EDIT: Bone puns are rapidly becoming some of the most humerus jokes I've ever heard and if any of you have a problem with that then I've got a bone to pick with you. -The Editor who had to edit half of this story.

I got a review commenting that the war begins in 1994, not 1991 (or now 1992) and I know that. But this is pre-zero, when Kiritsugu has ample time to prepare for a dangerous target. When he learns about new masters just before the war, any action he could have taken would have been too suspicious. Be patient, I'll be getting to the good stuff soon.


He had missed his flight. The news sent chills down his back. If he were completely honest with himself, his faith in that dream had only been around seventy percent. Still, it was best to prepare and have no use for it, then not prepare and wish you had. With cigarette in hand, Kiritsugu ran over the schematics of the church. Regardless of how many times his eyes ran over the details, he couldn't quite grasp what he was seeing, or what he had planned next. He cast the map to the side, leaned back in his seat and pulled heavily on his cigarette. With closed eyes, he focused on breathing. Mind frazzled from the news, from the truth behind his dreams, he couldn't concentrate on anything else.

At the end of his smoke, he sat back up and flicked the butt out the window. With newfound clarity, he continued driving towards the airport. At this point, he had done all the preparation he could… At least, in Fuyuki. The old saying was that "old dogs can't learn new tricks." But this old dog would have to learn new tricks - if only to gain an edge.

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Back in Germany, Kiritsugu was greeted by a missile named Illya. The only way to stop it was with hugs and the round plush he had bought back in Japan. With comments on its cuteness, it was added to her collection.

"I met a girl in Fuyuki, much older than you but nice in her own way. I think you and her would have made good friends." He said, hefting Illya onto his shoulders.

"Really? Do you think she could come visit us sometime?" She asked, trying to lean forward and into her father's eyes.

Through a chuckle, "I don't think so Illya, but maybe in a few years when you're older we can go visit her." Her white hair fell down over his own, blending the two opposite colours. His words made the small girl gasp in happy surprise. Irisviel waited for the two from their room, wide smile across her face. She truly was his only love. It was why this news would be so hard to deliver to her. He contemplated not revealing it to her at all but argued with himself that her not knowing - would decrease her efficiency in the coming War.

"Daddyy-" Came a whiney noise from above.

"Ah, sorry Illya, I got lost in my own thoughts," Kiritsugu admitted sheepishly, gently kicking open the front door to the castle.

"I wanted to see if you would show me how to do magic!" She almost shouted, voice echoing throughout the castle halls.

Kiritsugu scowled, brow furrowing in frustration. "Illya, where did you hear something like that?" He asked, voice perhaps a tad too forceful. Her whole life, he had tried to keep Illya away from magic. This would be the last Grail War, she would have no reason to know. There would be no point in teaching her something which would be useless in the near future. However…

"Uncle Acht was talking to mommy about spells and healing magic… I was listening from outside the door, I'm sorry." She sounded like a kicked dog, pulling on Kiritsugu's heart.

Acht, that useless pile of- "Illya, you won't have a need more magic. Mommy and I are going to make it so we can live together as a family. We just need a bit more time, a few years, alright?" Maybe teaching Illya basic magic wouldn't hurt, if he… If that dream were to occur, teaching her now would prepare her for later.

She didn't seem as scorned now. "Oh, well if you, me and mommy can live together then I guess I don't need to know about that stuff."

At the sound of that, his features softened greatly. "Promise me you will try to avoid Acht from now on, alright?" He asked, climbing the grand staircase to the second floor.

"Wait you're not mad that I was listening in on mommy?" She asked, confused about his comment. He shook his head with a chuckle.

"It just means you take after me. Listening in to conversations is never wrong, just don't tell the one you're listening in on." He instructed through a smirk. She made an appreciative 'oh' and started humming while they neared Kiritsugu's room.

Upon entering, he kneeled to let his daughter down, suddenly picking her back up by waist to have a family sized hug. "Welcome back Kiritsugu, is everything in place?" She asked, smiling whilst running a hand through her daughter's hair.

"I have, the plan has changed again. I'll go over it with you later." He responded with a straight face. He leaned in slightly to kiss his wife, finding the path interrupted by Illya's plush.

"No kissing, that's gross." She stated, getting a laugh from her parents much to her confusion.

That evening Kiritsugu wrote up plans and a timeline while waiting for his informant. Iri was sitting quietly on a chair watching him work.

"... where our secondary base is positioned which we can move to should the need arise. Since we have you… We can decide where the Holy Grail will be created. The most advantageous position would be... " He paused, surveying the map. "Here, in the Shinto region." Beneath his pointed finger, was the Fuyuki Civic Center. "Its position minimizes risk of total bombardment, the interior is empty due to the relocation. It also features cramped hallways and large open spaces, so we can change up the tactics as needed." His eyes seemed to darken, and his voice hardened. " When you become the Grail, that position should provide us with the greatest advantage over the competition." He summarized, leaving out a wide variety of details he had in mind. Namely, the one where he set up explosives throughout the center to destroy the grail should things go awry. But that was only if they were to relocate and had long enough to fortify the position. Throughout their planning, he had neglected to mention his activities in Fuyuki. He wouldn't lie to Iri, but he wasn't going to spill every secret to her. It was unlikely she would ever ask a question regarding what his work enta-

"How does what you and Maiya did in Fuyuki assist in these plans?" She asked, smiling face entirely innocent.

He stiffened, relaxed and then circled the church on the crude map he constructed. "Maiya and I deployed over forty pounds of explosives within the old church. Activated by remote detonators, they will kill Kirei Kotomine before he can become a nuisance."

Iri gasped slightly at the reveal, and Kiritsugu a sharp pain upon seeing the look in her eyes. She seemed… Disappointed. "You believe Kirei to go near the church of the Overseer during the course of the War? But that goes against the rules. Unless you believe that he will lose his servant early and seek refuge. But.." She trailed off, the possibilities of Kirei not being at the church began to outweigh the possibility that he would. "How can you be so sure?" She asked finally, standing slowly.

With a sigh, Kiritsugu moved to the fax machine and withdrew the printed dossier. "Rules don't matter in a battle such as this. From what I've gathered, Kirei is a pawn. A pawn which follows his father devotedly. Alongside that, he has no whims or aspirations, no wish. His colleagues have commented on his hollow nature. My best guess is Kirei and his father Risei, will work together, perhaps with another master to secure victory. The question of who and if it will result in betrayal are all that matter." He paused, contemplating lighting a cigarette he had deftly pulled from within his coat. When he had withdrawn it, Iri had scowled and took a step back. With it still in his hands, he crushed it and threw it to the side. Her scowl lessened, but she didn't step forward. "In my dream, that priest had overwhelming close combat prowess. Nothing I could do would even threaten to break his guard. If not for Avalon, my heart would have exploded in the first strike." He handed her the dossier so that she could read about the man herself. Already, it neared a dozen pages of information. From his background to what he was currently doing, to what he would go on to do in the future.

Her eyes widened as she read through the first few pages, which held the more prevalent information on who Kirei Kotomine was. "This is the man you seen in your dreams?" She paused, flipping over a stapled page. "I can see why you've set up traps…" She mumbled.

"I've also called in some favours to receive more training. It's become apparent that I need to develop a new edge to my skills. Something that can catch even that priest off guard. If I train here, within the castle, knowledge of it should not become public. I'll convince Acht to allow entry to one more." He surmised, moving his hand to a corner of the paper map they had been making plans on. Silently, the paper rapidly combusted into lingering ashes. "Now to find a mentor above my own skill." He chuckled darkly.

His head snapped upwards as the door to his office swung open. In the frame stood an average woman. She appeared similar to Iri, only her hair was hidden beneath a sort of maid garb. One wide strand stuck out to partially cover one eye. With rigid, almost robotic movements, she stepped quietly into the room and bowed deeply. "Master Kiritsugu, your attention is required at the front gate."

With one hand stuck in his pocket, he admired a large portrait of Jubstacheit von Einzburn. "Ahaah… I bit too formal, rather tacky and plain unsightly but there's love from the painter in this." He commented, scratching his chin appreciatively. "Yes, yes. All in all, a grand castle with tacky furnishings. Quite something, you'd expect the venerable Einzburn's to actually hire someone to make their home something respectable. Shame to see such a thing go to waste but what is, will be." He rambled on, plodding slowly along the expansive entrance hall just… Poking things. As if sensing a watchful eye, he turned to give a closed-eye cryptic smile. His mouth ran from ear to ear and unfortunately, that was no joke. A zig-zag scar ran from the corners of his mouth to the bottoms of his ears. Indents and marks of bad stitch work clearly evident in the skin. Beyond that, he was extremely well dressed and could have been a decent looking young man were it not for the scar. Shined dress shoes complemented a full three-piece suit. Unlike the shoes, the suit was a dull matte black. It worked well for his cutting visage. His hair was shaved close, with small designs cut into the flesh of his head. They were a dull pink shade, standing out through his black hair. Along the bottom of his face, was a medium length beard, trimmed to be slightly pointed. Even though his eyes were closed, they seemed to track Kiritsugu as he moved to, and down, the stairway.

"Mister Emiya, what a pleasure to meet you in person. Had the information been less sensitive this meeting could have been less formal or avoided altogether." With a sharp movement, he extended his hand forward for Kiritsugu to shake. The action actually made him jump at the sudden nature of it. With that jerking motion, came a sudden rigidity that made his body more akin to a taut bowstring. It looked more like someone shoved a large rod up his a-

"Samuel Downs. Your name thankfully does no-"

"Call me Smiles." He interrupted in a suddenly stern tone lacking the respectful joy it once had. His eyes had shot open, and the wide smile he had been giving turned into a slight scowl. After a brief silence, he returned to the grim smirk.

Kiritsugu blinked, jaw clenching unconsciously. "Smiles, you have information to relay? Accompany me to a more secure room." Kiritsugu stated, business taking precedence over niceties.

The two men returned to Emiya's office and as an added precaution, Kiritsugu set up a quick bounded field. It would prevent anyone from eavesdropping. Not that many lived in the castle, but he wouldn't want them hearing things prematurely, or misinterpreting details.

Smiles admired the room, mainly the expanse of books behind the oaken desk. He even whistled upon nearing the computer and fax machine. "Must have taken some convincing, a deal with the devil and two goats to get that stubborn old fart to bring in a computer." He laughed. The sound was full bellied but each cackle had a sickly underlay to it. Eventually, the man found his way to a chair, settling down and clasping his hands within his knees.

"As my accomplice informed you, Kirei Kotomine's wife took her own life. Almost immediately after, command seals etched themselves onto his hand. Three of them which looked like a splashing wave or something. Oh, wait, I got pictures right here." He said, reaching into a breast pocket to withdraw folded, black and white candid pictures of the man in question. On his hand was as described. Three distinct sections of a whole. One large crashing section or wave, a circular portion, and a segmented 'splash' between the two. They were command seals or an extremely convincing tattoo. "Now the juicy part." His smirk widened. He reached into the other breast pocket and withdrew a cassette tape. With a flick of the wrist, it was airborne. With a snap just as quick, Kiritsugu took hold and glanced it over. There was silence as the Asian man opened a drawer in his desk and withdrew a tape player. Sliding it in, he made the good practice of pressing rewind before pressing play. The static of ambient noise filled the room…

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The ticking of a clock, the silent whispers, the distant beeps of heart rate monitors in the next wing. Kirei could almost hear the blood moving through his heart with each beat. How long had he been sitting in wait, forty minutes? An hour? The doctors had forced him to the waiting room when he had arrived, complications they had said. The question was why. He wished to be within the room with her during these "complications". He would be with his wife in her final moments. So that he could watch her suffer, so he could watch her squirm with the pain, with the realization that her moments on Earth were coming to an end. He secretly wished for Caren to be there as well, to see her grieve over her mother's oncoming death. All of the terrible emotions would be such a satisfying experience. It would serve as a fitting scene for the end of his life as well.

Yes indeed, he had planned some time in advance to kill himself after his wife's demise. Yet was that such an unreasonable response? He didn't believe so. His life was unjust, far from pious and verging on absolute sin. He was empty, a shell, searching desperately for something to fill that absence. So far, only another's pain and suffering would suffice. As his self-reflection grew heated, the doctor in charge of his wife's condition came forward. The medic informed him that this would probably be the last time he would be able to speak with her. Kirei nodded and entered the room where his admittedly beautiful wife lay looking even weaker than she had on previous visits. Upon seeing him, a smile weakly spread across her face. The smile was genuine as it reached her eyes - or eye in her case. Weeks ago, her body had consumed her own eye in its desperate attempt at survival. As such, one eye - the right - was covered with a cloth bandage. Her white hair, which almost blended into her skin, was sprayed across the linen sheets, pieces sticking together from an immune system activated sweat.

"Kirei.. My poor Kirei." She paused to cough. Her voice was a rasping whisper, and her coughs sounded far from healthy, a visceral wet noise from the lungs. Kirei didn't say a word, but he moved to kneel and rest his weight on the hospital bed. Without his knowing, tears began to form in his eyes. Claudia rested a weak hand on Kirei's face, shushing him although he had not said a word. "I'm sorry I couldn't have been a better wife." She laughed then, a hollow hopeless noise which actually excited the priest.

"Claudia, I must be honest with you." Kirei began. As usual, his voice was more unmoving than solid steel. "I married you as an experiment." He paused a beat, allowing that statement to sink in. "I have never loved you, even from the beginning. Even now, my tears originate because I will not be the one to kill you. I have only ever derived happiness from the agony of others." He paused, standing and looming over her surprised form. "I have done all I can to repress these inner feelings to no avail. How can a priest, a man of the cloth, someone who should help others - take pride in deriving joy from pain and suffering of those around him. If you should pass, and I should find no salvation, I have decided to take my own life as repentance." He ranted, making a surprised noise as she simply smiled and began to cry herself. She actually laughed at his remark.

"I wouldn't make too many plans for that, Kirei. I know you will come to your senses soon." She reached out feebly for his hand, and he actually found himself unconsciously taking it. "Your tears are because of your sadness over my death, I understand why you would wish to not admit such." She sniffled, closing her only remaining eye. "In my short time as your wife, I've learned more about you than anyone else. I believe that with my death, you will find your salvation because you will realize that you truly loved me." She paused, mouth parting as her breath grew more laboured by the second.

She paused, swallowing as if such a simple act were a herculean task. "I've poisoned myself, Kirei. In a few moments, I'll be gone and you'll have your realization." Her hand feebly squeezed his as they both waited with the presence of one another.

There were ten seconds of silence - he made sure to count - before she said one final goodbye. He never reciprocated, choosing to simply watch her die while cursing his inability to kill her properly. It was an almost pitiable thing. Standing like a child lost in a supermarket, staring down at the limp form of his now deceased bride.

A whole minute passed before any other sound came. The shuffling of linen as Kirei placed her hand, the hand he held onto until her passing, on the bed. "Your theory has been proven incorrect." Footsteps on hard tiling carried him around the room. "Perhaps it is because you were a sinner, why else would you have taken your own life so senselessly… Yes, yes. If you were a sinner, I would have no qualms over your death. Which leaves me searching for another solution to his persistent problem." His monologuing paused, turning from an aside into silent mumblings to himself which ended in a hollow chuckle as he exited the room.

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Kiritsugu was biting the end of a pencil like a wolf would a deer. While listening he had taken to leaning his hip against the desk. After the cassette stopped, he absently pressed the release to stop the recorded white noise. Only the howling sound of a blizzard brewing outside remained. It was almost peaceful, to have a brief natural silence after such a harrowing recording.

Until Smiles loudly clapped. "Tough shit, this guy sounds like a total nutjob." He huffed unceremoniously, standing and adjusting his tie. "Anyhow, my jobs done so I'll be making a mile." With a smile and a brief bow, he moved to the door, halting as his hand grasped the handle. "Ah, right." He mumbled, reaching into his pants to withdraw a seemingly blank business card. He turned to face his contract holder. "The priest worked side by side with this fledgling enforcer girl. Weird combination since the church and mage's association don't go hand-in-hand, but as they say; opposites attract. Got some dirt on her while we watched the target, maybe you can leverage it - or drag her away from that god-forsaken bastard." He explained, flicking the card out like a magician. As if on command, it landed on the desk beside Kiritsugu. "Specifics on that, so don't lose it." With one hand he pointed accusingly, the other reached behind himself to throw open the door so he could leave.

Kiritsugu sat silently for a moment to digest what he had actually heard. He played the tape a second time just to see if he had caught any details he would have missed the first go around, but he hadn't. Kirei Kotomine was a deranged man masquerading as someone who was sane. What sort of wish would someone that unstable hold for the Grail? Why would he be chosen as a master? And if his dream had been true, that fake priest would win. His plan of bombing the church seemed more and more justified with each new piece of information. Kirei was a very dangerous man. His ideals were frightening, to say the least. Eliminating him first and foremost before all other masters would be the highest priority. However, that would need to wait until the Grail War, when his servant had been summoned and his role as a master solidified. Risei was his adoptive father, theoretically, he should be nothing like Kirei. The pencil he had been biting snapped in half between his teeth. One of the remaining questions was if he should tell Iri about this, or rather, show her the tape or not.

Maybe not today, he would have to consider that decision a bit longer. He took the time to replace his cassette player in his desk, hiding the tape within a book among the shelves. "Advanced Tips in Firearm Maintenance". After he was finished, he snatched the business card and turned it over in his fingers. Writing suddenly made itself apparent. A latent magical inscription that revealed itself on contact with the mage who was destined to read it. While he had to squint, the information written on it was rather impressive. An enforcer and executor working together hunting sealing designates. That alone brought up a snort. The church and the Clocktower worked separately for a good reason. They typically only worked hand in hand when it was absolutely required for the best outcome.

The card briefly touched upon the woman's background, her ties to the association and how possible missions and actions could be held against her as leverage - should it be required. It specifically pointed out that they would be a good asset for a myriad of purposes. Kiritsugu pocketed the card and walked towards the door. He would find out more about this woman, Maeve, at a later time.

Kiritsugu settled into bed beside his wife, staring up towards the ceiling as she wrapped around him to sleep. Absently, he admired the command seals printed on the back of his hand. It was a sword, there was no other way of looking at it. Well, it could be a cross. With his hand upwards, only he himself could actually see the weapon as something so pious. It was actually rather ironic. He, a man who was as far from the church and religion as possible, was branded by a cross. Exhausted, he let his hand fall onto the hip of his wife before closing his eyes.

What greeted him when they opened, was hell. All around him were flames, but not ordinary flames. They were magically encha- no, wait. They weren't enchanted flames, they were cursed flames. They stretched out as far as Kiritsugu could see. The heat was unbearable. Even though he was out of the flames it felt as if he were standing within them. Screams echoed and howled from every direction. Men, women, children all crying out in pain and suffering. Crying for their mothers, their fathers, a saviour - the lord. Anything to save them from the unyielding flames which clung to the skin and crept along their bodies like contagious napalm. Even after most of their bodies had been turned to ash they begged for salvation. The curse was keeping them alive, barely, extracting all the pain and misfortune it could before letting its host expire. The fire was almost a living parasite. He found himself running, not the he that was himself, but the he which was… Goddamnit, this was another spectator dream gain. His physical copy looked exhausted, he hadn't even bothered to shave by the looks of things. Stumbling shakily through the rubble, it was almost as if he were looking for something, wasn't it?

But was this before or after the fight with Kirei? The spectator followed the physical body, glancing around to see if they could discern something - anything important. In the first dream, he had mostly gaped while observing. This time would be different, any clues, any key points that he could use would be found. The physical body was sprinting, moving as fast as he could while looking everywhere for something. He kicked in the door of a burnt building, attention snapping onto the body of a young woman. The physical copy picked her up in his arms and in a sort of trance, carried her outside. The spectator could tell - she was long dead, and after a few moments, the physical copy discarded the body. The spectator realized what his other self was searching for at that moment.

A survivor. This was some sort of warzone and he was looking for a survivor - of course. The physical copy wrapped both hands around a red-hot rock, grimacing through the pain as he uncovered a pile of ashes and a severed hand. Turning around, the copy spotted what looked like a small girl curled up in a corner out of the flames. After running to it, however, he discovered it to only be a charred body that had been covered with fabric caught in the wind. Each time the copy discovered another dead body, his eyes dimmed, his pace slowed down a little bit. The spectator knew what the copy was going through - he was experiencing it himself.

Hopelessness, a force greater than pain, sadness or anger. It held back mountains and stopped great typhoons. Kiritsugu had seen it happen countless times. Caused by himself during the moments leading to the murder of his targets or within his own eyes in the mirror before he met Irisviel. It had almost become a second skin to him before then. During those times, he was questioning whether he would ever achieve his dream, if it were all worth it, if his goal had made him into the very monster he wished to destroy. The hopelessness he had seen in this dream was an entirely different form of hopelessness.

Throughout his past, hopelessness never stemmed from failure. Not once had failure brought him to his knees in desperation or brought tears to his eyes. But this physical copy was broken by precisely that. A half hour of finding corpses and ashes passed. It would seem that nobody had survived. The bodies of the survivors were all charred husks, ashes upon the ground or mangled piles of flesh and bone. After having too much, the physical form collapsed onto their knees, digging into a pile of rubble below with their body on autopilot. The spectator stood over the shoulder of their physical copy. Both of them had the same cold dead face which was more frigid than normal.

Even though the spectator was able to remain standing, it was only because he knew this was a dream, and he also knew that after it was over, he could see Illya and Iri. That shred of hope kept him standing, made him clench his jaw and decide to see this through until the end rather than kneel beside his copy and weep alongside him. A small sound, a short, weak noise that came from the left side hardly rose over the crackle of fire. Both Kiritsugu's heard it, and both snapped their heads to attention. Only one of them scrambled to get to the outstretched hand coming from a small hole. It was trembling and seemed to belong to a child. The physical version kneeled over the hand, grasping it tight and… Cried onto whoever it was. The spectator slowly walked up to see who it was who had been found but suddenly, the world blurred and everything collapsed in on itself to a single white point.

He snapped awake, mostly because he was being jostled awake by Illya. "Daddy, daddy wake up!" She shouted with a great big smile. She was wearing her outside clothes for some reason, sitting on his chest and rattling his shoulders. He was angry for the slightest moment before he realized it was Illya. Then his face went to confusion before settling into a smile.

"Good morning Illya." He paused, shuffling his body upwards. "Why are you awake so early?" He asked, taking a quick glance around the room for Iri. She appeared to be gone.

She pouted, sitting back and crossing her arms haughtily over her chest. "Because you promised yesterday that we would go play outside and it's two in the afternoon and the snow has stopped an-"

He held up his hands in defeat, chuckling as he did. "Alright, alright. But you'll need to wait outside so I can get ready ok?" He bargained, watching his daughter go from angry pouting to overjoyed in a half second. He couldn't actually remember if he had promised her such a thing or not.

"Okay! But if you aren't out soon I'll banish you to the dungeons!" She giggled playfully, jumping off the bed and running to the door with arms outstretched - like a plane.

With a sigh, Kiritsugu got up and moved to get himself prepared for the day. His mind couldn't leave the dream again. He was there, standing in the flesh-searing heat, searching for survivors. He wanted to know who he had found - would he find them again if that situation were to happen again? Was Kirei involved in the fire? There were too many questions. If only Illya hadn't woken him he would have been able to- Wait, did she say it was two in the afternoon?

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Illya was indeed correct. The snow had stopped, and the sun gleamed up above. The snow glittered like crystals and crunched satisfyingly underfoot. Times like these were really beautiful at the Einzburn castle, and even Kiritsugu could appreciate the peacefulness of it all. Illya was running around ahead, making small circles occasionally as she followed the long path towards a hiking path. As tranquil as the surroundings were, however, Kiritsugu couldn't quite leave his burning dream. Hours after he awoke, he cursed his imperceptiveness. He hadn't bothered to check and see if the 'real' him had command seals. Such a small thing, but it would have told him if what he had been seeing was before or after the war. Without that little bit of knowledge, he would have to assume it was before that fight with Kirei. Could a servant really dish out that kind of carnage? What twisted power would do such a thing? To innocent people over such a great area? So deep in thought was the man that he accidentally walked right into a branch which was leering into the pathway.

Illya giggled before running up in front of her father and beaming up at him. "Are you suuuree you got enough sleep?" She asked, squinting her eyes and pursing her lips inquisitively. In response, Kiritsugu smiled before suddenly kicking up a pile of snow which covered Illya from head to toe. The suddenness of it all took her by complete surprise. She shrieked and tried to move away but got covered in snow. When she turned back to look at her father, she found he had taken off running while laughing at her expense. Furious, she began chasing after him while shouting, "unfair!"

After some time of playing, Illya asked if they could go somewhere new. Curious, Kiritsugu agreed and followed his daughter. The day spent playing had actually taken his mind off the dream. If it hadn't, he probably would have gone into a paranoia induced planning overload like he had the last time. But then what could he even plan for? Bring a fire extinguisher? Wait, the fire was cursed. So a Blessed Fire Extinguisher. The thought made him snort in amusement. Illya had stopped and turned to face him, hands going behind her back. In time, he stopped to, face turning to confusion at her actions. "Illya, what do you have planned?" He asked simply.

She suddenly lowered her head and rubbed the front of her boot into the snow sheepishly. "You know how you told me not to do magic?" She began, surprising Kiritsugu as two wire-frame birds, doves if their shape indicated anything, appeared over his daughter's shoulders. "I couldn't help it." She ended, voice saddened. They were not fully formed birds, but blue strings shaped to the image of birds. Idly, they flapped their wings while bobbing lightly up and down. A few awkward seconds passed where Kiritsugu just held a look of surprise. In this time, he recognized where it had come from. "Mommy taught me while you were away, she said that nobody had ever learned how to form them that fast without learning the… Oh-" She huffed, stamping one foot in anger. "I forgot what she told me."

He could only laugh and shake his head. Of course she had taught her. It only made sense, he supposed. He had no real magical skills beyond combat magic. Teaching that to a girl this young would do nothing but set her onto a dark path. Iri was more skilled in healing magic and defensive spells, something that could be useful without being deadly.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked silently, lifting her head to await her father's scolding.

Kiritsugu crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath before speaking. "No, I'm actually impressed. If your ability is already this great at such a young age, I can only imagine what you'll be capable of when you're older." He took a few steps forward and kneeled in front of her, running a hand through her hair with a smile. "I'm only upset that you didn't tell me the truth. I'll let Iri know that she doesn't have to hide this around me anymore, ok?" For a man who had a career where watching people closely was imperative - he was rather clueless about his own family.

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In the following evening, Kiritsugu prepared to perform a communication ritual. For once, he was performing actual magecraft. He was forced to do it because the Enforcer woman happened to be a proper mage and for no logical reason, "proper" mages today despised technology. Kiritsugu wasn't really a mage, farther from a proper mage, so this hatred didn't extend to him. When he had arrived at the Einzburn castle, they didn't even have electricity. He had argued with Jubstacheit for weeks just to get a generator wired up to the castle. Another week was spent debating whether a phone and a fax machine were worthy appliances. Even now, Old Man Acht gave his office dirty looks whenever he walked by. But that didn't matter now, what mattered was getting this sigil right.

Just like a telephone, the sigil he was working on would be mated to a 'code'. This code was unique to each mage, and could be converted into runic. The special runic was what a mage needed to inscribe properly to get the right connection. One off character was like one wrong digit in a phone number. Other forms of communication besides runic existed in the mage world. There was at least one for each respective school of magecraft, It just so happened that this woman favoured runes - convenient since Kiritsugu at least had a basic understanding of the language.

All in all, it only took him an hour. If he were experienced it may have only taken five minutes but he had made a point of triple checking his inscriptions. He made a very quick last check and after he moved to sit down. Supplying mana to the sigil established the connection and he waited for the other end to 'pick up'.

"Who is this?" Came a coordinated voice from the sigil. The suddenness of it had caught him by surprise. Her voice had an Irish tinge to it. Not something that cluttered her sentences, but enough to call back to her roots.

"Maeve McRemitz, correct? My name is Kiritsugu Emiya, but you might know of me better by-"

"The Mage Killer. Of course, I've heard of you. What is it you're looking for? Am I the target of your next contract?" She spat out with sudden anger. Was she paranoid about being targeted? Not many assassins took the time to call out their targets before striking. Not any good ones, anyway.

"Working backwards, no and your help." He replied briskly, raising an eyebrow at the following moment of silence.

"Help with what? I'm not some teacher for a contracted killer with a mark." She replied. He had expected something like this. His name had the unfortunate side effect of forcing people away. Still, communication hadn't broken down as she was still connected. Obviously, she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I'm not a part of that business anymore. A task of greater importance has taken my attention, and it doesn't involve assassination." He replied simply. She wouldn't need to know that it was about the Holy Grail War, she wasn't a participant. "I need your help with training."

There was another, longer period of silence before Maeve replied with "what?"

"I've heard of your combat potential, combining runecraft with hand-to-hand prowess is incredibly ingenuitive, and I wish to learn some of your techniques or at the least, a better fighting style." He admitted, ashamed that he - for the first time in his career - had to accept outside help in training. Natalia didn't count, she was more a mother to him than a mentor.

"You understand that I am held up with my work and that I'm not at liberty to disregard my job and train rogue mages right?"

"Fully, I also understand that Enforcers and Executors shouldn't consider one another as friends. It's not common for one to train the other either." He menaced, hoping that brief hint of blackmail wouldn't skew their conversation in the wrong direction.

"And here Kirei was insulting me for being paranoid. I knew I felt someone watching us." She huffed, pausing to think. So far the conversation was going exactly as planned. Before she could respond, Kiritsugu but in.

"Speaking of, the same person watching you has discovered something of extreme importance regarding Kirei's character. Working beside him, I imagine you would like to hear such a thing." Kiritsugu decided to bargain with the information, rather than blackmail her against the Association. He had reasoned that it would be the best tactic for cooperation.

"I always wondered if that priest was more machine than human." She commented absently, humming in contemplation. "Even if I were to exchange mentorship for information, how do you suppose I will escape the wrath of the Association?" She questioned, finding herself interested in how the Mage Killer would answer.

"If you know of my name that well, then I have no doubts that the Association also knows of it." He commented, hoping she would fill in the blanks.

"I see, I see… I still think this might be a trap or something. It's not often you hear word from the mage's equivalent of the Boogeyman. What are the terms of this agreement and what sort of guarantee can you provide that you won't kill me?"

He wanted to laugh but held his tongue, he wasn't a Boogeyman at all. Maybe to some, who thought he killed purely for the money or just for sport. In reality, he was killing one to prevent the deaths of many. But the less known about him, the better. "In exchange for information and additional smaller requests, you will provide mentorship in runecrafting and hand-to-hand combat. Neither of us will attempt to directly harm the other apart from wounds suffered in training. You'll also be provided room and board for the duration, within luxury accommodations." Kiritsugu laid out the agreement simply. He may have imagined the quality of the Einzburn castle to be a little greater than it was in reality but that was a white lie. While the castle itself was rather lush, the atmosphere negated any benefit from the quality furnishings.

"And transport? I'll also need to take multiple trips away from the castle for weeks at a time, this all fine with you?" Maeve added.

"Transport will be provided and paid for. You may take as many absences as you want, no doubt you have your own business to attend to." Kiritsugu nodded to himself. It wouldn't be hard to transport her Germany. It might be harder to get Acht to give her a room but that man would do anything to win the Grail.

"Since this seems like a win-win situation, I'll tell you what." She paused after speaking. Perhaps adjusting herself on the other end? "I'll come to you but you have to show me what kind of dirt you have on Kirei first. If it's interesting, I'll agree to teach you whatever you want. But the value of that information will determine the length I stay - got it?" She said, setting more terms to their agreement. For Kiritsugu, everything she said was reasonable.

"Acceptable, where are you located so I can charter a flight?" He asked only to get a laugh from the other end, much to his dissatisfaction.

"Unfortunately I'm a bit smarter than the typical mage from the Clocktower. I'll need your location, and I'll make it to you by tomorrow." She argued, turning the tables. If she wasn't travelling through his means, it would be rather costly - but his days as a mercenary could pay for that if Acht wouldn't.

"The Einzburn castle, south-west of the Inn river, do you know of it?" Kiritsugu relinquished without hesitating. As much as Acht would hate to hear it, his castle wasn't as incognito as he would have thought.

"I do, I know of it well. Tomorrow morning I'll arrive, I assume you'll meet me, so this will be farewell until then." She said all at once, cutting the communication abruptly. Kiritsugu looked out the window of his office, the sun already below the horizon. Kiritsugu went over the events of the day. He had woken up late, played with Illya and discovered her to be a prodigy at magecraft. He finished off by hiring an Enforcer to teach him how to fight. The most shocking had to Illya's newfound ability in magecraft. He discovered - after a brief analysis - that Illya had a special power, her magic crest it could be called. Since one was never passed down unto her, but she was given magic circuits in the womb, a pseudo crest was somehow created within her. Kiritsugu named the crest "Wish Granter". It had the ability to cast spells without knowing the process behind their conception. A simple application of raw mana would produce the desired results. He named it such because Illya revealed that she had secretly wished to do magecraft just so she could impress Iri and him. Just thinking about the innocence of it all brought a smile to his face. She had been able to copy a lesser form of Iri's construct-type magic and was able to use basic healing magic just by watching her mother work. With a big yawn, he swept up the inscriptions from his ritual and cleaned up the area. After that, he shambled off to bed, surprisingly tired for waking up at two in the afternoon. He wondered why that was.

.. .. ..

.. .. ..

She arrived early the next morning, meeting Kiritsugu at the edge of the magical barrier so that he could allow her passage. He had been arguing with Acht for much of last night, trying to persuade him that Maeve to him was like a whetstone to a knife edge. It worked, but only barely. Acht decided to offer up a large room like the one he and Iri had, saying something about "showing her the grandeur of the Einzburns" or something equally as stupid. He had only been standing for a half hour before she strode up to the edge of the barrier, stepping through it when Kiritsugu signalled she could. The woman ahead of him was in her early twenties, wearing a well made, fitted black suit. She was a rather good-looking woman with pale skin, brown hair and brown eyes. Her entire body was rigid with professionalism, fists clenched tight and face drawn tight with neutral analysis. He hadn't noticed it immediately, but a mole rested under her left eye. It broke up the monotony of her face and actually contributed to her attractiveness. They both nodded lightly to one another, brown eyes clashing with black in a silent battle of will. Just with the look behind their eyes, they conversed and judged one another before saying a single word in person.

"Magus Killer." Maeve began, nodding respectfully.

"Fraga." Kiritsugu shot back, watching her body - which was already tense - become a guitar string with one word. Obviously, she didn't like her 'trump card' being revealed so casually. Her eyes narrowed and filled with a fierce anger. The slight squeak of leather from her gloves was the only warning he had of a fist hurtling towards his face. With an inhale, Kiritsugu contorted his body to lean off to the left. Her fist grazed the shoulder of his coat and already her other fist reared back to plant itself within his stomach. In this time, his own hand had wrapped around the handle of his combat knife, and the thrust blade was already much closer to her than her fist was to him. He marvelled as she didn't even try to move away, but realized why with surprise when the blade struck her stomach and deflected with a clang. His hand released from the knife, he wouldn't be able to move out of the way while holding on.

Time Alter: Double Accel! Kiritsugu shouted in his mind, darting back to the right under her arm and taking hold of the briefly falling knife with his opposite hand. As the Time Alter wore off, he shoved himself forwards, wrapping his other hand around her back and pulling towards himself. He was trying with renewed vigour and additional power to brute force his way through her enchanted suit. Long story short - it didn't work and he suddenly found himself facing the sky as the woman flipped him over with a strike to the back of his neck. As she pivoted and prepared to deliver a downwards strike to his chest, his legs came up to intercept, kicking her arm out to the side and unbalancing her. On the wet, icy snow he managed to rotate his body and use her chest as a striking pad for both feet. In that move, they separated with enough time for both to stand and face one another. A bit better than a dozen feet separated them, and he had already lost his knife in the first move. He was facing an expert in hand to hand and actually surviving which was surprising. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he was lacking in actual physical combat skills. Guns and explosives were much more his style, effective, simple to use.

"For a guy who's claim to fame is murdering hundreds of mages, your form is terrible. Your strength is alright for being unenhanced, but your technique.." She paused, shaking her head and flinging bits of snow that had stuck in her hair all about. "It's like you learned to fight in a bar - ten minutes ago." She snorted, moving forward with quick, controlled steps. Just as fast as the first strike, her right hand snaked out to attack his kidney. A debilitating blow, if it managed to strike that is. In a fluid motion, his left hand lashed out at her wrist, taking hold and tugging to use her limb as a pivoting point, he performed a classic shoulder throw, tossing her over his back onto the snow. She landed but held onto his right arm sleeve. The smaller woman had a lot more strength than he had imagined, finding out first hand as she yanked him downwards into a stumble. Without even hesitating, her other fist pulled into a swing and struck at the elbow. Had his arm been any other direction, it would have broken. However since it was positioned to bend parallel to the strike - it held up to the force but wouldn't be usable for some time.

Moving with the blow, Kiritsugu turned and tried to fall with his knee onto Maeve's face. With a kip up, the woman avoided the attack and moved into a striking position. Kiritsugu rolled forwards, popping up at the end and rotating to put some distance - some breathing room - between them. Unfortunately, it looked as if that wasn't going to happen. In mid turn, he was forced to move. Time Alter: Double Accel! He shouted mentally once more. Ducking under a fist primed for his chest, he shot upwards with his good arm and nailed the woman square on the chin just after the Time Alter ended. The attack utilized the combined force of his entire body and sent Maeve off her feet and onto her back. The snow made a satisfying thwump from her weight. Without skipping a beat she lifted her head up, gave it a shake and rubbed her chin.

"That was actually a decent hit. Alright Magus Killer, show me that info and I'll think about teaching you." She huffed, slowly getting up and dusting off her suit. She gave her head a stronger shake to dislodge some of the snow that had clung to it. Her face returned to a state of impassiveness shortly after.

Kiritsugu was standing tall and looking composed and ready to fight. Only when he was sure their fight was concluded he let out a pent-up breath and slumped over. His right arm was still numb, and a decent amount of his energy was gone from just that little spar. His lungs heaved to recover some oxygen, clouding the air in front of his face with the heated breath. Maeve on the other hand wasn't even breathing hard and her posture was still stiff as a board. Perhaps he needed this training more than he thought. Maeve simply glanced at him with apprehension. "You killed Enforcers like me?" She scoffed. "Luck must run in your family." She snickered, walking down the trail towards the Einzburn castle with calm confidence.

Luck? Oh, if only she knew how wrong she was. He followed a few good paces behind her towards the looming work of masonry.

His back slammed against the wall. Blood found its way out of his mouth from the ruptured organs from the impact. Normally, it would have come from his shattered ribs - but his time with Natalia and the creation of his Origin rounds had shaved off the most breakable bits. As he collapsed on the ground, he could only wonder how many of their spars would end in this way. Irisviel was there beside him in a moment, face full of quiet sadness as she healed his battered and bruised body back into peak condition. The process was getting faster now, she was becoming more attuned with his body and able to knit parts back to their original state without having to figure out what that state was. What had taken an hour the first time, was now done in twenty minutes or less. All the while, Maeve hardly even seemed winded - but she was bleeding from her cheek.

Glaring up at her with newfound fury and determination, Kiritsugu thought back mere hours ago to when he had shown her the tape.

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.. .. ..

She sat on a chair opposite his desk, waiting as he withdrew the cassette player and the cassette from "Advanced Tips in Firearm Maintenance". Gently he placed it in, rewound it to the beginning and pressed play. He watched idly as her face went from neutral, to confused at why such a recording would be incriminating, to rapidly disgusted and horrified. When it was over, she didn't say a word, but the deep scowl on her face said plenty. As if finally realizing he was there, her head shot up.

"That's the monster I've been working beside? That's the creature who supposedly had my back when the fighting got hard? Jesus… If he… If he were here…" Her face faltered for a minute but rapidly regained its composure in the same instance. "I'd kill him, I'd kill the bastard right now." She ended, standing abruptly. "Let me ask you, does your 'new task' have anything to do with putting that fake priest down?" He stared her dead in the face and nodded. "Then I'll do whatever I can to make sure you can put him down as painfully as possible." She said with resolution. "All I'll need…"

.. .. ..

.. .. ..

She had requested plenty of training aids, but most would need to get through Jubstacheit before he could say anything about them. The first request was a training room, and that, Kiritsugu knew he could allow without permission. Upon entering, she set up guidelines on how they would train, when they would train, and what would be allowed in each spar. On Kiritsugu's end, anything was fair game. However, Maeve was limited to simple hand-to-hand. She would use no specialized techniques unique to her. This was for two reasons. For one, it protected her secrets and for two, any technique of hers would probably kill him. She obviously felt confident that nothing Kiritsugu could pull out would be threatening. Little did she know.

Kiritsugu didn't hesitate on using guns, knives and grenades in attempts at wounding her. Of course, his Calico and Thompson Contender were in Fuyuki, so his familiar, more formidable weaponry was unavailable. That and using an ace in the hole like his Contender was foolish. The normal guns actually did wound her, but only since the impact was so concentrated over such a small area. Each successful hit was another bruise. That was until a round struck her bare neck and Irisviel had to heal her for once, lest she bleed out and die. After that match Kiritsugu found his gun to be the target of her fists much more often. The score, not that anyone had been counting, was thirteen to one. It wasn't hard to guess which person held which score.

"Your form is getting better, you're not relying so much on that gun anymore which is good. Kirei is an expert in martial arts, much like I am but in a different style. The amount of power his fists can produce puts me to shame - I'm not afraid to admit that." She commented, spacing her feet and lifting both fists as Kiritsugu shakily stood once more. "His weakness lies in a lack of defence. His body and clothes have no reinforcement." She commented further, tilting her head as her opponent wavered on his feet. "You going for one more try or are we done for today?" She asked calmly, eyes narrowing as the Magus Killer cracked his neck unceremoniously.

"Once more." He replied briefly, doing his best to copy Maeve's stance. She cocked her head to the side at this but it didn't stop her from moving forward and making the first strike. Each opening strike of hers had been different, but each one had a similarity. Their power was always weaker than every following strike. For whatever reason, her blows gained intensity as the battle went on. Perhaps it was some sort of inner Irish bloodthirst? Although he wouldn't actually say that to her face in fear of having an arm torn off.

Her first blow, a simple short jab with her right to his shoulder was turned into a near miss by a strike to her forearm. Following up, Kiritsugu pivoted and struck at what was currently empty air. But as his fist neared full extension, it found its target on her upper right arm. She always prepared her second strike as the first was supposed to be landing, a full offence move which left defence wide open. The strike was solid and brought out a rasp of sucking air from his target. Not stopping to allow her to recover, his body dropped, right foot swinging out to hook Maeve's leg from behind. Unfortunately, she was too well-spaced for this tactic to fully trip her, however, she was stumbled heavily and unable to launch a retaliatory attack. With most of his back to Maeve, Kiritsugu extended his legs to rise while using his right elbow to jab back into the Enforcer's chest. It was unclear who that attack hurt more since there was a visceral cracking sound coming from both members involved.

Time Alter: Triple Accel! He shouted mentally, keeping his half-stood position. He started a rotation toward her right side and pulled back his left fist. With the attack ready to launch, his time acceleration disabled and his fist found itself slamming into the bottom of her ribs. As the strike collided, Maeve collapsed and began coughing roughly, face contorted in pain. As she knelt, Kiritsugu let out a breath and offered the woman a hand up. This time he had won. He had used an exploit in her tactics, and had struck with more ferocity than the last dozen attempts combined - but a win was a win. Perhaps this had been a training for her as well - not to underestimate her opponents.

"You-got-alot-stronger." She wheezed, gasping out syllables while nursing her liver. "You were-holding back-before." She surmised, glaring upwards to get a nod from the sweating Kiritsugu.

"I exploited a flaw and won the fight." He stated blandly, still holding his hand outstretched. Eventually, she took it and hoisted herself up, holding onto her side and limping towards the door.

"It was good, but you said that was the last one - and I'm hungry and tired." She paused, taking in a couple gulps of air before continuing. "Tomorrow I'll teach you Runic and how to inscribe things with it." She huffed, opening the door and leaving to show herself to the dining hall. Kiritsugu, after watching her leave - collapsed onto his knees and began panting for air. Irisviel was beside him in a moment, offering what little healing she could while simply consoling her husband. Kiritsugu hardly heard her, silently hoping that their training would get easier, or that runecrafting would be simple.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

Kiritsugu couldn't have been more wrong. Training seemed to get harder and harder every day. Irisviel actually forced him to stay in bed for several days since she feared for his health. He had run himself to the point of total collapse in a vain attempt at overcoming Maeve in her natural field of expertise. It wasn't that he was desperate to get better, he was just determined to win. Regardless of how hard he tried, he could never seem to consistently get the upper hand and that infuriated him to no end. He had surpassed that first day of thirteen to two in the first year, but he hadn't made much progress beyond that. Each time he seemed to be making a stride in the right direction, she seemed to gain another edge on him. Whether that be a faster reaction, stronger impact or simply a new move he had never experienced before. Kiritsugu had been specifically limiting his use of Time Alter to acclimate his body and reactions to Maeve's extreme speed. If he relied on Time Alter, he would use it too much and run himself dry of mana.

Runecrafting was no easier than the physical training. It took extended amounts of time and dedication to remember and use the runes practically. It took longer to actually inscribe them onto materials and make them work properly without causing a massive explosion like he had in the east wing. He had done it though. Maeve had called him an "advanced novice" by the end of her time with him. And their time definitely had ended. Around one month ago - almost two years since she arrived - Maeve vanished from the castle and never returned. It was as if she were abducted in the night. She didn't even respond to his communication ritual.

But she hadn't died. His informants in the Clocktower revealed that she was indeed alive and well - simply hiding. For what reason was unknown to Kiritsugu, but he decided not to pry. His time sparring with that woman had granted her his respect and slight fear. He wouldn't want to be caught in a real fight with her without his Contender, that was all he would say. Reflecting back on his dream, and comparing that to his time sparring with Maeve, Kiritsugu was confident he could at least go toe-to-toe with the fake priest, if not catch him off guard.

The year was now 1994, and the Grail War was almost literally around the corner. In four days, Kiritsugu would summon King Arthur using Avalon - the almighty Arthurian relic. Oddly enough, Assassin and Lancer had already been summoned. By who was unknown, not like it mattered. Soon he would find out first hand. Other information had revealed itself in the past few weeks. The identities of the other masters specifically, as well as an interesting development.

Kirei Kotomine, Kariya Matou, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and Tokiomi Tohsaka were all verified masters. Waver Velvet was also a potential master, as stories spoke of him stealing a relic destined for Kayneth Archibald. Each one had a rather blatant reason to fight for the Grail. Their precise wish was unknown, only their skills and potential were known. Kiritsugu could name Kirei's skills and abilities through sheer memory by this point but the others were new.

Kariya Matou was a feeble mage, barely holding his body together as the Matou family magic tore his body apart from the inside. Kariya could almost be forgotten, he would die with or without help.

Kayneth would be a concerning member of this war. An expert in summoning, necromancy, alchemy and spiritual evocation. He is regarded as the most accomplished mage and lecturer of the Clocktower, and his background makes that believable. After Kirei, Kayneth would be the most threatening target.

The potential master Waver Velvet was a novice mage, a student from Kayneth's own class. He would pose little threat unless the relic stolen was something formidable. Knowing the Archibalds, it most likely would be.

Tokiomi Tohsaka was an accomplished mage, only behind Kayneth Archibald in raw magical potential. Highly skilled in jewelcraft and fire spells. Yet the most interesting part of Tokiomi, was not his abilities nor family. It was the fact that he allegedly took on Kirei Kotomine as an apprentice, three years before now. They both told the public they immediately separated when Kirei's command seals appeared, but Kiritsugu knew better than the common people. The pair had done a decent job of concealing their actions enough so that Kiritsugu, even watching Kirei like a hawk, hadn't discovered the apprenticeship for well over a year. It didn't take a genius to discover what they were doing.

Tokiomi and Kirei were working together to secure victory of the Holy Grail War. It was something against the rules and incredibly dishonest. But when an omnipotent wish granter was on the line, honesty seemed to be in short supply. Knowing of their alliance beforehand meant Kiritsugu could strike whenever he desired while expecting reinforcements from the other. Even though outnumbered - he held an advantage in that respect. Hopefully, Kirei's musings would move him to the church, then Kiritsugu's job would be simple. They would only need to watch the Church and detonate the explosives when Kirei went inside - if he went inside.

Kiritsugu was thinking all of this as he walked behind his daughter, absently scanning the trees to find chestnut buds. He wasn't doing a very good job since his mind was clogged with thoughts of what would come next. Illya was nine now, and still as full of energy and childish joy as she had been three years ago. How she had managed to keep it up, was beyond him.

"Found another one!" She shouted, jumping up and down while pointing at the end of a branch. Just as she said, the bud was clear as day and Kiritsugu gave her a congratulations before deciding to try his best at beating his daughter - or coming close anyway, she was surprisingly really good at finding chestnut buds.

He lost miserably.

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... ... ...

... ... ...

It was time for the summoning. At midnight, Acht and Iri had gathered with Kiritsugu in the church to summon their servant for the Grail War. It was quarter after Midnight, but the summoning wouldn't take place until two in the morning. They had come early, to prepare the circle and link the catalyst. Once that was completed and double checked to be completed correctly, Acht returned to the castle, leaving Kiritsugu and Iri alone so he would not disrupt the ritual.

"Iri." Kiritsugu began, voice echoing around the stone walls and painted glass. "Kirei and Tokiomi Tohsaka are working together. I don't know what their plans are, but I have no doubt that Kirei knows of me." Kiritsugu paused, secretly wishing he could light a smoke. "But I know more than he will think I know. If he's smart, I'll be his main interest. By extension that puts you at risk for attacks." He turned to her and peered into her eyes with sadness. "Are you sure you're comfortable with that?" He asked, surprised as she smiled and took his hands.

"This war has been the only thing I've been preparing for my whole life. And if it's the only way to truly ensure that you and Illya can live happily, then I'm determined to see it through. I knew it would be dangerous, but I wouldn't want it any other way." She decided, giving a stubborn nod with a smiling face.

Kiritsugu could only gape, surprised at her willpower. Sometimes he envied her in that regard. Once she was set on doing something, she wouldn't stop until she saw it through. His face broke into a slight smile and with a chuckle, he moved to the summoning circle. Checking the time and verifying it to be 1:55, he lifted and pointed his hand - the right - towards the circle. Off memory, he began speaking the aria:
"Heed my words, my will creates your body and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reasoning - then answer my summoning." He paused. The circle was surging with a crimson light, growing brighter and brighter as time went on. Kiritsugu suddenly added his own custom lines in place of the traditional ones. "I hereby swear, that I shall be all the good of the world - and defeat all evil of the world." He paused again, eyes latching onto his wife before affixing themselves on the circle. "From the Seventh Heaven, attended by the three great powers, come forth from the throne O-Wielder of Promised Victory!" He shouted, white light spewing out of the summoning circle and illuminating the entire church.


Yes, yes. I've added two (read that again) two whole new characters to the fray. One won't be appearing again, but the other will - or at least someone similar. I imagine you can figure it out which is which, heh-heh.

The end of this chapter signals the start of the Fourth Holy Grail War, which may or may not continue following Kiritsugu - you'll just have to wait and see. Anyway! This got lots of views in a very short amount of time and that inspired me to write this whole block! We also got two reviews which were very nice to see! If you're enjoying it so far, write a review yourself, they are always wanted.