FATE/CATBOX FICTION

Chapter 7: Eyes Everywhere

Shortly after the battle between Waver's group and the Enforcers concluded, 22-Q sent a psychically-transmitted report to 19-Y, instructing her to inform one of the Grand-rank Servants regarding these developments. After returning from her business with Kayneth and Diarmuid inside the Spiritual Tomb, 19-Y had holed herself inside a top-secret security room for the last few days. She had been observing some unusual movement within the Amazon, and what she found intrigued her so much that she practically shut the outside world off. It was only due to 22-Q's urgent report that 19-Y was finally willing to leave and talk to someone about this.

Although the news of Waver and 22-S' betrayal was disconcerting, 19-Y knew that there were plenty of other Enforcers who could take care of that mess. She was not designed to be a combat-oriented Servant, being more of a specialist in clerical work and Runecraft. Her job was to relay and organize information for the Grand-rank Mages, as well as to act as an liaison between them and 2-F, the highest-ranked Servant within the Enforcer series

Although reluctant to leave the calm and quiet of the security room, 19-Y had a job to do. She headed for a particular Mage's living quarters located deep within the heart of the Clock Tower. She knocked on the mahogany door and announced through the intercom, "Enforcer 19-Y, reporting for duty, Madam."

A minute later, the door clicked open. On the other side was an elderly woman about in her 70s, with short silvery hair which she kept tucked beneath a green fascinator covered with a small black veil. She wore a thick pine green coat over a viridian dress, accentuating both her noble heritage and her austere countenance. This woman was an infamous Mage among the Clock Tower – Inorai Valuleta Atroholm, an adept Magus and politician who was considered one of the three top Lords in the Mages Association. Many respected and feared her, 19-Y being no exception.

Without a word, Inorai allowed the Servant inside. She sat upon a plush chair in front of a fireplace and nibbled on a ladyfinger while tersely asking, "What is the word, Enforcer?"

"22-Q has informed me that Waver Velvet and Enforcer 22-S have breached the L.I.S.A., and were to be detained for questioning and subsequent execution. However, Mr. Velvet stole the El-Melloi family's catalyst and summoned a Servant to assist in their escape."

"Waver Velvet… Velvet… Velvet… Ah, yes. He was the grandson of a woman who courted a fellow Magus. It's not an exceptional bloodline, but the lad showed promise in the art of spiritual evocation. To think he could have summoned such a famous Heroic Spirit under such dire circumstances speaks of his talent to me, at the very least."

"He expressed an unhealthy fascination with Lancer of Akakor's True Name, which led to 22-S telling him too much. I always did feel that she was a little different from the rest of us Enforcers. I think she allows her heart to cloud her better judgment, yet she doesn't understand how much that caring nature of hers has landed Mr. Velvet in so much trouble."

Inorai glanced at 19-Y with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Do you think Velvet might have sought to summon a new Lancer of Akakor for himself?"

"Well, his theory was that Lancer's Master commanded her to initiate the Southern Hemisphere Extinction, rather than that she acted on her own volition as the literature suggests."

"My word. What a terrifyingly accurate deduction…"

"I think Mr. Velvet wanted to make a name for himself by discovering what Lancer's identity was, which was spurned when Lord El-Melloi humiliated him in front of his class. That is also why Mr. Velvet stole Lord El-Melloi's catalyst."

"Ugh, Kayneth, that popinjay. He always enjoyed seeking opportunities to boast of his supposed superiority. If only he had the presence of mind to warn Velvet of the L.I.S.A., we could have been saved a lot of unnecessary trouble. I'm only glad I made the decision to have 2-F silence him if he tried to overstep his bounds. Lord knows what would happen if a pontificating fop like him was allowed to have even a modicum of control over the Grail Terminal's Gates."

"Yes, I took care of that business on her behalf," 19-Y said. "Lord Kayneth is currently stationed in Salazere under cryogenic stasis."

"Did the artificial Pseudo-Servant conversion work on him?"

"Splendidly. Since he summoned Diarmuid Ua Duibhne without a catalyst, they were found to be roughly 75% compatible. We estimate that if he had used the catalyst to summon Alexander the Great, their compatibility levels would have been significantly lower."

"Fine enough. The least Kayneth can do is be productive as a guard for Akakor. That should prove to be sufficient enough of a 'gift' for the Family Tree to satisfy their greed for the next while. Not that it will matter much, if the Atlas Institute's prediction does come true."

19-Y tilted her head. "Didn't they say some sort of calamity was to happen this year?"

Inorai sat back in her chair and sighed deeply. "I still can't forget what those secluded alchemists told my mentor and I during the Akakor Grail War – that in 50 years' time, the planet will die."

Both women paused. The weight of those words deeply disturbed them so much that they didn't want to disrupt the tense atmosphere with any useless chatter. The Mage somberly continued, "I couldn't believe it back then, but Lady Brugger seemed to take their words very seriously. Maybe she understood something that my immature self could scarcely begin to comprehend at the time."

"Were the alchemists not specific about how this so-called 'planetary death' would happen?"

"Of course not. All they care about are discovering problems and devising solutions. Whatever ridiculous inventions they come up with are to remain sealed within the Institute's walls, unless it is absolutely needed to prevent some sort of catastrophe."

"The Grail Terminal in Akakor was their solution to this prediction though, was it not?"

"Yes it was, although they handed control of the device over to the Family Tree instead of the Association. Apparently the Leyline beneath Akakor is far more potent than the one here in England. It's no small wonder the Family Tree enjoys waving such tremendous political sway over us – they hold the very key to keeping this entire planet alive."

19-Y noticed that Inorai's cup of tea was nearly empty, so she prepared another kettle of Earl Grey and poured it into the cup while assuring, "We're already in September. Give it another few months, and we will soon see if the Atlas Institute's prediction comes true or if it is nothing more than prophetic hogwash."

"You say 'already', but my nerves have been on end throughout this whole year. It's felt like an eternity ever since New Year's Day was celebrated."

"Perhaps I can help you get your mind off of the matter with some more news that I wish to tell you."

"Would you, now? Is it good news, or more bad news?"

"That depends on your perspective. Our security systems in the Amazon have spotted what appears to be a renegade group consisting of a Master and her Servants heading toward Akakor."

"Oh?" Inorai raised an eyebrow. "You're saying there are multiple Servants under the command of a single Master?"

"The sensors only picked up the Command Spells from a teenaged girl."

"Well that's surprising. Normally it's impossible for Masters to have more than one Servant, lest they have all of their magical energy drained in a flash. Either that girl has a tremendous amount of magical energy, or she is perhaps being backed by some mana generator that sustains the Servants."

"We suspect it's the latter. They came here from a parallel universe, but they didn't utilize any of the Gates. They instead used some form of technology we are not familiar with. It is reasonable to believe that their universe has developed similar devices to accommodate a single Master having multiple Servants."

"I see. If word were to reach the other Lords, no doubt they would want to have the researchers fine-tune the Gates to discover this alternate world and pilfer their technology."

"What do you propose we do with this intel?" 19-Y wondered. "I approached you first with the details since I implicitly trust your judgment in more delicate matters such as this."

Inorai closed her eyes in contemplation. After a short pause, she asked the Enforcer, "Who are the Servants accompanying this Master?"

"So far we have witnessed five. One of them is a Rogue Servant, confirmed to be Okada Izo. The other four accompanying the Master are a teenaged girl with a large shield, an Assassin in red and black clothes, a giant tailed Berserker who wields Gae Bolg, and… well…"

"Yes? Go on."

19-Y glanced away hesitantly. "The last one is… a duplicate of Lancer of Akakor."

The elderly Mage stared at the young woman with disbelief in her eyes. 19-Y knew Inorai would react this way, so the Servant kept quiet and waited for her superior to regain her senses. The Mage pressed her fingers against her forehead and sighed deeply as she murmured, "My word… What could these developments portend, I wonder?"

"You seem troubled. Would you like some time to yourself, Madam?"

"No, I'm all right. It's just that a flood of memories I thought I had put behind have come rushing back to me."

"Of when you apprenticed under Lady Brugger?"

"Yes," Inorai murmured and stared up at the ceiling with a blank gaze. "Giselle Brugger… She was the kind of Mage I aspired to be – navigating the political sphere as naturally as she breathes, being able to see others through to their core, yet impossible to read herself… A perfect, most powerful woman. If she were here now, I bet she would scold me terribly for feeling so nervous."

"I wouldn't say that. You possess the same countenance as her. Many of the other Lords compliment your professionalism and keen eye to details."

"No need for the hollow flattery, Enforcer. I am aware of how they speak of me behind my back. Madam Brugger was the same way when I apprenticed under her. She always told me not to let the pettiness bother me and focus on the larger picture. Her Servant, despite only being a child warrior, was equally as talented in both combat and intellect. Sometimes the girl would impart a piece of advice to me, which of course I wouldn't take seriously at the time due to my nature as an ignorant youth. Now though, I have always kept little Lancer's words close to my heart. It is difficult for me to imagine why Lady Brugger would summon such a calm, considerate soul to partake in the Akakor Grail War."

"Perhaps Lancer was seen as the Conservatives' lynchpin for maintaining decency and morality within the Family Tree."

"I think so too. I dread to imagine what would have happened if characters like Rider, Caster, or even Archer's Master were allowed to have their way with the Grail Terminal. Oh, Lady Brugger… Why did you have to die so suddenly like that? Why did you have to leave Lancer alone with that plethora of maniacs? If I had a better sense of mind back then, I would have taken your Command Spells and…"

19-Y stood there for a moment and watched Inorai as she reminisced on her younger days. The old woman shook her head and chided to herself, "No, I mustn't think like that. The past is what it is, and we must live with the consequences."

"Yes, indeed," the Enforcer nodded. Her forced smile seemed grating to Inorai as she added, "If the Atlas Institute's prediction is true, then the consequences are probably going to catch up to us now."

The Mage fell silent. She didn't want to look at the insincere Servant any more than she needed to. She gently stirred her tea, then asked, "Have you estimated what this mystery group's objective is?"

"Not necessarily their objective, but their destination is apparent – they are heading towards Akakor."

"Just as I thought. Well, if it's Akakor, then it's the Family Tree's responsibility to deal with them. We of the Clock Tower do not hold jurisdiction in their territory. Once they see this Lancer duplicate, no doubt they will want to take extreme measures to counteract their activities. What they plan on doing with her is anyone's guess though."

"…"

"For now, continue observing them, and inform me of any major developments as they happen."

"Certainly. Would you like the other Lords to be notified of this group's presence?"

"No. This is to be kept between you and I. Normally this would be beneath their notice, but with this second Lancer of Akakor running amok, who knows if the other Mages will want to do something irrational to her as well? If we're not careful, it could spark a new war between the Clock Tower and the Family Tree over possession of this new Lancer. That is the absolute last thing I want to have happen, understand?"

"Yes, Madam. I'll inform 2-F about this as well."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Rio de Madeira

A tiny camera tucked inside a fake arrangement of orchids whirred side-to-side as it observed a group of three figures passing by. They didn't notice it, nor any of the other dozens of cameras that monitored them. The Clock Tower, on Inorai's instruction, had planted such devices along the river several years ago to monitor the rivaling Family Tree's activities within and around Akakor. These were what detected Ritsuka's group as they continued traveling southwest through Brazil.

"Phew," the young Mage wiped her forehead of sweat.

"Here, Senpai," Mash gave her a towel that had been soaked in ice water. "I know it's been a difficult trek, but we're making excellent progress thanks to Connla's guidance."

"I know. I just wasn't prepared for it to be this hot when it's supposed to be September. I totally forgot that when compared to Japan's climate, the seasons are completely different in the southern hemisphere."

"Yeah. If it's approaching autumn in Japan, then it should be early spring here. Since we're so close to the Equator though, it feels more like summer."

"Ugh," Ritsuka groaned as she gazed languidly at the sky. Some dark clouds were beginning to roll in, indicating that a mighty storm was rapidly approaching. "I don't like the look of this weather either."

Back in Chaldea, Sigurd maintained a vigilant watch on both Ritsuka's vitals and the surrounding forecasts. He reported over the transmitter, "It will be a passing rain, but it might fall so hard that you won't be able to see where you're going. I strongly recommend finding shelter for the meantime."

"Good idea," Mash agreed. "We don't want Senpai collapsing because she tried to push herself during such a terrible storm."

Connla looked around, then pointed to a nearby mahogany tree. "Look, there's a hollow in this trunk. It'll be enough to fit both of you."

"What about you two?" the Shielder wondered as she eyed both the Lancer and the grumpy Mini-Cu perched on her shoulder.

"Father and I will stay in spirit form. I'm kind of worried about Assassin though. I hope nothing bad has happened to him."

"Worry not," Sigurd assured Connla. "Dr. Roman reported that Kiritsugu is presently making his way back to your group."

"How did his expedition into Manaus fare?"

"Well… It was a most bizarre sight for him to behold. I'm not sure if I can explain it any more efficiently than he can."

Connla frowned. Mini-Cu muttered, "If you're that worried about him, why not go intercept him while Master is stuck waiting out this storm? Then you can bug him all you want about what he found."

"Mm. Is he far from here, Lord Sigurd?"

The Saber inspected the digital map of Brazil, where two markers were blinking – one for Ritsuka, the other for Kiritsugu. He told her, "He is approximately one kilometer northeast from your position. Given your high agility stat, you should be able to reach him in 15 minutes."

"That sounds good. I'll go get him then."

With that, Connla and Mini-Cu vanished into their spirit forms and headed back the way they came. Ritsuka and Mash huddled inside the hollow tree trunk, and the latter blushed while murmuring, "Boy, what a tight squeeze."

Ritsuka put her arm around her friend's shoulders and said, "You know, this isn't half bad. Maybe we should plan a trip back here for our next summer vacation."

"Yeah, but you'd have to plan that around Christmas. You know how hectic it always gets around Chaldea during the holidays. Who knows if we'll have the time to come here?"

"Oh, good point…"

For the next while, Ritsuka and Mash would continue chatting with each other about life in Chaldea, of the adventures they had already embarked, and of what might happen during this mission. As they conversed, they heard the pitter-patter of heavy rain steadily approach. It didn't take long for countless pencil-sized water droplets to batter the surrounding area. The sound was so soothing that they just wanted to sit back and listen for a while.

After all, who knew if they would get another moment of quiet like this in the near future?

Within the next 10 minutes, the Amazon was engulfed in a ferocious rain storm that was powerful enough to pelt flesh off of bone. Just as Sigurd predicted, Connla found Kiritsugu as he quietly rushed along the river. She called out to him, which made him jolt in surprise from her unexpected arrival. He would have reached for his Thompson/Center Contender gun, but he recognized her voice right away and settled down.

"What are you doing here? You should be with Master," Kiritsugu scolded her.

"Miss Mash is guarding her while they take shelter from the rain," Connla explained. "I wanted to intercept you so I could hear what you discovered in Manaus."

"Couldn't you have asked the Director or Sigurd about that?"

"Lord Sigurd was rather vague in his report. He felt you'd have an easier time explaining it."

"Hmph," the Assassin's typically grim expression hardened. "I must say, in all my years as a Magus Hunter, never have I seen anything so insidious."

"Insidious?"

"Look at these images, then judge for yourself."

Kiritsugu showed Connla and Mini-Cu his camera, which contained dozens of photos of what he witnessed in Manaus. The Celts were easily unnerved by the lack of human life, particularly with the mysterious collection of clothes strewn about everywhere. Mini-Cu grit his teeth and scowled, "What the hell happened here?"

"I have my theories, but without proof, I cannot say anything with certainty," Kiritsugu said. "The Director performed a quick analysis of the clothing, and he believes they have been exposed to the elements for approximately 50 years. That means Manaus has been left abandoned for that amount of time as well."

"So something happened five decades ago that made everyone literally disappear out of their clothes."

Connla's skin shuddered when she heard Mini-Cu say that. She hugged her arms and shivered, "What kind of phenomenon could cause something like that?"

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. "Well for starters, we know that there's far too much mana in the atmosphere for what modern times can sustain. Without divine entities and the element of Mystery pervading human society, the presence of magical energy has likewise dwindled as a consequence. If modern Mages seek to continue their studies, the only consistent sources of magical energy they can rely on are what human beings possess. Even then, an individual only has a tiny amount of mana within them – hardly enough for a Mage to even hope to replicate True Magic, never mind reach the Swirl of the Root."

"Would it be possible for a Mage to devise something that could extract mana from an entire city's worth of people all at once then?"

"Maybe not in our world, but we're dealing with a parallel world. Who knows what the rules are here? Perhaps something has been discovered that can let the Mages compensate for the lack of mana by performing mass sacrifices like this. But if there's enough mana to rival the Age of the Gods, that means we'd have to be dealing with entire continents' worth of sacrifices like this."

"That's awful…"

Kiritsugu then said, "Again, this is all just supposition. It's the explanation that makes the most sense to me, given my experience with hunting rogue Mages, but I have no proof of anything."

"I suppose so. I wish we could find someone who could help fill in the gaps for us."

Mini-Cu asked, "Why not ask the other Connla what she knows? We're in her world, so your connection with her should be much stronger now."

Connla nodded. "I could try, once I have an opportunity to get some sleep. I want to make sure Master is okay before sleeping though, since I have no way of knowing how long I will be out."

Kiritsugu unexpectedly scoffed as he walked past them and muttered, "I have a feeling you won't be able to get that chance for a while."

"Why not?"

The Celts grew perplexed when he didn't answer them right away. Without warning, the Assassin whipped out his signature pistol and fired a single shot at a large nut growing on a nearby Brazil tree. It fell to the ground and broke open, spilling some seeds on the muddy dirt. However, mixed within the edible fruit were some strange mechanical parts, along with the remnants of a 1970s-styled video camera.

Connla examined the mess, then wondered, "What in the world is this?"

"A security camera. One of hundreds, I may add," Kiritsugu said. "I happened to notice some hiding in various flowers and foliage as I was making my way back."

"You can't be serious! If someone took the time to set up so many of them, then-!"

"Exactly. Someone knows we're here."

Mini-Cu barked, "Damn it! We never noticed anything like that!"

Connla got back on her feet and gasped in horror. "Master! We need to get back to her right away!"

"What are we waiting for then!? Let's go!"

Well after the trio departed, an unknown Servant materialized into physical form. He had been listening to the conversation while keeping his presence as minimal as possible. He especially didn't want to disturb them after seeing Kiritsugu shoot down the camera. In fact, he was rather surprised that the Assassin didn't notice he was there. Regardless, now that the other Servants were gone, he could come out of hiding and stare at the destroyed camera with a bemused smile.

However, it wasn't really the camera that caught his interest. He had his eyes fixed on Connla the whole time. Some sort of feeling akin to excitement welled within his chest – something which he hadn't felt in many years. He wasn't sure how to describe it beyond seeing an old friend again in decades. Even so, he didn't want to approach the group carelessly, lest they wound up mistaking him for an enemy. That was why he waited for them to leave before emerging from his hiding spot.

The Servant stared ahead at the direction the Servants headed towards. He tipped his cowboy hat up with a 45-caliber Colt Single Action Army gun, then murmured to himself, "Headin' t'wards Akakor, are we? Not if I 'ave sumthin' t'say 'bout that."

English Channel

22-S had kept her eyes squeezed shut for so long that she had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that she was pressed against Waver's chest, and that he was holding her close to keep her from falling off whatever they were riding inside. The wind was so strong that she probably would have tumbled off by accident if he didn't hold on to her. She soon opened her eyes and looked around. For some reason, they were inside a chariot that had a pair of ten-foot wheels flanking its sides. A pair of horned oxen pulled the vehicle along, and electricity sparked off of their hooves each time they galloped.

However, 22-S noticed that there was a third person standing next to the stunned pair. She had to take a moment to inspect his features, particularly since he possessed such an awesome presence that she couldn't help but feel gobsmacked. He seemed to be more of a mountain of muscle than an actual man, who sported bushy red hair and a beard reminiscent of a lion's mane. He wore an armored brown tunic and donned a fur-trimmed red cape that billowed in the wind – the same type of cape that was used as the catalyst to summon him. His grin was broad and toothy, as if he could face the Devil himself and charismatically laugh at him.

"Yo," the mystery man greeted her. "You finally awake, lass?"

"I, uh…" 22-S blabbered. "W-What's going on here?"

"Are you okay?" Waver asked her.

"Yes, I am. I just have no idea what's happening. And who is this fellow supposed to be?"

"Glad you asked!" the red-haired man bellowed happily. "I'm the lad's Servant – the King of Conquerors, Iskandar!"

"Iskandar… As in Alexander the Great!?"

"Well, Alexander was my childhood name. The name Iskandar was bestowed to me by my enemies the Persians. I might also be known as Dhu al-Qarnyan, although I don't go by that name much."

"Oh my," 22-S gasped in disbelief. She faced Waver and asked, "So this is the Servant you summoned from the catalyst?"

The dumbfounded student shrugged and grumbled, "Unbelievable. It was my stroke of luck that he turned out to be a Rider-class Servant, so we were able to escape from England in record time. Not even an entire army of Enforcers can keep up with us. The trouble is that Rider's been going on and on about conquering the world, even after I've told him what our situation is."

"Escape from England…?" the Enforcer murmured, then peered over the edge of the chariot.

To her astonishment, she realized they were rushing several kilometers over the English Channel towards Belgium. She let out a startled shriek and almost tumbled off, but Iskandar snatched the back of her bodysuit and yelped, "Whoa, there! Don't want you taking a nasty spill after you just woke up!"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize we were so far from London already!"

"After you were rescued by the lad, you passed out for about an hour or so. You must've been so exhausted from fighting those other Enforcer ladies."

"Is that right?"

Waver fervently scratched his hair and complained, "On top of that, the old guy been's bugging me to wake you up so we can figure out where to go next."

22-S tilted her head. "Old guy?"

"First time I'm hearing this," Iskandar admitted. "Even so, I thought something felt a little strange about the lad. If you ask me, I think he's got a Heroic Spirit lurking inside him."

"Really!?"

Waver told her, "I didn't want to say anything because I thought you would think I was crazy. But while I was looking into that information you told me about last night, I had a dream where a Servant was talking to me. When I woke up, I realized the old bastard was still inside my head and wouldn't stop bossing me around. Even now, he won't shut the hell up!"

"What is this Servant's True Name?"

"He says he's Zhuge Liang, the famous strategist from the Three Kingdoms era of China."

"Ooh!" Iskandar beamed delightedly. "Well I'll be damned! Another strategist to rely on aside from Eumenes, huh!? I'd love to have a word or two with this fellow! We could concoct a winning strategy that will lead to me spreading my glory as the King of Conquerors!"

"Even if you say that, it seems no one else can hear him. It's going to be a major pain in the ass if I have to act as his mouthpiece all the time."

22-S leaned in before the surprised Waver and said, "Maybe I can help with that."

"You can? How?"

"I can place some Runes on you that will allow Lord Zhuge's voice to be projected."

"Are you able to do that? You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Of course I don't think you are. You didn't finish your spiritual evocation courses, yet you were able to summon Alexander the Great. Lord Zhuge must have noticed your latent potential and decided to inhabit you as a Pseudo-Servant. Whatever his motives are for doing so elude me, but I would like to hear it from him directly, if that's fine with you."

"O-Of course! That'd be one less thing for me to worry about!"

"Then hold still," the Enforcer said and raised her palm before his chest. She danced her fingers about in a strange pattern until a series of Celtic sigils were etched on him. It took a couple of minutes for her to place the finishing touches on a small magic circle. Once she was done, she then asked aloud, "Lord Zhuge Liang? Are you able to speak with us?"

"… Hm?" an unfamiliar man's voice echoed from the crest. "What is this?"

"Can you hear me, sir?"

"Oh? You're that lovely Enforcer lady the boy is so smitten with."

"For the final freakin' time, I'm not smitten with her!" Waver raged.

"Good grief, you can't take a joke, can you?" Zhuge grumbled. "Anyway, young lady, did you use some kind of magic to allow my voice to be heard?"

"Yes, I did," 22-S said.

"Good show, my dear. You truly are based off of a most considerate and accommodating Servant."

"Whuh?" Waver blubbered. "You know which Servant 22-S is supposed to be?"

"Of course I do, you dolt. Why else would she have such a keen interest in Lancer of Akakor's history other than being Lancer of Akakor herself?"

"You're kidding!" the teenager shouted in total surprise. He faced the dumbfounded 22-S and demanded, "You're the Child of Cuchulainn, Connla!?"

"Y-Yes, I am. Lord Zhuge's assertion is most correct. I cared about Lancer's lost history because I wanted to preserve it somehow, both for the original Lancer's sake and for myself, as her duplicate."

"But that's… Wait, wait, wait, wait! If you're Connla, then does that mean the other Enforcers are-!?"

"That's right. They're all the same as me."

"What the hell!? Lancer is supposed to be dead! Or was that also a lie!?"

22-S quickly grew uncomfortable with his onslaught of questions. "Well, um…"

"Hey, lad," Iskandar interrupted them. "As much as you want to satisfy your curiosity, there's a much bigger problem we need to deal with right now."

Zhuge murmured, "How true. We need to figure out what our next destination is."

"Yeah, I guess so," Waver frowned. "I'm totally lost about what to do next. Do you have any ideas, 22-S?"

She pondered his question for a short while. She then asked him, "Are you still interested in finding out what happened to Lancer?"

"Naturally. The Association's desire to suppress her history is what got me in so much trouble in the first place. If they're willing to go that far to treat me as a fugitive, then I feel I deserve to know why."

"Then you'll have to look for your answers in Akakor. That's where she's been sleeping ever since the Akakor Grail War's conclusion."

"Sleeping? So you're saying she's still alive?"

22-S fell into a pensive silence. Soon, she whispered, "That depends on what you mean by 'alive'…"

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Never mind. If I were you, I would head to Akakor and seek refuge from the Association's headhunters. The Family Tree isn't on the friendliest terms with the Association, and I'm sure they would recognize your potential for spiritual evocation."

Iskandar asked her, "And where is this Akakor place supposed to be?"

"In South America. I know it's a great distance from here, and I certainly wouldn't want Mr. Velvet's magical energy to be drained dry because you tried to get us there with this chariot."

"True, that. My Gordius Wheel does command a lot of my Master's energy. Are we supposed to take breaks along the way then?"

"Not at all. We can use one of the Gates to cross in an instant."

"A Gate?"

"Short for a Parallel World Gate. They're top-secret portals that the Family Tree and Mages Association have established that lead into alternate versions of Earth. The Family Tree wields primary authority over them, but the Association has been helpful in discovering new worlds to connect a Gate to."

"You don't say. And what exactly do the Mages do with these Gates?"

"The long and short of it is that they harvest manpower, resources, and free magical energy to sustain their studies in this world. I'd be happy to delve into the specifics later, but for now we need to concentrate on finding the nearest one."

"Fair enough. Once we're in the clear, I'm gonna grill you for all the details. You better be ready, missy."

"I wouldn't mind hearing an extensive lecture myself," Zhuge added.

"I-I see…" 22-S murmured uneasily at how giddy the two men sounded. She then explained, "The nearest Gate from here is in the heartland of Luxembourg, which connects to PW #00162B. Once we go inside the alternate world, I can alter the coordinates so that the Gate returns us to South America in this world."

Iskandar grinned. "So it'd be like some kind of teleportation, huh? Man, that sounds mighty handy to have! Not only could I conquer this world at breakneck speed, but I could march into completely different universes and add them to my territory!"

"Rider," Waver glared at him darkly.

"Soften that glare, will ya, boy? I know we're supposed to be throwing the Association off of our trail. Even a man like me understands what his priorities should be."

"Fine. Just get us to Luxembourg as quickly as you can."

"Roger!"