A new update. This one will be longer then the others. It was originally meant to be two seperate chapters, but I wanted to get to the actual war as soon as possible, so I wrote them both out, cut some pieces out, and write everything in hopefully a readable outline. There is very likely some errors, but I tried my best to edit. Please let me know if there are errors I need to correct. This is basically a backstory to the whole war with some foreshadowing on how things will change.


Chapter 4

Irisviel had no memory of how she got there. One moment she was in the storage house, the next she was looking at a small mound of corpses. There were hundreds of them piled together. Female homunculi bodies wastefully stacked one on top of another, emotionless, discarded like dolls a child no longer wanted to play with. With this in her sight, Irisviel stood there unmoving, repulsed and horrified by the spectacle. She recognized them as the Justeaze style homunculi her family created. They were easy to identify. After all, they all looked like her. Tears came to Irisviel's eyes as she saw them all, motionless mannequins made of flesh with no purpose.

The scene changed. Now she was in her daughter's bedroom. The poor girl had a horrid dream about being turned into a cup. No, she had a dream about being turned into the grail. Irisviel comforted the girl with tears in her eyes. "It's alright, it's alright… That won't happen. You won't see such things, Illya." As she embraced the small form of her daughter, the cracks appeared around her. "I'm sure the chains of fate will release you." Dark liquid seeped from them.

Once more the scene changed. This time it was a snowy environment, and there standing before her was he daughter's bed, only without Illya. Behind that, there was the mound again. This time, the bodies were looking directly at her, with no life, no emotion, yet still stared at her with accusation.

Irisviel looked around in horror as a rain of ashes came down, and the inky black substance crawled towards her, threatening to engulf her. Realization dawned on Irisviel as she stood there, watching the scene take place.

"Is this," Irisviel asked out loud as the darkness surrounded her. "Inside the grail?" As the substance gathered around her, humanoid hands reached out to her and pulled her in. "This can't be." It shouldn't be. This was not how the process was supposed to happen. She had no idea why the grail was showing her such dreadful images as the transformation took place, but here it was, deconstructing her mind.

Pulling her in, the darkness slowly consumed her, going above her waste, her torso, reaching passed her neck as Irisviel struggled. The revelation was becoming clearer by the moment. She was somehow inside the grail. Like an eggshell looking at the chick inside, she who was destined to be case containing the grail was actually looking into herself, at the inside of the Lesser Grail. As she thought about it however, what was she looking into? Was she looking into the grail, or herself? Was there the difference between the two?

"Who am I?" she asked as the darkness began to consume her, taking away the last bit of her consciousness.

Iri…

The voice of Emiya Kiritsugu echoed through Irisviel's head. As though a switch was flipped, Iri opened her eyes and looked past the darkness. For a moment, a golden light enveloped her, and her red eyes turned gold. Soon after, the rest of her body was shimmering with a bright glow.

All at once, the black mud began to retreat from her as though it feared the light she seemed to be emitting. Something within Irisviel was pushing the mud away, driving off whatever darkness was attempting to corrupt her. The mud did not disappear, but it did descend down below her knees, not daring to go higher.

As Irisviel began to recover from the surprise, the mud apparently did the same. Black tendrils shot out and wrapped around Irisviel's wrists. Again Irisviel struggled, a newfound power within her pushing away whatever force was trying to cloud her mind. She was holding the dark force at bay, but she was far from winning. One tendril wrapped itself around her right forearm, another around her waist. More came out, but Irisviel was somehow able to fight them off, preventing them from dragging her back down into the pool of burning mud.

While Irisviel's guard was down, the unknown force penetrated her mind once again. If Irisviel had the mindset to recall the quote by Nietzsche about looking into the abyss, she could have applied this very situation to it. She looked into the abyss, and the abyss was indeed looking back at her. They were analyzing each other, trying to figure the other out. Suddenly, the Third Holy Grail War flashed into her mind and it became clear what her opponent was as well as its intentions.

Avenger…

In that moment of understanding, she screamed and flailed more violently than ever as she saw into the dark Servant's mind. Images of violence and destruction flashed repeated over and over again, both from the past and from the present. With increasing fury, Irisviel screamed and jerked and twisted as she fought for control. Overlapping all of this, she kept hearing the voice of the dark creature penetrating her mind.

Let go of your sorrows…

The golden light within Irisviel began to glow brighter as she became more desperate to fight.

Soon we will become the omnipotent-wish granting vessel…

She kept fighting. She could not let that thing win.

Soon your wish will be granted…

It lied. No, it told the truth, but covers the truth with pleasantries while hiding the grime within. She could not let it overcome her mind. Try as Irisviel might however, the darkness began to engulf her again. The golden light within her would only last so long, and now it was weakening.

Let us create the ideal world…

In one last act of desperation, she reached deep inside her and through force of will, released the light to repel the darkness. There was no spell, no incantation, and no ritual in place. She just let loose a furious roar that held onto both the golden rays and what little strength she had left. She knew it would probably not be enough, but she needed to attempt it. She needed to keep on fighting until the end, until a miracle happened, until…


Irisviel screamed and writhed on an alter-like construct on the auditorium's stage. The bright light of the theater illuminated Irisviel as she moved about in horrendous agony, only to be outdone by another light emanating from her body. The wails of pain and terror rang out through the auditorium; empty save for Irisviel and the man who just arrived, alerted by her screams.

Emiya Kiritsugu stood at the entrance looking out at the flailing body of his wife. She was still alive, that much was clear, but observing the homunculus kick around, Kiritsugu wondered for how much longer. Hours earlier, she was kidnapped by an enemy Servant and taken here. Now it looked like she was in the process of becoming the grail itself. But there was something clearly wrong. Granted, Kiritsugu was unsure about how the transformation was suppose to take place in full detail, but he knew this was all wrong somehow. It appeared as though she was trying to keep the transformation from occurring. What's more, the homunculus on the stage appeared to be in some kind of life and death struggle with some unknown force.

"I won't let you win!" Irisviel called out. "Help! Kiritsugu! Help!"

Calls from Irisviel echoed in the auditorium, not just the sound of a woman in a desperate life or death struggle, but also the pleas of a wife calling for her husband, the pleas of Irisviel calling Kiritsugu. Again, feelings of longing and familial affections Kiritsugu tried so hard to avoid came rushing to him. Seeing his wife struggle so much once more caused Kiritsugu to question his motivations and if he truly made the right choice, and as he listened to the wails of his wife, it was becoming increasingly apparent to him he had not.

He looked down at the hand to see his two Command Seals. These were the sign of the Master, a high form of magic that gives the Master absolute control over the Servant and allows the Master to give out three orders their Servants cannot disobey. Only three are given to each Master during the grail war, one had been used hours earlier, now only two remained. The scabbard of Arthur was still within Irisviel, and if Saber was close by, maybe Irisviel's suffering could end. Then again, will he dare waste a command seal for this? To become the Grail was supposed to be Irisviel's fate, and it looked like it was happening. Plus, he may need all his Command Seals to finish off the opposing Masters and Servants.

Still, as he stood there watching his wife struggle, he experienced the same pain he felt from the storage house, only at a greater scale. Here was his wife, suffering before him once again, and there he was letting the machine part of him make his decisions for him and trying to weigh the pros and cons. And so once again, he came to an illogical decision. Ignoring the part of him scolding himself for giving into selfish desires, he used his second Command Seal.


Metal struck against metal as the two Servants fought. The inferno blazed around them as the two knights battled with inhuman speed and strength. On one side was the Servant of the Sword, Saber, blocking with her invisible sword. On the other side was the Servant of Madness, Berserker, roaring with an animalistic fury as he slashed with his black sword. Neither of them gave in as the battle raged on.

Saber, or rather Artoria did her best to fight back, but she knew she was losing ground. A combination of fatigue and her own self doubt was getting to her. Berserker was not just too strong for her, but the fact that she knew Berserker's identity made the battle that much harder. She cursed herself for demanding Berserker reveal his true self, and now it was coming back at her as she fought the shade of one of her dearest friends. The long dark hair of the mad warrior waved around as he moved, his armor reflecting in the light of the fire blazing around them, and his eyes fixed on Saber like a determined beast trying to dig out a cowering animal from its den. Saber had little to do but deflect the blows of the knight who was once champion of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot Du Lac.

"Do you truly hate me so much?" Saber thought as she fought off the Black Knight. "Has the failure of my reign driven you to this?" Doubt crept quicker into her mind as she recalled everything she did, and everything she tried to do for her country.

Camelot was once a thriving Kingdom, and under her rule, it prospered beyond anyone's wildest dreams. But the prosperity came to an end because of her. Her mistakes and deceptions brought her kingdom to an end, and doomed so many of her followers, the knight before her being one. It was her fault things ended the way they did, and now she had to make things right. And so here she was, participating in a great war for the chance of undoing what she felt was the greatest mistake of her life, but how could she do that if she was unable to defeat one of the many people she was trying to save? It was almost as if there was a sadistic author writing out her life and added cruel ironies for the sole purpose of breaking her spirit.

But she couldn't give up. She had to fight even her old friend for the sake of saving everyone she loved. There was no turning back, and despite her feelings of regret and self-loathing. But she felt herself getting weaker as each of Berserker's blows landed. When she couldn't deflect anymore, she had to resort to dodging, and even that became a daunting task. She needed to space herself from the Servant of Madness, she needed…

Saber… by my second Command Seal… come to the stage before, and stand with Irisviel…

The words of Kiritsugu echoed in her head. She felt magic surge throughout her body, and before she could process the sudden order, she had quite the battlefield. The last image she had was of an enraged Berserker charging at her, his black sword rose for another blower. The blow never connected. As the demonic sword made one last desperate slash, the blade whistled through empty air.

For a moment, Berserker froze. He looked to his left and right. Analyzing, perceiving his surroundings, he tried his best to track Saber, but ultimately was unable to find a trace of her in the vicinity. She had vanished. Once more, he was could not fulfill his desire. Once again, his king had escaped him. His quarry had eluded him, leaving him unable to finish what he started. Arthur was out of his grasp yet again.

The black knight fell to his knees, slammed both his fists into the ground, shattering. After a moment of frustrated trembling, he let out a bestial roar towards the sky, all his wrath and sorrow filling the burning room. Berserker lost another opportunity to die by the hands of one he had dishonored. Again, he had failed.


From the basement of the Matou manor, the Master of Berserker, Matou Kariya collapsed on the stairs, the intense pain he was in just moments earlier subsiding. He had been teetering at the edge of madness ever since Berserker began his fight with the enemy servant, though now that the Servant's fight appeared to have ended, there was less of a toll on his body and mind. With the pain beginning to lessen, Kariya's mind was slowly beginning to function back to what passed as normal for the pseudo-magus.

With what little sanity remained of the man who had endured a year of tortuous training and an entire traumatic war, he began to look around at his surroundings and tried to recall how he got there, now that there was less pain to focus on. When he first entered the war, he had a goal in mind. And that goal was… what was it again? He had forgotten what it was that drove him. It could not be for the Matous, he hated them with a passion, especially the head, his 'father' Matou Zouken. No, the reason he was fighting this war, the whole reason he wanted to participate was because of…

With effort, he looked out at the top of the stairs and saw a young, purple-haired child he fought for staring down at him, her emotionless eyes, analyzing him. "S-Sa… kura…" Kariya managed to say weakly, clarity beginning to return to the broken man.


In a sudden, ethereal flash, Saber was on the stage of a large auditorium. Out in the audience seats, her Master was looking at her with his usual emotionless scowl. To say the two never gotten along would have been an understatement. The both of them had completely different worldviews and incompatible ways of fighting despite both fighting for noble causes. Kiritsugu thought of Saber, as well as other heroes as frauds that only intensified conflicts while Saber saw Kiritsugu as a cold, merciless man with the mind of a machine. Still, while Kiritsugu was cold, he was a strategist who did nothing without a clear purpose, so to actually use his second Command Seal to summon her, he must have had a reason, and if she was being honest with herself, she was grateful to him this time for getting her out of that emotionally painful situation with Berserker.

"Kiritsugu, why…" Saber began to ask. She stopped when she noticed a fit of hellish screams erupt from behind her. Turning, she saw the glowing image of her close friend Irisviel, thrashing around on a makeshift alter. "Irisviel!" Artoria called out in disbelief, seeing the wife of her Master move about like an invisible hand was throwing her around. Disregarding her confusion, she ran to the homunculus with alarm. "Irisviel, what is wrong with you? Irisviel!"

She reached Irisviel, grasping her upper arms and holding her down firmly enough to keep her from hurting herself. As she held on, calling to the woman, a strange light began to form from the abdomen of the woman. Both Saber and Kiritsugu looked on in awe as the light began to glow brighter, filling the auditorium, and taking shape.


"…viel…" A muffled sound came from somewhere Irisviel could not see. It was so quiet that she almost did not hear it. "Ir-viel…"

The darkness intensified its attack as Irisviel continued to struggle. Its attempts to drag her down into the darkness have become more violent and desperate as the sound became louder. For a moment Irisviel believed she would get weaker from the struggle, but on the contrary, somehow she became stronger.

"Irisviel!" This time she was able to hear the voice clearer than before. Recognition donned on her as she realized this was the voice of the Servant who served her loyalty throughout the war. Saber was calling out to her.

"Irisviel! Awaken!" Like thunder, the voice boomed, and she turned to the direction it appeared to be coming from. She focused there, once more fighting off the darkness. In frenzy, the darkness attempted once again to entrap her in its tendrils. Irisviel did not give it the chance. Again she channeled into the golden light within her. Focusing on Saber's pleas and her desire to live, she reached deep inside, into the light sealed within her. She reached out to Saber's Noble Phantasm, and let loose the power of Avalon one last time.

This time, Irisviel managed to break free from the darkness completely. The mud dissipated and the tendrils retreated. Not giving it time to recover, she ran towards the direction of Saber's voice, leaving the darkness behind her without so much as looking back. Before she left, she heard the voice of the dark spirit one last time, calling out to her in an odd mixture of rage and pitiable sorrow. Irisviel did not know why, but for a moment, she felt some sort of pity for the creature, but that was buried deep within her, overshadowed by her need to escape. And escape she did.


"Irisviel!" Again, she heard the voice of Saber call out to her, not through darkness this time, but through a bright light as she continued to struggle. "Irisviel! Compose yourself at once!"

Irisviel's eyes finally opened. In a daze, she took a moment to catch her breath and observed her surroundings. She was in a large spacious auditorium, lying on what looked like an alter overlooking a large room. After a quick analysis of her surroundings, she realized she was in some sort of theater.

"Irisviel!" A voice and suddenly jerking her body snapped her out of her daze. She noticed for the first time the Servant of her husband standing to the bedside of the alter, holding onto both her upper arms and firmly shaking her.

Saber, the servant of with golden hair and blue armor stood before her, her green eyes looking back at the homunculus with worry. Irisviel noticed the various scratches and dents on her armor as well as the smell of smoke. The servant had just recently been in a battle.

"Saber." Irisviel called out with recognition, the fog clouding her mind slowly vanishing.

"Iri!" Kiritsugu called finally joining Irisviel and Saber on the stage. Irisviel turned to see the mercenary coming to her, stopping right next to her near the alter.

"Kiritsugu!" Relieved upon seeing her husband, Irisviel embraced him as he arrived. Holding onto him, she began to sob deeply as she recalled her nightmare. "Kiritsugu… the darkness… corrupt me… taking over… the bodies… all those bodies… so dark…" She tried explained one event after another, but her explanation just came out as an incoherent mess of incomplete sentences, made even more so by her muffled face buried in the freelancer's chest. She did not even brothering to stop and breathe as she described her vision, concerning both Saber and Kiritsugu.

She was unsure about how she was presenting herself, but she must have been hysterical, as Kiritsugu did something he hardly ever did to her. He embraced her and began to shush her in a comforting tone. Irisviel wondered just how frantic she was acting if Emiya Kiritsugu, a man who was uncomfortable with any form of affection was comforting her.

In Kiritsugu's mind, he began to think of his own behavior lately as he did his best to get Irisviel to calm her nerves. He had been thinking for a while now how he had been acting out of character for the past few hours, and this was probably the most recent example. Not for the first time, he began to think maybe he was having second thoughts of this entire war as he held his wife, attempting to placate her. This went n for a while until Irisviel finally managed to calm down to a reasonable degree. In the meantime, both Kiritsugu and Saber patiently waited for Irisviel to show signs of recovering from whatever shock she was suffering from.

"Irisviel," Saber dared to interject when Irisviel seemed to reach a more reasonable state of mind, taking occasional glances at the opposite side of the altar. She knew maybe she should wait a bit longer, but there was something on her mind and she had to ask it.

Irisviel turned to see Saber in her blue and silver armor staring at her. "Saber." Irisviel recalled momentarily forgetting she was there. She then looked over the Servant of the Sword and noticed the scratches and marks all over her once again. "Oh my. What happened to you? Are you well?"

"That is what I should be asking you!" Saber responded with agitation. "I was in the middle of a battle with Lancelot when Kiritsugu suddenly used a Command Seal to summon me here where I find you, thrashing about like you were grappling with madness itself!"

"Lancelot?" Kiritsugu questioned, the logical part of him returning for a moment with intrigued.

Saber looked away with a mixture of shame and frustration. "That's Berserker's identity."

Irisviel's eyes widened. "Lancelot. One of your Knights of the Round Table?" She recalled the legend. Lancelot Du Lac was the most talented knight in King Arthur's court. The affair between Lancelot and Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere, was what contributed to the fall of Camelot. And now the two of them were participants in the Holy Grail War. That did explain the obsessed Berserker appeared to have with Saber. Fate certainly is cruel.

"That's not important right now." Saber furiously interrupted. "Irisviel, I must ask you." She pointed to the end of the alter Irisviel was lying on. "Why did that come out of your body?"

Irisviel turned to see where Saber was pointing. At the other end of the alter, something gave off a shimmering light. For a moment, Irisviel was not sure what it was she was looking at. Then it hit her. It was a golden goblet with integrates carvings and a regal luster to it was the light of the theater reflected off its surface. It almost appeared elegant as it stood there, just a few inches away from Irisviel. But there was something wrong with it. Within the golden metal, black cracks had formed. Along the edges, near the rim, they spread from the top to the bottom, stopping at the stand. It may have been a trick of the eye on Irisviel's part, but she could almost see the cracks moving or getting bigger. The chalice was still together, but at the same time, it appeared to be gradually coming undone as if it was made of a brittle metal that degraded and rusted over time.

"How?" Irisviel asked in disbelief holding onto her husband tighter them before.

"That's it, isn't it?" Kiritsugu asked, responding to his wife with a tight hold of his own.

Irisviel was looking at the very item she was supposed to become. Irisviel was looking at the Holy Grail, which was no longer apart of her.


Irisviel found herself snapping out of a daydream yet again. No longer distracted by the illusions of a normal life, the nightmares were coming back, so she had difficulty sleeping at night, and during the day, she found herself drifting off, having them while she was awake. Still, she had no time to dwell on them. For now she had to continue her work.

Irisviel sat at a desk in the middle of a makeshift bunker. This was a hidden armory Kiritsugu created which held many of his many guns, bombs, and stockpiles of ammunition. A normal person would have been apprehensive of the idea of being around so many dangerous devices, but for Irisviel, it did not matter where she was, so long as she had a base. She felt wrong planning in her home, so she came to this bunker to come up with a working strategy. Shirou was at school and most of her acquaintances were either at work or doing chores, so this was an opportune time for her to strategize, and the bunker was a fitting place. Irisviel considered learning about how to use some of the items around her, but she knew how dangerous all of them were. Considering that she had only just finished learning how to use her recently purchased calculator, she decided it would be wiser to not rush learning how to handle such items.

For the moment, she ignored the weapons and focused on the papers in front of her. Over and over again, she wrote and rewrote in various notebooks, looking over notes, discarding one plan for another, pausing only to think and calculate. After hours of going through strategies, a final draft was drawn out. Reviewing it several times over, she came to a consensus with herself. She put the papers in a beige folder and finally took a breath. As she rested, she went over the plan in her mind once again.

"No matter how I see it I really do need at least one more person." Irisviel said to herself. For Irisviel's plan to work, she needed someone capable of leaving Fuyuki. If not for her weakened state and the fact that she needed to take care of Shirou, she would have performed many of these tasks by herself. Despite her physical therapy, she was still too physically weak, so while this person made all the necessary preparations, Irisviel needed to stay behind, strengthen her body, and prepare for her eventual introduction into the magus community, and the weakening of the three families.

Her plan could be summarized as such. First, she had to weaken the Matou family. The Matou family had been in decline for years, but they will still be a problem later on, especially the family head, Zouken. She would have to do something about him soon. The problem was that he was an old and powerful magus, so a direct confrontation in her current state would be suicidal, especially since killing him would be difficult. From what she understood Zouken had lived for years by taking a new body from a poor souls he happened to come across. It sounds like a form of immortality, but while his body was restored, it did nothing to rejuvenate his soul. Eventually his soul would degrade to the point where even a body change would not help him. Irisviel spent a long time deciding on how she was going to use this to her advantage, and eventually found a plausible solution. In order for this plan to work, pragmatism was important. Luckily, being Emiya Kiritsugu gave her ample opportunity to learn how to be sneaky.

Next, she needed to deal with the Tohsakas. She learned that Tohsaka Tokiomi died during the war, so he would not be a problem. The real issue is the daughter. Tohsaka Rin, while still a child, may pose as a threat in later years. Plus, from what she understood… that man would raise the child. Irisviel shivered as she recalled the so-called man of the Church who was responsible for her first 'death.' She knew Kotomine Kirei as an ally to Tohsaka and the Master of Assassin during the war. In some ways he was like her husband, cold, cruel, and practical when he had to be. Unlike Kiritsugu, the man had no sense of love or kindness, and the only joy he felt was the pain he inflicted on others. If he was in charge of rearing the child, she did not even want to think about how the Tohsaka girl would turn out. She needed to weaken the power the Tohsakas have, and the best way to do that is to directly strike the power they held over the land.

As the Second Owner, it was their duty to oversee the territory. The land was the biggest contribution the Tohsakas made to the war, and to this day, they have done their part in making sure other magi followed the rules and care for the land's leylines. It was because of their status and their deep connections within the Mage Association and the Church that they remained so powerful. Ultimately, it was those connections that helped them in the long run, so Irisviel had to sever them. Maybe if she had some kind of proof of negligence of some kind, it would at the very least sever many of those connections and weaken the family's standing.

"In fact." Irisviel once again opened the folder and wrote an addition to her plan. What she had in mind was a gamble, but if the end result was the end of the Holy Grail War, it was worth the risk. Besides, Irisviel may also receive another, more powerful ally if she played her cards right.

Irisviel hated herself for plotting the downfall of a child the same age as Shirou, but she had no choice. If she did nothing now, Tohsaka Rin would eventually become a big threat. From what she understood, the child was a prodigy. If left alone, she would use her father's connections to strengthen her resources, plus with a ruthless man like Kotomine raising her, the child could become a serious competitor. She imagined ten years from now, a mighty magus with her father's ruthless cunning, trained by an Executor, master to a powerful servant. That brought another worry to Irisviel. The Tohsakas most likely still had the catalyst used to summon Archer. She would have to do something about that later. Facing the golden Servant once was enough for her; she did not want to face a servant like that a second time. Somehow, someway, she needed to find that catalyst and destroy it before the girl would use it.

That led to the final stage of her plan. Once two of the founding families have been dealt with, it would be at that point she would turn her attention towards her own family. She had something special for them. Once her ally finished their tasks and all her potential enemies are neutralized, she would focus all her power on finishing off her family and getting her daughter back.

"Soon," she said getting up from the table. "Wait for me just a little longer Illya." Irisviel said getting up from the bench. "Let's get started."


It was nearing the end of winter when Waver Velvet came to his decision. After the events of the Holy Grail war, the young man stayed in Fuyuki to decide his next course of action. In the end, he chose to travel the world to find that answer. Upon finally completing his travel plans, he decided to leave by the end of the week. He would miss the company of his caretakers, Glen and Martha, but he knew he couldn't stay much longer. He saw all he could in Fuyuki and even assisted in some of the reconstruction of Shinto after the events Holy Grail War. Now he had to leave and find his own way.

After returning from shopping, he recalled the events that transpired, from the battles to the personal time he spent with his Servant, Rider, or as he was most commonly known as Alexander the Great. In all honesty though, it was Waver himself who felt like he was the servant of the King of Conquerors instead of the other way around. The lessons taught by the boisterous man would stay with Waver all his life, and help shape him into the man he hoped he would become. Servant or not, it honored him to be referred to as a kind of pupil to a person such as Alexander, even more so to be called his friend.

Upon returning to the residence that was more or less his base for the war, Waver looked over the small house with nostalgia. Soon, he would have to leave this house behind as well as the residence that he came to love as if they were his true family. He would miss the time he spent with them just as he still missed his time with Rider. Even so, time would go on and eventually, all of this would be a bittersweet memory. Hopefully the memories will stay with him for a long time. With that in mind, he sadly entered the residence to once again meet with the elderly couple inside.

"I'm back." Waver called out from the entrance of the door.

"Welcome back," the elderly woman greeted from the kitchen table. "How was you're trip to the market? Did you buy everything on the list?"

"Yes," Waver responded back to his 'grandmother.' "By the way, I also bought some eggs. I know they were not on your list, but I noticed we were out." Waver chuckled to himself internally realizing he was becoming even more like the grandson he was pretending to be.

"Oh, thank you." Martha responded from the kitchen. "I just noticed myself that we were out. Honestly, I'm usually far more observant than this. Old age must be finally affecting my memory."

"Nonsense," another female voice cheerfully responded to the elderly woman. "I bet if we played chess right now I would have a difficult time."

"Oh," The deep voice of Glen said amused. "It sounds like this young lady is challenging you, Martha."

"Of course." The other voice responded. "It's been a while since I played, and I would love a good game."

Waver, slightly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the other voice walked towards the kitchen. "Do we have a guest?" he asked.

"Someone who just recently moved to Miyama." Replied Martha. "I believe you are acquainted with her already."

"Acquainted?" Waver repeated as he turned into the kitchen. "Who could…?" Stopping in mid sentence, he tripped over, caught himself before he fell over, and did a double take in a mixture of shock and disbelief as he noticed the white haired Master of Saber sitting opposite of Glen, and to the right of Martha at the kitchen table, nonchalantly having tea with them. "Wh-Wh…. Huh!?"

"Good day, Waver-kun." Irisviel greeted with an innocent smile on her face as if they were old friends instead of the bitter rivals who tried to kill one another just weeks earlier. It was at that moment Waver realized the plans he made might undergo some drastic changes.


To make a long story short, Irisviel spent some time at the Mackenzie, mostly talking to Martha about the neighborhood, giving brief accounts of their past, and generally having a pleasant conversation like a couple of normal wives while Glen occasionally put a few words in. Waver was unsure what made him more uncomfortable, the fact that his benefactor and one of his enemies was getting along so well, or the fact that the reason why she was there was still unknown. It clearly had something to do with Waver, but she was not just about to say it out loud where two non-magic folks could hear. In all, it may have been the waiting that got to him, but he was patient. The woman obviously had no ill intent; otherwise she would have done something already. So he sat there listening, trying to decide how much of the story the Einzbern woman was telling was true such as becoming a resident, or the boy she supposedly adopted. For now, nothing could be done, but listen to the conversation between his seniors.

Waver felt like his patience as well as his sanity was being stretched to the breaking point from the waiting, but eventually it all ended. Einzbern, or Emiya as she called herself, requested an escort home and a tour around the neighborhood. Waver, taking this as a clue, offered to be said escort. After saying their goodbyes and promising to visit once again, Waver and the Einzbern woman departed.

The two walked in silence down the Miyama road. The sun was setting and few people still walked the street. Eventually, their walk led them to a park where no one was around. Once he was sure they were alone, Waver decided to act.

"Einzbern." Waver started.

Irisviel stopped and turned towards the young man with a smile that appeared to show mirth, but presented him with the feeling that he had called her an extremely insulting name. "Em-i-ya."

Waver gulped as he sensed a hard, cold malice coming from the woman. "S-Sorry, Emiya." He corrected himself. He tried to follow up, but was unsure about what to say.

The malice all at once vanished from her and once again, she presented herself in a warmer light. "You can all me Iri if you like."

Waver cleared his throat. "If there is business to be done, there is no need for such informalities. We are magi and must maintain ourselves as such." He finished his explanation with all the dignity of a proud magus.

Irisviel sighed in disappointment. "Honestly, now I see why Martha is so worried about your future with women. If you can't learn to be less of a prude you'll never find a cute young girl to marry." Waver glared at her I irritation. In mock surprise, Irisviel took as step back. "Don't tell me you prefer an older woman! Or worst yet, do you have a thing for widows such as myself? My, how scandalous!"

"Leave me alone!" Waver called out, this time with all the dignity of a young man being teased by a beautiful older woman.

Irisviel giggled at the young man's embarrassment. "They really are nice people." Irisviel said admiringly referring to Waver's fake grandparents. "The way they talked about you, I can tell they care deeply for your well being." Irisviel reflected on the elderly couple and how close they were after years of marriage. "It's also nice to see a happily married couple their age."

Unsure of how to respond, Waver replied awkwardly. "Y-Yes, they are pretty decent." A small silence began again for a brief moment before Waver shook off his discomfort and continued his inquiry. "I doubt you came all the way here to talk to Glen and Martha. Did you want to speak to me about something?"

Irisviel stood in place, mulling over how she would tell her story. "I suppose you managed to put together the pieces from what I said back at the house?"

Irisviel had told a very convincing tale. Much of it was spun to leave out magic and the Holy Grail War, but it was more or less the truth. She explained she was the estranged daughter of a rich family who eloped with a man of questionable character. The general story was that the man had recently died and her family took their daughter away from her. Martha and Glen were deeply moved by it, and strangely enough, so was Waver. Maybe it was the way she told it or the expression she had on her face when she did, but part of him must have realized that some of what she told might have had some truth to it.

"I get the general idea." Waver said. "You were disowned by the Einzberns after your failure in the Holy Grail War, and now you are here in exile. Is that right?"

"More or less." Irisviel confirmed. She walked over to a park bench and took a seat. "Sit down and I will go into more detail."

Waver was back on guard. "Why would I need more detail?"

Irisviel looked back at him with a fierce determination. "Because I will tell you everything."

This puzzled the young magus. "Everything?"

"Everything. The origin of the Grail War, the true purpose behind it. Everything I can tell you, I will."

"Wh…" Once again, Waver was left speechless. Did she really just say that? Was she really offering one of her family's greatest secrets to a nobody magus like him? Suddenly, a slew of questions came to mind, and he had to ask them. "What do you mean everything? Why would you… what?"

"I understand your confusion." Said Irisviel. "And if you are wondering, yes, there is something I need from you, but I want to disclose as much as I can before you agree to anything."

Waver's guard rose again. Regaining his composer, he asked one simple question. "Why?"

"If you mean why you, it is because you are both the most convenient and trust worthy magus in Fuyuki." Irisviel answered. "If you mean why am I offering you my secrets my family had jealously guarded for years, think of it as a sign of trust. Also, when I make my offer I want you to know what you are getting into and the dangers involved."

Waver thought for a moment. "Won't your family be angry with you?"

"My family threw me away." Irisviel answered. "But maybe they thought an innate sense of loyalty built into me would be enough to deter me from sharing family secrets. They were wrong. Besides, they probably believed I would not have long to live after the failure of the Heaven's Feel. An oversight on their part."

"Heaven's Feel?" Waver repeated.

"The true name of the Holy Grail War ritual." Irisviel explained. She looked up at the young man, her eyes more focused than before. "Waver-kun. I am in a difficult situation with no way of resolving it on my own. I need assistance badly, and right now you are the only one who can help me. I request you hear me out first, and if you don't like what you hear, you can refuse." She paused a moment to make sure she had his attention. "Before I continue, I must warn you that once you hear my tale, it may make you a target for the Einzberns. Not just them, other magi may come after you for even a sliver of what I will reveal. If you wish to back out now, I will understand."

Again, Waver considered this, outweighing the risks and rewards. In the end, his curiosity overcame him. With an affirmation of his willingness to listen, he sat next to Irisviel on the bench.

"Very well." Irisviel said, bracing herself for what was about to happen. "I suppose I should start at the beginning."

With that, she began the tale of the Holy Grail and its origins. Much of what she told could be found within the Mage Association's archives such as the three families of Tohsaka, Einzbern, and Makiri, and how they were taught under the watchful eye of the Zelretch, the operator of Second Magic, and how through their respective roles were able to construct the Holy Grail and the Holy Grail War. It was at that point she began to go into some truly secretive territory.

She told of the Heaven's Feel, and its true purpose. She told of the necessity for the seven masters and seven servants, how the completion of the ritual would allow a hole to open. She told the true purpose of the command seals and the need to sacrifice all seven servants. She told of the grail's connection to the Throne of Heroes and how that hole will lead the victor to the Akashic Records. The homunculus could tell all of this was of great interest to her listener. He dared never interrupted her, but listened to her, nearly in disbelief, as she recalled everything she knew.

It was then she went into the details of the past wars, specifically the failure of the first three wars. By the time she told of the third war, she began to speak more openly and with greater detail then previously. She told of the Einzbern's growing need to win and their attempt to cheat. She told about how they attempted to summon a god only to get a man, concluding her tale of the Third War with the death of the Servant, and its eventual corruption of the Grail. She explained how the grail granted Avenger's wish and made him into the very abomination he was created to become, and how it still lays within the grail, waiting to destroy the world.

Next she told of the Fourth Grail War, more specifically the ending. She explained her role as the vessel for the grail and how she separated from it. She did not go into full details about the latter, just that through unforeseen circumstances, she managed to free herself from her fate. She concluded her story by explaining what she saw and what the end result would be if the ritual were indeed completed. She told of how they destroyed the grail, the Great Fire, and the aftermath. Finally, she told of her family's reaction to her failure, and how her warnings fell on deaf ears. With that, her story came to a somber conclusion.

"You now know." Irisviel stated in a matter-of-fact tone. He real emotions were more complex than her appearance. She had betrayed the greatest secret of her family to an outsider. While she no longer had any true sense of loyalty to them, there was still that little bit within her that felt awful about betraying her creators. Maybe it was some instinctual sense of loyalty that all living beings have to one's kin that made her feel that way, or maybe it was a preprogramed feeling that all homunculi of the Einzbern were born with. Whatever the reason, it was done, and there was no taking it back.

Waver on the other hand was feeling multiple emotions at once. Confusion, shock, and other unidentifiable feelings he could not place as he considered what he was just told. He came into this war believing he was participating for a wish, and now that he was told the true purpose, he was unsure about how to react. The idea of actually going to the Swirl of the Root, the goal of all magi, with this ritual was something new to him. He considered the fact that he, someone who had been called a failure for all of his life, could have won the war, and been given the chance to obtain the power within the Root. The thought however turned to disgust in himself when he realized what he had to do in order to accomplish that goal. First, he would have to betray Rider, and use a Command Seal to get him to kill himself. If he had known of the true purpose of the Heaven's Feel ritual before hand, would he have still opted to help Rider accomplish his dream?

Then he began to thinking about the being within the grail. Angra Mainyu, a Persian god of evil and darkness, or rather, the closest thing to that being as one could get. The servant was in the Grail, and had that ritual been completed, it would have drowned all of humanity in a sea of infernal mud. Upon further reflection, he wondered what would have happened if Rider made his wish. He would have obtained his incarnated body, but at the cost of all lives on earth. Had he made his wish, he would have become the king of nothing. He imagined Rider, obtaining his incarnation and cursing the grail in all manners as it proceeded to destroy all he himself wished to obtain.

"So the wish granting mechanism was just some incentive to get other participants involved in the war?" Waver asked.

"That's right." Irisviel confirmed. "Once you're role of summoning the servants was completed, the Master no longer matters." She shifted uncomfortably. "The wish granting function was not just something to entice the masters. It was also meant as an incentive for summoning the Servants."

"I think I get it." Waver said. "To summon Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes to come to the physical world, there had to be a powerful motivator. For Heroic Spirits who died with regrets, having a wish granted would be that motivation." Realization dawned on Waver. "So then the three families never intended to make a wish?"

"A path to Root was all we, or what any good magi desired." Irisviel explained. "It was also why we kept it within the three families and never informed other magi of the truth." That also made sense to Waver. Had the information been made public, magi from all over the world would have tried to find some way to participate in this war or create their own Holy Grail War. The end result would not have been pretty.

"But why the war?" Waver asked confused. "Why not simply use the ritual for all involved?" He paused as he considered. "Unless… it really was a fight over the ownership of the grail, and the reward. Only one can truly claim to path to Root."

"I see you figured it out." Irisviel stated. "As legend states, once a path to Root has been opened up, it will be closed for anyone else. The same applies for this ritual. Once the hole to Root has been created with the Heaven's Feel, only one can enter. Once the true prize is claimed that path will close, and the grail will be just a simple wish-granting tool. As such, the war became necessary." The white haired woman chuckled bitterly. "Besides, as you well know, magi aren't known to cooperate and share. The three families are no different."

"Allies of convenience." Waver said. Another thought came to his mind. "But suppose other magi did know the truth of the ritual, if they knew of the corruption, would they try to participate anyway? I mean, if what you say is true then the grail will destroy the world if it the ritual was completed."

Irisviel closed her eyes, her expression one of a person who does who really did not want to answer a question on a particularly nasty subject. "Do you know what the legends of the Root tell?" Irisviel paused a moment before continuing. "Legend says that once one touches Root, they become something closer to a god. That's part of the reason why so many magi wish to find a path to Root. Of course, most want to get as close to the Root as possible without disappearing, but even then, they can become among the most powerful of magi. Now I ask you, with that kind of reward, how many magi do you believe will take that risk? True, the risk may deter some, but how many of those magi do you think are willing to take such a gamble if the reward is that enticing?"

Waver once again thought about it. How many would actually accept this ritual even if they knew the consequences? He knew many magi were amoral, but how many would go through with it knowing it would damn everyone else? With that kind of reward the ritual has to offer, what was 5.5 billion people to a particularly selfish magus?

"If what you say is true, then would the ritual even work anymore with that thing within the grail."

Irisviel thought for a moment and nonchalantly answered. "It is highly unlikely."

"That can't be!" Waver exclaimed in disbelief. " Why would the Einzberns continue such a ritual if it probably won't work. Plus, you told me that completing the Heaven's Feel might end the world. It doesn't make any sense."

"The best answer I can give you to that is obsession."

"What?" Waver asked disbelievingly.

"For a long time, my family sought to obtain the Third Magic they've lost a thousand years ago. At first this ritual was made so that they could make their wish a reality. But over time after we suffered from defeat after defeat in the war we proposed in the first place, we changed our goal to win the war. That obsession blinds the Einzbern family. Keep in mind, they still recall their true purpose, but they no longer hold that purpose in their heart. Over time their true desire became an excuse for them as their obsession grew."

Irisviel paused to see if Waver understood what she was saying before continuing. "They are so blinded by their own desire to win the war they no longer truly seek their original goal." Irisviel sighed with pity. "The fact that the Einzberns have an unhealthy amount of pride does not help. Pride in addition to obsession makes a fatal combination, and when their pride got wounded, their obsession grew." Irisviel shook her head. "I'm not really trying to defend the Einzberns, but after decades of feeling the bitter pain of each defeat, it's easy to see how they were driven to desperation. This, in addition to how out of reach their desire for their lost True Sorcery really is, it severely damaged their bias views of themselves as a powerful magus family."

"So they'll risk the world for their pride?" Waver asked disbelievingly.

"Obsession clouds all sense of reason and logic." Irisviel confirmed. She then chuckled bitterly "Then again, my family thought it would be a wise to summon Angra Mainyu, a god of evil. Reason and logic aren't really something my family practices when it comes to the war. They are great magi, but have a nasty habit of not thinking things through outside of their own Magecraft and alchemy. It seemed to have gotten worst after the death of Justeaze von Einzbern." Once again, she sighed. "They really should have chosen Ruler."

"Excuse me?" Waver questioned.

"It's nothing." Irisviel waved the matter off. "All you need to know about my family is that they are obsessed. Maybe they are really oblivious to the consequences or refuse to see reality. Maybe they think the ritual will work anyway and they can claim the Third Magic they lost before the end. I do not know how they think or how they rationalize the whole situation, and frankly I don't care to know. All I know is that I informed them and they ignored my warning, so I must do something about it."

Waver paused for a moment to consider this. A thought then came to him regarding Irisviel's status as a homunculus. "If you were meant to be the Lesser Grail of this war, why would the Einzberns abandon you? Wouldn't they want their precious Grail back? Aren't they afraid of other magi getting their hands on you and creating something like a… Justeaze model homunculus?"

"I'm afraid I lost that function when I separated from the grail." Irisviel explained. "I still have a feint connection to the grail, but my most important abilities have been lost and cannot be restored." They thought of an analogy. "I'm like a broken down car by their standards. I'm still a car which can run, but I am unable to run by their standards." Irisviel followed up. "As to answer your other question, because of the separation, my body is no different… no, because it is so degraded, it is actually less valuable than our families common homunculus, so my body cannot betray and family secrets if a magus finds me. That's a fact I'm sure they thought about." Irisviel gave a satisfied smirk. "Though as I said, thinking things through is not their strong point."

Waver was curious about what she meant by that last remark, though he pushed that aside to confirm the earlier point. "So they don't see you as something worth the time to retrieve just because you can't be the grail anymore?" Waver asked.

"Once I lost my purpose, I am nothing to them." Irisviel confirmed.

Waver paused once again, considering all he was told. Unable to think of anything else to say, he decided to ask the only question that came to mind. "What will you do now?"

Irisviel once again braced herself before answering. "The Holy Grail War will start again in ten years." That caught Waver off guard. He heard that the Holy Grail War starts every six decades at least due to the large amount of mana that is needed. Why would it start so early? As if reading his mind, Irisviel elaborated. "Because the ritual was not completed as expected, much of the mana that was collected still resides in the grail. So the next war will happen earlier than expected. That gives me ten years to end the Fifth Grail War before it begins."

"So, where do I fit into all of this?" Waver asked.

Irisviel looked the young man in the eyes squarely with enough steel to make him lean back a little. "As I've said, I cannot do this alone." Irisviel answered. "Right now you are the only person I can depend on to help me reach my goal."

"Why not get the Mage Association involved?" Waver asked. "Why not tell them everything you told me?"

"And leave the ritual in the hands of magi who are probably even less moral than my own family?" asked Irisviel. "Remember what I said about what would happen if the truth got out about the true purpose of the war? And even if I leave that part out and just tell them about the corruption, sure it may cancel the war, but it may also give many of them an excuse to study the grail and use the samples I collected for their own experiments. Who knows how that will end?" Irisviel shook her head. "No, we must keep the ritual here in Fuyuki, as isolated as possible form other magi. Besides, I know my family's operations. If they are in charge of the ritual, at least I know what to expect from them."

"If that is the case how do you plan to end the war?"

Irisviel gave a satisfied smirk, a plan clearly formulated in her mind. "By putting my family in a situation where they must stop the ritual."

Waver's mind was racing. He was trying to figure out exactly what was going on, where his place in all this was, and for that matter, what he, someone who was barely useful to even his own Servant in the Holy Grail War, could do against forces such as the Einzberns, the Tohsakas, and the Matous. "You really are putting a lot of trust into me." Waver said. "I could easily tell others what you told me, maybe even the Mage Association. What basis do you have in trusting me?"

"None at all." Irisviel explained flatly much to Waver's astonishment. " None except this. From the few times I met you face to face, I could tell you were someone who had a greater sense of morality than my other options."

Waver chuckled at that. "So it's because I have a conscience."

"It's not a bad thing." Irisviel assured with a smile. "Honestly, we magi seem to be getting more an more amoral by the generations. My own family is proof of that."

Waver turned to her. "So you would oppose your family to end the war for good?"

Irisviel went silent for a moment. Once again she was deciding on what to say. Finally, she gave her answer. "As I told you, I am a homunculus who was meant to be a vessel for the Lesser Grail." She sighed heavily before continuing. "And in ten years, my daughter will be the next."

That one sentence brought on a long, uncomfortable silence as Waver let those words sink in. At first, he was skeptical about trusting this woman, but now he could clearly see the driving motivation behind her actions. Not only did the Einzberns throw her away, they planned to use this woman's child for the next part of the ritual. A deep feeling of disgust filled Waver's stomach as he thought how it was moments like these that made him feel he did not have the mental or moral qualifications to be a magus. Sure, the woman before him was a homunculus, and by the standards of orthodox magi, was not considered human, yet as he saw the look of sorrow in her eyes, he could not see her as anything but a mother trying to rescue her daughter.

Irisviel got up from the bench then turned towards the young man. "Waver-kun," Irisviel said looking in him square in the eye. The next moment, she tilted her upper body and head toward him, lowering herself in a bow. Waver, both shocked and embarrassed by the scene before him, got up form the bench, unsure about what to do except look around to make sure no one was looking. Without any of the noble dignity she presented earlier, she began to plead like the desperate woman and mother she truly was.

"I beg of you, please assist me in ending the war once and for all. Please help me shut down the grail. Please, help me save my daughter. You are the only person I can depend on. So please… I can't do this by myself."

For a moment, no one moved or spoke. What could be say? Waver wondered if it was an act, but from what she told him and from the sight of the trembling woman before him, this seemed doubtful. Emiya Irisviel was throwing away all of her dignity in order to gain his approval. If this was an act, it was a pretty convincing one. It was like all the restraint she had suddenly vanished, and her true emotions rushed out in that one outburst. When she raised herself up, she sighed and shook her head, apparently scolding herself for such a display.

"I'm sorry." Irisviel apologized with shame. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Under the circumstances however, I hope you understand my situation." Irisviel picked up her bag. "I know I have no right to ask you anything that would risk your own life. But as I said, I am desperate, and you are the only one I can depend on." She looked him in the eye again, once more composed. "Please, at the very least think it over. If I don't hear from you I will assume you made you're choice." She turned her head, clearly still ashamed by her earlier display. "Good day, Waver-kun." With that final goodbye, she casually walked away.

Waver stood there, watching the widowed woman walk off. When she was out of sight, he pondered the situation. Part of him wanted the whole damn war to be behind him and live the life we wanted, yet another part of him, the part that actually cared for the well being of others truly wanted to answer the pleas of the mother who would throw away her self respect and reach out to a former enemy. Still, that was just it. The woman was a former enemy and apart of the magus family that started the problem to begin with. In that regard, was there even a problem with the Grail? She never offered any real proof of her claims apart from her story and the emotions behind them.

"Her very strong, very sincere emotions." Waver thought.

He could not get the image of the woman's despair filled face out of his mind. Maybe he was being naive, but he was pretty sure that was the face of a truly hopeless woman looking for help. Truth be told, he knew he was not a very dependable person, but he was all she had. Apparently everyone else was too untrustworthy, or maybe he was too trusting. Maybe she knew that and was trying to manipulate him into something that could get him in trouble. Then again, she admitted he could be in danger and made no attempt to coerce or force him to help her. Or maybe it was some form of reverse psychology. Maybe he would figure out that she was trying to be honest or false or…

"Dammit," Waver thought rubbing his head in confusion while trying to figure out this conundrum. "What the hell should I do?"

He knew he was not experienced in the ways of life. He knew he should not trust someone so easily, especially someone who admitted he was basically her only option. But the woman did appear to be as upfront with him as possible about her situation. She answered his questions to the best of her ability, and from what he saw with little attempt to deceive him. Maybe he was being naïve, but he could not see her as anything but a mother trying hard to save her daughter and end a conflict that could cost many lives in the future. He seen enough of this war alone to see how many lives would be lost in one of these wars, and that was when the ritual failed and the creature, Avenger, was still within the grail. If this thing was real, how many more people would die? Better yet, if it was real, what could he do to stop it if not even the Einzberns would.

His next train of thought then turned to Rider. What would he do in this situation? He probably had enough experience to tell when someone was lying. And if he could, what would he do? Waver already knew the answer. He would charge head first into the Einzbern's stronghold, rescues the girl, then beat the ever living crap out of the entire Einzbern family for making him waste his time on a pointless wish, all while laughing like a maniac. All without hesitation.

He recalled their final moment together. He recalled Rider, going into battle against Archer, making his last stand against the golden servant, ordering him to live. If he got involved in this new conflict, his life could be in danger. He would be disobeying the command of the man who gave him the direct order to live if he agreed to the conflict. Then again, what would the great red servant do if he saw him cowering before a challenge such as this? Isn't it Waver's duty, not only as a survivor of the Holy Grail war, but also as a follower to the King of Conquerors to right an insult done? Form what Irisviel said; this whole war would have been a pointless endeavor to begin with, so would this not be a direct blow both him and Alexander. What was he to do? Should he obey his king's order and live? Or should he risk his life to restore the injustice done to him, done to them? Again, he thought about what Iskander would have wanted. He knew what he would say.

"You fool! What are you hesitating for? If it's not your own desire why not do you as please?"

"Idiot." Waver thought with a chuckle. "Even when you're gone, you really are a pain."

His decision was made, within a matter of minutes. He was probably going to hate himself for this in the next couple hours, but screw it. He ran down the road the direction the Einzbern homunculus went. Within a half a minute, he saw the back of the white haired woman walking down the empty street. Ignoring his own voice in the back of his head calling him an idiot and trying even harder to ignore the obnoxious yet approving laughter of Rider, he called out to her, confident in his choice.


A/N

And so ends another chapter. As I stated before, this was originally meant to be two chapters, so I had to cut a bunch of things and do a bit of editing. Much of the editing however was rushed so I could get this chapter uploaded by my personal deadline. I wanted to go into deeper detail, but as I said, I don't want to take away from the main story. Most of us should know the history, so I only paraphrased and gave enough background to give the readers and understanding of why things are the way they are and what direction I ah heading with this story. Still, I hope I gave enough backstory and made it as coherent as possible.

Like most of you concluded, Avalon was key in the separation between Iri and the Grail. Also, Iri begins to make her move. Next time, Iri begins her attack. Look forward to it. Let me know what you all think.