I do not own Fate/Zero or any of the characters used here.
"This is most troubling." Tokiomi said while looking out of the window to the courtyard, his wineglass held in his hand with a tightened grip. Archer had returned just a moment earlier to report his fight with Caster, and the recently discovered identity of his Master. It seems that Caster's Master was Uryuu Ryuunosuke, the perpetrator of the numerous murders occurring around Fuyuki City. Not only that, but he almost killed Rin had Archer not arrived or discovered her sneaking around in the city early on. And Caster, through his Master's murderous tendencies, was growing stronger every day.
This could not go on.
"It will take a bit for Caster to find a new hideout." Archer told Tokiomi, while his sunglasses glinted in the sunlight and his mouth pulled to a thin frown. "But from what I have seen, it won't take his Master long to restart his actions."
"Indeed, should they be caught or recorded in the act by the city police the Holy Grail War will be put in danger. Even the Association will be unable to hide the incident from the populace." Tokiomi half-lied to Archer. He was completely sure that the Mage's Association would be able to cover up Caster's abilities as a 'mass-hallucination', and then they would eliminate Ryuunosuke in prison through his 'Death Sentence'. But those two had made things personal.
You do not fuck with the Tohsaka family and get away with it.
"What will we do Master?" Archer asked seriously, making Tokiomi purse his lips for a bit. Apparently, Caster's actions have truly angered the usually childlike Servant. But even if he was angered by the recent developments, Archer would never agree to any plan that involved killing the Servant and Master.
"I will discuss with Risei about these developments. Until then, you are allowed to attempt to track down Caster and his Master. Should you find them, report back to me." Tokiomi responded to his Servant before taking a sip of his wine. Archer nodded at this decision before he began to leave the room. "Wait Archer." Tokiomi suddenly said, making his Servant stop.
"Yes Master?" Archer asked curiously with his hand lightly gripping the doorknob.
"I would like to thank you for saving Rin from Caster and his Master's clutches." Tokiomi responded while looking at the moon. "She would have either been killed or worse, turned into a hostage should Caster have learned of her identity. Your actions have certainly saved me much grief."
"Ah, it's nothing Master." Archer told him with a sheepish grin. "I just hope we find Caster's Master soon and bring him to the police." Archer then left the room.
"Yes, to the police…" Tokiomi muttered to himself while allowing a small grin on his face. He then got up and walked to the phone he had inside of his study.
Right now, he had a very important call to make.
Elsewhere:
"AW COMMON!" Uryuu cried out in disbelief and horror as he looked in the direction where his 'art' originally was. Caster had decided to set up shop in a remote cave in the woods, which was nearby a cliff that overlooked the entire city. And from it, Uryuu could see the smoke from the ruins of their original hideout.
It was not a pretty sight in his opinion.
"All that work, all the time and effort I put into it, all of it is gone!" Uryuu said with tears in his eyes. He had worked so hard for his cool 'art'! He was nearly finished with completing his masterpiece as well!
"Yes, truly sad Master." Caster spoke, however his tone did not even have a shed of sorrow.
"Why must God be so cruel to me?!" Uryuu cried while pounding on the ground. "Did I just have a bit too much fun and he decided to punish me?"
"Now's my chance!" Caster thought to himself with a small smirk. "I have more than enough Mana now to take on the other Servants, so there would be no gain in helping him kill anymore." "Perhaps you did."
"Hmm, maybe you are right man." Uryuu said while wiping away his tears. "We'll wait for a day or two, give the big man some time to cool off, and then we will do something cool!"
"I might have something in mind." Caster told his Master while looking at Fuyuki City. "Tomorrow, I will challenge the other Servants and kill them all in one go. I have gathered more than enough information to face them all."
"That sounds AWESOME!" Uryuu cheered while pumping his fist into the air. "Maybe that Archer guy will come! Make him pay for ruining our art!" Uryuu then slammed his fist into his palm as he asked, "Say, can you make his death the coolest man?"
"I will see what I can do." Caster responded with a nod before leaning on the cave wall. Archer will definitely be the most difficult Servant to face. He knew the weakness to his Mangekyo Sharingan. Which meant he would prepare for their next fight.
Luckily, Caster had more tricks up his sleeve than Archer believed he had.
Elsewhere:
Kirei sighed as he plopped himself next to Assassin and stared at the TV. Today had been… troublesome to say the least. Since his father had been suffering from a massive hangover from the events of yesterday, he had assigned Kirei to take care of the church's bills. Which were numerous. Apparently his father had not been kidding when the church covered all expenses in Fuyuki City. He had to sign numerous documents to allow money out of the church's bank accounts to repair all the buildings and streets ruined by Lancer and Rider. Worst yet, twenty five percent of the payment for repairs came out of his and his father's own private back accounts.
No wonder his father cried about the damages caused by the fights.
"Hey! Get your thought out of TIM's attempt at humor!" Assassin yelled while knocking on Kirei's head.
"Hmph, attempt at humor? He is simply basing this joke on the one in Carnival Phantasm where I was judge in the fif…" Kirei then blinked before covering his mouth in shock. Why did he say that? And what the Hell was he trying to mean?
"OH! You've begun to tap into the parody spinoffs of the Nasuverse!" Assassin said in surprise while patting Kirei on the back. "You are learning well my apprentice! That crack from chapter five is getting bigger I bet!"
"D-Don't you mean universe, Assassin?" Kirei asked shakily as he removed his hand from his mouth. "What is this 'Nasuverse' you are speaking of? Does it relate to the fourth wall?"
"…not that far ahead huh?" Assassin muttered to himself before turning up the volume of the TV. "You will learn soon enough. With how TIM is progressing things, I give it a few chapters. Maybe when Caster's dead."
"You heard my father and Tokiomi planning with one another?" Kirei asked in surprise. After all, even he had not been in the room. And the only reason he knew of the planned 'one extra command seal'' reward for killing Caster was because his father told him.
"Nah, its just something from canon that the author decided to add in order to keep things coherent. Like this chapter where the Servants drink, except it is without Broskander." Assassin said with a shrug before focusing all his attention on the TV. Kirei sighed at this before following suit.
Perhaps he would finally understand why Assassin liked Golden Girls so much…
Elsewhere:
Waver yawned as he flushed the toilet and went to the sink to splash water on his face. Today had been a relatively boring day. Other than finally getting some milk and sugar from the grocery store, he and Rider had not done much other than lounge around in front of the TV. Oh, and Rider had begun to practice his new guitar but he was not even remotely good. The thing honestly sounded much like a dying cat when Rider strummed the strings. However Rider denied anything that remotely suggested that he sucked.
"Awesomness takes time" were his exact words.
"Ah, at least today was a calm day." Waver muttered to himself with a smile. "No fights and no riding around in metal contraptions. Just a good, calm, normal da…"
"WAVER!" Rider shouted while pounding onto the bathroom door. "Hurry up and get out here! We've got to go to that 'liquor' store!"
"….fuck my life…" Waver swore in his head before opening the door. Rider was dressed in his civilian attire and had a huge grin on his face.
"Why do we need to go get alcohol Rider? I've never seen you drink." Waver pointed out while giving his Servant a very blank stare.
"Alcohol is the drink of real men! Besides, it goes great with what I have planned for tonight!" Rider then pushed up his sunglasses and pointed at Waver. "We are going to get Saber and her Master to join Team Dai-Gurren!"
"…huh?" Waver asked disbelievingly while Rider just clenched his fist.
"Right now in this city, Team Dai-Gurren is just you and me! And for this war, we need Team Dai-Gurren at full strength! If we can get Saber to join Team Dai-Gurren, with me leading of coarse, this war will be a piece of cake!" Rider shouted out at the top of his lungs. "So tonight will be our recruitment pitch, and the alcohol will definitely sweeten the deal!"
"YOU IDIOT!" Waver shouted at the top of his lungs while stomping his foot with indignation. "If we go find Saber, she won't just sit down and let us talk! She will attack us right away! Saber is a Servant, and she will automatically treat us like enemies! This has to be the most idiotic plan you have ever…!"
"Dumbass!" Rider shouted while flicking Waver's forehead. "Did you forget who we are? We are Team Dai-Gurren! We kick logic out and do the impossible! That is the way we roll! This may sound crazy, but we won't know if it will work or not unless we try!"
"B-but Rider…!" Waver shouted while rubbing his forehead before Rider grabbed his arm with a grin and dragged him away. "W-wait you idiot! Stop!"
"No way! Besides, if you show the chick who is Saber's Master that you have manly guts, you might get some!" Rider said with a grin as they headed to the door.
"Where do you two think you are going at this hour?" An elderly voice asked, making both stop and slowly turn around to see Glen Mackenzie inside of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"G-grandfather…" Waver stammered to the hypnotized Canadian man. His and his wife's hypnotism made them believe that Waver was their grandson, and Waver tried to act out the part whenever they attempted to talk with him. But he kept those occasions breif, because if they asked personal questions that he had no answer for they would realize something was wrong. And that he would have to hypnotize the two again.
It was difficult enough when they saw the Command Seals the first time. Since then, he hypnotized them into thinking they were airbrushed ones he had gotten to 'fit in' with Japanese teenagers. "N-no?"
"Don't lie to me Waver." Glen said with narrowed eyes. Waver then gulped while a bead of sweat dripped down Rider's brow. Glen then broke into a huge smile as he asked, "You were going to a party weren't you? And with the rich folk too!"
"Ah!" Waver let out with a sigh of relief. Looks like his 'grandfather' did not hear the full conversation he had with Rider. "Yes! Yes we are!"
"No need to be so nervous Waver!" Glen laughed out while patting his head. "Me and your father have done plenty of crazy stuff when we are young!" He then leaned in and put something in Waver's hand. "Just take this, just in case."
Waver blinked before looking into his hand. His mouth dropped in disbelief as he saw the thing Glen gave him.
A Trojan condom.
"Here is the money for the alcohol." Glen said while handing Rider a wad of bills. "My suggestion? Get a six pack, some soda, and rum."
"Wow! Thanks old man!" Rider shouted while dragging Waver outside, who was frozen in shock while continuing to stare at the packaged 'safety' item.
Was everyone around him insane or something?
Later:
Sola-Ui hummed happily as she and Lancer walked through town, intent on finding a good place to eat dinner at. While the abandoned factory she and Lancer had been staying in was good for hiding, it lacked in pretty basic things like a working kitchen. Thus, they had to go outside to get their food. Sola-Ui did not dislike the new situation at all. After yesterday night, when she killed Kayneth and took his Command Seals before lying to Lancer about it, she and Lancer had gotten closer. He looked so grateful to her when she removed Kayneth's Crest from his body to 'return it to his family' once they won the war. Most likely because he felt somewhat responsible for his death. She would fix that soon. Each and every day they spent would bring them closer and closer together. And when the war was won, they would be a family. She would take care of him like a mother would to her son. Hug him whenever he felt sad. Buy him new clothes rather than that school uniform he seemed to always wear. Spend their meals together while talking about their day, never bored with each other's company…
"M…Sola-san, are you okay?" Lancer asked while staring at her with a confused expression, breaking her out of her wandering thoughts.
"Y-yes… Shinji." Sola-Ui told her Servant with a smile. As a sign of trust, Lancer had given her his greatest secret as a Servant.
His real name: Shinji Ikari.
Although the name itself did not ring any bells in her mind considering Japanese folklore, it did not truly matter in the end.
"Ah, good. Because you seemed… distracted." Lancer said carefully before he stiffened. "A Servant is here."
Sola-Ui's eyes widened as Lancer got in front of her protectively. "He is so brave." Sola-Ui thought with a smile. "He is willing to do anything to defend ME!"
"Yo! Fancy meeting you guys here!" A voice shouted through the crowd. Sola-Ui then blinked as Rider and Waver Velvet walked through the crowd carrying bags of alcohol in their arms. Well, Rider was carrying most of it. Waver was carrying a bag that contained soda with his arms and legs shaking in fear.
"Of coarse." Sola-Ui thought to herself while rolling her eyes. "He thinks I am going to report that I saw him to Kayneth." There was no way Waver could tell she was Lancer's Master. After all her hands were covered in white gloves, blocking the two Command Seals from view.
For all everyone else knows, Kayneth was still Lancer's Master.
"Oi relax." Rider spoke up while glancing at Lancer. "I ain't going to fight you today."
That made Sola-Ui blink. Didn't Rider take the first chance he got at fighting Lancer the last time? She looked to Waver for answers, but all he did was sigh and hang his head.
"Then what are you here for?" Lancer asked carefully, to which Rider grinned.
"To invite ya of course!" Rider shouted while inclining his head to the bags of alcohol. "I'm going to Saber's place, Einzbern Manor, to drink with her and make her an offer too good to refuse! You are welcome to come of coarse! Even if you chickened out of our last fight you deserve a chance in hearing out what I got to offer!"
"Huh, really? So you guys are just going to drink and not fight?" A new voice spoke, making all four of them turn their heads. There was Archer, still wearing his sunglasses with a red long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and sneakers. "Please take me with you!" Archer shouted while running over and clinging onto Rider's trench coat with tears rolling down his face. "I forgot to ask Master to give me money, so I can't go to any of the bars and I have been having a really bad day!"
"Heh, sure!" Rider said before turning to his Master. "Now we got all three of the knight classes!"
Waver sighed while hanging his head and muttering, "Honestly…"
"Alright!" Archer cheered out before his face became scrunched up in an attempt to look serious. "Where to Rider?"
"Just follow me!" Rider shouted before walking away with Archer and Waver Velvet following him.
Lancer looked at Sola-Ui for her decision on what to do, to which she sighed out, "We'll listen to what Rider wants. Perhaps he and Velvet wish for an alliance. And if the Archer and Saber team up against us, I am more than confident that you and Rider could finish them off."
Lancer nodded before saying, "I understand Sola-san." The two then began to follow the other two Servants and one Master to their intended destination.
Einzbern Manor:
Irisviel walked beside Kiritsugu with a smile on her face to their shared room. She was truly happy that Kiritsugu had decided to make the manor their designated 'fortress'. Complete with numerous booby traps should anyone try to storm the place and the bounded field, which would tell her if a Servant was on their way for Saber to intercept. Even though Saber did not like her husband for his methods, Irisviel knew the man for who he truly was. A man who would sacrifice everything so that the world would become a peaceful place for everyone, including their daughter.
Maiya was in her own room within the manor, which also contained all the weapons. Irisviel knew of the younger woman's feelings for her husband. She was not as airheaded as she sometimes appeared to be, of coarse only Kiritsugu knew that. She just hoped Maiya could help make Kiritsugu happy, when she died to form the Holy Grail for her husband and grant his wish.
Saber was in her own room, most likely looking at the moon again. Saber had become increasingly aggravated ever since she finally understood Assassin's (Irisviel had the decency to blush at this) dirty joke, especially because of how deep it dug into Saber's actual past. Just how did Assassin know so much about Saber's past? Ever since she first saw Assassin, she got a feeling of deja vu. Like she had seen him from somewhere before…
Suddenly, her mind lurched three times, making her stumble over. Kiritsugu caught her in his arms and asked, "Iri, what is it? What's wrong?"
"S-Servants…" Irisviel muttered while Kiritsugu helped her on her feet. "Three of them, heading for the main entrance…"
"An alliance?" Kiritsugu muttered to himself as Saber ran from her room to the two.
"Irisviel, Master, what is wrong?" Saber asked in concern while Kiritsugu turned away to the opposite direction.
"Three Servants have come…" Irisviel began before an explosion rocked the entire manor, making the lights flicker for a moment before they returned too normal. "They are now in the main hall."
Saber nodded before her clothes transformed into her normal battle dress. "Let us go meet them." Saber said seriously before running off with Irisviel following behind her. Within three minutes, they were in the main hall which looked like a war just went on. Scorch marks were on the sides, indicating all of the bombs have gone off, the expensive pottery was completely smashed, and the walls were scratched up by the metal ball ballistics. In the middle of all this chaos was Lagann, whose canopy looked huge and ready to burst.
"Rider's here?" Saber thought to herself before the canopy opened, spilling out Rider, his Master, Lancer, a red haired woman, and finally Archer.
"GAH!" Archer gasped out before muttering out, "I thought I was going to suffocate for a moment there…"
"Could you have warned us you were going to do that Rider?" The woman yelled while Rider just shrugged.
"Hey, I didn't know that was going to happen, so don't blame me for saving your ass." Rider told the woman, ignoring Lancer's glare.
"R-Rider…" Waver Velvet, Rider's Master whimpered out while pointing at Saber and Irisviel, who looked confused and amused respectively at the mixed bunch.
"Huh? What is it?" Rider asked before looking at the two. "Hey, what was with the traps Saber? A real fight is between two men without cheap tricks like that!"
"Explain yourself Rider!" Saber yelled out while pointing her invisible sword at Rider.
Rider grinned before showing a six-pack of beer. "I came with these guys to talk!"
"…what?" Saber asked blandly.
"What?" Kiritsugu asked while listening in through one of his devices to himself. Maiya just shrugged to show that she was just as clueless as he was.
"Fighting will start again tomorrow." Rider spoke while looking around the place. "But today you guys have the privilege of drinking with the mighty Kamina! So show me to the best spot around here where we can talk in peace!"
"Velvet, is your Servant always like this?" Sola-Ui asked Waver, who just sighed.
"Yes…" Was his hesitant response, to which Sola-Ui patted apologetically onto his back.
Saber looked at Rider with disbelief before looking at Archer and Lancer, who waved at her and looked away respectively. She then looked at Irisviel, who looked hesitantly to the courtyard filled with azure flowers that glowed in the moonlight. There were four walkways that met in a circle, a perfect place for all Servants to sit at.
"…Very well, follow us." Saber finally said before glaring at Rider. "But if you show any signs of treachery…"
"Same back at ya Saber." Rider replied without a beat before following Saber, the other four following him.
In a few moments, the four Servants were sitting together with their backs turned to the walkways. Across from Saber was Rider, who grinned at her while Waver shuffled his feet nervously on his walkway. Lancer was to Saber's left, with the red haired woman looking at him nervously. Archer was to Saber's right, thus being able to see all of the Einzbern Manor. If Saber had to guess, he chose his spot for the tactical reason. Irisviel was behind her, glancing at the red haired woman and Waver Velvet with some suspicion.
"Well, now that we are here I guess we can get started." Rider stated before opening a can of beer, sniffing it, and taking a small sip before spitting it out. "Yeesh! What the Hell?"
"Have you never had alcohol before Rider?" Saber asked curiously. Archer looked like he was about to burst out laughing while Lancer had a small grin on his face.
"N-No! I was just surprised about the taste is all!" Rider shouted in denial. "All real men have had alcohol!" With that, Rider downed the whole can in one go, but Saber could see the tears forming at the edge of his eyes. When he was done, Rider through the can to the side before stammering out, "S-see?"
"Get to the point of this discussion Rider." Saber said seriously while glaring at the Servant.
Rider grinned at this, now was the time! "I have come from my partner's humble abode in order to offer you the chance of joining Team Dai-Gurren!"
"…What?" All three Servants asked at once.
"Team Dai-Gurren is the most badass group in the whole world!" Rider boasted before pointing at the sky, his sunglasses shining in the moonlight. "We fight until we pierce the heavens, and even beyond that! Currently, the members so far here in Fuyuki are Waver and me but I want to change that! Join Team Dai-Gurren and help me get the Holy Grail! You will have the honor and privilege of me, the mighty Kamina, leading us to victory!"
"That is what you disturbed our peace for? This ridiculous offer?" Saber growled out before slamming her fist onto the ground while pointing at Rider with the other. "I absolutely refuse! I must get the Grail for my Master's sake and my own! Nobody else's!"
"I'm sorry Rider-san, but I must decline." Lancer told Rider with an apologetic smile on his face. "I have my own reasons for winning the Grail, and I cannot just drop them."
"Yeah, that's the same here on my end." Archer spoke up before grinning and giving Rider a thumbs up. "But I really liked your speech!"
"Thanks!" Rider said with a grin to Archer before sighing. "Ah well, I had to try…"
"I told you this wouldn't work…" Waver muttered behind Rider, who just shrugged his shoulders.
"Just sucks that I brought all this booze and stuff for nothing…" Rider muttered to himself before cracking open another beer can and downing it in one go.
"Who says we can't just drink here?" Archer asked with a laugh before taking his own can and drinking it.
Saber eyed the two Servants wearily while reaching for her own can, opening it, and taking a dignified sip.
Lancer just poured himself a cup of soda and sipped it before putting it down.
All three Masters were stiff from the tense atmosphere the Servants made while they appeared to be fine. Irisviel looked at Archer for a moment and narrowed her eyes. It was like he was glancing at the roof and a room for a reason…
With Kiritsugu:
"He knows we are here…" Kiritsugu thought to himself while looking at the gathered Servants, Rider's Master, and Kayneth Archibald's fiancée through his sniper scope. "Not only that, but Archer is making sure we do not try anything…"
"I have Waver Velvet in my sight." Maiya said through the transmitter. "Should I take the shot?"
"No, while it would take care of Rider it will aggravate the other two Servants into attacking. And even if you tried I am sure that Archer would be able to stop the bullet." Kiritsugu informed her before grimacing. He truly hated how he was forced to 'wait and see' for most of this war. "We will simply have to watch for now."
Back With The Servants:
"So…" Archer began while looking at the other Servants. "Why do you guys want the Holy Grail?"
"Why would you ask such a question Archer?" Saber asked while glaring at the Servant. "You do not benefit from learning something like that."
"Just trying to start a conversation Saber, that is all." Archer responded while taking another sip of his beer. "By the way…" He leaned towards the Servant a bit with a grin on his face. "Your really cute when your angry, you know that?"
"Y-you…!" Saber stammered out while a blush formed on her cheeks.
"I wanna use the Grail…" Rider began with drooped eyes. "To go back to my blood brother and help him out in a fight he is in. He's up against a tough bastard called the Spiral King, and he could use my help." Rider then grinned as he threw away his now empty beer can. "Plus I get to see my girl again, so that's something extra."
"So you wish to use the Grail to bring yourself back to life, after your intended death?" Saber asked, to which Rider nodded.
"Yeah, kinda." Rider then sighed as he looked to the moon. "But I can't help but think that maybe they moved and are now handling themselves. I don't know because I can't see what happened after I died. The Throne didn't give me any clues when I was stuck there either."
"Heh, guess your kind of like me then." Archer gave a small laugh as he picked up another can. "Our legends have not happened yet."
"What?" Saber asked with shock while Lancer just drooped his head. "You mean that you are heroes from the future?"
"Yes and no." Archer replied while opening his can. "The Throne of Heroes goes across time and space for its occupants. So thinking that it is limited to just this timeframe is ridiculous." Archer then began to drink his beer before muttering, "Our legends, in the alternate timelines I mean, are often seen through other people's eyes that then write them down or animate them as fiction or cartoons. They may be fake to you, but there is a strong possibility that they are legends from other timeframes. And when they die, they are brought to the throne as well. I don't know if my legend happens in this future or in another timeframe, but I know it is real."
"Geeze, this complicated stuff is hurting my head." Rider groaned out. "Just say our badass legends aren't around yet and move on."
"Aw common!" Archer whined while looking at Rider. "I thought I sounded pretty smart by saying that!"
"My wish…" Lancer began, making the three stop and turn at him. "My wish is to have the events that brought my world to ruin never happen. I don't want the people I care about to die because of things that happened behind our backs."
"Lancer…" Sola-Ui muttered in sorrow, making both Waver and Irisviel glance at her.
"That's gotta suck." Rider commented while looking seriously at Lancer. "Your world getting destroyed by some bastards from the shadows. Did you try to fight back?"
Lancer looked away, and Saber could swear she saw shame in his eyes. "I… don't want to talk about it."
Rider looked like he was about to say something but Archer suddenly stood up and asked, "Say, can you pass me some of that 'rum' stuff? I want to try it out." He then reached over and grabbed the bottle and a cup. "Thanks!" He then poured himself a glass before having a sip and grimacing. "Damn, that stuff is strong. So I guess it's my turn now right? Well…" Archer's eyes then drooped down as he spoke. "I want to use the Grail to stop my brother from doing something really horrible."
"You did not kill your brother after whatever he had done." Saber summarized before glaring at Archer. "Why? Why would you allow someone like that, even if it's your own sibling, to live? He did not stop after the incident, did he? He just kept on continuing until you stopped him, and by then it was too late."
Archer winced at each and every one of these accusations, but did not deny them. "She taught me all life was precious. That no one deserves to take another's life. No matter what they had done." He then looked at Saber with dead serious eyes. "I know that if I leave people like that alive, they will bring only more sorrow. However, there is always the possibility that some good will come out of it. I know it is foolish and stupid, but it is the code I will always live by. Even if I am hated for it, I will not betray my code."
"Spoken like a true man." Rider said with a grin while Saber just glared at Archer. Lancer seemed to look at Archer with amazement along with Irisviel, Waver, and Sola-Ui.
"So we spilled our guts to you Saber, now its your turn." Rider suddenly said while grinning at Saber. "What do you want the Grail for?"
Saber stayed silent for a moment before saying, "I wish for my homeland's salvation. With this omnipotent wish-granting device, I will avert Brittan's fate of destruction."
"Huh." Rider commented while looking at Saber, for some reason he was giving her his full attention. "Sounds like a tall order. Just how important were you in Brittan?"
"I was a leader." Saber replied, not willing to reveal too much about her past to these Servants. "And my leadership eventually brought its ruin. With the Holy Grail, I can surely avoid it from occurring."
"So what you are saying is that you would get rid of what made you into a hero in the first place." Rider summarized, his face becoming more and more serious by the minute.
"Why does that bother you?" Saber asked while standing up. "As a leader, I must be more than willing to do sacrifice anything for my country's prosperity!"
"Your wrong you dumbass." Rider spoke, however his voice was in a controlled calm. "The leader isn't the only one who should make sacrifices. It should be the leader and the people he leads together. Neither one should bear the burden of sacrifice without the other."
"Rider?" Waver asked in shock. He had never seen his Servant this serious before. He was always loudmouthed and goofy, never serious or even angry.
"What?" Saber asked in shock. "Those are the words of an…"
"Idiot idealist that has no idea what he is talking about?" Rider asked calmly, making Saber take a step back. "Saber, we are all heroes because we were idealists. We all wanted to do what was best for our people. But if someone like you regrets the life you lived and the struggles you faced for your people…" Rider then glared at Saber. "Then you sure as Hell have no right to call yourself a hero or a leader!"
"You said yourself that you wish to return to your comrades after your own death, Rider." Saber stated, while Rider just waited patiently for her to finish. "Does that not mean that you too hold regrets?"
"I have no regrets on how I lived or died." Rider responded, making Saber take another step back. "Do I think that me dying sucked? Hell yes. But for me to regret everything that lead up to it would be an insult to my blood brother and all my friends and comrades! I do not regret a single second of my life! Coming back to life because of the Grail is sweet and all, but it does not mean for a second that I regret anything that I had done before!"
"How can you be a leader if you fail to protect the ones you lead? Rider, a just rule and just laws are the supreme duties any leader must follow!" Saber countered, only for Rider to shake his head.
"So, you just became a leader who limited yourself to these so called 'just rule and laws'." Rider asked before yelling out, "Wake the Hell up Saber! That is not how a person should live! If you limit yourself to 'rules' and 'laws', then you are nothing but a goddamn puppet! One should live their life by always following their gut, not by some bullshit code!"
"A leader must be a martyr for their ideals!" Saber yelled back at Rider. "We…!"
"Like Hell leaders should live like that!" Rider shouted while standing up as well. "If you become a 'martyr' to your ideals, then who the Hell would follow down your path?"
Saber took a step back as Rider stepped forward.
"A leader has got to shout their ideals and boast louder than anyone else. That way, the leader can instill those very same ideals to those he leads. And then, they can move on with his dream even if their leader dies. They will weep for him, and they will grieve, but it will never stop them from continuing onwards with those very same ideals that he inspired them with!" He then stood just a foot before Saber, while Archer and Lancer just looked at the two with worried expressions. "I can tell you saved your people once. You wouldn't be a hero otherwise. But tell me, what happened to the people you lead once you were gone? Were they able to continue onwards? Or were they helpless without you to guide them?"
"I-I… my people…" Saber stuttered out only for Rider to glare at her.
He then said in a calm clear voice, "No, I can tell what happened just from that. You saved them, but you never truly showed them the ideals you lived by. You failed at having them being able to move on without you! And when you were gone, they just lost all their damn hope and left! The only one who truly followed those ideals you set up was just you and yourself!"
Saber just looked at him with horrified eyes as Rider turned around. "You aren't a leader, you're just a dumbass girl who set up an the idea of an impossible leader who follows their own ideals and expects everyone to understand them right away." He then began walking away while taking out his Nodachi. "Even an idiot like me can see that." He then swung his Nodachi forward, making Lagann appear. "We're going Waver."
"Rider…" Waver said softly, only for Rider to pat his shoulder.
"I'm alright kid, just get into Lagann." He told Waver, who nodded and complied. As he climbed in, Rider looked over his shoulder before saying, "Saber, after all this shit I no longer consider you a leader or a hero." He then got into Lagann's cockpit before making the thing launch into the air and fly away.
Lancer glanced at Saber for a minute before saying, "Saber, if you changed the past what would happen to the people now?" He then looked at the still shocked Servant before saying, "My world died, nothing bad will happen if I make my wish other than my world living longer. But you, if you made your wish then the struggles of your Master and everyone else that is alive today will be meaningless." Lancer then began to walk away with Sola-Ui following behind him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
When they truly left the Einzbern Manor, Archer sighed as he got onto his feet. "You know Saber, before you call someone else's ideals and moral codes foolish you should look at your own." He then sighed out, "I guess we have that in common. Letting our lives being controlled by a code that people see as foolish…" Archer then disappeared from view, leaving Saber and Irisviel alone. Saber then thought one thing…
"Were my kingship and the ideals I lead by really that foolish?"
The silent courtyard offered no answers.
To Be Continued…
Omake- It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!
"T-that was so deep!" Taiga muttered while wiping her eyes with a tissue. "Saber being confronted about her life on such a brutal scale…"
"Won't the readers think we copied off of episode eleven of Fate/Zero sensei?" Illyasviel asked, making Taiga shake her head.
"While the author used that for inspiration, he mostly used how Rider viewed leadership. It is shown in Gurren Lagann how he spouted out his ideals to his followers and Simon, but they continued on even without him. It just took some time for Simon to understand…" Taiga responded before blowing her nose on the tissue.
"Alright." Irisviel said with a nod before turning to the readers. "Stay tuned for the next chapter 'The Life And Death Of Caster'!"
"Check it out!" Taiga sobbed out.
Omake- Different Servants: Caster
Uryuu looked in surprise at the man before him. He had piercing amber eyes with his black hair tied into a neat ponytail, but with two long strands of hair loose in the front. He was wearing an all-white suit with a matching fedora and a purple tie.
He looked at Uryuu before saying in a sort of rehearsed speech, "I am the Servant Caster of the Holy Grail War. I ask of you, are you my Master?"
"Um, I guess?" Uryuu said in an unsure tone. "I'm Uryuu Ryuunosuke. I am unemployed and I like killing people, especially women and children."
Caster's eyebrow raised and his eyes gained a sparkle of interest. "Alright, then that means that the contract is complete."
"Okay…" Uryuu spoke before motioning to the bound child. "Say, you wanna eat this kid?"
Caster then walked over to the child before leaning down and clapping his hands, making a bluish lightning come out before touching the child. The boy then went very still before spasming, screaming all the while. "You might want to take cover…" Caster mentioned while calmly walking into the hallway. Uryuu then followed him, however the moment he set foot in the hallway he heard something explode. He heard blood splash and organs plop onto the ground. Uryuu slowly turned around to see the entire room covered in gore, and the area where the child had been had nothing but a scorch mark.
"A small explosion would have been sufficient enough to allow you to see my skill…" Caster began before grinning. "But a bigger one was just much more beautiful. Don't you agree Master?"
"SOOOO COOOOOOLLLL!" Uryuu cheered before grabbing Caster's hands. "You are so freaking cool man! All the blood, the explosion, and… and…. It is so freaking awesome! Okay, I don't know about this Holy Grail War crap, but I am following you around from now on! Let's go! The night's still young! Show me cooler and cooler ways to kill people!"
Caster blinked for a second before his grin grew insanely. "Master, you and I are going to get along just fine."
And thus began the bromance between Caster, once known as Solf J. Kimblee, and Uryuu Ryuunosuke through murder.
And the city of Fuyuki wept.
Note- Bam! There you guys go! The beginning of the 'quickening' a.k.a when shit gets real and the Servants you have grown to love or hate begin to die one by one! Oh, and because of the massive complaints for Caster's stats, I have consulted an expert of the Nasuverse who helped me adjust them. So go back a chapter to see the new and improved stats. Speaking of stats, here is Rider's!
Servant- Rider
Identity- Kamina
Series- Gurren Lagann
Theme Song- Gurren Lagann OST: Rap Is A Man's Soul!
Strength- C
Speed- B-
Agility- C+
Endurance- A
Magic- C+
Luck- A+
Battle Continuation- A
Charisma- B
Pioneer Of The Stars- A
Riding- A
Item Construction- D
Noble Phantasm:
Lagann- B+ Rank. A mecha that once belonged to Rider's Blood Brother. Its unique powers allow it to conjure up drills, make thrusters on the back, and finally combine withGurren to form Gurren Lagann.
Gurren- B Rank. The mecha that Rider piloted in his lifetime. Its strength and brute force makes it perfect to deal with big enemies initially. Is needed for Lagann to make Gurren Lagann.
Gurren Lagann- A+ Rank, Anti-Fortress Type. The ultimate mecha made through sheer willpower. It is able to conjure up an ultimate attack, Giga Drill Breaker, only once a day. It must also have a pilot for Lagann to work.
Dai-Gurren Dan- EX Rank, Anti-Army Type. A Reality Marble that takes the shape of a wasteland filled with volcanoes spilling molten hot magma. This location is where Rider made his last stand. In here, all the souls and mechas of those who had ever became members of Team Dai-Gurren live once again. This is Rider's ultimate Noble Phantasm, however it costs much Prana to perform.
… And there you have it! And before you complain about Kamina's Noble Phantasms, they were all from his legend. Especially Dai-Gurren Dan since he was the leader of Team Dai-Gurren before Simon. I also tried to make his stats relatively fair and balanced. Also if you want me to continue this, review! Your reviews help my muse, so review!
…Please?