A/N: Finishing a Master's degree quickly by putting other subjects in summer is not as fun as it seems. O.O

I hope you enjoy the chapters so far. I want to put colors into it by giving it soundtracks as you read, just like a visual novel, only difference is that there's no visuals O.O.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and everything that I write on the chapters. Credits go to Hiroshi Shiibashi for Nurarihyon no Mago and Gen Urobuchi and the TYPE MOON Franchise for Fate/Zero.

Chapter 16: Reprieve

121:03:55

Nurarihyon is just having the time of his life by drinking the hot sake, when he sensed Hagoromo Gitsune's presence. He gently placed the saucer on the table as the winds blew gently in the middle of the night. It has been three days since they let Kejoro in Fuyuki City to stop the ominous wish granting device called the Holy Grail, and trying to stop the bloodshed of a game called the Grail War.

"Hmm…what brings you here to my humble abode, Yamabuki Otome – san?" Nurarihyon asked with a smirk on his face, hoping to jumble up Hagoromo Gitsune's memories. Unfortunately for him, Hagoromo Gitsune did not give in to his simple trickery.

"I just visited here to see my son Rikuo." She replied like how a weather agent is forecasting the weather for tomorrow. "Also, I don't know if it's just me, but I am worrying about you summoning Tamamo – no – Mae in this world. So I will just ask you one question and please give me a simple answer. Why Tamamo – no – Mae? Why not the famous blacksmith Masamune, or even Sasaki Kojiro, instead of the goddess who has the potential to destroy Japan in one strike on her whim?"

"You and I both know that they are intangible legends and therefore we cannot find an artifact that proves of their existence." Nurarihyon replied flatly as he drank his sake before pouring a cup of sake over another saucer and offering it to Hagoromo Gitsune. "Sake?"

"I think I had enough to last a night." She replied honestly, as her foster son also offered her sake for her to drink. She politely refused her foster son at first, but his insistence had her reluctantly giving in to his offer.

"Well, more for me." Nurarihyon quipped as he poured another cup for himself. "So, as I am saying, they are only fabled legends made by a few men who know of them. So far I can't find a suited artifact for that. Tamamo, however, is not."

He continued his explanation as he swayed the saucer idly, revealing the inner bottom of the cup in the moonlight. "That chipped stone is collected from the remains of the Sesshouseki in Nasu. It is preserved by another youkai to not let it turn into a fox familiar at the cost of his death from its poison. And to not let its poison overwhelm them, a greedy onmyouji placed a preservation charm on it to sell it to the people who are fans of famous legends. Of course, the price that he paid is also his life."

He chuckled as he remembered his foolishness the first time that he saw that antique piece of history. "I paid a high price for that, knowing of her existence judging from the remains. At first, I decided to put it as an antique material to let it serve as a reminder to other youkai of her legend. But then the summoning of the Heroic Spirits came, and so I have found a purpose for – may Tamamo – san not burn me for this – buying the existence of Tamamo – no – Mae."

"So, the lord of Pandemonium believes in the legends of the gods and goddesses based on that piece of stone alone." Hagoromo scoffed as she heard the disclaimer of Nurarihyon made about buying her existence. "If so, why am I put in such a never – ending cycle of reincarnations?"

"I cannot find an answer for that for now, Hagoromo Gitsune. But for your question about belief, I can answer that. It is one of the basic principles of our power of Fear." Nurarihyon quipped back at the unbelief of Hagoromo Gitsune. "You must believe in it to see it. Otherwise, you and I will not exist in this world. And so are the legends that are inscribed in the scrolls and are recognized as absolute truth."

"Well, that explained the reason why Rikuo believed in me so much that he did the technique of Matoi with me." Hagoromo Gitsune casually replied before she realized what she said, and so deadpanned on its implications. "Well, that came out wrong."

"Well, it is after all supposed to come out wrong." Nurarihyon chuckled at the reincarnated person's expense. "It is the technique of my son Nura Rihan, using the power of youkai as a mantle to augment his powers with them. At first, I cannot believe it. I just let him do it, but I reckon that it is impossible for a human to augment the power of the youkai and take absolute control of their powers. But after seeing it, well, you know the rest of history. And for that, as a father, I can say that I am really proud of my son's achievements, being the first half – youkai to actually serve as a bridge between the relationship of humans and ayakashi. In conclusion, he made his own legend."

"And so is your legendary sword that defeated me and Abe no Seimei, Nenekirimaru." She shivered at the mention of the sword forged by the onmyouji and used by youkai. "The sword grows stronger as it defeats more powerful youkai."

"Nah, that was not my sword in the first place. It is Yohime's blade, forged by the Keikain themselves." He quipped as he sipped the sake that has gone cold with the winter wind. "Since the blade is only seen as a defense maneuver against Ayakashi, it is only ignored as a decorative sword. But then the sword's true powers surfaced when I am slashed with it by Yohime by accident."

"Thus, the legend of you defeating me with an onmyouji's blade has begun." She replied in a flat tone, remembering the day when she is defeated both by Nurarihyon and Nura Rikuo.

"Don't feel so bad about it." The old man quipped as he finished his sake. "You and I have a really long life, and long life means more chances to atone for what we have done."

Long life means more chances… She sighed gently as she thought about all of her atrocities, some of which are really unforgivable in their eyes even with a long time in atonement. As if I can believe in that. Even Tamamo – san is angry at my existence. I can't believe in those things anymore. As long as I see Rikuo, I can depart in peace.

She then remembered what she said to them before they left. She can consider it as an oozing line of cheese balls for someone with no sense of sentimentality, but then another part of her is touched by that line. She just shook her head at that implication.

Unknowingly for her, that line of hers will give hope to one of the people that detest her most.

120:45:56

Yura now had a dozen thoughts in her head as she is limping home to Kejoro's house with Akifusa. Hidemoto thankfully had dissipated for a while due to Yura's impulses getting the better of her, leading Hidemoto to almost lose his form. It seems that she left the temple with even more questions than ever.

Ryuuji now came in along by their side walking casually and commented off – handedly just to keep their optimism up. "You two seems to not be in really good shape."

"Ryuuji – nii…" She caught the older Keikain off – guard with her deadpanning comment. That comment can be considered as a serious backfire on Ryuuji's part. "Since when did you learn how to preach to the choir?"

"We really needed a lot of explanation from that fox lady." Ryuuji quipped as he removed one of the talismans on his forearm. "That pair has been keeping many secrets from us already."

"And you know one of them, onii – san." Yura harshly replied, taking Ryuuji aback. It is true that he did not tell her about the Magus Association. Knowing Yura's impulsive decisions, she will storm out on that Association and try to deliver a "speech of justice" to them.

Formerly, they only try to keep a low profile, as the Magus Association still keeps watch over them for decades. But this time, they will be the ones to break the silence that befell the onmyoujis. This involves the safety of Japan and the whole world, so it will be a make or break choice for them.

The barrel of the Thompson Contender custom is now smoking hot, the atmosphere oozing with a deathly pause in between. Kejoro felt like she is now weakened by the way that he does. Tears are now threatening to escape Kejoro's eyes, when something unexpected happens.

"Hey! That was dangerous, Emiya – san!" Caster tried to restrain herself to be panicked at such an action. Within her neck's range, he fired a sure shot from his Thompson Contender gun at the ground. Kejoro knelt down in relief, but at the same time she is still shocked by Kiritsugu's ruthlessness. He is actually at a point where he can kill her Servant with no questions asked. Never in her life had she seen a man willing to kill someone just for the sake of the entire world's peace.

At the same time Kejoro stared at her Servant. Modern guns should have made her afraid, for she is a Servant, but it seems that she is not minding that gun at all even when the barrel of the gun is precisely centimeters within her neck.

The man in the black long coat returned his now hot gun in his coat after he emptied the gun of its empty shell on the ground. He then turned his back on them, seeing as he has now made his point to the both of them, which made both Kejoro and Caster angry at that point. He then walked away briskly, but Kejoro's words stopped him momentarily in his path.

"Maybe instead of sacrificing your wife, why don't you save her?" Kejoro's words were now like an arrow that tried to pierce the assassin's heart. But then what they saw next is now beyond their comprehension.

At that moment, they are not looking at the back of a ruthless assassin anymore, but they are now looking at the back of the one who is maintaining the balance in this world. Kejoro and Caster are now amazed at the calm winds blowing in his form in the edge of the night. This is as if he is a…

But then, that same man destroyed the atmosphere with his cold demeanor emanating in his form and walked away from them, snapping Kejoro and Caster out of their stupor at what they saw just now. Kejoro just gasped when she realized about what she saw just now.

"Caster…did you see that?" Kejoro asked, staring at him while her eyes are still wide open. She now blinked her eyes as she now checked her Servant to see her calm form, but Caster is just as wide – eyed as her. It seems that whatever demeanor that man has exuded seconds ago has even confounded a Japanese legend.

Then…she realized that Caster's astonishment has turned into a mild blushing over a married man. Kejoro just closed her eyes and quietly brought out a paper fan from the folds of her kimono.

She stood there, watching over her fiancé…

But it is not out of love or concern for the one laying there.

Sola – ui Nuada – Re Sophia – Ri knows that all of his Magic Circuits are rendered useless by whatever has hit him. But it does not take a professional Magus to say that he can no longer do any type of Magecraft. One look at his state and they can say that he is no longer fit to do any type of activity. She then took one more look at the bullet that she extracted through her skills in healing Magecraft that rendered her fiancé invalidated.

As she analyzed the bullet, she found out that the bullet that she extracted from him is no ordinary bullet. It has a mix of concentrated Dual Origins, and a very rare type at that. No other Magus has ever thought of using an Origin as a weapon. It is the bane of every other Magus that experienced this kind that they can call a travesty in the art of Magecraft. But she no longer cares about that. She can be thankful for that Magus that thought of infusing Origins in modern weapons.

She now has the right to be the Master of Lancer. She will ask her husband for his Command Seals, then she can have Lancer. She is reputed by the Magus Association to be a woman of strong will, but she has let herself be swayed by her emotions the moment that she saw the one that she truly loved. She can say that it is love at first sight. But many can also say that it is because of the Mystic Face that he has that she has fallen in love with him the moment that she saw him.

But she did not give one single crap about that talk of curses.

Her genuine love for him is already a curse coursing through her veins. She has now found someone who can understand her tribulations and pains. She has found someone that she can share her feelings to. In modern terms, she is just a woman waiting for a true companion to come along, not some hotshot famous man in the world of dirty politics.

For her, Lancer is a man every woman can dream of. She is saddened by the fact that the legends accuse him of being a wife taker, when in real life it is his Mystic Face that seduced the women that he encountered, especially Grainne. His Luck stat does not help him much in his chivalry. As an Irish national, she can sympathize with his plight. She is really sure that Kayneth will not understand his Servant, for it is her Servant that he is berating. He fell low on the expectations that he will be a Saber considering Kayneth's noble upbringing. But she does not care about his class. All she cared for is that he is a person that understands other people, not a mere Servant that just follows blindly to follow orders.

She placed the bullet in the pocket of her slacks, then slowly approached her fiancé with dainty steps as she is about to do the deed.

Meanwhile Kayneth have just awoken from a dream. He then saw his fiancé approaching him and tried to weakly get up, but his actions were of no use as he is now bounded like a crazy person on a mental hospital. What keeps him alive right now is an intravenous fluid of D5LR, also called 5 % Dextrose with Lactated Ringer's, to keep his fluids and electrolytes in continuous replenishment. All he needs right now is dextrose in IV fluid form in order to give him a complete replenishment from the blood that he lost earlier.

But then, she wanted to keep him alive for a short while, so she will not give him that. She will keep him alive long enough in order to get his Command Seals. She now held his hand too affectionately to be even called a loving touch.

Kayneth is not expecting this situation to happen. He is after all confined in the Clock Tower, knowing every single rule that the Grail War offered. But what happens in real life cannot be learned by just sitting in a confined area.

Talk about extreme unfortunate events indeed.

They are now standing in front of the entrance leading to a large sewer in Fuyuki. Waver's Servant, Rider, felt almost uneasy the moment that they are now in front of it, as he sensed Caster's work in every nook and cranny of this sewer. The bulls are also too eager to get out of this place, only to be comforted by Rider's stroking of their sinewy bodies.

"Boy, are you sure you want to enter this?" Rider asked with concern over the boy. He dared not to describe those abominations inside as it will destroy his Master's appetite for food. Waver steeled his expression as he now replied.

"Whatever comes my way, I am sure of this plan." Waver replied with bravado of a genuine Magus student. "After all, we don't want that Caster to run rampart in Fuyuki City. He's the only one to never follow any rules regarding the Grail War."

"But then again, he's crazy." Waver sighed as he now fumbles his pockets for extras, just in case what they see is too large to be even covered by just two capsules of flares. "If a crazed man summons a crazed man, it will lead to utter destruction of the world if not kept in check."

"A marvellous observation as always, boy!" He now gave a playful slap on the back of the boy, to which said boy took it as a physical abuse to his person. Then again, his Servant is always joyful at whatever expedition they undertake, even a simple alchemic consultation on his part is being embellished by Rider as a glorious concept of conquest when it comes to finding unknown information. He even commended his Master highly on his contribution to the investigations on Caster's whereabouts.

"Shall we go, boy?" Rider's mood now turned in a serious one, to which Waver was now taken aback at the sudden change. But then, he needs to learn if Caster is in there or not, along with his Master who happens to be a serial killer. That combination is really sounding bad to his ears. Being there or not, at least he can gather some clues.

"Let's just get this over with so that you can defeat Caster." He sighed as he now hopped on to the chariot. Rider then hoisted himself up the chariot and commanded his bulls to go straight inside the sewer.

Unknowingly, for the both of them, several Servants now lie in wait for the right moment to kill them. They are now stationed outside and inside that location without the both of them even noticing them.

Meanwhile, the female Assassin still felt that injury even after her fight with Caster. This is as if she is fought a monster and not a Servant. That pain is only relieved thanks to their own concoction of effective medicine, but it does not mean that it soothed the pain of being defeated by a Servant and yet had lived to see another day.

But then there is no time to lose, for she must command the other shady folks to keep watch over that lair, and kill anyone who will enter that.

"This is way too easy!" Rider bellowed as his Gordius Wheel tramples the creations made by Caster's Spellbook of Prelati. Waver just nervously smiled at the implications. If it goes on like this, they can actually defeat Caster with ease.

As they strolled on inside, he smelled something aside from sewer water. That must mean that they are getting close to their location. When the smell is strong enough, he stopped the chariot and Waver went down first, then Rider coming in along with Waver.

As he surveyed the place, he noticed that it is very dark. How will he confirm an area if it is this dark? The boy then fumbled for the flare capsules produced by Magecraft, and is about to light the place with it. But before he will throw it, Rider gave him a warning, as if he saw something there that his Master is not supposed to see.

"Boy, I suggest that you do not throw the light on that part." He remarked, to which Waver ignored his warning due to his intense curiosity that graced his impulse of adolescence. He then threw the flare capsules on the area that Rider is talking about, and he promptly has his expressions contorted when he saw that area.

The bodies that he saw are not just dead bodies. Their hearts are practically alive and beating bare in front of him. One girl's head tried to look in his way, but fails due to her eyes literally falling and rolling on the ground. The people who are hanged up and being decorated as parts of an exquisite umbrella carousel tried to scream with all their might, but they cannot due to their voices being hoarse. How they are being kept alive in that state is out of his comprehension, even with the red liquid continuously streaming like a waterfall on the ground. One beautiful lady, who has her internal organs exposed through a huge gash in her gut for all to see and hanged up with a meat hook on her back, even gently touched his hand to let her out of this place and out of her misery.

For all what he sees, he cannot deny that the air gracing them is prana – rich, enabling Servants and Masters to get replenishment when needed. But the cost of that prana surrounding them makes him really sick to the bone. But then again, he is not the only one watching this kind of show that is only being placed in movie centers once a year.

Rider saw all of this in a stern expression, figuring out that his instincts was right. In the many battles that they encountered, he has never seen such bestiality in his history of conquest. True, there might be more bloody scenes that he saw for one lifetime, but to keep them alive while being placed up as artworks is the worse.

Waver then cannot take this anymore and has now emptied up his gut of what he has recently eaten. Rider then gently patted his back, trying to comfort his Master of what he has seen. After all, he is too young to witness such a scene. He then has his eyes in tears and pity for those people who are being put up like magnificent artworks.

"R…Ri…der…" He coughed as he tried to erase the scene that burns on his mind no matter what type of Magecraft he will use. "T…Those are…"

"I know, boy." He replied in a solemn expression. "I told you not to look for it, since I am concerned of what your reaction will be if you see that scene."

"Easy for you to say." The young mage dismissively replied. But Rider did not flinch at that, instead he gave an experience that the boy can relate to.

"It's true that I grieve for these people." Rider explained. "Every time I see the bodies of the ones that I have conquered, it pains me greatly. The reason my expression is like this is for the people to gain confidence in my actions and not be disheartened by the aftermath of the actions that I have taken. It is also for the people that I have conquered to have the courage to move on and protect what they want to protect. They may call me the great King of Conquerors, but I also have a side of compassion for my people. Besides, anyone who will look at this and not bat an eye will receive a dire punishment courtesy of my own two fists."

"But this…" his eyes now sternly stared at the monstrosity that the murderous pair calls an exquisite art museum. "is an event that calls for justice upon the people who are left alive to be played upon by the folly of those jesters." He now unsheathed his sword as he heard something wrong.

"This is not the proper time to grieve, boy." A sharp object is now thrown at Waver's direction. Thankfully, Rider deflected the weapon with his sword. As he took one quick glance down at the ground, he recognized it as one of the weapons that Assassin used in his expeditions. It looks to him like the "Assassin is dead" news is a ruse after all.

"I…impossible…" Waver fully widened his eyes in surprise after he saw what Rider glanced on. Assassin is supposed to be one person, and that person is dead by Archer's absurd assault of different weapons. But with this many Servants that they see right now, there is a possibility that Servants can be dead if they are not being careful enough.

"For the man who we thought was dead were in fact alive." Rider's grammar construction may be wrong, but the emphasis on the word were makes sense if they consider the situation that they are in now. The Servants of the Dagger, now realizing that they are found, retreated in the shadows and disappeared in a black smoke.

Waver and Rider then left the place, igniting everything with fire just to cleanse the filth of the sewer and let the people out of their misery. Even though the decision is harsh, he must do it, otherwise, the people in there will suffer even more. As they ignite everything with the thunder produced by the Gordius Wheel, the child and the beautiful lady hanging like meat gently smiled at him. Before the purge by fire happened, the lady whispered a word to Waver which let him ease his mind just for a bit just before they left.

"Thank you."

He tried to never notice the internal organs dangling in front of him. He just imagined that she is still alive and not hanging on a meat stand as she whispered those words that tried to comfort him. She then beckoned weakly to come to him. Waver hastily took a nearest stool that he can find and he stood right in front of her using that stool. She then kissed him affectionately on the forehead like a mother waving goodbye to her son. The child, also hanging, also weakly waved goodbye at his short – time foster brother. Now that the scene played in his mind again, tears now fell from his eyes. Rider did not say a word anymore to his Master, as his Master is now almost relieved of the suffering that he just saw earlier. That picture of a mother comforting his son just before she will die served as a glimpse of hope for him. He will not take that memory away as long as he is Waver's Servant.

The bulls of the Gordius Wheel let out a mighty roar, accompanied by the proud sounds of the wooden wheels reinforced by the steel rims.

They will hunt down that Caster, not for the prize of an additional Command Seal, but to let the people's souls be laid to rest. The Grail War is not meant for sentiments like these, but for Waver, it made him realize that some things are really not meant to be learned from the confined rooms alone.

A/N: I must admit, I pretty much messed up some events there, but it wouldn't be called an alternate route if it's not slightly messed up, is it?

Of course, when I mean messed up, I mean it in the chronological sense. XD

Also, if you will notice, I had intentionally cut it off there since what will come next is the much awaited Grail Dialogue, which means more dialogues. I'll try to do Rider's, Saber's and Gilgamesh's characterization of them justice by re – watching the episode and reading the novel. Good thing I have the DVD. XD

If I fall short of the expectations, I apologize in advance. -.-

I will edit this if I have the time. Please correct me if I got the time wrong. I only know the Fourth Grail War is one week, but I don't know if it is exactly 7 days or if there is an extra day that I forgot.

Also, one more question: Should I make the rating still a T or an M due to the otherwise not so wholesome scenes? I need a reply immediately, as I'm worried that they will shut down my account for wrong ratings. O.O

Please rate and review. :D