AN: Here's chapter 29! Hope you all and enjoy, and please review :D

Update (12/20/2017): Included Ramesses in the last scene. Forgot to do it before XP


"Ah, 'tis a glorious day~!"

Shakespeare commented, passing by several windows within the fortress as he gazed at the morning sky beyond them. With the Hanging Gardens of Babylon floating high in the air, there was nary a cloud in the sky that he could find. He could only bear witness to the blue sky instead, a sight which reminded the playwright of the sea.

Ah, but that was a mistake. In truth, the ocean had no color of its own but merely reflected the color of the sky.

"Hmm? Oh, it's you Caster."

A voice called out, to which Shakespeare turned his head and smiled as he saw a certain black-haired youth.

"Greetings young master Julian! How does the day fare you?"

"So-so I suppose..." Julian replied. "I take it you're off heading to meet up with Kotomine and the newest addition to our forces?"

"Ah yes, Master did mention that he was going to formally introduce Lord Cu Chulainn to us all." Shakespeare commented with a smile, wanting to finally meet with one of the great heroes of Ireland. "That's part of the reason yes, but not all of it as you can quite so clearly see here."

The playwright stated, to which Julian finally noted the thick paperback he had in his hands.

"I take it that's the script for the next play you've been wanting to show to Kotomine?"

"Correct you are my dear lad! Though I spend my time observing this great festival known as the Holy Grail War, it would be quite unbecoming of I, William Shakespeare, to not write at least one play for the modern world to see!"

"Of course..."

"Are you curious? It's tragedy involving a young man following the path of justice. As he goes on his journey, he faces a number of trials each greater than the last which tests his commitment to his ideals. In doing so however, he loses more and more of his humanity. Loses everything he once cared about!" Shakespeare exclaimed, posing with a number of exaggerated gestures. "Do you wish to take a sneak peek as they say? I can guarantee that it's quite the epic~!"

"I'll pass."

The black-haired youth stated as he shook his head. As much as an enjoyable read the works of Shakespeare were to him, he didn't really have the time. From how thick the script looked alone, he guessed that it would probably take hours to finish it.

"Ah, 'tis a shame then."

"At any rate Caster, have you felt anything strange today?"

"Hmm? Whatever do you mean?"

"Nothing. Wondering to myself if the security measures for this fortress are indeed up to par."

"No worries there my young master Julian. Though I was no magus in life, even I could tell that this grand palace is not something that any mere mortal can invade."

"That's right, most people probably couldn't get into this place if they wanted. Probably not without a fight that is~"

...!?

Julian froze up, hearing a somewhat familiar voice call out to them.

Turning around, they saw a blonde-haired girl wearing a blue dress curtsying as she spoke.

"Hello there, my name is Sajyou Manaka."

The girl greeted with a sweet smile on her face, turning her attention towards the English Playwright.

"William Shakespeare... I'm going to have to borrow you alright~?"

"What are you-!?"

...!

"CASTER!"


Chapter 29:

Prelude to Battle II


"..."

Jeanne sighed to herself, lying atop her bed as she allowed her thoughts wander.

Hours had already passed since breakfast, morning turned to noon and no trouble in sight according to Caster's familiars. Perhaps they could get away with having another free day today. Well, the sun was still out so she supposed that it was still too early to say that.

A part of her wondered what the Rogue Faction was up to right now. Likely planning their next assault now they've taken out the King of Conquerors and the Hound of Chulainn. She also wondered about Manaka and her Servants. It was only by chance that Kairi Shishigou's group had been attacked by them, and apparently it wasn't even planned a planned assault like what happened with the El-Melloi's group.

'With two Servants lost, we really can't afford to act carelessly anymore.' She thought to herself. 'Splitting ourselves up into three groups was a mistake to begin with. It should have been just one search group instead while others remained here.'

They had about nine Servants left including herself. They would need to start managing how they acted from there on without being careless. She managed to talk with Fiore about their next move and wanted to discuss it with others. However, with both Waver and Kairi having one out to the city for a meeting of their own with someone, Jeanne decided that it would be best to wait until both got back.

Apparently, whatever their meeting was about it was going to help them in this war. How exactly Jeanne didn't know, and before she could prod the two about the subject they had already left much to her chagrin.

As a result, she was currently just lying on her bed thinking on what to do next. Perhaps Arthur would-

"About Guinevere... do you still love her?"

"I do, and I always will."

A frown quickly grew on Jeanne's face. Why did she have to remember that?

Ever since then, she found it incredibly awkward to be near Arthur after their talk that morning. She couldn't even look him in the eye, not without remembering what happened and her own reaction to it. Her heart would race whenever she did, and she found that it was simply too embarrassing to deal with!

Luckily for her, Arthur had volunteered to go out for a while to do some grocery shopping with Aya and Gray. She was glad for it, as that meant some time away from him and time for her to clear her thoughts without his presence to disturb them. The last time she was this troubled was when Arthur had accidentally-

'Wait, why am I remembering that!?'

She shook her head as she sat up, looking herself over the mirror at the other end of the room and took note of the visible blush on her face. Her frown simply grew even more as she saw this, lying back down as she hugged a pillow close to her body. The soft feeling it had giving off a sense of calmness to the young saint.

'It's nothing, I should just ignore it. Regardless of how I feel it just doesn't matter!'

Jeanne thought to herself, again and again for the past couple of hours.

Yet, no matter how much she tried, it was useless...

"I love him..."

...!

She froze up, shaking her head as she buried it in her pillow.

Simply speaking the word itself made her feel incredibly embarrassed. She had always felt love in the familial sense towards her parents and feelings of camaraderie with her comrades of old during the Hundred Years War. Bonds that she would always treasure no matter how much time passed.

Yet this love, romantic love as it were... this was the first time she ever felt it.

Jeanne would be lying to herself if she never felt an attraction towards another before. But that was cut short when took up the sword and banner. As a result, this truly was the first time she ever felt such strong feelings towards another. From a woman to a man...

She only had to ask why now of all times? In the middle of a debacle like the Great Holy Grail War, why did she have to fall in love with Arthur?

"What's the matter Jeanne? You're looking kinda sick right now you know~?"

"Wha...!?"

A voice called out to her, causing Jeanne to nearly jump in surprise as noticed a certain pink-haired paladin seating on Arthur's bed with a grin on his face.

"A-Astolfo!?"

"Hehe, the one and only~!" Astolfo greeted with a wink. "The door was open, so I thought-"

...!

"OW! What was that for!?" The former cried out, holding his head in pain.

"Regardless of whether or not the door of a room is open, one shouldn't simply enter it without knocking first! Especially if a woman is in that room!" Jeanne reprimanded with a slight huff in her tone. "Seeing as you're here however, did you need me for something?"

"We're both from France so I though we could talk for a while...!" He stated. Well, technically he was from Britain but the point stands. "How cruel of you to hit me on the head! I'm kind of your senior you know!"

"Then you shouldn't have entered without permission."

"Ugh, you're such a stiff." Astolfo stuck his tongue childishly at the young saint. "If you're what Saber has-No, I mean what Arthur has for a Master, then I pity him for having to deal with such a troublesome girl."

"W-Who's troublesome!?"

The young saint demanded in slight indignation. She wasn't really troublesome was she?

"Ahahaha! The look on your face is priceless right now, you're actually asking it yourself aren't you~?"

"No I'm not!" Jeanne stated with another huff. "If all you're going to do is make fun of me then I suggest you leave Astolfo."

"Oh come on, I'm just being friendly." The young paladin held his hands up in apology. "Besides, you were looking kind of down earlier so I was curious. Did you get into a fight or something with Arthur? That's it isn't it? Ever since you two came back earlier you've been acting strange around him."

"No, that's not it at all." Jeanne replied, sighing to herself.

"Aw, so it really wasn't a lover's quarrel~?"

"No, it's-Wait, what!?"

It took a minute for the words of the pink-haired Servant to sink in. When she finally realized what he said, the young saint quickly turned her head, so fast that she might have gotten whiplash had she been human, and gazed at the paladin with great incredulity.

"W-What do you mean by lover's quarrel? Arthur and I aren't in that sort of relationship." She replied, trying to remain calm.

"Eh? Seriously? Sorry about that I guess." Astolfo stated with honest surprise. "With how close the two of you come off, people would think otherwise. Well, I guess I should explain to Caster that she was wrong then. She and Berserker will probably be disappointed."

Jeanne momentarily paused at this. Did he just admit that the three of them were actually gossiping about her relationship with Arthur with each other?

She shook her head, she didn't even want to know.

"Listen well Astolfo. To begin with, my feelings for Arthur are nothing more than-"

"Love correct~?"

"No!"

"Oh, so you don't like him then~?"

"What? Of course that's not it, Arthur is someone very important to me!"

"As a lover~?"

"...!"

The young saint's merely gazed at the young paladin in annoyance. He wasn't going to stop until he made her admit it would he?

"Well, since you say that you don't like him that way, then I suppose that little 'I love him...' had a different meaning to it~?"

Jeanne froze up at this, becoming incredibly flustered as a visible blush formed on her face. Being unable to contain himself once he saw this, the paladin simply laughed in amusement. Knowing that there was no point in hiding it, young saint sat back down with her head looking down as she sighed.

"That's mean, teasing me like that..."

"Sorry, sorry, I really didn't mean it. No hard feelings right~? I mean it was just so obvious so..."

"How long did you all notice...?"

"For while now I guess. I bet some of the others already know too~!" The young paladin nonchalantly stated with wide grin. "Well, maybe except for Sieg since he doesn't really know much about relationships yet. But I guess that's natural considering-Hmm? What's the matter Jeanne?"

"Nothing, don't mind me..."

"Whaa! I'm sorry! Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying..."

She really wasn't. Jeanne simply buried her face in her hands. Embarrassment couldn't begin to describe what she was feeling now.


"Is that everything?"

"I think so. Well, with the amount of people staying with us I guess this is enough."

"True."

Arthur replied as he, Aya, and Gray left the convenience store together. Their hands full of the day's grocery as requested by Ayaka. Seeing as it didn't feel right to just leave the shopping to two young ladies, Arthur volunteered to help. He had more than enough free time after all.

Since the estate wasn't far off, the trio simply opted to walk back.

"How are you? After the last battle, I imagine that things aren't easy for you are they?"

"I-I'm fine, really I am." Aya replied, somewhat taken aback by the suddenness of the question but quickly picked herself up. "Thank you for worrying about me, I appreciate it Saber-san. Losing Lancer was terrible, but I'm not about to let it keep me depressed all the time. At the very least, I could do something like this and help grandmother out with the chores."

"Once again on behalf of the others, apologies for imposing on you all." Arthur stated. "I feel that we're being a burden on you and Ayaka for sheltering us."

"It's no trouble, I think grandmother likes having so many people around. Uncle Tokiomi and his family rarely visit these days so she's probably a little lonely."

"What about your parents?"

"...! Oh, uh... they're not really around anymore either..."

"Ah, my apologies. That was rude of me." Arthur stated, scolding himself mentally for not realizing sooner.

"No, no, it's okay. I've already gotten over it. It's been years already after all...!"

Aya quickly waved off, trying to assure the former who frowned slightly at her words. It was obvious to him that there was still pain in her words. He could only grimace at the fact that Aya, just like her grandmother, had lost her parents at a young age as well.

A cruel thing it was, letting a child grow up without either of parents to watch over them...

"So anyway, Saber-san-"

The young blonde began, changing the topic to something a little less awkward.

"Please, call me Arthur." Arthur interrupted. "Considering that there are also two other Sabers with us, it might be easier for yourself and the others to just call each of us by our true names instead. It's not like our enemies don't already know who we are."

"I suppose that's true." Aya nodded in understanding. "So anyway, I know this might be personal... but did you and Ruler-san get into a fight recently?"

"Hmm? What brought this on?"

"It's nothing really, it's just that I kinda noticed her acting a little strange earlier during breakfast."

Arthur understood. Jeanne had been strangely quiet throughout their breakfast together with the others. She had this somewhat sullen aura surrounding her, and the young man could only wonder what brought on such a mood.

"So you noticed it too have you?" He sighed, looking up at the sky. "To be honest, I don't know what's bothering her. She was alright when we went on a walk during this morning, but afterwards..."

"Did the two of you get into a fight?" Aya asked.

"We didn't. Or at the very least, I don't think I did anything to offend her."

Arthur replied. He did tease her about her clumsiness earlier but he didn't believe that she'd hold a grudge over something so trivial as that. It had to be something more, and he was intent on finding out what it was. As a Servant, it was part of his duties to help soothe his Master's troubles after all.

"Hmm..." The blonde nodded in understanding before smiling. "Well, considering that it's you two, I think you'll make up before long."

"I suppose."

...!

Both perked up when they heard the sound of loud crunching. When they looked towards the source, they noticed Gray with large bag of chips in her hands while eating.

"Haha, hungry are you?"

Gray didn't reply, merely nodding her head as she continued with her task.

"Gray-chan, you don't really talk that much do you?" Aya commented.

"Is that a problem?" Gray asked, swallowing for a moment as she spoke up.

"No, no, not at all."

The blonde shook her head in reply. Watching the white-haired girl was like watching a cat to be honest. She was so quiet and demure, yet when in battle was quite formidable as she was nimble. It was thanks to that same prowess that it was easy to forget that Gray was actually two years younger than her.

Once Gray had replied to her, the girl quickly went back to eating. Once she did, Arthur spoke up.

"Be sure to not eat too fast or else you'll choke."

At that moment, a rare sight occurred for Aya...

"I'm not child..."

Gray replied, a somewhat flustered look on her face as she spoke while pouting. Aya had to admit, she looked cute.

"Technically you are until you've reached eighteen. That's the standard for the majority of modern society is it not?"

Arthur replied with a grin on his face. Gray simply hardened her stare at the former.

"Don't call me a child."

"Haha, my apologies. I didn't mean to upset you, please don't stare at me with such cold eyes."

"I'm not upset."

Gray replied as she marched ahead with a slight huff. Arthur merely shook his head in amusement at this.

He then turned his attention towards Aya, the latter of whom surprised him as she had a somewhat stunned look on her face.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. It's just that I'm surprised is all. I didn't know that you and Gray-chan were close to each other." She replied. "I think that's the first time I've actually seen her act like that in the small time we've been together at least."

"Is that right?" Arthur smiled, gazing at the hooded girl. "Well, a lot of things happened I suppose."

"A lot of things...?"

Aya repeated, wondering what that could have meant as the trio continued their way home.


"Man I could get use to this..."

Caules commented, sitting atop his bed as he scanned the room that he and Fiore shared within the Sajyou Estate. Compared to the castle that their family owned, the estate was rather quaint in comparison. It provided something of a warm homely feeling that not many magi houses could have. Through it, one would be able to tell that the owner, Aya's grandmother, was a good person.

"Hmm? Did you say something Caules?" Fiore asked, sitting at a table as she continued with adjustments to her Mystic Code.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing." The young man replied. "It's just that this is place is nice don't you think? Nothing like back home at all. Even in the middle of a situation like ours, I can feel myself relaxing just by being here."

"I agree, this place has a lovely feeling to it." The former nodded her head in agreement. "It'll be a little sad that we'll have to leave once this is all over. I would have loved to explore the city a little more, especially now that I can finally stand on my own two feet."

Fiore paused from her work, pulling back from the table to gaze at her now functioning legs. Smiling widely, she quickly stood up and twirled around somewhat. A sight that caused Caules to simply smile as well, amused by the sight of his sister.

She had been repeating the process again and again ever since yesterday. It was like she was a like a little kid who found out that Christmas came early.

"You know, I never imagined you to be the twirling type with all the things you do."

"Hehe, can you blame me?" His sister giggled. "It's simply amazing that Archer of Red had something that could cure my paralysis on him, it's almost too good to be true."

"I'm still amazed that you even considered taking something like that from him at all. What if it was poison?"

"I don't think Archer is the type of person who would do that Caules." Fiore shook her head in response. "Siegfried even agreed with this on me. You only need to look at him to know that he's a very proud person. I believe with all my heart that he wouldn't allow himself to resort to poison to kill his enemies, at least if he could help it that is. You saw him fight the other day didn't you?"

"I did, and I still can't believe that the Association managed to summon someone so powerful." The young man stated with a slight shiver. "Just thinking about what he could have done if he fought against us during that first assault on the castle... I don't even want to know."

"Neither do I, we were lucky that Lord El-Melloi decided to keep him restrained back then. Otherwise we're likely to not be standing here right now." The brunette sighed to herself as she sat back down. "Anyway, I've discussed with Ruler about what we should be doing now with both Rider of Red and Miss Aya's Lancer are now gone. We've agreed to withhold a meeting for now until Lord El-Melloi and Mister Shishigou return, but I suppose there's no harm in telling it to you with what we've come up so far."

"I'm all ears."

"Alright then." Fiore replied, tucking away her Bronze Link Manipulators as she turned to face her younger brother. "Since we now know about the location of Sajyou Manaka's whereabouts thanks to Archer of Red, both me and Ruler think that we should turn our attention towards finding out where Kotomine Shirou and his entourage are themselves."

"Trying to find a giant flying fortress shouldn't be that hard, unless they managed to cloak something that big." Caules said, scratching the back of his head. "Any ideas on how we're going to do that?"

"We take Ruler along with Rider and Berserker and have them scout from the skies." The former simply replied, noting the somewhat blank look her brother had. "I would've cared for something a little thought out myself, but for now I'm afraid that's the only thing we could think of. At least until both Lord El-Melloi and Mister Shishigou come back with whatever this information they're seeking is."

"Don't worry, I understand."

Caules nodded in understanding. Whatever it was, both men quickly left the estate the moment a strange call came upon the house. It must've been really important.

"Still though sis, what do you think the chances are of us making through this?"

"To be honest? I don't really know." Fiore stated, leaning into her chair as she allowed herself to sigh once more. "It was one thing going into a conflict like the Holy Grail War, but now we're part of a fight to help save the world. I don't think anyone could be prepared for something like this."

"Makes me wonder what father would've thought of all this."

"I think he wouldn't have cared." Fiore smiled somewhat bitterly at the memory of her father. "Knowing him, the grail would be more important. After all, if used correctly it's basically a golden ticket to the Akashic Records. What magus wouldn't want to jump at the chance to use it?"

"So then... would you use it too?"

At this, Fiore simply gazed silently at her brother. Knowing what he was asking.

"I would. After all, as the heir to... No, as the current head of our family, I have a duty to seek Akasha as well." She replied, her tone neutral as she spoke. "Reaching it is the only thing that's important."

"I see..." Caules replied, standing up as he turned to leave the room. "Say, sis..."

"What is it?"

"... No, it's nothing."

With that, Caules left the room as he walked down the hallway. Sighing to himself as he held his head with one hand.

'So she says, but do you really mean it Fiore?'


"Come on, you're not mad are you?"

"I'm not mad, I just don't want to talk right now."

Jeanne replied as she sat on her bed, pouting at Astolfo who had been sitting crossed legged on the bed opposite of her with a wide smile on his face. For the past half-hour the latter had been doing nothing but bother her about her feelings for Arthur. Asking her the exact moment when she fell for him. Asking her if they've gotten into any interesting accidents so to speak.

She was actually starting to get annoyed with how persistent the pink-haired paladin was being. It was like he was like he was a gossiping housewife. Right now she was trying to remain silent, seeing if that would be enough to deter Astolfo.

"Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with developing feelings for him." The pink-haired paladin stated with a thoughtful look.

"I'm not hearing anything...!" She lied, turning her head away while taking a pillow to cover her ears with.

"Oh? Then if that's the case then maybe I should talk to Arthur about this~?"

"NO!"

Jeanne quickly shouted, her red-colored cheeks signifying her embarrassment much to Astolfo's amusement.

Frowning at the smile he was giving off, she simply huffed and turned her head away once more.

"Have you had enough? Teasing me like this..."

"Hehe~! Sorry, I just can't help it!" The paladin replied, scratching the back of his head. "It's just that you're so cute when you're embarrassed."

"Y-You think so...? Wait, that's not the point!" Jeanne quickly added. "Promise me you won't mention any of this to Arthur! Swear on your name!"

"Wow, you really don't want him to know do you?"

"Now is not the time for such frivolity." She replied, frowning somewhat as she continued. "I... no, we cannot afford any distractions. Besides, I'd only be wasting my time telling him, and such selfishness isn't permitted for one of my status to begin with."

"Who said you'd be wasting your time? Don't shoot yourself down before you even try."

"That's..."

Seeing the look on the young saint's face, Astolfo couldn't help but feel bad now for teasing her the way he did earlier. It was clear to him now that the entire thing had been troubling her for some time. How long, he didn't know. What he did know was that it wasn't going to go on any longer.

"If that's the case, then why don't you talk it over with Big Brother Astolfo~?"

"Huh?"

"I happen to know a thing or two about relationships. Since you look a little lost, this great paladin will help guide you with some advice."

"I-I don't need advice...! And besides, I already told you that I-"

"I'll take that as a yes!" Astolfo interrupted with a smile. "Don't worry about it~! After all, since I am your senior as a Heroic Spirit, I see it as part my duty to help out my juniors. And I'm more than happy to help out a maiden in love~"

"You won't quit bothering me unless we talk won't you?"

"Yep!"

Jeanne sighed at this, knowing that there was no escape given how persistent the paladin was in talking to her about the subject. She might as well answer whatever questions he had, she just had to be careful about what she was answering to.

Evaporation of Sanity, a skill representing Astolfo's friendly yet tactless nature. How accurate the name was.

Seeing that she was now being complacent, the young paladin proceeded to question his victim-No, his friend. That's it, his friend~

"So then, since when exactly did you start looking at you know who with maidenly eyes~?"

"Don't say it like that...!" Jeanne pouted, slightly flustered as she continued."Though to be honest, I don't really know. I simply saw him as a dear friend at first, but then before I knew it, I've started to see him as... well, you know..."

The young saint admitted, becoming ever so flustered by her own words that her face started turning red once more. Astolfo couldn't help but smile at this, she was simply too adorable looking like that!

"Hey Caster, are you seeing this?"

"I can. Please, continue on. If she's already like this then I can't wait to see how much more embarrassed she can become~!"

"Will do!"

Let it be known that the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne wasn't one to leave friends out of his fun. Thank god for telepathy and the magical recording device that Medea had lent him earlier. Jeanne's embarrassed face was a goldmine that's meant to be shared after all~

"Astolfo?" Jeanne called out.

"Huh? Oh, moving on~!"

Astolfo declared as the young saint narrowed her eyes at him. The momentary pause from the paladin felt suspicious. What was that about?

"Anyway!"

He suddenly exclaimed, surprising the blonde as he got near her.

"I have to ask, have the two of you gotten into any interesting accidents?"

"Interesting accidents...?"

"Oh, you know..."

The pink-haired paladin began, whispering several things into the young saint's ears. Things that were rather...

"...!?"

...Scandalous in nature.

...!

"OW!"


"Hehe, he shouldn't have asked that."

Medea commented with a slight chuckle. The blue-haired woman was currently seated at a table with a crystal ball placed atop it, the latter of which helped her observe the conversation between Astolfo and Ruler through another piece of crystal that she had given the paladin. It was meant to be a means for her to see through the perspective of the Servants and as well as serve as a means of communication. She had tasked Astolfo to test it outside, but she didn't expect for something like this.

For the past half hour or so, she had been doing nothing but listen in on the conversation between the two. All the while the crystal she provided gave her a front row seat to the wide range of emotions that Ruler could pull off with her face. Simply put, it was adorable~!

"I really should talk to her about trying on a few outfits~"

She muttered to herself, smiling at the thought of the young saint in various outfits of her choosing. Compared to her era, modern fashion trends were much more to her liking. She had even gone out to buy some clothes for herself before the war began. Some of those outfits would make a decent fit for Ruler. And luckily for her, Elizabeth had recently come back from a shopping spree which meant many different styles to choose from.

Well, considering the size of the pink-haired girl compared to the blonde, some adjustments might be needed. It was nothing she couldn't handle.

"Hey, you just thought of something rude didn't you?"

"Oh? I have no idea what you're talking about~"

Ah, she had nearly forgotten the fact that Berserker had been sitting together with her at the table. She had showed just as much interest as the blue-haired woman did in Ruler and her embarrassment.

"I'm surprised that you're even here Berserker. I didn't take you for one interested in matters like this."

"Who wouldn't be interested~? You don't get to see something like this happen often." She replied with a wide smile, clearly amused by what she was seeing. "And with this, I have something to mess Ruler with later. It's going to be so much fun~!"

"Hehe, truly a mischievous girl you are at heart." Medea commented with a slight smile.

Aside from herself, Berserker had been the only other Servant in their group who had a less than reputable name thanks to the actions that they've taken in life. To put it simply, the two of them were the villains of society so to speak. Perhaps it was because of that fact that the two of them could talk casually like this.

"I might have a suggestion. Shall we dress her up~?"

"Ooh! That sounds like fun!" The pink-haired girl clapped her hands in delight. "There's nothing like stripping a girl down and putting them into embarrassing outfits. Should we dress her up as a maid first?"

"How about dressing her up in a bride dress? Just imagine her reaction to Saber seeing her in it~"

"Nah, it'd probably look too good on her to be funny."

Elizabeth muttered, a hint of jealousy in her tone. As much as she prided herself in her own beauty, Ruler was admittedly more beautiful than she was. It really wasn't fair that a common farmer's daughter got to be so pretty whereas she was, for a lack of a better term, lacking in comparison.

'Was it the milk? It was the milk wasn't it!?'

...!

"Berserker, do take care to not break the table with your hands."

"Huh? Oh, uh, sorry..."

She replied, somewhat embarrassed by what just happened. Aah, that's not good. If Uncle were here, he'd chew her out for what she just did. It's just that thinking about Ruler's looks annoyed her so much... she needed to do something to vent!

"Oh! I know!"

At that moment, something came to mind for the pink-haired Servant. She ran out of the greenhouse and quickly came back with a bag in hand.

"Oh! How about we dress her up in this~?" She said, pulling out the bag's contents.

"Oh my, that's..."

Medea began, a hand hovering over her mouth in surprise. Her eyes full of delight over what she saw.

"You like it? I guess it's a little funny looking, but I thought that it was cute so I brought it anyway." She added as an evil smile grew on her face. "You think you could use your magic to adjust it for Ruler's size~?"

"Just leave it to me."

The witch replied, a smile on her face as both women started to giggle ominously.

"This conversation is starting to become disturbing..."

Siegfried commented, standing to the side not too far from the two women. He had overheard some of the things said between both and could only grimace over what was said. Suffice it to say, he pitied Ruler for what was going to happen to her.

...!

"Gaah!"

The Dragon Slayer's attention quickly snapped forward at the sound of an explosion.

No sooner than he did, he saw Sieg being blown away into a wall by Achilles. Breaking it apart as the former laid in a heap of debris, groaning visibly in pain. At this, the latter simply sighed as he began walking over towards the young homunculus.

"Hey now, don't pass out on me kid!"

"Easy now Lancer, he's not a trained warrior like we are."

Siegfried stated as he went over and helped Sieg stand up. They've been going at it for hours now. With this much heavy training in so little time, he was starting to worry about the latter's welfare. Everything they were doing would be for nothing if he ended up becoming too injured to fight later on.

"And that's why I'm training him Spartan style. Gotta build up that skinny figure of his after all." The Adamant Hero declared with a grin, going over to Sieg and pulling him back to the center of the area. "And you worry too much. We have Caster here, so she can patch him up if it comes to it. Just need to be careful about hitting anything vital."

"Sorry, but with that casual attitude I'm even more worried."

"Gah, you're such a mother hen." Achilles shrugged in response before getting into position. "Anyway, ready kid?"

"R-Ready!"

...!

"Geez, talk about getting into it. Lancer sure is having fun."

Elizabeth commented, gazing at the two as they sparred with a blank look on her face.

She had initially come here to watch out of curiosity, but it was basically just Rider's Master getting trounced over and over again. She was even starting to wonder if this could even be considered training at all. Especially given the smirk on Achilles' face as the two sparred.

"Do you want to join them? Considering your own abilities, you might be able to impart some helpful lessons to Sieg."

"As if that would ever happen." Elizabeth waved off. "Teaching isn't my thing, much less teach a rabbit like that one."

"Rabbit?"

"Yeah. Rider's Master kinda reminds me of one." She replied before putting a finger on her lip. "Although, under the right tutelage, he might become a fine assistant to me one day. Idols like me always need one after all, and he has the right looks too. Maybe I should train him~"

"Do remember that I'm asking you to train him as a dragon and not as a stagehand." Medea sighed in response.


"Gah, what's taking so long...!?"

Within the confines of a hotel room was the group of Waver, Kairi, and Mordred. The trio currently waiting on the appearance of their informant for some time now. Thanks to how long it was taking, the latter started complaining as she laid herself atop a bed and began rolling around childishly on it. Kairi simply sighed at this as he spoke.

"Oh would you stop whining already? If you want you could just head outside for a while."

"If I left you alone then who knows what might happen." Mordred pointed out as she sat up and crossed her arms with a pout. "Besides, it's no fun going out by myself. So you're stuck with me either way."

"Fine, fine, just relax would you? There's still half an hour before he's late." Kairi replied with a wave of his hand. "And you don't have to worry about this guy we're meeting, I've worked with him before. Kind of a stiff, but I've never known him to be a backstabber for no good reason."

"Are you sure? You said it's been years since you've met him, so..."

"I know, I know. Already have a backup plan just in case, which is you by the way." At this, Mordred smiled proudly at herself. "Still, even if he was up to something, I already know most of his tricks. Even checked the area for possible traps earlier and found none."

"You did? Then why didn't you have me help then?"

Mordred asked. She had been wondering what took her Master so long when he said he was going to the toilet.

"Servants won't be able to detect the kind of traps I'm talking about right away." The mercenary stated with a shrug, looking towards Waver before continuing. "What's the matter? You're looking kinda tense, feeling nervous?"

"Not so much." Waver replied as he shook his head. "I'm simply surprised by the fact that you knew him is all."

"Oh? You've met him too?"

"Once, back when I was still ignorant fool that is." The long-haired man stated with a slight smirk. "Either way, I didn't think he was still alive after all these years. I heard that he went underground, but I didn't think he'd suddenly pop up like this as part of our information network here."

"Neither did I. Considering his rep and the things he's done, it's a miracle he was even allowed to work with them. I know a few people who carry a grudge." Kairi said, muttering the last part. "He's probably using a pseudonym or something."

"Who is this guy anyway? Some sort of big shot?" Mordred asked as she sat up with a curious look on her face.

"In a sense. He used to be a sort of renowned mercenary, but over ten years ago he went silent." Kairi replied, lighting a cigarette in his mouth and blew. "He's kinda like me I guess, a mage who chases the life of a mercenary. Well, chased anyway. He apparently retired after all."

"Are you sure that the information is good? Him and the others knowing about the whereabouts of Kotomine and his group?"

"I'd trust it, he wouldn't drag us out here if it wasn't. Besides, we've tried the magical approach already with Caster's familiars. And it'd probably take too long for us to find them if we went with Ruler's detection capabilities. Kotomine's a Ruler-Class Servant himself, so he'd know what to expect. We gotta use an outside source."

"Agreed, let's just hope that this is going to help lead us to something."

...!

The sound of someone knocking on the door quickly interrupted their conversation.

"Ah, he's here."

Kairi smirked, standing up as he went over to the door.

Opening it, he was greeted by the appearance of a man with black hair wearing a matching suit and longcoat.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Shishigou?"

The man spoke. Mordred took note of how much of a scruffy looking person he was thanks to the messy hair and a light stubble he had. It clashed with the somewhat formal attire that he was wearing. A suit similar to the one being worn by Rider of Red's Master at the moment. The difference was like night and day.

However, that wasn't what caught her attention the most...

"Yeah, almost ten years now I think."

If there was one thing she had to note about the man that stood at the door...

"Saber, let me introduce you. This guy right here is..."

...It was that his eyes had seen hell.

"Emiya Kiritsugu."


"Thank you for gathering here everyone."

Shirou stated as he stood in the center of the throne room of the Hanging Gardens. With the exception of Perseus, Julian, and Shakespeare, surrounding him were all other members of the Rogue Faction. The Servants of whom all looked perplexed as to why they were all called so suddenly.

"So then, what's this about?"

Atalanta asked. She had been the middle of prayers to Artemis when she been interrupted by her Master's call.

As for the others, Richard and Perseus were sharing drinks with one another whereas Karna had been standing outside observing the scenery below the castle.

"Did something happen Master? Could it be that we're to plan our next assault now?" Richard asked.

"Nothing special, I just thought that it was time to introduce you all to our newest member."

...!

Within a moments notice, blue light hovered around the area next to where Beatrice stood.

Soon enough, a familiar looking blue-haired Servant appeared with a smirk on his face while resting an elbow over his Master's head. Much like his previous incarnation, he was wearing the same armor as before but with a different set of clothing to compliment it underneath. Clothes that were akin to robes and a long coat.

"Yo, I'm Lancer. Let's get along I guess."

Cu Chulainn greeted, waving two fingers in salute to his new comrades.

"Would you not use me as a stand!?"

Beatrice demanded. Newly summoned and already her Servant was starting to annoy her as much as the old one.

"Come on, no harm in it right?"

"Shut it, it's embarrassing!"

The former yelled out, pushing Lancer away as the latter simply chuckled in response. Angelica simply sighed at the antics of the two. She only hoped that it would be more cordial compared to the one Beatrice had with Robin Hood.

"Hahaha! It warms my heart to know that we have another comrade to share our troubles with." Richard said, stepping forward as he raised his hand towards Lancer while smiling. "My name is Richard I. Others know me by the name of Richard the Lionheart, but you can simply call me Richard or perhaps Saber. Tis' an honor to meet the Hound of Chulainn himself!"

"Heh, you already know who I am?" Cu Chulainn replied with a brief chuckle, shaking hands with the former as he spoke. "Well maybe I shouldn't be too surprised all things considered. You seem like a good guy, let's get along Saber."

"Here here!"

Unimpressed by this, Atalanta simply crossed her arms and turned to speak to her Master.

"Hmph, so this is the reason? I would've thought that it was something more important, but we've already sensed him being summoned earlier today. You would interrupt my prayers for a simply introduction?"

"Come now, no need to be so cold to our new fried." Shirou replied with a placating tone. "He will, after all, be joining us in our fight from here on out. I believed that it was only natural that you all try to get along."

"We'll see about that."

The Chaste Huntress simply replied, narrowing her eyes at the blue-haired Lancer as she turned her attention towards him.

Not long ago he was an enemy that she and the others had to face off against. To think that now he was suddenly their comrade. She knew that part of it was because he couldn't remember his past summoning due to a fault with the cards. If not for that, he would have likely struck at them already.

Still, even knowing that the Hound of Chulainn was technically on their side now, a feeling of unease had spread itself throughout her body. It just didn't feel right...

"What is it Archer? You don't like me because I'm a man or something?"

Lancer asked, taking note of the hard gaze being sent his way. He already knew the identities of the others thanks to his Master and that Kotomine kid filling him in.

"It's not that." Atalanta shook her head in reply. "I just need to know Cu Chulainn, why do you fight with us?"

That got everyone's attention. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence-

"No reason really, I'm just interested in having a good fight."

Cu Chulainn casually stated without missing a beat. Atalanta was somewhat taken aback by this, not expecting such a quick and simple response.

"Is that it? Nothing more?"

"Look, I've already lived my life. I shouldn't even exist right now." He began, gazing at his fellow Servants as a wide smirk grew on his face. "But here I am, in a room filled with strong warriors with others out there wherever they are. As a warrior myself, the only I thing I could possibly want is to have a good old fashion brawl where I can fight to my heart's content. Anything wrong with that?"

"...No, I suppose not."

The Chaste Huntress simply sighed. Well, that response had put her somewhat at ease. A part of her wanted to ask more, about why he wouldn't use the power of the grail for something greater, but she decided to not press the issue. She supposed that in a way, that made Cu Chulainn similar to Karna.

Speaking of which, she then turned around and walked over towards a certain white-haired demigod.

"Karna, do you have any problems teaming up with Cu Chulainn?"

"None." The son of Surya replied, gazing at the Hound of Chulainn as he chatted with Richard. "Regardless of what happened before, it doesn't really matter. So long as our Master wishes us to team up with him, then I will obey. I suggest that you do so too, if only to save yourself the trouble of not getting along with him later on."

"I'm not worried about not getting along, but rather something else..."

"Uneasy that he's forgotten his pact with his previous Master are you?"

"Nothing gets by you does it?"

"It was obvious from the way your eyes looked." Karna replied, crossing his own arms as he spoke. "You didn't show this type of reaction before when it came to Lu Bu. It's curious that you would do so now."

"..."

"Apologies, did I offend?"

"No, you're not exactly wrong to begin with..."

Atalanta stated as she shook her head, sighing once more. It was true, that was probably what was bothering her. She didn't have any problems when it happened with Lu Bu, but that was mostly because he was a Berserker-Class Servant.

Still, the idea of using Cu Chulainn against his former comrades... even though it was a pragmatic choice, she couldn't help but feel it was dishonorable.

"CASTER!"

...!

Everyone quickly paused once they heard voice calling out to Caster. Whatever reason it was, the voice was panicking.

"That was Julian's voice!" Shirou said as he turned to Semiramis. "Assassin, if you would...!"

"Very well."


"T-This is...!"

The moment the teleportation ended, Shirou and the others were greeted with an unexpected sight.

"M-Master Shirou...!"

Shakespeare called out, the latter of whom was currently being strangled mid-air by multiple black tentacle like appendages. To the side lay Julian, the young teen currently being restrained by the same black tentacles as well.

All the while this was happening, a young blonde haired girl stood before the two. Smiling sweetly as she gazed at the arrivals.

"Ah, it's Shirou-kun~"

"Sajyou Manaka!?"

The white-haired hero spoke in shock. He hadn't expected her to suddenly arrive at their fortress like this. Why was she here!?

"Hey you little bitch! What do you think you're doing to Master Julian-"

...!

Before anything else could be said, Beatrice was struck in the stomach hard by a tentacle and quickly sent flying backwards. Luckily for her, before she could land her new Servant had caught her. Fortunately there weren't any serious injuries, though the girl was now unconscious as a result of the attack.

"Geez, dolls shouldn't be so noisy and vulgar." Manaka stated with an annoyed pout as she turned to Julian. "You really should teach that girl some manners. I've seen how she acts. Doll or not, such a lack of delicacy is a big no-no for a lady after all~"

"Duly noted..."

Julian replied, gritting his teeth in frustration at being bound as he tried to free himself to no avail. Whatever it was that was holding him down it was strong. He couldn't even budge an inch, and it managed to take down Beatrice with one hit.

If that was the case...

"Master, we can strike her now!"

"Do it!"

...!

"What...!?"

From out of the shadows, several Assassin Personas fell down to the ground as a lone figure stood amidst them. One with dark-colored skin and violet hair who wore similar clothing as well, even bearing the same type of mask on her face.

"Too slow, last inheritor."

"Thank you Serenity-chan." Manaka said as said Hassan simply nodded in response. The former then turned her gaze back towards Julian. "That was rude, I wasn't even done talking yet and you're ordering your Assassin to kill me. Now I see where that girl gets it from."

...!

"Gagh!"

The black tentacles tightened their grip on Julian, forcing a pained gasp from the black-haired youth.

"That's quite enough, Sajyou Manaka..."

Shirou stated, stepping forward as he took out a katana...

...!

"Hah...!"

With a single slash, the black tentacles disappeared. Julian breathed out a gasp of relief as he was freed from his bindings. As soon as he was, Richard leaped in and quickly got the former away from the blonde-haired girl to safety. Knowing that he was going to be alright, Shirou continued to gaze at Manaka with a hard stare.

"If you continue to harm my allies, then I will have no choice but to retaliate. Is that your wish?"

"Of course not silly, I'm not here to fight~" Manaka replied, tilting her head to side rather cutely. "Besides, why would I want that~?"

"Unconvincing considering that you have that mad writer in your hold."

A voice called out, and soon enough Semiramis herself appeared beside her Master. A hardened look in her eyes as she stared at the girl before her.

"Heh, so you're the ancient Queen of Assyria..." The blonde said, looking the Assyrian Queen from top to bottom. "A pleasure to meet you~!"

"The pleasure's mine..."

Semiramis replied with a frown. She hadn't even sensed this girl appearing within her own domain at all. Just what form of magecraft was she using to disguise her presence so well? In a place where she, the Queen of Assyria, reigned supreme?

But she supposed that could wait. Right now, they had other matters to attend to.

"Sajyou Manaka, just what do you want with Caster...?"

Julian spoke up from behind them, surprising the others with what he said. She was after Shakespeare?

Hearing this, Shirou simply turned to face the young blonde once more.

"Is this true?"

"It is." Manaka cheerfully replied. "You don't mind if I borrow him do you? I promise I'll return him~!"

"Heh, you may keep him if you like. I couldn't care less, and I doubt the others would as well considering how useless he's been so far."

"O Queen of Assyria, such harsh words you speak...!" Shakespeare spoke out, his tone both frantic yet somewhat amused.

"But Shakespeare is part of our group is he not? It would be bad form for us to simply hand him over." Richard stated, drawing his sword as he readied himself for the inevitable as he gazed at the others. "Do you not agree with me everyone?"

"Indeed." Karna nodded in agreement.

"I haven't really gotten to know him yet, but yeah. Whatever." Cu Chulainn simply smirked as got into a stance.

"I agree as well. Though I do find him annoying, he hasn't warranted enough of a reason for us to simply abandon him." Atalanta added, staring at the blonde-haired girl with a narrowed look in her eyes as she continued aiming her bow at the latter. "Besides, something about this girl feels incredibly wrong."

"How mean~!"

Manaka stuck her tongue out at the Chaste Huntress who simply raised her guard even more.

This girl... she was covered in the stench of death!

Perhaps it was part of her animal instincts, but a part of her wanted to run away then and there. While was she no stranger to bloodshed, Sajyou Manaka's entire being was covered with the presence of death so much that she had to ask herself if the girl before her was even human to begin with. She heard from her Master that was the case, but seeing her in person had put that into doubt.

"Well you heard them." Shirou stated with a slight grin on his face. "What will you do now Sajyou Manaka? I remember you saying that you wouldn't interfere with us, but clearly this can be considered interfering. Shall I take this as a sign of war between our two groups?"

"Hmm... I didn't want to pick a fight, but I guess that was impossible." The young girl murmured to herself before smiling cheerfully once more. "Alright, then I guess I'll just have to do it the hard way then. Take care of this for me everyone!"

...!

Several black portals opened up behind Manaka. Through them, three more figures appeared.

"..."

"Ehehehe~!"

"Oh! This is one heck of a fortress you people have here!"

Arash complimented, as he and Brynhild appeared within the hallway. The latter gazing at the warriors before her with a loving look in her eyes.

"Hehe, so it's these two is it?"

Richard smiled somewhat, having heard of their battle prowess from both his Master and what Assassin had reported.

...!

A stomp interrupted his thoughts. Before he even realized it, a third figure appeared beside both Arash and Brynhild. One who towered over both in height and sheer presence with a fearsome gaze in their eyes.

"Oh my..." Richard commented.

"Whoa, that is one big guy!" Cu Chulainn added.

Heracles, the son of Zeus, had appeared. Breathing slowly as he dragged alongside him his golden axe.

'We have to fight him...!?'

Atalanta cursed their luck. Even now, as confident as she was in her skills and those of her comrades, against Heracles she was still having second thoughts.

"Heracles, this is our first time meeting is it not?"

A voice called out, and no sooner than it did Perseus appeared alongside his comrades. Harpe at the ready along with his shield.

"And just where have you been?" Atalanta demanded.

"Apologies, I was outside admiring the view when I sensed something disturbing." Perseus replied, sweating slightly at the sight of the black-skinned giant. "I have to say, I never thought I'd be facing him like this so soon."

The man that was both his great-grandson and his half-brother through Zeus, known far and wide as one of the greatest heroes in the world. Truly, this wasn't going to be an easy fight at all. Especially in a confined space like they were in.

"Angelica, get ready to call forth Berserker!"

Julian called out as the blonde nodded. They were going to need all the firepower they could get, and what better way than to pit Berserker against Berserker?

'Now that I think about it, their Berserker is none other Lancelot isn't he...?'

Manaka thought, an idea coming to mind as she began contemplating to herself. A smile slowly forming on her face once more as she gazed at the Black Knight's Master.

...!

"Wha!?"

Before anyone even realized it,the young blonde had closed the distance between herself and Angelica within the blink of an eye.

"Excuse me, but I'll be borrowing you for just a second"

She stated, quickly subduing the older blonde with her abilities before turning her attention towards her own Servants.

"Be sure to behave you properly you guys~! I'll come back later when I'm finished."

With that, Manaka disappeared together with Angelica and Shakespeare through one of the portals. As soon as she did...

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Heracles roared, beginning his charge against them as his comrades readied themselves as well.

"Tch! No choice then!"

...!

A flash of light enveloped Shirou. As it soon died down, his clothes were soon revealed to have changed. Gone were his priest's uniform and cloak, now replaced with a regalia befitting a Samurai warrior. His short hair now in a ponytail that expanded in length enough to reach past his waist.

He quickly unsheathed his sword, a katana once owned by a certain one-eyed swordsman, and got into a stance.

"Ready yourselves, we will not fall here!"

...!

Just as he said that, an explosion rocked the fortress.

"Who dares...!?"

Semiramis demanded, taking a look outside with her magic as she saw the one responsible for the attack.

"Hahahahahaha...!"

There, floating just within range of the gardens, was Ramesses. Arms crossed as he stood atop a giant sphinx, several smaller versions of which floated alongside the the Sun King as he grinned at the sight before him.

"Ruler! It's time that I paid you back for your treachery!"


Seated in the middle of a garden, a certain white-haired magus sighed to herself having observed the entire situation unfold.

She honestly didn't expect that girl to make her move so soon. Alas, jealousy was a prime motivator for any woman. And now others were to pay the price as a result.

Still, if that was the case...

"I suppose it's time for me to make my move as well."

Merlin smiled to herself, she had been dying to meet with her dear student again after all this time.


END


Author's Note:

And so ends Chapter 29. Damn did it take long to finish. Apologies for the wait everyone, got sidetracked due to real life business along with a combination of my own laziness at work. And this is after me joking that I've been slowing down with the chapter output lately XP

In regards to Jeanne in this chapter, her scenes can be basically summed up me bullying Jeanne through Astolfo XD One of my regrets about the first two acts is not having enough interactions between her and Astolfo (Since they're both French based heroes, although Astolfo is actually from Britain) and so I wanted to fix that a little. Same with Medea and Elizabeth, since I feel them being the only two Servants with questionable backgrounds among their team would give them a sort of bond with each other.

Anyway, nothing much to say about this chapter I guess. It's basically just a set up for the next big fight along with some fluff. I kinda wanted to jump straight to the fighting, but that wouldn't have worked out I set it up right. I personally have my own issues with this chapter since I feel it's not up to par, so I might edit it a lot in the future if the mood strikes me. And as for Kiritsugu's appearance... don't worry, it's just that. I don't really intend to make use of him that much. It's basically just fanservice for his fans. He's just there to help set up a few things. He could've been replaced with anyone else, alas the dart board spoke XD

Also, regarding the Hanging Gardens ability to hide itself. I don't know if that's actually possible in canon, but given that within it Semiramis is a powerful magus, and the fact that she's an Assassin-Class Servant too, I think it might be possible.

Lastly, I was quite glad to see that a lot of you liked the second Bonus Act. That makes me smile :D

Update (12/20/2017): As stated above, included Ramesses in the final part. Forgot to do it initially, and only now was I reminded of it.


Guest Reviewer Section:

Logan: Never said I was a fanatic for canon. Proto-Merlin being female was just too sweet an idea for me to pass up on thanks to the potential hilarity I could unleash through it. And as I made a point to mention before, ForteOfTheBallad98 was responsible for writing the last segment. I gave the initial idea of both universes meeting in Ahnenerbe, but everything else including Jeanne turning Alter was entirely on him.

Garrick: I'll probably make another Bonus Act next year, the content of which, aside from the stuff with Morgan and Elizabeth, may vary depending on the mood. Pray to God though that I at least managed to write six and more chapters before then XD As for what I think of the Apocrypha anime, it's honestly just as "meh" I though it would be. Nuff said on that matter. And you can't compare Sieg to Irisviel because it doesn't work as an excuse at all. The latter already has a developed personality by the time we see her in the novels. Sieg doesn't, which isn't helped by the fact that he's one of the main characters either.

Corey: The only thing I took away from Achilles as a Lancer in my fic was his chariot more or less.

Lorenzo: Probably, I wouldn't write Lucius in without at least showing him and Mordred interacting at one point.

Terra: I wouldn't have included these three at the same time without there at least being a triple threat between them XD

Mavericks: Did I say that Amakusa never said anything? I don't think so, at least to my memory that is. Either way, since I already had Arthur explain some of the basics to his teammates, the same could obviously be said for Amakusa. I just didn't want to repeat the same basic scene again if I could help it.

Guest: I don't really plan on abandoning FMB anytime soon. The ideas for it are all there in my head, just need to find the proper mood and moment to write, and that's increasingly hard to come by lately.


Anyway, that's it for now. Please review :D