Chapter 20

"How long is this going to take again?"

Two days had passed since Alex and Mina had narrowly escaped from Archer's trap within the skyscraper. The following morning Mina had taken the laptop to meet with her contact and returned empty-handed, stating that it would take a few days for the process to complete. Until then, she suggested, they had to get ready for the next step. Alex then immediately pointed out that they had no idea what the next step was. All they could do was wait.

Mina's irritated groan rose from behind her book, "I told you, I don't know. A few more days, maybe? And quit that pacing about! You're making a furrow in the rug, plus it's getting on my nerves." Alex paused momentarily, checking self-consciously to see if he was really harming the living room rug. He scowled at her when he realized she was lying,

"Sorry, not sorry. How can you sit there all calm-like? We gotta think of something!" Her eyes briefly met his and then roved back to her book, "I told you, we can't really do much until we determine where Archer is broadcasting from. Once we figure that out, we can make a plan. Now stop being a bother."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "I want to go over it again," stating his intentions as firmly as possible. "Besides," he raised an incriminating eyebrow, "you're trying to brainstorm something too. You haven't moved from that page in half an hour."

She glared balefully at him and snapped the book shut, "That's because you keep distracting me. But fine, since you're so insistent." Rolling off the couch and onto her feet, Mina placed her book on the coffee table and went into the next room. She came back after a brief moment with a whiteboard and a set of markers. She resumed her place on the couch and set the whiteboard down on the table, at which point Alex dropped onto the cushion next to her.

Mina uncapped a marker and began to jot down words and points as they talked, "Alright, let's start with what we know. Archer and Lancer have teamed up, for what reason, we have no clue. On our side, it's Saber and Rider."

Alex interjected, "And what about Caster or Assassin? No word as to their whereabouts yet?" She shook her head and drew a brief symbol indicating the missing classes to the side, "Those two have been quiet so far. Personally, that makes me really nervous. If either of them swoops in at a critical moment…well it would be really bad."

He thought to himself briefly, then brushed the concern aside, "Well, nothing we can do about that right now. Let's just focus on what we can actually affect." Even he was surprised at how nonchalant the comment was, though all he got from Mina was a raised eyebrow and a resigned shrug. She then started a list under the four Servants to be focused on,

"Alright. So, what do we know about our opponents? Starting with Archer, seeing as she's the big focus of this whole thing." The mere thought of Archer brought sour memories to the fore of Alex's mind; except they weren't as bad as he remembered. It was a strange and perplexing notion and the more he contemplated, the stranger his recollections became. Picturing Archer in his mind was easy enough, but when he did so, the images were accompanied by a gentle warm feeling. The sensation was so slight that he could almost ignore it, except he could not. The more he focused on Archer the stronger the feeling became, and it felt rather good. Almost…intoxicatingly so.

"Hey! Wake up!"

He lurched back to the present right as Mina snapped her fingers in front of his face, a look of serious concern on hers, "You done spacing out?" Alex put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes vigorously, banishing the fog from his mind. He shook his head apologetically, "Sorry about that. Guess I need to get more sleep."

She frowned slightly, "That's not the problem. You remember what I told you on the roof, right?" He thought for a moment, "Oh yeah! You said you had an idea of what was supposedly affecting me, and then said nothing for a couple days."

Her concern deepened, "That's because I wanted to observe you closely for a bit to see if I was right, and I think I am. You've been charmed by Archer."

He was taken aback by her conclusion, "What? What makes you think that?" Mina leaned in closer, "What do you think of Archer? Be honest."

The sheer randomness of the question stymied him for a moment, "Surely she's joking. This isn't really the time for dumb questions." But with a second glance at her face, he could tell that she was deadly serious. There would be no escape unless he obliged, "Well, that's an odd but easy question. Archer is a clearly capable fighter with a demeanor of a natural leader. She has good fashion sense, a cute hairstyle and a sweet voice. Also, she smells good."

Alex recoiled from his own words, "Woah, what the hell? I don't mean any of that!" Looking to Mina for reassurance, he instead found a mixture of concern, indignation, and anger, "Looks like I was right. You didn't mention anything about how she hunted us in the skyscraper, how she paralyzed Rider, or even how she almost sucked your goddamn blood! She's gotten into your head, no doubt about it."

He sank back into the couch's soft embrace as a strange hollowness began to form in the pit of his stomach, "I don't understand. What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She was quiet for a moment as she mulled over the right words to say,

"Well, I don't exactly know the specifics behind this kind of magecraft. But just from what I've observed of you, I think it's safe to say that your mind isn't really your own right now. You keep saying things you don't mean, and I bet your memories that involve her are warped too."

Alex hated to admit it, but she was right on the money. Up until now he had done his best to keep his mind off of the subject of Archer, even though he knew that he could only keep doing so for so long. The sentiment must have been clear on his face, Mina continued on,

"This isn't a good thing by any means, but we can glean a few positives. For one thing, this is a big clue as to what Archer's True Name could be. If this is an ability specific to her, and I'm assuming it is, then we can also assume that all of the men that attacked us are under her spell as well."

Alex felt compelled to jump in, "It definitely is. There's…just something about her that completely disarms you. Even though she did terrible things to me, even though she's controlling all those men, it's physically difficult for me to picture doing any kind of harm to her." Then a thought occurred to him, "Hang on a moment, why aren't you affected at all? You were there when she showed up in Namsan, couldn't she have gotten to you too?"

Mina tapped her chin thoughtfully with the capped marker, "Technically it's possible, but I think that's unlikely given the evidence we have. Firstly, it was you she was so interested in back in Namsan, I was just there to save your ass. Second, all of the people we've encountered that have been blocking our way are men. I think it's safe to say that her ability only affects men, or at the very least, women are resistant to it."

"That sounds reasonable enough. But is that enough to narrow down her True Name? There are lots of charming women throughout history, and just as many of them used their nature to prey on men."

She grimaced a bit but acquiesced, "You have a point. Picking apart her fighting style is moot, seeing as she just shoots at people from range, because 'Archer', duh. We need more clues."

The pair lapsed into silence as they each wracked their brains in the hopes of coming across some kind of hint that could lead them to a definitive conclusion. Nothing solid came to mind at first, which frustrated him. Then seemingly out of the blue, he remembered something of vital importance,

"The song…I think that's how she's doing it."

Mina raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'the song'? You think of something?" He nodded emphatically, "I think so. She's getting into everyone's heads through those broadcasts, which she's accomplishing through her singing! Don't you remember me telling you about that?"

She nodded vaguely and motioned for him to continue, "During her little show, she sang for everyone watching her. Even now, I can kind sort of hear the notes…" He quickly shrugged off the memory, "But she drew a real crowd. Her voice literally mesmerized everyone with me, and, well, me. She also had a real idol vibe to her."

She gave him a long look, "I'm not writing, 'is an idol' as one of her characteristics. What are you getting at here, Alex?"

"No, you don't understand, that is her defining characteristic. I think she's all about the presentation, the attention, the show. That whole business at the tower wasn't just a trap, it was a stage. She was showing off her power, probably trying to intimidate us."

Mina quietly considered this for a moment, "Are you sure it was more than just intimidation? She sounded pretty intent on getting us." He nodded, "I don't believe she's the planning type. I get the sense that she just sits around and lets her underlings do all the hard work for her."

"So just like our Servants then?

"Yes. No, wait, not exactly." She arched a quizzical eyebrow, silently daring him to make a proper argument. After several moments of agonizing consideration, he had to admit that he couldn't really find one, "Okay, okay, so Archer shares some personality traits with our Servants. That being the case, it should be easier to figure out what her motive is. Surely there's more to this whole thing than just putting on the occasional show and winning the hearts of the local men?"

"Well now, that is a good question."

They both jumped at the sudden inclusion of a third voice, one that was laden with confident arrogance. Alex turned in his seat to notice the form of Ozymandias leaning against the doorframe. His sudden presence was a bit of a shock to Alex, seeing as they only had brief conversations since the skyscraper heist. He didn't recall Ozymandias being angry that Alex had nearly thrown his life away, if anything, the pharaoh seemed to be rather indifferent to the whole affair.

"G-great pharaoh! What brings you here?" For some inexplicable reason, Alex felt a slight hint of embarrassment, even though he had been doing nothing out of the ordinary. It felt as if he had been caught by a parent and felt the need to brace for some kind of scolding. But for the moment, there was no indication of any such thing occurring. The pharaoh's smile was as unwavering as his gaze, both of which were pleasant and completely unreadable.

"Do not concern yourself with more matters than you can handle." The pharaoh crossed the room in a few confident strides, making his way around where Alex and Mina sat. Alex watched him warily, unsure of what to do or say. Mina likewise seemed unsure of herself as she shifted restlessly in place as the pharaoh passed by. His eyes flickered briefly over the series of notes and questions that had been written down, though he said nothing until he at last lighted upon the leather recliner that resided in one corner of the room.

"Hmm, not exactly the same as my throne, but it is quite comfortable." Ozymandias made an indifferent hand gesture towards the silent Masters, "Continue with your council, do not be distracted by my presence."

"That's easier said than done! How can one guy take up an entire room on his own! He's making it very difficult to concentrate…Is he glowing a bit on purpose!?" Alex could lament all he wanted, but it was obvious that the pharaoh had no intention of cutting his lounging short. With half of his mind pulled towards the pharaoh Alex tried to remember where they had left off,

"Right. So back to Archer's intentions, I think there's more to this than meets the eye. The question is what, and how."

Mina tentatively agreed, "Definitely. I'd prefer to know now, but I think we'll have a better idea once the data from that laptop gets analyzed. Still, the whole situation bugs me. What does she have to gain from all of this? Does she think that garnering human supporters will help her beat the rest of the Heroic Spirits?"

Alex admitted that she made a good point. Humans were no match for Servants, especially those who were not accomplished mages. Even then, Alex held severe doubts as to how a mere human could go toe-to-toe with a Servant, especially after seeing the kind of damage they could do. "That can't be all there is…is there something we're not seeing?" As he pondered various possibilities, his eyes and thoughts wandered to Ozymandias who remained in his relaxed, authoritative pose. At about the time when a pair of quietly bemused golden irises met him, a revelation dawned on him,

"It's not about gain for the war. It's just her nature."

"Eh? What are you talking about? We barely know the basics of her nature." Alex didn't pay attention to Mina's question, he was too focused on noticing the corner of the pharaoh's mouth twitch towards a smile,

"It was like you said before. She shares a lot in common with the Heroic Spirits that we summoned. She's gathering a following just like she had in life, I'm sure of it. It's not just an army, she wants a fanbase dedicated solely to her. No wonder she chose an idol-like approach! Then there's the all-male question; again, it's probably just like she had in life, a dedicated following of men that did all the hard work for her while she got to sit back and reap the benefits. It all makes sense!"

There was no disagreement coming from Mina, who turned her attention back to the whiteboard, which was getting fairly full by this point, "Okay, that seems to line up with her actions up until now. But that still leaves the questions of who is planning everything, what her end game is, or even who she is?"

"That first one is easy, it's obviously her Master. You know, the guy who shot me. We probably won't get much info on him until we fight him again. Guy gives me the creeps…"

"I'm totally with you on that one. There's definitely something off about that guy, but there's not much we can do much about it until we come to blows. As for her end game…"

Alex jumped in, "Same thing. We can make guesses all day, but until the data comes back, we're shooting blind. Let's try and focus on stuff we can actually nail down."

"Like who she really is?"

"Exactly."

Mina huffed a sigh, "We're just looping around between the same questions. Besides, it would be a nightmare to try and figure her True Name out this way. There aren't any other clues that we could use either, with the exception of her dress, everything she says feels very modern."

"Ah, and this is where the knowledge of a pharaoh is most needed. Fear not, fretful Masters, for I have just the piece required to finish your puzzle."

Once again, Ozymandias' sudden interjection startled the duo who were so deep in their thoughts that, for the briefest moment, they had completely forgotten that the pharaoh was still in the room. There was an awkward pause where the pharaoh clearly expected some form of awed plea for him to enlighten their dull, dark minds. The reality was that Alex and Mina just wanted to come away with something concrete after all of their brainstorming, so they said nothing and waited expectantly for explanation. Much to his credit, Ozymandias delivered without missing a beat,

"The answer is so laughably simple that it's no wonder you could not see that which is placed right before you! Indeed, it was a true test of will to not burst out in laughter right then and there!"

Mina leaned over to Alex and quietly whispered, "Is he going to mock us or help?" He likewise responded, "I've noticed he does both equally."

The pharaoh rolled on, "Here, open your ears and accept the wisdom of the ages! She is above mortality as you know it. You will not find her name amongst the great kings and queens of humanity. Indeed, her core is that of the divine itself!"

Shocked silence descended over the room as the pair struggled to come to terms with the bombshell revelation. Alex felt deeply troubled by the pharaoh's words as there was a weight attached to them that hinted at an underlying seriousness to the pharaoh's normal indifferent bemusement. Just by that subtle inflection, Alex could infer that this was something very serious. But to his surprise, Mina seemed to be taking the information far harder than he was. Her countenance was one of astonishment and bewilderment that certainly ran deeper than his own.

"There's…no way. That's not possible! That shouldn't be possible!" Alex was caught off-guard by her tone; it was almost as if she was accusing Ozymandias of something. His heartbeat quickened as the pharaoh turned a smoldering eye to her, seemingly to fully acknowledge her presence for the first time,

"Do you doubt the word of a pharaoh?"

The quiet tension in the room suddenly skyrocketed as Ozymandias searched Mina's eyes, as if he was hoping that she would defy him. The sheer pressure emanating from him was in sharp contrast to his laid-back posture. Mina showed no interest in openly saying that he was wrong and she shrank back into her seat, averting her gaze,

"N-no, that's…that's not what I was…I didn't mean any disrespect…" A wave of irritation arose within Alex, he saw no reason why the pharaoh was being so harsh on her just for showing unease with what he said. Right as he was about to voice his indignation, those same golden irises locked him in place,

"You think me unfair for defending my point when I know it to be true? Do not be such a fool to think that she has shown me disrespect, nor that this is the end of her questioning. Are you going to add to the conversation? Or were you intending to fill her mouth with your own words?"

Alex took the hint and closed his mouth, a bit put out at being brushed aside, but decided that it was better to simply roll with it. The pharaoh once more placed Mina under the spotlight,

"Go on then. Voice what rests so heavy on your heart so that I might assuage your worries." She nodded and took a moment to collect her thoughts,

"Well…it's just that it should be impossible to summon a Divine Spirit during a Holy Grail War. The Age of the Gods is long gone, so there shouldn't be any way for one to manifest here."

Alex gently interjected, "Hold on, are you suggesting that Archer is actually a goddess? That whole thing about her being the 'Goddess of the Seas' isn't just a persona?"

The pharaoh gave a nod, "So it would seem. Under normal conditions, one would never lay eyes on a phenomenon such as Archer. And yet, here she is."

Alex was still very much lost, "Can we back up a bit so I can wrap my head around all of this? What is the Age of the Gods and why does it make Archer so special? She seemed like any other Servant we've come across so far…"

The groan of frustration that Mina produced was one of her most exasperated Alex had experienced in all of his time with her, "Aggghhhhh…you're hopeless! You would know if you payed attention in Theory of Magecraft!"

"Hey, I passed that class!"

She opened her mouth to retort but then thought better of it, "I'm not arguing in front of the pharaoh."

Ozymandias, for his part, appeared to be thoroughly amused by the whole performance, "Now, now, there's no reason to quit on my behalf. There's nothing quite like a squabble between generals to make strategizing bearable."

There was a moment of shared self-consciousness as the pharaoh chuckled under his breath before Mina picked up the subject once more,

"Well, I guess I'll just give you the basics. The Age of the Gods is what we mages use to refer to the time before human civilization really took root, where the ancient gods were able to intervene in everyday life. The gods had direct control over every facet of life on Earth, obviously this was both good and bad for early humanity. Humanity's strongest magic-users lived during this time, as they drew power straight from the gods. But somewhere along the line, humanity separated from the gods and forced them to withdraw to their own realm. After that, humanity could only access some of the god's former power, in the form of magecraft. The gods still interacted with humanity, which is where demigods of myth arose, but beyond that and the giving of blessings, humanity was on its own. With the coming of the Christian era, the old gods were truly thrust from the world, removing the last of their influence."

An impressed smile from Ozymandias lit up the room, "Well done, I did not think that information such as this was still made available to mages of the current age. It would seem that Thoth has blessed you with wisdom, be grateful."

Her cheeks colored slightly, "I just pay attention…that's all."

Alex overlooked the alteration in her tone and instead attempted to digest what Mina had explained, "So…if all if this is true, then that means Archer is one of these old deities that humanity used to worship? I don't think I'd believe it if it had come from anyone other than present company." He paused briefly to see if the pharaoh would reprimand him for insinuating that he was wrong, but none was forthcoming so he continued,

"How is that even possible? I'm not going to pretend to know everything about how the whole Heroic Spirit summoning system works, but I get the gist of it. Someone can qualify for being a Heroic Spirit by achieving greatness while they were alive and by stamping their mark on human history. It's easy to see why such people as Nero or Ozymandias became Heroic Spirits, I mean seriously, people still keep a passport for you, great pharaoh."

"Oh, is that so?" Ozymandias raised an interested eyebrow, "This is good to know. I will be sure to use this opportunity to spread my glory throughout the world, when the time comes."

Alex pretended to not be concerned by that, "There's just one problem that I see here; how can a goddess become a Heroic Spirit, when she was never human to begin with?" A glimmer of approval shone within the pharaoh's eyes, "Very good. It is true that those who wish to be engraved in the Throne of Heroes, the place where we Heroic Spirits are recorded, must have done great or terrible things to engrave themselves upon human history. While there is truth in saying that only those born of flesh could do so, there is a caveat. So long as one impacts humanity enough to be recorded, it matters not if they are mortal or divine."

"Damn it all," Alex let his frustration slip for a moment, "How does someone even do that? Getting a goddess is cheating!" The shine in the pharaoh's eyes turned a bit dangerous at the comment, "It sounds as though you are disappointed. Should I take my leave then?"

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant at all!" His quick backpedaling seemed to satisfy Ozymandias and he breathed a silent sigh of relief, "Is he the jealous type? God, I hope not." Ignoring the amusement on Mina's face, he quickly regained his composure, "I guess there's no point in trying to figure out how she was summoned, what matters is how we beat her. Any ideas on how we do that?"

Contemplative quiet fell over the room as Alex and Mina wracked their brains for a possible solution, but as the minutes stretched on, it seemed that they were no closer to finding an answer than when they started. Right at the point where he started to feel his frustration begin to overtake him, Mina gave him a pointed look. He didn't require clarification to know what he needed to do next,

He turned to the pharaoh and implored him, "Great pharaoh, we beseech you, impart us with your wisdom and insight on this matter. We are blind to the answer and are in need of your benevolent guidance."

Ozymandias raised a curious eyebrow at Alex's petition and for a brief moment, Alex was worried that he had done something incorrectly. This was the first time he had ever addressed someone of Ozymandias' station in such a manner and it had only just occurred to him that there were probably very strict protocols that should be followed when speaking to a pharaoh, and he had done none of them.

"Fu. Fufu fuhahaHAHAHA!" The raucous laughter emitting from the pharaoh removed any doubts from within Alex's chest, he had begun to associate his laughter with a good mood so he felt little reason to worry, for the moment at least. Once Ozymandias brought his chuckling under control, he gave his response,

"The youth of modernity are truly that, still needing guidance from their elders. Very well! Tis the duty of a king to ensure his subjects are informed on all matters that require their attention, therefore, I will bestow upon you my wisdom. But before I can do so, I require refreshments, so that my voice shall reach you unhindered."

Mina sighed good-naturedly and rose from her seat, "If the pharaoh wishes. This is a good moment to take a break anyway, we still have a long way to go before we hit any kind of breakthrough. You prefer red wine, is that right, Pharaoh Ozymandias?"

At his gentle nod of affirmation, Mina exited the room, leaving Alex feeling strangely vulnerable. As her footsteps faded deeper into the house, he struggled to find something to say but came up empty. It seemed that he would wait out Mina's absence in silence, but to his surprise, Ozymandias addressed him,

"You handled yourself well within Archer's trap. Though I do confess myself to be curious as to how long you will be able to maintain yourself."

On the one hand, Alex positively glowed at the praise offered by Ozymandias. To receive recognition from one so accomplished as him made all the trials that he and Mina overcame in that tower all the more worthwhile. However,

"Thank you for saying so, Pharaoh Ozymandias, but I don't quite understand what you mean by 'maintain myself?"

The golden eyes of the pharaoh flared with interest, "You did not strike anyone down. Surely the opportunity presented itself? So, why not take it and remove the threat posed to your life permanently?"

The gentle glow from the pharaoh's eyes suddenly turned into spotlights so intense that Alex fully believed that he would melt. "Where did this come from? Ah damnit, this guy knows everything! Does he think I'm weak for not killing those guys? Damnit, I can't read his emotions! Just have to be honest and hope he doesn't resent me for the fact."

He took a deep breath and gave his answer, "There is more than one way to beat an opponent. You don't always have to kill to demonstrate your strength."

The pharaoh's expression remained inscrutable, if vaguely interested, "Oh? A nice sentiment, one that you have seemingly stuck to throughout this ordeal. Even when you held the life of that red-haired Master in your hands, you refused to finish him off even though one might have called such an act merciful."

The scar on his neck began to itch under the illusion and Alex had to resist the urge to scratch at it. Ozymandias continued and pressed further,

"Some might call your unwillingness to kill morally correct. Others might call you weak, indecisive, a coward. Would any of the others you have fought thus far shown you the same mercy?"

Alex bristled at the mention of cowardice but managed to swallow his pride. He refused to rise to the bait put before him, "Perhaps all of those things are true. But I stand by my actions. Maybe those under Archer's control would not have, but they are also not themselves, therefore their actions do not necessarily reflect their own wishes. As for Berserker's Master…yes. I believe he would've done the same."

The golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Do you honestly believe this? You would stake your very existence on a vain hope that you cannot even guarantee to be true?"

He quipped back without a moment's consideration, "Isn't that what it means to be human though?"

The pharaoh simply stared at him, seemingly struck speechless with a look of astonishment dawning across his face. In the pregnant pause that followed, Alex worried for the second time in quick succession that he had gone too far.

"FUFU HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

For the second time in rapid succession, Alex breathed a sigh of relief as he was not being smote with godly levels of light magic. The pharaoh, for his part, roared with a laughter that the ignorant would call unbecoming of his station. He laughed so hard, in fact, that he nearly fell from his chair and only barely managed to catch himself before doing so. Alex could only sit rooted in place, feeling utterly drained yet pleasantly happy that he was able to defend his actions to the pharaoh.

"The hell happened in here?"

Alex turned to see Mina standing in the doorframe, bearing a tray with a small collection of drinks and glasses, as well as a look of utter confusion. There was little more Alex could do than shrug a helpless gesture, "Oh, you know. Just another day." Mina placed the tray on the table as the pharaoh wiped tears from his eyes, his mirth slowly subsiding. The moment Mina removed the cork from the wine bottle, a familiar voice echoed in the space around them,

"Umu! I heard the sounds of merriment and fresh wine, so of course I must make an appearance!" The sight of Saber materializing drew all eyes to the beaming woman, who cast her eyes about the room, gleefully searching for the source of all the excitement. Spotting the wine in Mina's hands, Saber snatched a glass off the tray and held it out expectantly while she used her free hand to perform a welcoming gesture towards Ozymandias,

"It is always a joy to see you in such high spirits, Sun King! Umu! Are we holding a celebration for our certain victory!?" She then shook her empty glass slightly, at which Mina dutifully tipped the bottle and poured a generous amount. The pharaoh chuckled at the bubbly Saber and extended a waiting hand towards Mina, who rolled her eyes but filled a second glass for him,

"Greetings to you as well, Emperor of Roses. It is always a pleasure to see another who shines like the Sun. No, we have not won yet. But victory shall be achieved in due time, so be patient for now."

Saber harrumphed and dropped into the space between where Alex and Mina had chosen to seat themselves, "Very well. If it is a war council that is occurring, then of course I will offer my genius insight! When it comes to tactics, none can defeat Rome's most brilliant general!"

The statement was so absurd that it was Alex's turn to hold back a laugh. With what he knew about Roman history, Nero was near the bottom when it came to ranking great Roman generals. He must not have done a good job of keeping the thought to himself because Saber suddenly leaned in close with a pout on her face,

"You do not believe in my genius, do you not? Umu… You should have more faith in me!"

Alex pulled back as much as the limited space allowed, but Saber allowed him no retreat, "Why is she so close!? I have nowhere safe to look! Ahhh…why is she wearing such a revealing dress?"

"Now now Saber," chided Mina from behind a barely hidden smile, "Don't tease him. If you get any closer, I think he might burst from embarrassment." Heeding the words of her Master, Saber pulled away and sipped on her wine through pursed lips. The frown on her face melted away almost immediately after she tasted her drink and the room was brightened by her wide smile. Mina took up a glass, partially filled it and took the cushion to Saber's right,

"While it is good to see you in such good spirits Saber, I thought I had sent you out to scout out the conditions in the city?" Noticing that nobody was going to get him a drink, Alex reluctantly rose to grab the final glass while Saber explained herself,

"Umu! You most certainly did, and so I returned as you asked of me! The local authorities are swarming around that large structure like so many worker bees, so I decided against going inside. There were many of those helicopters buzzing around too! I want to try piloting one!" The pharaoh smiled in agreement, "I too would like to add one of those to my arsenal. Having aerial supremacy is important for any kingdom in this modern age."

Alex quickly waved the hopes of the two rulers aside, "Can we focus on the task at hand, please? I'm sure there will be a chance for you two to show off your piloting skills another time, though neither of you are licensed…"

Saber beamed, "Why would we? Not only are we natural born leaders, we both possess strong Riding skills! Though of course, the Sun King would beat me in a contest seeing his class is Rider, but I would certainly welcome the challenge!"

"As would I," murmured the Sun King, "As would I."

"On task, please!"

Saber relented, "Very well. I detected no Servants in the area, though it is possible they were hiding their presence through magecraft or some other technique. If Archer has a smart Master, they will have vanished into the depths until they are ready to show themselves." She took a long pull of her wine, "Pheww…it was so difficult to get around from place to place. This city is so large, it reminds me a bit of Rome! Not nearly as beautiful of course, but it has its charms."

"I'm not so sure about that. Not the Rome thing though!"

The pharaoh directed a questioning eye towards Alex, beating out Saber's irritated expression, "Oh really now? What makes you say that?"

Alex took a sip of his wine and took a moment to consolidate his thoughts, "I don't have any evidence for that, but its just a feeling I have. Maybe we do find where Archer is hiding, but how is that a blow to her? She seems to be in control no matter what happens, and don't forget who she has on her side."

"Lancer," Mina quietly answered, "That's right. Every time we've made a move, Archer and Lancer have been ready and waiting. Saber, what can you tell us about Lancer? You're the one that's gone up against her more than once."

The smile on Saber's face hollowed ever so slightly, "She is dangerous. Even if I were to go all out against that woman…I do not know…"

The seriousness in her tone surprised Alex, who had only known her to be bubbly and cheerful, "Seriously? Has she given away any clues as to who she might be? Region, style, anything?"

The emperor slowly shook her head, "She has let nothing of the sort slip her tongue. Lancer has all of the dark mystery as the forests beyond the Rhine. Beautiful and exciting to behold, but only death lies within."

There was a heavy finality buried within Saber's expression, as if she had witnessed something terrible and could not bear the weight of the memory. Alex turned to the pharaoh, hoping to find some hidden plan behind his expression. To his quiet shock, he found only a dark acceptance,

"That one," murmured Ozymandias, "is definitely a problem. Even I might be pushed a bit farther than I would like."

"Why is that? Is she also a Divine Spirit?" Alex pushed the subject, desperate to glean anything on this shadowy foe. Ozymandias wore a complex expression that belied little of what he was truly thinking, "I do not know."

It was a frustratingly empty reply, but Alex sensed that he had hit a wall that could not be pushed further and he reluctantly gave up the chase. Instead he switched to a yet unanswered request, "Would you mind illuminating on our situation with Archer, pharaoh? You mentioned you had some advice for us."

The pharaoh acquiesced, "Ah, that is correct. I had nearly forgotten your request, but nevertheless, I shall share my wisdom with you who seeks it so." He paused momentarily for dramatic effect, "Archer's Spirit Core is unstable."

Alex had no idea what that was supposed to mean, other than that he was clearly supposed to. Luckily for him, Mina seemed to glean some kind of understanding from the hint. Just before she seemed poised to clarify, a high-pitched ringing sound shattered the miasma. He quickly realized that the sound was emanating from a phone, just as Mina went scrambling for her pockets,

"Ah, sorry about that! I thought I set it to vibrate." Her face shifted from surprised embarrassment to recognition as she stared at the screen, "That was quicker than I thought." She tapped on the screen and brought it up to her ear, "Yeah, it's me. What do you have?"

Anticipation now charged Alex's system, "This is it, right? Are we finally moving forward?" He didn't have to wait long for an answer. Without warning, Mina thrust her half-full glass into Saber's hand and vaulted over the back of the couch, "Just a moment!" She half-shouted into her device, "I think I have one lying around!"

In a flash, she was gone with only the pounding of her footsteps offering a clue to where she had gone. The atmosphere in the living room was positively electric as Mina dashed away. Alex found himself halfway out of his seat by the time the footsteps faded into the upper floors. He forced himself to sit properly so as to not make a fool of himself in front of present company, but he still tapped his foot eagerly as he waited for news. Saber, likewise, showed none of her previous melancholy which was now replaced by an eagerness of someone awaiting a Christmas present. Only the pharaoh retained a semblance of composure, but the quiet tapping of his finger on the wineglass in his hand indicated to Alex that he was actually rather intrigued by the whole scenario.

The footsteps above quickened their pace and Mina's voice echoed throughout the house, "Alex! Dining room, now! Bring a marker!" Finally given the chance to put the tension in his body to use, he set his glass down as quickly and safely as he could, snatched up an errant marker from the table and dashed for the dining room. From the sound of clattering glass and rushing of fabric behind him, he surmised that Saber was not about to just sit by idly while all the excitement happened around her. He turned the corner and skidded to a halt just as Mina threw down a large map of some kind on the long dining room table. As he rushed to her side, he noticed at a glance that it was a very detailed map of the city. Mina extricated the phone from her shoulder and held out her hand,

"Give it! Quick!"

He obliged. Mina pulled off the cap and tossed it to the side, her focus entirely placed on the conversation that Alex could not hear as she poised herself over the map. She drew in a short, calming breath, "Alright. I'm ready."

Saber joined them on the other side of the table, her eyes glittering with interest as she and Alex watched Mina carefully circle four locations around the city. Each of her movements were careful and precise, she spoke little more than affirmations to the mysterious voice on the other end of her call. Once the fourth location was indicated, Mina stood up straight and set down the marker,

"Yeah, I got them all. Thanks, we're even now. See ya." Without further formalities, she hung up and set the phone aside. Now she acknowledged the others in the room, "Okay. We've got a situation on our hands."

A shimmer of movement caught Alex's eye, it seemed that all the commotion had drawn the pharaoh's attention. Alex squared his shoulders and bent over the map next to Mina, "Alright. What does all of this mean?"

Mina glanced around at everyone to check if they were paying attention and upon seeing that she had their undivided attention she began, "There are a couple of problems, but I'll start with the basics. Archer wasn't broadcasting her videos in the conventional sense. She was actually having them encrypted and then simultaneously broadcasted from four different locations around the city. Clearly, she didn't want herself being found. Apparently, the encryptions used were tough enough to be military-grade. I bet her Master did that. He may be good," she allowed a satisfied smirk to cross her face, "but my guy is better."

"So, we have their location then?" Alex couldn't keep his own excitement down, "So we just go to these places and shut them down, right? It can't be that easy."

Mina made a calming gesture at him, "You're right, it isn't. There's more to this than just shutting these auxiliary stations down, which we should still do. Take a look at this." She took up the marker once more and carefully connected the four circles, creating a diamond-shaped pattern before them. An idea clicked inside Alex's head,

"Wait. This suddenly feels a lot like a ritual. Geometry is super important for a ritual to succeed, and the diamond is a strong shape. You don't think that…"

"Archer is trying to do something big? Yes, I do." Mina's face was set with grim certainty, "What's more, each of these locations are set at leyline loci. Check this out," She waved her hand over the map and a series of bright blue lines began to snake their way across its surface. Alex recognized them as magical leylines, a part of the world known only to mages. Alex remember them being described as magical circuits for the Earth. True enough, each of the four locations sat over a place where leylines converged. She tapped a location to grab his attention, "Look at what's dead center."

Alex followed her finger to the point in question and upon reaching the answer, a jolt of dread pulsed through his body, "That's…that's the CJ Seoul Tower! Its right on top of Namsan Mountain. It supplies the whole city with its radio and television!"

"It's more than just a radio tower," a hint of anger touched her words, "that tower is a representation of the whole city. Strong. Proud. Defiant. People come from all over the world to take in the beauty from its heights, enjoy the serenity of its shadow, confirm their love for the ages…" She shook her head and composed herself, "But for a ritual site, it makes the perfect focal point. It sits at the convergence of three leylines, which contain serious power. The park is still shut down from the fight with Berserker, and a tower like that would be easy for them to break into. I'd bet anything that's where Archer and Lancer are right now and if not now, then soon."

Saber suddenly interjected, "Umu! I believe I am following so far, but what would that spotlight-stealing wannabe-idol want with that big thing?"

Alex had been staring at the map while Mina was explaining the situation, trying to discern the true purpose behind Archer's movements. There was still something missing, and he strained mightily to recall anything that could put it all together. A dozen possibilities burned through his skull and he discarded them all for being implausible. Frustrated, he looked up at Saber's question and met the pharaoh's eyes. The moment he did so, the final piece thundered into place.

"Of course. That's what she's doing!" All eyes turned to him, "This is only partly a ritual, the other half is mundane. Archer is trying to rebuild her power base."

Mina gave him a scrutinizing look, "I'm not sure I follow. Doesn't she already have people on her side?"

He nodded emphatically, "Yes, but only six thousand, tops. Think about it, if she's a goddess from ancient times, then there's one thing that doesn't exist for her in the modern age: faith. There are hundreds of myths that speak of the gods relying on humans for worship as a source for their power, but she doesn't have that anymore."

Alex turned briefly to Ozymandias, "That's the reason you mentioned that her Spirit Core seems weak and imbalanced, isn't it? She can't maintain a solid connection here on mana alone. She needs the power that comes from an adoring public."

The pharaoh said nothing and sipped his wine with a ghost of an approving grin being the only indication to his Master that he had done well. While the pharaoh silently approved, horror slowly overcame Mina,

"That's… that's really bad. If she gets full access to that tower, then she can reach almost every corner of the country! Thousands, tens of thousands, untold numbers could fall under her sway in an instant! Such a thing would spell disaster for this country. We can't let this happen!"

Alex steeled his resolve, "We won't. We're going to stop her before she can enact her ritual and return herself to full power. I won't let her turn a symbol of this nation into her new throne, and that's a promise."

Mina's hands balled into angry fists, "Nor will I. My people don't bow, not without a fight. So, how should we go about this? Should we go for the encrypting and broadcasting sites first or head straight for the tower?"

The way she asked gave the impression that it was an open question for all, which Alex thought was a good idea. He was interested in hearing the opinion of a great tactician like Ozymandias. Saber's opinion was welcome too, of course.

The pharaoh in question slowly rose and sauntered over to the map to take his first proper look at the layout of the city and the locations indicated. He was quiet for a minute as he absorbed the contents of the map and his wineglass. When at last he spoke, Alex found no direct path to follow,

"Well now. Should an immediate attack be launched, there is no guarantee that our enemy will be where we predicted. This will provide us the advantage of seizing the target landmark as well as providing an excellent defensive position. However, our mobility on a grand scale will decrease significantly and grant initiative over to our enemy. Do not forget that there are still two Servants that have yet to show themselves or their intentions. If you intend to head to these points surrounding the main objective, the strength of the ritual could be greatly affected, if these sites truly matter to the ritual at all. if these points are taken and eliminated, then the enemy could be drawn out to attack out of anger. If Archer and Lancer could be split apart, then our chances for victory will increase significantly. Of course, this will allow them to choose where they engage, if at all. Plus, there is the added negative that the ritual might continue without the auxiliary sites and they will achieve their goals without interference as a result." He drained the rest of his glass in one go, "What say you, Emperor of roses?"

"Ngh…huh…wha…?" Saber suddenly jerked her body upright as the pharaoh addressed her. From the slight confusion in her eyes, Alex guessed that she had been dozing off just now. Saber recovered brilliantly by waving off the torrent of words from Ozymandias,

"If you ask my opinion, and of course you do, then I say we go straight for the goal! She smiled broadly, "Umu! Goddess or no goddess, if she threatens my waiting audience, then I have no choice but to take her down! Let us depart now! I am ready!"

A smooth interjection from the pharaoh stifled her next words, "Are you positive about that? Well, no matter. This is not our decision to make." Alex and Mina shared a nervous look as the pharaoh added almost as an afterthought, "Go ahead and choose, we will comply no matter which way you decide to handle this."

The Heroic Spirits fell silent as they await their Masters' orders, though Saber continued to hum some kind of melody to herself. Alex stared at the map of the city, uncertain as to how they should prioritize their objectives. Mina chewed the bottom of her lip as she likewise studied the map, a sure sign that she was as frustrated with the current situation as he was. After several moments of relative quiet, Mina growled in a frustrated tone,

"Damnit, there's no right answer here, is there?"

Alex sympathized, "No, I don't think so. That might even be the whole point of the arrangement of these auxiliary sites." Mina's eyes narrowed in understanding, "Divide and conquer. Think Archer is trying to do the same thing that we are?"

He nodded, "I'd say so. We have to assume that Archer knows that we're coming, and that we've figured out what she's up to. In that case, we need to set a priority. Either we focus on Archer and Lancer, or we focus on stopping the ritual. If only one of these could be accomplished, which would you prefer?"

Mina grimaced, "I'd love to accomplish both, but I get what you're saying. Since we don't know specifics yet, we need to take a chance. Hmm…If I had to choose, I would want whatever they're doing at the tower shut down. We can always hunt them down later, but a ritual done at that tower could seriously affect the whole nation."

"Then that's what we'll do." Alex had no reason to argue with her, the ritual was clearly the more pressing threat. The possible danger to a civilian population was too large to ignore, and he hoped that if they could prevent this from happening, they might be able to learn more about their opponents. He looked to the Spirits to gauge their reaction and sensed no disagreement from either of them. "I hope this is the right call…"

"So that's decided," the sense of frustration was gone from Mina and she now seemed eager to press on with planning, "If we want to hit all of those sites, we're going to need to separate. Some of them are quite a distance from each other."

Alex shrugged helplessly, "You know this area better than any of us. I'll leave the decision of deployment up to you."

She studied the map thoughtfully for several moments, "Hmmm…great pharaoh, will you be taking to the field yourself?"

"Hmph. If you are unable to complete the task set before you, then perhaps my brilliance will chase away the darkness. But until then, a token force of mine will be made available for you to do with as you please."

Alex wasn't sure if he should take those words to be as threatening as they sounded, nor did he understand why Ozymandias didn't simply obliterate all four locations at once. But he had grown accustomed to the pharaoh's capricious nature and did not question him. Mina dipped her head in thanks,

"You honor us with such a responsibility, great pharaoh. If that is the case, then we just might be able to pull this off." She took a breath and adopted a commanding tone, "Alright! Saber, you take the location in Dasan-Ro."

Saber jumped to attention and saluted smartly, "Umu! Just leave everything to me! Once I get fired up, there's nothing in all the world that can keep me down!" Mina smiled in return, "I'm counting on you, Emperor. Watch out for Lancer, as you seem to be her preferred target. If she shows up, do your best to keep her occupied. Lead her away from the battlefield if you can, but don't be reckless!"

Saber simply offered a dazzling smile in response. Mina sighed in a defeated manner and pressed onwards, "The next two are in Bukchang-dong and Duteopbwa-ro. We'll split the pharaoh's gift between the two. Even if the forces are light, I highly doubt average people will have the capacity to fight off efreeti and the like. Even low-tier mages won't have the capacity to stop them."

"Hm. An audacious plan indeed!" Ozymandias suddenly interjected, much to the surprise of the room, "Such rapid strikes are dangerous indeed, but they create maximum results. It is brilliance itself!" Mina dipped her head again, which conveniently hid her coloring cheeks, "I do not deserve such praise. I'm just doing the best I can with what we have."

"Nonsense!" barked the pharaoh, "Pride is essential for any good tactician! Here, I shall grant you a gift, hopefully it will encourage you to take pride in your work!" Ozymandias suddenly thrust his hand forward over the table as he loudly proclaimed, "Bow your heads in reverence and receive the boon of the Sun King! I shall hereby grant a single androsphinx, to be directed by one other than myself until this mission is completed!"

They both quickly bowed their heads as commanded; Alex could scarcely believe what he had just heard, "Th-thank you for your generosity. We won't waste this opportunity!" Not that he had any idea what this 'androsphinx' could do, but he had no intention of letting this opportunity pass by. Ozymandias returned to his prior sitting position, "I trust that will not come to pass. You may continue."

Taking that as the signal to raise their heads, the fortunate pair remained slightly bewildered at their good fortune. Mina placed her finger at the fourth location with reinforced confidence, "The final one is here, in Usudan-ro. That one's on us, Alex. You up for it?"

"Hell yeah. It'll be a piece of cake." The confidence in his voice was absolute, "Once we knock these sites out, what should we do? Head for the tower?"

Mina gave an affirmative nod, "That's right. Whatever happens, we all need to make a mad dash for the tower. If all goes well, we can slip through whatever defenses they've set up and break them on the mountaintop. We'll leave the Servants to you," she indicated Saber and Ozymandias in turn, "but we need to be ready for Archer's Master. There's also the matter of Lancer's Master, who has yet to show themselves."

"Finally," Alex felt the excitement begin to well up from within, "we've got a plan. We're ready this time, and we won't lose. I'm sure of it." He looked over to Mina, "When do we move?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," came the quick reply, "Many of these locations are residential, so we need to move quick and preferably without attracting suspicion if possible. The sphinx goes to Duteopbwa-ro, as its nearer to the mountain so it can hide quickly. Hopefully, we can all strike at once, remove the auxiliary sites and beeline right for the tower. Any questions?"

None were forthcoming. Mina stretched and stifled a yawn, "Very well. We move tomorrow. If all goes well, we may take down two Servants at once. Let's all prepare as we see fit."

As Alex prepared to leave the room, Ozymandias suddenly glanced upwards towards the outside, "Curious…" Alex took a few steps forward, "What has your attention, pharaoh?"

Ozymandias wore a patient expression, "Oh, nothing major. But it seems we have visitors." Adrenaline surged through his body as Alex quickly turned towards the window, as if expecting to see someone leering in from outside. Mina had also gone on alert, "He's right, someone's inside the barrier."

Right at that exact moment the doorbell rang, causing Alex to jump ever so slightly. Saber suddenly spun on her heels and clapped excitedly as she skipped towards the door, "He's here! I just knew he'd come by tonight!"

Alex and Mina relaxed a bit and shared a confused look, "Did Saber order take-out?" Mina shrugged, "Dunno. Suppose we should go see."

The both followed Saber out of the room, while Ozymandias remained behind with a knowing smirk on his face. "Saber…who did you bring?" Mina had adopted the tone of a parent who had to gently scold a troublesome but well-meaning child. Saber only flashed another winning smile, "Sorry, Master. But he asked me to keep it a secret until tonight."

"Who is this mysterious person?"

Instead of answering, Saber proudly pulled open the door and stepped aside, revealing a large frame outlined in the doorway. The light emanating from the hallway revealed a man who appeared to be roughly the same height as Alex, if maybe a little shorter. Long brown hair tumbled down his head and past his shoulder blades, almost reaching his waist. From behind the strands that fell into his face peeked two amber eyes that reflected only warmth and kindness. But what clearly separated him from any ordinary man was the fact that he was clad in full plate armor and carried a longsword at his side. The armor was immaculately clean, its bronze coloration shining in the artificial light. On his right shoulder he carried a figure in the shape of a roaring dragon's head, while much of his torso and legs were covered by garments of crimson and white. Behind him trailed a long cape of the purest white, broken only by the movement of a long red sash that hung from his right shoulder. Both Alex and Mina reacted at the same time,

"A Servant!" Mina half-shouted, "Saber! Who did you bring here!?" Alex subconsciously stepped backwards and entered a defensive stance, ready to react at a moment's notice. The man chuckled and spread his hands wide. When he spoke, his voice was gentle and warm,

"Peace be upon you, Master of Saber. Peace be upon you, Master of Rider. I mean you no harm."

Alex and Mina looked to each other and slowly dropped their guards, but not completely. Alex peered closer at the strange Servant, "Something about his manner of speaking…I know that phrase!"

The Servant bowed respectfully, "I apologize for the suddenness of my arrival, but I believed it was time I made myself known to you all." He rose and placed a hand on his chest, "I am the Ruler class Servant of this Holy Grail War. I have many names, but most know me as Saint George, slayer of dragons and patron saint of England. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Might I come in?"