Chapter 29: Over the Other Side

A thin cloud of dust blew across the room as the battle's conclusion settled. Caster and Rider stood on opposing ends of the path toward the Greater Grail. Each stared the other down with wordless respect and due caution. Their respective Masters huddled behind them, with Waver sprawled lifelessly on the floor and Kariya catching his breath on all fours.

As Rider had named Caster as the victor of their impromptu duel, Caster now enjoyed the right to dictate the terms of their cooperation. That said, however, Rider was under no obligation to fulfill Caster's every demand unconditionally. He would simply hear Caster out first and allow Caster to set the tone of their deal in its initial conception.

This was not the product of some formal agreement between Caster and Rider. But rather, it was the natural arrangement that two Servants had arrived at after exchanging blows. Now that Caster had come out on top after their fight, Caster fully expected Rider to uphold his end of the unspoken understanding, and Rider would of course not tarnish his pride as a Heroic Spirit by denying Caster his prize as the victor.

So, it came to be that Rider would remain silent, patiently waiting for Caster to initiate the first move. He stood steadfast, keeping his eyes and ears wide open.

Caster, however, did not rush to engage. He held his composure together as he surveyed his situation. He narrowed his eyes at the fragile forms of Waver and Kariya lying on the ground. He weighed his options and made a decision. He sighed regretfully.

"What do you say we table our discussion until another time, Rider?" Caster suggested wearily. He gestured towards the two individuals plastered on the ground. "I think both our sides could use a little down time before we're in any shape to negotiate."

Rider hummed, tilting his head in thought. He lowered his gaze towards his Master below him. He bent down and picked Waver up by the collar of his shirt. He shook the boy carelessly but he only managed to squeeze out an exhausted squeal from Waver's lips.

Rider sighed in disappointment. Just as his Master was beginning to get used to riding on his chariot, he went and lost consciousness after just one simple fight with Caster. It was an embarrassment to even call the boy his Master. Rider moved his gaze towards Caster's own Master. The frail looking man in the tracksuit was at least still conscious, just a smidge better off than Rider's Master.

"It can only be as you say, Caster," Rider breathed out a reluctant sigh. He eyed Caster's appearance now after their battle.

Caster had returned to his formal suit and tie when he dismissed his Reality Marble. But his once kempt casual appearance was now exchanged for a worn out look, with streaks of sweat running down the side of his face. The man kept his breathing steady, but Rider could tell Caster was forcing himself.

Rider took comfort in the fact he managed to shake off the smug look on Caster's face. But being honest with himself, he realized he had come out their fight looking much worse for wear than Caster.

Rider had now also returned to his casual attire of a white shirt and jeans. But his once proud figure, his flawless specimen of a man's body, was now smattered with a litany of superficial cuts and first-degree burns. Rider had been on the receiving end of Caster's relentless barrage of attacks.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't worn out from their battle. But Rider was just too worked up to notice his own injuries. In the back of his mind, he thought such petty flesh wounds were only par for the course in war.

However, now was the time for diplomacy and rational judgement, and neither Caster nor Rider were in any shape to be clashing in the marketplace of ideas.

"Then how about we pick things back up tomorrow evening, Rider? You and your Master can just visit us at the temple like tonight," Caster proposed.

"That sounds nice." Rider chuckled to himself. "While we're at it, I'll also get to see what the inside of a temple in the Far East looks like."

Rider picked Waver up and placed him over his shoulder like he was sack of rice. His Master's measly weight was nothing to his broad shoulders.

"We'll be on our way then," Rider said, walking forward. "My Master looks like he could use really use a bed right now."

Caster raised a brow. "The exit's the other way, Rider," he pointed out the obvious. There were essentially only two directions in the Greater Grail's chamber, towards and away from the Greater Grail's platform.

"I know that," Rider replied sharply. He remained adamant in moving in the same direction. "I just want to see for myself what the Greater Grail circle looks like up close. Surely, that's fine with you, Caster?" he asked daringly.

Caster kept a neutral disposition. He refused to reveal any more secrets to Rider tonight so he carefully managed every micro-expression on his face. "Of course, it's fine," he answered curtly.

Rider approached the raised plot of land where the giant stone slab to summon the Greater Grail stood. His eyes wandered around the intricate magic formulas carved onto the stone. They didn't mean anything to Rider on an intelligible level. But he appreciated the novelty in it. His mind wrapped around the idea that he was looking at an object capable of summoning an omnipotent wish-granting device.

He was the King of Conquerors after all. A love for the exploration of the unknown and an appreciation for things beyond his grasp were at the central core of his being. Even if he couldn't understand exactly how the slab worked, he could still appreciate the hell out of it.

While Rider was busy satiating his curiosity, Caster kept a watchful eye of where Rider focused his attention. Caster discreetly approached the King of Conquerors. He left behind Kariya and positioned himself in a way to draw Rider's attention from the four small stalagmites that stood at the four corners of the raised plot of land.

Buried inside each of those stalagmites were the mana-sucking daggers Caster had hidden on the first night he was summoned. They were what connected Caster to the rich Ley Lines of Fuyuki. They were also an integral piece to one of Caster's last contingencies for the worst-case scenario.

Whether he liked it not, Caster had to carefully oversee Rider's sightseeing until it was finished. He was itching to get back to Shirou and Sakura at the temple sooner than later, but he had no other choice. He couldn't trust Rider alone in the chamber. The king's insatiable curiosity might ruin his plans.

"Honestly, there's not much to see," Caster commented dryly. "Until enough Servants die, this thing is just a useless piece of rock."

He hoped Rider could just take a hint and scram, but he was keenly aware of the king's stubbornness.

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald casually strolled through the Einzbern Forest. His arms were folded behind his back in a relaxed manner. He didn't have to lift a finger as he simply followed the path of destruction Lancer had cleared out. He merely raised his chin to admire the foliage late at night. His mirthful eyes mocked the paltry defenses surrounding the Einzbern's castle.

Once he reached the outer perimeter of the castle, Kayneth could hear the violent clash of weapons in the vicinity. Evidently, Lancer was properly fulfilling his task of keeping Saber occupied. This granted Kayneth the freedom to fight Saber's Master without worrying about a Heroic Spirit getting in the way.

A sinister smile spread across Kayneth's face. He'd heard whispers of the illustrious past of the Einzbern Family. It was even said that the German magus family had once possessed the Third Magic. But such tales of grandeur were ancient history now. As the prodigious Lord El-Melloi of the Clock Tower, Kayneth was ready to make short work of the Einzberns.

He pulled out a large test tube from his pocket. Silvery moonlight gleamed as Kayneth poured out the contents of the test tube onto the ground. His lips stretched into a wicked smile as he whispered three Latin words softly.

"Fervor, mei sanguis."

Kayneth's ultimate mystic code, Volumen Hydrargyrum, obeyed his commands and came to life. The liquid mass of mercury on the ground expanded instantaneously until it reached half of Kayneth's size. Its amorphous body vibrated with ferocity, following the literal meaning of Kayneth's spell of, 'Boil, my blood'. The semi-sentient blob of liquid mercury waited for Kayneth's next command anxiously.

"Scalp," Kayneth ordered.

Volumen Hydrargyrum immediately obeyed his will and produced several long whips to lash at the Einzbern castle doors. The whips of mercury swung with tremendous force concentrated at paper thin edges, giving them same cutting power of high-pressure water jets. The castle doors were sliced into ribbons and then blown away with a burst of force.

Kayneth elegantly walked through the large gaping hole he just created. His arrogant face immensely pleased with his entrance as he gazed across the empty hall. He folded his arms behind his back again as he announced himself at the top of his voice.

"The ninth head of the Archibald Family, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, asks for an audience!" Kayneth declared.

His voice commanded an aura of authority as befitting a noble first-rate magus such as himself. "Magus of the Einzbern! If you dare call yourself worthy of the Holy Grail, then come out with your pride as a magus and face me!"

Kayneth deliberately taunted Saber's Master to reveal themselves. But to his dismay, his invitation was only met with silence. He scanned the grandly decorated entrance hall, but there was no sign of anyone appearing. Only the inanimate stares of marble busts along the wall and the gaze of a camera mounted on the ceiling welcomed Kayneth's grand entrance.

Left with no reception, Kayneth could only continue forward. His steps careful and measured as he moved through the debris from his exaggerated entrance.

But once he stepped foot between the line of sight of a pair of busts staring at each other from across the room, a sharp high-pitch sound could be heard. Kayneth saw the glimmer of invisible piano wire before the two busts exploded, showering the whole entrance hall with steel bearings that ricocheted off the walls, destroying everything in their wake.

A cacophony of wanton destruction rang across the room. But amidst the chaos, Kayneth stood, unperturbed, disappointed even. His entire body had been shielded by an impervious wall of mercury. Volumen Hydrargyrum's lauded automatic absolute-defense had protected him from the trap, deflecting attacks from every direction.

After a few seconds, the danger passed as the steel bearings lost their momentum. The dome of liquid mercury at the center of the hall receded back into the shape of a blob standing in front of Kayneth.

"Have you fallen so low, Einzbern…?" Kayneth muttered. His eyes seethed with indignation.

He'd come here expecting a proper duel between mages of esteemed families. But instead, he was welcomed by uncouth tactics fit for the mundane mercenaries that worked beneath him. So be it then, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald no longer desired a duel, but a one-sided crusade against the heretics of magecraft.

His killing intent soaring high, Kayneth walked into the belly of the Einzbern Estate. His right eye kept on twitching uncontrollably.

It took some time, but eventually, Rider did grow tired of the Greater Grail's magic circle. He left the cave with his Master still slung over his shoulder.

Caster thanked his lucky stars that Rider hadn't noticed anything strange. Allies though they may be, Caster still didn't trust Rider with his one sure-fire weakness. If someone were to cut off his connection to the Ley Line in Mount Enzo, then even Caster, with all his wits, could never win the Holy Grail War.

That being the case, Caster still had to carefully manage his appearance as they left. He hid his sense of relief from Rider's departure and kept a straight face as he accompanied Rider and his Master on their way out of the cave. Kariya meekly trailed after them, sticking to Caster's shadow like a ghost.

The path back to the surface from the chamber of the Greater Grail was a long narrow road of darkness. Traveling on such a path, even the most indifferent of strangers would be drawn to starting a conversation. And as neither of the two Masters present were in any condition to make small talk, the task naturally fell to their two Servants.

But contrary to the norm, neither Caster nor Rider bothered to initiate conversation. The two of them simply kept to themselves, walking in silence with their Masters. Their faces were taut with thought.

Rider, who was supposed to be the epitome of worldly desires, was lost in thought. Normally, after trading blows with a new ally or vassal, he would prepare a grand banquet to celebrate their new relationship. It was Rider's preferred method of cementing their ties and deepening their understanding of each other. But after clashing mental landscapes with Caster, Rider was already left with a profound understanding of a man who prior to this evening he knew nothing about.

It was a lot to process. Even for the King of Conquerors, the sight of Caster's Unlimited Blade Works had left a noticeable shadow in his heart. He needed time to fully digest the wealth of information he learned of the man. So, Rider made a conscious decision to hold back and not treat his words so lightly, at least for now.

On the other hand, Caster could read the mood in their group. He was more than happy to keep quiet. It meant he didn't have to divulge any more information about himself to Rider's side. After all, once Archer was out of the way, their cooperation would most definitely expire. They would return to being enemies and Caster would most likely have to face the King's Army again.

Thus, with neither side willing to be the first to break the silence, they quietly reached the surface. The all-encompassing embrace of the night sky welcomed their ascension from the dark world below.

Rider released a sigh heavy with emotion. "This will be where we part ways then, Caster, Caster's Master," Rider said, acknowledging Kariya again for the first time in a long time.

The title of "Caster's Master" didn't immediately register in Kariya's mind. It took half a second before it clicked and Kariya nodded weakly, overtly a little eager to return Rider's farewell.

Caster frowned faintly. He had rehearsed with Kariya on how to act around Rider and his Master. But something must have tripped Kariya up for him to make such an obvious mistake.

"Until tomorrow evening then, Rider," Caster drew attention to himself with his reply.

But it was useless, Rider had already noticed the strange flicker of confusion on Kariya's face. He didn't understand why Kariya reacted in such a way, but he had plenty to speculate on.

Rider smiled dubiously. "We'll talk more about your origin next time, Caster," he promised as he summoned his chariot with a swing of his sword. Lightning tore through the night sky as Rider's Gordius Wheel came to be.

Caster averted his eyes from the chariot's overtly flashy entrance. "I'd much rather not," he returned dryly. He had already revealed his True Name which was already too much.

Rider only laughed boorishly. He jumped onto his chariot and cracked its reins. The two divine bulls pulling the chariot grunted and the King of Conquerors and his Master disappeared in a flash of lightning.

Caster stood still, gazing gloomily at the quickly shrinking figure of Rider's chariot driving on the clouds. His gaze grew darker the longer he look. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew.

"Sorry, Caster," Kariya apologized meekly from behind Caster. He couldn't raise his head and could only lower his head. "I messed up in the end there."

Kariya had honestly never thought that Rider would address him before he left. His presence was so weak that when he stood beside Caster, even Kariya himself thought it was hard to believe he was the Master in the relationship.

But still, Kariya had prepared himself to act as Caster's Master in front of Rider. However, over time and especially after the battle with the two Reality Marbles, Kariya had felt so small in comparison to Caster in his hear that he subconsciously dissociated himself from the title of "Caster's Master".

So, when Rider had addressed him in the final moment, Kariya had fumbled his reply. It was an incredibly simple and utterly stupid mistake.

"Don't mind it," Caster replied. He closed his eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief when Rider's silhouette finally disappeared into the horizon.

"We've already revealed too much information to Rider's side as it is. What's one more secret?" Caster shook his head in resignation. "Besides, that secret was going to come out eventually."

It can indeed be said that Caster's plan had achieved its desired outcomes. The alliance with Rider against Archer had been established and Rider was now more inclined to listen to his advice on the matter.

However, the battle had unfolded in a direction even Caster had not expected. From the beginning, he was willing to share his True Name and origin as a Heroic Spirit, but Caster had never planned on revealing his Reality Marble tonight. Rider's immense strength had forced him into a corner where he had no other choice.

That was the King of Conquerors for you. The man said to have conquered the entire known world were it not for his armies' gripes of conquering so much land.

Caster could only count himself lucky that he came out of this encounter on top. Entire kingdoms and dynasties had buckled under Rider's strength, but he had managed to withstand it through sheer wit and resolve.

"Let's just go back to the kids," Caster said. He didn't bother to face Kariya's uncomfortable apology and just forged on ahead, moving steadily back to the temple.

In the heat of the discussion and ensuing battle, Caster had turned off the part of his brain that was listening to Shirou's side of their telepathic channel as Master and Servant. Now, switching it back on, Caster was astonished to find dead silence on the other end. He frowned reflexively.

This struck Caster as being more than a little strange. Shirou was an excitable seven-year-old boy gung-ho about the Holy Grail War. After witnessing a battle of epic proportions, even vicariously from afar, he should've been the first to freak out, clamoring about this and that like a child his age should.

Caster couldn't help but quicken his steps. Kariya immediately took notice of the sudden change of pace and followed suit. He read the mood in the air tensing up again. "Caster?" he called out in a growing panic.

But Caster ignored Kariya, he just hurried through the woods, carelessly brushing aside the mountain flora and fauna in his way. He arrived at the temple's rear gate, his breath shaking. His eyes instantly widened when he saw the familiar little girl standing frantically by the door.

Matou Sakura. She first backed away in fright at the sudden figure emerging from the woods, but soon bolted forward once she recognized it was Caster. Her voice trembled as she cried out in tears.

"Ritsu-san! It's bad! Shirou is–"

Caster's heart sunk as he listened to the girl's panicky retelling. Yet again, this was another thing outside of Caster's plan. When Rider had forced him to use Unlimited Blade Works, Caster had unwittingly created this bloody mess.

Shirou opened his eyes tiredly. He felt an incredible weight press him down from all sides. He saw nothing but abject darkness. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't even feel anything. Just the cold, cold absence of heat.

Where am I?

He tried to open his mouth, to give voice to his questions, but instead of words, he only produced a muffled noise and a collection of bubbles. He realized there was the muffled noise of gurgling water all about him.

Am I… underwater?

Shirou didn't understand. He tried to recall the last thing he remembered, but it was a struggle with the persistent pressure squeezing his brain like it was a soapy sponge for dishwashing.

I… I was at the temple… with Sakura… then… Caster fought Rider…

Memories of the night in his room at the temple with Sakura began to play in his mind. At first, Shirou had felt nervous when Caster began talking with Rider at the gate. To calm his nerves, Shirou had started holding onto the knife Caster had given him.

Sakura had looked on worriedly when she saw him clutching a knife so intensely. He had to calm her down by explaining he was just holding onto something Caster had left him, as something like a good luck charm. Even Sakura understood that Caster and her uncle Kariya had left on some important business, so she eased back her worries after hearing his excuse.

Then, when Caster and Kariya had brought Rider and his Master Waver inside the cavern under Mount Enzo, Shirou had been astounded. Caster started talking about things Shirou had never heard of before. Things like the true purpose of the Holy Grail War and the plot of the Three Founding Families, these were well outside Shirou's knowledge.

He had thought he was getting closer to Caster recently. But evidently, Caster still kept a trove of secrets to himself. Earlier, when they had discussed together tonight's plan, Caster had actually resorted to using vague words to explain how he would start the talks with Rider and his Master.

Shirou couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by his Servant's lack of trust in him. After all the fights they had, Caster still treated him as a child and not as his Master.

Then, the talks with Rider had grown intense, boiling over into a sudden fight. Shirou had panicked when Rider had unveiled his Reality Marble. He could not deny the unmistakable shadow of despair that crept into his heart when he'd seen the sheer size of Rider's army.

At the time, even Shirou, who was wholly convinced of his own Servant's invincibility, had become unsure of Caster's victory. Pulling out an entire world and an army by the hundreds of thousands out of nowhere had been simply beyond Shirou's comprehension.

Then… Caster… he… he did the same…!

Shirou's head throbbed in pain. His eyes widened as he felt some force of raw emotion erupt in his brain, threatening to split him in half as it ravaged his mind. He squirmed feebly in place. Only the depths of pressure about him kept him from wriggling in agony like a worm as he relived the trauma from his last memory.

Again…! I saw it again…!

It was the same sad world he had once seen in his dreams, from that one time he glimpsed into Caster's memories. It was a world in utter ruin. Desolate and uninhabitable for human life. An infinite sea of swords. A sky cluttered with mechanical gears. One man stood alone on a hill of swords. His hands were empty, but his shoulders carried a burden of eternity.

C-Caster…!

When Shirou had seen Rider's Reality Marble, he had been struck with fear. But when faced with Caster's Reality Marble, he had felt something else well up inside him.

It was a feeling unlike anything Shirou had ever experienced before. It was not just one emotion, nothing as black and white like simple sadness or anger. He felt a confusing mix of contradicting emotions. Anger and joy. Hope and despair. Empathy and Apathy. Such a volatile storm of stimulations wreaked havoc inside of him and his fragile mind could not bear it.

His eardrums had popped, caught off-guard by the sudden assault of emotion. The blood vessels in his nose ruptured and his nostrils flared with blood. He collapsed to the floor screaming, his horrible cry reverberated across the temple.

Sakura had panicked. She did her best to try and soothe him, but she was out of her depth. She didn't understand why he was suddenly in pain. All she could do was frantically ask what was wrong, shaking him like a rattle and spouting empty promises that he was okay.

Well, Shirou had been anything but okay. He'd felt like he was on the verge of what the adults would call a seizure. He'd felt his world spin uncontrollably, like he lost the foundation of the ground beneath him. He'd felt his vision be invaded with flashes of scenes Shirou had never seen before. His heart had pounded like a savage, beating furiously against his chest in protest.

Shirou had honestly thought he was going to die right there and then. But right as he was beginning to relive some of his life choices, he had felt the blaring pain in his mind pause and he blacked out.

T-that's how… I ended up here…? So, is this a dream…?

It was the only explanation. He fell unconscious in his room in the temple and was in the middle of a crazy dream. But something about this dream felt off. It was much too real, and even though Shirou had realized it was a dream, it still didn't end. Normally, the awareness of it being a dream alone would be enough to knock Shirou out of the dream.

Was this another memory from Caster's life then? Shirou endured the pain in his head and looked around. But all he saw was the absolute darkness of the murky depths. He couldn't imagine this was a memory from Caster's life.

He was trapped at the bottom of a cold dark ocean. His entire body sunk like lead, suspended in pressures that could crush a diamond. Meanwhile, his mind was assailed by vestiges of pain from witnessing Caster's Reality Marble. He felt his mind split into different fragments; each being tortured by some obscene horror from Caster's past.

Through the delirium, Shirou tried to make sense of his surroundings. With great difficulty, he managed to crane his neck upward and raise his head to peer at the surface.

His eyes narrowed. There, far, far above him, were scant rays of white light. There must have been some sunlight above the water's surface, but even so, only a few meager rays actually managed to penetrate through the thick darkness of the water.

Shirou blinked slowly. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But even after blinking several times, he still saw it. There was a black silhouette blocking some of the light from above. There was something standing on top of the water.

In spite of the murky water, the longer Shirou looked at the silhouette, the more it reminded him of someone he knew intimately well.

Caster…? Is that you?

He tried to call out but could only call forth a froth of bubbles. They just broke apart a few inches into the water in front of him. He looked desperately above him, hoping that Caster would notice his struggle.

But it was hopeless. If that figure above really was Caster, then he wasn't even looking at him. He looked to be staring down somewhere else below the water's surface. His gaze didn't even falter as Shirou's bubbles failed to reach him.

W-where are you looking…? Caster…?

Shirou instinctively understood that 'Caster' was staring at something. But it wasn't him. He was completely focused at someplace entirely separate from Shirou's position.

Shirou continued to call out to Caster's silhouette. But the pain in his head began to worsen. He couldn't take it anymore and closed his eyes, exhausted from the combined front of the soul-crushing water pressure and the torture of Caster's memories.

The boy's consciousness sank into the bottom of that dark ocean. His mind slipped away just as a voice steeped in despair reached him from above.

"And so, another one dies…"

The man's voice was hollow and defeated but there was no one there to hear him anymore.

Irisviel ran through the woods. Her breathing ran ragged, but she persevered. She could hear the distant rumbling of explosions behind her. She knew instantly that her husband had begun fighting. A part of her wanted to turn back, to return to her beloved's side and weather through adversity together. But the rational side of her won over.

You'll only get in the way. Your role in this Holy Grail War is too important to risk.

She repeated her husband's reasonings in her heart. She clung to his rationale as she pushed aside her naivety, but she couldn't help the ironic smile that crept up her face.

Just a few moments ago, I promised him we would face the war together. And here I am now, running away at the first sign of danger. I even brought along Maiya-san along with me.

Running just a few feet ahead of Irisviel was Kiritsugu's most trusted aide, Hisau Maiya. Her hands clutched tightly around the handle of her Glock as she secured the safety of their path. Maiya was the vanguard of their duo while Irisviel provided rear support.

But in truth, the dynamics were such that Maiya's life was expendable and Irisviel's life was irreplaceable. It was the cruel truth cemented into the distribution of their roles.

Irisviel herself was not all that close with Maiya, but she knew how important she was to Kiritsugu. She was something of a lover to him as well as his partner. But Irisviel held no grudges against Maiya. She was even a little grateful to her. At the very least, Kiritsugu might still have someone at his side after she left.

Bzzt!

Irisviel stopped in her tracks. She clutched the left side of her chest delicately. Her eyes widened when she recognized the new threat.

"Madam?" Maiya asked, stopping to look back. She carried herself with a sense of urgency.

"I just sensed the presence of another intruder. Coming from the north. It's him. Kotomine Kirei. He's heading straight for the castle," Irisviel reported in alarm.

Maiya's expression immediately worsened. She knew firsthand the danger that man posed. There was something inhuman about the way that priest moved, even for an Executioner of the Church. It was like he was placed on this Earth to take lives.

Maiya wanted nothing more than to rush back and intercept Kotomine before he reached the castle, but she knew her what her assignment was. Kiritsugu had placed his trust in her. He had entrusted into her hands what was perhaps the most important thing in his life, his wife.

"Madam, we have to go," Maiya insisted. She steeled her heart and believed in the principles her mentor had instilled in her. "We have to get you to safety," she convinced herself.

It was the rational move to make. Kotomine Kirei was the Master of Assassin. He may not be alone. If Irisviel and Maiya were to intercept him, they would most likely just end up as casualties in the Holy Grail War. They would fail, only managing to buy some time, before Kotomine Kirei reaches Emiya Kiritsugu anyway.

But even Irisviel recognized this reality, she remained rooted in place.

Irisviel studied the stoic expression on Maiya's face. Even if she had only known the other woman for a short amount of time, she immediately recognized the look in her eyes. As another woman, she instinctively understood how Maiya felt. Because beneath her cold exterior, Maiya hid the same feelings Irisviel wrestled with.

"Maiya-san," Irisviel said, shaking her head. A serene smile spread on her face. "We can't let that man face Kiritsugu. Especially not right now when he's in the middle of another fight," she reasoned.

Kiritsugu was already battling second doubts about the Holy Grail War in the back of his mind. Now, he was facing a Lord from the Clock Tower, on his own, without Saber's support. And now, Kotomine Kirei, the man of Kiritsugu's nightmares, was steadily approaching Kiritsugu's location.

Even if Irisviel understood how important of a piece she was to the Holy Grail War itself, she would never be able to forgive herself if she ran away from here.

She had promised Kiritsugu they would face this war together. She would follow through with that promise.

"That man alone," Irisviel said sternly, her eyes fierce with resolution. " Only that man alone. We absolutely cannot allow him to reach Kiritsugu. He's not ready. You understand, don't you, Maiya-san?" Irisviel pushed forward. "The two of us know Kiritsugu better than anyone. So, I'm sure you understand."

Maiya saw the unshakable resolve in the other woman's eyes. She recognized those same eyes whenever she looked at herself in a mirror.

"Please prioritize your safety above all else, Madam," Maiya relented with a sigh. She quickly switched gears and rushed to the north. "Let's hurry."

Irisviel nodded eagerly. She chased after Maiya in a hurry. Her heart finally eased with the decision she was making.

I'll protect you, Kiritsugu.

The two women came to a mutual understanding. They sped through the woods, deliberately courting disaster, and risking their lives for the sake of the man they both loved.

Author's Note:

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Edits for the latter half of this chapter are probably worse than the first half. My mind was already stretched pretty thin by the time I reached the Shirou scene. Ugh. MS Word clocks in this chapter at around 5610 words. It's not that long, but it's longer than the average length of my chapters.

This will most likely be the last "intermission" chapter before the next set of fight chapters. We have three concurrent fights with Saber vs Lancer, Kiritsugu vs Kayneth, and Irisviel and Maiya vs Kirei. I don't think I'll have that much trouble with writing the last two fights, but the Saber and Lancer fight will be tricky since readers complain a lot more when Servant fights aren't up to par. And unfortunately, there isn't a wealth of sample fight footage for me to use as reference for Saber and Lancer. There are some, but they're not a lot. I'll probably be poring through video game footage for Lancer, since he was in that Unlimited Codes game or something.

Anyway, for those of you worried that the next few chapters will be just a poor retelling of Fate/Zero canon, fret not. The removal of Caster and his tentacle monsters from the equation should hopefully be enough to change the outcome. I'm actually excited to do another divergence from canon. Let's just hope I pull it off and it works as smoothly as it does in my imagination right now.

Who do you think will win between Saber and Lancer? The answer is already a meme in the community at this point.

The update date for the next chapter. Well, as the next chapter is going to be a fight chapter, it'll probably be more than a week. I'll try to keep it within two weeks and maybe even upload by Christmas Eve.

As always, if you're feeling generous and can afford the trouble, would you buy me a cup of coffee please? (ko-fi dot com slash dhaturas).

Thank you for reading!