Entry 7: If three's a crowd, then what does that make twelve?


Horse hooves and footsteps echoed across the road. What might amount to a small army travelled along the beaten path.

At the forefront of this group was Louise and her two Servants, Saber class Arturia and Lancer class Diarmuid. Behind the trio were the three oddities in the group, Henrietta's Lancer, the Servantless Emiya Shirou, and Archer class Emiya. Just behind them were the three newest Master-Servant pairs: Kirche and Iskandar, Guiche and Cu Chulainn, and Tabitha and Tamamo.

Honestly, those last six were more 'unfortunate tag-alongs', rather than proper party members, but after at least seventeen attempts, Louise gave up on persuading them away.

"Louise," Saber spoke first, "if I might ask, what exactly is this mission we're on?"

Louise quickly flashed back on the instructions the princess had given her. "Our mission is to find the crown prince of Albion, Wales Tudor. In his possession is a letter that, if it fell into the hands of Reconquesta, would undermine Tristain's current political predicament."

"Sounds both complicated and boring," Cu Chulainn stated dully, "But so long as there's a good fight to be had, I'm game."

Iskandar let out a loud laugh, "Hah, I like the way this Irish boy thinks!" he exclaimed loudly, leaving some of the people present with a slight headache.

"I cannot believe we've got a team this big," Louise muttered.

Caster, noticing the youths exasperated look, wrapped her arm around Louise's shoulder. "It'll be fine, friend. After all, the more the merrier!"

This time, Saber, Shirou, and Archer let out a collective sigh.

"This is meant to be a secret mission, yet we stand out as much as Gilgamesh in the night," Archer muttered, a sentiment and joke that only about five others understood.

The sane members of this party would consider it a blessing if they could get to the port town without much hassle.


Outside of a run in with a few mercenaries, which went about as well as one would expect, and several questions as to why they're heading for a port town that's inland, the group finally arrived, and quickly learnt why this was a port town.

The massive tree on the outskirts of town, as it turned out, was the port for airships.

"To think, such a thing would exist," Shirou commented at what he found a marvel.

"It's the sort of thing you'd find in a Rider class Servants Noble Phantasm," Saber added, "and yet, here they are, as clear as day."

This particular duo had managed to form, or perhaps reform, a sort of bond over their shared/similar history. It wasn't much, all things considered, but they did seem to enjoy their time together.

Even Louise, for all her awkwardness in interacting with people that don't mock her, found herself rather found of the former Master. Of course, the connection between her and Saber, allowing them to share memories, played a great deal in her opinion.

Iskandar let out his usual laugh. "Truly, this will be a fine stepping stone for our conquest!"

From behind him and his Master, Tabitha bonked both Master and Servant on the head with her staff. "None of that," she said plainly.

Off to the side, Tamamo giggled. "It can never be said that these children aren't amusing."

"'Amusing' is a perspective at the moment," Archer commented, "it's certainly not amusing that the Hound's Master tries to chase after everything with a skirt, or the Conqueror's Master after everything with a different set of chromosomes."

Several different conversations broke off at that point. Guiche rebutting Archer's description of him, Cu Chulainn taking exception to being called a 'Hound', Kirche not taking too much mind to her description, so on and so forth.

Louise and Diarmuid shared a sigh of exasperation. "Well," the Servant spoke, "shall we make for the inn, and prepare for the remainder of the journey ahead?"


Night came and went, thankfully, without hassle. The following morning, the team of ludicrous individuals had boarded the airship destined for Albion.

From the port side of the deck, Shirou and Louise leaned on the railings. "You know," the red haired boy said, "it's surprising how... uneventful, this journey's been."

"Well, try not to jinx it just yet," Louise replied, "Albion is still a war zone. There's no telling what might happen."

"I know," he said with a sighed. "Why do people continue to cause such meaningless conflicts? Must good people suffer, just for the whims of the powerful?"

Louise caught a glint of something in the mans eye, and she recalled the feeling of reminiscing. "Well, the world goes to hell, when good people stand around and do nothing." There was an odd tinge in her voice. Bad things have happened all the time, be they in front of her, or by word of mouth, and she hasn't exactly acted to stop them. Was that from a lack of will to take action, or a lack of power? Honestly, she wasn't sure.

The wind began to pick up as the ship continued to gain altitude. "We should go inside," Louise stated, "it wouldn't do to exhaust ourselves too much facing the wind."

Oh, how they should have kept an eye on the sky.


Not even two hours later, and pirates had shown up, seemingly out of the blue. By itself, that wasn't surprising, pirates can and will always exist. What was surprising, however, was the fact that they were holding their own against a bunch of Servants.

Each attack that should have cleaved through the enemy merely acted as if it were a bat connecting with a wall.

"What on earth is going on?" Saber questioned, standing back to back with Diarmuid. "Pirates shouldn't be this hard for us."

"I hear you," Diarmuid replied, stabbing at his foe, "it's almost as if they are Servants themselves."

"But who could have so many? Ionioi Hetairoi is one thing, but we have Iskandar on our side."

"Then think," Louise called out from her safe spot, "what else is there that we're not considering?"

Saber pondered for what brief moments she had, before an idea struck her. "Archer, Shirou!" she called, "I need you two to do a structural analysis on their ship!"

The two swatted their foes back with the married blades. "The ship?" Archer asked, "I hope there's a reason for this."

Their mana concentrated, the duo's eyes locked on the ship, and immediately widened in surprise of what they discovered. "Saber, that ship is a Noble Phantasm!" Shirou called out, before moving back to the defensive against the enemy.

"Well, Saber?" Diarmuid began, "does that give you an idea?"

"As a matter of fact, it does." Saber took a deep breath after her response. "You're Noble Phantasm has been identified," she shouted at the ship, "so show yourself, and state your intentions, Francis Drake!"

To the two layered surprise of everyone, a figure stepped to the edge of the ship. It was a female, both well built and well endowed, with long pink hair, and a rather prominent scar on her face. Her attire was basically what one would expect from a pirate, and in her hands was a pair of flintlock pistols. "Well played, King Arthur, well played," she spoke in a tone that mixed respect with taunt. "I would expect no less from you."

With a wave of the captains hand, the enemy pirates all lowered their weapons. "Francis Drake, one of the first sea explorers," Archer muttered, "but how does Saber know her?"

Francis leapt from perch, and stood eye to eye with Saber. "So, what brings you and your merry band to Albion?"

"We are on a diplomatic mission," came the response, "my Master, and by extent, myself and these with us, are in search for Prince Wales Tudor of Albion. He has, in his possession, a letter that, if it fell into the hands of Reconquesta, would undermine the treaty that Tristain is trying to build with the neighbouring kingdom of Germania."

Francis Drake gave a friendly smirk. "So, le petit de pink is running ambassador?" She gave a hearty laugh, before turning to her men. "Alright, boys, get these folks on board, we've got ourselves a new mission."

The fellow men gave a shout of exhilaration, and began guiding the group onto Drake's ship, the Golden Hind.

Saber let out a sigh, as Archer, Shirou, and Louise walked up beside her. "So," Archer began, "how do you know England's famous explorer?"

"Avalon is more than just the afterlife I reside," Saber replied, "Francis Drake and her ship are also there."

Such a revelation left the trio dumbstruck.


When the Golden Hind finally docked, and the team, now led by Francis Drake, disembarked, Louise decided to ask the one question on everyone's mind: "So, where do we go now?"

"To my kid Master, of course," Drake replied. "He's hauled up with another Master in the most fortified place in this town."

"And where's that?" Louise hazarded another question.

"Well, if experience has taught me anything," Archer chimed, "then it's going to be that golden chapel down the street."

True to form, a fair ways down the street stood a chapel that glistened. It wasn't gold in the sense that it was painted as such, or that it bathed in the suns light, but it was literally made of gold.

Almost all the Servants and Shirou shivered at the knowledge of what that meant.

Steeling themselves, the group began their journey towards the chapel, keeping a weather eye on their surroundings.

The inside of the chapel was, for all intensive purposes, exactly what they expected: golden. The chairs, the alter, the stain glass windows, the chandeliers, probably even the toilets.

Chances are, the only thing no one expected upon entering, was just how exuberant the green haired Lancer became.

However, Saber found her thoughts wandering somewhere else. Somewhere she had not expected them to.

She had not brought this up with her Master, he allies, anyone, but there was something about this world that bothered her.

It was far greener than Gaia, yet it felt unnatural all the same. A memory, both familiar and foreign, floated in the back of her mind. Whenever she would focus on it, it would feel further away, and when she would put it aside, it became closer to vivid.

At first, Saber just chalked it up to it being a strange land. A world not unlike the one she once ruled, but different on a fundamental level.

As more Servants became apparent, the first clue being the two Berserkers, this feeling became stronger and stronger.

"Ah, looks like we have some guests," a young voice took Saber, and everyone else's, attention, "and familiar ones at that."

There, sitting upon the golden rafters, was a blonde haired boy, no older than thirteen at a pinch, with piercing red eyes. His attire practically screamed city child, but even now, many that were present recognised him.

"Yo, Saber, Archer, Rider, Emiya Shirou, and Enkidu."

"The King of Heroes..." upon his instincts, Archer traced the familiar shapes of the twin swords.

All tension faded in a moment, when the green haired Lancer practically flew at the young Servant, and wrapped him in a big hug. "Gil!" he shouted happily.

All weapons that were present had been lowered in surprise, and the reason finally clicked for the dark skinned Servant of the bow. "Enkidu, the only friend to Gilgamesh, and we've been travelling with him this whole time?"

"Sir Gilgamesh," a new voice spoke, "do we have guests?" As the small king landed with Lancer, two figures emerged from a door off to the side. The first, the owner of the voice, was a young man with blonde hair, and a kind look in his eyes. The second was a woman with long blonde hair, gentle blue eyes, and some aspects of her physique that were... exaggerated, let's say.

Saber would swear that those things had their own gravitational pull.

At the very least, they could tell these two were friends.

"Ah, Tudor, Master, welcome back." Gilgamesh spoke to these two friendly.

"Wait," Louise processed what the Servant said, "Tudor? As in..."

"Yep, as is Wales Tudor," Francis Drake answered, "the prince of Albion, and my Master."

The prince gave the Servant a warm smile. "Rider, it's good to see you back. I trust things have been fine?"

"Eh, so and so," Drake replied, "these folks from Tristain are here for you."

"Tristain, huh?" Wales spoke, "I take it Henrietta sent you, then?"

Louise stepped forth, nervously. "Yes, sire," she managed to stammer out. "I am Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. I have come on behalf of Princess Henrietta on a matter of most importance."

"Then speak," Wales said, "you are among friends, after all."

"Before that," Saber interjected, "would you mind introducing us to your companion?"

The blonde haired girl flinched, and looked to Wales nervously, whom gave a slight nod. "Um, I am Tiffania. Tiffania Westwood. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Wales gave a friendly chuckle, patting the girl on the head. "Tiffa actually happens to be my cousin, so I can only hope you can get along with her."

"I see," Saber gave her own smile, before turning to Louise. "Master, your mission."

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," a new voice, male, and much older, spoke, as the doors to the chapel swung open once more.

With light bleeding in, two figures entered, the identities shrouded by the light that bled in. "State your names and business," Diarmuid shouted, as he and the other Servants readied their weapons.

"Oh, I'm just a noble," the male responded, drawing the blade at his side, "seeking to rewrite this world, one kill at a time."

"That voice," Louise spoke hesitantly, "Viscount Wardes?"

The blade lowered slightly. "I did not expect to find you here, Little Louise," he spoke in a tone almost fond, "but, a job's a job." Nodding to his companion, the one dressed in full armour charged forward, blade at the ready.

"Back, Master!" Saber shouted, intercepting the strike.

The invisible blade locked with the silver and crimson blade, and Arturia felt her heart seize.

That sword. That armour. She knew them. She knew them well.

"You... you're here, too?" she muttered, finding the green eyes behind that helm. "Knight Mordred le Fay, to think we'd meet again."

The surprise was eminent in the area, doubly so when, with a few swift movements, the knight in red broke the blade lock by flinging Saber into the golden chairs off to the right.

The rest of the Servants, all eight of them, prepared for the battle that was suppose to come. Yet, the noble and his Servant did not make any further movements, almost as if they had frozen.

No signs of breathing, no wind rustling the hair. It was as if they had become statues.

Kirche was the first to regain composure, and ask about what was going on.

"I honestly have no idea," Archer EMIYA responded, waving his hand in front of Wardes' face, only to no response. "It's like time just stopped for him and his Servant."

"Talk about a strange turn of events," Cu Chulainn commented, slinging his spear over his shoulders. "Wouldn't you agree, princey?"

When no response came, all eyes turned to Wales, and they noticed something... off.

Like Wardes, Wales Tudor was frozen in place. There was no rhyme or reason to it, he had just stopped entirely.

"What... what the hell?" Shirou muttered, shaking the prince's shoulder to no avail.

"Well, this is a strange predicament," Gilgamesh commented, clicking his fingers in front of the prince. "There's no apparent Bounded Field, and whatever's happened isn't specifically targeting Masters."

"'Strange' may be the biggest understatement of today," Francis Drake added, "just look at pinky."

All eyes turned to the person in question, and despite the expectation that she was frozen like the other two, what they saw could be said to be more frightening.

Louise, collapsed on the ground, quivering unconsciously in fear.

Saber, having recovered from the earlier surprise, sprinted over to her Master, whom was currently being held up by EMIYA. "There's no telling what else might go wrong right now," he said, "let's make for somewhere safe, first."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," a new, young female voice said.

"Oh, come the heck on!" Caster groaned, as the other Servants prepared once more for combat. "It's just one thing after another!"

A small hooded figure stepped forward, and with a single touch, turned Viscount Wardes to dust. Safe to say, everyone that was currently cognitive was shocked. "Soon, this world, too, shall reduce to naught."

"I don't know what you're on about, kid," Francis drew her pistols, "but like hell you're getting away with it."

Upwards of a few dozen shots rang out, yet all seemed to miss. No, it was more like they refused to hit their target.

The hooded figure gave a sinister smirk. "A futile attempt, truly," she said, raising her right hand. "I can only hope your legs are stronger than your bark."

The hand slammed into the ground, and reality itself began to shake.

"What the hell is this roller-coaster of bull?" EMIYA cursed, only to notice the figure had disappear.

"Seems we no longer have time on our side," Gilgamesh said calmly, "perhaps we should make like trees?"


True to the childish kings advice, the group, whilst carrying Wales and Louise, began to run, noticing the town was now devoid of life.

"What... happened?" Guiche asked, looking left and right. "This place was bustling not a few minutes ago."

"If I were to guess," Iskandar began, "it would be the same thing that's happening to everything else right now."

Pointing behind them, the group craned their heads, to see the single most disturbing thing that could be imagined.

Reality itself, fading.

"We need to go," Caster stated bluntly. "We need to go, NOW."

"Then, allow me." With a click, a golden ripple formed above Gilgamesh, and from it a large, golden and green vehicle emerged.

The Vimana, capable of travelling at breakneck speeds.

Taking his seat at the throne, the young King of Heroes beckoned his comrades. "All aboard, our next stop is Tristain."


Unfortunately, the speed of thought was only barely enough to keep from the reality destroying calamity behind them. The Vimana managed to make it back to the magic academy in a matter of hours, a relief, to say the least.

"Took your time showing up," the familiar voice of Tohsaka Rin came as a pleasant surprise to the group. "People have been up and vanishing for no reason today."

"There's no time to explain," Saber stated bluntly. "You were able to get to this world somehow, so you have a way to get back, right?"

"Naturally," it was surprising how calm the magus in red was remaining, "we've even been preparing the way out since the start. Best keep up, or you might get left behind."

"You say that, but I know you'd wait." Shirou's statement was blunt, but not untrue.

"Let's save this chatter, already," Diarmuid was feeling rather inpatient, before turning to the others. "How are our incapacitated ones?"

"Louise is fine, but..." Kirche's voice dragged slightly, "Prince Wales and his Servant, they..."

Gone, as if they never existed. Why this was affecting many, but not the Halkeginians here, was a question beyond comprehension.

All thoughts on it ceased, when they stood before a large runic circle. Also present was Siesta, Lancelot, Sakura, and Medusa, which came as a relief to many.

"Now, we have little time, so let's get to work." Tohsaka drew a rather ornate dagger from... somewhere, and held it towards the fading sky.

The dagger flashed, and those that stood in the circle departed from the world.


"So, you've made it back, Tohsaka," an elderly voice spoke as everyone materialised into a dark room. "I see things have gone... chaotic."

"That's one way to put it, Grandmaster," Rin replied politely.

The old mans eyes looked over the many people that had recently spawned into his office. He had not met them face to face, but he knew them. "Servants, and residents of Halkeginia," he addressed them, "allow me to introduce myself. I am Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, head of the Mage's Association."

The Servants and Masters gradually regained the composure. "I am sure there are many question to answer," Zelretch spoke again, "but for now, you children should rest. I've a need to speak with the King of Knights."

Surprisingly enough, everyone save for Arturia and Zelretch filed out of the room with little complaint. Saber thought there would have been at least one 'not until you answer our questions' in there.

"So, where would you like to begin, King Arthur?" Zelretch asked.

There was a multitude of questions that swarmed Saber's head, but first... "How long," she began, "have you known about Halkeginia?"

"Since many years ago," he responded. "I have been observing that world, and all its possibilities, for quite a long time." Grabbing a crystal ball from his desk, Zelretch began turning it over in his hand. "As of recent, though, there has been an... interesting development."

"Development?"

Zelretch's eyes locked with Sabers. "I take it you noticed? The strangeness of that world?"

Saber nodded. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Something about that world seemed to flow differently from what I would consider natural, and that's not to bring up the multitude of Servants that were being summoned."

"As I would expect of Your Majesty," Zelretch chuckled. "It is true, that the world you were in was strange, but not quite in the way you would expect." The crystal ball was placed on the desk, and the image of a misshapen cube appeared. "Tell me, have you every heard of a Serial Phantasm?"

Serial Phantasm. Why did that sound familiar to her? A series of images imposed themselves atop one another. Among them, both Archers, Tamamo no Mae, Cu Chulainn, and a red Saber that looked like a well endowed version of herself, appeared in her mind. Those images came with a single word, or more like a name: " .PH..." Saber muttered. Why did she know this?

"So, a slight recollection of it, then," Zelretch mused. "Well, the main thing you need to know, is that .PH is a kind of pocket dimension, a Reality Marble, in a way."

That made sense, at least, and Saber could wrap her head around that. "So, Halkeginia is a Reality Marble, then?"

"For the world you just came from, yes, in a way." The answer was confusion, to say the least. "That version of Halkeginia is a pocket dimension, created by the real version of the child you call your Master."

"Created by... Louise?"

The image in the crystal ball changed, showing the Magic Academy of Tristain, only burning. "In the true Halkeginia, a calamity has befallen. Louise has fallen into a coma, and her Familiar, known to history as the Gandalfr, fights to keep her safe." The image in the ball changed once more, this time, to several shadowy figures. "The mastermind behind all this, is a being borne of Louise's own self-doubt, a Shadow, if you would. Although, I'm sure you already know something similar."

"Angra Manyu," Saber muttered. She knew it all too well. The Avenger class Servant, the embodiment of the worlds evils.

"Precisely," Zelretch said, "although, at the same time, not quite. The young girl bearing your Masters appearance is, in essence, an Avenger class Servant, embodying power identical to that of Angra Manyu, yet that Spirit does not exist in the world of Halkeginia. Instead, what she is tied to, is a being far more powerful than any Heroic Spirit."

Once more, a series of images played in her mind, this time of a shooting star across the sky, beckoning death and destruction in its wake. An alien threat that appears every 14,000 years. "Velber." Once more, the word escaped her lips, even if she knew next to nothing about it.

Zelretch gave a slight smile. "You catch on quickly, your majesty. Indeed, the being known to many as 'The Umbral Star', is the true threat that Halkeginia faces."

Arturia mused on the information for a while, before something particular stood out. "But, that still doesn't explain us," she stated plainly. "If the Halkeginia we were summoned to is nothing more than a simulation, as it were, then how do us Servants, and this world we're in now, play into it?"

The slight smile the magus had grew into a knowing one. "Tell me, King Arthur, how familiar are you with the concept of video games?"

Saber's brow rose slightly at the question. "I am familiar with the concept, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It has just about everything to do," Zelretch chuckled. "In the 'True' Halkeginia, as we shall dub it, Louise summoned a Familiar by the title of Gandalfr, the Left hand of God. In the true timeline, Gandalfr is an average boy from Japan, by the name of Hiraga Saito. Now, in Saito's version of Earth, there is no such thing as magic or magecraft, at least, as we know it. However," Zelretch paused, if only for dramatic effect, "there does exist a certain fictional franchise in his world, one that, when Saito had the chance, introduced the young void mage to. In that series of fiction, just about everyone you know exist: Emiya Shirou, Tohsaka Rin, Matou Sakura, Lancer Cu Chulainn, and even myself."

In Saber's mind, the pieces began to fall into place. "So, because this Hiraga Saito introduced Louise to our existence, if only indirectly, it gave her the idea of bringing us into the Serial Phantasm she created?"

This time, Zelretch gave a light round of applause for the Servant. "You see, Saber, this is part of the reason I like you Heroic Spirits," he spoke kindly, yet with an amused undertone, "you can piece the story together. They say 'give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime'. With Heroic Spirits, it may as well be 'give a Hero a fish, and they'll learn to fish from there'." He paid little mind to the grimace that Saber bore at the metaphor. "As it were," the elderly magus cleared his throat, "that should about surmise the situation at hand. Inform your comrades, and make your choice as to what you shall do."

"Very well," Saber nodded, and moved towards the door, only to stop as she grabbed the handle, "though I feel you already know what our choice will be."

Saber left the room, not even needing to look back to see Zelretch's smile.


Informing the rest of the team was... a mixed bag, one might say. For the natives of Halkeginia, Kirche, Tabitha, Guiche, Tiffania, and Siesta, learning that their reality was nothing more than a replica did not exactly sit well. For Sakura, Shirou, and Rin, they took it with startled belief. As for the Servants, well, they seemed relatively fine with it all.

Guiche slumped down on the cushioned chair behind him. "Our world, our lives," he muttered dejectedly, "all a big... lie?"

"Not necessarily a 'lie'," EMIYA spoke up, "considering the fact that a Serial Phantasm is a true existence in and of itself."

"Does that really make it any better?" Kirche asked, her usual playful tone nowhere to be heard. "One way or another, our lives are even more expendable than that of a Servant."

"So, what, you plan to give up now?" Cu Chulainn said in a disdained manner. "That's awfully gutless of people that call themselves nobles."

"Well, what can we do?" Guiche shouted at his Servant. "Our entire lives have just amounted to that of a dream. A Founder-damned dream! What place do we have to change anything?"

Leaning against the far wall, Iskandar bore a look of great mirth. "Then, will that be your legacy?" His voice was booming, as expected, leaving all quite surprised. "The greatest adversary you'll ever face is in your way, and you choose to cower?"

"Well, what do you expect?!" Guiche shouted back at the king. "We're not even real! We're just the imaginary projections of that Zero! We're not worth a damn!"

"I'd argue that point," Tamamo no Mae spoke, holding a similar pose to Iskandar on the other wall. "Considering the Holy Grail War I was summoned into was with the Moon Cell, I'm quite familiar with this whole 'digital world' shtick." The simple fact that the most playful Servant present was being quite so serious was as surprising as Kirche not talking in a flirtatious way. "Now, consider the fact that we were all summoned from this world, or at least a true variation of it. The question you should be asking, is why were we summoned, and why are you our Masters?" Silence filled the room, as each of the Masters struggled to find the answer. Dejectedly, Caster let out a sigh. "Come on, it's really quite simple," she muttered. "The Louise from your existence is but a fragment of the real one, and you lot," she pointed to each Master, "are the line of defence, there to protect her."

The Servants and Gaians all nodded in understanding, whereas the Halkeginian's were in awe at the revelation. "Caster is right," Gilgamesh, of all people, spoke first after the silence. "What you folks are running from isn't a challenge, it's a duty."

Arturia nodded in agreement. "You claim yourself nobles," she addressed the three students of the group, "yet you would run from the task that has been set for you."

"Then, I think there's only one thing to do," EMIYA stated, as he projected the white falchion, and held it out. "To those of you that want to make a difference, be a hero, then stake your claim with weapon in hand."

The first blade to be placed upon it was the blades twin, held by none other than Emiya Shirou. Following that, Arturia's Excalibur, Lancelot's Aroundite, Gilgamesh's Gram, Cu Chulainn's Gae Bulg, Diarmuid's Gae Dirge, Tamamo's arm mounted fan, Medusa's nail, Iskandar's blade, Rin's Jeweled Dagger, and Sakura's hand, gently hovering above the myriad of blades.

The Halkeginian's all looked at the strange 'friendship circle' the others had formed, and Kirche let out a sigh. "Oh, what the hell," she muttered, holding her wand upon the pile, "if we're going to die, might as well make it worth it."

Followed shortly afterwards was Tabitha's staff, and then by Tiffania and Siesta's hands, leaving just Guiche to look in bewilderment, before letting out his own sigh, and adding his wand to the pile. "I may not be much of a mathematician," he said, "but I really don't think our odds are that great in this one."

"Then we should be glad you're not, then," Gilgamesh replied jokingly, before a certain absence was finally noticed. "Hey, has anyone seen Enkidu lately?"

All tools were redacted, and the group looked to every corner of the room, yet the green haired Lancer was nowhere to be seen.


From atop the roof of the Clock Tower, Enkidu watched the bustling city of London. To say it was a far cry from the once great city of Uruk would be an understatement, as the streets were bustling with ceaseless chatter, mechanical carriages, cars, he believed, travelled to and fro, and overall, it was a very nice view.

A shame that his body was slowly separating into mana particles.

"Sorry, old friend and new ones," he muttered, looking upon the clouded sky, "but I'd rather not trouble you with my disappearance. I've lost my Master, and since I lack the Independent Action skill, I'm afraid I can't stay." His voice may have been directed to the other Servants and Masters, yet as he knew the distance was too great, it fell on deaf ears. "I wish you all the best, in this war against Velber."

In a burst of light, nothing was left of Enkidu, save for the small yellow particles that once made him.


A/N:

What a twist!

If you're waiting on an explanation as to what the absolute hell just happened, then you'll need to wait just a tad bit longer.

While I have your attention, I just want to say, to those of you that leave one word reviews, or reviews that don't explain why you don't like my work: Do better.

Seriously, if you're not going to be constructive with your criticism, then don't leave it. That is all.

And also, yes, this is the build up to the end.