Saber awoke as Artoria Pendragon, standing in a field that looked vaguely familiar. The grass was yellow and sharp like a bumblebee's back, though the uniformness of it was interrupted by patches of bloodstained dirt and the fragmented blades of swords sticking out of the ground. Saber opened her nostrils to invite the warm smell of the summer sunset in, but flinched as the stench of death overtook her instead.

"Am I ready now, father?"

Artoria could hardly believe her ears, but when she turned, her worst fear was confirmed. Mordred, the son she and Morgana had conceived with magic so many years before, stood before her. She had removed her mask, so that Artoria was forced to confront the fact that she was, in appearance, her son.

It was slowly coming back to her. The reality of where she was.

"Am I ready to be king, father?"

Artoria could not speak. As much as she wanted to say yes, her heart kept her jaw taught. Mordred's face turned red, and she spat at Artoria's feet.

"You son of a bitch!" Mordred growled, as a javelin-like sword appeared in her arms. "Even now, after all this time, you can't admit it!"

Artoria could only watch as the sword met her stomach, and pain washed over her. She closed her eyes, waiting like she had so many years ago for God to lead her to Avalon...

Upon waking, Saber found her armor covered in a thick blanket of snow. Despite being cold, sweat covered her body like a thick film.

The Tower of Duma loomed in the distance, sticking out of the Earth like a weathered tombstone. It was half a day's journey to the Tower, but Saber was taking her time to get there, torn between desperation to save Celica and hesitation to challenge Gilgamesh and his forces by her lonesome.

She had dreamed about her old life ever since coming into this world, but never lucidly like this. Saber had truly believed in that moment that she was back in England, on the very battlefield where she had fallen: Camlann. Her son, wielding a cursed blade that was destined to bring Saber down, had delivered the death blow after Saber had delivered one of her own. Her last memory in life was to watch her own son die, before bleeding out herself.

This time, she had the chance to make it right. To give Mordred the crown that was rightfully his. But she didn't. The time of this realm in relation to her own world was ambiguous; how long had she been forced to live with that regret? And still, she could not bear to give up the crown.

"Not once did I despise you. There was only one reason I would not give you the throne. You didn't have the capacity of a King."

Those had been Saber's words. The last words she would ever speak. She had chosen her kingdom over her flesh and blood. History would immortalize her. For her iron determination to protect her people, even if it meant killing the only ones who had truly loved her. She had made the right choice...why, after all this time, did it still bring her to the brink of tears?

Thinking of the past made Saber weary, and on this day, she could not afford to sacrifice any more of her strength. She focused on her dismal surroundings in a vain attempt to distract herself. The overcast sky did not give her much optimism, and what she would nearly fall into a few minutes later would not either.

The only word Saber could use to describe the impossibly vast opening in the earth separating her from the Tower would be a "pit," but this was a laughable understatement. It was as if an entire lake's worth of water had been drained, leaving a vacuum of sediment. There was a curious mix of obscure material and the remains of a village that once sat here. Seeing no alternative route towards the Tower, Saber allowed mud and grime that coated the perimeter of the pit to carry her down in, rather than wading through it. A little dirt never bothered the King.

As the former King of Britain, Saber had unfortunately been forced to confront the horrors of war on many occasions. However, there was always a sense of glory to war that continually drew her away from the Round Table.

There was no such glory here.

The charred remains of men and women, young and old, were all that remained of this community. The corpses were poised like dolls in a children's play area, looking up at the sky towards something Saber couldn't see. Some were even pointing there. Beneath the fallen roof of a peasant shack, an entire family of remains was gathered around the central table, their skeletal smiles eerie and inviting at the same time. The smell of damp crust thankfully was strong enough to mask the stench of death, but Saber still found herself on the brink of being sick to her stomach.

No building had been spared, as Saber passed dilapidated churches and apothecarys, the scent of sage and other holy herbs still fresh. Saber took a seat beside the cracked remains of a church bell, which gave off a blunt ring as she sat against it, closing her eyes to shield herself from the horror. But even here, she was not safe. She had seen too much, and couldn't help but compare it all to Camlann.

Saber stared down at the ground before her feet, the only place she was safe from her thoughts or the ruined village. The soil was a standard brown color, although there was a silvery sheen to it. Small fragments of an unknown material sparkled as the sun emerged from behind the clouds for split second. Their peculiar color, one Saber could not recall ever seeing before, pulled her away from her dark thoughts, and though she was thankful for this distraction, their unearthly appearance made her chest tighten.

Saber would have loved to study these strange features even more, but there came a pleasant humming sound, echoing off the walls of the pit. She quickly dove behind the cracked bell, watching as a blue ray of light gave birth to the figure of a gem soldier. She was a good head taller than Bismuth, and even with her magical circuits to give her superhuman strength, Saber was hesitant to confront her.

There was one thing odd about this new arrival, however; its head was poking out of her elbow like a wart.

"Idiot Peridots, with their new technologies. 'Hey, the Diamond's budget passed, and we have nothing else to do, let's mess around with warp technology.'"

The gem held her arms out, her body consumed by white light, until she was back to her usual self.

"Portable warp pad. Hopefully someone gets shattered for this."

Saber's heart pounded faster, the blood rushing to her head. This was the gem that had shattered Bismuth's friend; Jasper. The bell Saber was hiding behind made a slight ringing sound as Saber's trembling fist brushed against it, but Jasper didn't notice. Her attention was focused on a small device in her hand, which she pointed at the ground like a torch, still grumbling about Peridots. The device made a low pong.

Scan complete, a monotone female voice spoke, coming out of the device. No traces of known toxins or dangerous substances. Area safe for gem deployment.

"Hmph. So this is why we keep Peridots around? A Pebble could do this…"

Jasper placed the device on her belt, peering up at the Tower.

"I know you're here," she said loudly. Without waiting for Jasper to say another word, Saber emerged, her sword drawn. "You should know better than to think you could hide from a quartz soldier, human."

"You should know better than to underestimate a human's skill in battle. Unless you wish for a demonstration?"

Jasper placed a hand on her stomach as she howled with laughter.

"I have no interest in wasting my time on some human brat."

"I know who you are. You're the one that shattered Bismuth's friend."

This was enough to get Jasper's attention, and she turned and sized up Saber silently, focused on the concentrated air in the shape of Saber's sword.

"Tiger's Eye was a traitor. That's the way the rock tumbles. But a mercenary like you could never understand the complexities of Diamond Society. What it means to serve."

Saber couldn't help but smirk. First, at the irony of Jasper's statement, but also because she was reminded of Mordred in her younger days as a knight of the Round Table.

"In a past life, I too was a king. I find these Diamonds of yours to be oppressive, unjust, and tyrannical."

A helmet of solid orange instantiated, and wrapped itself around Jasper's forehead.

"Nobody speaks about the Diamonds that way in my presence. Especially not a lower life form like you."

Saber's armor whistled as she steadied herself.

"Then silence me, if you would like. But when I defeat you, I will leave you for Bismuth."

Jasper's charge came quicker than Saber had anticipated, and she barely raised her sword in time to avoid being bucked into the air. The force of the attack caused her to lose her footing, but Jasper offered her no time to recover. Saber dodged an uppercut, and caught the quartz soldier with a boot to the side of the head.

Stunned, Jasper jumped back and wiped at her mouth with the back of her arm. When her face emerged, however, a savage smile had crossed it. At this range, Saber could see the many welts and cuts across the gem's chest.

"Ha, good. A challenge," she muttered. The quartz then did something very unusual. She jumped into the air and performed a front somersault, then a few more in quick succession. Saber realized this attack strategy a couple seconds too late, as Jasper built up centrifugal energy and launched at her.

Saber attempted to concentrate her mana in her sword, but found her mana stores depleted. She was forced to dive out of the way at the last possible second, but Jasper's impact still managed to send Saber tumbling along the ground.

"I will say you fight like a king, jumping out of the way and avoiding contact," Jasper taunted, as she emerged from the crater made from her attack. Saber planted her sword in the ground and used it to pull herself up.

Why was her mana depleted? She looked in the direction of the Tower, thinking suddenly of Celica. Without her master, her existence in this world was under borrowed time!

Her mana may not have been available, but Saber knew that merely saying the name of her sword would unleash its full strength. But the last time she had done that…

Mordred's pained expression swam out of the darkness of her mind.

"Think fast!"

Saber felt the air leave her lungs as Jasper caught her in the ribs between her outstretched arms. The impact launched her into the air, and she crashed against the wall of one of the destroyed houses.

"Why aren't you fighting anymore? Why are you so...weak?"

It took longer for Saber to pull herself up this time.

"The Diamonds will always be superior to human kings," Jasper sneered. "They can at least last on the field of battle. They've earned the respect of their armies. I can't imagine a single soldier served proudly under you…"

Saber knew better than to let rage dictate her actions; she had heard worse insults on the field of battle. But the lion's heart that she had once possessed was beating slower than ever. Never had her morale felt so brittle. Her mana was depleted, and the status of her master unknown.

I am no King.

The instant the thought crossed her mind, something caught the corner of her eye. The corpse of a young girl, no more than 8 years of age, staring ahead with the same hollow expression as Mordred's.

The image added weight to the self doubt crushing her chest at first, until the thought of the injustice of it made her heart beat faster. . She thought of these villagers, who had their lives cut short so unfairly, and Bismuth, forced to watch her friend perish.

At once, Saber felt the blood of a king begin to flow again. Her ribs ached, and her legs trembled, but she would not waver.

"So, you wanna keep going, huh? Fine with me. I'll even let you have the next strike!"

Saber said nothing, instead closing her eyes and lifting her sword above her head.

Lady of the Lake, I beseech you bless thine sword.

She did not have to open her eyes to know her sword had been revealed. She heard Jasper emit an audible gasp.

"What the…"

Saber's eyes crashed open, revealing two verdant green eyes blazing with power. Jasper, who rarely revealed doubt on the battlefield, slowly began to back away. Saber could not allow her to get away. Jasper was nothing more than a raider of her friend Bismuth's happiness, and she needed to be punished.

"Ex…" she began, as her sword flashed with the light of a thousand suns. She prepared to aim the blast in Jasper's direction, but just then, there was a low hum, though not quiet enough to be drowned out by Saber's blade.

Jasper, presence requested at Diamond Moon Base.

The voice had distracted Saber enough to lower her sword, which again took on its ambiguous, invisible appearance.

"I suppose we'll have to finish this another time," Jasper said, pulling the portable warp pad off her belt. "Human king."

With a flash, Jasper was gone, leaving Saber alone. This moment would not last, for soon, there was the sound of footsteps echoing off the distant slopes of the pit.

"You continue to be a thorn in my side."

Saber couldn't turn around fast enough, before three chains coiled around her and trapped her against the church bell. The impact caused it to ring at its loudest pitch, though not loudly enough to drown out the sound of Gilgamesh's laughter.

Gilgamesh's measured footsteps moved closer, followed by the nervous shuffling of another set of feet. Struggle as she might to break free, or at least get in a position where she could see her adversaries, Saber knew her divinity was simply too strong to allow her to wiggle free from the Chains of Enkidu.

"I must commend you for taking care of that orange eyesore. You saved me from having to waste my precious treasures."

"Gilgamesh, what have you done with my master? Is she alive?!"

Gilgamesh waited to respond, using the suspense as a sort of sick game. Saber could picture his smirking face in her mind's eye.

"Yes," he said finally. "Although her time is limited. Soon, Duma will awaken and feast on her heart, and he will be invincible."

"I see you haven't changed. You couldn't change the world in the last Holy Grail War, and you won't change it now."

"Rushing to conclusions again, are we? It's remarkable how your inexperience as a king shines through."

"What king aspires to destroy the very world that worships him so?"

"I thought I made it clear to you in our last encounter," Gilgamesh began. Saber's ribs, injured already, burned as the chains tightened their grip and lifted her in the air. She could see now that Gilgamesh was not indeed alone this time. A young man, wearing a luxurious set of crimson traveling robes, stood next to him, his head bowed in fealty.

"Humanity is a plague upon society. Creating wars, spreading plagues amongst themselves...in the grand scheme of existence, they are lower than rats. You may have thwarted me in our last encounter, King of Knights, and my respect for you germinates from that. But I never abandoned my intentions. I waited within the Grail for another chance at materialization, when I heeded the call of my master."

Gilgamesh motioned for the boy to move forward, which he did slowly.

"I do not believe you have met my master, Berkut. He is the crown prince of Rigel, the mightiest nation on this continent, and as such, he will be the rightful retainer of the new world I shall create."

Berkut averted Saber's appeasing gaze, and quickly shuffled behind Gilgamesh.

"Now, the question remains: what to do with you?"

"You will have to kill me, King of Heroes," Saber said. "If you let me live, I will crawl out of the deepest grave, I will cross the largest sea, if it means reaching my master."

"Your will was never in doubt, Saber. Nevertheless, simply killing you wouldn't be very entertaining."

Gilgamesh's lips curled into a sinister smile.

"Perhaps you could send a message to the Alm boy, who will likely be joining us soon with his group. Or rather, your corpse will. I shall allow Duma's children, the 'Terrors' as your human friends prefer to call them, to feast on you. Your sacrifice will send a warning to those who think they can tamper with the will of the Gods."

"You're insane," Saber sneered. "And when Alm finds out what you have done to Celica, he will punish you."

"No mortal, no matter what 'destiny' they boast, can match me. Alm is the least of my concerns."

Saber could not miss the slight flicker of doubt in Gilgamesh's eyes. They had had enough encounters for her to know there was more behind this statement.

"Someone with Alm will challenge you, and he will hold his own," she said. Gilgamesh's smug expression didn't waver, although his eyes flickered again.

"But even so, it is too late. On this eve, the world begins anew," Gilgamesh said. The Chains of Enkidu pinned Saber against the church bell again.

"Come, Berkut," Gilgamesh barked as he paced in the direction of the Tower. Berkut tailed him like an obedient dog.

"He will betray you," Saber yelled, the effort of doing so causing her ribs to vibrate painfully. Berkut stopped, but did not look up. "You are nothing but an object to him. Turn back now, before it is too late."

Berkut removed his cowl and looked back at Saber, his face ghostly pale. He opened his mouth to speak several times, but nothing came out.

"Berkut!"

Gilgamesh's voice severed Berkut's moment of self-reflection, and he quickly replaced his cloak and hurried after him again.

"Go on," Gilgamesh said as Berkut hurried by him, and turned to regard Saber.

"You should've become my wife when you had the chance," he said, not in his usual cold manner.

"I am not some treasure to be stowed in your vault, Gilgamesh. And neither is the boy."

Gilgamesh looked in the direction of the Tower, back at Saber one final time, before pacing towards the Tower again, quicker than before.