-152:45:56

Brilliant green clashed with sleek silver, the sound ringing through the night air, and for the umpteenth time in the last few days, Waver found himself wondering, What the hell was I thinking?!

He'd awoken from his (embarrassing yet blissful) fainting to find the three Servants hovering over him in a small park in Miyama Town. After inviting Berserker X into their ranks, Iskandar had proven just enough good sense to bring the group away from the docks and somewhere other Servants wouldn't interrupt the bleurgh, transaction of the renegade Servant's Command Seals. Waver had luckily read about a rudimentary way to transfer Seals, but the process was slow going. Inside a basic Bounded Field, the student was bent tentatively over the severed hand, Berserker X and Rider hovering over him impatiently.

"Any day now, runt," the spiked familiar grumbled. "I feel like I'm gathering moss."

"T-t-this takes t-t-t-time, t-don't make me lose focus, dammit!" The student stammered. His left hand grasped the severed one just above the Command Seals, Magic Circuits glowing along his arm. Waver felt the ritual working, but the pain in his limb made every second feel like hours were passing.

"Easy does it, my friend," Iskandar chuckled. "Waiting is all part of conquest." He received a scoff in response as another clang sounded near them. "To think I would find one more eager for battle than me. Will you step in?"

"Even if I had the strength, no. Fighting two-on-one's not my style. …Except maybe when I'm the one."

"Nice to know -ergh!- that you boys are enjoying yourselves!" As for Saber X? He was busy fending off Lancer X. Harbinger slammed against Edenian Sojourner Staff, forcing her back before she flipped to bring one end hurtling towards his head. The sword spun in his fingers to intercept the green-glowing metal, and they broke apart to clash anew. Right. I'm not just setting up a bond with a violent monster, but another Servant's here to try and kill me. Bloody marvellous.

The enemy Servant had been dispatched by the Tohsaka Master to intervene with the ritual and possibly ensure Berserker X would be gone for good. A Hassan immediately began trailing the large group, so Lancer X knew where to find them and prepared for a quick resolution. She had taken no pleasure in launching Promise Keeper at the young boy's head, but it was sadly the most efficient way to handle three Servants. And at the end of the day, this frightened little boy was a Master.

A Master in a command of a Saber with very good instincts, it turned out. The lanky foreigner had instantly ceased draining a wine bottle to deflect the whirling blades with his sword, she had the rotten luck to step on a twig that snapped, and the fight had broken out.

Her staff of enchanted metal parried, swept, and jabbed only to be met repeatedly by the heavy sword her fellow knight class wielded. Both combatants had managed to slip a few times past the defenses, but each time, an energy field (red for Saber X, green for Lancer X) had absorbed any impacts. An irritating stalemate. And it's the best I can hope for under the circumstances, Lancer X thought while darting away from a straight kick.

Saber X hopped over a leg sweep and gripped Harbinger with both hands to slash diagonally. Lancer X leaned out of the way while the air rippled from the cut; a house behind her received a large cut on the front. With a twist of her Staff, she struck both of his wrists, forcing him to drop the weapon, then instantly made for a multi-thrust attack. Once you'd disarmed a swordsman, you had to keep him disarmed.

But Saber X didn't attempt to retrieve his sword. Instead, he twisted around the emerald pole, trapped it inside his right elbow, and punched Lancer X in the face. She grunted; it all happened before she could shield herself. Then she felt a pull on her weapon, forcing her to kick out, which Saber X parried with his own kick, and leaped away. The Huntsman hooked his fallen weapon with his right foot and kicked it upwards to grab its handle for more.

Waver knew he should've been focusing on the transfer, but he couldn't help but watch in amazement how those two fought. Even when deprived of their class weapons, neither Saber nor Lancer missed a beat in facing one another. He glanced over to an eagerly watching Rider. "A-aren't you going to help Saber X?"

The King laughed. "I'd rather not interfere in such a splendid skirmish if I can help it. Saber X is doing exemplary alone against her. Besides," he swept a hand across the trees surrounding them, "better to stand guard in case we have another visitor."

If you do, it likely won't be an ally of mine, Lancer X's mouth underneath her mask grimaced as she chopped for her opponent's throat. Just before she'd been sent after this group, Archer had returned in a not-at-all-perish-the-thought pouty mood, barely registering the dozen apologies Tokiomi had prepared in advance. Chances of him contributing to this battle were slim, and frankly, she doubted he'd show enough care to differentiate between ally and foe. Rider X was who knows where, and Lancer X trusted that titan even less than she did the King of Heroes. The Hassans couldn't intervene now for the sake of maintaining the bigger illusion. For better or worse, the Edenian Heroic Spirit was on her own.

And she was barely making any progress against Saber X. Her Sojourner Staff spun to deflect the gunfire of that odd sword, then a slash came too fast for her to fully shield herself. She rolled away while swinging her own weapon. The duelists glared at one another, the swordsman spitting out some blood and the staff-wielder clutching her bleeding abdomen.

I should've never engaged him in direct combat, Lancer X chided herself. He's too skilled for me to neutralize effortlessly, not with two more waiting in the wings. I just seem to keep having wretched fortune tonight… She drew in a breath and straightened. Very well. One last attempt.

She struck one end into the ground and followed the other end to evade a thrust for her stomach, balancing on the pole for a moment. Green energy emanated from the Noble Phantasm in a sudden flash, disorienting Saber X for an instant, then she launched herself off, snagging the Staff as she went, and somersaulted forward. Promise Keeper flashed again from her hand as it whirled in an erratic flight. Its target: the wide-eyed boy.

Rider tracked the projectile's trajectory and intercepted it with a wide swing of his spatha. The tri-blade spun off course, and he shifted his gaze towards the enemy. "I commend your brazenness, but such tricks will not work easily while I'm around-" then he blinked.

She was no longer next to his partner. Saber X's eyes darting to something, a flash behind him, Rider spun in place to see Lancer X's staff being thrust towards the boy's terrified eye-

Before stopping.

"Finally." Lancer X's attempts to push the attack through ceased as she felt mana crackle in the air. Next to her, Berserker X grinned, one hand drawing his nodachi, the other trapping the verdant Noble Phantasm in an iron grip. "I thought I'd have to wait all night."

Waver fell to his knees, panting like a dog in summer. While the Servant of the Spear coming dangerously close to popping open his skull was disconcerting, it wasn't the reason for his limbs' weakness.

Rather, it was due to the three new Command Seals resting on the inside of his left forearm. Jingle.

Truly wretched fortune was all Lancer X could think before Berserker X reeled her in for a rising slash. Green flashed around her body just before the worn steel connected with her, that and her swiftly back-tracking being the only things that saved her from being cleaved in half. Though it didn't cut her, the sheer mana packed inside the blow sent Lancer X flying into the air. She'd luckily kept her grip on Sojourner Staff, as she immediately needed it to block Saber X's follow-up. How did he manage to get so high so quickly?!

Regardless, the strength behind Harbinger blasted Lancer X right back down to terra firma. She landed in a semi-graceful crouch, the earth cracking beneath her. Saber X followed a second later and a few feet away from her with a smirk. "I do like it when the girls play hard-to-get, but messing with my Master? That breaks my heart."

"I for one am spoken for," Lancer X replied smoothly. "But you may have a fair chance with others…" She rose a bit, one hand releasing her class arms to grasp Promise Keeper that appeared in her hand. "Assuming you improved your appearance. And your smell."

"Ouch." Saber X patted his chest with a feigned look of hurt. "You go right for the weak spot, don't you?" Despite his humor, he didn't lower his guard by an inch. This chick's got more than just good moves with that stick. She'd make a decent Assassin, and she knows magic, too.

But for once, the odds were in his favor. Berserker X sauntered over to his right, sword scraping through the dirt. Qrow eyed him from the side. "Aren't you still recharging?"

A scoff. "Like that's ever stopped me before." Sure enough, the wounds from the dock battle were beginning to close, and the Servants could sense a slight tremble of power through the air. Definite signs that the foreign Heroic Spirit of Madness was bound to a Master once more.

Rider stooped by Waver, a bright smile on his face. Close to fading away, and yet he's willing to fight again mere moments after forging a contract. A fearsome man!

Lancer X slowly stepped away from them, hazel eyes drifting from one to the next. 'Master, an ambush is impossible under these circumstances.' she sent a begrudging message. 'I might be able to defeat one of these Servants, but all of them at once? I have no chance of winning this alone.' Her fingers clenched around her Sojourner Staff. 'Would Archer assist?'

'I'm afraid not,' was Tokiomi's terse reply. 'He has no more interest in battle tonight, and it will take a fair bit of goodwill before he is willing to follow my suggestions after I ordered him away. And my apologies, Lancer X, but I have no intention of expending another Seal this night.' They both sighed mentally before he continued. 'You've fought well, I could see that perfectly, Lancer X. But like it or not, that Berserker has a new Master. Fall back.'

'Very well.' Green smoke erupted from Lancer X, obscuring her whole form, and then she was gone.

Saber X's eyes swept across the area, his senses on full alert, but a moment later, he relaxed them (and the mana he'd expanded). Berserker X huffed in disappointment next to him. "I get to stick around, and my next opponent goes and scampers off before I can fight her. Typical."

"Eh, can't be helped, Spiky." Harbinger shifted into its compact form and was affixed to its wielder's back. "Not every Servant's a crazy psycho willing to pick a fight with every Servant around at once. No offense."

"None taken." The nodachi returned to its sheathe as well.

"And even if they are, a smart Master wouldn't just throw a Servant that good into the slaughter." His eyes sharpened as he thought about the circumstances of Assassin's death, then he shrugged. "But hey, you're part of our crew now, and with Kandy Bar calling the shots," he casually sauntered over to the Gordius Wheel, where Rider smiled at him, "you'll be in for one wild time. Speaking of which…"

Thwack!

"Ow!" Rider rubbed the back of his head and returned the glare Saber X was giving him.

"That was for that bone-dead stupid stunt you pulled at the yard! Dropping in the middle of four Servants trying to kill each other and telling them, 'Hey, sign up today for world conquest under my command, all you gotta do is give up your chances on the Holy Grail granting your wish, we've got snacks!' How the hell did you think that was gonna go?!"

"I don't recall offering snacks."

"So not the point!" Waver would've nodded in approval at the tongue-lashing, befitting a proper Master… if he weren't this close to keeling over.

Rider scratched where he'd been clipped one more time, then shrugged in good humor. "Come now, my friend, though my entrance was brazen, it did work out for us in the long run. For one," he spoke over his partner's protests, "my call drew ever more Servants for us to see and in some cases test. Saber. Assassin X. Rider X. Both Archers. Berserker. Caster X. Lancer and Lancer X courtesy of this brief bout. Now we have a far better understanding of what most of our adversaries are capable of.

"Moreover," he lifted his hand towards Berserker X standing by in boredom, "we've acquired a powerful new comrade to our campaign. Therefore, I consider our night exceedingly profitable." The King of Conquerors' smile grew. "And from here on, this War shall grow ever more exciting! Just imagine how many challenges await us!"

"Oh, I can," Berserker X with a bestial grin answered before Saber X. "It's why I agreed to your crazy idea." The Huntsman just sighed in defeat; Great, there's two of them now.

"I… don't want… to…" Waver wheezed out, drawing the trio's attention. He had practically collapsed onto the chariot, every part of his body struggling to move.

This wasn't due to physical fatigue, though. Rather, his Magic Circuits were practically working in overdrive to fuel now three Servants, one of which had been running on empty. And that one's stores were massive. It was a blessing for Waver Velvet that the mana cost for each Servant in this War was half that under regular circumstances, otherwise he'd be a pile of beef jerky by now.

Even so, replenishing Berserker X's supply was like trying to fill an Olympia swimming pool with a pitcher of water. Well, he thought wearily, this explains how he was able to last this long without a Servant. Heck, with Mad Enhancement as low as his, he might even have the sense to stay in spirit form, moderate his consumption a bit.

Thank heaven for small blessings.

Still, nigh-unconscious Master, exasperated Servant of the Sword. "Okay, let's just go," Saber X finally grumbled, nonchalantly booting the now-useless severed hand under the hoof of one bull from the Wheel. It was reduced to a blood splatter with a satisfying crunch. "We've done all we wanted."

"Indeed," Rider glanced around the group, focusing on his Noble Phantasm for a moment, then sighed. He casually stepped off the carriage and picked Waver off it as well. The Gordius Wheel faded away a second later. "In respect for your battle in keeping us all in this world, boy, I'll try not to burn through your mana any more than necessary."

Waver relaxed a bit at that; sure enough, he had much less of a strain now that the massive construct wasn't on the physical plane. His Servant suddenly being more considerate replenished his strength…

Then Rider slung him over his shoulder so that the young boy's rump was sticking up. And there goes my dignity again…

"Well, then, time to return to our quarters," Rider proclaimed while spinning around, not noticing how his Master's stomach did loop-the-loops with the motion. He thrust his free fist in the air. "Let us rest and celebrate the newest addition to our army!"

Berserker X eyed Saber X, who just gave a weary shrug in return. "I could use a drink…" The grey-shirted man withdrew his trusty flask and took more than just a quick nip. Regardless, the three Servants began to walk towards the Mackenzie residence. Ironically, it was the Saber that had the best sense of direction, not the Rider.

And he was still knocking back his flask.

"As could I," Rider agreed. Then his gaze turned to the newcomer with a thoughtful glint. "Come to think of it, you've yet to share your name with us, my friend." He drew a wine bottle from his cloak and pulled the cork out with his teeth before offering it to the slightly shorter Servant. "Tell us over a good drink."

Berserker X took the bottle with a laugh and drew a gulp from it. "Not half-bad," he commented. "And for the record, king, it's Kenpachi." His smile shifted slightly. "Kenpachi Zaraki."

"A fine, fearsome name! Fitting for you, my friend."

Waver must've been more out of than it than he thought. There's no way the Berserker's parameters suddenly jumped up a rank… right?

What… the hell… was I… thinking?

Tokiomi sighed in slight irritation as he opened his turquoise eyes to deactivate shared perception. Lancer X had teleported a short distance away from the group and dematerialized. She would be back at the mansion shortly. At least she can follow orders properly…

He knew he couldn't fault her for this failed execution; even with her Double Summon abilities, the chances of slipping past three Servants and taking that boy's head had been a long shot. Especially with them being clustered that close together.

Still, it had been too good an opportunity to pass up. Berserker X had been so close to fading away, and if the child had perished, two more adversaries, powerful ones no less, would have also been eliminated. Saber X, an unconventional yet obviously capable warrior, as he'd now witnessed through Lancer X's eyes…

And Iskandar, the King of Conquerors himself. The man who had once led a path of conquest for Macedonia that was twice the size of the Roman Empire centuries later. To think such a renowned Servant would take part as Rider in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

Tokiomi got up from his seat and walked across the bookshelves of his workshop. The enemy's stats Clairvoyance revealed to him had all been quite according to expectations, yet a number of things bothered him. For one, uncertain details about Saber X: E- for Luck? Independent Action and Shapeshift as Skills for a Saber? And what precisely was Aura? And then Rider. There was something about him, like that massive chariot wasn't his only weapon. Could it be he possessed another Noble Phantasm? One even greater?

The Tohsaka Master stopped in front of one shelf to pick up a certain book. Berserker X: his stats had been disturbingly high, considering Mad Enhancement was E-rank. The Mana Burst Skill accounted for the massive energy surges, Battle Continuation was a given for that savage, Divinity was a bit surprising but of unremarkable rank. Yet one other Skill troubled him. He flicked through the pages of the Indian book-

There. His eyes narrowed at a particular segment over a hero of the Mahabharata. Uncrowned Martial Arts… not a very common Skill, as Heroic Spirits who possessed it had stories of a somewhat controversial nature. Simply put, those whose abilities were not acknowledged by others in life had certain parts of their stats appearing lower than they actually were. And the effect of this Skill varied for each carrier. The only way to be absolutely sure of Berserker X's true abilities was to know his True Name.

Except he's not from this world. Tokiomi closed the book a bit more forcefully than he'd have liked. This War was proving to be more of a handful than he'd hoped for. Blast that Rider X. First, he needlessly provokes Archer, then when he finally engages in combat, he leaves his opponent in a state of near death, only for another Master to bring him back from the brink. He replaced the book at its spot and turned around to the main table. His fingers drummed a rhythm against the wooden surface while he thought. If only Gilgamesh had gone with Lancer X. All three Servants could've been wiped out in one fell swoop!

The magus' fist clenched, knuckles rapping against the table, then relaxed again as he drew in a long breath and released it. Calm down, he told himself. Remember, a Tohsaka always retains control. Always elegant. Reciting the family code always helped to quell any frustrations.

Tokiomi stroked his goatee in thought; he was still very much ahead in the game. True, the Servants had proven themselves more unpredictable than he had anticipated. But in the case of Rider, Saber X, and Berserker X, that combined might would be a heavy burden for a Master even with the reduced cost of mana for this War. And their Master was a mere student that must've impulsively jumped headfirst into the Grail War. Mediocre Magic Circuits, basic magecraft, no noteworthy magus lineage; he could tell that much with a glance. Keeping all three at full strength would burn the boy out before long.

And even if that weren't the case, I still have the King of Heroes at my command. Despite his reckless usage of the Gate of Babylon, the only Servant that really stood a chance against Gilgamesh had been that Berserker. And he had then pounced upon Saber and Assassin X. So, he would let the black knight throw himself at the duo, where they would likely tear each other apart. And then Lancer X and Archer could pulverize the rest.

Rider X had his uses in drawing attention and weakening the enemy, but as soon as the metal brute was no longer needed, he would have Lancer X reduce him to scrap. Tokiomi couldn't help but let out a small chuckle; To think the Servant I hadn't planned for proves to be the most reliable of all. Fate has a strange sense of humor.

Either way, this War was still well within Tohsaka's control. And the Root ever within reach.

-150:36:58

Tires screeched across the western highway as a luxurious car sped down its length. The silver Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe rounded the corners with utter grace and just a little more speed than absolutely necessary. Considering it was going over 100 km per hour, the handling was quite impressive, befitting that of a Servant's A-rank Riding Skill.

"See? See? This beauty goes pretty fast!"

Said Servant, dressed once again in her black suit, was actually sitting in the passenger's seat, though, one hand tightly gripping the handlebar, the other arm wrapped around two petrified doggies. "Y-yes," Saber said with a stiff smile towards the driver, "you are… more skilled… at driving… than I would have expected…" Her furry companions whimpered in agreement even as her stomach shifted from yet another close turn.

As per the plan, Saber and Irisviel made to head for the Einzbern residence in Fuyuki after the first battle. Kiritsugu had instructed two of Assassin X's hounds to accompany the female pair as an extra precaution: their noses could serve as additional detection systems, and they'd been trained for combat as well as for tracking. Both he and Assassin X left it up to the pack which two it would be, and Irisviel and Saber would've been happy with any outcome, so Pakkun and Guruko came out on top in an impromptu Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament.

Artoria still marveled over how dexterous their paws were.

The two triumphant hounds quickly came to regret their triumph, their eyes glued to Irisviel von Einzbern's blissful smile as she spun the steering wheel this way and that. It would haunt their dreams for weeks to come.

"I know, right?" Irisviel giggled in joy, reaching over to scratch Pakkun's shivering head. "Believe it or not-"

"Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, please!"

"Oh, right, thanks, Guruko!" She giggled while following the terrified dog's instructions, much to the relief of her passengers. "Kiritsugu keeps stressing those parts to me, even after all we've practiced together." With good reason, Saber thought, tightening her embrace on the fluffy duo. So fluffy… "But of all the toys he's gotten for me, this one's my favorite!"

"Not sure I'd call this thing a toy…" Pakkun whimpered, burrowing into Saber's belly. The Servant agreed oh so much…

Their driver didn't notice. "Back at the castle, I could only drive around in circles, but here, I've got so much room!" Irisviel squealed in delight, gears grinding when she throttled the stick. "This is amazing!"

Her passengers begged to differ. Kiritsugu Emiya, Servant and dog thought alike with yet another jerk, for teaching this woman how to drive… you are more frightening than I thought.

Then Guruko noticed something. "Uh… Irisviel… Weren't you driving on the left side?"

"Ah, right." The resulting side correction made Pakkun slip out of Saber's protective embrace and slam face-first into the windshield with a yelp. "Now, now, no playing around, Pakkun," Irisviel faux-scolded with a giggle, "Kiritsugu always stressed no distracting the driver."

"Very prudent advice…" Saber quickly scooped up the red-nosed pug and snagged him and his colleague under her seatbelt for added safety. She took a moment to enjoy their thankyou snuggles against her stomach before trepidation returned. Trepidation of being driven about by a woman who was obviously more interested in having as much fun with the car as possible than in abiding by traffic laws that existed for A BLOODY REASON-

BONK!

This time, it was Saber's cranium that met glass from a sharp turn. Praying to the Holy Father that her "Master" wouldn't notice the hairline cracks in the window from the impact, she quickly asked, "So, how much longer until we reach the castle?"

"About another hour or so at this rate," Irisviel answered with a twirl of the wheel that sent everyone else's stomachs spinning. "It ought to be visible when we're close enough."

"The sooner, the better…" Pakkun whined. To think he'd been looking forward to more time with the white-haired woman. I enjoy cuddles as much as the next dog, sue me!

But huddling in a car that was speeding along a highway consisting solely of winding turns and the one he'd expected to cuddle him taking every opportunity to transform this vehicle of luxury into a vehicle of daredevil stunts (and a goddamn hearse if they ran out of luck)?

That wasn't so enjoyable.

"C-couldn't we have hired a professional?" Pakkun asked tentatively. "You know, more relaxing, practical, safer…"

"Oh, no, that would be bor-I mean, dangerous!" Irisviel quickly corrected herself (not quickly enough that the others didn't figure what she'd really meant). "The Masters could attack us at any moment, Pakkun. We can't drag bystanders into this."

"…I guess that's true…" Despite her conceding, Saber wasn't quite sure if she'd prefer an enemy attack to Irisviel's driving. Judging by the renewed shuffling in her lap, her fluffy allies agreed. She just had to stroke them to keep her-them calm. So… fluffy…

A second later, they'd regretted their preference.

A cold feeling prickled against Saber, making her stiffen. "Stop the car!" Not waiting for her friend to comply, she quickly grabbed hold of the wheel and put her foot against the brake, forcing the Mercedes-Benz to a screeching but graceful stop. Saber took no time to appreciate her Riding Skill; the source behind her unease stood on the road in front. "Pakkun, Guruko," she said in a stolid tone, "stay with Irisviel at all times." They both barked in confirmation.

"Saber-"

"Irisviel, get out of the car when I do, but keep close to us."

"…I understand." Irisviel regained her calm as well; she had grasped the situation. "That presence…" she eyed the flamboyant robes, the huge eyes, the wide smile. "Another Servant." And not a reassuring one, she added to herself.

The doors opened and the occupants collectively stepped out before walking in front of the headlights. They all looked towards the odd Servant before them with caution. We already encountered nine of the other Servants, Saber thought, taking in the purple and red clothes and the decidedly unnervingly pale skin, and Assassin was watching. Assassin X told me about him and Lancer X; this one appears male and not suited for physical combat, so he couldn't be Lancer X, and he doesn't quite seem like Assassin. That must mean he's the Caster of this world.

Technically, that was good; they had a better chance of discerning his identity. So why did she not like that odd stare he was giving her?

Caster moved. They tensed collectively but stopped as he bowed his head towards Saber. "I've waited for you," he mumbled deferentially into his bow, "O Majesty, O Holy Maiden."

"…What?" Saber asked.

Irisviel almost took her gaze away from the strange Servant before reminding herself that was likely a very bad idea. She restrained herself to asking, "Saber, do you know him?"

"No," Saber answered immediately, "I've never encountered him before." It was true; this man had never appeared in her kingdom when she'd lived, she was sure of it. And she'd never seen anyone like him in her travels. Besides, Holy Maiden? Artoria had spent her entire time as King under the guise as a boy. Even the stories knew not of her true gender.

Caster lifted his head to look in great pain. "Oh, how could you say that? Don't you remember my face?" Surely his dear Jeanne wouldn't have forgotten all the joy they had together, all those wonderful times she'd graced his eyes with her blessed fingers….

"Remember?" Saber stepped closer, but her image of him didn't change. "This is the first time we've ever met, I'm quite sure." She made an effort to sound cordial. "Perhaps there has been a mistake."

Caster gripped his hair, shaking at the words. Mistake? First time? Delight gave way to anguish, but he tried again. "You know me! Gilles de Rais! Your loyal servant!" He cupped his hands in front like he was awaiting a miracle. "I never stopped praying for your return, waiting for that fateful day when we would be reunited! I came here, to the ends of time itself, for this, Jeanne!"

Irisviel blinked in thought. "Jeanne…? Gilles de Rais?" Had she heard either of those names before…? Another Servant so quick to reveal their True Name, one of this world no less?

Beneath her, Guruko and Pakkun stayed ever at the ready, their snouts scrunched up. They could smell the crazy on this guy.

Saber coolly answered, "I do not have this name, nor have I ever met anyone named Jeanne."

"What…?" Gilles wheezed out, more hurt than when that Berserker brute had assaulted him and his Master. "Don't tell me…" he slumped, "you've forgotten who you were in life?"

Annoyance began to grow in Saber, but she kept a neutral voice. "As you've given me your name, so shall I as is creed of a knight. My name is Artoria. I am heir to Uther Pendragon and King of Britain. I now stand as Saber in the Holy Grail War." The hounds beneath her shifted uncomfortably at her so quickly revealing her identity, especially to this nutcase.

But it looked like he'd stopped paying attention to her words. "No, NO!" He shrieked in agony. "The tragedy, the pain! Her memories are lost, her mind is clouded…" he fell to his knees as his audience exchanged looks (Guruko lifted a paw and made circling motions next to his head). "Damn you…

"Damn you!" Caster's fist struck the asphalt, cracking it. Even as a weak Servant, he was still stronger than if he'd been an ordinary man. "How could God inflict such torture upon the radiant maiden of mine?!" He continued to pound the road in his fury.

"Okay, buddy," he paused in utter bewilderment and fury as the little dog by his maiden's feet stepped forward and spoke to him. "Cut it out with the crazy routine! She said she doesn't know you, she's not your girl, tough luck!" Pakkun bared his teeth at the Servant. "Now get lost!"

"What a strange creature…" Bluebeard mumbled. A talking dog? Dogs could not speak, that was insane. Not… unless…

"YOU!" A long finger jabbed towards Pakkun, the abruptness making him step back a bit. "What sort of devilry are you?! A spawn of evil sent by that wretched God, to corrupt my blessed maid?" His teeth gnashed together while he loomed over the creature. "I should have known… this beast is another piece of his unholy work!"

Guruko sprung next to his pack-brother, growling at the crazy man. "Watch who you call unholy, Bugeyes! Beat it already and go look in the mirror! We've got better things to do."

Irisviel and Saber marveled at how their companions had shifted. Gone were the scared doggies huddling against Artoria's chest, and in their place stood hunting hounds. Hunched over, fangs bared, not a trace of fear in their eyes.

Unfortunately, it just riled up Caster even more. "Another beast?! Of course… No single little devil could ever be enough to bewitch dear Jeanne's pure mind." His left hand reared back as though to strike them. "I shall wipe this world clean of you devils and bring her back into the light!" The hand lashed down towards them, but Guruko was faster. He bit hard into the wrist, drawing blood and a cry from Caster. Then Pakkun sprung up to try to bite his pale cheek. Caster stumbled away, thrashing, while both hounds retreated out of reach.

The mad Servant glared with fresh hatred towards the furry wretches. "A quick death is a kindness you foul miscreants do not deserve! I see that in order to combat such vile things I must use vileness in turn!" He went for his Spellbook-

Then a barely visible blade flashed in front of his face. An armored, glaring Saber stood between him and the awestruck dogs. "You will not harm a single hair on either of their heads," she warned in restrained anger.

Caster let his arms fall to his side. That commanding presence, that holy fire in her eyes… it was every bit that of the one he had followed. "You always strove to protect the little ones, oh Jeanne," he muttered with a sad smile before steeling himself. "But those beasts must be vanquished! Can you not see how they befoul your mind-"

"These hounds are not corrupting me," Saber cut through his nonsense, "they stand by my side as allies. An attack on them is an attack on me." Besides, she'd grown to like the pack.

The hounds growled in agreement. An ally of Kakashi was an ally of theirs. Plus, they liked Saber. And Irisviel, despite her driving skills.

While the madman sputtered in disgust at her words, Irisviel sighed in resignation behind her protectors. She'd finally remembered the Hundred-Year War, the story of Jeanne d'Arc, this world's most famous female saint… and of the noble that had stood by her the entire time.

Gilles de Rais. Once Marshall of France, later known and feared as Bluebeard. The Demon Marshall. Now he kneeled before them, pleading. "Enough of this! You are Jeanne, break free of these cretins' machinations!" He reached for her, only to pull his hand back.

Pakkun snapped his jaws. "Do we need to put it in song for you, Fishface?! Saber ain't-"

"Saber, boys, there's no point trying to reason with him." The trio spared a quick glance at the homunculus' saddened face. "He's too wrapped in his trauma that he clings to fantasy."

"Fantasy, dear lady?" Caster chuckled darkly. "There's no longer need for my precious Jeanne to call herself Saber, for the shackles of a Servant no longer bind her!" Bluebeard spread his arms in delight. "The Holy Grail War has ended!"

The dogs traded a look of fresh confusion before one said in exasperation. "Uhhh… last I checked, there are other Servants running around…"

"Indeed," Irisviel agreed with Guruko, keeping her red eyes locked on the deranged "Heroic" Spirit. "General de Rais, if the Grail War were over, why would Servants such as yourself be present? What of the Grail?" She had intentionally addressed him by his original rank as a test. Perhaps a reminder of who he was may loosen his madness, she considered.

No such luck. "Ah, but I have won this War, even if the rest have yet to realize!" Mental Pollution had entrapped his thoughts thoroughly. Nothing anyone said could change his mind. Not noticing how "his" Jeanne began to shiver, he continued. "All I could've wished for has come true: Jeanne d'Arc lives again! The Grail has granted my wis-"

The street in front of him was split violently apart. Saber held her veiled sword right in front of Caster's nose. "Insult the wishes of my fellow Heroic Spirits again," the King of Knights warned him coldly, "and I will run you through right now." She jerked her eyes upward. "On your feet. If you want your wish granted so badly, Caster, then fight! I shall be your first opponent!"

He gazed at her resolute, furious form in sadness. "None of my words can sway you, then." He turned to glare at the growling canines on either side of his prize. "Just how deep have those accursed hellspawns locked your heart away?"

Caster sighed but stood up nonetheless. Saber, Pakkun, Guruko, and Irisviel braced themselves, yet he simply spoke. "I shall prepare a more forceful approach then. It pains me, but this is for your own good, Jeanne."

Before assuming spirit form, Caster's final words with a bow were, "I promise you, Jeanne, I shall release your soul from the trappings of God." A smile that would've been reassuring, were it not saturated in lunacy. Then only purple dust was left.

Saber relaxed only minutely while Irisviel sighed as she leaned against the car's front, mumbling, "Unreasonable people are always so exhausting to deal with." She glanced down to her compatriots. "Is he really gone?"

Pakkun sniffed experimentally the air. "…Yup, he's scampered off." He scrunched up his snout. "And now I've got his stink clogging up my sinuses. What about you, Guru?"

"…Same…" the whiskered dog squinted even more than usual out towards the trees. It was faint, but…

The dog then melted under the stroking of sweet soft fingers. A delighted whine escaped him while Pakkun rolled onto his back, legs twitching. Irisviel giggled in delight at the pair's antics as she scratched the pug's belly. "Oh, how you two can look so ferocious one second and be so utterly cute the next…" They barked their thanks. This is what they'd hoped for.

Saber spared a moment to smile at her friend's playing around with them (she agreed fully with Irisviel's assessment), but she grew serious again upon considering Caster. He may have shared the class with the Servant that had saved Assassin X a few hours ago, but the difference was like night and day. Caster X had exuded the presence of a wise, benevolent wizard worthy of respect; this Caster stank of foul actions and deranged magic.

Her decision was clear. "Next time I see him, I'll cut him down before he has a chance to speak." She paused in thought while changing back into her suit. "Then again, I was probably lucky he chose to withdraw."

"You think so?" Irisviel asked as she stood up, cradling two half-attentive, half-blissful doggies. She knew Sabers tended to have superb Magic Resistance, so this level of caution intrigued her. A Caster ought to be at a natural disadvantage with that factor, right?

But Saber nodded bitterly. "There's something off about him." She looked down at the bloody bandages on her left forearm. "I don't need Assassin X's savvy to know I'd rather not take any chances with my left hand sealed."

That made sense to the homunculus, and she quickly comprehended what the next part of their strategy would have to be: defeating Lancer to erase Saber's cursed wound (There was an alternative, but Saber had argued against it for now). Irisviel knew Saber approved of the Celtic spearman as an adversary and was eager to face him again in a duel. But she knew her husband well. Kiritsugu always said that a problem should be solved as efficiently as possible. Assassin X seemed to be a good buffer between his Master and fellow Servant, but…

She stepped away from such thoughts, focusing instead on the cuddly balls of fur in her arms. "Either way, we won't get much done in the middle of the road. Let's head to the mansion now." She walked with a slight skip in her step (not noticing how the hounds and Saber froze up) to the driver's seat-

Before two smiling doggy faces popped up in front of her face. "H-hey, here's a thought, Irisviel," Guruko stammered quickly, licking her nose that made her giggle, "you oughta to be tired from all the driving and encountering that whackjob."

"Yeah, yeah!" Pakkun nodded eagerly, nuzzling his head into her white hair. "Why don't you let Saber drive us the rest of the way while you just sit back, relax," he patted her cheek with his blessed pink paw, his secret weapon, "and snuggle with us?" A quick pleading look…

…And Saber got the message, briskly stepping next to the woman enamored by the dogs with a somewhat tight smile. "That sounds like an excellent idea, you two. Rest assured, I can handle the rest of the way." For a brief moment, three souls had hope for a safer drive.

"Why, thank you, Saber, this all sounds delightful!"

The spark of hope became a warm campfire…

"But don't worry about me, I can get us there in no time!"

Before a splash of water drenched it.

Irisivel beamed back at the frozen Servant, cradling two now still dogs. "You've already done so much tonight, Saber, it'd be wrong for me to expect you to drive for us too. This much, I can handle." The last thing she wanted was to be a burden for the fine team Kiritsugu had assembled.

"It's… no trouble… at all…"

"Nonsense, Saber!" Irisviel happily waved her off. She then squeezed Guruko and Pakkun before giving them each one peck on the snout. Something they'd have enjoyed more if they weren't terrified beyond belief.

And her next sentence didn't help. "Besides, I'm so good at driving that I can do it while snuggling with the both of you!" With that, she made to hop into her beloved toy. Both canines shot Saber a look of utter horror before they were pulled into the car.

The smile of Artoria Pendragon, courageous King of Knights, had remained stiff in place. But she did not by any means drag herself back to the passenger side and slump into her seat, oh no. Such behavior was unfitting for one of her prestige, after all.

And her current thoughts most certainly weren't, Maybe I should've taken my chances with Caster.

Further away, two of the Hundred Faces perched amidst the trees, witnessing all that had transpired. "I think one of those curs almost sniffed us out," one with a purple mohawk and bare chest muttered. "They could be trouble."

"Oh, forget the dogs," another with more robes and wavy hair replied. "We just had an unexpected spot of luck while tailing Saber's Master. You keep tracking the vehicle." Wood creaked underneath that one's feet. "I'll report back to the Master." Then both Assassins leaped off.

-149:46:43

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald gazed out the window of his penthouse at the Shinto district. The Hyatt hotel was in the center of Fuyuki's more modernized area, though said modernizing had only been in recent years. Redeveloping their city, he had heard how the politicians here had explained their ideas. Shinto, once practically a wasteland, was a symbol of progress in the making.

It disgusted Kayneth. There wasn't any sense of traditionalism anywhere he looked, and he was in the top floor of the tallest building in Shinto. No older houses, no symbols of Japanese history or culture. They had simply taken other countries' idea of modern living and crammed it into this small spot of land. If anything, Shinto was a symbol of people scrambling to get with the times while abandoning their old values. For an esteemed magus like himself, Kayneth considered such "progress" complete idiocy.

Bloodlines passed on and strengthened, solid foundations for future legacies, the past guiding the future; that was how the world was built.

"…We interrupt this program for special news." The television was on, showing an announcer with the headline, "UNEXPLAINED EXPLOSION" underneath. "An explosion of unknown origins occurred only a few hours ago by the warehouses of Fuyuki City's coast. Authorities have yet to give an explanation, but as we go live to the scene-" Kayneth scoffed as he walked over to the stand, picked up the remote control (an admittedly clever device) and turned off the machine. Credit where credit is due, the Church worked fast. No half hour after he deactivated his Bounded Field did the cover-up operations commence. Quality work.

A shame he couldn't say the same of the two Servants in the room. Lancer knelt respectfully before his Master with his head bowed, befitting a knight of old. Archer X stood tall, arms crossed before her. Her disrespect effectively cancelled out Lancer's respect.

Sitting down in his chair, Kayneth looked at the pair in disapproval. "Both of you will answer my question," he said: "What do you plan to do?"

"Win," Archer X said immediately, "by any means necessary." At least she had ceased to disguise her voice; that artificial garble had been giving Kayneth a migraine.

Lancer though showed more caution. "What do you mean, my lord?" he asked.

"Allow me to elaborate," Kayneth began in the tone he would use in a classroom, when teaching the ways of Thaumaturgy to young minds, "you, Lancer, were summoned alongside Archer X," he barely kept himself from sneering the other Servant's name out, "by me so you could use all of the power the two of you possess in order to win Heaven's Feel. Correct?"

Lancer answered, "Yes, my lord."

Archer X just grunted in reply. When both Master and Servant shot her looks, she grumbled, "Yes, your Lordship."

Kayneth's eye twitched at the snark, but he continued. "Then why is it that neither of you finished off a single Servant tonight?" He noticed the black Servant's fist clenching but was unyielding. "Both Sabers, Assassin X, and Berserker X. Four Servants directly engaged in combat, multiple chances to kill any one of them, Berserker X exhausted from an earlier battle and lacking a Master, yet none of them have fallen. And worst of all, I wasted two Command Seals for nothing."

Archer X snarled. "You didn't even have to use those Seals in the first-"

"Silence!" Lord El-Melloi barked like when he had to shut up unruly students. "After all I've heard of the Knight of Fianna and his artistry with twin spears and your claims of 'firepower in spades,' you have nothing but injuries to show for your performance tonight. Injuries, Archer X, that I had to spend a full twenty minutes treating in your case. Was playing around with your opponents so much fun you forgot your responsibility?"

That was the last straw for one Servant. "Fun?" Archer X pointed out the window. "You think I had fun tonight, jumping after some masked kook while Lancer got to dance around with Saber? You think it was a blast almost getting chopped in half by that little bitch's magic sword, Master? You think I wanted to get ground into mincemeat by a crazy Rider?" Though she was back at full health, her bones still ached from those damn bulls.

Kayneth's fist slammed down on the armrest, barely shutting her up. The prodigy magus' green eyes blazed with fury while his tone grew clipped. "Mind your tone, familiar. Do not make me regret restoring your body any more than I do already. Moreover, you dare to deceive me? The one that brought you into this world? The one you swore servitude to?"

Archer X wouldn't back down. "You were convinced I was a guy, and I didn't see any reason to correct you. Me being a woman doesn't make any difference combat-wise." She scoffed underneath her helmet. "Not my fault you boys are too macho to tell the difference."

He was beyond livid now, but she didn't give a damn. Tex was on a roll. "Oh right, wanna talk more about your screwups? I warn you that there are others rooting about in the docks, but you just stand around, watching and yelling at us! Then you almost give away your position to intimidate some dropout from your class, but the other Servants make a laughingstock out of you! Heck, the way I understand, that red fatass was the Servant you really wanted, but the twerp got to him before you did, which is just path-"

"That's enough, Archer X!" Lancer finally spoke, glaring up at his partner. The visor bore down on him, but he didn't waver. He kept his voice calm and dignified. "We underestimated our adversaries. Saber and Assassin X were formidable alone, more so as a team. Saber X, despite his demeanor, proved worthy of his class. Berserker X was a powerful beast. Mistakes were made, and we failed together, Archer X."

Even as her fists balled, the knight bowed again his head to his Master. "I do not make excuses for our failure, my lord. But I assure you on my honor as a knight that the heads of those four Servants shall be brought to you."

"You do not need to make assurances you've already made, Lancer!" The ninth patriarch of the Archibald family had been lauded as a brilliant prodigy in his youth. He had tasted exclusively success and admiration throughout his life. Thus, he was not accustomed to failure or derision. Experiencing both hampered his ability to reason. "And four? You already swore to bring me the Grail, so, it's logical that you and Archer X would crush the other twelve Servants in my name. But now you speak of only defeating four?! Just how foolish are you?!"

Beneath her helmet, Archer X's temper boiled as she made to say, no, shout something-

"Aren't you being foolish yourself here, Lord El-Melloi?" A new female voice cut in before she could. Good thing, too; the alternative would've been… educational.

Master and Servants alike turned as a certain woman, red-haired and elegantly dressed, sauntered into the room. "Sola-Ui," Kayneth addressed his fiancée, making an effort to suppress the anger in his voice. She could never be the recipient for it, after all.

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri gave the man to whom her family had betrothed her a cool eye. "Lancer performed admirably." She briefly flashed the kneeling Servant a grateful look, then glanced up at a cough before adding, "And Archer X held her own, too. You're misjudging the situation."

"How so?"

"Sending a venerable knight with Command Seal to end some mad dog's life? Archer X alone would've sufficed in finishing that beast off, and Lancer could've kept the rest easily at bay."

"Lancer alone would not have been able to combat against so many Servants," Kayneth argued with much less power than before. "Saber and Assassin X in particular are a dangerous pair. I read their stats and saw what they could do. And what I saw was a mere fraction of their full abilities, I'm sure of it. Leaving them alive is a risk."

Sola-Ui sniffed in disappointment. "Saber was injured with Gáe Buidhe, remember? While both of your Servants are back to full strength, Assassin X has a partner with a wound that cannot be healed. And for that matter, Assassin X's tricks are derived from magic, meaning Gáe Daerg is a natural counter. Lancer could crush them with ease any time he wanted."

Archer X's eyebrow twitched even if no one saw it. Much as she was enjoying the stick-up prick squirm, she did not appreciate how the girl spoke of her, especially when she was more invested in praising Lancer. What, does she think I'm worth less than Pretty Boy?

"Besides," Sola-Ui continued, "if those two are as dangerous as you say, why didn't you simply confront their Master? The Einzbern woman was standing out in the open. While the Servants was engaging each other, you could've challenged her to combat and ended the situation there. But instead, you hid and watched. How sad."

"Archer X warned me there were gunmen present. Stepping out into the open would've been a risk." It was a weak excuse and Kayneth knew it.

And all it earned was a derisive laugh. "You once claimed to my father that no magic-less army could stand before your magecraft. Was that mere empty boasting?" She began to saunter around the living room, continuing to speak. "No… you're a prodigy of the truest sense of the word, yes? How else could you succeed in securing a distinct advantage over the other Masters? Tampering with the standard Master-Servant contract." Sola-Ui was behind him now. "A mark of brilliance."

Archer X tilted her head. Right, she had sensed that irregularity between her contract: while the smug jackass had the Command Seals, it was the red-haired chick that was supplying mana to her and Lancer. The role of Master divided among two magi. I'd almost give Archibald kudos for coming up with that loophole. Almost.

"…I know." Kayneth grumbled. Besides, it wasn't like he'd put that advantage to use yet.

Sola-Ui agreed. "Then why didn't you make the most out of our arrangement? With me keeping Lancer and the other at full strength, you would be able to engage in combat without trouble. You can certainly afford to be a bit more proactive yourself."

Kayneth attempted to salvage his dignity. "This is still the early days of the War. I can't be reckless-"

"Oh, sure, but we Servants can just run guns blazing into the slaughter, huh?" He glared at the armored Servant, defiance apparent in her posture.

"My thoughts exactly," Sola-Ui concurred. Truth be told, she didn't really care for Archer X, though. Her defense (and maybe something more) was for another. "Instead of demanding immediate results from Lancer, Kayneth, you should consider your own-"

"Miss Sola." Lancer interrupted her with firm words. "That is quite enough."

Everyone looked toward the kneeling knight in shock. His partner finally asked, "…Do you not get that she is defending you?" More than she is me, no less…

"Be that as it may, I cannot stand by as a knight and watch my lord be humiliated. Please stop. Both of you." Lancer straightened up, firm and unwavering.

And just like that, the derision of the female magus evaporated, leaving behind a shameful expression. "I-I didn't mean…" she meekly stepped next to her betrothed. "My apologies. I went too far."

Yet her eyes continued to linger on Lancer's face…

Archer by contrast threw her hands up in frustration. "Unbelievable. If 'your lord' told you to go screw yourself with your own spears, you'd actually go and do it while saying sorry if your blood got on him, wouldn't you?" She turned away from her "team." "You know what, I don't even give a shit. And I don't need anyone to tell me I have to win this War. I've got a stake in this fight, too, you know!"

"Ah, yes, your wish for the Grail." Kayneth sneered, some of his confidence having returned. "Just what could it be that would make you so willful?"

"None of your damn business. Master." She then began to storm off, then glared at the arm Lancer had raised to halt her. "Do you have any dignity?" She growled down at him.

Lancer didn't back down. "Of course, I do. It is precisely what drives my actions." Those allur-stupid brown eyes glared back at her. "Need I remind you, we both swore an oath of loyalty to Kayneth El-Melloi. And I shall do everything, Archer X, to ensure we both uphold it." He lowered his arm. "You and I are allies, Archer X. Partners. If Saber and Assassin X can work so well together, then perhaps so can we."

Archer X's visor continued to meet his eyes, then it shook from side to side. "Go team," she scoffed. "Whatever." She brushed past him, though not as roughly as she usually would. "If you want to keep kissing his pompous shoes and call it loyalty, then be my guest, pretty boy. Just don't expect me to do the same just because we're on the same side." She then blurred away amidst black particles.

Kayneth fumed a bit at her antics. Were it not for him already expending of the familiar's Command Seals tonight, he'd have ordered her to stay put so he could properly discipline her. Not for the first time, he wondered what strange twist of fate had cursed him with such a tedious secondary Heroic Spirit. Her attitude, her uncivilized firearms, her Independent Action; all of it rankled him to no end. Of all the blasted Servants… I'd have even been satisfied with that foreign Assassin.

Sola-Ui actually shared similar thoughts with her fiancé. The black Servant was nobody impressive to her, merely a woman pretending to be a macho man. A little too successfully, in her opinion. Nothing like Lancer… Again, her gaze drifted towards the knight, along with a coy smile (something Kayneth noticed).

Diarmuid however watched her go with a weary heart. Her abrasive personality and dishonorable tactics left something to be desired, but she was a very capable warrior in her own right, and he sensed that she was a passionate, driven person. The knight couldn't help but wonder how it would be if they truly fought together. As a team.

Like Saber and Assassin X. Lancer sighed; the King of Knights had truly impressed him during their duel with her swordplay, chivalry and willpower. The masked man of another world had been an entertaining man and one of the most skilled adversaries he had ever encountered. He still remembered marveling at how Assassin X had sliced off the mad knight's arm with his hand coated in lightning, or when he first saw that legendary sword that could only belong to one Heroic Spirit.

But what intrigued him the most was their interactions. Of completely different worlds, the Servants couldn't have been partners for more than a few days, yet they were nearly in complete synch with one another tonight. Trading light-hearted comments, sharing information and tactics in the middle of battle, always keeping one eye and a helping hand out for each other… Though they were his enemies, Lancer admired their camaraderie.

He quietly sighed again, this time with a wistful tone. And perhaps a little envy. Could I have something like that with Archer X? A bond of trust, of friendship, knowing that I have her back and she mine no matter the opponent?

Another little something to look forward to in this Holy Grail War.

Archer X stomped angrily in spirit form down the halls. She had to move, she had to do something to get her mind off of… everything! This whole night had been one frustration after the next. And that smug, self-righteous bastard of a Master, telling her and Lancer off for trying to do their damn jobs! And then there was that snooty bitch looking down her nose at everyone except for Lancer. Girl's a total lovesick puppy for that dumbass, it's enough to give you cavities just watching.

But the biggest headache was Lancer. He was a damn good fighter, he had a brain, he was easy on the- Oh, cut it out! you're not a fucking hormone-crazy teenager like her!

Back on track. How could Lancer just kneel there and take those insults? Why didn't he stand up for himself? For crying out loud, that knight honor bullshit just makes him a whipping boy. I should just cut him loose and get as far away from those lovebirds as I can.

So why didn't she? Why was it that for all her fury right now, she knew that she was going to head back up to that damn penthouse and subject herself to more of El-Mellow's jabbering and Sophie-whatever's shrieking…

If it meant that she could talk with him again?

A shrill noise sounded through the hall, cutting through her thoughts, and for a brief instant, it was the most blissful sound in the world to the Freelancer.

Then her mind caught up with what the noise meant. Localized sound, people beginning to step out of their rooms in a hurry, though none of them noticed the hidden Servant: fire alarm.

'Archer X,' Lancer's voice suddenly echoed in her head, 'our lord has been informed that a fire has broken out on the lower floors.'

And in this hotel, where a Master of the Holy Grail War resided, that narrowed down the possibilities. 'Either a bunch of kids are playing a stupid prank,' Archer X replied to her partner even as she began to head for the stairs, 'or someone's here to pick a fight.'

No involving civilians in the Grail War's proceedings. That was an iron rule enforced by the church. Forcing the other tenants out of the building with a fire was unexpected, but it was technically still okay, she supposed. Although…

'Indeed. Our lord has just ordered me to head down so I can meet Saber's challenge. It has to be her, she'd want to release herself of her injury as quickly as possible. Our lord also expects you to redeem yourself in this next battle. His words, not mine,' he quickly added.

'Right.' Ignoring the burst of irritation, Archer X considered the battle conditions while travelling down the stairs. The fire didn't make sense. Fighting in a building instead of open ground increased the possibility of sneak attacks, particularly those of the ones familiar with the terrain. This hotel was home field for her side, especially with all those magical goodies Archibald had set up through most of the building. A headlong approach in these conditions was tactically the dumbest thing someone could do. Then again, I got to meet plenty of dumbasses in this War tonight.

But it still didn't feel right. Saber's Master, that weird albino woman, had the foresight to set up snipers and her second Servant, that sunnuvabitch Assassin, in the docks. Decent tactics, even Agent Texas could acknowledge that. So why would she have her top fighter march headlong into enemy territory now? The smarter move would be to- Oh, shit.

Checking to make sure nobody was around on the twentieth floor with her, Archer X solidified and activated the special features inside her helmet. She swept her scanning mode across everywhere she could see, even through the walls and floors. There! And -dammit- there, too! She broke out in a run for her target.

If she had given a damn about religion in life, Agent Texas would've prayed she'd make it in time.

Outside, nearly all of the other customers had gathered a safe distance from the Hyatt. Some adults merely sat around, others tended to their children. There was a certain anxiety among the people, though, confusion as to why a fire had broken out, worry that whatever stuff they'd left behind was at risk. Mostly, though, they just waited for when they'd get to go back in.

Meanwhile, hotel staff worked in a coordinated manner. Nearly all of their guests had been accounted for, but they couldn't relax yet. "Mr. Archibald!" One employee called out, rechecking the name on his clipboard's list. "Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald!" He searched the crowd for the owner of that name; he'd never seen the man personally, but he was apparently a very generous customer. "Are you present?"

"Yes." The staff member turned around to see a European man in luxurious blue garb and white gloves standing behind him. The man looked unflinchingly at him with his green eyes while he said, "I'm quite alright, and so is my wife, Sola-Ui."

The bellhop breathed a sigh in relief; something about those eyes relaxed him, and as he checked the list, he saw that the name was the last one. "Thank you, sir, and apologies for the inconvenience." He quickly crossed out the name like the rest and walked towards his colleagues. "Everyone's evacuated," he reported.

Another nodded. "Good." The employees spread out to coordinate the situation, while their guests continued to wait in anticipation for their return to a peaceful night. Thus, no one noticed as "Kayneth" calmly walked to the parking lot.

Nor did they notice when the man's appearance suddenly changed to that of a dark-suited man of Japanese heritage and empty dark eyes. An extra precaution alongside hypnotic suggestion. Kiritsugu Emiya pulled out a cellphone from his pocket and called a listed number. "All set," he said. "And you?"

High above in a half-constructed building opposite from the Hyatt, Maiya Hisau crouched by the edge, Steyr trained on the hotel. "Nothing irregular. I'm ready." She reported back.

The woman had been picked up (literally, to her minor chagrin) and brought to the Hyatt by a Shadow Clone of Assassin X as part of the next step. Two of those curious(ly adorable) dogs, Shiba and Ūhei, had confirmed her intel that El-Melloi was residing at that place, so with the clone's help, she infiltrated the building and placed C-4 explosives in target spots where no one would notice. That done, she had fallen back to her current position and let the clone disperse himself to notify the original. A useful ally indeed, she allowed herself to think of the unexpected Servant before focusing again on the penthouse.

Back in the parking lot, Kiritsugu took a drag from a fresh cigarette as Assassin X appeared next to him, leaning on a car. "Perimeter's clear for now," his Servant confirmed. "No sign of any others." He pushed up his headband and took a glance with his Sharingan at the Hyatt before whistling. "Quite the setup. Twenty-four out of thirty-two floors saturated in magecraft. Fighting in there would be a nasty experience, perhaps even for a Servant."

"Which is why it's best to level the playing field," Kiritsugu replied before dialing a new number into his phone. Assassin X replaced his headband and looked over to the civilians nearby. They ought to be out of range for the blast, and he was inwardly relieved that his Master had chosen to start the fire before to get them all out. It had surprised the Servant that he hadn't needed to argue for the civilians' safety in the first place; Kiritsugu had chosen this preparation by himself.

Then again, he had seemed rather disappointed with himself at the time. Probably thinking he's not ruthless enough for this, Kakashi mused but said nothing. This was still a pretty drastic method to get results, even if no innocents were involved. He's a little too comfortable with drastic measures, isn't he?

Regardless, it was too late to stop this now. Assassin X was culpable in this act of terrorism by way of his clone, no use trying to take the moral high ground. Kiritsugu hit the send button, and they waited…

and waited…

and waited…

and waited.

Kiritsugu tossed away his spent cigarette and frowned; it had been a full minute since he'd called the trigger for the bombs. Yet the Hyatt stood as before. He checked the number he'd dialed and pressed the send button again; nothing. A third press yielded the same result, or lack of: no sudden explosions, no eruption of smoke, no 150-meter-tall building collapsing on itself.

Kiritsugu checked again, but he knew this was the correct number. Could Maiya and Assassin X's clone have made an error in setting up the explosives? No. They're both too smart and too thorough for mistakes like this. So, why-

"The charges that were set…" he turned to Assassin X, gazing with both eyes up at the still-intact hotel, "…they were at sub-level and the sixteenth floor, right?"

Kiritsugu noted the resignation in his words and grew apprehensive. "…Yes. Those are the most optimal detonation points based on what I found on the blueprints. …Why?"

Assassin X sighed. "Because even with all the mana swirling around, I can see Archer X moving about on the sixteenth floor." He tried to put on a lighter tone, but it fell flat. "What do you suppose the odds are-"

"She figured out where the charges are and how to disarm them?" Kiritsugu finished with a grimace. "Since we're not looking at a pile of rubble, I'd say 'high.' Damn." He should've expected this. The black-armored female had displayed high proficiency with weaponry similar to modern firearms, understanding of guerilla tactics and calculating ruthlessness. It wouldn't hard for her to think like him. And just his luck, she was the partner of the Servant who'd hampered Saber's abilities.

Assassin X shared his thoughts, though was slightly perplexed about one detail. How did she manage to disable all of the bombs? They were carefully hidden among two separate floors, with a difference of sixteen floors high between them. Some kind of jamming field? Or did Lancer help? But bomb disposal isn't common knowledge, not for a knight of medieval times. And the Grail only provides basic knowledge of the world and time period, not something that complex. So how…?

He sighed again. Archer X likely had some tricks up her sleeve, just like every Servant in the War, but it was next to impossible to discern what hers were from this distance and with El-Melloi's overcharged Bounded Field. He reluctantly offered, "It would tax my reserves, but I do know one or two jutsu that could pulverize the entire building."

"No. I'm guessing that your methods, while immediate, wouldn't be covert. Lancer would come running for you in a heartbeat." A glance to his Master's disappointed face told him he'd come to the same conclusion: Like it or not, the Hyatt wasn't going down tonight.

Kiritsugu wasn't happy that two of his initial plans had failed in one night, but it couldn't be helped. He had to look forward. Redialing Maiya's number, he spoke after it connected. "Maiya, the plan failed. Withdraw for now."

All he received as an answer was gunfire. He turned with widened eyes, but Assassin X was already gone.

Archer X eyed the packet of C-4 in her hand. It looked small, but with all the others she had collected, it would've blown a small building into rubble. And in the spots they were placed, she considered with grudging respect, this stuff would've brought the entire hotel down.

Load-bearing walls and support structures both here and at the lowest part of the complex… Precision blasting was a delicate art, but very effective for demolition if done right. Whoever set this up was a pro. Hell, the fact they managed to slip into the hotel and set all of this up in the first place, right under her damn nose, put her on edge. If it hadn't been for the fire, she wouldn't have noticed in time. Even then, Archer had to use that to get to the charges below.

There is no way a mage like Archie or his soon-to-be trophy wife could pull off this kind of maneuver, they barely know how to work a phone. And whoever came up with all this, they know war. Real war, not this Holy Grail bullshit. Archer X thought back to that woman, Einzbern, that Saber and Assassin X had protected. She hadn't seemed like the type to come up with something this destructive. But maybe she's working with somebody who knows this kind of stuff. With… or for.

While she considered the possibilities, the nominative Servant of the Bow set down the explosive as carefully as possible next to the others she'd collected. Sure, they couldn't kill her, but it never hurt to have a little extra C-4. Precision blasting… not a bad idea, now that I think about it.

Not that she was going to tell her "team" about it. The lovebirds would probably sneer at something this un-magiclike and promptly blow themselves up with it, and funny though that would be to watch, she needed them to stay around. Independent Action would only keep Archer X in this world for two days tops, less that if she overdid it in a fight. So, keep the boom-boom away from the brats with silver spoons up their asses.

Lancer, though, maybe she should tell him… No, wouldn't do any good. Lancer's the kind of guy that prefers simple duels, not this kind of covert tactics. He'd be useless. Although, he's kind of smart. Maybe he could help m- No, No, I don't need his damn help, I'm still pissed at him, for fuck's sake! He's just a ho-stupid spear chucker, he wouldn't know what to do-

Once again, Archer X was grateful for an outside distraction from her thoughts. This one came in the form of something sharp piercing a window and hurtling for her helmet. The Servant caught it easily while materializing a handgun in her free hand and bolted for the broken window. Smashing it with one hit, she leaned out gun first. A shadow flitted upwards but too fast for her to get a proper bead on. A quick glance around confirmed no other targets.

Archer X slowly pulled herself back inside, keeping an eye out for any more trouble. No other Servants, no unknown magi or armed humans. The floor was empty save for her.

She glanced down at the projectile she'd caught and found it was a small black knife. Not a kunai like Assassin X used, but slightly cruder, more jagged at the blade. Old Middle Eastern, if she had to guess. Hold up, didn't Archie say that the other Assassin got killed at the Tohsaka estate a while ago? Archer X began to consider the possibilities before she noticed the grip on the handle felt off. Curious, she took a closer look to realize that there was a scrap of paper tied around it. Removing it revealed a single word:

ROOFTOP

Maiya fired two rounds from her handgun, then ducked behind a steel beam. A drop of sweat trickled down her cheek, but she fought to keep her cool. One moment she'd been at her position, about to contact the others to ask why they hadn't set off the charges, the next someone had tried to kill her. I hate it when that happens. It had only been thanks to Kiritsugu's training that she'd managed to avoid the initial strike, and her attacker was not one to be taken lightly. Kiritsugu and Assassin X had both explicitly stressed that to her.

"Attempting to blow up an entire building to kill one Master…" the man in a black frock took a moment to look at the unscathed Hyatt across from his current location. "Not exactly how a magus would do things." His dull eyes drifted to the Black Key pinning the sniper rifle to the concrete floor. "Then again, I suppose that's precisely how he's able to dispatch magi so effectively. But it looks like something went wrong."

An alarm sounded in Maiya's head at the words; he knew Kiritsugu's modus operandi. His being here wasn't coincidence. "Kirei Kotomine…" she muttered before stopping herself.

Unfortunately, he picked up on the mistake. "Oh, have we met before?" Kirei asked in curiosity. A little smile played along his lips. "Interesting that you would know my name. Could it be we share something?"

Maiya said nothing. This man was supposed to be at the church, a Master without Servants. Yet he came here out in the open, somehow knowing what Kiritsugu's plan would be. That could only mean that she wasn't his real target.

"It's rude to let me do all of the talking, miss," Kirei continued, pulling something from his pocket. "Why don't you tell me where the man is that was supposed to be here in your place?" He tossed over something fuzzy that landed close enough that Maiya could what it was: a dead bat she'd used as a familiar, complete with CCD camera. The one I'd sent to monitor the church, she realized. Damn.

She jumped out from her cover to fire, but the priest evaded the shots with honed reflexes and unbelievable judgement; he'd figured where the bullets were aimed and moved accordingly. Something glinted in the light, and Maiya's Glock was sliced in half. She rolled away from the Black Key and hid panting behind a different beam, clutching her bleeding hand.

Kirei began to close the distance. "You're quick on your feet. Sharp, too." Three Black Keys slid in between each of his hands' fingers. "You must've had a good teacher."

Maiya tried to catch her breath, but she knew that the situation was not in her favor. Those Keys were custom weapons of the Church's Executors. Deadly, yet difficult to wield efficiently. If he could be so skillful with so many of them at once, then he was far from an ordinary opponent. In this situation, without her guns, Maiya was a sitting duck.

Kirei knew it as well, just as he had known that Kiritsugu Emiya's first target would be Lancer's Master. The Servant that had inflicted an unhealable wound on Saber would have to be eliminated first, that was only common sense. And the quickest way to get rid of a Servant was to kill their Master. It appeared that his initial attempt had failed. Perhaps due to El-Melloi's other Servant? No matter, Emiya was close by, Kirei knew it. This woman was of no interest to him, she was but an obstacle. One that would lead him to…

Behind! His instincts shouted.

Kirei spun around, slashing with his left arm, but a hand grabbed it by the wrist and halted his entire movement effortlessly. The priest barely managed to recognize Assassin X's veiled face before he was backhanded hard enough to almost snap his neck. Spitting out blood, he tried to step away, but the Servant hadn't let go of his arm. His leg was kicked out, an elbow came down hard enough that it didn't merely dislocate but broke his Reinforced shoulder. A moan of pain escaped Kirei's bloody lips, a rarity for him, as his back slammed against the ground.

Maiya heard the sound, too. Wary it may be a trap, she cautiously peeked out from behind her hiding spot and watched in near awe. Kotomine lay sprawled on the floor, Assassin X kneeling behind him with his left hand still tightly gripping the priest's. His single eye narrowed at the hand in his grasp before travelling for a moment to Maiya, who could only blink in shock. She knew a Servant could trounce a human with ease, but to find that he would be here, saving her life; Why isn't he with Kiritsugu?

Through the haze of pain, Kirei's eyes opened to see Assassin X swiftly drawing a kunai with his right hand, twirling it into a reverse grip, and then bringing it down towards his chest. Unfamiliar things flared inside him; this was not how he would die, executed by some familiar! Not before he faced-

Assassin X halted his thrust, bringing up his blade to parry the one that slashed for him. Three shadows gathered around him, knives at the ready. The Servant released the priest's arm with some reluctance as he somersaulted away from their attacks. He landed in front of Maiya's hiding place to see not one, but three Assassins standing guard around Kotomine. "So," Assassin X noted in a cool manner, "you really didn't lose your Servants after all. Naughty boy, misleading the Church like that."

Kirei glared at the interloper in slight confusion. Servants? Then his eyebrows rose minutely as he looked down to his disabled arm- Dammit! There Rider X's Command Seals were, in plain sight. He let himself be pulled up by one of the Hassans before shrugging them loose. His right hand reclaimed four Black Keys. "Kill the woman and the Servant. Now!"

Two Assassins lunged forward, one shrouded in robes towards their competitor, the other bare-chested with wavy hair for Maiya. She gritted her teeth and prepared to run, not taking her eyes off of the moving priest, but she needn't have worried.

Assassin X darted forward, one hand grabbing his attacker's robes to reel him in for a knee to the gut. The Hassan barely had a chance to grunt before a kunai went through his back of his head and shattered his skull mask. The shinobi then picked up the whole body to hurl it into the third trying to rush him from his right, then tackled the one aiming for his comrade. His kunai sank into a steel beam next to Kirei's head, forcing him to a stop to just barely dodge it.

Then a small cylinder clattered in between them. Smoke billowed from one end as it spiraled in a circle, obscuring the view of one side, but not the other. Maiya knew exactly what this meant. She broke into a sprint for the elevator and jumped without hesitation. Assassin X quickly twisted the neck of his opponent by 180 degrees and followed her a second later.

Down the shaft, he turned his fall into a straight dive to accelerate himself and wrapped his arms around the woman before planting both feet charged with od against the metal wall. They skidded down a ways before promptly stopping. Assassin X looked up the path they'd taken, but no sign of pursuit. Nodding to himself, he slipped silently down the shaft, keeping watch. Still, he asked quietly, "Are you hurt?"

Maiya inspected her bleeding hand. "Only a graze," she whispered back. "A touch of healing and I'll be fine." Her green eyes shifted up again. "What about the Hyatt?"

"Archer X saw through the plan and got to the bombs. We'll have to come up with something new."

A pang of frustration went through her, but she said nothing. At least Kiritsugu was safe, that mattered more than all else to her. Her body relaxed again, though whether it was because she was moving further away from that man or because she was being carried by an ally of hers… she couldn't say. She peered up in curiosity towards the masked face. "Why come for me?"

Assassin X only shrugged slightly, careful not to upset his safe grip on her. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked back. "We're on the same team."

Maiya stared at him while he continued to move through the building silent as a drifting leaf, pondering over his answer. Then her earphone crackled. "Maiya, are you alright?"

Kiritsugu's voice soothed her nerves. She tapped her device to reply. "I'm fine. Assassin X is with me."

"Good. Both of you rendezvous at fallback C. I'll meet you there."

"Right." Maiya quickly relayed the instructions to Assassin X who in turn adjusted his direction towards west. The Servant then sent his own message to his Master while running:

'Kirei Kotomine was the one who attacked her. And he seemed to be expecting you.'

'I had a hunch…' Kiritsugu mumbled in his mind. 'Did you kill him?'

'Tried to, but he had backup. My kind of backup. We can fill you in on the details when we're at the mansion.' They were out of the construction site now, hopping from rooftop to rooftop.

'Right. Till then, stay out of sight, and stay on guard.'

'Same to you.' Assassin X's sandal pushed off of a water tank's roof, sending them high into the air, where no one could see them. The wind played with Maiya's short hair, pushing it past her ears while she watched for enemy activity.

Another woman would've enjoyed this exhilarating experience, leaping among the rooftops with only a man, the stars and the slowly setting moon as company. But Maiya Hisau had lost any normality long ago at the hands of war and "soldiers." Her primary thoughts now were towards devising a surefire strategy to ending Kirei Kotomine's life the next time they met.

And yet… a part of her found the company of the foreign Servant… calming. Curious.

Back on the impromptu battlefield, Kirei and the sole remaining Assassin burst out of the smoke, blades flashing, but their quarry was no longer there. Sarad the Wary turned to his Master. "I could follow them."

Kirei stowed away his Black Keys and waved off his offer. "A waste of time. Assassin X is at least as fast as you, and even if you managed to catch up, you're no match for him in an open fight." He glanced at the two corpses fading away. That was the drawback of Zabaniya: dividing Assassin into his separate personalities meant dividing his already mediocre physical abilities among them as well. In a group, with the element of surprise, the Hassans might have been able to defeat a Servant, but alone? Even a human could pose a threat to them.

Kirei probed his left shoulder with a wince. Precise blow, nasty break, but nothing his healing skills couldn't remedy. He tapped an upper part of his nose and found blood; seems he hadn't been quite as quick in dodging Assassin X's kunai as he'd hoped. A very troublesome enemy, that Servant. Kirei bent down to retrieve the smoke grenade. One befitting his Master, from the looks of it. Neither the Servant nor the woman threw this. He walked towards the shaft and looked down in the darkness. Regardless, the fact a Servant went through the trouble of saving her is enough information for tonight. His smile returned.

Kirei considered these implications and the previous events before he remembered something. Turning to the Assassin, he asked, "What are you doing here? As I recall, your specific task was to watch the Saber and the Einzbern woman."

"My apologies," the Hassan with a mohawk bowed before him, "but we have discovered something you need to know. It's about Caster." Kirei beckoned for him to continue.

Rider X watched his partner (technically, one of them) converse with his Master from atop the Hyatt's roof. It was a fair distance, too far for him to listen, but he had still witnessed quite a number of interesting developments. Not to mention it was outside the Bounded Field that surrounded most of the building. Meaning its creator couldn't know he was there.

Like his Master, the Servant of the Mount had discerned that this Mage Killer's next target would be Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. He had not come here because Kirei ordered him to, but because he had been curious to see how this hunter of magi would act. And from what he could guess, Rider X had not been disappointed. Levelling an entire building to eliminate one primary target? How ruthless. He chuckled while peering over the side at the many confused little humans down below. Though not as much as I'd have expected. Has his time with the Einzberns softened him, perhaps? A bit disappointing.

A light click behind the warlord made him laugh again. "I see you received my invitation." He turned around to see Archer X aiming an assault rifle at his head.

The black Servant stepped warily closer, muzzle trained in between those red eyes. "Do you usually send invitations with a knife and a stooge?"

"Oh, of course not." Rider X hefted his fusion cannon. "This has also yielded fine results."

"I bet. So, mind telling me why I don't use your shiny metal ass for target practice? It's not every night an enemy gives me the chance."

"Chances are precisely why I arranged this little meeting." Rider X calmly began to walk to the right, Archer X trailing him. "In this case, I am offering you the chance… of an alliance."

If she were in a better mood, Archer X would've laughed in his face. But she was still pretty pissed off. The assault rifle disappeared to be replaced by a heavy rocket launcher. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow you head off for wasting my time with this crap."

"Because you know it wouldn't be enough for your Master to acknowledge your abilities." Megatron smiled fearlessly at the heavy muzzle pointed his way. He had faced every sort of enemy two worlds had thrown his way and never wavered once. He certainly wouldn't cower from this female thug and her gun collection. "You were quite vocal about your frustration with Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald in the shipyards, remember? There's obviously no love or respect between you two. Can you truly claim that serving him was a preferable fate to standing with me?"

A part of Archer X said no, but it wasn't her tongue. Instead, she asked, "So what, I should just cut ties with my Master and go solo like you? Was your Master that much of a pain in the ass?"

Rider X feigned a grimace. "Oh, he does have potential, but let's just say I do not approve of the company he keeps." Technically the truth, even if he omitted the fact he was still contracted to Kirei. "Which is why I extend this offer to you and… other like-minded Servants. You are not the only one displeased with their current arrangements, Archer X. And together, we may be a force that can crush all opposition in this War." More half-truths. His time in politics had served him well.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Archer X asked the titan. "Only two Servants max can make a wish of the Grail. Meaning there's a pretty big chance I'll get stabbed in the back."

"Of course, there is," Rider X agreed without hesitation. "But don't forget, besides you and me, there are plenty of other Servants in this War. And so far, Archer X, you have little success to show for yourself currently in fighting them alone." He idly inspected his fingertips and continued before she could retort. "We both may have retreated from the battlefield tonight, but I was at least able to leave under my own power."

That almost made her empty every last firearm she had in his smug face, but dammit all, the metal bastard was right, and Archer X knew it. Assassin X, both Sabers, she couldn't have relaxed for a second against any one of them. And those were the ones she'd actually fought. That blowhard Rider and his tin-can cousin here, the gold-humping Archer, those Berserker freaks, the Caster geezer… this whole War was stuffed chock-full of overpowered monsters. Hell, if Lancer hadn't been there, she wouldn't have left the docks alive.

The fact rankled her. Back home, Tex had been the best of the best. #1 on the Freelancer boards, taking down anyone who picked a fight with her, racing ahead of everyone else…

Only to trip up just before reaching the finish line.

And here in this stupid world, Archer X wasn't even close to beyond the other Servants. Every last one, be it this world or another's, were in some way on her level at least. Including this hulking robot in front of her. Welcome to the Holy Grail War, huh?

Accepting this state, though, wasn't something she was about to do. Not without a fight.

Sensing her inner turmoil, Rider X decided to give another little nudge. "The one that would've erased your base of operations," she perked up at the implication, "his name is Kiritsugu Emiya. He seems to be a bit infamous among the magic community of this world." He pulled out a roll of a copied paper he'd swiped from Kirei a while ago and tossed it over. "Consider this a gift."

Archer X caught it easily with her left hand and uncurled it so that she could both read it and keep an eye on the other Servant. A quick scan of the paper told her a lot about this guy; "the Mage Killer," they called him. A freelance mercenary that specialized in taking down magi with methods that would make terrorists sit down and take notes. Public bombings, poison gas, shooting down planes…

Archer X was a little impressed. This is definitely the kind of guy who'd be smart enough to set up the demolition of this hotel. Smart enough and cold-blooded enough. While I'm stuck with some aristocratic bookworm with magic tricks, there's a man who'd have been one of the best in black ops back home as my enemy. Typical.

She didn't let any of this show, helped by her armor. Instead, she rolled it back up and stowed it in a side pocket. The launcher remained trained on Rider X. "Thanks for the clue," the soldier said, "but I'm not joining anything just yet. I'll be thinking about your offer."

"Naturally, though don't take too long." Rider X replied smoothly. "This is a Grail War, after all. Either one of us could be gone before we know it." He faded away amidst silver particles.

Archer X stood atop the building, considering everything she'd just learned. Naturally, there were a couple of things that bastard had said that were likely horseshit, but it was hard to tell which was which. 'Archer X,' she instinctively perked up at Lancer's voice, 'Where are you? Have you engaged a Servant?'

'No sign of any visitors,' Archer X said without hesitation. 'Guess they got cold feet or someone else attacked them. Could've been anything.'

'I suppose… Then I shall return to report to our lord.'

'Go ahead, I'll stay up a little longer, keep an eye out just in case.'

'Very well. Don't exhaust yourself, though. If you need assistance, I'll gladly come.'

'Yeah, yeah, my hero,' Archer X snarked mentally, trying to ignore a flutter in her stomach at his words. That honorable dope wouldn't approve of her meeting just now. Best she kept it to herself, for both their sakes. He can play Mister Chivalry all he wants. I'll be the one making sure we actually get that Grail. With or without a different Master.

Further away, Rider X rematerialized atop a shorter building with a pleased look. Archer X had been as willful as he'd anticipated, but a little more persuasion on his side, a bit more frustration with her Master, and she'd be another tool in his arsenal for this War.

"Come on out," he called behind him. "I do hope you lot are better at stealth than this."

"You could be a little more grateful, considering I sent Archer X that note." An Assassin silently stepped behind him, a little bigger than a child with a shaved head and two bronze rings in his left ear. "Maybe we should tell Master Kirei that you're consorting with enemy Servants."

"By all means." The Hassan flinched away from the leer the far larger Servant gave him. "Tell him. I make no big secret of it." Rider X grinned in a vicious manner. "This is all to ensure we acquire the Grail, after all."

Then some stake-like fingers drummed onto his shoulder, the cold touch making him flinch. "Oh, don't worry, Assassin. We are partners in this endeavor. And while you're here, you can deliver another message for me."

-144:09:25

Night was drawing to a close and day nearly here, but the War's presence remained.

"Assassin conducted a thorough investigation of Caster's trail," Kirei reported into the gramophone. His wounds fully healed, he was now back in Fuyuki church with his father, the latter seemingly unaware of his little adventure. This emergency meeting was of top priority. "While he couldn't find the magus' 'workshop' itself, we've narrowed down whereabouts to a certain area. The main difficulty is Caster's activities."

"Elaborate." Tokiomi replied from the other side.

"Caster and his Master seem to have been kidnapping sleeping children from Miyama Town and its neighbors. Fifteen were made off with before dawn broke." He paused briefly, knowing what the reaction of the next bit would be. "In one case, the abduction didn't go as smoothly; the family of three woke up and attempted to resist. They were all killed by the pair."

As expected, Risei frowned in heavy disgust while a wave of silent fury seemed to ripple from the device in front of him. Most likely both Tokiomi and Lancer X. Unfazed himself, Kirei continued. "Coupled with the knowledge that Caster's Master is the one behind the killings, it stands to reason that he is upping his game with the Servant's help. They use magic in a reckless manner, and carelessly as well. It is only the Church's efforts that keep the authorities from discovering magic was involved. I doubt they're even considering the Holy Grail War at this point."

"Based on what Assassin overhead," Lancer X spoke up, "this Gilles de Rais believes Saber to be the Jeanne d'Arc of the story you told me, Master. Taking his utter insanity in account, he may think that with having already 'won' the War, he has other tasks to complete. But what those are or how they involve the children, I have no interest in considering."

"…" Tokiomi seemed to mull over this before saying, "An unhinged, uncontrollable Servant and a Master that won't even try to leash him… I suppose it's a blessing that violent monster is no longer affiliated with them, or else they would've sundered the entire town by now." A sigh echoed through the gramophone. "How could the Holy Grail War be filled with such filth?"

Kirei chose not to point out that the magus would be more comfortable with these kidnappings and murders if it were for fueling a Servant or the like as Lancer X countered, "One way or another, their actions can't be tolerated."

Risei moved next to his son. "She's right, Tokiomi, sir. Coupled with other reports that we've gone over, there might even be at least thirty kidnapping victims. These crimes blatantly violate the rules."

"Agreed. As the one who guards the secrets of magecraft within this city, it is my duty to stop this."

"Both Caster and his Master must be eliminated." Risei declared.

Kirei saw a problem, though. "But only a Servant can defeat a Servant. We can't send my Assassin and having Rider X perform the task may risk exposing our plans as well. Subtlety is not his forte."

Risei bowed his head in thought, then an idea came to his mind. He turned to his son and the communicator. "As the overseer, I have the authority to slightly change the rules. I can tell the other Masters to put the main conflict over the Grail to the side and have them focus on tracking down Caster."

"Would they be willing to do that, father?"

Risei scratched his solid jaw. "Offering an incentive ought to convince them."

After some debate, the details for the plan were finalized. His part done, Kirei made to excuse himself for the evening when Risei spoke up again. "Oh, before I forget, Kirei, did you happen to leave the church earlier?" It would've been a simple question of concern, were it not for the fact that Kirei needed to stay put to maintain the deception of their plan.

But he had anticipated this. "I did, my apologies," he answered smoothly. "I thought that there may have a breach in security, so I went to investigate it. But it was nothing of concern." The lie came easy, easier than he would've thought of himself.

"A breach in security? Why didn't you send Assassin or Rider X to investigate?" Tokiomi asked in a strict manner; he likely didn't want people to realize the truth before the endgame.

Too late for that, Kirei mused. Kiritsugu Emiya was a cunning man with a clever Servant at his side. If he hadn't been suspicious of their plans, he was now with what Kirei had done. But instead of voicing such thoughts, the priest simply lied, "I had both on standby, but it was such a trivial matter, I was sure I could handle it myself."

"…You've been a fine student, Kirei, and your record as an Executor speaks for itself. But you shouldn't let overconfidence cloud your judgement."

"Of course, sir," Kirei replied with just the right mixture of wounded pride and deference he knew would be enough. "I shall strive to be more cautious." Technically true; he would continue to seek out Kiritsugu Emiya, but next time, he'd make sure that Assassin X wouldn't interfere.

Trading a nod of reassurance with his father, Kirei left the secret chamber and made for his study without another word. Curious that they accept my words so easily… Oh well. His thoughts drifted to the Hyatt incident; cornering that woman itself had brought him no excitement; he was positive now that she was a mere pawn in this game. Assassin X's intervention had been… humbling. All of his training, and he wasn't able to keep up with a cavalry class Servant. If it hadn't been for his own Assassin, he'd would've died right there on the spot. Tokiomi was right about one thing: he had to be careful.

But the prospect of meeting Kiritsugu Emiya, of conversing with him, discovering what drove him, what the truth was… it stirred a strange excitement inside Kirei's heart. A smile nearly crept along his face before he caught himself. Perhaps I've been spending too much time with Rider X. He seems to have infected me with this… this... what is it?

Kirei opened the door to his study room, stepped inside, and immediately felt something off before he closed it. A shift in the atmosphere. The reason why presented itself as… "Archer?"

The King of Heroes lay on the couch, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand. He appeared to be the very picture of leisure right now: in place of his majestic golden armor was a white V-neck shirt with long sleeves, leather pants and a golden necklace. Even his hair, once spiked upwards like some crown, was combed down for a relaxed look.

Kirei took another glance around to find wine bottles (some empty, no less) scattered all over his room. Gilgamesh merely took a sip from his glass and said, "Though your collection is smaller in quantity than Tokiomi's, it is far more impressive. Aren't you a pretentious apprentice."

Kirei was by no means an alcoholic. In truth, he hadn't even really sampled the wines himself. It was merely a hobby of his. If he heard that a particular vintage was in store, he made to quickly purchase a bottle but never drank from it or offered it to friends. Partially because he had no friends. Either way, Kirei didn't care much about his collection, but he didn't appreciate a Servant traipsing around and drinking it dry. "What do you want?"

One red eye peered towards the priest as he walked towards the desk. A question asked that blunt was not something most would dare in the presence of the first Hero in this world. Still, Archer remained amused. "I'm apparently not the only one with time to spare."

"Spare?" Kirei repeated before understanding. So, Archer was also aware of when he'd left for the Hyatt.

Sure enough, Archer asked in a teasing manner, "Why else would a Master protected by the Church wander about to fight Servants? Tired of following Tokiomi's orders?"

"Yes, how curious indeed." A familiar presence made itself known. Rider X shimmered into being in the middle of the room. "And how brazen. Truly a delight."

Archer quirked an eyebrow towards the metallic intruder. "So, I assume you had something to do with dear Kirei's sudden proactive nature?"

"Why, King of Heroes," Rider X tapped his chest in exaggerated innocence, "you wound me. I merely asked my Master how he wished to proceed in light of recent developments. His actions were completely of his own volition."

Archer released a haughty laugh. "Were they now? I would have a better time believing you if you hadn't been so liberal with your tongue in our previous encounters."

"Merely playing my part." He spread his massive arms wide. "I am to be the wild card in this little game, and should I extend special courtesies to you merely because you sparkle a little more than the rest?"

Archer's eyes sharpened at the foreigner, and for a moment, Kirei briefly wondered if he'd need to expend another Command Seal just to keep his study intact. Then the ancient hero laughed again. "What a quandary you are, mongrel! Half of me wants to reduce you to slag, yet the other half wishes to see if there is more than boasting behind that twisted face." He gave a fierce, challenging smile. "Try not to disappoint me."

Rider X returned the expression. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Archer gestured lazily towards a bottle of wine on the table. "That one is of a particularly fine vintage." As Rider X moved to accept the indirect offer, the eyebrow quirked again. "Though would a metal creature know how to appreciate such delights?"

The Cybertronian picked up the bottle and an empty glass to pour himself a little, all of which happened with surprising dexterity for such large and sharp digits. "The members of my species sustain themselves in ways other than stuffing their mouths with edibles and liquids like humans would." He lifted the wine glass to inspect the liquid within, murmuring, "But seeing as I am a Heroic Spirit…" Rider X brought the glass to his lips and took a light sip, his eyes widening slightly when he removed it. "Well now. It seems in my current state, I can taste other forms of nourishment than usual." He chuckled. "And this is indeed a delectable sample."

"Delectable compared to other concoctions of this era." Archer scoffed while the mongrel finished his glass and set it and the bottle back down, noting how neither had gained a single crack from within his grip. "But then the dogs roaming the streets out there would lose themselves to glasses worth far less."

Kirei looked between the pair in mild confusion. This entire time, he'd been expecting the King of Heroes to rage and punish the Decepticon (another oddity, that name) conqueror for his consistent impudence. Yet here they were, trading banter in a somewhat friendly manner. Somewhat. I'd suspected that Rider X wasn't just antagonizing everyone for the sport of it, the Master considered, but Archer being capable of showing restraint is… unexpected.

Kirei let out a quiet sigh. A part of him wondered why he was putting in so much effort to analyze these two, especially when he had plenty of other duties to consider, but at this point, he was tired. It had been a long night.

"But back to the previous topic," an amused Archer began, "what have you been up to, Kirei?"

"Why are you here, Gilgamesh?" Kirei deflected the inquiry with a question of his own as he began to place the bottles back into the shelves. "Rider X comes and goes as he pleases, but he's my Servant. You are not. Have you grown dissatisfied with your Master all of a sudden?"

More blatant disrespect, but Gilgamesh simply snorted before having another sip. "Tokiomi summoned me to this world and maintains my presence. He showed proper deference to me upon my arrival," he cast a pointed eye, "more so than certain other individuals." Megatron only sneered back. "So, I had to give him respect befitting a Servant." His gaze turned disappointed. "But to think he'd turn out to be such a boring man."

"Are you that unhappy with his orders?"

Rider X barked a laugh. "How could he not be unhappy? The dullard has such one-dimensional tactics, such weak ambitions." Kirei glared at him, but he waved it off. "Oh, don't feign outrage on his account, Master. Tokiomi Tohsaka is not an interesting person."

Archer raised his glass in approval. "You may have the manners of a dog, Rider X, but you speak the truth here. That jade cur that calls herself my partner has little more than a sharp tongue to offer for entertainment, and Tokiomi is always so quick to grovel before me for peace and quiet lest he fear I wipe them both off the face of this world." Another scoff. "To think all he wants with his wish is to achieve Akasha. What a waste of the Holy Grail."

Kirei considered his reply carefully. "To reach the Swirl of the Root, or achieve Akasha, is something every magus strives for. It's not something outsiders have a right to judge."

"Ah, but aren't you an outsider, Kirei?" Rider X cut in, looming over him with a grin.

Archer smirked. "Good point. Didn't you, Kirei, belong to an organization that tends to oppose the magi?"

Kirei's eyes narrowed in thought. Both of these Servants were cleverer than they seemed at first glance. "The path to the Root can be said to lead beyond this world," he explained to them the basic thought process of a usual magus. "Those like the Church tend to focus on the inside, or this world itself, which does not correlate with the outside. Thus, outsiders not interested in looking beyond the world would dismiss it as pointless."

Archer inspected the glass in his wine, admiring how the crimson liquid gathered within and reflected the outer light. "Curious. I admit that I am satisfied with simply admiring my garden, this world and its universe in their entirety. Other realms beyond my border do not catch my interest in the slightest." He spoke with his usual arrogance, his own simple truth.

"How quaint, Archer." Rider X, though, walked about a bit, drawing the others' attention. "Though I confess that reaching other worlds is an intriguing concept," he waved his fingers in dismissal, "how Tohsaka and the magi go about it is pitiful. Their dreams are merely handed down from their ancestors who failed in their own lifetimes to accomplish the task. Then when they in turn fail, their spawns are tasked with scrambling about for any chance of finding this Root."

He stopped by the couch, giving a disappointed look to the others. "And is merely reaching it the final step? Should they not try to explore the rest of the multiverse? Try to grasp hold of more? But no, reaching it is the final goal for a magus. Such small wishes for such small creatures, and they are not even their own wishes. No originality. No drive to truly call their own in this world." Rider X's smile had evaporated. "Pathetic."

Kirei watched with some curiosity to see Archer gaze upon the outlander with new intrigue. "How passionate, mongrel. I gather your distaste stems from personal reasons?" He taunted.

Megatron picked up a nearly empty bottle and moved it this way and that. "I originate from a world that let its time of glory pass and grew stagnant in its wake. And I and others paid the price for it." Hairline cracks grew along the glass, but it kept its form. "Had I not decided to act, my world would've perished, suffocated by its own stasis." The bottle finally shattered, fragments and droplets trickling through his mighty fingers. "To accept stagnation is to invite death, Archer."

"Only imperfect beings fear stagnation." Archer replied, drawing the other familiar's focus. The two Heroic Spirits stared wordlessly at one another for a period of time, as though to gauge each other's inner self.

"The Holy Grail wasn't originally crafted to seek the Root." They then turned with new interest towards the priest, he in turn having grown thoughtful over what he had heard. Stagnation… imperfection… drive… these words circled about in his mind while he spoke. "It is omnipotent in every sense of the word. Any wish can be granted through the sheer power of this device, including changing this world completely, and maybe even others. Naturally, other Masters have had other desires over the years. That is exactly how the Holy Church has been so invested in ensuring the Grail does not fall in the wrong hands."

"Ah, so the other Masters have desires other than those of Tokiomi's in mind?" Gilgamesh inquired.

"Tokiomi is the typical archetype of our world's classic magus and extremely right-winged. Not many seek true magic for the sake of it as he does. Everyone else usually go after the usual luxuries of life. Prestige, desires, power, anything fulfillable in this world."

"Fine with me," Archer stated, "all of these I love quite well."

"As do I," Rider X laughed.

"You are a vulgar tyrant, Megatron," Kotomine stated bluntly, "and you, Gilgamesh, are the king of such vulgarity."

The Heroic Spirits shared an amused laugh over this, the one of this world finishing his wine. He then asked, "And what about you, Kirei?"

"Yes, Master," the other joined in, "what wish would you make upon the Grail?"

"Me?" Kirei finally hesitated. He fingered the Seals on both of his hands. "I don't have a wish."

Two eyes of crimson watched him now attentively, the other two drifted to the ceiling. "Are we to believe that, Kirei?" Gilgamesh remained casual as ever. "Doesn't the Grail only ever summon those who wish for it?"

"It should. But… I don't understand it myself. I don't have any desires or ideals, so why would the Holy Grail call upon me? Why was I chosen?"

"No ideas, no desires. Why don't you simply wish for pleasure, then?"

The flippant words struck a nerve inside him. "How dare you! Me, a scholar of God, seek pleasure?! You would expect me to seek something sinful and condemning as that?"

Rider X tiled his head in amused curiosity. "Sinful? Condemning? Such harsh words." Yet it fit with his Master's earlier behavior. Back during the docks, he'd sounded truly affronted when the Servant had told him to enjoy himself. Is that what pleasure is to you, human?

He gave a sly glance to the lounging King and received it back. "Your logic eludes me as well, Kirei. Why would you associate pleasure with sin?"

Kirei started, "Because…" but couldn't think of anything. He hadn't expected to be put on the spot like this.

Sensing his inner turmoil, Archer shot a little look to Rider X, a wordless message: Care to join me in a little fun? Receiving a sharp grin as his answer, he decided to probe further. "Gaining pleasure through evil acts can be considered a sin, yes. But humans have derived pleasure from committing good deeds as well. So why would pleasure itself be a sin?"

"Or rather," Rider X joined in the fun, "is sin simply how you perceive pleasure?"

"…Pleasure is something I don't have," Kirei finally confessed. "I seek it, but it continues to elude me." He didn't know how it had come to this. How he could lay so bare before them.

The King of Heroes peered over at him. "Rider X was right about you, Kirei Kotomine. You are quite an interesting fellow."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Archer shifted from a lying position to a sitting one before gesturing to the chair on his right. "Have a seat."

Kirei glanced tentatively at the furniture, then he felt something grip both of his shoulders and steer him towards it. A turn of the head revealed Rider X pushing him along. "You said it yourself, Master. Despite your own efforts, you have failed to find pleasure. Therefore, it may be time for you to accept," Kirei was pushed softly down into the chair, "a different perspective."

Archer nodded briefly to the larger Servant, then began to educate the lost soul before him. "In a way, pleasure is a reflection of the soul. It's not a matter of whether or not it exists, but whether or not you know it." He peered into those hollow eyes. "Kirei, you simply don't know yet in which way your soul is truly inclined. You don't lack pleasure, you don't understand what pleasure is to you."

"The wisdom of a Servant. How empowering."

"Watch yourself, mongrel." Kirei noted Archer's warning had none of its usual bite to it. "This wisdom was learned by a king that has sampled all of the luxuries and pleasures this world has to offer. Pay attention." And Kirei found he was. This conversation with these two characters sparked something in him. What it was, he did not know, but he couldn't turn away.

Rider X then took over the lecture. "Master, you have searched inside yourself all your life for your true self, haven't you?" He tapped his armored chest. "The search for pleasure is the search for understanding yourself, as it is for all." He then swept his arm wide. "But merely looking inside yourself is not enough.

The one-time gladiator turned tyrant loomed over his Master. "Widen your gaze, Kirei. In order to learn about pleasure, first you must learn how others perceive pleasure. From there, you will discover your own truth."

My own… truth? As Kirei mulled over these words, Archer had retrieved an unused glass as well as the ones he and Rider X had drank from and begun to fill them with the wine from before. "You can start by taking part in our entertainment," he said.

"I already have enough on my plate that I can't waste time with you Servants' little games."

"Oh, don't be like that, Master," Rider X chided him with a wag of his finger. "You already acted in your own interests tonight." His Master glared at him but said nothing. "I'm not chiding you for that, on the contrary. By following Tohsaka's instructions, you can surely do what other humans refer as 'mixing business with pleasure.' After all, he wants you to monitor the other Masters, no?"

"…Well, yes."

"Then don't stop with merely their actions and intentions," Archer took over while placing glasses in front of his companions. "Investigate their motivations. Learn what their stake in this struggle is and tell us about it."

"One Master seems to have already caught your eye." Even the indirect mention of Kiritsugu Emiya forced a tiny crack in Kirei's stoic façade. Watching the minute shifting of his body's muscles in conflict, Rider X added, "Tokiomi Tohsaka's only concern is achieving his precious Akasha, as you said. You were taken in as his disciple solely so he could have more assets for his little game. You have to yet receive any aid from him in your little quest, only orders that benefit him. Why not take these matters of pleasure and soul into your own hands?"

Kirei frowned in consideration. This sort of undertaking without Tokiomi's knowledge or consent could have severe consequences for everyone in the room. And he wasn't sure himself whether these two actually wanted to help him or were merely playing their own games with him. No… he knew they were playing their own games with him, neither made any attempt to deny it. They saw him as a pawn, a thing for amusement.

But he still said, "…I suppose I could task the Assassins to have a more thorough look." His eyes drifted up to the metal being. "But just why are you so invested in helping me discover myself?"

Rider X's demeanor turned serious as he stared down at the empty man. "Because I refuse to accept a hollow puppet as my Master. And I respect an effort to learn one's nature." He reached down to pick up his wine and lifted it towards Kirei. "Find out who you truly are, Kirei Kotomine. Learn what wish is buried within you that the Holy Grail would deem you worthy of fighting for it."

The empty man stared back at his Servant before finally turning to the room's final occupant. "…And you, Archer?" he asked softly. "You are not contracted or obligated to me in any way. What do you gain out of all this?"

Gilgamesh, first Hero of this world, merely smiled. "Like I said, watching how human beings act entertains me. One or two among those that fight for the Holy Grail ought to be interesting." He retrieved his own glass. "Or at least less boring than Tokiomi."

"Hear, hear." Rider X's smile returned as his glass hovered near Archer's. "To an interesting War."

Archer laughed. "To one with a worthy end." A light chime emanated from the clink of the glasses. The sound echoed throughout the small room and inside Kirei's ear. As he watched both Servants knock back their drinks, he wondered if he had just borne witness to the birth of an alliance… or the issue of a challenge.

Though he regained his neutral demeanor, the priest was inwardly playing through all of the words and thoughts he had encountered tonight. Curiosity had grown, but consideration towards his tasks and distrust towards these beings fought against it. He had no obligation to go along with their plans, perhaps he could find his true nature on his own.

Then the memory of a certain man appeared, and he knew what his answer would be. "All right, Archer. Rider X." They both turned to him. "I accept. But it will take some time."

"Not a problem," Archer dismissed in a cheery mood. "I have patience when it's worth it." He began to disperse into spirit form. "I will continue to sample your exquisite wine collection while I wait." A flicker of gold in the wind, and he was gone.

Rider X followed suit a second later, disappearing with a bow that seemed a trace more respectful than usual. "Master." Silver flickered, and no more Rider X.

Finally alone, Kirei sighed quietly and leaned back in his chair. "My wish for the Grail? I gave those two the wrong impression." He frowned slightly. "There's no way it could be pleasure." No, no matter what form his soul took, that couldn't be the answer he sought. He looked down at the third glass still filled with wine, sitting before him. If I discover more about him… will that help me learn my… own truth?

One thing had become clear to Kirei Kotomine tonight: he would seek his answers by facing Kiritsugu Emiya.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts, though, that he didn't realize he wasn't alone just yet. Yes, Megatron looked with approval upon his Master one more time before letting his incorporeal form drift away, such potential for an insect. This, his teeth shifted into a grin that would've instilled terror in anyone that saw it, will be quite the show.

Caster X started at a sudden sound. He looked up from his work to see a collection of black birds flapping about in the upper parts of the alley. Ravens, cawing to one another, agitated by something. A warm draft, perhaps. Or a human appearance startling one that in turn set off the rest.

Or, the wizard thought as he glanced back down to his weary Master slumbering away through a sleep spell he had cast to facilitate treating his injuries, something else. He looked out the alley. Dawn was here, and the sun had begun to rise.

Yet Caster X couldn't help but frown at the small dark clouds gathering in front of its light.

What, you guys didn't think Iskandar was the only smooth talker in this War, didja?

Sorry for the wait, there's a fair bit of work I had to do since our last meeting, and I'll be pretty busy in the days to come, too. But I do promise to continue my little story, come rain or snow or sleet or lack of interest from my readers.

(As with Assassin X, I give special thanks to Lord Mist, author of "Infinite Paths," for allowing me to borrow a slightly altered version of his Servant. Oh, and I am well aware that Gandalf's real name is Olorin, but this is the Servant, Gandalf the Gray. The wandering wizard Man, Elf, Dwarf and a Hobbit or two spoke of in stories across Middle-Earth. Most I believe had no clue to his true origins, they simply knew him as a nomadic meddler with magic. So, that is who he is in the Throne of Heroes.)

Caster X-

Class: Caster

Master: Kariya Matou

True Name: Gandalf the Gray

Titles: Gray Wizard, Mithrandir, Stormcrow

Sex: Male

Source: Lord of The Rings

Region: Middle-Earth

Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: D

Mana: A+

Luck: B

NP: A

Class Skills-

Independent Action: The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the mana supply from the Master.

A: A rather rare skill for the Caster class, Caster X does not truly wield the usual skills, Item Construction or Territory Creation, that Casters do. Instead, he was more of a wandering wise man, a guide who descended where he saw fit and changed things, than one who stood in one place and did his work. He can stay in the world for a week without an established contract with the world due to his strong mana reserves.

Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals.

C: Another rare Skill for a Caster, he was perhaps the only one who could truly ride the King of Horses in his world. This allows him to ride any mortal mount or land vehicle, and a few magical ones as well.

Personal Skills-

Animal Dialogue: A communication with animals that don't speak a language of words.

C: Caster X not only had a unique and deep bond with the King of Horses, he could also communicate with the King of the Eagles and his kin. He can speak to most animals telepathically.

Discernment of the Wise: The ability to see into the hearts and souls of men and objects and identify evil if it lurks within.

A: Caster X could see through the troubles people faced, identifying and rectifying them. He could also identify evil where it lurked, be it in a person's heart or in an object.

High-Speed Divine Words: The power to activate Thaumaturgy without the use of Magic Circuits. The language of the Age of Gods, back when words played a heavy role in spellcasting. As such, it is power long lost by modern magi.

A: Caster X is one of the most powerful wizards, capable of summoning blinding light, flames, thunder as well as counter-spells to weaken an enemy's casting as the situation demands without use of magic circuits.

Noble Phantasms-

Glamdring: "Foehammer, Bright as Daylight": C (Anti-Unit): Aside from a classical wizard's staff, Caster X wields a magical hand-and-a-half sword for battle. Forged by elvish smiths from ancient times, it shows no rust or wear despite its age, and the blade emits a blue glow in the presence of evil souls. Glamdring can also channel Caster X's spells as his staff can. Caster X wields Glamdring with expert skill despite his elderly body and can choose to fight sword in one hand and staff in the other or with only one weapon.

?: A