AN: Here's Chapter 6 of the story. Please read and review :)


Chapter 6:

Day of Repose I


"Hmm..."

Jeanne sat by herself inside the room of church where masses and the like were held. Currently, the young saint had her head down as she was in deep thought that morning. The events of the other night still fresh in her mind.

Two days had passed since then, with the third day beginning now. After the first day, her ceasefire ended and now the Holy Grail War was allowed to resume once more in accordance to her decree.

So far however, no activity was happening between either the Red Faction and Black Faction as far as she knew. Given that both have at least seven servants on each of their side, any serious battle between them would likely result in a heavy amount of destruction. As such preparations had to be made.

And currently, the rogue servants have yet to make another move against either faction or herself. Considering what happened to Berserker the other night, most likely his group decided to play it safe for now. She couldn't help but feel uneasy at the thought of their group still roaming around somewhere. She would need to find a way to deal with them later.

Speaking of which, she had yet to follow up on the lead the Grail had given her the other day.

There was a Master from the Red Faction who was possibly linked to the rogue Servants that kept popping up all over. As much as she wanted to go straight towards the Red Faction's base of operations, she wasn't sure if they would be as welcoming towards her as the Masters of Black.

True, the Servants of Red, specifically Archer and Rider, had fought against two of the Rogue Servants themselves, but that didn't mean she could trust their Masters. What happened with the Black Faction was a special case as it decided to take a leap of faith on that one. She wasn't sure if she should do it again in regards to the Red Faction.

Though there was the man known as Waver Velvet, Rider of Red's Master, who appeared to be the head of the Red Faction. Jeanne felt that he seemed like a trustworthy individual, but she still don't know enough to be sure of it. In a conflict such as the Holy Grail War, she would need to take some precaution. Even though her privilege was restored to her, it didn't mean she could act carelessly just because she had it.

"Hah..." Jeanne sighed to herself.

Really now, what she was doing?

Everything her mind had been thinking about just now was just her way of distracting herself from the real thoughts she was having at the moment. Said thoughts causing a frown to appear on her face.

The events of that night... she couldn't help but think it over again and again. The duel that occurred between father and daughter, the words exchanged between the two of them, and Arthur's words to her when the night ended.

Considering the events that happened by the end of his reign, it wouldn't be surprising to her if he bore some regrets of his own. It was said that many of his comrades had died during the Battle of Camlann with only a few surviving.

However, it was the way he had acted that just troubled her to no end at all. She didn't like seeing the other blonde being depressed. Even now, he was still somewhat melancholic, though he began acting like normal starting with yesterday. But she could tell that it was an act. She wanted to help him, but...

"Is something the matter?" A voice called out.

"Sister Petresia." Jeanne greeted as she saw the old nun approaching her, deciding to take a seat beside on the bench she was sitting at.

"I see you have something troubling you dear child." She stated. "Pray tell, what is it? Perhaps I may be able to help you with it."

"No, it's not something I should be bothering you with. But I appreciate your concern." Jeanne smiled at her, thankful for the gesture.

"Now, now, I am here to help you child." The Sister replied. "Does it have something to do with Arthur?"

Speaking of which, the young man was currently out doing errands for the church folk as usual. At the same time, he decided to go out on patrol in order to see if he could find any unusual activity within the city. Though the young saint wanted to follow, she had other errands to do for the church that morning. That said, she knew that he could take care of himself better than she could with her own.

Honestly surprised by how accurate Sister Petresia's guess was, Jeanne replied.

"Yes. Was it really that obvious?"

"My dear, you've been staring at him with a worried look in your eyes quite a bit since the other day. Everyone at the church has already taken notice of it." She revealed, as Jeanne gave off an embarrassed smile. She really should pay more attention to her surroundings.

"Arthur himself has been rather troubled lately. Did something happen?"

"I suppose you can say that." The young saint began as she twiddled her fingers. "The other day, he..."

She stopped herself in the middle of her thoughts, realizing that she doesn't necessarily have the right to talk about Arthur's past, even if she were to mention only a few details about it. And he most likely would not approve of it either.

While she was thinking about it, the sister asked another question that quickly snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Don't tell me he's run into an old flame of his? Could it be that he's troubled between choosing you or her?"

"H-Hah...!?" Jeanne's face quickly flashed scarlet at the Sister's words as she quickly raised her hands and waved them in denial. "I-It's nothing of the sort! We're no more than good friends...!"

"Ahahaha! You'll have to forgive me if I thought otherwise." The Sister laughed slightly as she directed a teasing smile towards Jeanne. "You have to admit child, two young adults such as yourselves, accompanied by no one but each other... unless people mistake you for siblings, which is doubtful given your accents, it would appear that the two you are lovers on a vacation."

Sister Petresia then smiled at the young blonde.

"And I was only joking. I suppose I only said that because I wanted to see what your reaction would be like."

Jeanne merely gave the Sister an annoyed look, the blush on her face not fading away anytime soon thanks to her words.

"Now then, are you feeling better?" The Sister suddenly asked.

"Eh?" The young saint blinked. She realized that thanks to the Sister's teasing her, she was no longer feeling as troubled as she was before.

The elderly woman then stood up, looking directly at the young saint.

"Now then, let's find somewhere else more appropriate for us to speak with each other."


"..."

Laying down on her bed with her hands behind her head and wearing nothing more than her tube-top and shorts, Mordred had a dazed expression on her face as she was lost in thought. The events of the other night still fresh within the reaches of her mind, most especially the events concerning what happened between her and her father.

Even now, she still could not comprehend it. She was quite confused by his actions that night, to the point she kept asking herself the same questions she had since then.

Did he not hate her? After everything that had happened between the two of them... why had he decided to defend her against Berserker's attack? She could tell, it wasn't out of honor or anything of the like. That much she knew from just looking.

There was also the fact that he said that he respected her. As alien as that word is coming from him of all people, she could not help but feel somewhat... happy. But at the same time, she was also confused.

In spite of her hatred she bore for him for having rejected her, her deepest desire more than anything else in the world was for her father to acknowledge her. To that end, she decided that she would use the Holy Grail in order to be given a chance to challenge the Sword of Selection, the very sword that allowed him to become the King of Britain as a fifteen year-old boy in the first place.

If she was successful in pulling out that sword from the stone, then would it not mean that she was a worthy successor and heir to him? Surely he would see her as just that if she were to do so.

That said, she had no actual desire to become a King like her father, nor did she want to use the Grail to directly gain what she desired. She would instead do it in a way she knew he would approve of. And despite the deeds she had done by the end of her life, she still had a sense of honor.

To gain something such as the throne of Britain by just wishing for it didn't really sit well for someone like her who worked hard in life to get where she was. And so she decided to simply settle for being given a chance at challenging the Sword in the Stone.

However, hearing her father's words the other night shook her beliefs somewhat. He said that he had always respected her. Did that mean he acknowledged her?

It didn't help that her feelings kept swaying back and forth between hatred, anger, joy, and confusion. She didn't know what to make of the situation, and that only served to frustrate her even more so.

"Damn it all...!"

She sat up and threw a pillow into the wall in front of her.


"Ah, now that is complicated."

Sitting outside of the church at a table were Jeanne and Sister Petresia, the former having just discussed what had happened the other night to the elderly nun. Of course, she had left out many details and merely said that Arthur ran into his very estranged family member.

"I want to help him, but I do not know how." The young saint began. "Even though there were times when my family and I argued, it never really escalated into something like hatred. Even when I decided to do things which caused them to fear for me, they still supported me in spite of it."

Memories of her father and mother briefly flashed throughout Jeanne's mind, causing her to smile somewhat. She wondered to herself what had happened to them after she was executed. She only hoped that they were able to move on with their lives.

"However, because of that, I don't know how to help Arthur as a result." She admitted to the sister as a small frown appeared on her face.

"Even if you know what he's going through, you don't want to say anything because you've never really experienced it yourself? And because of that, you've started feeling awkward and troubled because you don't know what to do?" The Sister inquired as she smiled at the blonde. "I can understand such a feeling. I went through the same things with some of my own friends when I was your age."

"I just don't want to come off as a hypocrite who doesn't know what she's talking about." The young saint added as she looked at the elderly woman. "Do you have any advice for me Sister?"

"I think you already know the answer." The Sister replied. "Just be yourself and be there for him as his friend. Whether you be upfront and have him talk it out with you, or you just silently stand by and support him. Any would do so long as you do it out of genuine concern for him."

True, that was the conclusion she herself had already come to. Her asking the sister on what to do was more along the lines of her just wanting to hear a second opinion so she could decide for herself.

She also pondered the idea of forcing the two to get together and to reconcile, but decided to not follow up on that as it would most likely only result in chaos given what she had seen of Mordred's attitude and the hatred she bore for her father. And she wasn't about to abuse her authority as Ruler to that extent, even if it was for the sake of her good companion.

And so Jeanne decided to go with the simple solutions. It may not help resolve the issue at hand, but perhaps it would help lessen the burden it had on her partner.

Smiling, she stood up and looked at the elderly nun.

"Thank you for taking the time to listen to me Sister Petresia. It's a most gracious thing to do."

"No, no, not at all, think nothing of it child." The Sister waved off with a smile on her face. "If anyone here is gracious, it is you. You're a kind girl Jeanne. You worry over the troubles of those around you and wish to be able to help out. Such a trait is quite admirable, especially for one as young as you."

"Hehe, you embarrass me." The blonde giggled.

Soon after the Sister decided to leave as she had something to do. Jeanne waved her goodbye as she decided to go out into the city and find if she could catch up with Arthur on his patrol throughout the city.

"Did you enjoy your talk with the Sister?"

Jeanne nearly jumped into the air when she heard Arthur speaking towards her. She saw him leaning on one of the pillars that held the front gate of the complex, a smile on his face and his arms crossed.

"Ahahaha... did you hear all that?" The young saint laughed nervously, she couldn't believe that she missed his presence completely. Her talk with the Sister must've been more distracting to her than she initially thought.

"Some of it." Arthur replied as faced the young saint directly. "While I appreciate the gesture, you don't have to worry about me Jeanne. I'm quite alright."

"Are you really?" She asked, her tone somewhat doubtful as she gave him a look. "You know, men like to act tough even when they're hurt. Someone I knew did it often, and now I think you're doing the same thing too."

Arthur responded by giving her an amused smile, shaking his head as he spoke. "You look down on me. Although I'll admit that the meeting with Mordred was something I never foresaw, it doesn't mean I would allow it to affect any of my actions as your Servant. Any personal demons I have, I shall set aside if it's for the sake of my Master."

The look on Jeanne's face didn't disappear for a few moments before it turned into a smiling expression. It looks like she had nothing to worry about after all. Gilles had once told her she was something of a worrywart at times.

Still though, one could never really predict what would happen in the future. All she could do was support her friend as best she could.

"Speaking of which Arthur, you're already done with what Brother Benedict asked of you?"

"Yes, though what he asked of me was something I never expected." The young man chuckled. "I never would have believed that a churchman would know such people unless I saw it with my own eyes."

"Eh? What happened?" She began as she motioned him to follow her. Considering how early he had arrived, she had guessed that he hasn't done much patrolling aside from the time he made his way thanks to the errand he was given earlier. Jeanne decided they might as well do it together now since they had the chance.

And so off the two went into the city, the day still quite early and thus a lot time to search.

There was also a chance of being able to catch up on that lead she had discovered the other day...


"It's been a while, hasn't it Lord El-Melloi?"

Entering the room with a smile on his face, Shirou Kotomine presented himself before the long-haired man together with both Assassin and Caster.

"It's El-Melloi II." Waver corrected as he gave a stern look towards the young man in front of him. "And just where have you been these past few days? I hope you have a decent explanation considering the recent events that have happened while you were away."

Accompanying Waver within the room were the other Masters of Red. Kairi made no attempt to hide the scowl on his face as he looked at the white-haired priest in front of him. Gray and Reines decided to merely remain quiet in order to see how events would unfold during their discussion. Rider was also within the room and sitting on a chair wearing his casual clothing.

"My apologies for that. I was busy with a great many things." Shirou began. "For one, I've been doing some reconnaissance of my own to gather any information that can give us an edge against the forces of Yggdmillennia. I've also been gathering materials for Assassin's Noble Phantasm."

"Gathering materials? Explain."

"I suppose since we are allies, you have a right to know." Shirou smiled as he gestured to the black-haired beauty beside him. "Assassin is not just of the Assassin-Class, she is also of the Caster-Class. She's what most would call a rare double-summon Servant."

That caused everyone to look at Assassin in surprise, causing the latter to grow an amused smile on her face as she saw their reactions.

"Anyway, Assassin's Noble Phantasm requires materials gathered from a certain place in order for it to be of any use." Shirou explained. "One of the reasons I've been away was to gather said materials for her through my contacts. After that, she's been slowly constructing it to perfection, and I've been helping her out during the past few days."

"Seems quite troublesome. Why didn't you ask us to aid you?"

"Her Noble Phantasm was already nearly completed by the time we had that meeting in Sighisoara, so I didn't feel the need to ask."

"I see." Waver nodded, though he was still wary of the young man. Like Kairi said, there was something off about the young man that caused him to feel cautious. Perhaps he was merely being paranoid, but such a trait had saved his life on more than one occasion given his occupation as a magus.

He then remembered the other person accompanying Shirou, and noticed that he was also a Servant just like Assassin. His 15th-Century clothing gave it away.

"I take it that this is Caster then?"

"Indeed indeed, a perceptive eye you have good sir~!" The English playwright suddenly declared as he went up towards Waver directly and began shaking his hands.

"William Shakespeare, at your service milord." He declared, not so much as bothered at having revealed his identity towards the others in the room.

"You mean the English playwright himself?" Reines voiced out in complete surprise. She did not see that coming at all.

Though not many would think about it, it was entirely possible for people such as the famous playwright to be summoned as Servants. Due to their achievements in life becoming part of world renown, they were considered Heroic Spirits in their own right.

"Ah, so you've heard me Lady Reines? I am honored." Caster replied as he smiled at the young girl.

"Is he even gonna be of any use to us?" Kairi couldn't help but point out in honesty as everyone looked at him. "I mean, from the looks of it, he doesn't really seem like a mage in the traditional sense. And from what I'm seeing, his parameters aren't all that impressive either."

"No, he won't be of any use to us at the moment. Which is why I consider myself lucky to have summoned Assassin due to her double-class nature." Shirou replied in complete honesty. There wasn't any real point in defending Caster's position given his abilities and personal stance on the Holy Grail War.

"Ah, such cruel words Master~" Caster declared in a feigned hurt tone. "True, I may not be as impressive as our Lady Queen of Assyria, but I am not so helpless as one might think either. Just call upon my aid and I will see if I may be able to do anything at all. Otherwise however, I remain but a spectator to this grand show you people call the Holy Grail War. Such an event needs to be recorded no? And who better than to make it into an epic tale than I, William Shakespeare!"

"Hahaha! Such an interesting fellow this guy is! He's at least honest about what he wants to do." Rider laughed before turning to look at Assassin, who was also frowning at Caster as he spoke of rather revealing information concerning herself.

"That said, Caster called you the Queen of Assyria. Am I to understand that you are none other than that person?"

A person who was the offspring of the Syrian mermaid goddess Atargatis, the woman who was considered the world's first poisoner, killing her husband Ninus and becoming the regent of Assyria for the next few decades. Said person was now standing in front of Rider and the rest.

"I suppose there's no point in hiding it now that this buffoon has revealed it." The raven-haired woman sighed as she shot a glare towards the English playwright. She would have a word or two with him later. "I am indeed that person. Does it trouble you King of Conquerors?"

"Nothing of the sort, just satisfying my curiosity is all." Rider replied. "That said, it looks like someone else wants to have a word with you now."

"Hmph, no wonder I felt a strange sensation when last I gazed upon you woman." A voice called out in distaste. "You and I are of the same lands then?"

And with those words, Archer of Red materialized within the room with his arms crossed and an unamused look on his face. Assassin, unperturbed by his sudden appearance, merely smirked as she replied towards him.

"And what of it Golden King? Does my origins interest you?" She asked the question with a knowing look on her face. Thanks to her Master, she already knew just who the man in front of her was. Such an interesting turn of events for someone to have summoned a Heroic Spirit such as him.

Off to the side, Rider's interest perked up once more when he heard a particular detail spoken by Archer himself.

'Hmm... they come from the same lands?' The King of Conquerors thought curiously. Given the region where Assyria was located, that narrowed down Archer's identity somewhat to the heroes who came from said lands. Given his mannerisms and Noble Phantasms... he started having an idea as to who the Servant of the Bow really was.

"Hmph. Such a vile woman you are, staring at me with such eyes." Archer declared, his voice taking a sudden angry tone. "It reminds of another that once dealt me a rather painful blow, one to which this day I have yet to forgive her for and never shall."

"For some reason that sounds like a compliment for one such as me." Assassin smiled in response, having an idea of the woman who he was referring to. "I thank you for the kind words Golden King."

Tempted to cut her down for her words, Archer began reaching for one of his blades. Seeing this, Reines called out to him.

"Please stop Archer, she's not worth your time."

Giving his Master an annoyed glare, he clicked his tongue and went back to crossing his arms as he spoke towards the long-haired woman.

"Consider yourself lucky wench, I will unleash my wrath upon you some other time then." Archer said as he left the room via the door. Seeing that another fight between allies had been averted, Waver sighed to himself.

"Such a troublesome that one and Saber are. If they keep acting like this, there's no telling what will happen to us in the future."

"Speaking of the future, I believe I have an idea on what we should be doing for tonight against our fellows from the Black Faction." The white-haired priest began as he revealed parchment to the group.

"Oh? You came up with something to strike our foes then?"

"Of the sort, King of Conquerors." Shirou replied with a smile on his face. "You can think of it as the first step towards the Grail itself."


Later that day...

*SLASH* *SLASH* *CLANG*

Inside the castle of Yggdmillennia, Saber of Black stood by himself with his sword drawn and three golems surrounding him, each holding a sword in hand. Off to the side, Caster of Black and her Master Roche, along with Gordes and Rider of Black, stood watching the spectacle before them.

One of the golems charged, and Saber of Black quickly took it down with a brief slam of his blade, sending it flying into a pillar.

However, it wasn't the end of it as said golem stood up from its place as the other two charge at Saber from behind.

"...!"

Swinging his blade in a large arc as he turned around, the two golems were quickly sent flying themselves. Saber then quickly dodged another attack coming from the third one and threw it overhead to the ground.

*CLANG*

It blocked his attack with one of its arms, the golem then quickly spun on the ground using its legs to try to catch the tall grey-haired man off guard. Fortunately for Saber, he noticed it and thus jumped back.

The other two quickly surrounded him once more, with the third one from before joining in as well.

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

All three golems performed a simultaneous strike against their opponent, but to no avail as all merely bounced off Saber of Black's body once they connected. The grey-haired swordsman smirked slightly as he took advantage of their flinching.

*SLASH*

With a single blow, all three golems were quickly cut down collapsing in a heap. At this, Saber of Black sheathed his large blade.

"Hmph, as expected of someone of Saber's caliber." Caster mused. "Mere constructs aren't enough to threaten him at all."

"Are you sure that these things are going to be of any use to us Caster?" Rider of Black asked as he went up and knelt down to the ground to poke at the remains of one of the golems. "I mean, I may not know much about magic, but I think you need to improve them a little bit more."

"And that's the reason why I asked Saber to have a mock battle against them." The hooded woman replied as she turned to said swordsman's Master. "Tell me Sir Gordes, what does Saber think of the constructs we've created so far?"

She knew that Saber of Black had taken an oath of silence thanks to his Master, so asking him for him about anything was futile unless he had his Master to be able to communicate for him. Why he had chosen to obey such an order was beyond her, but perhaps he was simply being a loyal Servant.

"Saber tells me that while your creations were unable to harm him, they were at least able to put up what he calls a decent bout." Gordes began. "And I must say Caster, both myself and Saber were surprised by how they were able to perform. Making them more humanoid yet retaining their durability. It ends up adding more flexibility and speed has greatly increased their combat capability. Along with your Dragon-Tooth Warriors and our other allies, our forces will be unmatched."

"Of course! Considering that Teacher is a Magus from the Age of Gods, it's only natural she would be great wouldn't she?" Roche smiled as he crossed his arms. Caster gave an amused smile of her own as she saw this.

"Granted, we were actually going to summon the famed Solomon Ibn Gabirol, whose area of expertise are golems and artificial humans. His skills would have been a great asset towards Roche's line of magecraft which itself specializes in creating and controlling these constructs." Gordes revealed as he too went up towards one of the down golems to inspect it slightly. "But, once Darnic discovered a relic that could perhaps summon you, a Servant from the Age of the Gods, he couldn't resist the opportunity."

"Might I ask what is it you are trying to say Lord Gordes?" Caster asked, her tone dropping slightly but enough to show that she was maintaining a sense of civility.

"Ah, you think I am against you as an ally? That is not my intention." The man replied. "I'm merely saying that I am impressed with you. So far, you've done a great deal for us by strengthening the defenses of the Castle with your magic. Though I am still wary of you due to your reputation, I do respect you at the very least."

To hear such words coming from his relative, Roche could not help but look shocked as his mouth was slightly agape along with Saber of Black looking rather taken back himself if his widened eyes were of any indication.

Caster herself was also taken off guard. Ever since her summoning two months ago together with Lancer of Black, she had seen Gordes as someone of unpleasant nature thanks to the way he presented himself most of the time along with his ill treatment of most of the homunculi staff.

Rider on the other hand...

"Heh~" He began with sly smile. "So even a man such as you can know of such a virtue as respect. I'll admit Saber's Master, I'm really surprised~!"

"Hmph! Are you mocking me Rider!?" The portly man demanded in annoyance.

"No, no, not at all~!" Rider declared before a moment passed and he stuck on his tongue in a very cutesy fashion. "I'm lying, I really am mocking you~"

Gordes fumed slightly at his words before crossing arms and faced the other direction in a huff. He realized that trying to reprimand the pink-haired Servant was futile given his personality. Caster had an amused smile at this, Rider's rather friendly personality made him one of the few people she could get along with within the Black Faction other than her own Master that is.

"Hehehe... no need for such words Rider."

Entering the room with the sound of his voice as his herald was none other than Darnic Prestone himself. Accompanying him were Lancer, Archer, and Fiore.

"Come everyone, we are to have a meeting."


"What? You mean they aim to strike at us tonight?"

Gathered within the same throne room where Darnic and Lancer of Black first met with the Saint of Orleans and the King of Knights, Darnic revealed a rather telling piece of information towards his fellow Masters and their Servants about their foes.

"Yes, Julian confirmed it for us earlier today." The blue-haired man replied as he gave a brief glance towards the young man in question before he faced Gordes. "His Assassins have noticed strange activity coming from the Red Faction's base of operations. It seems like they're preparing for something big."

Everyone momentarily glanced at Assassin who was standing together with his Master. Or rather, their Master seeing as there were actually several of them standing with him, all of which were men of varying heights and one of which was an actual woman. The only thing remotely similar about them would have been their choice of clothing as well as the masks they choose to wore on their faces.

'These guys give the creeps...!' Berserker thought with a slight shiver. While she wasn't actually afraid of them, their general appearance just rubbed her the wrong way.

"But Grandfather, it's not like they're going to make a move on us tonight, right?" Caules couldn't help but state. "I mean, there is a chance that-"

"Don't be so foolish Caules, this is the Holy Grail War we're talking about." A woman spoke out wearing a similar outfit to Fiore except unlike her, she wore a business-like skirt in place of a pair of pants. She had long gray hair and a flattering figure, her eyes had a rather nasty look to them, which was doubled by the appearance of her glasses.

Her name was Celenike Icecolle, a fellow member of Yggdmillennia and Rider of Black's Master.

"The Red Faction are obviously going to strike at us. They've had more than enough time to prepare for an all-out assault, especially thanks to the ceasefire period that Ruler declared. Only an idiot would believe that they're aren't doing anything despite evidence to the contrary." She said sharply.

"Y-You do have a point..." Caules sighed in resignation. He felt so small compared to the other Masters. He knew that even Julian, whom he did not know all that well aside from knowing that he was an associate of his Grandfather, was a better magus compared to him.

"Hey! Don't be so mean to my Master!" Berserker suddenly shouted in the direction of the gray-haired woman. Turning to look at her, she replied.

"Hmph, I was only setting him straight. If anyone is at fault, it's that fool." The pinkette glared at her unamused, before suddenly a smile appeared on her face.

"Such a cranky lady you are, no wonder the only men that can please you are your own servants. Nobody one wants to touch a sagging old hag~" The pinkette stuck her tongue out childishly.

Celenike glared at Berserker sharply after her words. Were it not for the fact that the person in front of her was a Servant, she would have struck the smart mouthing brat of a girl with her magic and begin thinking of ways torture her.

"That's enough Elizabeth, you shouldn't be picking fights with our comrades." Lancer suddenly declared as he looked at the pinkette.

"But she started it...!"

"Be that as it may, there is no excuse for your actions." The man replied in a stern tone, much like a parent scolding a child. "Now then, I ask that you behave for the rest of the meeting. Otherwise, I'll have you sent to your room, understood?"

"Yes..." Berserker replied, sulking somewhat as Rider gave her pitying smile and patter her head in comfort.

Caules on the other hand couldn't help but look somewhat amused at this. His Servant had basically been told off like she was some sort of child, and by the man known as Vlad the Impaler of all people. He also noted that compared to the way he spoke with the rest of the Black Faction, which was formal and commanding most of the time, Lancer had a somewhat softer approach when dealing with Berserker in general. What that meant, he did not know.

Satisfied at having dealt with his fellow Servant, Lancer turned to look at Darnic who proceeded to nod in understanding as he in turn looked at Celenike.

"Celenike, I must ask that you too refrain from saying anything out of turn." He began. "Berserker did act out because of your words to Caules after all."

"I understand Lord Darnic." The gray-haired woman replied, though she was somewhat displeased by it.

"Back to the matter at hand," Lancer began as he looked towards Caster. "How goes are forces? Are they up to standard?"

"If you wish for my opinion, then I would say yes. We should be prepared for anything the Masters of Red and their Servants could throw at us." Caster replied before she crossed her arms. "Unfortunately however, I haven't made much progress regarding the matter of that beast yet. Though I have now learned the means to summon it, controlling it is still out of our grasp."

"Well that's a shame then, I really wondered what it would be like to be able to ride a dragon~" Rider declared, somewhat starry-eyed at the concept much to the amusement of the hooded woman.

"If that's the case then, what shall we be doing next Grandfather?" Fiore spoke up for the first time. Looking at his heir, Darnic replied.

"I would suggest we wait." He began. "Though we already know of the identities of both Saber of Red and Rider of Red, and in the case of Saber of Red, some of her abilities as well, we still do not know the full extent of what exactly they can do. Which is also the case for the remaining Servants of Red. We must not act hasty even with all of our resources."

"So then, how shall our defense strategy go for tonight?" Gordes inquired.

"I shall answer that." Lancer declared as he stood up from his spot and had all eyes directed upon him. "First things first, our front line defenses will consist of the army that young Master Roche and Caster have spent the past two months building up. It will be a good chance to see just how well they can up against our opponents."

He then eyed Saber and Berserker.

"You two will act as our gate keepers. Thanks to the field Caster had set up, the only way to enter our domain without suffering any sort of negative penalty would be through the front entrance. Once enemy forces have broken through, they will head straight for the gate."

"Right! You can rely on us Uncle~!" Berserker declared.

"Uncle?" Caules muttered, but it looked like Lancer wasn't at all bothered by the term his Servant had called him by. In fact, he looked somewhat amused by it rather briefly.

"Archer, Assassin, Rider." Lancer began as he looked at said three Servants. "You will all provide support for both Saber and Berserker from a distance. Your abilities make you all quite reliable for such a role. Caster and myself will act as the defenders of this castle from the inside should the enemy find a way to push through our defenses."

"Understood, I shall perform to the best of my abilities." Archer replied with a bow. The Assassins did the same, but did so silently.

"So I'm not fighting on the front lines?" Rider stated with a crooked smile. "Well I suppose that would do as well. I've never really been a fan of fighting in general."

"Don't be such a coward Rider!" Celenike retorted in response to her Servant's words.

"How mean Master, looking down on me like that. I'm not being a coward, I'm ready to fight whenever I'm needed." The pinkette replied with a pout towards his Master before it suddenly broke into another smile. "I'm just the type who believes that people should always get along you know~? That's the reason why I'm not really a fan of fighting if it's to the death. You can't enjoy life if you're buried six feet under~"

Such a statement, despite being a participant in the event known as the Holy Grail War, could only be heard from the mouth of the man who was well known to be quite optimistic. That said, Caules actually agreed with Rider's views. Fighting to the death would be a rather morbid thing to go through.

"Say, can't we just gang up on them together and kill anyone who tries to get past the gate on the spot?" Berserker asked. "I mean, that would be a lot more simple right?"

"True, it would be simpler." Darnic replied in Lancer's stead. "However, the Red Faction must've already considered the possibility of us conforming to such an action. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising if they too were to gather all their strength and strike simultaneously."

"But there's also the fact that they're going to be fighting within enemy territory." Fiore continued for her grandfather. "We have the advantage over them. As a result, they cannot act afford to act carelessly. When attacking a stronghold, it would be best to first send in a few people to see how well fortified it is before deciding to attack it. It's a basic tactic don't you agree? Granted, they may go ahead and attack us head on if they believe themselves to powerful enough to do such a thing... but I believe you can understand what I'm trying to say at this point."

Berserker nodded at this, understanding the reasoning stated before her.

"Well done Fiore, your insight does you good." Darnic complimented his granddaughter, who merely smiled in response and blushed somewhat in embarrassment. "Now then, you all have your orders. The Red Faction will most likely strike sometime around midnight so as to reduce the chances of civilians witnessing the battle from a distance. Until then, you are all to prepare. Dismissed!"

With that, the meeting was adjourned as each of the Masters went on their way to prepare for the assault that was to come only a few hours from now.

"Saber! Berserker!" Rider of Black suddenly called out towards the two Servants acting as their front line defense. Both stopped in their tracks as they turned to look at the other pink-haired Servant.

"Good luck to the two of you, be sure to stay safe~!"

"Of course! I still have to settle my score with you about that singing contest we had!" Berserker declared in response as Saber nodded as well. And with that, Rider left together with his Master as did the others soon after.


Several hours later, within the city of Trifas, Jeanne sat on a bench at a public park. Night had fallen and covered the city in a blanket of darkness that was kept at bay by the various lights that littered the streets and buildings.

"Hah, it's been a long day..." She sighed to herself as she stretched her limbs. Despite her enhanced physical attributes, she was still prone to such acts thanks to the limitations presented by her human body.

At the end of the day, both she and Arthur couldn't find out about anything new in relation towards the rogue Servants within the confines of the city. There was only so much ground they could cover thanks to their inability to go into spirit form.

There was also the matter of the Master of Red that Jeanne felt was connected to the aforementioned matter. While she wanted to do something in regards to them, she didn't want to antagonize any of the Red Faction members with her suspicions of one of their members. The young saint needed more information before she could act. Thus, she decided that for now, it was better observe the actions of the Red Faction first and then, when the opportunity presents itself, strike.

It was then that something very cold pressed itself against her cheek.

"Ah!" She yelped in surprise at the sudden sensation. She looked up to see Arthur holding two bottles of water. Looking behind him, she saw a vending machine not too far from where she was sitting at the park, noting that he must've brought it from there.

"I thought you could use a drink." He said as he handed to bottle to her.

"Thank you." She smiled at him as she began drinking.

"Had the day been what you expected it to be?" He asked, sitting beside her as he also began drinking. Compared to his Master who actually had the needs of a normal human, he drank water because it pleased him. It offered a refreshing experience even if one didn't need it.

"Somewhat. I didn't really expect to find anything new just like yesterday." She replied.

"Life has never really been that easy. It will not simply give you what you desire even if you wanted it to. Such is the reality of our world." Arthur replied with a crooked smile on his face. This was something Jeanne frowned at. Or rather, she pouted and thus raised two of her fingers, the index and middle to be precise.

In accordance to her beliefs and what Sister Petresia had told her, this was something she was going to do for his sake as his friend and Master.

"Arthur."

"Yes-What the!?"

Mere inches away, the young man moved his head away as two fingers missed having poked his eyes out. It then repeated several times over, causing a rather amusing scene for those who saw them. It only came to a stop when Jeanne's hand was caught by the other blonde.

Arthur then looked at the young saint rather incredulously as he also noticed the pouting look she was giving him. He began sweating slightly as this was the first time she looked rather visibly annoyed with him. What did he do to suddenly make her like this?

"J-Jeanne?" He began.

"You were lying to me earlier weren't you?" She suddenly declared as she pointed a finger at him. "You said you were alright, but right now you're not acting like it."

"Is this about what I said about life not being easy? I was mostly speaking about it as a whole rather than what I've experienced myself." Arthur replied, but Jeanne was not convinced as she pressed a finger against his chest.

"Don't make excuses, you were thinking about happened the other night weren't you?" She stated, and she knew she hit the mark when she saw him turn his head away slightly. It looks like the feeling she had earlier was right after all.

"I knew it." The young saint crossed her arms. "Arthur, if you have a problem you want to talk about, you should just be honest about it and not hide it away."

"I assure you, it wasn't anything like that at all." He replied as raised both hands in a defensive way. "And I don't want to waste your time with me when you have your own duties as Ruler that need to be fulfilled."

"That can wait. I'm also your Master in case you have forgotten. As such, I'm also inclined to take care of you while you serve me." She pointed out. "And as your friend, I feel the need to help you out whether you like it or not. In other words, you're stuck with me."

The logic of her statements caused Arthur to give up as he knew dragging on the issue wouldn't have gotten either of them anywhere. He also gave off a mirthful smile towards the other blonde since he found her actions to be both amusing and sweet.

"So then, this is still about what happened with Mordred isn't it?" She began.

"Yes." He nodded, deciding to admit his thoughts to her. "Even now, I still feel like I should be doing something rather than just sitting here and waiting for her to come to me instead."

"Do you wish to make amends with her?"

"No, that is a possibility far beyond my reach. And one that I do not deserve." Arthur gave off a slight chuckle, one that wasn't of amusement. Something that caused the young saint to look at him sadly. "I just feel the need to correct all the wrongs I did to her. But I just don't know where to even begin such a thing."

"Why did you reject her in the first place?" She began, pausing for a moment a she knew that things were becoming rather personal. "I mean, I know about your history and legend, but I want to hear it from you."

"Where do I even begin?" Arthur replied, scratching the back of his head with a sigh. "To start with, she was a child born out of wedlock. I know from firsthand experience that people wouldn't accept her easily thanks to the nature of her birth. Second, she was nothing more than a pawn of her mother. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on her. Even if I wanted to acknowledge her, I couldn't risk the security of my Kingdom because of it."

Jeanne nodded in understanding. In most tales, Morgan Le-Fay was almost always involved with the downfall of King Arthur.

"Thirdly, she wanted to become my successor to the throne. I highly doubt that many of my people back then would accept a female ruler. I think that's the reason why she decided to wear that heavy armor most of the time, to hide the fact that she was a woman from the people so she would be able to become King."

"But you saw through her disguise correct? Is that why you rejected her?"

"No, that's not it. I'm not someone so low as to judge a person's worth by whether or not they were born a man or woman." He replied. "Mordred most definitely had the heart and ability. She was a fine Knight, upholding the law and followed the code of chivalry. In time, with some tempering of her own recklessness and arrogance, I believe she would have made a fine leader. And if need be, I probably would have used my authority to press the issue even if some wouldn't agree to it."

"Then why did you reject her...?"

"Well, If I were to say something... then I suppose the main reason would be that I couldn't accept her."

"Couldn't accept that she was your child?" She added for him.

"Yes. Perhaps everything else was just an excuse."

He solemnly nodded, looking up towards the sky with a crooked smile on his face.

"At the time, I couldn't come to terms with it. Had Mordred chosen to reveal herself earlier or at a later date, there could have been a chance of us... No, that's just another excuse of mine. In truth, I chose to reject her simply because I wouldn't acknowledge her as my own. I spoke harsh words, banished her from my Kingdom, and it all eventually ended with the two of us dying by the other's hand. Such is life I suppose..."

With that, the young man ended his talk, causing the other blonde to look at him sadly once more.

"Perhaps you two should have a talk with one another then?" Jeanne suggested. "Wouldn't that be the best thing to do?"

"I doubt that she'd want to speak with me on unless it's when we fight." Arthur replied. "After all, you heard her say it. Why should she listen to anything I have to say to her anymore? Even the name of her Noble Phantasm tells me that she demands that my blood be spilled."

Clarent Blood Arthur. The name of the Noble Phantasm Mordred had used to take down Berserker the other night. When it was unleashed, he could actually feel a surge of anger and hatred directed towards him despite it being aimed towards the Black Knight.

"You shouldn't be so negative." The young saint chided as the other blonde looked at her. "You never know, perhaps even she wants to make amends herself. But she can't be honest with herself because she's... difficult, and can't express her feelings correctly."

Such a statement caused the young man to chuckle briefly at her description for Mordred. His Master was definitely trying to think of a way to describe her positively but had trouble at that moment. Said action only caused Arthur to chuckle briefly before smiling at Jeanne.

"While I would like to believe in what you said, I doubt that would be the case." He replied, his voice beginning to take on a more cheerier tone. "Still though, I thank you for having this conversation with me. I now feel like a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders somewhat."

"That's good to hear. If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Alright?" She said and smiled at him in response. Though his problem hadn't been solved yet, it looked like he wasn't as bothered by it anymore. And that was a good thing, wasn't it?

It was then she was reminded of another question she had been meaning to ask the young man. It was a question that's been on her mind since the night he and Mordred fought against one another.

"Speaking of which Arthur, how old are you exactly?"

"Hmm? I'm twenty-five, what brought this on?" He stated in a casual tone, causing Jeanne to freeze slightly at the revelation.

"R-Really?! Then how old is Mordred?!" She asked. The Knight of Treachery looked to be about her age, so if Arthur was twenty-five, then when was she conceived!?

"Ah, now I understand. This is about Mordred's appearance isn't it?" He said before he noticed the somewhat reddening expression on the young saint's face. This caused him to look at her confusingly before realization struck his mind. "Wait, you're not thinking that I-No! Do not misunderstand me as someone like that! I am not my brother!"

"Eh? Ah! No, no, no! I-I wasn't thinking that at all! Ahahaha...!" Jeanne nervously stated. "I mean. I'm not really judging you for it, I know you're a good man at heart."

"The look in your eyes tells me otherwise." Arthur deadpanned before sighing. "If you must know, I became King at the age of fifteen and ruled for over ten years before I died. If I'm correct, then Mordred was conceived at least three years after I first became King, thanks to my sister's scheming no less. That would at least make her six to seven years old."

It was thanks to those words alone that Jeanne was able to guess what he meant by that statement as he gave off a look that was in between being troubled and somewhat embarrassed when he said it. She knew better than to ask anymore because it would've gone beyond personal by that point.

However, something still didn't add up...

"But if that's the case, how can she looked to be that old then?"

"The simple answer would be that her growth must've been accelerated with magecraft done by my sister no less. That's the only logical conclusion I can come to." Arthur stated, as Jeanne nodded in understanding. If magecraft was involved, then it really was the only explanation as to why Mordred looked to be a young woman instead of the child that she was supposed to be.

She remembered that according to legend, Mordred's mother was a witch of incredible power. Said to be equal to Merlin himself in some works. If that was the case, then accelerating the age of a child to the point they would look like adults within only a few years would've been rather easy then.

It also clued her into another thing...

"I see, so that's why you thought of her as a pawn of her mother."

"Yes. Morgan was a very powerful mage, and bore a very strong hatred for me ever since I first met her." He revealed. "When I found out that Mordred's mother was none other than my very estranged sister, I couldn't take any chances with her. She could have easily been controlled the moment she was born."

She nodded in understanding, but couldn't help but feel sad for both the young man seated beside her and Mordred. Their relationship with each other was heavily influenced by another party. Because of that influence, things ended up turning sour for the both of them.

It was because of her thoughts that she failed to notice the growing smirk on Arthur's face.

"But enough of this dreary talk. I never expected a saint such as yourself to think of some rather... naughty thoughts. I'm surprised Master."

"W-What?! What do you mean by naughty thoughts?!"

Whatever Jeanne had been thinking about at that moment quickly disappeared from her mind as said thoughts were replaced with embarrassment and annoyance at Arthur's words, her cheeks growing a red hue in the process.

"Well, your reaction just now about how Mordred was born spoke to me what you were thinking about. I can't believe that you quickly came to that conclusion on your own. I don't whether or not to feel insulted or to just laugh." He casually replied.

"...!" The young saint froze up, the embarrassed blush on her face growing by the second. Seeing this, the young man couldn't help but laugh at his Master's expense. For all her dignity as a Heroic Spirit, Jeanne was still a normal person at heart. The thought of which bringing a smile to his face.

"Hehe. Now then, shall we get going?" Arthur said as he stood up, still smiling at his Master's reaction. "It's getting late, and if we have no more locations to check out, I suggest you allow your body to rest up for the night."

"R-Right..."

The young saint replied as she directed an annoyed pout at him, realizing that once more Arthur had been teasing her. She should have expected that he would have brought something like that up. Really now... she should have seen it coming.

...!

"Ah! Do you feel that Arthur?"

Hearing his Master call out to him, the young man in question paused in the middle of walking as he looked in her direction. He noticed that she was staring into space with a rather serious expression, meaning something was troubling her.

Clearing his mind, Arthur focused his senses on what Jeanne had just asked him about. Thanks to their connection to one another, he also shared her ability to sense things in a far wider range than what he would normally be limited to.

"I feel it." He began. "There's movement in the night, and not of the ordinary kind."

"It seems that a battle is about to begin." Jeanne concluded. "And from the way they're moving... it's at the Black Faction's Castle!"


A little while later, near midnight...

"Hmph. I must admit, the defense force they've put up is rather impressive."

From a distance, Shirou Kotomine and Waver Velvet stood as they watched the homunculus/golem army form at the gate of the Yggdmillennia Castle. There were so many of them that it would not be easy to break through unless one had another army ready to strike.

"Shall I have Rider to deal with this?" Waver suggested as said person materialized beside him.

"Want me to deal with this? Fine by me, it looks to be an exciting challenge!" Rider declared as he smashed his fists together.

"No need. If my guess as to what the King of Conqueror's Noble Phantasm is, then we should be saving it for later." Shirou replied much to Rider's disappointment. "Besides, I have another solution for this situation. I believe that they shall be more than enough."

"You mean Saber and Lancer?" Waver inquired. "You said a third would be joining them. Am I correct to assume that this third would be none other than...?"

"You're about to find out in three, two, one..."


*BOOM*

An explosion rang out in the air as several dozen of the army was quickly decimated by the arrival of three figures.

The first was none other than Saber of Red, the Red Knight deciding to use her Helmet for this battle. Beside her stood Lancer, a wicked smile on his face that signified that he was quite excited for what was about to happen. The third was a new person entirely...

Said person was a man with a rather large build. He wore what looked to be red ancient-chinese style armor and a pheasant-tail headpiece on top of his head. In his right hand was a halberd of great length. A ferocious aura surrounded his entire being, an aura so ferocious that it was correct to say that he was demanding blood be spilled right in front of him.

It was too obvious as to who he was...

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Letting out a mighty roar, Berserker of Red charged alongside Saber and Lancer into the army waiting for them.


END


Author's Notes:

And that's Chapter 6. It should be pretty obvious to you guys just who the heck Berserker of Red is. I figured that having him around is better than Spartacus whose role was basically to blow himself up and never to be heard of again. That, and I find the former to be a lot more dangerous that Spartacus is as an overall fighter. In case some of you thought it was going to be Heracles, let me tell you this. I do that and the Red Faction will go beyond OP by that point.

Next chapter, it's Red vs Black for the first time. The first official battle between the two factions of the Holy Grail War commences. Let's see how it unfolds shall we?

And once more, please read and review :D