This chapter is a little shorter than most. But it highlights a lot of changes made from the new characters, and it's really more of an aftermath chapter anyway. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Fate series, Lupin III, Ni No Kuni, or My Hero Academia.

Chapter 27: Humility

There was very little that could break the unflappable demeanor of Tokiomi Tohsaka. But the realization that Archer had lost was certainly one of them. Feeling his own connection to the King of Heroes get broken while Kariya still had his connection painted a very clear picture of just how the battle had gone. To say nothing of the story Kariya had told Tokiomi of just what Zouken had been doing to Sakura. More than anything, he regretted his hasty decision and wished he had looked at more options before sending Sakura off. Of course, now he had very little chance of getting any kind of wish.

After all, it was clear that Lupin had to have planned all this. The War's Assassin had made it plain he intended to take the Grail for himself, and as was proven time and again during the War, Lupin always made good on his promises. And it seemed Kirei had allowed this to happen, meaning Tokiomi had been betrayed. 'I've no choice but to hope one of my descendants can succeed where I failed. There's no chance of me getting another Servant. Berserker has made it plain that he's loyal to Kariya. Avenger would be just as disapproving of me as Archer. Saber and Rider have their own reasons for wanting the Grail.'

He sighed as he buried his hands in his head. "I thought my plans were perfect." Kariya scoffed. "That's the thing about true perfection. It's something that doesn't need introduction. If you have to say something is perfect, than it was never perfect, and more than anyone you're just fooling yourself. Look at Lupin. The only time he says a plan is perfect is when it's already succeeded, because by then it's obvious it really was perfect." He stood up. "There's a reason why most magi don't seek the root anymore. The world is evolving to a point where locating Akasha will soon become moot. The Church did the smart thing and kept up with the times. It's about time we magi do the same."

Tokiomi had a sudden need to know. "Just what do you want from the Grail?" "At first I wanted to use it to save Sakura," Kariya admitted, "But now I don't need that. She's been saved from Zouken's influence, and before long she'll be transferred into my custody. Now I just want to repair whatever damage still lingers… With both of us." Tokiomi lowered his head. "Just promise me you'll look after her. It's clear that I was never going to be a good father for her if I have her sold off without even questioning it." He chuckled mirthlessly. "It's ironic… I did this to insure she would have a future… Only I nearly wound up leaving her without any regardless…"


Risei had already gotten word that Archer was dead. 'Gilgamesh seemed the best chance to win the Holy Grail War. But in the end All Might proved his superior. Now it's anyone's game. Saber, Assassin, Berserker, Rider, Avenger. Each of them has an equal chance to win.' "Of course it would be best if Kirei were to win," he noted aloud, "Better to have the Grail in the hands of the Church, where it can be monitored. That may be why my son was chosen to begin with, rather than to help Tokiomi win. But clearly that cannot be the case. And with Lupin's help… Kirei may just win in the end."


Inside the Einzbern residence, Iris felt the sudden drop in prana. "Did you feel that?" "Archer is dead," Jonathan noted, "Lupin pitted him against All Might, and clearly All Might came out the victor. It's down to five Servants now." "Gilgamesh seemed the strongest of the Servants at first," Iris noted, "But my opinion on that changed when Berserker actually forced him to retreat without even a single excuse." "I should have know Lupin was pulling the strings," Kiritsugu said, "Most of the family bank account was just drained. Only the savings I set aside from my career remain. Knowing Lupin, I'll bet it's the same for the Tohsaka family. Talk about insult to injury…"


Rider had also sensed the death of Archer. "So it's all been leading up to this," he noted. Waver had mixed feelings. "As much as I like the idea of us having fewer opponents, I actually wanted to do something before the War ends. At this rate we may not even get a single battle until the very end." "Assassin played his cards well," Rider admitted, "The calling cards revealing his intent on stealing the Holy Grail, the failed attack on the Tohsaka manor, his reported actions at the Matou manor… Lupin has been intending on removing his biggest obstacle this whole time."

Waver realized what Rider was getting at. "You mean Assassin manipulated events just to remove Archer from the War?" "It makes when you think about it," Rider said with a nod, "He knows he's physically the weakest of the Servants, but he also knows that what he lacks in strength, he can make up for with cunning, ingenuity, and a little planning. He set things up perfectly, building a rapport with Berserker, who proved Archer's equal. Removing Lancer from the equation to eliminate distractions and have a backup plan in the form of Gae Buidhe. And setting things up so Archer would find him, but on his terms. Most Assassins are cowardly, but Lupin the Third is clearly anything but."


Meanwhile Pycal was at a local club when one of his lieutenants arrived. "We're still having problems taking any territory while the Kuzuryu are in town. If we could get some leverage on Fujimura, we might be able to persuade him to ask Kuzuryu to leave the city." "Fujimura's granddaughter is currently attending Homurahara Academy," Natasha noted. Pycal nodded. "There's your leverage right there. Go and collect her. Without harming her, preferably." The lieutenant nodded. "One more thing, Boss. We've heard rumors that Daisuke Jigen is hanging around town. Should we take care of him too?" Pycal grinned. "Most definitely. But don't kill him yet. I've heard rumors that Lupin III has returned. I'd like to hear it from one of his closest allies whether or not that's true."

"If it's Lupin III you want," came a nearby voice, "I might be able to tell you a thing or two." Pycal turned to see a robed figure with an owl on his shoulder. "You are the magician Pycal, correct? My master knows about your grudge against Lupin. I can confirm that he is indeed returned. And I am willing to offer you his location." Pycal raised an eyebrow. "And what would the price be?" "Nothing expensive," the man assured him, "We want Lupin gone as well, and are willing to let you have your revenge. The only price we ask…" He handed Pycal a photo of Kiritsugu. "Is the death of this man. We expected him to contact you by now, and to be honest are baffled that he hasn't. Things are going outside our projected plan, and we need things back on track… By any means necessary."


That evening, Kirei was reading the paper when Lupin returned. He snickered at the sight of lipstick on Lupin's face and collar. "I see you've been treated well. I guess all that funding from my former teacher had to go to a good cause." Lupin chuckled. "All in all I'd say tonight went well. Got a big cash grab, Goldie's gone, and since All Might was able to get the job done we saved up a bit of ammo. Which we might need later." Kirei nodded. "By the way, a couple of suspicious characters dropped off a package. It was rather heavy. I trust we have that escape route handy?" Lupin sighed. "And tonight was going so well…"


Evan was flying over the city on Loftwind when he heard a sudden explosion. "Where did that come from…?" He flew in the direction to see two Russian mobsters looking over two flash fried corpses, one of which had a cross on it. From where he was, Evan's enhanced hearing, which was stronger than normal due to having two sets of ears, one human and one feline, could make out that the mobsters Lupin and his Master were dead. "Those fools don't realize what it takes to kill a Servant," he realized, "I didn't feel the normal drop in prana. Lupin's pulled a fast one on them. But then where did he go…?"

We'll be getting the answer to that question soon enough. But needless to say, the Court of Owls is scrambling to maintain its plan while Pycal gets his information from other sources. Things are going to get even crazier soon enough. Read and review.