9-17-21: Fixed the holy grail wars...

Chapter 6

The Incoming Hell


If a man cuts an intangible thing, a concept with no form, what makes this man? A monster? A god?

If a man cuts destiny, an intangible thing does that makes him the devil?

If a man fights for what he protects rather than what he sees before him, is he not heroic?

The world runs on a balance and it does not run on morality.

It runs on the most primal instinct... Survival.

Catastrophes that threatened to end humanity were taken care of by Alaya... And catastrophes that threatened to end the planet were taken care of by Gaia...

Yet, in recent times these two primordial concepts clashed as humanity paved the way to the destruction of the planet. Magic, magecraft, science, and WMDs all of which were created or utilized by humanity.

And their greatest sin? The sin that made all of these transgressions against the planet merely a slight?

The summoning of Ichigo Kurosaki as Berserker in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

A being whose existence should not have existed, whose very presence paves the way for the utter destruction of both humanity and the planet. For when destiny and fate are severed, the path becomes obscured to the governing concepts.

When a concept such as Alaya, who embodies the will of humanity's survival, sees the path where it does not know... Its response will always be human: fear and yet, curiosity.

Then when a concept such as Gaia, who embodies the will of the planet, sees an abomination against the nature of a foreign yet familiar planet... Its response is animalistic: Territorial.

Berserker should have died to Lancer's spear... His fight with Sakura Matou weakening her so much that when she feasted on Gilgamesh, it hardly filled her.

This rampant unfulfilled hunger would eventually lead her to die at the hands of Shirou Emiya... Or to be saved by him... Or saved by her sister... Or by Rider... Or by-

Yet, Berserker cut this fate and the eyes of the worldly concepts.

For Zangetsu is the blade that had cut down the worldly concepts men called fate, the expansion time, isolation of dimensions, the recipe of creation, the mapping soul, and causality.

How can they not be afraid?


"The holy grail war is certainly a marvel, is it not? Even the Moon Cell has taken interest in the concept in almost all of the realities," an elderly man asked to seemingly no one as he sat on a leather chair, comfortably sitting by a fire. "So many possibilities, so many outcomes from just a mere action of summoning."

"Yet, this reality is unique, is it not?" the elderly man's voice echoed in the man's head. His mind seemingly conversing with himself. "For it is the only one where Ichigo Kurosaki fully demonstrated why he is the shatterer of fate... And the Devil who defied God."

"Indeed... The incoming events will be a truly beautiful sight to behold."


Berserker was pouting, that what Illyasviel ascertain from observing the behaviors of her servant.

It can be found in its change of behaviors, from random flexing of its power to more minuscule oddities such as a tiny bit more intense stare.

"Are you mad..." she asked her servant with an exasperated expression, "that you couldn't kill Gilgamesh?"

She bet if it was sane and was his usual self, his lines would probably be: "I want to deck the bastard!" or something of the like.

She giggled a bit as she hopped over a drainage vent.

"Lady Illyasviel, we have arrived," Sella declared as she stopped.

"You may put me down now, Berserker," Illyasviel said to her servant whom she currently resided on the shoulders of.

As Berserker obliged, Leysritt clicked the doorbell of the household they chose to meet with today.

It was but a courtesy of course for she knew that she was being watched the moment she exited her castle's bounded field.

Surprisingly enough, though, the doorbell's speaker was used. "Why is Berserker materialized at this time of day?!" an obnoxious voice shouted indignantly, outraged at the blatant violation of the rules.

Illyasviel nodded for Leysritt to step aside and walked up to the doorbell. "Because I strive for elegance!" she cutely yet maturely replied as she turned to the roof of the gated house and gave a peace sign to their current most troublesome threat. "Don't you agree that your master lacks it, Archer?" she yelled out.

"Hey! Who are you to criticize-"

"I do have to agree with her on this one, master," Archer said as he materialized on the opposite side of the gate. "Permission to let the elegant young lady in?" he asked his master.

"Why you... Ugh! Fine!"

Thus, the servant opened the gate like a butler with a bow.


"You brew quite lovely tea, Archer," Illyasviel complimented as she took a sip of her said tea.

"Your compliments have a nice ring to them," Archer replied. "Especially in contrast to the-"

"Don't. Say. Another. Word," Rin threatened as she glared magecraft at her servant, her right hand glowing red briefly of her command seals.

"It was but a jest, master," Archer said with an innocent smile.

"What a beautiful dynamic between you two," Illyasviel applauded as she took another sip of her tea.

The Tohsaka head merely sighed as she let it go before looking to the Einzbern head. "So... A coalition, with you?" she asked.

"I suppose. I mean I doubt any of us will be the winners at the rate the corruption is at," Illyasviel shrugged. "And with my other backup practically useless and unwilling... I guess it is better to team up with others, hm?"

"Are you going to approach the Matous as well?" Rin inquired as she sent a glance at the only other occupants of the room, the maids. If you were to attack, Archer, do you think you can make it on time before it comes in?

"Nope."

"Nope."

She wondered if the chances that they would say the exact word at the same time, unknowingly to one.

"Then about the fake priest?"

Illyasviel sighed as she set her tea down. "You know... This is a personal matter, right?" she asked, her gaze piercing Rin Tohsaka.

Rin felt her breath hitched as Illyasviel cut deep into the heart of their goal. Yet, to her, something didn't exactly line up. "How does this involve you... Personally?"

Illyasviel's smile turned serene as her sorrowful eyes looked at her tea, her reflection looking back at her. "I am sure you know that the magus killer was hired by the Einzberns during the Fourth Holy Grail War," she intoned.

"I do," Rin replied nonchalantly as she took another sip of her tea. "And that he adopted Shirou after the war, right?"

"Yes, that is correct but often overshadowed was the homunculus that accompanied him and was the vessel for the Holy Grail."

A chill of anticipation went through Rin's skin as she realized where this was heading.

"That homunculus was my mother and my father is Kiritsugu Emiya. And therefore I am Shirou's older sister."


Shirou stared into the sky, his mind clouded with both the passing clouds and the thoughts lingering in his head. Within, a desperate battle was being fought.

His dream or his love?

What mattered most to him?

"Little brother!"

"Jeez, what am I going to do with an idiot like you?"

No, it was more of what was right or what mattered to him... What decision would he choose?

"Senpai, breakfast is ready!"

"I'll be there!"

He looked to the shed, his mind remembering the memories he distinctively made there and in the kitchen.

Though, there was one that he made where he sat right now.

"I will become a hero of justice in your place!"

Ah... Now I remember... He smiled because he was sad...

It was not one of joy or fondness but just sadness.


"I want your permission to allow me to kill Sakura Matou," Illyasviel declared firmly.

The resulting tension filled the room as Rin glared at Illyasviel while she stared back. A tension resulting from an inhumane request for an older sibling to make.

"You think... I will give it to you?" she asked in controlled anger, her glare hiding within them a fury.

"No, I never did," Illyasviel replied with a calm, almost fairy-like smile. "After all, if my little brother did something bad, I will be the one to punish him."

Rin's fury began to boil as her inner conflict was brought to light. "You..." she muttered angrily.

"I want to protect Shirou... You want to save Sakura..." Illyasviel's expression morphed into a big smile. "We're both terrible older siblings, huh?"

Archer looked at the scene in silence before closing his eyes.

Sella and Leysritt impassively stood by.

Berserker looked to the bright sky from its position on the roof. Its eyes narrowed as it looked at the incoming object approaching it.

"You tried to kill Shirou just a few days ago," Rin said, bringing up the incident that kicked off Illyasviel's Holy Grail War. "If you want to protect him, why did you try to kill him?"

"My impression of him brightened."

"Brightened? How?"

Illyasviel smiled. "Tell me, when Berserker was about to strike down Saber, what did he do?"

"He took it," Rin replied as a look of exasperation took hold of her face. "Don't tell me you like that part of him?"

"Hardly," Illyasviel giggled before her eyes wistfully looked out of the window. "It just made me remember what my father's dream was. A dream to make the world a safe place... A world he intended to use every means to achieve even if he had to sacrifice himself and those that followed him. A mature dream with flaws but one he sincerely thought was possible... At least when he told me about it..."

Rin looked at her in confusion. "I get the sacrifice himself part, his suicidal tendencies do warrant concern, but Shirou isn't someone to-"

"Sacrifice others," Illyasviel completed. "He doesn't and isn't... That is what made me realize his childish and doomed dream... The core of my father's dream, a part Shirou wholly misunderstood... A hero of justice."

"And how does that change your opinion?"

"Because no hero of justice would sacrifice anything even themself to achieve justice."

For if justice was for everyone to be judged fairly, it would be therefore unfair if someone was to be used to achieve this justice. Even if the judge, jury, or executor sought to sacrifice themselves for said justice.

Rin took up her teacup and motioned for Archer to refill it. Her face resigned as she became convinced that Illyasviel did indeed have Shirou's wellbeing in mind.

Her cup went unfilled, however.

"Archer?" She looked to her shoulder to find her servant setting down the teapot. "Hey! Refill-"

"What do you define as justice?" Archer inquired as he leaned on the wall by the table he set the teapot on. His inquiry merely expressing his curiosity but his crossed arms and somewhat judgemental stare giving an air of interrogation of sorts.

"Is it perhaps the distribution of punishment for crimes by how morally or lawfully wrong they are? Or is it perhaps what you feel is just and not take into any consideration of someone else's definition of justice? Or perhaps... Your justice is but to save the many at the sacrifice of the few? Of the few, many are unjust but some are innocent?"

At Archer's words, Illyasviel blinked a bit before taking a small sip of her tea. And as Rin continued to badger Archer for tea until the servant obliged, a small smile of realization dawned upon her.

Kiritsugu's justice was but a stoic and destructive one, for as long as people are saved then how he weeds out the unjust are always just. As long as he kept the impact of his actions on the innocent minimal.

She didn't know the full picture for Shirou but his justice boils down to saving people but not protecting them.

Archer meanwhile... Saw the failure of both as he executed both but failed at both due to simply the flaws and hypocrisy of the justice he sought.

At least if his elaborated last statement was to go by.

"Justice? There is nothing such as justice. If justice were to be distributed and made fair then hardships would not exist. The only justice I see is the one the people around me seek to put into reality," she intoned as she looked to Archer. "It is people who find the injustices, it is people who commit the injustices, and it is people who give verdict on the injustices."

Rin quirked her lips into a frown as she took note of the deviation of the subject. Therefore, she decided to quickly put a cap on it. "Archer, don't bother responding," she spoke up, her tone expressing her annoyance as she felt Archer becoming more and more entangled in the conversation.

"Master, perhaps you can tell-"

"Shut up, Satan."

"What?"

"I said shut up."

Archer raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "As you wish, master."

Illyasviel, meanwhile, watched the little banter with an amused smile. "Well, I suppose our little chat has gone on long enough. We have certainly deviated much, even the pastries Sella made have gone a bit stale."

As she spoke, she took a bite out of the pastries that went almost untouched throughout their conversation.

"I see. Then, shall I see you out?" Rin asked as she sat up to which Illyasviel mimicked soon after. "Also, be a bit more careful with waltzing through Fuyuki with Berserker."

"Hm... I don't quite understand your words. After all, there is no one to see us."


"What is your decision, master?" Archer asked Rin as they watched Illyasviel and her entourage leave the Tohsaka estate.

"I guess I will have to give a heart-to-heart talk with Sakura soon," Rin sighed as she let a worried and saddened expression take hold of her face.

"There is also the incoming debacle surrounding Berserker," Archer said as he looked to the sky.

"About that, why are you so certain that Gaia and Alaya will react?" Rin questioned, crossing her arms. Her inquiry pointed out the lack of context Archer has given her.

"Would you believe me if I said I have a feeling all hell will break loose soon?"

"I knew it, you are actually Satan."

"Now, master, I am sure your local priest has told you that calling people Satan is not nice."

"First, the dear local priest is an asshole and I wouldn't put it past him to call himself Satan. Secondly, may I stress the "actually" part? I am quite certain it is quite important."

Despite her words, Rin still couldn't help but feel a bit worried as she watched the powerful yet unknown servant that took the role of Berserker. "If you are actually Satan... Is it possible for you to see the future?" she asked, her worries spilling out.

"... I'm not Satan."


Shirou could feel the awkwardness in the air. As he ate, silence prevailed despite another person eating alongside him.

It wasn't that they liked the silence, if anything, he could feel that Sakura was becoming more estranged as they continued to eat. She wanted to say something and so did he.

Yet, they couldn't bring themselves to break this awkwardness.

It was only when they finished the food that did they speak. "The food was great, Sakura," he complimented with a smile, speaking the first words in over ten minutes.

"T-Thank you..." Sakura replied with a small stutter, her eyes seemed glued to her plate. "Was there anything... Anything you would have done better...?"

Shirou paused, his eyes going back to his plate as he thought for a bit. The food they ate was but simple chicken curry with rice. There was barely room for error for such a disk.

Though he would have to admit, the sides she had prepared were a bit strange when eating curry.

"Not really," he said as he collected the dishes. "But I don't think you should find what I would do... Perhaps experiment more, like trying new combinations or dishes. Maybe adding an extra ingredient or two to see what happens. Of course, nothing too strange like a curry sundae or unedible items."

"I see, thank you," Sakura replied with an appreciative smile.


Illyasviel looked at the sparse amount of people as they meandered their way through life. Most of them were full of fear as they planned to leave or feel an unknown pressure to do so.

"The bounded field the old cronies place is quite astonishing," she muttered as she looked to the sky, her eyes seeing the lines of the bounded field that towered above the clouds. "Leysritt, how much time until the sunsets today?" she asked.

Behind her, a materialized Berserker towered over her calm maids. Their appearance almost always warranting looks and stares, causing problems in populated areas.

Yet, soon the whole city of downtown Fuyuki will be deserted that even looters or beggers will be gone.

All thanks to the Clocktower and the church who have warned all the masters to finish the war soon.

After all, the number of massive "gas leaks" recently seemed to have given them a massive headache.

Or so she thought...

"2 hours, 13 minutes, and 24... 23... 22..." Leysritt began to draw her words as she continued to count down the seconds.

"Leysritt," Sella admonished, her eyes not batting an eyelid despite her tone.

Illyasviel took in and basked in the dying sunlight as night crept ever closer.

"Any news from... Ah, here it is," as she spoke, a butterfly fluttered towards her. Its colors are ever-changing in the sunlight. "The Wizard Marshall..." she muttered in slight astonishment. So it would seem something big is coming...

As the butterfly flew closer, a voice began to play: "In exactly one hour, all uninvolved personnel of the Fifth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City will be evacuated."


Rin looked at her amulet, twirling it in her fingers as she sat on her armchair.

"For two days, all proceedings of the ritual shall be halted. In that time, events beyond the scope of the war will start, and in light of this, the whole city will be isolated within a separate dimension."

Her eyes widened at those words. "What?!" she shouted in surprise.


Shirou stared at the butterfly with a bewildered gaze. Not knowing as to what the butterfly was nor what it meant.

"In the span of the chosen two days, an unknown number of extra combatants will be placed onto the field."


Gilgamesh took a sip of his wind, his young face smiling in amusement at the ongoing events. "My, to think they would go this far... What an amusing time to be summoned."

Kirei, meanwhile, merely sat and listened to the butterfly.

"The number of servants that remain in the war is six. The number of masters is four."


Sakura folded her clothes with an unknown look, her actions slowing down as the butterfly continued to talk.

"The people responsible for this sudden change of events is Sakura Matou and Berserker."


Zouken frowned as he stood over the pit of worms. Screams of pain rang in the room yet he was able to hear the butterfly loud and clear.

"The only way to end this event is either by the death of either Berserker or Sakura Matou. Or the annihilation of all of the incoming anomalies."


The Wizard Marshall, Kishur Zelretch Schweinorg, smiled as he wrapped up his announcement. His eyes gleaming with interest as he viewed all the different master's reactions to his statement.

"Have fun!" he cheerily finished. "Happy hunting."


The butterfly burst into motes of light, which slowly vanished in the soft wind.

"Shall we continue with the plan, Lady Illyasviel?" Sella asked.

"Yes, what shall we do, Illya?" Leysritt chipped in.

Illyasviel stared at the city once more, her eyes watching as the streets became more deserted. I thought it was simply to isolate the war... She thought to herself as she felt her little heart beat faster. But to leave us to fend off...

She turned around and looked to Berserker, realization fully dawning upon her. "Berserker... Is truly the strongest..." she muttered with utter awe.

It merely stared back at her.

If the Wizard Marshall himself, the wielder of the Second True Magic, was getting involved... Then either something big or interesting was happening, or something about the realms of alternate realities was involved... Or both...

And the fact Berserker was one of the "main causes"...

Then, Ichigo Kurosaki was truly the shatterer of fate, the piercer of heaven... And the strongest servant there ever was.

Chapter 6 End


A bit of a lull of action as I set up the second act of the story...

Sorry for the wait was too lazy to write anything for a time.

Was gonna have a dog crash the meeting but I figured it would be quite underwhelming if the cute doggo was introduced without any setup.

I guess... I kinda evolved...?

Also, was thinking of what servants would be summoned on Alaya's side. I know EMIYA is an agent but I am unsure of any other. So I figured I'll ask you all who will be counter guardians.

Hm... Also Gaia but I have a vague notion of who I am going to use.

Hm, have you guys ever AFK farmed XP for over 4 hours a day on Minecraft? I swear to god I need to setup an endermen farm soon... The god damned skeletons give so little XP... Though I guess doing something else while waiting like role-playing in mount and blade banner lord or getting some juicy deflects as Orochi is quite fun.

SaveTheWeak, out.