed from him. "I am Hakumen! Do not forget that."

Kiritsugu and Irisviel stood in silence for a while. Irisviel gaze was enraptured with child like wonderment. She couldn't help but clap her hands and giggle.

"Haha! Amazing!" She said in between claps. "Then we should probably introduce ourselves too!" She gestured towards herself and said, "My name is Irisviel Von Einzbern, and this…" she then gestured towards her husband. "Is Kiritsugu Emiya."

Kiritsugu on the other hand, did not share his wife's enthusiasm in the slightest. His brows furrowed, his frown deepened, and a frustrated sigh escaped his lips.

"A failure…"

"Hmm?" Hakumen's helmet snapped towards the man at the remark.

"Kiritsugu, don't say that!" Irisviel scolded.

"We didn't summon the servant we wanted. Something during the ritual must have been tainted." Kiritsugu stated as he walked towards the summoning altar that held Avalon, blatantly ignoring the white armored servant. "Perhaps part of the circle wasn't drawn to perfect specifications." Kiritsugu wondered as he put a finger to his chin.

Irisviel looked towards the servant, wondering what type of expression the saber class servant was having underneath that mask at the sheer disrespect her husband was showing. Hakumen's arms unfolded themselves and dropped to his sides; his fingers curling into fists. He defiantly strode towards the mage, who turned around only to find the servant towering over him menacingly.

"I will not ask again. Are you my observer?"

Kiritsugu merely met the statement with an emotionless gaze as he held up his right hand. Hakumen's eyes analyzed the hand only to find the glowing mark of the saber class. Kiritsugu's eyes widened in shock as the servant grabbed the collar of his shirt with one hand, lifting his whole body upwards.

"That is not an answer."

Irisviel rushed over to the servant. "Saber, please stop!" She placed her hand on the armor's arm holding up Kiritsugu by the collar. "That mark on his hand holds your command seals. It's the mark that signifies himself as your master."

Hakumen tilted his head towards the homunculus skeptically. "Therefore….I must obey?" He said more in a challenging tone than an inquisitive one.

"Indeed." That was the first time Kiritsugu addressed the servant directly. Hakumen snapped his gaze back to the man, who was glaring at him.

"Hmph, don't make me laugh." Hakumen then threw his so called "master" to the ground. Irisviel rushed over to him, checking if there was any serious injury. There wasn't. Still, Kiritsugu's glare stayed the same. Dull, with a noticeable flare of hatred burning within his gray irises. A flare that Hakumen easily picked up.

"Tell me, Emiya. What do you wish of the grail when the war is over?"

Irisviel was about to speak up, but was interrupted when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Again, Kiritsugu addressed his servant directly. "To save the world."

Hakumen merely tilted his head, silently demanding elaboration.

"I'll use the power of the Holy Grail to end all war. To end all bloodshed. To ensure that no human being will ever be able to kill one another ever again. To destroy all evil within the world."

"Fool." Kiritsugu looked stunned at the remark.

"You are unwise to place that much faith onto one item. Do you really think this...grail can grasp the true extent of your desire?"

"If the Grail is as Omnipotent as they say, then-"

"Foolishness, Emiya. If you cannot perceive the threat of giving full jurisdiction of the entire world to one item, then you are a blind man. If one wishes to change the world for himself, then that person must do so with their own hands." In a flash, Hakumen quickly unsheathed the sword from his back faster than the eye could perceive, pointing it's blunt tip right in front of the stunned Magus Killer. "Along with his own sword."

Kiritsugu froze as he stared at the blunt tip of the servant's blade. Not even a full day in, and already his summon dared to turn his sword on him. This sort of rebellious attitude can only come from a servant with an unusually high Independent Action rank. But this servant is obviously a saber class. Who exactly was this spirit?

"More importantly, I hear what you seek, but I see no justice within your heart. Without justice, how can you ever hope to achieve victory in battle?" Hakumen left the question lingering in the air before withdrawing his sword back into his crimson sheath. "However, the contract has already been sealed. Therefore I shall attain victory in this war and win the grail."

Irisviel looked at her husband and saw something within his expression. At best, it could've been called simple anxiety. At worst it could've been called fear.

"So until then, I shall judge the extent of your...justice."


Present


"Perhaps our first meeting could've gone along more...smoothly." Hakumen admitted.

"Oh well. The past is the past. For now I would actually like to know more about you, Saber." Irisviel said as she stirred the cream in her tea with a silver spoon. Saber merely scoffed.

"Emiya asked this of you, didn't he?"

"That he did…"

Saber sighed.

"But it would be a lie if I said I wasn't interested. I really do want to get to know you better." Irisviel tilted her head and smiled.

Saber gave her a small glance before looking away. There wasn't much reason to withhold his identity. "Ask what you wish."

"You said your name was….Hakumen, right?" Irisviel asked before taking a sip of her tea.

"That is correct."

"Hmm…" Irisviel placed one finger to her lips. "I don't recall any historical figures with that name. Is that your actual one?"

Hakumen pondered on the question before saying, "It matters more to me than my real identity." The girl frowned at the statement. She wondered if the servant was shy. That would certainly explain why he's always in a suit of armor.

"Alright." She pushed a little further. "Then can I ask you what era and what land you're from?"

Hakumen's shoulders dropped a little. "You can ask, but you will not like the answer."

Irisviel grinned. "Try me."

Hakumen sighed once again. "I am not from your history. Whatever I tell you, it won't matter. You won't find me in any textbooks."

Irisviel froze upon the servant's words. "Then….are you a spirit from the future?" She had heard that the grail does not discriminate in its choice of servants when it comes to timelines. A spirit from the past has equal grounds when it comes to spirits from the distant future. So it wasn't totally out of the question that they would summon a future hero.

Stepping away from the window, Hakumen then turned towards Irisviel, giving her his full attention. "You're only half right." Hakumen said. The moment he was summoned into this world, a vast wave of foreign data flooded his mind. It turns out that as soon as he set foot into this dimension, the grail granted him all the information he needed from this particular world. Most importantly It's past, and its everyday knowledge; all of it was anchored into his mind. "I am not from your past, nor your future. I am someone outside of your reality."

The homunculus almost choked on her tea. "Outside...our reality?"

"More likely, I am an entity from a dimension different from yours."

"Can the grail even do that?"

"It would appear so. This Dimension and mine's share the same history, however their fates diverge at a certain point."

"But wait. Then why were you summoned through Avalon?" Irisviel asked.

"A good question." Hakumen said. "It could be because of my British heritage. Although that shouldn't matter this much."

Irisviel pondered on the situation. "The choice of the catalyst is the most important factor for summoning a servant. The next factor is servant compatibility with the master."

Hakumen scoffed. "If there is any compatibility between me and Emiya, then I don't see it. The question of why I was instead chosen to fight still remains a mystery, even to me. However, regarding the Avalon…" Hakumen held out his left hand and a glowing golden aura started to flow around his fingers. The light then materialized into the shape of a large scabbard, adorned with royal blue lines running across it's golden exterior. For what seemed like the nth time today, Irisviel found herself speechless at yet another surprise from the mysterious servant.

"H-How?" Last time she saw Avalon was when it was being locked up by Kiritsugu after the summoning.

Hakumen ran his hand across the scabbard's surface, feeling the mana it radiated coursing through him. "I am not Arthur Pendragon." He simply stated. "This body belongs to me, as well as my sword and my skills. Given that this was her relic, this scabbard should now only be a relic of the past. At best a decoration. Yet it glows with powerful magic when I am near, and it comes to me when I beckon it. I cannot activate the Noble Phantasm itself, but it's passive effect still lingers."

"What does this mean then, Saber?"

Hakumen turned the scabbard in his hand, marveling it's smoothness. "It means that your summoning didn't fail like Emiya thought. Though physically I am Hakumen, the prana signature is that of King Arthur. I was merely swapped at the last second, but her essence still flows through me."

Irisviel raised a brow at the pronoun used for the King of Britain. She was about to comment on that until she grasped the true meaning behind the servant's words.

"Then that means-"

"Yes." Hakumen said as he flexed his fingers into a fist. "I am not a true heroic spirit. Right now, I estimate that I am only operating on only five percent of my full capacity due to sharing Arthur's existence within the world."

"Only...five percent?"

"No matter, I have more than enough power at my whim for the task at hand." The servant leaned back onto the wall next to the window; crossing his arms. "Is that what you wanted to know, Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"Eh?" Irisviel cocked her head. "Kiritsugu?"

"Hm? So you don't know?" Hakumen said as his many eyes closed in on one tiny black dot on the left shoulder strap of the dress.

Irisviel was getting more confused. "What do you mean?"


"Your husband placed a device on you and is listening to us speak at this very moment." The static laced voice hummed into Kiritsugu's ear.

"Huh?! KIRITSUG-"

"Tsk…" He immediately grabbed the small receiver out of his ear.

"What is that, Kiritsugu?" Illyasviel inquired.

He quickly flicked the tiny black device into the snow. "Just a bug, darling."

If what the servant said was true, then the war just got a lot more difficult. Even before the start of the war, he was already out of his comfort zone. He would've preferred a servant class that resonated his style. An assassin would be the ideal class, maybe even a caster. Saber class was the probably second to worst choice for him, right above a Berserker. Instead of a familiar to fight in the shadows with him, he has one that is instinctively designed to fight on the front lines. Not only that, but going by the spirit's words, he wasn't even a full servant.

Only five percent...but surely that couldn't have been right. The servant emanated power just by being in the same room. Through his ability as a master, Kiritsugu was able to read the servant's stats. Almost all of his base parameters are rank A, with his Noble Phantasms even exceeding that rank. Not bad at all. In fact, he doubted any other master would have a servant of the same caliber. However, this Saber held a skill in Independent Action; an archer skill, and one that he loathed. Sure, there were benefits, especially with the kit he was working with. The ability to use his own power source at his own whim would tax his mana far less with such a skill, making the spirit even more potent in battle. But the drawbacks of Independent Action far outweighs the benefits, and considering the fact that this servant holds one that is significantly higher than the average archer, means too much in the long term plan. The skill makes it harder for a master to control his servant, which would make sense for an Archer, as they would require the self autonomy to battle ranged warfare in the outskirts of the battlefield. But for a Saber? It would be a maelstrom of chaos, and one that would likely lead to an early defeat. Thinking about it, the servant could probably go head to head with, at most, two servants at the same time and prevail, but he had doubts that Saber would survive against all of them at once, taking into account that he was only at five percent of his power. Doesn't help that this particular spirit is rebellious to any sort of authority. Controlling him fully is probably out of the question, and orders are going to need to be sparse and few.

'Most of them won't be heeded without a little outside influence' He thought to himself as he held up his right hand and eyed his command seals. Even then, he had doubts. But as always, he would find a way.

Kiritsugu grinned as his plans came together within his mind.


'Damn you, Emiya…'

To say that Hakumen was merely displeased would be a gross underestimation. The image in the reflection of the mirror showed the face of a young blonde man staring back at him with contempt infecting his emerald irises. The exact same face he tried to deny for so long.

"Come on, Saber!" Irisviel squealed in excitement from her place on the loading ramp of the private jet, hopping on the ball of her foot. "I want to see how you look!"

She heard a frustrated growl from outside the jet, then a sound of a door being slammed shut. Footsteps could be heard coming out of the washroom, then to the door of the jet.

Irisviel could feel her smile widening as she saw the figure of a young looking blonde man stepping out of the jet, wearing the suit she picked out. Even though the man was frowning, he looked absolutely stunning.

"Saber!" Irisviel exclaimed as she clasped her hands together. "You look lovely!"

Hakumen merely sighed, his eyes still hard and his mouth still turned downwards.

"This is foolish." Hakumen said, his voice noticeably lighter in tone without the helmet around his head. "I would prefer it if I was within the Susanoo-"

"Nooope" Irisviel said with a playful pop at the end. "It would be dangerous if you were to follow me around as a big walking suit of armor. You would bring more attention to both you and me, making us bigger targets."

Hakumen growled under his breath, bringing a hand to his forehead and sweeping back his blonde hair. He could barely believe his summoner would be so brazen to assume that he would follow through with his request, but if he didn't, he knew the man would still send Irisviel to the city of Fuyuki in Japan alone, where other masters and servants hid in the shadows waiting. That was something he could not allow.

He could feel his fingers tightening within his black gloves.

"Hmph. We're going now." He said as he strode gently pass Irisviel down the rail.

The woman playfully curtsied as the blonde man passed her. "Lead the way, my knight in shining armor!"

The sound of his servant's chagrined sigh could be heard coming from the headphones adorned around Kiritsugu's head. Currently, both him and his partner, Maya, were stationed out in a rented hotel room somewhere in Fuyuki, listening to the servant and the homunculus banter.

Maya, who was cleaning the barrel of one of the myriad of rifles lying on the bed, looked back at her partner and saw his usual dull blank expression.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to send your wife out like that?" She questioned. "It was a pretty big gamble to depend on your servant to follow her, even for you."

"Not really." Kiritsugu said. "There's not much of a risk if you know your cards well."

Maya lifted an eyebrow.

"Saber is a prideful spirit, so it will be difficult to issue commands to him. However, he's still a heroic one. One who still believes in the virtues of fighting for others. A man of justice like him would not stand idly by as a defenseless woman walked into the middle of a warzone unprotected, and due to his unique condition of being unable to dematerialize into the air, he has to physically remain close to her at all times."

"I understand that. But still...to wager the safety of the madam like that on just that…" Maya looked away. "Your servant must be one stubborn son of a bitch for you to pull the stops out like that."

Kiritsugu's eyes slightly hardened. "You're right about that…"


Hakumen sighed for what seemed like the 30th time as he sat in the seat of the limousine he was riding in. His gaze was fixed on to the window, staring at the faint reflection of his face as the view of the city flashed by as the car drove on. He looked down towards his hand as he took off the glove. He marveled at the white skin of his palm with a mixture of wonderment and disgust. When his armor materialized into this world, his soul must also have manifested a physical vessel within the realm as well. What a cruel twist of fate it was that this vessel happened to look exactly like how he was right before he bonded with the Susanooh unit. While he was no fan of the Unit by any stretch of the imagination, he would whole heartedly have chosen to have that as his vessel rather than the body of…

"Jin...Kisaragi…" Hakumen uttered under his breath with scorn.

"Wooow, Saber!"

Hakumen looked to his right, to which he saw the pale haired homunculus looking out her side of the car's window, marveling at each of the buildings they passed like an excited child.

"Haha, there's so many of them! We could go to there! Oh that dress looks so cute! Oh that restaurant looks good too! I always wanted to try sushi. Oh and…" She continued to comment on each of the buildings that passed.

"At this rate, we're going to visit every building in this city." Hakumen said with mild amusement in his voice.

He nearly flinched when Irisviel turned her head away from the window to look at him with a surprised expression.

"What?"

"Di- did you just make a joke?"

"No." He said immediately.

"Ehhh…" A sly smile slithered across her face, much to Hakumen's chagrin. "You so did!"

"Hmph…" Hakumen merely looked away. "Don't be ridiculous." He said as he propped his elbow on the car seat and held up his face with his hand.

"Ahh c'mon Saber! Don't you lie to me." Irisviel joked as she poked the man's shoulders.

"I do not lie." It was at that moment that he missed not having a face. Irisviel started to giggle at the unamused expression Hakumen was making.

"I'm sorry." Irisviel said as her laughter died down. Hakumen lifted his gaze back to the homunculus. "It's just that...I've never been outside the castle before, so everything is new to me. And I'm really excited about exploring this city with you!" She said as she looked at the servant directly.

"I don't know if I will ever get another chance like this...so...let's try to have as much fun as possible today, ok?" She finished with a sweet smile.

The servant's face began to soften as she spoke.


"Mister Hakumen!" A voice called out to him, pulling him out of his thoughts as he tore his gaze away from the currents that graced Ishana's waters.

He watched as the figure of a young auburn haired girl in a Mage's Guild uniform run up the grassy hill he stood atop of.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The young girl said as she tried to catch her breath back from running all over the city.

"Celica." Hakumen addressed her in his usual strict tone. "What are you doing here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with Magister Nine?" He asked as the eyes on his armor scanned the area for the great witch.

"Ah come on. It's not like she's my baby sitter or anything. Besides, I kinda sneaked off to come find you."

"...Why?" Hakumen asked dubiously.

"Because I want to hang out with you, silly!" Celica said with a cheerful grin.

Hakumen was still unconvinced. "Again I ask….why?"

Celica began to awkwardly shift her foot around the grass. "Well...it's just that I already hung around with everyone else. My sister, Miss Trinity, Master Jubei, Master Valkenhayn, I even talk to Mister Terumi whenever he's around with us. But for some reason...you're not ever there." Celica said as she looked up at the masked hero with sad auburn eyes. "And it makes me sad to know that you're all alone like that. You are one of my friends...right?" She asked with the slightest tinge of hesitation.

Hakumen let out an audible sigh. "You may stay if you wish. However, I doubt it will be anything interesting."

"Yay!" Celica jumped slightly as she softly clapped her hands. She quickly plopped down onto the grassy ground and leaned her back against Hakumen's ankles. "That's alright. I won't be bored as long as you're here." She looked up to Hakumen, who made no gestures of moving his foot away from the girl.

She sighed contently as a cool breeze blew against her hair and face. "Ahhh. The ocean breeze sure feels good today, doesn't it Mister Hakumen?"

Hakumen remained silent at the question.

"Oops!" She lightly knocked her knuckle against her head. "I guess you can't really feel it in your big armor, can you?"

"Hmm…"

"Still though…" She peered out into the vast blue seas and skies, marveling at the white clouds above and the doves that flew through the air. "It is pretty relaxing just sitting here and looking out into the ocean." She said as she leaned her head back against the greaves.

"I suppose…" Hakumen replied, to which the girl giggled at.

For a while, the two just stayed there atop the green hill, basking in the calm environment the city emanated, with Celica enjoying the Hero's company, and Hakumen contently tolerating her's.

"See? Isn't it nice to be around other people like this?" Celica asked while looking up from her position.

"..."

"Haha! That isn't a no!" She said cheerfully. Hakumen chose to ignore her.

"I know!" She suddenly shot up from the ground. "Why don't we go explore the city together? I'm sure there are some places you haven't visited before."

"I'd rather not."

"Come on, live a little! We could go to a restaurant and get something to eat. Or hey! Maybe we can go window shopping!"

"None of those activities can be applied to me, as I don't need to eat, nor do I have a body to wear clothes." Hakumen said frankly. Celica did not back down, however.

"Then we'll figure something else! Please, Mister Hakumen? Do this as a favor for me?" She said as she put on the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster, which in it of itself did little to Hakumen.

"What a troublesome girl" Hakumen thought to himself. Still though, he couldn't help but be amused by the girl's tenacity. In the end, he grew fond of the girl's spirit and personality. After all the things she'd done for him so long ago, he supposed that he would humor her a bit. And so, with a noticeably lighter tone, he said...

"Very well."

At this, the pale haired woman cheered happily. "Thank you, Saber." She cocked her head when she noticed a slight difference about the servant.

"You look good when you smile."

"Be silent."


In the end, Irisviel was more than satisfied. Throughout the entire day, she travelled to and from all buildings she came across, dragging Saber behind her. The both of them visited an assortment of establishments ranging from eateries to commercial outlets to entertainment centers to whatever else the homunculus seemed to stumble upon. They even went shopping for clothes during the day, although Saber merely stayed in the back while the Homunculus tried on whatever looked pretty, occasionally asking the servant's thoughts of them, to which he sometimes would reply with the occasional nod or if she was lucky, a single worded answer. She didn't mind though, as she genuinely enjoyed the servant's presence either way. Through the tour, she managed to find out more and more about Saber. For instance, she realized that the spirit often avoids food dishes that contained meat, and at best tolerate fish. She also caught him gazing at a few vintage motorcycles when they were passing through an automobile center. It would make sense, of course, since she remembered when Kiritsugu told her about the saber class's innate riding skills, but she made sure not to miss the light glint in the servant's eyes when he marveled the bikes. She would have to take note upon that fact for later.

As for Hakumen, he himself wouldn't say he disliked the time he spent with the homunculus. Actually, if he were to comment on it, he would have to admit the experience was nostalgic, perhaps even a little bit pleasant. It felt a little bit awkward at first, especially sitting down and picking up utensils to eat. It had been so long since he ate that he almost forgotten how to. However, he soon discovered that this physical vessel he inhabited benefited from consuming sustenance. He could feel his energy reserves being recharged as he was eating sushi with Irisviel, even though he felt no hunger throughout the entire day. He also had to admit that it was pretty pleasurable to be able to feel the sensation of smelling delicious food and tasting them. Not a bad day at all, although he would never admit it.

Currently, he was silently standing on the sand of the beach located near the docks of the city, watching the homunculus playfully frolicking across the shallow waters with his many eyes. Since there was no one nearby, most likely already in bed judging by the time, he decided to materialize his armor around him. Irisviel didn't mind though, as the servant dutifully heeded her request for the entire day, so she was willing to grant him the small comfort.

"Walking around the city with such a gentlemanly friend was such a wonderful feeling." Irisviel said as she played in the water.

"I trust that you were satisfied then?" Hakumen asked, his voice regaining the deep baritone through his helmet.

"You were absolutely wonderful! Like a true knight in shining armor."

For a moment, the two stood there on the beach, staring at the crystal dark blue waters that seem to perfectly mirror the light emanating from the full moon floating in the air. When Irisviel looked back, she noticed that the spirit was mostly focusing his gaze up towards the moon more than anything else, and she could tell that his gaze held no warmth.

"Do you not like the moon, Saber?"

"..." Hakumen was silent for a moment, before saying, "The time that I spent today reminded me a lot about myself before I donned this armor. Perhaps a little too much, frankly." He slowly extended his right hand upwards towards the sky, as if he was reaching out towards the moon. "I detested the moon back then, but purely for juvenile reasons. But right now, the moon is merely a reminder of how much of a naive fool I was back then."

Irisviel was taken aback, as this was the first time the servant openly talked about himself to her. She frowned slightly at his words, but then slowly regained her smile before looking up to the moon herself.

"Well, I see the moon in a different way."

Hakumen cocked his head in a questioning manner as he folded his arms.

"To me the moon is a beautiful entity. A glowing guardian whose fate is to stay in the night for the sole purpose of banishing the darkness for others." The woman's eyes started to soften. "And when the darkness seems to grow even bleaker and darker, the moon shines even more brightly than before.." She looked back towards the hero, whose white armor reflected the moonlight off his surface, making it seem as though he was shining in the night. Perhaps he was smiling beneath that mask, she wondered? Perhaps his lack of smile was his way to smile, in some ironic way.

He then felt something ripple across the air.

"Do you feel that?" He asked her, to which she nodded.

"I do. An enemy servant?"

"Most likely. They seem to be openly broadcasting their prana."

"Perhaps they are issuing a challenge?" Irisviel inquired. "How chivalrous."

Hakumen proudly scoffed. "Then they shall know what it means to stand before me."

"Then shall we go?" Irisviel said as she stood right next to Hakumen, to which he nodded in return. The two then marched towards the source of the distortion.


A handsome knight waited at the docks, with one of his hands holding a long crimson spear and the other gripping a smaller yellow one. It has been a few minutes ever since he issued his challenge until he felt an overwhelming force slowly coming towards him.

His heart started to quicken at the upcoming presence. Was it excitement? Perhaps, he thought to himself. Was it fear? He couldn't write that out completely either. Regardless, he was a knight, and a knight does not bow to fear. He waited in the middle of the road, feeling the powerful wave of prana moving closer and closer, until he sensed its presence behind a few metal crates. He tightened both his spears instinctively.

He then saw two white figures approaching from behind the crates. He was befuddled when he saw the tall walking suit of armor sauntering in front of a small white haired girl in matching white clothes.

"Such a strong and prideful aura… I guess it couldn't have been helped that it would be you who would be the first to answer my challenge." The handsome knight said. "I feel a powerful sense of will coming from you. Am I right to assume that you are Saber?"

"Indeed you are." Hakumen then walked in front of the homunculus, motioning her to step back with his hand. "And you must be the Lancer class servant."

"You are correct." Lancer said as he skillfully twisted both his spears across his fingers. "To be pitted against each other in a duel to the death, yet unable to exchange names as fellow knights...I must say, it ruins my enthusiasm."

"Nonsense." Hakumen laughed as he reached towards the blade that hung behind his back. "I acknowledge your challenge, therefore it is only reasonable that I reveal to you my name, so you may never forget the one who shall sever the threads of your fate."

Lancer raised his eyebrow in confusion. "What are you-"

Hakumen then clenched the grip of his sword and drew it in a flash of light; the blade phasing through the crimson sheath in a silver mist. "Give it everything, and you might live a little longer!" He then held his blade in front of him with his left hand hovering near the blade as a blue aura started to glow around him.

"I am the white void...

I am the cold steel...

I am the just sword!"

As he continued the chant, the concrete beneath his feet started to crumble around him, making Lancer take a few steps back.

"With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world

and cleanse them in the fires of destruction!"

The aura that floated around him then exploded in a burst of blue energy.

"I am Hakumen!

The end has come!"

With that, he held his sword with both arms at the ready, and charged towards the awestricken spear wielder.


Unbeknownst to everyone else below, Kiritsugu kneeled on top of a metal crane high above the would be battlefield, trailing the two servants with the sight of his sniper rifle's high tech night vision scope.

"Maya, be on the lookout for Lancer's master." He whispered softly into his microphone.

A buzzy, "roger", was relayed into his ear.


From atop of a large red bridge far away from the docks, a small man held onto one of the metal frames as if his life depended on it. In hindsight, it kinda did.

"Rider!" He called out to the large grizzled man sitting cross legged next to him, drinking from a green glass bottle.

"Quiet boy!" The large man hushed. "Look! Things are finally starting to get interesting."

The young master looked to where the large servant pointed towards, but failed to see anything.

Rider bellowed out a loud excited laugh. "Now I'm getting pumped up!"


Deep within the mansion of the Tohsaka family, a man in a dark priest's attire stood in a dark empty room, his eyes closed as he shared the vision of one of the sentries he sent out. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and said,

"The first battle of the holy grail war...has begun."