A/N: It took me a long time to recollect my thoughts. Hope you enjoy my chapter, although I think it's rushed.

Italics for emphasis or thoughts

CAPITALS for when someone is inserting a word in English or for emphasis

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, especially the trademarks of the Mercedes Benz and Hyatt. Credits go to Hiroshi Shiibashi for Nurarihyon no Mago and Gen Urobuchi and Type – Moon for Fate/Zero

Chapter 10: Interlude: False

Kejoro is really happy when she heard Yura's voice. Good thing she also kept a copy of her number even though it's Rikuo's. She'll apologize to her Master after the war. Meanwhile Caster is on her newly developed workshop of sorts, where she tried to modify the pieces of metal into a staff.

"Yura – chan! It's me, Kejoro." She gleefully said, to which she heard a sigh from the other line.

"Ah, Kejoro – san." She replied devoid of emotion. Kejoro just kept her cheerful voice.

"Yura – chan, don't be like that." If Yura could see her right now, she bets that she now pouts on the other line. "Do you know of someone who can forge a sword?"

"Ah, yes. Akifusa – nii – san is the one who can make swords. Why?"

"I needed someone like him. Could I borrow him even just for a moment?"

At that point where she says this sentence casually as if they were allies, Yura replied in a flat voice "No."

"B-b-but why?" Kejoro stammered in a whining voice like a child has been refused to be given a single candy by her mother.

"You are a youkai, I am an onmyouji. Isn't that obvious?" Yura waved off like it was common sense. But Kejoro has some other cards up her sleeve to make her convinced. She just has to play it right.

"Nenekirimaru is a youkai sword forged by the onmyouji. Onmyouji, of course, are not experts on melee combat. Humans, on the other hand, cannot handle the sword's sheer power. Even though there are youkai who are experts on swordplay, no other youkai can handle it except the Soudaisho and his descendants. Your ancestor forged it for our Soudaisho to defeat Hagoromo Gitsune." Kejoro held her snicker while she talked to Yura. "And your brother re-forged it to help us defeat Abe – no – Seimei."

"Even if what you say is true, I will not be convinced." Yura replied with steel in her voice, obviously not falling to youkai tricks of debts of gratitude. Kejoro has no choice but to lay down her ace. Yura heard a sigh from the other line before she heard a reply.

"Then will you please do it for Tamamo – no – mae – san?" Kejoro whispered in a gentle voice. If Yura can see her now, she will see Kejoro in a puppy – eyes state. But that's not what caught her line of thought.

"YOU SUMMONED A GODDESS AS A FAMILIAR?!" If her voice can be used as a weapon, then it will certainly tear down two house blocks from that impact. How in Amaterasu's blazes did she summon a familiar on a level of a goddess? It really sounds absurd to her ears.

"Keep it down…or she…might…hear…you…" Yura noticed Kejoro's trembling voice and sensed another person from the other line. And whoever Kejoro's been afraid of must be really powerful to shut her mouth off.

"And who, pray tell, might that be, Goshujin – sama?" Caster's voice is now as cold as the Arctic ice, and her ears are all perked up from hearing their conversation. Yura trembled at that voice that she heard just now. And she now remembered what Rikuo said about Kejoro going off to war with a familiar called a Servant. Also she remembered her research on why there are blank slates on those wars, and why the Ryuudou Temple is not inhabited by either youkai or onmyouji. Someone is covering up the entire event, and she will not leave that city without being given a proper explanation. The most notable fact is that it is a war based on summoning legends from every era and age.

Emiya Kiritsugu is having second thoughts about this war, while he is still in the car with Maiya. First, he has doubts on the neutrality of the Church. It seems that one Master manipulated the Church to his advantage. Given that Kotomine Risei is the judge of the war, and Kotomine Kirei is his son, it is not a far cry to his assumptions.

Second one is the issue of having eight Servants instead of the usual seven. From his research on the Einzberns' archives while looking for the Grail's exact workings, it seems that it duplicates the situation from the last time, except that there is no Avenger, and that the two Servants appearing from the same class this time are Caster – class with different masters.

Last one made him more disturbed than ever than when he is formerly a Magus Killer: The wildcard pairing are spirits and women. Formerly, he has no complaints on killing a woman, except his mentor, which drove him insane whenever he thought about that last mission. But now that he has a family, he lamented inwardly every time Irisviel is on the field of battle together with Saber. It is a miracle that he did not falter yet. He will have a harder time collecting his cold manner of judgment now that he saw another pairing composed of women. But then again, King Arthur's gender is not what he thinks in the legends; therefore, he hated the fact that the people put the entire kingdom in the back of a little girl. What made her believe that the kingdom is strong under her rule?

Ah, so that's what it is for. He mused on the artifact that did not have a single scratch in over 1500 years. The Einzberns thought that it was only an artifact that it is meant to be used as such to summon the strongest Servant. But for him, deep inside, even though he has his doubts, it was more than an artifact. It is the object that could grant immortality to the wielder of this Phantasm. The one made by the Faeries along with Excalibur, the Golden Sword of Promised Victory.

So he relaxed himself with this single thought: Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia.

Even for a moment, it made him dream of a utopia; a vast green grassy field filled with hope, and an everlasting sky of a day shone in his form. There, he saw Iri and Illya playing together in those fields.

Kiritsugu… have a good dream. Maiya mused as she drove almost closer to their next location: The Hyatt Hotel.

On the other side of the road, a sleek white vehicle drifted down the Fuyuki mountain pass like a light leaf in the water. The Mercedes Benz SL 300, designed for elegance, and speed. Most people can't afford this luxurious vehicle, but for Magi, with all their wealth, this is only the icing of the cake.

Emiya Kiritsugu gave it to his wife Irisviel as a gift while he taught her about cars. Irisviel, of course, is overjoyed when she saw this car, and Kiritsugu helped her learn how to drive the machine around the Einzbern Mansion in Germany. As a side effect of driving it around the confines of the mansion for too long, Irisviel became so enamored in driving the vehicle that she does not treat this elegant piece as a valuable item that must be handled with care.

Instead, she treats it as one of her toys.

Which brings both proxy Master and her Servant to this situation:

Saber is now sweating profusely at the "driving habits" of her Master while racing down the pass. She is now holding on for her dear life, as if this experience is a battlefield. Meanwhile Irisviel is having fun at driving the vehicle freely, bringing the SL-300 to a top speed of 140 kilometers per hour. At that speed, she makes quick drifts and turns in the corners, flinging the vehicle in a way that will make modern drifters fuming with envy.

"Are you sure that you know how to drive this?" Saber nervously asked as she held on to the one thing that can save her life: the handlebar.

"Of course!" Irisviel cheerfully replied as she skilfully dodged the corners with her drifts. "Out of all the toys that Kiritsugu gave me, this is the one that I loved the most!"

A toy? Saber nervously mused. Good thing the Grail did not give her information about how the mind exactly works. Otherwise, she herself will be driven mad by the revelation of mental illnesses, of what is normal and what is not.

"That will be bori—I mean dangerous. You'll never know when a Servant will come along the way."

Beneath all that airheaded thinking, she has a point. A Servant on the roadside will prove to be dangerous, no matter how weak the class is. She drove the point home when Saber saw a mysterious figure blocking the road. With her instincts, and her Riding Skill rank A, she now commanded her, "Irisviel, stop the car!"

"Eh?" Irisviel saw that mysterious figure too late and Saber had to apply the brakes for them to stop the rampaging vehicle that ran at over 100 miles per hour. Good thing the car skidded sideways, or else they might have injured a bystander.

But as they lit the lights, they saw that the mysterious figure is a Servant, judging by the attire and exuding an evil aura. They stepped out of the car carefully. They did not know that there are some Servants also standing by from the shadows, watching the entire event.

"You should have killed Saber when you had the chance, Lancer." Kayneth scolded his "useless" Servant while a lady with crimson hair and admirable figure stepped in. She is the one who summoned the Servant Lancer since Kayneth found himself incompatible with the artifact in terms of origin of country. Her name is Sola – Ui Nuada – Re Sophia – Ri, the fiancé of Kayneth El – Melloi Archibald.

"My apologies, Master. I swear upon my honor as a knight that I will bring to you Saber's head." Lancer sincerely uttered those words as he knelt down. Instead of forgiving him, Kayneth looked down on his honor as a knight even more.

"On your honor, you say? Don't just swear on it. I expect you to do it." Kayneth scolded him.

"Please take it easy on him Kayneth. And I don't need to remind you that it is all because of me, your fiancé, that summoned the Servant." She looked on to him with an annoyed look all over her face. But then she turned her glance to Lancer, and slowly but surely, she succumbed to the curse that is Lancer's charm. Granted, she did not enjoy her fiance's political prestige, and so she wanted someone to just listen to her even for a second. That unconscious wish is soon fulfilled at the summoning of her Servant, Lancer.

Kayneth just enjoyed the comforts of his own fortress while Sola – Ui looked on to him with indignance. The atelier of Kayneth El – Melloi Archibald spans up to twenty – four floors, a Magi labyrinth that guarantees the one entering it to never get out of it again. He is expecting a frontal attack on him after his Servant Lancer's weapon Gae Buidhe rendered Saber's wrist useless.

"Let him enjoy my atelier. And I assure you that I will make you swallow your words after this." Kayneth beamed with pride as Sola – Ui is now not paying attention to him, but to Lancer, due to his curse of the Mystic Face. Diarmuid formerly has issues with the curse. It is because of this that Grainne betrayed her soon – to – be husband. All that he wishes now is to serve his lord and lady without any problems. But then, with Sola-Ui, he did not know that another one will be affected by his curse.

The plan is simple but precise. Plant C2s around specific areas, initiate a fire alarm, and after almost all of the people have evacuated, he will detonate the bombs. It will ensure the quick death of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, the esteemed professor of the school of the Clock Tower Organization. If there is one weakness that Magi have, it is their pride in the Craft.

"Kayneth Archibald! Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald!" a bellboy was calling the name of one of the occupants of the hotel to strike their names out of the list to ensure that all of the occupants are evacuated.

"Here." Kiritsugu replied. The bellboy saw him, but is unsure of this man in a black longcoat. This is not the man that he had seen before. Something about this whole event is off. But before his instincts kicked in, Kiritsugu stared at him in the eyes, and concentrating his Magecraft on his vocal chords and his eyes, he replied in a casual voice as though he is that person.

"I am Kayneth El – Melloi Archibald, and have evacuated with my wife Ms. Sola – Ui Nuada – Re Sophia – Ri."

The bellboy just scratched his head, but now that he sees him as that person, he crossed out the name of Kayneth from the list of guests.

As he now entered a secluded area, after checking for onlookers, he first called for Maiya using his cellular phone.

"Is Kayneth still there in the building?" Kiritsugu asked.

"Affirmative." Maiya emotionlessly replied as she saw Kayneth still there through her Steyr AUG. His pride in the Craft will now be the death of him as Kiritsugu replied.

"Good." He then dropped the call, dialled another set of numbers, and he pressed the Send button. But that is not to call another person on the line. Rather, it is a code for triggering a blast from afar. The bombs are now at the supports of the building, waiting to explode. The bombs are also equipped with a remote device, to synchronize with the ignition. It is a blasting technique used by constructors to demolish an old building, and this is now Kiritsugu's way of appreciating for that kind of art: by modifying the remote detonator even further to fit into a cellular phone. Many terrorists and modern demolition experts in his day will clench their teeth at the ingenuity of Kiritsugu, who proves to them that they are sorely outclassed in terms of art of demolition techniques.

And so, with this, the whole hotel imploded, leaving nothing but ashes. People have now panicked as they saw the building suddenly succumbs to dust.

Kiritsugu lit up his cigarette and went along the way. His trail of thought is now broken as he walked briskly away from the scene. As he saw the mother hugging the child, he felt a feeling that threatens with his logic.

Have I gotten too soft? He himself is unsure why he evacuated the people first at the risk of the Magus knowing the trick. He can even bring down the building with the people still in it if he wanted to, based on his experiences in blasting techniques from both past and present. But then again Magi are prideful enough to leave their fortress, so setting off an alarm serves as a distraction to the Magi, forcing them to think that the Magus will launch a frontal attack. Back to his own thoughts, his will is now wavering, and he can't afford to have it now. As he is snapped out of his thoughts by his cigarette causing a minor burn in his finger, he dropped the offending cigarette, crushed it underneath his foot, then lit up another cigarette to ease his tension.

As soon as he is now relieved from his shaking will, he just walked casually so as not to attract suspicions from other people and took a drag from his cigarette, before he opened up his cellular phone and called Maiya.

"Did the target left the building?"

"Negative," she casually replied. She did not know that there is someone behind her back. He is now waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Good. Now then, we'll retreat to our…" he is just about to finish his sentence when he heard gunshots on the phone. This could only mean one thing. The one man that he fears the most is now on his trail of breadcrumbs, and like a predator he will strike the prey without any warning. He is the terror incarnate of the Executors of the Church.

Kotomine…Kirei. He cannot afford any more distractions of fear over this man, Right now, he must prioritize Maiya's safety. He just rushed in to Maiya's direction as fast as he can using his reinforced limbs to enhance his muscles for strength and speed, overtaking bicycles and motorcycles. But he sensed that in his current state right now, he can't reach it. So he must utter a spell that he did not use in his years of rest. It is a potent spell that can kill him if not used properly. But Maiya's life is at stake, and it is better for him to leave him for dead rather than to have his assistant die at the hands of an Executor.

And so, with one chant, his perception changed completely.

"Please explain to me why are you getting help from outsiders?" Even though Caster is a Servant, she knew from human customs that it is rude to let someone do something in a situation without another person's consent. Kejoro tried to salvage the pieces of metal that was left during the "forging" of the weapon, but the way that it is now, it will be really useless, unless a knowledgeable blacksmith will intervene.

"I just don't want you to die before making your first weapon." Kejoro huffed as she replied. "Besides, you don't have any other resources to make a weapon other than raw materials." She then pointed out her umbrella turned into groups of metal sticks, which Caster was working on, although unsuccessfully, due to her flame spells not hot enough to forge it. "And obviously, you are not fit for this kind of skill."

Caster felt insulted at the mention of her skill, Territory Creation, rank C. Combined with her disposition, she finds it hard to construct a simple workshop in minutes. The shortest time that she can create it is in about an hour. Darn her master to blazes due to the fact that she can see her skills and stats all the time.

"And do you have any other bright ideas aside from mine, Goshujin – sama?" She just crossed her arms, and her voice went even colder, but thanks to Kejoro's ears being numbed a number of times by Caster's voice, she is now unfazed by her threats. In fact, she can now stand up to her feet and face her fury.

"Even better than yours, Mizukume – san." Kejoro smirked as she faced off with Caster's hazed eyes threatening Kejoro's existence. Caster didn't mind being called by her human name if her master is a boy, but since it's Kejoro who called her that, it just made her veins pop open in silent rage at the sound of her name.

Footnotes:

Amaterasu – Japanese goddess of the sun. How she will be involved in it will be for the later chapters to come.

Please rate and review. No flames please XD