Chapter 18: The Most Powerful Man in the World

Sakura tore down the hallway, flipping past Hitler. She let loose another gemcraft arrow, and it passed through Hitler harmlessly. An illusion. Sakura glowered. She nocked another gemcraft arrow and aimed carefully.

There were five Hitlers in sight. Not that any of them were the real him. A good illusionist never revealed himself. This many copies meant that he was likely waiting for her to make a move first, and then counterattack and kill her.

She closed her eyes. She felt the sources of Mana coming from those dolls he had made… but there was no hiding the genuine article. His Noble Phantasm was too powerful for it to be hidden so easily.

She felt it. He was channeling a massive amount of Mana into something… or perhaps someone. Regardless, he was next to a window off to her Southeast. "Should Caster fail… you have my permission to attack," she heard him say.

Sakura whirled around and let her arrow fly, aimed at the real Hitler. Hitler turned on his heel and slid around it, using that Witchcraft he had used earlier. Sakura focused, and a familiar popped out of the window sill, catching her wayward arrow before it flew out the window.

"You're quite good at tracking me down. Your familiars are more difficult to destroy than I had initially thought," Hitler narrated, summoning a grenade to one hand and a pistol to another. "I do have to admit that I'm surprised by you, Ms. Tohsaka. You weren't very good at gemcraft during the last war. I see you've compensated for that by taking up archery."

Hitler eyed her bow. "And that would be your former Servant's bow, wouldn't it?"

Sakura said nothing. She grabbed another gem, holding a second in the palm of her hand. She drew her bow again. She had one shot at this. One shot was all she needed.

She focused again. This time, numerous red beady eyes appeared on the floor underneath Hitler. Her familiars bubbled up from the ground, grabbing onto Hitler's feet and attempting to hold him in place.

Hitler kicked them off and dashed to the side before Sakura could fire. Sakura gritted her teeth. So he wasn't a Spiritual Body. That meant that this was a manikin, and the real one was somewhere around here still.

Sakura kept her eyes on the manikin. It just meant that she would have to…

Sakura spied Command Seals on the back of his hand. The earlier manikin didn't have one of those… She had assumed that Hitler didn't have any at all due to being a Heroic Spirit, so the Grail wouldn't allow him to technically wield Command Seals. Since the Master of Berserker in the last war had used some form of book to act as his contract, she had assumed that he must've done something similar to obtain the right to summon a Servant in this war.

But if he had Command Seals, then that meant that he was a human. He had been incarnated somehow. Such a thing would only have been possible if he had achieved the Holy Grail…

Sakura had her realization. With the amount of Mana that his Noble Phantasm gave him…

She remembered everything she could about the Noble Phantasm. It was "The Holocaust". The original meaning of the word "Holocaust" was that of a ritual in which you would sacrifice something to god with fire. However, with Hitler's slaughter of the Jews being equated with that, Hitler had gained the ability to take mana from those that died around him, including Servants.

In other words, he had stolen most of the mana meant for the Grail because of his ability to steal mana from defeated enemies. The Servant's corpses that were meant to power the Grail instead went to him. In essence, he must've become a miniature Holy Grail himself.

And that meant he could've incarnated himself with sheer willpower, should he desire to. And that also meant that her familiars, which were effective against Spiritual Bodies, were useless against him.

Sakura took a breath. This was going to be far easier than she thought.

Hitler raised his gun and began firing bullets, but he kept his grenade ready.

Sakura darted around, never staying in the same place, and moving erratically, so Hitler wouldn't be able to predict where she was going. She didn't have enhanced speed, like Remia did, so a single slip up and she was dead. She was used to working under that kind of pressure.

Since Hitler had that sliding-type ability to increase his mobility, he was too fast to be hit with a projectile as slow as an arrow. Which meant Sakura needed to get in close.

Sakura pulled out a gem from her bag and threw it to the right of Hitler, causing it to expand into a wide shield. Sakura fired her arrow in the opposite direction, preventing Hitler from dodging that direction. She summoned familiars beneath her feet and launched herself forward, directly at Hitler. In the middle of the air, she ordered her familiar at the window sill to throw the arrow at her. She threw the gem in the palm of her hand out, intercepting Hitler's thrown grenade and detonating it. Sakura caught the arrow her familiar had thrown and she flew through the explosion and into Hitler.

Sakura flipped, pinning both Hitler's arms to the ground. She drew the arrow back into her bow and unleashed it directly into Hitler's head. His head slapped into the floor, not even bouncing. His eyes lost their light, and he died.

Sakura just stared at him for a moment, making sure there was no movement. Making sure that he was, in fact, dead. After waiting for a while, she nodded her head, satisfied.

She stepped off him. Lancer… how are things going?

There was no response. Lancer? Have you defeated Rider yet?

Sakura went cold. She looked up, towards the top of the tower. She felt something coming. Something big. Something powerful.

Another Servant.


Berserker stared at the balls of light as they came down in countless droves.

Another surge of Mana suddenly came from behind him. He turned, and saw a giant waterspout on the coastline, towering over the city. Within it, he could see various shipwrecks twirling about. He realized it was made of dark water, and on the front of it, made of that same dark water, there was a giant skull leering at them.

On one side, trapped by Caster's army. On the other, trapped by Rider's imminent attack. Chiaki was gone. Their forces were scattered. He doubted that there was any real way to prevail at this point… at least not without severe casualties. It would be better if he could just get into Caster's Reality Marble and get Chiaki. Then he could run. They could come up with a plan later, perhaps, but right now...

"Berserker!" Lancer called as he landed on the roof. "What the hell is going on? What are those things?"

"I can't begin to guess. They're Caster's Noble Phantasm. Beyond that, I have no idea," Berserker replied, his mind still on Chiaki.

"Whatever they are, they look like they're targeting the humans in the city. I doubt it's for good intentions. I can assume Rider has a similar idea," Lancer replied, motioning to the waterspout. He took a few steps towards the edge, readying his spear.

"We can take care of that in a second. Chiaki is trapped in that Reality Marble of Caster's. We need to get in there immediately," Berserker interrupted, grabbing hold of Lancer's shoulder.

Lancer threw him off. Anger flashed across his face for a moment. He looked as though he was going to say something, but he stopped himself.

He growled and moved past Berserker. "I'll do what I can, if only because it seems Rider's waterspout is stationary for the moment. But someone needs to intercept Caster's… whatever they are," Lancer finally responded.

"Angels," a man answered.

Lancer and Berserker both looked and saw a well-dressed, good-looking man approach them out of nowhere. He had a long forest green coat and red wavy hair. He strolled up with a red cane in one hand and his other hand folded behind him.

"Don't worry. I'll save Chiaki, and my Servant will be here soon to deal with the Army of Samael. You two won't be necessary," he spoke casually, moving closer to Lancer. He reached out his cane and poked something invisible. A moment later, he disappeared into a shadow.

Despite their superhuman abilities, neither of them were fast enough at comprehending what had just happened.

"Was that… a man?" Lancer asked.

"It certainly wasn't a woman… but he looked familiar somehow," Berserker replied.

"He was a Magus. I could sense Mana in him, but the amount was… inhuman," Lancer posited, looking around. "And it seemed he pierced the Reality Marble…"

"What? You made it sound as if it were some difficult task," Berserker responded.

"Not difficult, just time consuming. At least for someone of my level."

"And yet he just slipped in, easy as that?"

Lancer stayed quiet for a moment. "Yes… Actually, that must be what he did. He couldn't have broken through, he must've just teleported himself inside."

"Teleport? I thought something like that couldn't happen in this era without the Grail, or at least Command Seals."

"So did I. But I've been wrong before." Lancer shook his head. "We can theorize all day if we like, but if we're going to get into that Reality Marble, we're going to have to start-"

They both felt it at once. It was staggering. Earth-shattering. Mind-bending. Whatever it was, it was impossibly powerful. And it was headed their way.

"That… what the hell…?"

"If I had to guess… that would be his Servant."

A white light, no different than a star, appeared on the horizon. In a matter of moments, it grew brighter and brighter before landing perfectly on the rooftop. There was no impact, as if his arrival were no more than a light gust of wind stopping dead in its tracks against a stone wall.

The being was encased in a suit of silver armor. The top and back of the helmet was open, letting his hair fall out. His hair itself glowed with a white light and floated about ethereally, as if he were constantly underwater. On his back, there was a set of angelic wings that glowed the same color as his hair. Around his waist glittered a magnificent belt of numerous colors, that shone like a star.

Berserker and Lancer readied themselves immediately. There was no telling what this new face was capable of, especially since they could feel the immense amount of Mana that radiated off of him.

The Stranger regarded them. "And you are the Heroes of False Divinity? Theseus and Odin? Why bare your fangs at me?"

Neither of them spoke. Berserker was just being cautious. He assumed Lancer was doing the same.

"Who are you?" Lancer asked.

The Stranger bowed to them. "I am Saber. I'll have to ask my Master for permission to reveal my True Name."

Berserker glowered. "Now I know that that's a lie. We already know the Saber of this war. And he's definitely not you."

True Saber did not respond. Instead, he looked around himself. "What has become of my Master? Has he summoned me here under false pretenses?"

"Your Master just disappeared into Caster's Reality Marble. If you'd like to see him alive, I suggest you stay out of my way and let me break in," Lancer spoke.

Berserker stayed quiet. It sounded like Lancer was testing him.

"The… Army of Samael, as your Master called them, is descending upon the town. If you have any form of moral fiber, you will assist us in defeating them," Lancer continued.

True Saber looked at the cascade of light about to descend on the town. "I see." He walked slowly to the edge of the building.

"Heavenly host, once commanded by Samael," he bellowed. His voice did not rise in temperament. It simply amplified itself out, reaching each of the angels, who froze the moment his first word left his mouth.

"Your duties to slay humanity are for a promised time not yet known to this era. You shall desist, lest you are commanded by God himself."

A second crawled by. The horde of angels then began to flicker away like failing lights. The clouds above them slowed to a stop, and the light within them disappeared. Soon, the cloudy night sky was clear of the Army of Samael.

Berserker and Lancer could only stare in awe at the display. He defeated them… with his voice alone? Berserker thought.

Berserker glanced over to Lancer. Lancer had a bead of sweat coming off his brow. Even Lancer was nervous about this one.

True Saber turned to them. "Is such an act a satisfactory symbol of good intention? I do not come here to harm those who would carry out justice, for I am the hand of justice itself. If you would aid humanity in their time of need, then you are my ally," True Saber spoke. True Saber moved past them and clenched his fist at the border of the Reality Marble.

It shattered, flooding the rooftop with fake sunlight. A wide whole that led into Caster's Reality Marble now separated half of the top of the tower. Just inside was True Saber's Master. He stood between Chiaki, who was on the ground and leaning up against a tree, and Caster, who was on a single knee, breathing heavily with her staff in hand.

Berserker dashed in immediately, moving directly to Chiaki. "Chiaki! Are you okay?" Berserker asked, crouching down to her.

"It's… it's him…" she whispered, almost absent-mindedly.

Berserker realized why True Saber's Master looked so familiar. Berserker clenched his fists and stood up, turning to him.

"So… you're Uhlan," Berserker growled. Uhlan looked over his shoulder at Berserker. He smiled at him.

"And you're Theseus. I've been keeping an eye on you. And I have to say I'm not very impressed with the way you've been looking after Chiaki. No matter. I'll be taking things from here," he spoke.

Berserker felt rage build up inside him and instantly boil over. "Like hell you will!" he screamed, rushing at him and launching a titanic fist at him.

Uhlan calmly watched him come. Instantly, True Saber was between them, catching Berserker's fist in his hand. Berserker tried to blow right through him, but True Saber remained almost unfazed from Berserker's attack. In the back, Berserker saw Caster freeze up the moment she saw True Saber.

"Stay your hand a moment," True Saber spoke.

"Stay my hand? You speak of justice, and yet you allow such a vile human being be your Master?" Berserker bellowed.

"For the moment, yes. At the conclusion of this war, I shall dispatch him the same as I shall dispatch these villains that plague you," True Saber replied simply.

Berserker raised another hand, ready to strike, but before he could unleash it, True Saber let go of the clenched hand and walked by him. Berserker, not expecting such a move, caught himself before he fell forward. Uhlan was also now walking alongside True Saber, dispelling any idea of a continued attack for now.

Berserker looked back to Chiaki. She was still sitting against the tree, breathing heavily, tears spilling out of her eyes, which had trouble focusing on anything. His rage disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. He kneeled down to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay Chiaki, I promise. I won't-"

Something changed in Chiaki. He wasn't sure what it was. The instant his hand touched her, her eyes hardened. The tears stopped flowing.

"I… I am going… to fucking… kill him…" she sputtered out. Her face immediately lightened again after she finished saying that, and she looked at Berserker, confused, as if she herself hadn't meant to say it.

"I… I'm going… to…?"

Berserker was just as confused as she. All he could do at the moment was pull her into a hug. "You're right. Your father will rest soon."

Berserker had to close his eyes since the sunlight reflected in his Ariadne Thread…

The thread that encased the same arm that he had touched Chiaki with.

Berserker let go of Chiaki and stood up, helping her stand. She moved off to the side, but Berserker stayed where he was. He looked at his hand, the one that the Ariadne Thread was around.

She had that change in her eyes and voice the moment the Ariadne Thread had touched her.

"Berserker…" Chiaki said.

But… what did that mean? She couldn't be…

"Berserker!" Chiaki called, getting his attention. Berserker turned to look.

True Saber and his master were staring out at the waterspout. The skull on the front of it had its mouth open, and it was moving to the top of the spout.

Rider was making his move.


Assassin and Saber went tumbling through a piece of plywood. They righted themselves again and Saber went on the offensive, activating his Mana Burst and trying to get his hits in wherever he could.

No matter how hard he swung, however, all his blows seemed to bounce off that animal hide that Assassin was wearing.

Assassin threw out a kick that caught Saber in the gut, which sent him flying back into the wall, cracking and splintering a few wooden beams that caused the roof of the section that they were in to collapse on top of them. Being non magical in nature, neither of them were affected by it.

"You are a terrible fighter," Assassin mocked.

Saber nodded in agreement. "But just you wait until my army gets here."

"Oh? And what army is that? The old man and the sickly girl?"

Saber felt red creep into his cheeks. He did have to admit that they didn't evoke a large amount of fear in the opponent by any means… but they were still his Mast... er… minions. Master minions. That was a good word for them.

Despite Trussa getting sick for whatever reason, she had insisted on coming along. And Travick had stopped trying to fight her on her decisions.

Assassin whistled, knocking Saber out of his thoughts. "Well? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to actually fight, Azi Dehaka?"

Saber froze up. He cleared his throat. "So… you have heard of me. Perhaps we knew one another in life?"

Assassin shook his head. "No. I've only heard about you in this era recently," Assassin replied, walking slowly up to Saber. He stopped right in front of him, and Saber did his best to hide the fact that he was shaking with fear.

Not being able to see Assassin's face didn't make him scarier than Rider… it also didn't make him any less scary.

"The son of Angra Mainyu. I know exactly who you are," Assassin stated ominously.

Saber brought his sword around to slash at Assassin. Assassin did nothing and let the blade bounce harmlessly off of him. Assassin laughed at him for his trouble.

"I haven't given up on you yet, Azi Dehaka. Come and find me in the cave on the side of Mt. Ganz. We'll discuss your role in this war further once there."

Saber didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Hm?" Assassin suddenly noticed something from off to the side.

He dashed back as several beams of light converged on where he once was, exploding right in Saber's face and knocking him off his feet.

Saber groaned as he stood up, pain wracking his body. Assassin was nowhere to be found, and Travick and Trussa came running up to him.

"Urgh… you could've aimed a little better, you old fart," Saber complained.

"Yes, unfortunately you're still alive," Travick shot back.

Saber looked around for his dropped sword and retrieved it. "I was the only one brave enough to come and confront this guy, okay? Where were you, huh?"

"Oh yes, exceedingly brave, the way you stood there and shook in your boots. And without the help of a Command Seal, no less."

"At least I was being more useful than you."

"At least Assassin felt the need to dodge my attack. Whatever you called that random flailing about was utterly pitiful."

"Saber! Travick! Won't yo-" Trussa's beratement was interrupted with a coughing fit. Immediately, Travick was at her side, holding a cloth for her to cough into.

"I warned you what trying to fight with this kind of illness would do…" Travick murmured.

"I will… be right in… just a moment," Trussa replied, catching her breath after her coughing fit was over.

Travick thought for a moment. "You two head back to where Remia and Archer are. I'll scout around and check to see where else we can be useful… that is if you don't think it's in our best interest to retreat entirely, young mistress?"

Trussa shook her head. "Our allies are embattled. So too, shall we."

Saber nodded his head. "Just what I was about to say."

Travick instructed Saber to take Trussa's arm, which he did reluctantly. Even Trussa remained adamant that she didn't need the assistance, but Saber found her heavily relying on his arm to help her move.

Saber felt another twinge of pity for her as they began their move back towards Remia. She was in bad shape, that was for certain. But she wouldn't listen to him if he told her to retreat. She still had that rebellious streak in her. And it wasn't like he could force anyone to listen to him the way Caster or Rider or Assassin could, by just frightening them.

"Man… I'm really losing control of my role as villain here…" Saber lamented.

Trussa softly giggled. "Maybe… you weren't meant to be the bad guy."

Saber laughed in return. "Oh, sure. The only child of the evilest person in existence, destined to plunge the world into darkness. I'm prime 'hero' material."

"I'm serious…"

Saber stopped and looked at her. Trussa looked at him. "Why can't you be the hero?"

Saber looked up, thinking about it for a moment. The thought had never really occurred to him.

Trussa continued. "If you think about it… you saved Chiaki on the first day. You saved Remia just now. Even if you are a bit cowardly… I think you just have the natural instincts to help others."

Ever since he was little, everyone around him had told him of his destiny. All the viziers of the kingdom told him all about who he was, since he didn't know. They also told him exactly what to do, since he didn't know. They also told him how to do it, since he didn't know. This entire time… it was like he had been a person completely fabricated to carry out their wills. He had never once questioned what it was he wanted to do, as opposed to what he was supposed to do.

Saber nodded to himself. He was the rightful ruler of the world, and that made him the most powerful man in the world, whether he was incarnated or Heroic Spirit.

Saber looked at Trussa. "You know, Master Minion Trussa… I think you may have a point. As the most powerful man in the world, I have the ability to change my destiny. I'll still take over the world, of course, but who says I have to be a dark ruler?"

Saber grasped his sword with his empty hand and lifted it above his head. "I shall be Zahhak, the one destined to plunge the world into darkness, no more! Henceforth, I shall be known as Zahhak, the destined saviour of the world!"

Trussa smiled. "Honestly, I am very surprised you were able to come to that decision so easily. Especially considering your entire childhood was all… well… dead puppies and the like."

Saber shrugged and sheathed his sword once more. "Well, uh… to be perfectly honest with you… my childhood wasn't that bad. And… I've… never actually met my father either," Saber admitted, continuing to escort Trussa.

"Really?"

Saber nodded. "Thing is… I was raised by this King named Merdas. I guess he adopted me after I was abandoned by my father. It was only once I was around eighteen or so that I actually was told about my destiny as Azi Dehaka by a wiseman in my father's council. Before then, everything was quite wonderful for me."

"Hm… so you actually are a prince?"

"Yes. Of both regal status, and demonic status."

Trussa nodded and looked ahead, smiling. "I guess you truly are a King now, aren't you?"

The Saber-class Servant smiled in return. "I've always been a King, as sure as I've been a Saber."


True Saber stood at the edge of the building, seemingly unaffected by the increasing winds and rain. Uhlan stood next to him, though not at the edge.

It appeared the waterspout was picking up the cursed water of Ran's Sea, the poisoned water that Rider used, and flung it about, mixing it in with the clouds and rain. True Saber's armor protected him from it, but that rain was sure to make the townspeople, even those above sea level, drown if it got much worse. He needed to deal with that waterspout… but he had time.

"This would be the Fallen Saint. The Succubus stands at my back… leaving only the Warrior of Two Worlds, the Daemonic Prince, and the Rogue Liar unaccounted for," True Saber spoke.

"They are little issue. I'm sure the fake Saber and Archer will reveal themselves soon enough. Assassin is not our concern for the moment. Kill those you know are here."

"Even those not guilty of any crime?"

"You'd have to slay them eventually to win the war. We'd best just do it now," Uhlan responded logically.

True Saber nodded. "As you command." He dispelled his wings and summoned his blade to his hand. It was silver and black, and looked both ornate and practical in design. It was the perfect sword.

Lancer twirled his spear and got into his fighting pose. Berserker did the same.

"Not a single Servant has been eliminated, and you speak as if you've already won the war?" Lancer growled.

Uhlan laughed. "As if either of you weren't just as assured of your victory? The only difference between my Servant's sentiments and yours… is that my Servant can back them up."

Lancer dashed forward, slicing at Uhlan. True Saber appeared in front of him, wielding some kind of golden chain.

Lancer slashed at the chain, knocking it to the side. He twirled and stabbed at True Saber. True Saber ducked back, dodging Lancer's strikes. The edge of Lancer's spear began bending, stabbing at True Saber even when he missed. True Saber's armor easily deflected these blows, as they did not have the strength of Lancer's real blows.

Lancer was easily the fastest of these Servants… but True Saber could keep dodging if he kept his mind free and observed his strikes correctly.

True Saber reached out and caught the spear by its haft. Lancer jumped, throwing a kick into True Saber's face. True Saber let go of his sword and reached out, grabbing Lancer by his ankle. He threw Lancer by his leg at an advancing Berserker.

With that distraction, True Saber picked up his blade again and launched forward, summoning the golden chain to him once more.

Berserker, unexpectedly, caught Lancer and righted him almost immediately, like he had seen it coming. This Berserker seemed to have good instincts. True Saber feinted an attack at Berserker, letting Lancer come at him from the side.

True Saber whipped the chain out, wrapping itself around Lancer's waist while he was unprotected. He could see Lancer's muscles freeze up. True Saber dodged around Berserker's strikes and threw a kick at his leg, tripping him up. True Saber planted his foot and twisted, throwing another kick that sent Berserker flying back into the Garden of Eden.

Immediately, True Saber pulled on the chain, bringinging the weakened Lancer to him. True Saber stuck out his blade, piercing it into Lancer's heart.

Lancer looked more stunned than actually pained. "The Chains of Heaven… the same ones I used to bind the Morning Star. You should be honored to be defeated by such a powerful relic. If I might offer some council… do not feel ashamed. Your Divinity was your only weakness," True Saber spoke.

Lancer coughed up blood and slumped to the ground as True Saber let the Chain fade back into its Spirit Form.

He turned and saw Berserker and his Master look at him in shock. This Lancer must've meant something to them.

He heard a wild scream from behind him. He turned to see a tan man with a lightning bolt tattoo sprinting at him, wielding two bayonets. Archer jumped and spun, throwing all his strength into a strike at True Saber.

The bayonets smashed into True Saber's helmet, and shattered almost immediately, being ineffective. True Saber took the next instance to counter attack, throwing a fist into Archer's gut. He felt Archer's power leave him.

"I applaud your courage and righteous indignation at the sight of a fallen ally. I hold no ill will to the either of you. Neither of you knew the words of God, and cannot be blamed for your ignorance. I would not have slain you were you not necessary to the fulfillment of the Holy Grail," True Saber consoled. He tossed Archer to the side.

"The end of your long battle has finally come. You can finally rest, noble warrior. Amen." He moved to finish him, but a voice interrupted him.

"I AM-" Rider's voice poured out, as if it were the rain itself.

"-THE SECOND COMING-" It continued as True Saber turned towards the coastline, returning his blade to his side for the moment.

"-OF RAN."

True Saber titled his head. It appeared to be time to deal with Rider. "The goddess of the ocean… you could never compare. Nor should you attempt to, David."

True Saber stepped off the edge of the building, activating his wings to let him float. There was a clear shot from here to the rocky coast, and then to the waterspout beyond. This would do.

"Unlocking the first seal. Ascending to the Second Heaven. Achieving Raqia," True Saber announced. He felt power surge from his blade. The first scabbard came off, sharpening the sword, and giving it the ethereal glow that his wings and hair shared.

The unstable waterspout suddenly arched backwards and folded in on itself, as if compacting. It then exploded forward, sending all its compressed force into a massive tidal wave that threatened to consume the city. At the head of the raging wave was the skull of Davy Jones. It roared down at the city, and at True Saber, Die.

"Saint David… I hold no ill will to you. If it were not for the fear of the sea that mankind had, your legend would never have been twisted into that of Davy Jones. I shall destroy this demon you have become."

True Saber brought his sword up above his head. The light burst forth from the tip, creating a long beam of energy surging into the sky. "Know peace, and return to Heaven, brother. Amen."

He brought his sword down, firing the silver beam forward. It cut through the dark watery skull easily, and slammed into Rider's Spiritual Core within the skull. There was a moment of resistance… and in that moment, True Saber could hear Rider's screams. They weren't screams of pain, but screams of anguish, desperation, and frustration. True Saber had heard these screams in the voices of his enemies, when their ambitions were turned to dust before their very eyes.

The moment of resistance passed, and the Spiritual Core was obliterated, destroying Rider entirely.

The dark waters returned to normal. The water that made up the skull fell on the buildings uselessly, and the water that had flooded the streets began to slowly drain back into the sea… though with the rain, the process was slow.

True Saber turned and stepped back onto the rooftop. He turned, and saw Caster standing at the edge of the Garden of Eden.

She shall be the next, he decided.

He moved in front of her, frightening her with his speed. She instantly dodged back, throwing out a blast of green energy. It harmlessly dissipated against True Saber's armor like it was nothing.

Caster wavered and collapsed. She was getting weaker. Her Master must not have been supplying her with mana anymore. He must've been dead.

"It's been… quite a long time..." Caster huffed out.

True Saber titled his head. She was wearing a mask, hiding her face. He flicked a hand forward, breaking the mask off.

"Lilith…"

Lilith smiled at him. "Well? How's that pathetic, sad man you call a god doing?"

True Saber just stared at her for a short while.

"Unlocking the second seal. Ascending to the Third Heaven. Achieving Shehaquim," True Saber stated. More power flooded from his blade. He began to lift off the ground. If nothing else, he should destroy this mockery of the Garden of Eden along with her.

"I expected at least an offering of mercy..." Lilith smirked, looking down at the ground.

True Saber stopped his ascent. Normally, the words of his enemies were never taken into consideration… but this time…

"Mercy?" He came back down for a moment. "Do you mistake me for an angel of mercy?"

Lilith's smile faded, and she looked up at True Saber.

"You have lost any claim of mercy. You willingly discarded your humanity - the one gift that is greater than any - in order to obtain a power that you can lord over others. I pity you, for you have been lost to the darkness. And it is for souls like yours that I shall weep for an eternity more."

True Saber lifted his blade above his head and resumed his ascent above her. The white light now surged forward into a multitude of colors, not all being capable of being seen by humans. Its very presence now began to break down the Reality Marble around them.

"But more than weep, I shall rage. It was your lack of mercy that made men suffer when you seduced and murdered them. And why? Because you were hurt, and your suffering is more important than those you make suffer? Do not cry mercy to me. Do not look to me with bloody hands and feet and ask me to wash you. I am not your saviour! I am not your redeemer! I am the protector of the innocent, and the slayer of the wicked! I was the first Saint, and the first Soldier! It was I who first spilt draconic blood on the ground at the beginning of Time! Have you forgotten me? I am Michael the Archangel! And it is not the salvation of God you shall see this day, but the Glory of Zevul!"

True Saber turned the blade down to Lilith, who was already beginning to fade away. "AMEN!"

The blast surged forward, unmaking the world around them. The plants withered away before being incinerated. The water dried up and the sun dimmed away, plunging the garden into a freeze. Very earth turned to dust.

"Not if I… kill you first..." Lilith cursed. She dashed forward with her claws extended as she was torn apart, and she was atomized into nothingness.

True Saber rescinded the holy energy spiralling off his sword. The Reality Marble had been undone. Only the top of the tower and the city below him filled his vision now.

"Replacing the first and second seals. Descending to the First Heaven. Returning to Vilon." He floated back down to the top of the tower.

That arrogance… that conviction to stay true to your side of things, even when you're wrong… He had seen those traits before in only one other.

True Saber lifted his head upwards. Is this the same pride that drove you away from us, Samael?

True Saber returned his focus to the task at hand. He turned and looked at his remaining enemies. Berserker was standing with his Master off to the side. Archer was now struggling to his feet.

"You… how the hell did you summon someone so powerful?" Berserker asked in bewilderment.

Uhlan, at the edge, had his hands clasped behind his back. He took a step or two forward. "Hm? Surely, Chiaki has told you who I am."

Berserker glowered. "I know who you are. You're the bastard that murdered her father and humiliated her."

Uhlan averted his gaze for a moment. "Hm. And that is a night that has haunted me for how I... well, there is time for that later. No, what I am talking about is something so much more than that."

Berserker arched an eyebrow. "...What?"

"My father…" Chiaki spoke, very quietly, seemingly to no one. "...told me that world leaders are more likely to compete in Holy Grail Wars than any other war."

Uhlan gave a bow. "I am Lord Uhlan El-Melloi III Archibald. Heir to the House of El-Melloi, the successor of Kayneth Archibald, and the current Supreme Leader of the World."

Uhlan looked off to the side a short moment before turning to look at Berserker again. "Or what's left of it, anyway. If you aren't able to tell, Kayneth's empire was and still is extremely unstable. The fact it's lasted this long is nothing short of a miracle. But I'll rectify that once I win this Grail War."

He turned to True Saber. "Saber, bring Berserker's Master to me once you've finished them off," Uhlan commanded.

True Saber nodded and turned towards Chiaki. He saw Berserker ready himself, but True Saber paid him no mind. He would not be much resistance. True Saber began to walk towards her, but he stopped when a sharp noise cut through the air. Sparks suddenly flew off the side of his helmet, catching his attention.

True Saber turned to see a sickly man with a cowboy hat leaning against a mostly-intact kitchen counter. In his hand, he held a pistol pointed directly at True Saber. He pulled the trigger several more times, with each bullet harmlessly reflecting off the silver armor that True Saber wore.

There it was again. This was the kind of person True Saber wanted to meet while he had been journeying around the world. This man had no way of defeating True Saber… and yet he tried anyway. He needed to observe more of him.

"Y'all better start runnin'..." the man in the cowboy hat growled.

He then threw his hand forward, like he was slapping the air. Suddenly, there was an explosion in a precise line that reached all the way to True Saber. It was pitifully weak, and had no effect on True Saber whatsoever.

"Saber, ignore him! He's just distracting you!" Uhlan chastised.

True Saber turned his head in time for Lancer to strike him with his spear. It caught him on his shoulder. And though the armor blocked the damage, he did manage to cut into it, and the force of the strike blasted True Saber through the roof and several floors beneath that. He wasted no time flying back up.

Lancer was still covered in blood, but now all his tattoos were lit up.

Out of the corner of his sight, True Saber saw Archer dash over to the man in the cowboy hat. They disappeared into the air, leaving behind only a shimmer.

"If I might offer you some council… don't assume an enemy is dead just because you've pierced their heart!" Lancer shouted.

Before True Saber could make a move, Lancer jumped in front of him and threw out another strike. True Saber parried the blow and returned with a strike of his own that Lancer dodged.

The tattoos were strengthening him… but he was losing Mana from his pierced Spiritual Core very quickly. There was no way he could keep this up.

As if Lancer had heard his summary of the situation, he suddenly jumped back and into the air. He twirled his spear around and started to pour Mana into it.

His Noble Phantasm, True Saber put together.

True Saber looked down and saw a cloth of some kind. Perhaps it had been a window curtain, a tablecloth, or just the remains of a piece of clothing. Whatever it was, it was fabric, and that would mean that it suited his purposes.

True Saber picked the piece of cloth up and focused. His devotion and prayer became realized within the cloth, and it shined with a golden light that seemed to come from nowhere.

He looked up at Lancer just as he had finished channeling the Mana he needed into his spear.

"GUNGNIR!" Lancer cried, catapulting the spear at True Saber. As the spear arced through the sky at him, it flared with a beautiful dark blue light.

True Saber held out his Holy Shroud, directly into the path of Gungnir.

The explosion was massive, the blue light that had surrounded the spear now radiating out into a beautiful illumination of the town, as if the spear were the moon itself.

The explosion cleared. The Holy Shroud in True Saber's hand was now in tatters, and mostly incinerated. True Saber was unharmed. The Holy Shroud had successfully defended him… but Lancer had destroyed it in turn. That spear had been more powerful than True Saber had expected.

True Saber looked and realized that it was only himself and Uhlan on the rooftop now. Lancer, Berserker, Archer, and all their respective Masters were nowhere to be seen.

"They've escaped," Uhlan muttered, clearly irritated.

"The villainous ones have been defeated, with the exception of the Rogue Liar and the Daemonic Prince. Lancer has little time left. Archer's Master the same. Both shall be gone before long, and that shall leave only Berserker to deal with," True Saber replied.

Uhlan sighed. "Yes… I suppose you are right. At least Chiaki will be safe for the time being. We'll retreat for now."

True Saber bowed and faded back into his Spirit Form. From there, he watched Uhlan for a moment.

Uhlan stared out at the lightening sky for a moment or two, lost in thought. After a moment, he shook his head, and prepared to return to Mt. Ganz.