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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 8: The Talk


In the tense silence between Irisviel, Saber and Danny, the young man started to think a way to not cause a confrontation with the group, knowing that a battle against them would have ended in a major defeat.

He had already put the sleeping Sakura in her new room, perfectly soundproof and resistant to any damage from the outside.

While Lancelot would have posed a great opposition in a fight against Artoria, the swordswoman was stronger than the Berserker.

The Einzbern Lesser Grail was also a dangerous opponent in her own, especially with Avalon restoring any damage to her body and her ability to create Magic Constructs and Familiars quite resilient.

Lastly, and the most important of the four points, was the presence of children in the immediate proximity in case of an escalation.

Danny was against killing innocents, thus children were a big no to kill in a battle.
Yet the man contemplated the aftermaths of killing both Irisviel and Illya, as a last stand plan, without getting his own daughter in harm way.

"So." The Master of Caster started, trying to break the silence. "How might I help you?"

Saber's eyes twitched in annoyance, while her 'Master' had to cover her mouth to prevent a giggle to leave.

Surprisingly it was Illya to answer his question. "Mr. Sasha's Papa, Mama wanted to meet with you to thank you about what had happened yesterday!"

Finally the white-haired woman giggled at the childish nickname her daughter had given to Danny, yet the following sentence paralyzed her in embarassment.

"Also I wanted to know, Mr. Sasha's Papa... Can you be my Papa too?"

If before that moment Danny had felt tired because of previous ordeals, the request managed to fully awake him as he stared in shock at the little girl.

"Illya, you can't ask someone something like this!" Iris exclaimed, mortified and curious about the aftermath of this antics.

"B-But Mama, you said t-that other children had a Mama and a Papa and, while I l-love you and K-Kerry, Sasha told me that her Papa was great and..."

Tears forming in her eyes, Danny grimaced and his father instinct took over.

He moved to one of the shelves and pulled out a small fruit juice brick, then crouched in front of the crying child and slowly coaxed her in his arms.

He pulled her up and gave her the juice and, ignoring the small shifting of the Knight, started to calm the girl down. "There, sweetie. There's no need to cry, isn't it?"

Illya looked quite surprised by the differences in Danny's hug than the ones Mama and Kerry gave.

It was warm and nice. She nodded and started to drink the juice in silence.

Once the girl finished, Danny continued. "Do you want to go and play for a bit with Sasha?"

As if revived, her happiness showed once more in her face and as she nodded in affirmation, both her and the red-haired girl went away from the living room.

"You should forfeit your position as Master, Dempsey." Saber stated coldy, finally interrupting her silence. "That child is not going to live if you continue this needless War."

Danny snorted, feeling incredibly amused by the jester that was Artoria Pendragon.

"And I should do so for you to ruin the world, King Arthur."

The colder reply seemed to surprise both the Servant and Iris. "W-What?"

"You seek to find a way to 'remove' yourself from the history of Britain as to avoid its destruction. But let me says this, how would this wish of yours accomplished by the Grail?"

The Knight recovered from the earlier revelation and thought her answer properly.

"My own presence in that period had been what had caused the failure of Camelot and-"

"You hope for someone else do the same route you did in your life if not worse, while you enjoy your 'eternal' vacation?"

She gritted her teeth in annoyance, the fog-covered Noble Phantasm appearing in her hand.

Berserker, while ordered to not engage without explicit order Saber, materialised in that moment and stared at his former king, his vengeance assuming a different connotation.

What was once a petty revenge to her lack of actions was now turning into a full-blown hatred for her defeatism.

"When Merlin said you were the chosen one, the king to lead everyone to Avalon, he meant you were the one with the higher chances of succeding. And let's not talk about the repercussions of changing a particular part of our past." Danny now stared quite irritated at the confused face of the blonde.

"If you didn't become a King, England and then Great Britain would have never existed and since they wouldn't have colonised the Americas, the nation I hail from would have never been created as in this timeline and I would possibly not exist. You are asking me to die, through fight or suicide."

His eyes turned to the Einzbern. "Plus the desperate wish of your lover. Seriously World Peace is not something you can wish instantly."

She wanted to retort, being supportive of Kiritsuko, but she knew that a serious counter to their plan was going to be explained soon, as it had happened with the now shocked in silence Saber.

"The Grail is something that still works under specific rules of Magecraft, it isn't True Magic. There are only two ways to truly end the conflicts all around the world: a) You kill every human being or b) you put everyone under mind control. No compromises."

Irisviel joined Saber in her thoughtful silence, while Danny continued his rant.

"I don't even wish for something. Because I know the Grail wouldn't be able to make it happen."

That caught the two adults' attention. "Why? The Grail is capable of achieving almost everything."

Irisviel looked confused as Danny shook his head negatively.

"The Third War's unique cheating might have tampered the Grail too much to fix it. Especially since Avenger is inside the bloody cup."

The Einzbern had the decency to look away in shame, while Saber continued to ask.

"Avenger? Why he might still be alive?"

Danny's visage darkened as he replied to the question. "Angra Mainyu is the Zoroastrian God of all Evil, he is not an Heroic Spirit and cannot go back to the Throne if he actually is not worthy. His spirit is currently corrupting the Grail as we are speaking."

"So." Irisviel said slowly. "That's why.." "I didn't kill Saber when I could? Yes."

"But why not just kill me? Why not destroying the Lesser Grail than winning this War diplomatically?"

But he wasn't able to answer as the white-haired woman realised. "You don't kill innocents."

A small smile finally appeared in her saddened visage. "You should-" "No, I will not deprive a child of her parents."

Saber thought that he was being chivalrious by not backstabbing them.

Irisviel thought that he was being a moron by trying to pacifically reach the end of the War.

The voice of Justeaze was quite silent in that moment, differently from the previously more intense presence in her mind.

Danny Dempsey, the one man that was trying the right thing without sacrificing people... but himself.

A selfish romantic hero, alone in the trying time of the cold world.

He was like Kiritsuko but without anyone backing him up.

The Magus Killer had her surrogate mother and assistant to act as crutches for a moment and now she was depending on Iris to achieve her eternal dream.

Irisviel's smile widened as she knew what she had to do from now on.

"I.. I think it's time for us to go, Saber." The Servant looked confused at the out-of-context sentence but complied to her order.

Artoria went to the room where the children had gone and, finding the two sleeping cutely, picked up Illya in her arms.

"You are a good man, Mr. Dempsey. I hope you will find what you truly seek." The young man looked confused and was even more shocked as a pair of lips softly planted on his forehead, leaving a curious sensation to his mind.

"I hope to see you tomorrow with Sasha at the Park." She finished and soon started to follow the Knight Servant back to their home.

Danny fixed his stare at their retreating forms and sighed as they left his sight.

He turned around to address Nitocris but halted as he saw the flying figure of Claudia Hortensia silently covering her in childish amusement.

"Ah ah, I would laugh so much if I told you your former lover is trying to get in my pants."

Curiously enough, the ghost didn't seemed fazed by this comment, the opposite if he had to consider the further widening of her twitchy smile.

Was this how an Harem protagonist felt in Mangas?


AN

Spent part of the day to a near public Swimming pool, I think some burns will start to show by tomorrow...

Review Q&A!

MWkillkenny84: He is still virgin. The two were interrupted as the foreplay was finishing.

merendinoemiliano: Thank you!

Matze96: Thank you and I appreciate your judgement!

eNervFlinC: Literally and Figuratively!

captain Orion Zete: There will be plenty of times. But I think most of those are going to happen in the sequel as it's going to be much more easygoing than FZ (I mean everything is more easygoing than FZ).

Guest Q: Thank you!