Chapter 20: Son of the Devil

Three years before the Final Holy Grail War, Trussa Loyuffon and Travick Dormir sat in a meeting room within their estate.

Trussa looked down at the old, rusted set of chains on the table. Travick stayed close to her side, eyeing them as well. It wasn't his place to interfere with the young mistress's decision… but he also didn't want this man to manipulate her.

Even if he was the Supreme Leader of the world.

Uhlan Archibald, the Head of the Mage's Association, sat comfortably in the chair opposite of Trussa.

Trussa closed her eyes and seemed to be thinking about Archibald's proposition. It was a very tempting offer. Not everyone had the opportunity to attend the Holy Grail War, after all. Still, Travick knew it was wise to think on it before outright accepting, especially considering that Archibald seemingly had nothing to gain by inviting them.

Travick leaned down and whispered in Trussa's ear. "Would it be helpful to have some time to think about this decision, young mistress?" Travick asked.

Trussa thought for a few moments more before opening her eyes. "Yes, I think so," she replied. Then, she addressed Archibald. "Please do not misunderstand. I appreciate your offer, and I shall give you your answer tomorrow, but I think a good night's rest shall be good for my deliberation."

Archibald smiled amiably. "Of course, I understand completely. Truth be told, I did not expect an answer even tomorrow. I shall await eagerly, even should your answer be delayed beyond then," he smiled, standing. Travick moved and grabbed the chains carefully, handling them with the same delicacy Archibald's men had handled them with.

However, Archibald raised his hand, stopping Travick. "You need not return that to me, Mr. Dormir. Consider it a gift, separate from your decision."

Travick carefully placed the chains on the table. He was unsure why a relic to be used for summoning a Heroic Spirit would be considered a gift should they refuse his offer, but Travick stayed silent. "Very well then. Shall I show you out?"

Archibald nodded, and the two left for the door, with Archibald's men surrounding them as they moved down the hallways. "I have to admit, Ms. Loyuffon carries herself well for such a young head of family. You've taught her well," Archibald commended.

Travick did not look at him. "Thank you. I do not deserve such praise."

"I understand the connection that a girl has with their father… it must have been hard for her," he continued.

Travick hesitated before replying. "Yes… we appreciate your concern, Lord Archibald."

They made it to the doors. "You know, the Grail is capable of many things… the resurrection of her parents is not impossible with its power."

Travick kept his cool, but could not prevent his heart rate from increasing. The very concept was something Travick had thought of the moment he had mentioned the Holy Grail War. He had thought the last war, the one that Kayneth Archibald had won, would be the last. He thought it was impossible.

And then Uhlan Archibald, his son, showed up and said otherwise.

"A good observation. I'll mention that to her when I return to her," Travick replied, bowing to him slightly.

Archibald smiled, bowing. He turned and his men opened the door for him. Travick waited for him to leave and close the door behind him, but Archibald stopped in the doorway, turning around.

"I should've mentioned before, Mr. Dormir... the servant that you'll summon with that relic is very powerful, but entirely untrustworthy. He has the propensity to harm those around him because of his… personality, we'll say. If you summon him, I have no doubt that you'll make it far in the war. But be sure to keep an eye on him. You never know when he'll turn on you," Archibald warned.

Travick nodded. "We appreciate the warning, Lord Archibald."

Archibald bid his farewell and closed the door. Travick locked it behind him.

As he turned on his heel and went back to meet with Trussa, he weighed the options in his mind. On one hand, they had a high-chance of success with the servant given to them by Archibald… on the other hand, they would be put in danger. To proceed was to risk their lives, but guarantee the wish from the Holy Grail.

It wasn't even a contest. Not to Travick.


Trussa was taking deep breaths. Her condition had been getting considerably worse. It seemed to show up somewhere after Rider attacked, and before they moved to assist at the battle at the tower.

Saber wasn't sure exactly when it had showed up. But he knew where it had come from.

He watched with pity as Travick administered some medicine to Trussa in her bed. "Of all the worst times to pick up a disease like this…" Travick sighed. Saber had to agree. It was all too convenient.

Even disregarding the fact that this sickness had interrupted Travick's search for a new base of operations, the fact that she was no longer in a fighting condition - and the fact that Travick hardly ever left her side to begin with - meant that Saber had to pick up the slack.

After seeing Remia, he had little issue with that. He had thought a little more about his resolution to become a good king instead of an evil one. What Remia's death made him realize… it solidified that idea in his mind.

"I'll go out on patrol. Trussa will recover soon, you'll see," Saber said.

Travick looked at him. He only grunted and returned to his tending of Trussa.

"Saber…" Trussa spoke weakly, "Do be careful. If you encounter another Servant… do not fight, just return here."

She was paler than she had ever been. She didn't have much time, he could tell.

Saber nodded and turned towards the door.

Sorry, Trussa. That's not an option this time, he thought to himself.

His suspicion began and was confirmed the moment he had seen Remia. The struggle to breathe, the discoloration of skin… it was too similar to Trussa. She had been poisoned. At some point, someway, somehow, Assassin had snuck past them and poisoned her, just as he had poisoned Remia.

Saber gripped the handle of his sword. He was going to make that bastard pay for trying to kill his Master. His Mana Burst coated him in shadows, and he rocketed off through the streets, headed towards Mt. Ganz.

He had many thoughts on his way. His heart was hammering. There was very little chance at success… but to challenge the impossible and make it possible… that was the duty of a Hero, and while he was a King, there was enough of an overlap for it to make sense in his head.

Saber found himself at the foot of the cave in no time at all. He had wished that the trip had taken longer, quite honestly. He was enjoying the satisfaction of doing something heroic without actually having to go through all the effort and near-death stuff of actually doing something heroic.

Saber found it difficult to move his legs forward into the cave. He gritted his teeth and punched his legs. "Move, damn you! I am Zahhak, your lord and master! You shall not disobey me in my time of need!" he commanded.

They continued to disobey him in his time of need.

Saber drew his sword. "I will cut you off if you don't move!" he threatened.

...his own legs. Saber slowly sheathed his blade and hoped he hadn't been speaking loudly enough for anyone to hear.

Saber reached down and picked up his legs, moving them forward one by one. Eventually, his legs seemed to loosen up just a little, and he was able to take tiny steps into the mouth of the cave.

He didn't like caves. He didn't like dark places in general… but he especially didn't like caves. He had died in a cave, he remembered. After that rebel leader - what was his name… Fairiedon, or something - had overthrown his kingdom, he had locked him up underneath a mountain, bound in chains.

He didn't remember much of the experience… but it was the last thing he remembered before being reawoken inside the Throne of Heroes before being summoned. It was… disconcerting, to say the least.

Saber's trek inside stopped quickly. He heard a voice. No… not a voice. It was the sound of weeping. Saber squinted in the dark, looking to find the source of it.

There was a person, tied up, off to the side of the cave. Saber moved over to them. They recoiled away from him as they saw him approach. As he got closer, he saw that it was a woman.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm here to help you… somehow. I guess we'll start with those bonds," Saber spoke. He knelt down and reached to undo the ties on her hands and feet, but she pulled away from him.

"No, really, it's alright. I'm the good guy, here," Saber said, reaching again for the bonds. She pulled away once more, making some kind of noise at him.

It didn't sound like she was gagged… so why wasn't she speaking? Maybe she spoke a different language…

"What's wrong with you? Don't you want to be saved?" Saber asked, looking down at her.

"No, she just knows better than to try her luck with you," Assassin explained, stepping into the cave, carrying a bag of… something. Saber didn't want to guess.

Saber immediately stood up and reached for his sword, fumbling with it a bit before drawing it.

"So you came. And you're still pretending to be something you're not."

Saber stood his ground. "N-no… I've finally realized who I r-really am… I'm the hero."

Assassin threw his head back and laughed. "You've grown even more disillusioned with yourself."

Saber took steps back as Assassin stepped forward, and the back of Saber's feet bumped into the woman sitting behind him.

"A-alright… maybe I'm not the hero… but I'm d-definitely not bad enough…" Saber began.

He swallowed the spittle in his mouth and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, and remembered Remia's death. He remembered what would happen to Trussa if he didn't stop Assassin.

He opened his eyes again. "I'm not bad enough to sit by and watch you torture my subjects. So I suggest you kneel and devote yourself to me, and assist in my taking over the world, or I'll cut you until you resemble a bloody pile of meat… that gets cut… a lot."

Assassin folded his arms. "Okay."

"How foolish! To not ally yourself with the most powerf-"

Saber stopped. He dropped his stance. "Wait, what?"

Assassin nodded. "I said okay. You think I had any intention other than helping you? I could've killed you several times over already. I haven't even turned invisible yet. You are Zahhak, the one destined to become Azi Dehaka, the Son of Angra Mainyu. You want to plunge the world into darkness. I want to help."

Saber was speechless. His natural charisma had seemed to be lacking in this new era, and yet he had somehow won over Assassin, of all people? Well, it only made sense. He did spot him in that park near the beginning of the war, after all. Such a display of Saber's power would've won anyone over.

Saber shook his head. "Sorry, I've turned over a new leaf. I seek redemption as the saviour of the world, not its destroyer."

Assassin looked down and shook his head. "And there's that delusion again… this idea that you're the hero."

Saber tightened his grip on his sword. "You keep talking like you know who I am… and you've certainly said my name. If you know that I am the most powerful man in the world, then you should also know that I have the power to choose my own destiny! And the destiny I've chosen is one as a benevolent ruler."

Assassin looked up at him. "And that's where you're wrong, Zahhak. You are not the most powerful man in the world. You have no claim to rule. You have no power to throw the world into darkness, nor save it."

Saber just stared for a moment. "What? You just said-"

"That I wanted to help you plunge the world into darkness, yes. But now you come in here talking like you're a hero… but Zahhak, you're neither the saviour, nor are you the destroyer."

Assassin started walking forward very calmly. Saber pointed his sword straight at him.

"You are a sad, powerless, and ultimately delusional man who had an entire entourage of followers catering to his ego so that you could pretend to be important."

Saber realized he was stepping back. Why was he stepping back? He was the one with the sword. Saber clenched his blade tight and got ready to swing. But he knew Assassin would likely dodge it… and if he didn't, his leather clothing could block Saber's attack.

"You were the perfect little idiot they needed as a figurehead so they could control the nation from the shadows, and you got to lie to yourself and to the whole world about how you were this big, bad, demon king."

Saber found his back to the wall. He could dash away, and escape. But then maybe Assassin would pull out his crossbow. He needed to be smart. He needed to find a weakness.

Maybe the inside of his hood? Just because he couldn't see Assassin's face didn't mean that it couldn't be stabbed.

"I can give you the opportunity to actually become the son of the devil you like to pretend to be."

Saber smirked. It was worth a shot. "Like I'd ever help someone who poisoned my Master!" Saber lunged forward, stabbing at the shadowy visage of Assassin.

Assassin batted the sword away easily. He pushed forward, pinning Saber to the wall with his forearm. His other hand reached out and grabbed the hand that Saber had his sword in, and pinned to the wall as well.

"Just how many lies have you told yourself? Your Master is dying because of your Noble Phantasm. I had assumed you would've known that."

Saber grunted and fought against Assassin's strength. They weren't that different in terms of raw power… Saber could weasel his way out of this pin yet.

"I don't… have… a Noble Phantasm," Saber replied through gritted teeth. Just a little more.

Assassin tilted his head. "Don't be ridiculous. I can see you using your Noble Phantasm on me right now, clear as day. Daeva Avesta."

Saber gave a mighty push, and Assassin let him go, but he stepped to the side and held on to Saber's sword and twisted it, flipping Saber onto the ground behind him. Assassin now held Saber's sword in his hand, and he looked at it, up and down. "I see… this isn't your sword, is it? Someone else gave it to you."

Assassin turned his head and studied Saber as he struggled to his feet. Or that's what Saber assumed he was doing. Again, he couldn't see his face through that hood.

"You really don't know what your Noble Phantasm is," Assassin stated matter-of-factly, "I never thought it was possible for someone to be unaware of an ability they had. Even when I gained True Name Discernment skill as a Servant, that was made obvious to me. Though that may simply be because identifying people's Noble Phantasms is an extrapolation of the actual abilities I had in life. But I suppose I've seen a lot of things in this war that I thought were impossible... "

Saber furrowed his brow, straightening himself. "W-what? What are you talking about?"

Assassin sighed. "I can see your Noble Phantasm. I have the True Name Discernment skill at a low rank… but it's enough to see a Noble Phantasm's True Name as long as it's active. As I've gathered, your Noble Phantasm, Daeva Avesta, drains mana from those around you, and in fact…" Assassin moved his head slightly. "Ah…"

Assassin leaned back against the wall behind him, flipping Saber's sword as if it were his knife. Saber needed to get it back somehow…

"Its effects increase on those who take you as their King. The ultimate representation of your right to rule over the world. You take the power of those that belong to you in order to fuel yourself."

Assassin turned his head towards the cave entrance. "But that girl didn't have a whole lot of Mana in the first place, now did she? She's been trained to use it well, but that doesn't change the fact that you completely drained her dry and are now sucking away at her life force with your very presence."

Saber lunged forward, now that he was distracted. "Liar!"

Assassin stepped out of the way and let him crash into the wall. "Pitiful. I guess you don't understand yet. I think you will, once you return home and see that I'm right."

Saber swathed himself in shadows and took off, straight into Assassin. The two slammed into the far wall, and Assassin dropped the sword. Saber snatched it up and attacked Assassin again.

Assassin dived and rolled off to the side, crouching near where the woman had been tied up. Saber stopped and re-aimed himself directly at them. He'd try for Assassin's face again. Assassin had purposefully dodged his first strike at his face, which meant it must've been able to hurt him. Saber had a way to win!

Saber charged forward, dead set on his target. Assassin watched him come.

Suddenly, there was a woman in his way. The woman Assassin had tied up. Saber stopped in his tracks. Her eyes were frightened, and tearful. Saber looked down and saw his blade stuck right through her. He hadn't stopped in time.

He looked back up at her and saw Assassin's hands, holding her in the way. He had used her as a shield.

Saber was afraid to do anything… he just let go of the sword and stepped back. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He came here to… save someone… or was it to kill someone? Regardless… he could do neither.

Assassin slowly set her down on the ground again. "Hmm… it looks like you move faster than your eyes can see."

Assassin stood up. "I think it's time you left. Who knows who else might get hurt if you stayed here and continued to try to 'save' people."

He was out of his league. He wasn't ready to be doing something like this. He needed help.

Saber turned around and bolted out the cave entrance. A blinding light caused him to stumble, and fall down the slope leading up to the cave. He was too panicked to really care. He righted himself and blinked past the glare of the sun. He took off, hoping to be going in the right direction.


It was midmorning by the time Saber managed to find his way back to the estate. It was still mostly destroyed, and it didn't seem like Travick had put up one of those "Bounded Fields" he had been talking about earlier.

Saber entered what used to be the foyer. He spotted Travick standing at the top of the stairs.

"Travick! Thank me you're here. I need to-"

"I wouldn't take a single step further, Saber," Travick warned.

Saber stopped dead in his tracks. "What? Are you still trying to get rid of me? Trussa wouldn't-"

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Travick interrupted, reaching up for his monocle.

Unlike every other time Travick had adjusted his monocle, Saber was now completely aware of the power that was being contained behind it. Saber instinctively held out his hands and started stepping back.

"Now hold on, you know that those destroyer beams don't work on me, I'm far too powerful," Saber quickly said.

Travick closed his Mystic Eye and removed his monocle. "You know that I've never tried to hit you with them. I don't know if they're powerful enough to kill you, but they were enough to destroy Rider's human body, they should be powerful enough for you."

Saber tried to find a piece of rubble to hide behind. "What… What is this all about? I have urgent things I need to discuss with Trussa, I can't be-"

"You have no right to say Trussa's name!" Travick shouted.

Saber halted his movement entirely. All it took was one involuntary twitch on Travick's behalf, and Saber was dust. Or at least in a lot of pain.

"I ask again. Did you think I wouldn't find out? You remember what I said about modifying your Saint Graph? The moment you revealed a Noble Phantasm, all details would be available to me via my Master's eye. I don't know how you managed to keep a Noble Phantasm like that hidden from me all this time… but it seems it's finally been unveiled," Travick explained. "Daeva Avesta."

Saber couldn't believe it. Assassin wasn't lying. His Noble Phantasm… was Daeva Avesta?

"I… I didn't even know it… existed. I never wanted to hurt Tr-"

"Don't… say… her name. I have only ever wanted her happiness. Even when I put her in danger by involving her in this war, she forgave me. That's not something common in this world. So when I see her lying in a half-broken bed, sick and dying, and none of my medicine or magecraft is working… you cannot possibly understand what that feels like. I failed her once. I shall never do so again," Travick continued, rolling up his sleeve, making Saber wince.

Saber looked around. There was nothing around him that he could hide behind… though now that he thought of it, Travick's beams of destruction could just bend around any obstacle… perhaps hiding was pointless.

He started talking and walking backwards, but found himself tripping over various rocks and pieces of rubble. "You can't possibly think I've done this on purpose you know how much of an idiot I am I can't even hold my sword straight I just tried to fight Assassin and I think I killed a girl because of how incompetent I am please-"

"SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH!" Travick screamed, opening his Mystic Eye. The streams of destructive energy burst out and flew forward.

Saber covered himself with his Mana Burst and dashed around, desperately trying to avoid the beams.

He wasn't fast enough. One hit its mark, and a flash of pain ran through Saber as he was sent flying into one of the barely standing walls, which crumbled shortly thereafter.

Saber struggled to get up, pushing rubble off himself frantically. He needed to run away and…

And what? Go where? Where was there left for him?

Saber found himself on his knees, looking up at Travick, who had his Mystic Eye closed once again.

Travick lifted his arm, showing off his Command Seal. "I can't expect you to have tried to hurt her on purpose, no. However, I can expect you to have forgotten such an important detail about your own Noble Phantasm, and nearly kill her because of your ineptitude! I should use this Command Seal to make you commit suicide right now!"

Saber just looked at him and waited. His voice was caught in his throat.

"But Trussa wanted you to live," Travick continued, "I still have no idea why. You have no power to help achieve my desire, or Trussa's desires, and the only power you do have is only harmful to those around you. You are lazy, cowardly, and above all weak. And our lives would have been better off without you. You shall never harm my Mistress ever again. By order of Command Seal, you will, for the remainder of your time in this reality, never come within five kilometers of Trussa Loyuffon," Travick ordered.

The red command flashed, and Saber felt compelled to stand and walk away. It was a strange feeling. He knew that if he left this compound, he would have nothing, and no one. And any hope of winning the Grail War would be completely ruined, never mind taking over the world.

What could he do? His legs didn't listen to him. He commanded nothing. He was nothing. Not without Trussa. Just a fool in a cape pretending to be something he's not.

He had felt this feeling before. He was dying. He remembered… from back then.

When his kingdom had been overthrown and he had been exiled, he tried to return and reclaim it from Fereydun. But he was too weak then, too. And Fereydun, at the advice of the same viziers and wise men who had advised Zahhak his entire rule, tied him up and dragged him towards that dark mountain.

He had cried out for help. For someone to try and save him. He remembered the looks on the people's faces. They hated him. They were disgusted by him. They spat on him and threw refuse at him as he was carried through the town. His death was cause for celebration.

Fereydun bound him in chains beneath the mountain. The chains cut into him. The more he flailed to escape, the more they seemed to hurt him. Eventually, he stopped fighting. He knew no one would come… but he cried for help anyway. He remembered growing hungry. Then growing thirsty. And then growing tired.

And the next thing he knew… he was being summoned into a new world. One that had bright lights and sounds, and beer, and… and Trussa. A girl too innocent to realize what a disease he was.

Saber had stopped walking. He turned, and looked back. The estate was gone from his sight. He must've been far enough away.

He turned back to face forward. He was now standing in the middle of the street. Ordinary people had begun to walk around him, paying him no mind. It was like he didn't even exist.

He looked down at his hands. "Why… was I summoned? What purpose did the Grail think I have?"

There was a voice beside him. It came from the air itself. "People tend to not handle the truth very well," Assassin spoke. "Take Masters for instance. They enter this war, summoning their Heroic Spirits expecting some… legend. And instead they get the reality. Then they act like it's our fault that stories got made up about us."

Saber said nothing. A car passed him and honked at him for his inactivity.

"They wanted you because of the power you allegedly had. The son of the devil… it's an intimidating name, isn't it? But you get so caught up in the grandeur of it that you forget that the devil never had a son."

Saber still said nothing. There were not very many people on the street at this point… only trash was around him now.

"You're just a rich prick who was given everything in his life, used by those smarter than you, and then blamed for all the woes of the nation you weren't even in charge of. You're not a hero. You're not a monster. You're just a nobody with a fancy name."

Saber felt Assassin's hand creep onto his shoulder. "What I'm offering you is the opportunity to actually be someone. To be the destined dark beast, Azi Dehaka. I can give you that. The power to cast the world into darkness. All I ask is that you let the coming world know exactly who it was that helped you do it."

Saber turned his head, slowly towards Assassin. "Only the Grail could do something like that."

Assassin nodded. "It's not the Grail itself, but what's in the Grail… or rather, whose in the Grail."

Saber waited. He… didn't know what he wanted anymore. He supposed that there was nothing he could want besides what he had always wanted. What he was willing to use Trussa and Travick to get.

He wanted to be the ruler of the world.

He narrowed his eyes at Assassin. "...then tell me. Who is in the Grail?"

Assassin slid his hand off Saber's shoulder and turned, moving back towards Mt. Ganz. "The devil himself."