A/N: Wow, I thought Emiya Kiritsugu is really awesome when it comes to plans, but as I read the novel, I just chipped the tip of the iceberg. He really prepared all sorts of countermeasures once he got hold of the enemies' locations.

Also, I had fun reading the first five chapters of Fairy Tail Zero.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Credits go to Gen Urobuchi, Nitro+ and TYPE – MOON for Fate/Zero, and Hiroshi Shiibashi for Nurarihyon no Mago.

Chapter 20: Beliefs

102:24:45

Things seem to be looking bleak for Kejoro and Caster as Saber suspected them as the people who are trying to kill her Master Emiya Kiritsugu. As stubborn as she can be, her Master is still right about his Servant Saber. She did not even give them time to know them more. So what her Master has decided, she will abide by it.

What bothered her more is another matter entirely. It seems that Rider is catching up to her identity based on her discourse alone, along with Archer's name after he gave his discourse on how he ruled his people. That Grail Dialogue almost revealed her identity. But at the same time, it showed her insights from Saber from the viewpoint of the King of Knights.

From that standpoint, she saw who the King of Knights really is. Inside those cold, distant, emerald steel eyes is a little girl chasing after the accursed idol that is her ideals. That idol enslaved her for an unknown number of years, hurting people in the process. The ones who are most affected by it are the ones at the Round Table.

She shook her head at the fact that the esteemed King of Knights' will is broken by the words of the King of Conquerors that stabbed her like a double – edged sword. Adding to her dismay is the fact that they can't help her openly to show their willingness. But Kejoro's words proved to be true, and so she will abide by it.

She let out a small smile. Her Master is getting more assertive than ever as she learns more about the Holy Grail War. She will see with her own eyes how Kejoro will play her piece.

My instinct is right, then.

102:04:08

Useless.

Pathetic.

This is what they can describe themselves after being beaten to the punch by the priest that declared himself to be the judge of the war. Moreover, their actions are dictated and dominated by a Servant.

Yura can only stare at the evening sky as she cannot sleep due to her thoughts swarming on her head. As the youkai are taking their own sweet time drinking sake, one man decided to break the silence.

"Weather is too cold here. You should stay in the shack instead of staring blankly at the sky."

Yura turned her head around to see her brother, Keikain Ryuuji, holding two cups of steaming warm green tea. She reluctantly took the tea from her brother. The raven – haired man gazed at the clouds that served as the youkai ship's sea.

"Don't blame yourself too much for it." Ryuuji quipped as he sipped his tea. "It's not good for the 28th heir to worry about things that is not her business."

"If the business does not concern the fate of the entire world, then I can ignore it." She replied in a deadpan manner. "Only a naïve hero can think that he can save the world by participating in a war that involves too much bloodshed for the sake of one wish."

"Isn't that the same thing that we are doing now, Yura?" Ryuuji replied, his eyes narrowing on the girl. "We're not exactly granting our wish through the Grail. That device is even dubious. But the fact that we are stopping the ritual on our own without the permission of either the elderly onmyouji or the Magus Association, isn't that an act of heroism in itself?"

"It is our duty to do so." Yura steeled her voice, almost surprising her brother by her quick reply. "Even without their permission, this is our land. They have no absolute right on this. Even if we die by their hands, at least we have done our duty to slow down the ritual at least."

"And then what?" Ryuuji almost crushed the cup that he is holding at his sister's naivety. Sure, she is saved twice, but there's no such thing as "three times the charm", isn't it?

Yura mellowed her eyes at her helplessness. She stared at her almost cold tea that she is holding for the last five minutes. She is really trying to be a hero, only that what she says is only a cover for her acts. Ryuuji only sighed as he broke Yura's optimism once again.

But then, there is still hope, right? Even if he knows that Kejoro is being used as a pawn, if they can stop the ritual, then they can say that they have done their duty.

97:45:17

"Hey, Caster…" Kejoro is almost fidgeting as she asked. Caster looked at her with a sweet smile over her face.

"What is it, Kejoro – san?" Caster now asked.

Since the summoning, she never had the nerve to ask this to her Servant in a very long time. She knew that Servants were not meant to exist from the start, yet somehow they manifested in this world for a reason.

"Have you ever considered your existence in this world as normal in the first place?" Kejoro now fired the question. Darn the consequences that will follow. Most probably Caster will look at her with a condescending attitude as if her Master is trying to imply that she is never meant to be summoned in the first place.

But unexpectedly for Kejoro, Caster received the question with enthusiasm painted all over her face. This is the perfect time for her to show Kejoro what the world is to her.

"Before I will answer that, I must ask you a question too." Caster now posited as they walked idly through the busy sidewalk of Fuyuki. "What is normal for you?"

"Well…" Kejoro now thought about it and is now embarrassed that she asked that question in the first place, as she is not normal herself. "If you ask me, people will know if you're not normal. Maybe they will even be afraid of you if you stick out too much."

"Exactly." Caster joyously replied as she clapped. She then picked a certain flower from the sidewalk. "For instance, take this flower."

Kejoro did as Caster asked, and held the flower delicately. The flower is called the hydrangea, which blooms only in the spring. Its buds have not yet reached its full maturity. "So, now I hold this flower."

"Yes, indeed." Caster agreed. "But, what if that same flower that you are holding blooms as of this time?"

Kejoro noticed the weather is too chilly for the hydrangea to bloom, thus, she arrives at this conclusion.

"If it blooms at this season, then it will be called a miracle of nature at its best, or a deviant of the norm at its worst." Kejoro replied as she observes the hydrangea, not noticing that it blooms slightly at her hand. "Scientists will flock all over this flower trying to figure out how this flower bloomed in the first place. At its worst, it may be even worshipped for the wrong reasons."

"That may be true." Caster spoke as they walked. "But let me enlighten you, Kejoro – san. The 'norm' is not what the people have set, but it is rather what the world has created and enforced for man to know of it and abide by its standards. Why do you think miracles happen?"

"Is it because of sheer determination of the people?" Kejoro asked. It is as if time stood still for the both of them as they find out more about what they are talking about.

"You are almost close to the answer, Kejoro – san, but it has something to do with their belief." Caster explained as they walked. They are too immersed in the discussion that some people think that they are scholars in disguise. "Miracles deviate from what the people perceive to be impossible. Believing in the concept of miracle itself tears away at the impossible, and turns it into a possible phenomenon. It is also the reason why you exist in the first place, along with the Nura – gumi and the Kyoto Youkai. The same principles apply to us Servants."

Kejoro then remembered the principle of Osore, and her summoning Caster has to do with what Caster has called "belief".

"Miracles exist because the people believe what they wanted to believe in." Caster continued her explanation. "Belief in itself is a powerful motivator. If you believe that there is only one God, then that belief manifests in the miracles that it exhibits. It is not only the power of the soul, but it is also the power of the spirit. Mankind has forever been searching for concrete evidence, only to go back to the basics, or what I can call foundations."

"So you mean to say that man has been searching for what lies beyond what they see in order to disprove something that they have seen with their own eyes?" Kejoro concluded, to which Caster stopped for a moment as they pass by a drink dispensing machine. Caster approached the machine, and chose hot green tea over the menu that the vending machine offered. There, she inserted the exact amount that the vending machine demanded.

"That is a straightforward thing to conclude, Kejoro – san." Caster spoke as she gets her drink. "Rather, mankind has been trying to explain something which lies beyond what their eyes have seen in order to set it according to their own perceptions through their revised theories, not the perceptions of the world itself. It is not a disproving of what is already there, they only confuse the people more through elaboration of a simple event."

"That has got me curious in the first place as I am sitting above the earth's realm." Kejoro has gotten herself a hot coffee drink from the vending machine during Caster's explanation. Caster continued her discourse as they walked once again. "The reason why I came to earth is because I am curious of what the people have been working so hard for. They find meaning in the act of serving. And every man and woman that I meet, I see something in their eyes that cannot be taken away by the gods and goddesses."

Caster then smiled as she remembered that her curiosity is not in vain after all. "You can say that I liked the people's perception of this world in the past better than what it is as of now. Even the word 'norm' is not in our vocabulary in our day, as we take every single event that happens to us as is, and record it down as is. Nowadays, I see mankind trying to break down beliefs through rationalizations, when in fact the act of believing is the only solution to an unexplainable phenomenon."

"Wow, you made me remember something that I have read in the past." Kejoro interjected as she opened her drink and blew on her hot coffee first before she drank it carefully. "They consider that book at that time to be a product of heathenism, but I disagree. In fact, it made me open my eyes to a new kind of belief that only they know from the moment that I have read that book."

"Well, I am now being curious of what that book is." Caster's eyes gleamed in curiosity at what book did her Master read. There are really some things that she did not know about her Master indeed. She then opened her own drink. "For now, what did it say?"

"I remember that quote going like this." Kejoro began. "'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.' I believe that it came from the Bible, a book called a letter to the Hebrews, chapter eleven, verse one. Also, it enumerated what faith can do, from explaining our source of our understanding of the universe, to the acts of what I can consider as great men and women who are driven by that same faith to do so."

"Well, that quote summarizes all that I want to say." Caster giggled. "Now at least you now understand the meaning of my existence, and consequently the Servants' existence. The Grail system is a powerful thing, but please remember what it can really do to us, and consequently, to man."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kejoro replied. As they walked along and let the hydrangea fly in the wind, it now fully bloomed in all its simple glory. What Kejoro did not know is that as she secretly believed that this flower will bloom even in unfavourable conditions, enabling the flower to respond to her belief. By the power of her Osore and Magecraft, it slowly bloomed in her hand.

96:16:04

The whole scene before them is bleak.

Numerous artworks have been rendered asunder in dust and ashes. Someone who did this to them have the nerve to desecrate their sanctuary that is their art gallery.

That act can be considered as unforgivable for those who appreciate that kind of art of life.

The boy, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, can only be appalled at that scene and lament for it as their artworks have mercilessly been turned to nothingness. From their umbrella, to their flute, they are stripped down to the bare necessities for their artwork to flourish. The only things that are salvaged from the ruins are the steel crafting utensils.

"Ah, where will I get my inspiration now?" The teenager wandered around to see anything of value that can still be saved. "Perhaps I am not fit to be an artist of life. What do you think, Danna?"

"God uses us all for his purposes…" Caster mused as he looks at that scene that smells of ashes instead of fresh flesh.

"Pardon?" The teenager turns his head to see Caster picking up the remains. He saw him sniff it, only to throw it away after he concluded that it is not catering to his tastes.

"Don't you understand, Ryuunosuke?" Caster declaimed. "Is this what this generation has come down to? A faithless generation? Let me enlighten you with my teachings. In my day, God is everywhere, and he uses us all for his purposes!"

Ryuunosuke scratched his head at where this conversation will go down to, but he still listened, hoping that he can find some answers to his question. "Really? Do you think so?"

"Absolutely!" Caster is now clearly enthused as he revealed to the boy his story. "In my day, I serve Jeanne d' Arc for years and from the moment I saw her, I fell in love with her pure devotion to God. But at the same time, I also fell in love with the consequent suffering that followed all because she followed her faith in God. Because of her devotion, the people denounced her as a witch! They burned her on a stake, and until now I can still hear the burnt and crackling skin of Jeanne as she burns on that accursed pole!"

"I then recognized her as a pure being that must never be tainted by the people's touch, and I did everything in my power to protect her from that fate." Caster continued his discourse as he throws away yet another burnt artwork. "But her God who is the God that I believe in too dictates her fate, and she faithfully obeys that command, even in her approaching death."

"After killing Jeanne, they now turned against me. They are claiming that I slaughtered countless children in an attempt to summon a demon." Caster continued as he salvaged one of the sharper scalpels that he found. "They are saying that they are God's hammer of justice, and that they see me as a heretic to be punished for his sins! What fools they are! If only they know that those people are only after for my treasure and land, they will not join this outrage!"

"I then realized that they are no God's divine judgment." Caster gritted his teeth as he remembered his final moments. "They are mere people who, in their selfish desires, persecute me for having a bountiful of blessings which I can freely share if only they will ask! They sully the concept of the divinity of God just because they are after my riches! And I will never forgive them for that!"

"But, in my day, they teach us that God loves us." The teen replied as he polishes his tools for the trade. Caster then turned to him as he asked.

"What do you mean, Ryuunosuke?" Caster tilted his head in wonder. The boy now wrapped up his instruments in a leather sheet after he gets the instrument from Caster.

"You see, in our day today, they show us that God is love. He loves his people so much that he even looks at every single detail of our lives as he writes down his biography of all the people in the world." The teenager declared as he stepped up on a ridge. "I bet that he looks at us with a smile on his face right now as he writes the biography of five billion people on this earth!"

"You see, if the people are clowns in this world, then God himself is one!" the boy continued his discourse as he happily walked upon the top of that thin wall. "As you have seen yourself, he values human values like courage, determination and justice, but he also loves the blood – curdling screams of the people just as much as human values are to him. If God really uses us all, why do you still see entertainment in what we do? If God really uses us, we wouldn't have seen the color of the insides of the human body, such as the heart, stomach, liver and lungs. Heck, we may not even see the color of human blood! We have our own will, and that is enough proof that God loves us!"

"Ryuunosuke, Do you think that God really loves us?" Caster now asked the boy. He only replied with an enlightened smile on his face.

"I'm sure of it! He is in fact heads over heels for us." Ryuunosuke gleefully replied. "Otherwise we wouldn't have seen this elaborate play in the first place!"

"Amazing!" Caster applauded. "A God who makes jesters out of every human being of this world and that he himself is a jester is truly that proof that I desired that God still exists and he loves us to a great extent!"

"Not to worry, my boy!" Caster gleefully continued as he ominously revealed the accursed book that can summon beings from the netherworld. "With my newfound inspiration, I shall show you the greatest COOL in all of history, and all of the humans will surely rejoice at the arrival of my greatest creation!"

He was there, watching the whole scene, and he hated every minute of it.

He just stands there, helplessly, as she gives orders to her men as the fighting goes on.

The witch still stood in all her ominous glory, casting spells faster than a modern Magus, to kill those men that charged against her. She has the king's son as her ally. That son charged with all of his might against the king, and there, they fought as if they are the only ones who are fighting.

Their swords swiftly and mightily clash against each other in the midst of a heated battle. She is about to lose that war that very moment her son swung his sword down on her.

But the king, in all her righteous demeanor, quickly evaded the bringer of death, and countered with the same slash. Even though she did not have her shield with her, the years of experience in battle has enabled her to withstand what she can call the anger of a beast.

And thus, a standstill now formed, amidst the war that devastated the islands' unity. Many men have died, but they are still standing, even though they have now stabbed each other.

He now woke up from that dream, though he can conclude that the dream can be considered as a child's dream. Great Britain still stands to this day and there is no reason for her to even save it.

95:28:49

Seventy hours.

It's not like Emiya Kiritsugu has been a stranger to scouting for long hours, as he can stake out for hours on end with just a can of pork and beans. But the fatigue seeps in the longer he stays awake. He deduced that the cause of this is him being in the care of the Einzberns' mansion in Germany for too long.

Their food in the mansion is excellent, no doubt about that. The exquisite food that lay bare before them every breakfast, lunch and dinner can give five star hotels a run for their money in terms of refined tastes. From lavish servings of the glistening white clear soup to the exquisite variety of salads, there is nothing that a common man can ask for.

However, the atmosphere can't be said the same for the lavish dishes. It is as if the worlds were apart as they are eating. But then, it is to be expected of one of the founding families of Heaven's Feel to be an example to the other aspiring noble families of Magi.

Which now brings him to his current situation.

Earlier, he bought hamburgers. The smell of savory slaughter is on his nostrils as he mechanically bites it right down his throat with his left hand and jots down notes on his right while looking at the map.

The map contained the locations of various Masters in the war thanks to the familiars that Maiya has supplied, cameras that are tied on the familiars, on – foot and city – wide surveillance, and intercepting radios of police responses to incidents homing in down specifically on unusual cases that are happening in Fuyuki as of now. Therefore, he listed on what has happened so far.

Matou Kariya has been staying in the Matou residence for recuperation after the wild knight's attack. He may have run out of prana while he is holding the chains of the wild beast. He can be a sure kill given the circumstances. But then he thought of the ebony knight.

His acts have made Archer livid in a way nobody had him before. He just parried sixteen Noble Phantasms like a calculating machine would have done in theory. But then he turned on to Saber's direction after seeing Archer gone and began his relentless attacks on her. If Rider has not intervened, he would have shot down Lancer's Master, but then he would lose Saber in the process. He is now having doubts on whether to kill the Master or retain him for the battle with Archer.

Tohsaka Tokiomi is currently at the Tohsaka household, not moving at all after the opening salvo. The one time he saw him move is at the public library before that battle, and even then that information did not suffice. Archer however moves whenever he feels like it, therefore he cannot pinpoint the exact location of Archer.

Lancer has got himself a new Master in the form of Sola – Ui Nuada – Re Sophia – Ri. How she did it though is yet to be determined. There are only two ways a Master can give the Command Seals. One is through the Book of the False Attendant. The other is that she seized the Command Seals by force. The former cannot cut off Lancer's prana supply, so it must be the latter.

Waver Velvet and Rider cannot be tracked down in one specific location, simply because his Servant does as he sees fit. He moves around frequently with his chariot together with his Master. The only place he is last seen at is the Einzbern Mansion, together with Archer and Caster.

Now that he thought about Caster, he intercepted from the police radio the police responses of missing children and all that remains are their clothes. Next thing that he heard are scrunching noises, as if they are being eaten. Sure enough, the location of the radio response homed in on to the location of what seems to be Caster's lair. The activities still continue as is without regard for the law.

The other Caster, however, disappears and appears together with her Master as they deem fit. It seems as if they are offering themselves to be killed, but at the same time they manage in avoiding that same death. Maybe it is because of her Luck stat or that he is very lenient with them. However, lenience is not in his dictionary, so it must be the former. That, and the way that they presented the information is too vital for him to even dismiss.

It concerns about the entire ritual of the Fourth Heaven's Feel. She has knowledge that the other Founding Families did not know about. Considering that her Master broke one of the rules of Heaven's Feel knowingly or unknowingly, and that she is an Eastern Servant and a Caster, it can be possible that she knew something better than the others.

But he will put that information for later. His priority is on the Grail after all.

On the incident that happened last night, the information is relayed through the telephone by Hisau Maiya, the one who stationed herself on that post, through her scouting and the majority of information coming from Irisviel. Three things are reported:

First is the demeanor that Caster has exuded when Archer seemingly insulted her. That demeanor equated those who had Charisma. But then, Maiya and Irisviel described it as a "Charisma that is not Charisma at all".

Second will be Caster's casual contact with Saber together with Caster's Master. Maiya reported that she can record the entire conversation if only she had another familiar. But what stunned her most is that even though that Caster knew that she has a familiar, she did not take even a single action against it.

Irisviel reported that their entire conversation consisted of them knowing about Saber's Master, and that Saber misunderstood the meaning of their offer. Moreover, the Master and Servant pair seems to be in disharmony, but for some reason, Maiya did not take action too. The pair agreed to their collaborative decision to help Saber through their own means, even though Saber herself is against it.

Third will be Rider's Noble Phantasm. This is her major concern. An inversion or distortion of a concept of their world can send Magi flocking around this man who dared to defy the norms of the world. But then, he is a Servant, so he is only available for the duration of this war. But what concerns him more than the immense power that Rider possesses in the form of a Reality Marble will be the fate of the Assassins.

Assassin can make himself as numerous as an army can have, therefore making him the only Servant that can take advantage of the Holy Grail War if his Master so desired. He lit his cigarette as he pondered on the unpredictable variable that can change the course of the war.

Kotomine Kirei, Master of Assassin.

He is the one man that he still cannot comprehend as of now. The moment that they saw Assassin on that battle, he concluded that he is Tohsaka Tokiomi's puppet, and that the Assassin served as a scout for them. But then, that man took actions of his own accord after the salvo.

First, he set up his ambush on the construction site of the central building that Maiya is on during Kiritsugu's attack on the hotel. The second one will be him coming from the other direction of the Einzbern mansion while it is at siege. Both of these situations seem to target Emiya Kiritsugu, which strangely makes sense no matter how he looks at it.

He can be considered as not fighting if he stayed in the Church with all of the Assassins serving as surveillance cameras. This situation alone can be considered as a perfect strategy, but then he went out, exposing himself in the process. Tohsaka's information gathering should have been considered as top – notch, but even with that, he could not have jumped to the conclusion that his Servant is Saber.

No, his target is not Saber. Heck, his target is no one but him alone. But the question still stands. Why him?

Irrational grudge? That can't be it. Emiya Kiritsugu never even crossed paths with this man. He never even knew someone connected to this man. Not even friends, consanguine relations, or even family who is either assassinated or got in the crossfire in the process.

All he knows as of now is that this man is an Executor who did not enter in for Heaven's Feel. One thing is certain. Even without his Servant, Kotomine Kirei will not give up.

He only sighed, and together with it, a wave of smoke tried to distract his thinking. Unfortunately it did not succeed in the process. He continued to think about that one man who is an unpredictable existence that sends him choking in a bottomless pit.

Emiya Kiritsugu's greatest weapon, misdirecting the opponent's line of thoughts from beginning to end works effectively on Magi that have pride in their craft as their weapon. The quote of "Pride comes before downfall" works efficiently on his victims and it does not fail him to this present day.

But those tactics do not work on this man. Therefore the one who is supposed to hunt is now the one being hunted.

"…who exactly are you?" His mouth murmured with his brain still preoccupied in other matters. He can only be frustrated at an answer that seems to be far away the more he thought about that delta factor in Heaven's Feel.

Upon more thought, he realized that he has a remote – controlled oil tanker ready to be deployed if ever Matou or Tohsaka will be launching a siege. If one will drive it to Fuyuki Church to detonate it upon arriving at that location, it will be the end of the Executor along with the priest that is supposed to be a judge for the war.

That, or it can be the amphetamines influencing his judgment. It can be good if he wants to stay awake, but then lapses in judgment can appear once the effects get the better of him. Those signs include frustration and impatience.

For goodness' sake, he is aiming for lower casualties, not mass destruction.

Emiya Kiritsugu messily crushed down the cigarette on the ash tray that the hotel provided him and he mechanically finished his hamburger as quickly as he can.

He needed a really good rest. Self hypnosis will do just that. Few people will use it, but to Emiya Kiritsugu, this is the quickest way to lower the mental stress levels through cleansing of the psyche, and therefore he deems it as the best form of rest that he can attain. But then, this crude method leads to lack, or even disintegration, of the self – consciousness to the ones who use it infrequently.

So then, after he went to the bathroom to refresh himself, he lied down flat on his bed and began the self – hypnosis, scattering his consciousness in the process. During this time, his body will be an immoveable corpse in terms of consciousness. After two hours, the one who is hypnotized will recollect that consciousness and wake up like nothing has happened.

The method is proving to be really effective time and again as the image of his enemy disappeared in the process of scattering his psyche, and he fell in a deep sleep.

A/N: So, yeah, it bloomed through her Fear type of Manipulation and Magecraft. First, she has her hair, but then as the war goes on she doesn't realize that she can manipulate a flower's life.

For those who have read the novel, I also deeply apologize for what I did. I don't really know how to recreate Emiya Kiritsugu's situation. T.T

Also, another Easter egg that I have found from the novel of Fate/Zero itself. A call back to something sinister. I wonder what that is… XD

Have fun reading. :)