Children after the War

Waver's self-confidence was boosted by the fact that he was the first to kill a Servant through Rider.

He drew first-blood.

Not even his teacher Lord El-Melloi managed that!

However!

Ionian Hetaroi...is EXPENSIVE! He needs to replenish mana fast.

In the Grail Wars, there are four places in order of Four Cardinal Directions where the Grail will descend when its time to invoke Heaven's Feel and get the wish. In order of places with the richest leyline being Mt. Enzo, second to it is Tohsaka Residence, Fuyuki Central Park and the Church, in order of quality.

So at Mt. Enzo?

He felt this could have been an ideal location for sustaining Rider, but this place is overwhelming with power.

'Rider, is this place good?' Waver asked Rider. 'With us being here for a short time, you're full in an hour.'

'Mm. This place is indeed, brimming with mana...but there's something else I can't place.' Rider told him with a frown. 'Something...wrong. It makes my skin crawl.'

Waver took out his mirror to consult Diantha.

/Something wrong that can make his skin crawl? That's usually bad news./ Diantha frowned. /But that depends. Rider, what kind of feeling do you get?/ she asked the man.

'Its the kind I get when a deranged man looking at me with such intensity...and thinking of how to kill me in such a gruesome way possible.' Waver looked horrified with his words.

Magical Energy is colorless force. However, like the Jewelcraft Study, mana can be influenced with thoughts of the magus who imbued locations or objects with power through Conversion. And somebody influenced a whole temple?! What high-level atrocity is this?! Probably Caster!

/OK, get out of that leyline if that place gives you such heebie-jeebies...that's bad news for ghost-liners like yourself. It will slowly corrupt you over time if you absorbed mana there. That is in the basics of Witchcraft Study regarding Familiar Sustenance through a Magus. Not only that, it will also corrupt the Magus!/ she warned. /Get outta there. It's a shame but Mt. Enzo must have been corrupted at some point without the Second Owner realizing and failed to report it. For now we unfortunately, can't act on it. I doubt Tohsaka will believe us. Tru-blu magi won't care about what they feel as minor setbacks as long as outcome is the same. And don't bother trying as the mansion is fortified for murder./

'Alright. I'll go to the Central Park. I'll set up shop there incase Rider runs out.' and Diantha cut off.

'Yosh, let's go kid.' said Rider as he summoned his chariot and left the temple, to replenish elsewhere.

It wasn't as good as Mt. Enzo, but its not like Waver can freeload in Tohsaka Mansion, can he...?

Rider, despite being a high-class servant as in Mystery being 'older is better', has a thankfully manageable mana pool despite his expensive strongest card.

Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: D
Mana: C
Luck: A+
Noble Phantasm: A++~EX

Waver can manage to refill his mana pool after three hours of focused replenishing by taking in Mana, convert into Od and Rider takes 135 units from him each time he is full as to not kill him by draining him dry...or so he thought? How come he can keep refilling without seemingly making Rider 'full' in a sense, even if he filled his mana supply?

'Rider, you're already full yet you can still take mana?' Waver asked, having been in Lotus Position for hours, absorbing mana to fill his circuits to 'feed' Rider. He widens 'the path' between Master and Servant, to send mana faster.

'Oh that? My men in my army are taking some too, boy!' Rider pointed out. 'We created it, we maintain it.' he said. 'But unlike me, they only spend their mana when I call my army.'

"Bloody hell!" he's feeding them too?! 'Er, guide me a little here, I don't know how much everyone needs...'

'Oh, it's OK boy, my men need about 50-100 units and there's about 10000 of them...'

Waver felt faint. Suppose everyone needs 100 units...he needs about a million units to feed them all...how expensive...

But, this was all on him, his shortcomings as a Master with a paltry 150 units of mana at his best!

'However, as my men are only summoned for about, three minutes, and only a few killed all those Assassins, that's about 10 units it took them to run and slay our foes and to those who actually killed an Assassin, about 70 each.'

He can deal with that amount, Waver thought in relief. He can refill 106.930 units of mana in a week with hard work! He better practice what he believes in at least! He just has to come up with a good excuse to his host family!

xxx

Clock Tower...

Diantha walked through the halls on yet another errand and pushing a pushcart of goods, entering the Evocation Department after a few polite knocks and getting in. The atmosphere, was TENSE.

'Psst, what happened? You guys look like something's going to explode.' Diantha asked the nearest mage. The magi within looked very stressed, anxious and acts like a bomb's ticking and one move: BOOM. So their stress levels are stupidly high.

'A lot of high-level spirits went missing on the day Lord El-Melloi left for the Fuyuki Wars.' the guy hissed. 'The boss ain't too happy and harangued the guy's parents. Just because their kids are engaged doesn't mean son-in-law can take stuff as he pleases without telling the owner y'know. Since its likely he'll never see those again, he's charging them by the nose as those spirits are expensive. Until he gets that money to be in a good mood again, we can't relax.'

'Lord El-Melloi screwed the pooch on this one.'

'No shit.'

After delivering the goods, Diantha left the office, having new gossip to tell her friends come after school. Waver was astonished with the gossip.

/Last I checked he took up shop in Hyatt Hotel that was attacked by Terrorists so it collapsed.../ Waver sweatdropped. /Most likely those spirits are long gone and causing a mess elsewhere./ he said. /Emiya probably did it. No matter the fancy barriers, bounded fields, traps and security, none of that will matter if the physical structure it's anchored on collapses and bastard did just that. He blew up a hotel just to nail him, rendering that high-class fortress useless./

'No kidding, things between two families are a powder keg now. What's supposed to be a good arrangement is threatened because of a sticky-fingered Lord.' Melvin chuckled. 'Moreover, the current heir of El-Melloi is his niece whom he adopted into the Archibald incase he and Lady Sola don't come back, but that's the only measure he ever did incase he dies.'

'To be fair, Lord El-Melloi prioritized the ritual before marriage and doing the bedroom tango.' Diantha snarked, making the older guys blush. 'That's also a factor in weakening the union between the two families. The first offender is Lord El-Melloi and the offended is Lord Eulyphis. This arrangement will predictably go down south as the former delivered a big bad impression. If the guy dies, the one handling the clean-up of his mess, is a six year old girl who's just starting Fundamentals at home.'

'She's off to a bad start.' Melvin commented blasely. 'Soon, everyone among the nobility will know. Given the costs of those spirits, it's already 3 million pounds already. But to build an elaborate fortress...he clearly has Mana Furnaces and those things are expensive...the cheapest being ten mil.'

/That's huge!/ Waver howled in horror. Industrial Furnaces cost 15000 pounds. Yet magic generators cost ten mil?! HOW?!

'He brought that on himself. Shoulda paid for them all before going out to war.'

They continued watching Waver's progress, their friend only contacting them in war time as he was busy replenishing over 100.000 units of mana because of Rider's trump card that's expensive, which will take him a week to fill. So he is deeply focused.

But!

Not even on the third day, a problem arose.

What they feared, Caster would do. He showed up in Mion River with a gigantic 'octopus from hell' as Waver puts it. He is in temporary alliance with Saber and Lancer.

/Holy shit! That's huge!/ Melvin croaked out as Waver adjusted the mirror to let them see the whole thing as he rode with Rider.

/It will keep regenerating unless we do the toughest job of all...destroy what Caster used to call that thing./ Diantha sighed. /Find it, and destroy it. Easier said than done, you have to get through the most disgusting...demented octopus in history! It's a fortress by itself!/ understatement of the year. Waver swore it came from some E-Rate movie with faulty SFX, but unlike those, what's before them is horrifyingly real.

'That's one way to put it, kids.' Rider remarked as he may have never seen an octopus in life, but knowledge from the Grail let him see the creature. And some can be eaten, some not. 'I don't think I can eat Takoyaki or Grilled Squid again after this. This just kills the appetite.' he said with a grimace. The kids sweatdropped at his words as Waver ducked with his mirror to avoid a tentacle and Rider slashed it to keep it away from his young master.

Its just a waste of precious mana and Waver worked hard to fill his stocks.

/Why not make an alliance?/ Melvin pointed out. /The Church ordered you guys to hunt him down and get a Command Spell as a reward./

'I'm not like those problem guys.' Waver scoffed derisively with a handwave. 'I never spent a spell on Rider since he and I get along well even if he exasperates me sometimes.' Rider laughed at that.

/He won't need it. Unlike the magi, he and Rider and morbidly, Caster and his human psycho get along so well. From what I see of Rider and I knew Waver for a few months, they got the best relationship while others have to spend a spell to make them obey an order Servants don't want to obey. Thus have lousy relationships and using a spell is like pulling teeth. Well, they were morons who summoned Knights...their cold-blooded cruel orders goes against Chivalry, and their Honor and Moral Codes. And don't get me started on Archer! He clearly has the lousiest compatibility with Tohsaka by attitude alone. He's doomed from the start as cooperation is like trying to befriend a shark. He's only slightly better than Berserker at the moment, but his master will die real soon before anyone ices them./

Waver shuddered as behind him, Rider looked grim.

Berserkers are mana hogs. Even if the Master is a first-rate magus, they will still feel the large consumption.

'Heh, I won't even obey a magus unlike this boy here.' Rider patted Waver's head with his huge hand. 'I saw through him since day one...and he was different from his teacher back at the shipyard./ he said seriously. Waver was a young boy trying hard to be a man to prove himself. He has yet to grow up and wants to be acknowledged and held innocence which is unusual for a magus. Then came the Shared Dreams, so he knew of his mentor and friend whom he respected and guided him so he could live long enough to graduate. He has a good teacher with a lot of common sense, but her cynicism would tell him she had it hard and knows where she's coming from.

She's from a society of people with great lacking in common sense and highly prejudiced yet astonishingly high in moral code and humanity(how does that even work? wait, he's losing intelligence on that matter, forget it). For her who grew up among normal people, she can see what's wrong with...a lot of things about her people before she decided she's done with both her family and her people.

And while wanting a new magic school and society...felt she went into one hot pan into another...from pre-heating to flaming a wok for fried rice as the new society she's in are full of sociopaths she was mortified but shut her mouth...with many good reasons, wisdom she passed on to Waver as she was like him. Starting without a clue. The difference was he has a mentor, she did not and it took her quite a while, until Kairi got friendly with her and it was he who taught her how to coast by. Before that, its survival instinct as she can see what these people are.

How did magus kind come to be sociopaths? Why in his day they weren't like that.

So he told the kids what he thinks.

'I will kill him on the spot if he were to summon me.'

'Geh?!'

'Anyways, we better get back to work. An alliance sounds good right about now.' Rider remembered the kids suggesting an alliance as they ALL win a prize anyway. Its a very, very difficult job but they pulled through eventually.

How should they know Saber got a cursed wound from Lancer?

xxx

'What a night, huh?' said Melvin wearily. 'The thrill is exhausting!'

'Yeah, I don't think I can look at grilled seafood for a while anyway. Urrrggghh...'

'Anything to do with tentacles is off the menu for now.' said Melvin weakly.

'Hooo?' a child-like voice drawled in a teasing way, startling them, making them look behind them to see a child carried by a bodyguard. 'So you're watching the Fuyuki War in your own way~'

'Well yeah, you interested, little lady?' Melvin asked the girl with a strained smile. This girl is Reines El-Melloi Archisorte. She would be Archibald, But she kept her name for who-knows-what. How did she know where they are? Now they're keeping tabs on the war, she found out somehow

'Of course. I have yet to know of my dear brother's progress in the Holy Grail Wars.'

'Er, it ain't looking good.' Melvin told her weakly, but bluntly. 'Magus Killer destroyed Hyatt Hotel along with his stolen spirits and borrowed Mana Furnaces. We don't know if he and Lady Sophia-Ri's dead or alive though.' the girl frowned at that with a dark look on her face. She was also annoyed that EVERYONE knows what Kayneth did! Assuming he DOES win the war, which he clearly will not, does he think he can handwave publicized crime away? That a Lord stole from another Lord? The El-Melloi Faction received quite the flak for that! Thankfully, its her foster parents dealing with Policies over Lord Eulyphis' complaints. Noooot her problem. Politics will take some smoothing over and she will end up paying for it financially should the moron die.

She has to clean up his mess is he dies but while he lives, his parents will.

To soothe her annoyance, she took pleasure in hearing about the big blow Magus Killer inflicted on him.

'Might as well make contingency plans as you're not ready to be a Head of House yet. Even I'm not ready and still learning how from goblins while they take regency for me at a price.' Diantha chuckled. 'But unlike me, people are backing off from Lord El-Melloi for now, but if he kicks the bucket...expect hyenas to pounce on you and yours, sooo lock everything up in a vault so they can't steal what's valuable. Even with my society being the way it is, that's what they'll do.'

'And how much do you pay the goblins?'

'About 500.000 pounds a year in gold bars as they have no use for human paper money, that's how expensive they are in education in running an estate, businesses and milking all gold as much as possible, and installing murderous goblin security to keep unwanted people off my property. They know their stuff, so their services reflect their competence. So, who's your 'goblin teacher' in El-Melloi House?' Diantha asked, making quote marks over two words.

'Well, Magecraft is prioritized, but I'll have to add certain lessons. But define 'ain't looking good'.'

'He never showed up in an Anti-Caster Alliance after Emiya banged him real good when he struck Einzbern Castle.' said Melvin with a shudder. 'Magus Killer means business. It's Lady Sophia-Ri commanding Lancer.'

'I see. That's sufficient for me to know about his state, and I need the progress of all contestants.'

Diantha took out her writing tool so it writes as they talk...

xxx

Reines read everything. For now, this was just one point of view. For obvious reasons.

Indeed, Waver Velvet stole the original catalyst if only because he got real mad at Kayneth, but ended up getting Command Spells an hour after having it thus obligated to join when he just wanna hide it till last day. So yes, he summoned Iskandar...whom he got along with so well he never used a command spell unlike other masters.

Only four Servant Identities are known: Saber who was a cross-dressing FEMALE King 'Arthur', Hundred-Faced Hassan whom Waver Team killed and drew first blood, and Gilles de Rais who compromised the First Law of Magecraft so the Church recently called for Association Help as the Japanese Government sent two fighter jets in response to videos from cellphones put up on Social Media and after confirming the videos are real and not edited. That, was a gross breach of Concealment of Mystics.

Tohsaka screwed himself by summoning a powerful, old Archer who has 'an ego the size of Mars' as Potter puts it and the Matou Master also shot himself in the foot with Berserker. Archer is the real threat as by the looks of his armor, he came from a time older than even Rider, hence his power and level of Independent Action. So the mages who's most likely to win, is either Emiya Kiritsugu or if he got lucky, Waver Velvet! Tohsaka has a slim chance of winning if and only if Archer got whimsical.

Saber Team cannot fight against Ionian Hetaroi if summoned. But Magus Killer will win if he sniped Velvet from afar, causing Rider to disappear. It can go either way.

For now, she talked with the Archibald Parents who retired when Kayneth took over thus left things to Kayneth while they're free to research and experiment unhindered without worrying about outside world any more.

But she absolutely has to call them as Kayneth's Prospects ain't looking good thus she wants to secure family properties as a precaution as she did NOT like the scenario Diantha painted for her.

As a six year old heiress, she is powerless. As long as Kayneth is alive, she is safe. But should he die...

Yes.

She must do what she must.

It paid off well for her despite pulling teeth to get it done. Her adoptive parents are so overconfident and over-conceited because of how much a genius her 'older brother' was that he can do no wrong in their eyes. Yet in the end, a heretical rabble killed him and outlived by his worst student in class.

When the war ended, Waver Velvet was third place but survived as Archer spared him out of his loyalty to Rider and next thing Waver knew, a black circle appeared above Shinto after he got home to his hiding place, and it spewed black mud with red veins, and set Shinto on fire!

So yes, he nope-d himself out of there. But he began traveling with what's left of his money in his journey for 'self-analysis' to 'become a man' Rider hoped he could be as the man taught him what it means to grow up and become something he can be proud of.

His two friends continued school in Clock Tower but Melvin Weins was forced to quit due to his inborn disease, only Diantha pursued the academe while dealing with tons of responsibilities as Head of House Potter. Due to her grandfather's patents, that girl and her descendants will never run out of money!

But the scenario the witch painted...happened.

With the death of Kayneth in the Fourth Holy Grail War, there was a conflict on the succession of the El-Melloi faction as it fell into a state of great internal discord. As she was the selected head, Reines' early life was mostly chaotic as she lived through a period filled with deception and assassination, where she learned to be constantly cautious of spies or enemies that threaten her life. As a child, Reines' meals have been poisoned regularly yet she managed to cope with this by carrying rations on person ever since the guy died. Hell, her former family turned against her too, wanting to have what she ensured they can't get!

The Archibald Properties are HERS. And she ensured it, so!

Ohhh she knows who her assassins are, thank you very much. She had money to burn and 'purchased their deaths'. She at least, had a reliable Butler who taught her to be be so ruthless in her political dealings and the exercising of her authority.

Thanks to Diantha's advice, nobody was able to steal from El-Melloi that she was able to pay off Kayneth's massive debts with a bored handwave. And she had to clean up his mess with the Sophia-Ri Family as its now her job.

Damn her adoptive parents, being so damn lazy and useless unless its her education in magecraft and moaning about the Source Crest that was in pieces and mostly destroyed. Like any magus, much of Magus Killer is unknown other than useless facts on paper so they have no idea how he tore a Magic Crest into pieces.

The rest was on her Butler who watched Kayneth all his life that he knows how things work. But while useful, he's clearly a kiss-ass and a viper. If she showed weakness even he would turn on her.

She thus has a busy, chaotic start and she's off to a bad start.

Damn you Kayneth.

She'll have it investigated.

xxx

Fuyuki City, February 16, a week after the war...

Diantha had gone to Japan under a mission from Reines, paid 75000 pounds for it. Investigate the aftermath.

She began with the Tohsaka House. 7 years old Rin is currently, with a brain-damaged mother.

'So you wish to meet with me?' Rin asked Diantha.

'Yes. Although things aren't seem well in the household...' Diantha coughed awkwardly as Aoi Tohsaka clearly lost her marbles. She greeted her like normal, but called for 'Tokiomi' to see to their guest.

'i don't know why, but ever since she came home to Zenjou Estate, she was like that already.' Rin said bitterly. Diantha cast a medical diagnosis spell with a handwave and a parchment appeared for her to take.

'...hit head hard before strangled to near-death, but due to lack of blood flow caused severe brain damage after.' Rin got horrified at the results. '...any brain injury is already a hopeless case. As a young, inexperienced Second Owner, you clearly have a Guardian whom your parents trusted. Question is, can you trust him?'

'How can I? I made him promise to protect daddy and he didn't!' Rin scowled. 'But daddy made him my legal guardian and my teacher...mom could have, but look at her!'

'Well, I can tell you what to do as you're still young. I advised a girl around your age as well.'

'What did you tell her?'

'Lock up all your assets for protection until you're capable of managing it yourself to prevent theft and loss through incompetence, and subside off a monthly allowance.' said Diantha. 'As a child, you will begin with Magecraft Fundamentals for five years before focusing on your family trade. So given the annual real estate tax, plus monthly utility bills will be automatically withdrawn and paid for through the bank. You will get a monthly allowance of a million yen but still, spend responsibly. And paying your Legal Guardian for his work is 5 million yen a month.'

'Let's do it.' Rin decided in determination. 'But what can we do for mother?' she asked hopefully.

Diantha gave her a sad look. Not even the best spell or potion can cure Brain Damage. That look on her face made Rin deflate as there's clearly nothing to be done.

'Spend as much time with her while letting her live her fantasies as long as she's not a bad parent towards you at her current state...its her way of coping from what she may have seen before she got hurt and wanted to deny it. Forcing her to accept reality will further push her to insanity. But call for help incase she starts hurting you.'

Rin choked into her sob at that.

Diantha had to take her to London after feeding Kirei bullshit about Second Owner business, and set things up in Mage's Association so Rin would be alright growing up, and purchased books for her that her family library clearly, does not have AND outdated...with the girl's money of course.

Then upon getting home, Kirei was informed of the developments as Tokiomi was grossly unprepared for various scenarios and a Second Owner's authority is too valuable to be 'handled carelessly' thus the Association will handle all matters until Rin is twelve years old and by then, they will send a tutor to teach her how to be Second Owner. Until then, it's his job to educate her in the basics but she will have to self-learn family trade as Magus Family Secrets ARE SECRETS. Would he teach her the secret art of Executors? No, right, unless she became a Church Member? The man just shrugged it off.

'Now then, where is your younger sister?' Diantha asked Rin.

'Oh, she's in her room...she's not allowed anything to do with magecraft as a spare child incase anything happens to me.' Rin sighed. 'But she's allowed to train her magic circuits to maturity and that's it.'

'What an outdated way of thinking, its why the Association mocks and derides Asians when way of thinking has recently changed.' Diantha shook her head. 'Let your sister choose her fate. You are clearly different from a stagnant past. You are a progressive thinker. What do you believe?'

'It's all stupid! I want Sakura to learn with me but Kirei's so pigheaded!' Rin fumed out in her tantrum. 'Find me a teacher for her!'

'Oh dear...then, I know someone but his rates are pretty high we have to set things up...'

'Money is no objection!'

Well Diantha supposed she has to pull strings...

xxx

Aozaki Touko twitched in her shop in Mifune City and before her, is a foreign girl from the Association. How the girl found her made all her danger senses twitch as last she checked, she's a Designate, hello?! And she made many preparations yet she was found so quick by a TEENAGER when Enforcers before her failed. She got her designation eight years ago and she managed to find a niche for herself here.

'So, what does a Magus want with me?' Touko asked her warily.

'Oh, its a simple job really, worth 50 million yen that spans ten years.' said Diantha with a cheerful smile.

'Simple job my ass, when you're paying that much and there's the duration to consider.' Touko scoffed, lighting a cigarette.

'Maa maa, the price is due to a delicate situation borne of a grossly under-prepared house head who recently died in the holy grail war and his way of thinking is stupidly outdated when thanks to my thesis in fundamentals, magus families considered my ideas regarding having spare kids incase the current heir croaks out of stupidity or assassination. However, my client is annoyed that her younger sister is only allowed to mature her circuits, yet no magical education. Don't worry, my tiny client is unaware that you're a Designate. But she's willing to pay quite the dollar for her sister's education.'

'Who is my future student then?'

'Tohsaka Sakura, younger daughter of Tohsaka Tokiomi. Your client is Tohsaka Rin.' said Diantha. 'She's got the benefits of the Zenjou Bloodline and her element and sorcery trait is Imaginary Numbers. She is also equal to her sister Rin in power.' Touko looked thoughtful. 'She is the 50 million contract job, but the catch is that she must live with you here in Mifune City because Rin's magical guardian is Kotomine Kirei, an Executor.' Touko did a spit-spray. What a catch, she thought wryly. 'You obviously can't teach the kid in her home if you enjoy living as the guy drops by after school.'

'The Zenjou Bloodline...whoever they marry gets lucky with their kids being magically boosted while in the womb upon conception.' Touko mused. Those guys boost their partner's magical pedigree through progeny. Hot damn. 'How many circuits?'

'40.'

'40. Equivalent to a middle-class magus nobility already when Tohsaka Bloodline is anything but, being merely 200 years old.' Touko deadpanned. 'Niiiice. Anything else?'

Diantha gave her a clearly home-made book in runic letters, titled 'Meals for Growing Magical Children'.

'Follow that diet for her with special instructions in there, Sakura goes home for Christmas Season starting December 16 until January 3, so at 4 she goes back here and leaves at 15, she learns how to cook that cookbook as well as be independent in doing chores so she's self-sufficient, knows survival, medical and combat skills, capable of using modern technology and Home Schooled until twelve years old before she's allowed to go to Junior High onwards. She is allowed to choose what magecraft fields she wishes to pursue and Rin-chan will pay for it all with me as her middle-man. Oh, and no smoking when a kid's around...as for Sakura's living expenses, you will be forwarded a monthly million yen for her spending.'

Touko gaped at her, causing her cigar to fall to her lap, making her yelp at the pain and quickly pat her lap and there's now a burnt hole in her skirt making Diantha sweatdrop. But she held her cigar again.

'Oi oi! That's one hell of an allowance when most college students only get 30000 from their folks?!'

'That's because they live in school dorms thus have a month's worth of food allowance.' Diantha snorted. 'The million thingy is for clothes, shoes and personal belongings she may want. i don't know what kind of life Sakura lived as a spare that Rin is determined to spoil her through you as their mother is the traditional magus wife who obeys no matter what. Tokiomi must have decided she's got nearly no rights or something she was overly-restricted. We will go to Fuyuki to iron things out and pick up the kid, but for good reason, I'm giving you time to arm yourself to the teeth. Executor is self-explanatory.'

Touko threw a paperweight at her and she dodged with a goofy mocking smile on her face because it didn't hit.

xxx

Fuyuki, nightfall...

'So she will be Sakura's teacher, Aozaki-san?' Rin asked Diantha as she looked at Touko with high expectations.

'Yes. Sakura-chan will be alright.'

Rin pouted. She has to put up with Kirei, and Diantha scored a lady magus for Sakura.

However, Sakura will live away from home as Aozaki Touko is a Sealing Designate due to the fact that her puppet-making skill reached an incredible level and Rin learned what Sealing Designation gets a magus into which was why its hard for a magus to find them, taking them several decades to do so, yet for Diantha it was easy as pie with her skills. She will not rat out Touko as she has a low opinion on why Sealing Designation came to being: nobles are just salty that those they deem beneath them accomplished something great before they could. So even if you wanna excel, be careful or else!

Sadly, nobody told Touko that. She soared too high, and the nobles decided, 'You won't enjoy being superior to us for long.' and bam, Sealing Designation.

Rin bade her sister farewell as she got a homemade book from Diantha about the reality of Clock Tower, as well as official books, things Kotomine Kirei can't teach her.

'Er, where's your mother? One would think she'd be here to bid her kid goodbye.' Touko raised an eyebrow. The sisters stiffened and looked awkward.

'She's not here...she's now in hospital.' said Sakura softly. 'Things got real bad really fast.'

'...'

'Riiiight...'

As Touko left with Sakura, Rin talked to Diantha again.

'Regarding about what I asked you...' Rin talked to Diantha with a dark look.

'Just show what he expects to see. But secretly at home, excel to be better than him. You have the power and potential to do so as long as you follow the homemade books I gave you.' said Diantha softly. 'So every Summer and Winter Break starting next year as I have arrangements to make, I will introduce you to an Executor friendly enough. While naturally NOT showing you Church Secrets, he will at least, train you in combat. Just remember that I have to take the equivalent of 10 million annual tuition fee so you will be trained worth the money, alright? If Kotomine trains you in Bajiquan, this teacher will train you evasion and parrying skills as well as honing your reaction time and speed and body training from hell. But naturally, at your age, conditioning comes first, so your combat training will begin, when you're twelve years old.'

'Urk...'

xxx

After Diantha's business in Japan concluded, she walked around Fuyuki as a tourist, she came across the old base of the Magus Killer being renovated.

By the looks of him, he's seemingly...retiring? And he looked quite, weary.

So she approached him.

'Emiya-san, konnichiwa.' she greeted and the man looked at her warily. 'Retiring?'

'Yeah. Being a Magus brought me nothing but pain and misery.' Kiritsugu shook her head. 'You're one of Rider's helpers through that mirror.'

'Well, Waver got way over his head.' Diantha chuckled. 'But he grew up wiser and decided he would mature and become a man Rider would be proud of when they meet in the next life so he's on a journey of self-discovery for maturity. His new dream is to join Ionian Hetaroi when he dies someday, though Melvin and I aren't sure if that's possible...we just kept quiet. Rider affected him deeply.' she said somberly.

'That's a rather wholesome dream unbefitting of a magus, but more for a normal person.' Kiritsugu chuckled, looking bemused.

'Well, he won't fulfill his dream in Clock Tower.' said Diantha. 'What happened in the end? Waver's third place after Archer killed Rider so Tohsaka's second or first place.' Kiritsugu frowned at her words. 'Next thing Waver knew upon returning home to his host family, Shinto was up in flames after a black circle spewed mud.'

'Iya, Tohsaka was dead before that.' he said. He really can't blame what the kids know as they see from Waver Velvet's point of view through the mirror, but not even he knows what went behind the scenes as he smartly hides until they can move. 'Murdered in his own home, shanked with an Azoth Knife when I used a necromancy spell to know how he died.' he refuted. 'I found that out through Recon while I chased a fake Rider...Berserker in disguise who kidnapped my wife. The one controlling Archer at that time is Kotomine. The implications are damning.' Diantha gasped at this.

'Oh hell, I can't tell that to a little girl as Tohsaka has the harebrained idea to make the guy her Legal Guardian and tutor...' Diantha shook as she could see what happens next in her mind. 'Bloody hell...' Kiritsugu can only shake his head at her somberly.

'Fool unknowingly put his daughter under his murderer.' Kiritsugu spat darkly.

'Yikes...Rin-chan also mentioned she hates him for failing to protect her father, unaware he murdered him and stole his Servant...but given Archer's ego, he probably likes Kotomine more and arranged the betrayal.' Diantha shook her head. 'Then who won between you and Berserker before you dealt with Archer and Kotomine?' she asked as she subtly used Legilimency to know what happened to Kayneth.

'Me. Then I fought Kotomine afterward but something happened.'

Kiritsugu told him what he experienced with the Grail. Horrified that the Grail was corrupted, killed 'Irisviel' who placed a curse on him - to never be free of regret until his painful death. Kirei, having gone through the same experience, asked Kiritsugu why he rejected the Grail; Kiritsugu killed him after a vague response. Then without explaining what he just found, used all his remaining command seals to force Saber to destroy the Grail with Excalibur, causing her to fade away. However, Kiritsugu realized immediately after that this was a mistake - by leaving the Greater Grail intact, 'mud' from its core was able to spill onto the streets below, causing a fire that eventually destroyed a large part of Shinto.

With the war's end, Kiritsugu discarded being a Magus Killer and sought to atone for his gruesome deeds. When he stumbled upon a dying boy, seemingly the only survivor after the fire, he was overjoyed at the opportunity to save a life and adopted him as his stunt orphaned the boy...who happens to have magic potential, having 27 circuits.

'I see...then will your son learn from you?'

'I don't think so.' said Kiritsugu flatly. 'Sorcery is just despair.' he made up his mind about that matter. Diantha didn't say any more, but she will work around for the boy's sake. 'Will you tell that little girl? I have unfinished business as well. Kotomine must have wished for his life back when killing him was quite the effort I nearly died several times over.'

'She hired me as an investigator in the first place as wrapping things up fell into a little girl and she's way over herself she hired me for help after I talked to her about some things I found concerning when the war was on.' Diantha pointed out. 'Waver wanted to restore Rider's Mana in Mt. Enzo after killing all Assassin personalities but Rider sensed malice in the mana there and wanted out. The guys consulted me as I'm a Witch so yes, leaving was best option. Absorbing corrupted mana will corrupt Rider.'

'So that bastard gained life after consuming Assassin. Looks like my job isn't over yet.' Kiritsugu swore darkly, standing up with weariness, as if he carried a great weight. 'I will do some last jobs before I retire for real.'

With that, Diantha left the bitter man behind. So she stayed a bit longer to ensure she can get to the boy and implanted a hypnosis. Should he finally get training from Kiritsugu, he will 'instinctively' activate train his Magic Circuits the correct way, after implanting a spell that acts as insurance. Then she would leave the rest to Kiritsugu if he ever will teach his son. Otherwise he's a wasted talent. Poor kid.

xxx

The only Archibald to know what happened to Kayneth and Sola-Ui was Reines.

His first and final loss, was to Kiritsugu thrice. Bombed Hyatt Hotel and his Atelier's destroyed. When he attacked Einzbern Castle, he lost his Circuits through Kiritsugu's Mystic Code in the form of a gun but the real danger, was the bullet shot at him. It contained and weaponized the man's origin and he would have died, but records say he hired Aozaki Touko to fix what she could, though she was hard to find thus Kiritsugu found him still alive and in a wheelchair.

By this point, Kayneth just wanted to quit and leave with Sola-Ui so while he was made to swear a Geass...there was a loophole. He ordered his subordinate to kill the couple and that's only possible BEFORE he signed said Geass before making Kayneth swear. Sola-Ui has the Command Spells. It seems she wants to continue fighting while Kayneth wanted to quit. Something must have happened that led to the switch?

He was pushed to such despair by the Magus Killer, making Reines chuckle darkly. Well, somebody must have cursed him with bad luck, otherwise he wouldn't have ended so pathetically. Given his mindset he would no doubt battle Tohsaka first, being like-minded men but fate doomed him to the Magus Killer.

At least most of his messes are dealt with by the parents. All she did, was pay debts.

She must work to become Lord El-Melloi. She has the power and ability to! Dare to steal from her? Dare to assassinate her?

Bring it on.