Much like with my last update, this was meant to be a Halloween update but life kept getting in the way.

In any case, there's not much action this chapter either, but we do get to see the effects of Caster's actions on the plot.

With that said, let the Hunt Begin Anew...

Chapter 4: Inquisition.

"And you're absolutely certain there's nothing left?" Tokiomi pressed, the Tohsaka head's normally composed tone laced with an underlying tension that Kirei could detect even over the gaudy communication Mystic Code he was forced to use in lieu of a telephone.

"I'm afraid so, Master." He confirmed, his tone calm, though internally he found himself intrigued, as never in his life would he have expected the normally unflappable Tohsaka Tokiomi to react so strongly to anything that didn't directly affect his family.

Then again, he supposed it was only natural that the Tohsaka head should feel so emotive. After all, while relations between the Founding Families had never been more than professional at best, there was still an underlying sense of competitive camaraderie between them, enough so that Tokiomi had readily accepted Zouken's offer to adopt his youngest daughter as heir.

From the point of view of the uninitiated, Tokiomi's reasoning for giving Sakura away might come off as cold, if not outright reprehensible. Indeed, had he done so before Kirei, a father himself, became apprenticed under him, the priest might have called him out on it.

But now, having studied under the man, having gotten to know his mannerisms and values, combined with his own prior experiences hunting down less-reputable Magi and his admitted inability to raise Caren, Kirei could not deny that Tokiomi's handing Sakura over to Zouken had been nothing less than an act of love.

Like all Traditional Magi, Tokiomi had been raised to prioritize the continuation of their teachings. Had Sakura lacked any talent in magecraft things would have been all well and good, but while she wasn't an 'Average One' like Rin, the quality of her Magic Circuits was by no-means inferior to her sister's, if anything her inherent sorcery trait made her potentially even more valuable.

So when Matou Zouken slithered in and offered to make the girl his heir, Tokiomi jumped at the chance. In his eyes, this way Sakura could develop her talents as a Magus without coming into conflict with Rin over their inheritance, whilst ensuring she would be protected from manipulation by outside parties and strengthening the bonds between the Tohsaka and Matou Families.

With this in mind, you could probably imagine the man's horror when his not-so-secret apprentice had contacted him in the middle of the night to inform him that not only had someone demolished the Fuyuki Hyatt, but that the Matou Manor had been burned to the ground, with currently no signs of survivors.

As alarming as the Hyatt's destruction was, neither Master nor Apprentice doubted for a second the identity of the culprit or his target, as not only did it fit in perfectly with the Magus Killer's Modus Operandi, Lord El-Melloi hadn't exactly been subtle whilst setting up his headquarters. Honestly, even the Einzbern had more sense with their preparations, and their estate consisted of a small, by their standards, castle surrounded by a dense forest. By renting out several floors of the most expensive hotel in town, Kayneth might as well have painted a bulls-eye on his forehead and dared Emiya to pull the trigger.

But none of that mattered now. While the destruction of the Hyatt was a shock, it wasn't one that would affect Tokiomi's coffers and thus wasn't his concern. The destruction of the Matou Manor, however, was not something Tokiomi, as the Second Owner of Fuyuki, could simply ignore. Putting aside the issue of Sakura, as much as it hurt him to do so, the destruction of countless Centuries of research that Zouken had doubtlessly accumulated over the course of his unnaturally long life was a crime against Magecraft itself, though as much as Tokiomi hated to admit it, the Matou's fall had been a forgone conclusion the moment Kariya decided to walk away from his heritage.

When Tokiomi had first learned of Kariya's decision, he'd deemed him a fool, a treacherous coward that had abandoned his duty in favor of the blasphemous 'Modern' world. It was only when he found himself worrying over Sakura's future, after Zouken offered to take her in, that he came to see Kariya's 'betrayal' as a blessing in disguise. While this by no-means endeared him to his wife's childhood friend, he was at least grateful to him for unintentionally providing a means of ensuring Sakura's success.

Now however? Judging by his tone, it was highly likely that Tokiomi wanted nothing more than to find Matou Kariya and wring his neck with his bare hands. It wouldn't bring Sakura back, nothing short of the true Heaven's Feel could accomplish that, though ironically killing Kariya would certainly bring her father one-step closer to achieving the ritual's original goal.

And in truth, as an outsider looking in, Kirei felt Tokiomi's anger was well placed from a logical point of view. If Matou Kariya hadn't cast aside his heritage, then Zouken would never have made the offer to adopt Sakura. There were countless other Magi families Tokiomi could have sent her to, Zouken had simply been the first to make the offer and his situation made him the least likely to simply use her as breeding stock or experiment on her to try and discern the Tohsaka's secrets.

If Matou Kariya hadn't returned out of the blue, if he hadn't become a Master to compete for the 4th Holy Grail, it was highly likely that Zouken would've decided to sit this War out and focus instead on preparing for the next one. Indeed, from what his father & Tokiomi had revealed, that had been the old monster's intention during their last meeting, so much so that his announcing their sponsoring a Master for the 4th War had caught the conspirators completely unawares.

And perhaps most importantly, if Kariya hadn't returned, if he hadn't become a Master, then the Matou wouldn't have been designated as targets for the Magus Killer, and Sakura wouldn't have gotten caught in the Crossfire. Hell, even if the man had taken his heritage seriously from the outset, that still would've been preferable, as then Tokiomi could've ensured his youngest's safety by sending her along with her sister and mother to Aoi's parents.

And who knows, considering how bloody the Grail Wars could get, there was a high probability that Zouken may very well have ended up offering to take her in anyways. However, none of that mattered now. Matou Manor was gone, and while Assassin had been able to scour the wreckage for some time before the authorities arrived, thanks ironically to the distraction provided by the bombing of the Hyatt, the Servant had been unable to find a single trace of survivors.

"As expected of the Magus Killer." Risei grumbled, his expression taut, having spent the better part of the previous night and most of the morning coordinating with his contacts among the local authorities. While the bombing of the Hyatt would doubtlessly be chalked up to a terrorist attack, the explosions could be heard for blocks after all, the Matou Manor had required decidedly more legwork to ensure nobody dug too deeply into the wreckage before any and all traces of magecraft could be removed.

"Still, to think he'd be so brazen as to attack one of the Founders directly…" Risei continued, his tone clearly troubled, and for good reason, for while the Matou had declined in ability, Zouken himself was still as dangerous as ever, and the Bounded Field that covered the Mansion was just as impressive, if not more so, than Tokiomi's own "Jubstacheit must really be getting desperate."

Regardless of personal aspirations, The Holy Grail Wars were to be carried out in secret, without drawing attention to the existence of Thaumaturgy. It was the one unspoken rule the Founders had felt the need to impose from the very foundation of the Heaven's Feel Ritual, the one, unbreakable law that all contestants, even the Servants, knew to uphold to the point that any witnesses without knowledge of the Moonlit World were to be silenced quickly and efficiently, no exceptions.

While Tokiomi himself personally preferred to modify the memories of the uninitiated, finding it more cost-effective in the long-run than having to cover up a string of corpses, or lack thereof, it wasn't uncommon for people to go missing during the previous Grail Wars for the simple crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was for this very reason that the Church had gotten involved, acting not only as supervisors, but also operating behind the scenes, cleaning up after the Magi, wiping memories and doctoring any evidence of the supernatural, as they had been wont to do for centuries. Hell, the only reason no one had noticed the 3rd Grail War despite the involvement of both the Imperial Army and the NAZIs was because the Church had taken full advantage of the 2nd World War to cover everything up.

With that being said, even with Tokiomi's influence there was only so much Risei's agents could cover up before the local authorities began asking unwanted questions, and while the destruction of the Matou Manor could be attributed to a gas fire, the bombing and subsequent demolishment of the Fuyuki Hyatt on the exact same night was not something that could be ignored.

In short, personal grievances aside, The Magus Killer, no, Emiya Kiritsugu, had violated the most sacred of rules of the Holy Grail War and had drawn unwanted attention to the proceedings. And as the old saying went: The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

"What will you do, Tokiomi-kun." Risei pressed, his normally genial features lined with displeasure, something Kirei had never seen before "I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but we cannot simply stand back and have them run wild like this."

While neither the destruction of the Matou Manor or the Fuyuki Hyatt had, in themselves, risked revealing the existence of Magecraft, the fact remained that they drew unwanted attention to Fuyuki. To make matters worse, it was clear from Emiya's dossier that what he'd done so far had been relatively tame, as in the past he'd never have bothered to evacuate the hotel, with the obvious exception of Lord El-Melloi, before setting off the explosives.

In short, if they didn't do something about the Magus Killer now, then there was no telling what the man would do later, what lengths he would go to ensure his victory. Given his reputation, even the elimination of his Servant might not be enough to stop him.

"If memory serves, Saber was wounded by Lancer during their exchange, correct?" Tokiomi inquired over the communicator "So Emiya most likely targeted Lord El-Melloi in order to remove the curse of Gae Buidhe."

"No doubt." Risei confirmed with a nod "However, as I have yet to receive confirmation of Lord El-Melloi's remains, I believe it's safe to assume the rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated."

"Assassin has been watching the scene for some time now." Kirei confirmed dutifully, his tone calm as ever "Should Kayneth Archibald have survived the explosion, we will soon be aware of it."

"Keep me informed of any updates, Kirei-kun." Tokiomi instructed "For the time being, it might behoove us to ensure that Lancer remains in the game until Saber has been removed from play."

"Emiya isn't likely to just sit back on his laurels, however." Kirei pointed out "If Lord El-Melloi is indeed alive, or if Lancer somehow survived his Master's death, then it won't take long for Emiya to notice the curse of Gae Buidhe is still in effect."

In short, if they were going to corner the Magus Killer, they needed to do it now, before he was able to put together a counter-strategy. Lord only knew what kind of traps he'd filled the Einzbern Castle with, giving him time to further fortify his position would only cost them in the end.

"As you are well aware, Minor rule changes fall well within my jurisdiction as Supervisor, Tokiomi-kun." Risei supplied after a moment's contemplation "With this in mind, I propose that we temporarily postpone all hostilities until Emiya and his Servant have been dealt with."

"A bold proposal." Tokiomi mused, his tone making it clear he was weighing the potential risks of such an action against the benefits "Are you certain the other Masters will comply?"

"As you said, it is the sworn duty of all the participants, Master and Servant alike, to ensure that the Holy Grail War operates in secret." Risei noted grimly "Emiya Kiritsugu's actions have not only violated that accord, they have endangered the civilian populace, drawing unwanted attention to Fuyuki." He chuckled wryly "Of course, given the risks involved, I think we can afford to sweeten the pot, give them more incentive to throw themselves at Saber, so to speak."

While he lacked the Magic Circuits Kirei had been born with, as the Overseer of the Holy Grail War Risei had been entrusted with the unused Command Seals from the previous Wars, each inherited from a Master who had lost their Servant, and more often than not their life, prior to the final battle.

Despite being protected from theft by Holy Prayers, meaning the only way to receive one was for Risei to willingly transfer them to a Master, normally the elder Kotomine would never dream of suggesting they use the Command Seals as collateral, as they were one of the few trump cards he possessed as Overseer. However, as he had previously stated, given the reputation of their opponents, it was better to sweeten the pot if they hoped to turn the other Masters against the Magus Killer and King Arthur.

"You've certainly thought this out, Father." Tokiomi applauded, his tone laced with respect, though Kirei couldn't help but note an underlying hint of concern "That being said, is there not a chance that such an offer could backfire? After all, even a single additional command seal would be a tremendous advantage to the Master who received it."

"Naturally, it's not ideal." Risei confirmed with a shrug "And were the circumstances not as they were, I never would have proposed such a thing." He smirked conspiratorially "Which is why it is important that, once Emiya and his Servant have weeded out the chaff, that Archer be the one to strike the final blow."

"I see Kirei owes more to you than just his work ethic, Father." Tokiomi marveled, his respect for the elder Kotomine's deviousness more than apparent "You would have made a formidable Magus, had the cards been different."

Indeed, Kirei had to agree that his father's strategy was ingenious. Given Emiya Kiritsugu's reputation, it was highly unlikely that the Magus Killer would simply roll over and die no matter how many Magi came after him, so any Master stupid enough to venture into Castle Einzbern to challenge him directly was as good as dead. And given the rules of the Grail War, even if Saber was eliminated Emiya could simply contract with the Servant of a fallen Master and they'd be right back at square one.

Knowing this, it would be far more appropriate for them to sit back and let the man clear house, exhaust himself by eliminating as many of the other Masters as possible, only for Archer to swoop in and clear out the survivors, perhaps even employing some of the Assassins if need be. It would be quick, it would be clean, it would be discreet, and most importantly, it would be cost-effective. In short, exactly the kind of plan that Tohsaka Tokiomi could get behind.

'So why does it leave a bitter taste in my mouth?' Kirei wondered, hiding a grimace as Tokiomi asked his father to take care of the details 'I know for a fact that Emiya Kiritsugu is an enemy that needs to be eliminated…so why do I find such a plan distasteful?'

"Do you have anything to add, Kirei-kun?" Tokiomi asked suddenly, snapping his not-so-secret apprentice out of his musings with a start "You've been oddly silent, do you not approve?"

"Nothing of the sort." Kirei lied expertly, more than used to keeping his true thoughts out of his tone due to years of reassuring his erstwhile father "I merely recalled something I meant to bring to your attention." He reached into his pocket and removed the dead Familiar "Last night, Assassin discovered a familiar spying of the Church." He held the bat out for Risei to see, the elder Kotomine's eyes narrowing in anger "Audacity and complete disregard for the rules aside, the fact said familiar was carrying a miniature camera makes it clear who the perpetrator is."

"All the more reason that we move against him." Tokiomi declared, his tone decidedly clipped, a clear sign of anger from the normally reserved Magus "Honestly, how can that man even call himself a Magus…"

"There is also the matter of Caster." Kirei pointed out calmly "Out of all the Servants, Caster is the only one whose Master has not only failed to present themselves, but for whom we have been unable to identify. Were it a Magus of the Clock Tower, our spies would have informed us, that we know nothing is troubling."

"It is not uncommon for the Grail to select a Master at random if a fitting Magus does not present themselves." Risei supplied with a shrug "Such placeholder Masters are usually only chosen to fill out the ranks, so it's highly likely Caster is a relatively weak Servant and has chosen to err on the side of caution."

"That, or he slew his Master upon being summoned and is currently laying low to conserve his energies." Tokiomi countered over the communicator "Do not forget, while arguably the weakest class, they are still Heroic Spirits hailing from the Age of Gods, and thus naturally superior to Modern Magi such as myself. I'm sure you can imagine how such a Magus would react if summoned by a…less than reputable Master, Kirei-kun."

While Kirei couldn't help but quirk a brow at the admission, as it wasn't like Tokiomi to be so humble, he found himself agreeing with his Mentor in Magecraft's assessment as he recalled the bloody scene, one of several actually, that he'd witnessed through Assassin's eyes, each grislier than the last, the sole identical factor being the summoning circles drawn awkwardly in the victims' blood, a circle that had improved drastically with each passing atrocity.

'And people wonder why the Church and the Association are always at each other's throats.' He scoffed, shaking his head at the folly of those who romanticized Magicians in folklore. Still, personal thoughts aside, Kirei had to admit that not only did Tokiomi's theory of Caster slaying his Master hold water, but unless younger Kotomine missed his guess, it was highly likely said Master had been none-other than the so-called 'Demon of Fuyuki', a Serial Killer that had been running around the city for the past month.

The crime scenes certainly matched the killer's modus operandi, the methods used to slaughter the victims had been decidedly brutal. So heinous were the crime scenes that the local police had set up a special task force, gathering in officers from the neighboring vicinity to crack the case quickly, though up until now they had made little if any progress, partially because they didn't even know what the killer looked like, and partially because Risei had been pulling strings behind the scenes to cover up anything that might give away the existence of Magecraft of the Grail War.

Normally, as the Second Owner of Fuyuki, Tokiomi would have been the one to take steps to ensure the killer's capture, either indirectly by using his considerable influence and resources to aid the mundane authorities, or by personally tracking the killer via Magecraft before either sending Kirei to hunt them down or doing so himself, just to remind everyone whose territory they were in. As such, the fact that the murders had stopped following the start of the Grail War hadn't eluded the Tohsaka Party. If anything, their cessation solidified the likelihood of the 'Demon' being the final Master and that he'd been slain by his own Servant out of disgust.

Normally the idea of a Servant running around unchecked would've given them cause for concern, especially given how tricky the Caster class could be. However, from what little they could discern it was clear that Caster hadn't approved of the method by which they were summoned, which meant they weren't likely to attack civilians in order to extend their existence by devouring souls, and bereft of the Independent Action skill it was only a matter of time before they returned to the Throne of Heroes.

"Forget about Caster for now." Tokiomi commanded resolutely "For the time being, have the Assassin's not currently monitoring the other Masters focus their attention on Castle Einzbern, I want them ready to move the second Emiya leaves himself open."

"Understood." Kirei confirmed, suppressing the bitter feelings of resentment with the ease of experience as he turned to give the orders to his Servant(s) even as his father made ready to prepare his speech to the other Masters.

McKenzie Residence, sometime after noon...

"Um…Excuse me?" the unfortunate deliveryman stammered as he gazed up at the massive, bearded giant that stood in the doorway, clad in what could best be described as a leather man-bra and shorts "I have a delivery for the Mackenzie residence?"

"Yes!" Rider beamed proudly as he towered over the man, shattering his hopes that he'd come to the wrong address with his booming voice "That is indeed the name of this domicile's residents."

'I'm not paid nearly enough for this shit…' the poor man wept internally, unable to break eye contact with the beaming giant "Then…might there be an Iskander, King of Conquerors here?" at the giant's confirmation he held out the package "Right…in that case, can you sign here please?"

"But of course!" Rider boomed, happily signing the offered slip of paper before handing it back to the man, who seemed all-too-eager to receive it. Understandable really, after all, it wasn't often that one received an autograph from the King of Conquerors! "Thank you for your prompt service!" he offered, before closing the door to return to the kitchen, where he promptly set about removing the contents of his package.

"Rider-!" Waver called out, racing down the stairs to lecture his servant for disobeying his orders once again "What are you doing down here, was someone at the door?"

"Ah! The Package I was awaiting has arrived." Rider revealed, nodding to the parcel on the tabletop, "I must admit I'm rather impressed with this new-fangled Mail-Order service. There were quite a lot of products which caught my attention on the advertisement section of 'World Military Monthly'."

'So that's why he asked me to pick up some postcards last time…' Waver sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he recalled the various videos, magazines and other memorabilia he'd been forced to spend his sparse funds on, all for the sake of Rider's 'War Preparations' "I thought I told you never to leave the second floor! What if somebody saw you!"

"The residents were not at home, and you were occupied with your familiar, who else was there to answer the door?" Rider countered as if stating the obvious.

"I didn't have a choice." Waver grumbled, unwilling to cede any ground to his Servant "A summons by the Holy Church is a big deal, you of all people should know that."

"Indeed, it is unusual for the Overseer to interfere with the proceedings of the Grail War." Rider mused, his expression solemn as he paused in the act of opening his package "I assume it has something to do with the collapse of that tower last night?"

"Something like that, yeah." Waver confirmed, shivering as he recalled the cold resolve in the overseer's tone, even though the ears of his familiar.

Kotomine church, noon...

"Given the importance of the situation, I hope you'll forgive me for skipping the usual pleasantries and getting straight to the point." Risei declared as he faced the otherwise empty pews of the Kotomine Church. As expected, not one of the Masters had deigned to make an appearance, choosing instead to send familiars in their place. Excluding Tokiomi's, which was only there for the sake of appearances and to throw off any suspicions of foul-play, the elder Kotomine detected no more than three other Familiars in attendance, which meant that either Lord El-Melloi or Matou Kariya had survived Emiya Kiritsugu's assassination attempt, or Caster had decided to eavesdrop on the meeting.

'Considering how I haven't received any new Command Seals since last night, either option could be valid' he mused, before turning towards the pews. "It has come to my attention that the secrecy of the Grail War is in Grave Peril." He declared "By now, all of you will have heard of the bombing of the Fuyuki Hyatt, what some of you may not be aware of is that the Matou family Manor was also destroyed the same night, with no survivors."

He paused for effect, relying on his experience as a preacher to draw them, letting the sheer weight of his words sink in before pressing on after a slight cough to clear his throat. "Given the timing of these events, and the similarity of their execution, I can say with certainty that the culprit is none other than Emiya Kiritsugu, the Master of Saber, also known as the Magus Killer."

Though there was no response from the familiars, judging by Tokiomi's earlier reaction it was clear that the other Masters, Emiya excluded, were likely reeling from this revelation, as was only natural for more traditionally minded magi. After all, the Magus Killer's reputation was worthy of being a Modern-Day Legend among Magi.

"As Overseer I cannot overlook any actions which ignore the cardinal obligations all participants share to ensure the secrecy of the ritual, and Emiya Kiritsugu has broken not one, but three of those very rules." Risei declared to the room at large "Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, he has drawn unwanted attention to Fuyuki, thus endangering the secrecy of the War. In doing so, he has also endangered the safety of the civilian populace with his reckless tactics, which violates the statue passed down by Tohsaka Nagato, one of the founders of the Grail War."

'And now for the final blow.' He mused, reaching into his pocket to withdraw the dead familiar Assassin had retrieved the night before and held it up for all to see "And finally, he has willfully desecrated the sanctity of this Church, the designated Safe-Zone for all eliminated Masters."

Despite the lack of their physical presence, Risei liked to believe he could sense the shock and indignation of the gathered Magi if Tokiomi's own reaction had been anything to go by. Since the disastrous events of the 3rd Grail War, The Kotomine Church was the one Hallowed ground that all of the Founding members had agreed was untouchable. To ignore its neutrality was to risk the Vatican sending their Executors to put an end to the ritual once and for all.

"As a man of the cloth, I am a firm believer in turning the other cheek." Risei admitted, and it was true, to an extent, that he had forgiven many a trespass over the course of his life "However, even the Lord only has so much patience, and in this case Emiya Kiritsugu has struck one time too-many. As such, in accordance with the emergency powers accorded to me, I am temporarily altering the rules of the Grail War: All Masters are to henceforth cease all hostilities towards one another in pursuit of the Grail, and instead focus on the elimination of Emiya Kiritsugu and his servant, Saber, otherwise known as Arthur Pendragon, the King of Knights."

In all honesty, the revelation of Saber's identity was merely a formality, as it was highly unlikely that any of the remaining Masters hadn't already learnt of it following the duel at the docks. Still, in times like this it was a necessary to be as formal as possible, especially when handing down of an order of execution.

"Of course, I do not expect you to do so without expecting a just reward." He acknowledged, holding up his right arm and rolling up the sleeve, unable to suppress the briefest flash of pride at having retained his muscular physique despite his advanced age, revealing the intricate markings that covered the back of his arm from elbow to wrist, markings that no Master could possibly mistake for anything other than Command Seals.

"These are the Command Seals left-over from Masters who lost their servants during the previous Holy Grail Wars." He revealed to the onlookers, shivering slightly as he felt their hidden gaze intensify on his limb "They have been entrusted to me as Overseer, and I am able to transfer them to anyone based on my judgment.

Despite knowing he was facing mere familiars, incapable of truly interacting with the people behind them, Risei felt himself slowly entering the familiar state of mind he often assumed when preaching.

"With this in mind, I am prepared to award an additional Command Seal each to the Master who successfully eliminates both Saber and her Master." He smirked at the pews "I'm sure I don't need to explain the value of such a reward?"

Indeed he did not, and despite the lack of human presence in the Chapel, Risei couldn't help but imagine the sharp intakes of breath his reward would have earned from the other Masters. After all, a single additional Command Seal was a tremendous advantage to the Master who held it. To be offered the chance to earn an additional 2 was something no Master would turn their nose up at.

'Especially Lord El-Melloi, who has already used one of his own.' He recalled as he lowered his arm and sleeve, hiding the precious seals from view once more as he prepared to drive home the final nail in the Magus Killer's coffin "Just to clarify, this is not a competition." He pressed, glaring sternly into the dark "Given the reputation of the target, and the risks he presents to the secrecy of the Grail War, cooperation between Masters is not only permitted, but openly encouraged. Remember, the Holy Grail War will only recommence in earnest after the elimination of both Saber and her Master have been positively confirmed. Rest assured, all parties involved in their execution will be likewise awarded."

'That should ensure they're all gathered in one place.' he mused, as he faced the empty chapel "If any of you have further questions, please ask the now." He asked aloud, only to smirk knowingly "Of course, that offer is limited to those who can speak in human tongue…"

With Waver and Rider...

"I see…" Rider mused, his expression solemn, all traces of his earlier amusement gone as his Master finished his recollection of the Overseer's declaration "That is indeed most troubling news."

"Tell me about it!" Waver exclaimed, collapsing bonelessly into a chair as he cradled his head in his hands "It's bad enough Lord El-Melloi saw my face the other night, but to think the Magus Killer of all people would be an enemy Master!"

"Is he truly such a fearsome opponent?" Rider pressed, his confusion understandable, for while the Grail provided information necessary for the Servants to blend in with society if need be, that didn't mean they knew every little detail of the world around him, as evidenced by his interest in the current world leaders.

"He's the worst kind of opponent for Magi." Waver groused, recounting several of the ghost stories he'd heard about the man during his time studying under Kayneth at the Clock Tower "Everyone thought he'd retired years ago, what the hell is someone like that doing in the Grail War? How'd he even qualify as a Master?"

"How did you?" Rider asked, only the absolute lack of malice or mockery in his tone keeping Waver from lashing out at the giant "The Grail is the one who chooses the Masters, boy. If your simple wish was enough to qualify you, then I can only wonder what kind of wish this Magus Killer must have."

"Assuming he simply wasn't hired as a mercenary by the Einzbern you mean." Waver sighed, more than used to his Servant's mockery of his wish to be respected by his peers by this point "Dammit all, what're we gonna do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rider scoffed, prompting Waver to look up, only to blink at the King of Conquerors clad in a massive white T-Shirt, the words 'Admiral's' and the kanji for 'Great Tactics' emblazoned over a map of the world straining to contain the giant's massive muscles as he flexed "We shall ride tonight to aide Saber in her time of need!"

"Wait, we're WHAT?!" Waver exclaimed, gaping at his clearly delusional Servant in disbelief "Weren't you listening to me just now? The Overseer gave explicit instructions that-!"

"Fool!" Rider snapped, flicking Waver's forehead once again "Do you not recall the events of last night? I gave my word as a King that I would wait until Saber and Lancer finished their honorable duel before challenging the victor." he scoffed dismissively "Let their Masters fight amongst themselves if they must, but the King's word is his bond, and I will not see their duel sullied by the machinations of mere Magi!"

"But what about the reward?" Waver pressed, rubbing his head tenderly, more than a little alarmed by how quickly he was growing used to getting flicked by his Servant "What if someone else claims the Command Seals?"

"Does it truly matter? You still retain a full-stock, do you not?" Rider pointed out, only to sigh at Waver's groan of frustration "Honestly, if it truly troubles you so much, I will be more than willing to hunt down this Magus Killer after Saber and Lancer have completed their duel."

"Assuming there's anything of him left by then." Waver deadpanned, knowing all-too-well that while Rider's presence would deter most from interfering in the duel, the other Masters would likely take the opportunity to gang up on Emiya. Kayneth in particular, having already used a Command Seal, would be the most desperate to replenish his stock. And given the number of duels Kayneth had under his belt, it was highly likely that the Magus Killer would meet his match tonight.

"Hmm! Yes!" Rider preened, the King of Conquerors once again completely ignoring the plight of his Master in favor of admiring his appearance in a nearby mirror "To have the entire world emblazoned across my chest! What a truly great feeling!"

"Where did you even get the money for that thing anyway?" Waver demanded, only for his eyes to widen in horror as his Servant, grinning unrepentantly, held up the teen's own wallet, having apparently stolen it while his Master was conversing with the Overseer.

"Do not be concerned." Rider assured him with a grin even as he snatched the wallet out of the Servant's clutches "I have already paid in full!"

As you could imagine, this did little to assuage Waver's fears, especially considering how long it had taken him to convince the giant that they lacked the necessary funds or connections to purchase a stealth bomber. Fortunately, a quick inventory soon put his mind at ease, for while he was certainly down several thousand yen, not one of his precious ten-thousand Yen notes were missing, so at the very least his Servant hadn't splurged on any big orders…this time anyway. "Why're you even dressed like that anyway?" he demanded, honestly too exhausted to be truly angry with his Servant.

"I came to a realization after seeing Saber last night." Rider admitted with a grin "If I adorn myself in modern apparel, then there should be no problems with my traversing the streets as I please, correct?"

"Well, no not really…" Waver admitted, cursing Saber and her murderous Master as he struggled to find a means to counter Rider's argument, as it was one of the few means he had of keeping his Servant in check, despite repeatedly informing him that maintaining his physical form was taxing "Hey, wait, wait I said!" he exclaimed as Rider made to swagger out of the house "You're not thinking of going out without pants, are you?!"

"Pants?" Rider repeated, staring at the teen in confusion, only to blink as his knowledge from the Grail filled in the gaps "Ah, yes, leggings." He groaned, thumping his own brow at his ignorance "I had completely forgotten that everyone in this land wears them." He glanced at Waver, as if hoping his Master would overlook his faux-pas "Do I really have to?"

"Does it really need to be said?" Waver deadpanned, wondering not for the first time how such an inconsiderate, musclebound gorilla without a lick of common sense had managed to conquer the known world "And just to be clear, I am most certainly not making a special trip into town just to purchase a pair of triple-X pants for you!" Before Rider could voice a complaint, he cut the irate Servant off with a pointed finger "Before you even think of going out to enjoy yourself, why don't you focus on getting rid of the Magus Killer first!"

"I see…" Rider mused, honestly impressed with his normally cowed young Master. Few had ever dared to speak to the King of Conquerors in such a fashion, indeed, even when he'd simply been known as Alexandros, the only one to truly talk to him in such a manner had been his beloved mother, Olympias. "I understand, so you swear to provide me with the appropriate garb in exchange for bringing you the head of Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"Uh…well, you don't need to go that far..." Waver stammered, blinking at his Servant in surprise "Wait, why're you agreeing to this so readily? I thought you wanted to help Saber?"

"You misunderstand, I merely do not wish for anyone to defeat Saber until she and Lancer can finish their honorable duel." Rider countered "As your request does not trample upon my word as King, I can agree to your terms." He smirked at the boy's look of surprise "I must admit you surprised me, boy, any other Magus would have wasted a Command Seal to force me to comply, by allowing me to keep my word as King, you once again prove yourself worthy to call yourself my Master!"

Waver blinked, torn between exasperation, embarrassment and a growing sense of pride as his Servant clapped him heartily on the shoulder "Honestly, the way you talk it's almost as if your planning to go out drinking with them." He glared as Rider's eyes brightened "And just so we're clear, I'm not going to be footing the bill for your booze either."

"Bah, as if a wet-blanket like you would be even appreciate a good drink." Rider scoffed, referring to the numerous times he'd caught his master retching at the smell of the local rice-wine, Sake was it, that the McKenzie's had in stock "Still, your idea has merit…"

'What have I done…' Waver groaned, unable to help shivering at the sight of the feral grin that was slowly splitting his Servant's bearded face, feeling not unlike the poor bastards tossed into the arena with the Lions as the King of Conquerors eyes lit up with glee 'What madness have I unleashed upon the world?'

Play, Hunter's Dream...

"O Flora, of the moon, of the dream." The Doll whispered, her fingers trailing through the hair Matou Sakura, the girl's features soft, perhaps for the first time in years, as she cuddled next to the boy the Hunter had brought earlier as if to cling to her perceived, momentary dream of freedom from the nightmares that had plagued her for so long "O little ones, O fleeting will of the ancients...Let these children be safe, let them find comfort. And let this dream, our home, foretell a pleasant awakening..."

While the Doll attended to her charges, Caster stood silently off to the side. It had taken but a moment for him to remove the last traces of Matou Zouken's Crest Worms from her body, and with them, the last remaining anchor the vile parasite had left in this world. Such an act would have been next to impossible in the waking world, given how the core parasite had taken root near her heart, but within the confines of The Dream he was not nearly so limited, extracting the last of Zouken's taint without so much as marring the girl's body.

The effect on her mind, however, would be harder to heal. Physical wounds could be mended, at worst they would scar, but in the end, the pain would fade, if not entirely, then at least to manageable levels. But wounds of the heart, the scars of the mind, were not so easily forgotten, and Matou Sakura has suffered much in her short time as Matou Zouken's puppet.

It would take more than time for her nightmares to fade, for the memories of the abuse she had suffered to blur, for the knowledge that her own family had willingly given her away to the monsters that had violated her so to become bearable, but at least here, sage within the embrace of The Dream, under the watchful eye of The Doll and the Messengers, the healing could at least begin.

"What will you do now, Good Hunter?" the Doll suddenly asked, her silver eyes managing to express her concern despite her impassive porcelain features "Will you join the other Servants in their Hunt?"

A Hunt she called it. Indeed, it was hard not to see the similarities between the hunts ordained by the Healing Church and the Overseer's Commandment to hunt down Saber and her Master, the only difference being that the Healing Church had never offered to reward their Church Hunters, believing the very act of carrying out their solemn duty to be a reward in and of itself.

Naturally, he could care less about the reward. His master was safe within the confines of The Dream and he had no use for the Overseer's Command Seals. In all honesty, it would be better to let the other Servants duel it out while he picked off their Masters while they were unguarded, a tactic that both Eileen and Gehrman would have approved of, given their penchant for efficiency above all else.

In terms of difficulty, Lancer's Master had initially boasted the most impenetrable defenses. While he'd been no true Magus in life, Caster could at least appreciate the masterpiece of spell work the man had clearly put into his defenses, which made it all the more deliciously ironic when Saber's Master, in a tactic worthy of the Powder Kegs, had circumvented them with mere explosives.

Bereft of his carefully constructed defenses, and doubtless most of his precious resources, Lancer's Master was currently the most vulnerable, almost completely dependent on his Servant for protection. However, from what little he'd seen of the man's character, it was likely he wouldn't let such a disgrace go unpunished, and as one of two Masters to have used a Command Seal already, it was very likely he would accompany his Servant to eliminate Saber and her Master.

Conversely, while Rider's Master posed the least threat of all the Masters, the fact he rarely, if ever, left his Servant's side made him all but unassailable. While Caster was certain that an opportunity would eventually present itself, it would most likely only come once the number of remaining servants had declined, forcing the King of Conquerors to seperate from his Master to devote all his attention to more credible threats, namely the Golden Archer.

Indeed, given the threat presented by the self-proclaimed 'One True King', Caster would have already taken steps to eliminate both his Master and the Master of the not-so-hidden Assassin(s) that even now were converging on Saber's location like flies to a carcass. The only reason he hadn't was because Archer had taken to lounging around the Church for whatever reason while several of the Assassins watched his Master's domicile for any signs of intrusion.

'As always, the Church and Arcane Scholars make for dangerous bedfellows.' He groused, shaking his head in disgust at the sheer hypocrisy of the situation. Given the risk posed by Archer, both in terms of his Raw Power and his high-ranked Independent Action, Caster's best strategy was to wait for the Golden Servant to spring whatever trap his Master had planned using Saber as bait before slipping in to eliminate the Master of Assassin, thus preventing him from contracting with the False Priest after he eliminated Archer's Master in due turn.

It was a simple, yet efficient plan, one that would most certainly have earned the approval of Old Gehrman, had he been around to hear it. And yet, for some reason, Caster found himself hesitating.

It wasn't pity that stayed his hands. After all, the Masters had known going into this farce of a ritual that there was a very real possibility of death. Nor was it because his actions would trample on the dreams of the Servants, because even if he did nothing their dreams would have been trampled anyway due to the very nature of the tainted Chalice they all blindly sought. It certainly had nothing to do with honor, the horrors he'd experience during the Night of The Hunt and the Hunter's Nightmare having driven such archaic thoughts from the mind of the once novice Dreamer.

No, what stilled his hand was not something so archaic as honor, nothing so intangible as respect, nor as foolish as pity but pure, unbridled curiosity, the cause of which was an existence he had first deemed unimportant, nothing more than another Master to slay, until the Overseer's proclamation had cast aside the illusion.

Like many who had been present at the docks that night, he had come to the understandable conclusion that the woman that accompanied Saber had been her Master, for what other reason would she have to accompany the King of Knights to accept Lancer's challenge?

At the time, he hadn't given her a second thought, choosing to focus instead on gathering as much information on his opponents as possible, so as best devise stratagems for taking them down, but following the Overseer's proclamation, he found himself wondering as to the identity of the hauntingly beautiful woman, whose pale hair and features reminded him far-too-much of The Doll.

Imagine his surprise, therefore, when a cursory glance from within The Dream had revealed her to be, in fact, little more than a Doll herself. A Doll of flesh and blood, rather than porcelain and whatever eldritch energies animated his beloved caretaker, but a doll nonetheless, fashioned by man for the sake of man, a doll that loved and sought only to aid that love in their endeavors, knowing full well the consequences, unaware that all the world's evils would taint her sacrifice, rendering it moot.

Caster cared naught for his fellow Servants nor their Masters. Nor did he care for their wishes, regardless of how grandiose or petty they might be, save that to allow them to be granted via the tainted chalice was to allow a scourge far worse than the Plague of Beasts to infect the world, and that was not something he was willing to tolerate.

But the doll, so young, so innocent to the world into which she'd been born, who only sought to fulfill her duty, even knowing the cost to herself…how could he turn his back to her, when it was only because of a doll that he had achieved greatness?

And so, like countless others before him, the Moon Scented Hunter found himself drawn to lesser soul, not out of something as 'human' as honor or desire, but by the very sympathetic nature that was intrinsic to his very being.

"Fare thee well, Good Hunter." The Doll called out, and though her features remained immovable, her tone implied the hint of a smile as she watched his kneeling form vanish into the mist, ready to begin The Hunt anew, ere the rising of the Moon "May you find your worth in the Waking World."

And we'll leave off there.

I'll admit, the bit with Caster being drawn to Irisviel was inspired by The Distorted Shadow's 'Fate: Eternal Dream', but after looking back at the similarities between Irisiviel and the Doll I have to admit I can see why The Good Hunter would seek to protect her, regardless of gender.

Oh make no mistake, he's still dedicated to keeping the ritual from being completed, but now he simply has another reason for doing so, and this reason is more personal.

As for Tokiomi and Rise assuming that Kiritsugu was behind the bombing of Casa-del-rape-worms, well who else would have the balls to blow up one of the Founders of the Grail War? The fact the incident took place the same night he bombed the Fuyuki Hyatt only adds credence to this belief.

It's my belief that the only reason Tokiomi didn't prioritise Kiritsugu following the bombing of the Hyatt was due to the larger risk Caster posed to the secrecy of the Grail War and the desire to avoid pissing off Gilgamesh so soon after using a Command Seal to calm him down.

In this scenario, not only has Caster managed to keep a low profile, meaning Kiritsugu's actions stand out more, he's also managed to unintentionally shift the blame onto the Magus killer, made even worse by his abducting Sakura, thus leading Tokiomi to believe Kiritsugu murdered his daughter.

And as Liam Neeson has proven time and time again, hell hath no fury like a Father seeking revenge for the death/kidnapping of his family, especially when that Father is a fuck-mothering Sorcerer with the backing of the Holy Church, an army of Assassins, and the King of Heroes at his (tentative) beck and call.

So yeah? Kiritsugu? Currently shitting bricks.