Saber would never have thought she would fight in a battlefield full of civilians.

She had destroyed a few villages, that she would openly admit. However, they were places full of resources that the enemy harvested, feeding their armies and keeping them going for what could've been months in the worst-case scenario. Vortigern had already done the same with the villages under her protection during her rebellion, and thus he had lost the right to claim any honor in such a war.

Waging war in a location full of innocents — neither belonging to any side or color, was a completely different occasion. In a way, she was glad and regretful that Rider had designed such a plan. It was efficient like a clock and its gears, but it needed precision to work. Otherwise, it could've turned out a lot bloodier than she would like.

However, there was something even more obvious.

She hated Caster. Anybody who served a serial killer was the worst scum there ever could be, and her sword would take the head of the Servant. She would've done the same during her time as king in Camelot, mustering her knights to hunt down such a cruel mage. The knights would have brought the mage before her, and she would cast down her sentence immediately.

But this wasn't Camelot, she reminded herself. They didn't have armies they could muster, though Servants were armies in and of themselves. If it weren't for her Master and Rider's more pragmatic lines of thinking, she was quite sure she would've gone rushing in, which would have led to a possible disaster.

Targeting Lancer, for now, was the most pragmatic decision until they knew better. If they didn't do this, then Lancer and his Master could accumulate resources and fortifications, making it a battle impossible to win. It wasn't like Archer and his own Master, who already had resources that needed to be taken down. Better to strike while the enemy was relatively weak than what they could be in the future.

Now she was in the lobby of the Fuyuki Hyatt, wearing the black suit Irisviel had given her. Specifically, she was pretending to be focused on a baseball game. Apparently, the sport was played professionally in Japan ever since the 1930s and was still played as a league even up to now. She was waiting for the signal from Rider, er, Leo.

It was probably only due to the meagre knowledge the summoning ritual gave her that she knew when to cheer and when to boo alongside some of the other men and women watching the match. Otherwise, she would have stood out like a sore thumb and failed her mission to blend in. Even so, she was quite sure that Lancer would eventually notice her in time. Mainly due to her high rank in charisma making her shine like a beacon for those that were magically oriented.

Irisviel was stationed in a restaurant that was a few blocks away, its workers hypnotized or bribed to keep quiet while she monitored them through a crystal ball. Though the bounded field was blocking their own view of the top floor, Irisviel could scry both her location and Rider's, keeping track of their progress.

She didn't know where her Master was, though Irisviel had insisted that he was nearby. The same applied with Hisau. It was strange, because although Irisviel and Kiritsugu were married, they were practically distant from each other in terms of the physical. Although some of her knights had wives that kept to the castle, this was mainly because the castles were safer in comparison to the battlefield. Irisviel could be attacked in her location, and nobody would ever know.

It was only when she felt someone squeeze her shoulder did she panic, nearly jumping ten feet in the air. Then she realized the hand's owner, and she practically rolled her eyes. "Do you not have anything better to do than tease me?"

Leo was wearing the uniform of the hotel staff, its color a soft white that was between ivory and linen. A monocle covered his left eye, the shine from the electric lights making it glint. Soft touches of make-up covered his cheeks, giving his brown skin an elegant glow. His smile was still Merlin-esque in quality and served both to comfort and unnerve her in equal measure.

"Aw, but then that wouldn't be any fun." Rider nudged what looked like a cart full of food, if the aroma was anything to go by. "Anyway, technically I'm covering for a poor bastard who's taking a very nice nap in his car. One my master still owes me, by the way."

The cart rumbled, as if to voice its displeasure. Artoria noticed it, and immediately lifted an eyebrow. "You stuffed him in there?"

"How else was he going to get up there without drawing suspicions?" Leo shrugged. "He's too young to look like a worker, and a young guy following a sensual man like me would practically be a pedo alert. Better this than having him get stuffed in a laundry cart and sniffing someone's underwear."

If anything, the cart practically tried to jerk around, but Rider's grip was like a vise, stopping it from moving a single inch.

"Anyway, I just got a notice from the person in charge of room service. El-Melloi recently ordered a bottle of this place's finest wine, set to be delivered within ten minutes. You know what that means." With that, Rider sneaked her a … purse? It was almost comical, seeing her in a black suit carry the purse with a very cute white and pink cat.

She was paralyzed for a second, looking at the bag with puzzlement before words caught up to her. "What is this?"

"Hello Kitty. Japan's got this thing about cute stuff called kawaii. Apparently, it only began for elementary schoolers, but it got popular in all age groups. She's an icon that was the result of it." Leo smiled, and Artoria didn't know whether he was giving the bag as a compliment, or to tease her. Probably both. "I thought it was a bit fitting for you, considering the creator made her British and all."

"Anyway, the sweet treats are inside the bag. Don't eat more than four, the rest are for that friend you're meeting up with earlier, just in case he gets famished." Rider said, giving her a wink.

She nodded mentally at that, noticing the code words quite easily. Sweet treats, as Rider had insisted during their planning session last night, was a term he used for explosives. Specifically, they were incendiary, designed to mimic a natural fire. Four charges would be enough, while she should reserve the rest if Lancer caught her off guard.

The main plan was for her to go into the elevator after Rider and get to one of the middle floors. There, she would set some incendiary charges in an empty room, and the ensuing alarms would be enough for nearly the entire building to evacuate. However, El-Melloi would be too suspicious to panic and leave. This would allow them full use of the place without alerting the local authorities.

In theory, Achilles would suspect it was Leo, while she would be a distraction. By the time the famous hero realized it, Rider should have intercepted El-Melloi and killed the Master, or at least incapacitated them to the point Lancer wouldn't be able to fight in the war. Though it was underhanded, it would certainly be the least brutal.

However, there were back up plans of course. If something went wrong above, well, Rider and his Master could just easily leap off. If something was wrong on her side, she could contact her Master and he would send a flare. It was a color-coded system, from what she understood. None meant everything was alright, orange was for her being in trouble, and red was, well, FUBAR.

"R- Leo, are you sure about this?" She gestured towards the crowds. "I know we have to take down Lancer and his Master before they solidify their defenses —– I'm not going to argue about that, your argument was sound. But fighting in an area surrounded by innocents…" She trailed off, using the silence as a sort of signal for his answer.

Rider sighed. "No, I'm not. Honestly, if I could, I would try to fight in a place where the only collateral was property. However, El-Melloi set the battlefield, and we must adapt to it. That's why I chose such a plan."

That was different than how Saber had seen him behave. Seeing him take El-Melloi hostage, along with how he had handled her Master and his associate, had given the picture of a ruthless man, who didn't care over what feet he stepped on. The fact that he had made this plan just for the sake of avoiding casualties when it came to civilians drew a different picture.

"Really?" The question slipped out of her mouth faster than she could've held her tongue.

"Is that so unexpected? I may be ruthless when it comes to the Holy Grail War, but I'm not towards those that aren't involved with it. Every Servant summoned and every Master with command seals on the back of their hands knew what they were signing up for. This means that all tactics are on the table."

Rider's dark brown eyes focused on a specific spot, and Saber shifted her point of view until she saw what they were looking at. It was a young girl with her mother, though there was no father in sight. "However, the civilians didn't agree to any of this. They deserve to live their lives to the closest thing one may consider to be peaceful."

"You speak as if from experience." She noted.

"Maybe I am." With that, Leo lost his somber aura, and instead gave her a curious look. "You know, I wonder, have you ever thought about Britain in its current state?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll admit, the Holy Grail has been my utmost focus. Although I know that the nation I protect still stands, I know nothing about how it is and the recent events that have happened."

"My Master is asking, 'you can't be serious?' by the way." Rider said, playing a bit with his monocle. "And honestly, I kind of agree. Though it's no longer Camelot, most of the people inside the U.K. are descended from the Britons you originated from. I'd worry a bit about my posse if I knew where they were still kicking around."

"All I need to know is that they are doing well."

That was a fraction of the truth. However, it was hard to care when she had her wish in mind. She wanted to fix the mistake made by both her and Merlin, allowing another person to rule the country. The way her kingdom had ended was a tragedy, and one she believed could be corrected if she was never involved. She had made all the choices that had allowed for Camelot's fall — Tristan perceiving her as inhuman, allowing the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere to continue, and Mordred.

How could she look at her former subjects when after she made her wish, they weren't the people she knew anymore? No, better to distance herself. However, there was a part that was tickling the back of her brain, prodding her to ask.

"But then again, perhaps learning about some of it may prove more comforting for me."

Rider nodded. "Well, your Britain has quite a varied history, a repetition of cycles so to speak. It was once ruled under multiple small kingdoms before being reunited into one entire kingdom - yours, specifically, only to split again, before finally reuniting. After that, it became quite the power player in western Europe."

That was to be expected. Britain had always been divided, whether it was the multiple kingdoms warring for control over the entire isle, or her own internal conflict with those who tried to topple down Camelot from the outside. The result matched what she had learned during her time as king.

Rider continued. "When word of the so-called 'New World' appeared, Britain slowly converted itself into a massive empire, with multiple colonies across the world, whether they be in Africa, Asia, and even North America, for a time. Other empires called Britain the Mistress of the Seas, with your country men proudly saying that the sun would never set on the British Empire."

Part of her couldn't help but smile at that, however, she knew that there was a downside to it. There always was. "And what was the catch?"

Rider's eyes… they still had that mischievous glint, but now both that and his smile were forced. "The Mistress of the Seas was one cruel bitch. The colonies that it formed abused millions of the people that lived there, whether through manipulation or brute force. It committed war crimes in multiple forms, causing massacre and famine. Even though it was brilliant in some ways, its shadow had a much larger depth."

What? What? What? The question rang across her mind like a dozen bells, and despite being the picture of health, she couldn't stop herself from slumping down a wall, massaging her temples. She could feel tears threatening to pour, but she sealed them off. She wouldn't dare to show this sign of weakness to the Servant in front of her.

That country… She had done her best to be a model king, ruling justly and treating her own subjects the best that she could. Camelot was a tragedy, but she thought that its ephemeral light would act as a beacon for the survivors, so they could do the best and make a city, no, nation that was better than before. But if even that didn't work, well, the thought itself filled her with bile.

Rider didn't seem to be fooled by the forced mask she wore. "Do not beat yourself up for it. Even though you were the hero that country needed, a thousand years had passed ever since you existed. You don't have to wear their sins like a chain to your neck."

She nodded, though her heart was protesting. "Of course."

The worried look Rider had didn't fade. She somehow felt comforted because of it. "Very well. But if you need to talk things out with someone aside from your Master or Irisviel, I'm here."

"Anyways," Rider checked a grandfather clock sitting on a corner, "I should be off. The faster the man gets his wine, the faster we can finish this sordid business. Your friend's door is under maintenance, by the way. It shouldn't be hard to miss."

Rider left after that, and she waited five minutes before going towards the elevator. During said time, there was nothing for her to do but think, particularly about the knowledge the Servant gave to her.

Though Rider's logic was sound, her heart wanted to protest. She had been responsible for Britain. She was supposed to be the king that would lead it to a utopia. How could she say with confidence, 'it wasn't my fault' when she was connected to it, even in the most indirect way possible?

Master… What was your opinion on my reign? She sent the mental question towards Kiritsugu.

Silence was her answer, and Saber gritted her teeth. Kiritsugu Emiya was a frustrating man. Oftentimes, he seemed to ignore her, like how one would ignore the blue color of a bright summer's day. Registering it, but never fully acknowledging or commenting about it. Irisviel was overly generous to marry such a man.

She focused back on the baseball game, only for the grandfather clock to remind her that her five minutes were up. She quickly left the lobby area, sneaking a small dessert left out for guests so she had something to distract herself with, stilling her hands. The Hello Kitty purse felt like a weight despite it being as light as a feather. When she entered the elevator, she tapped her feet so heavily, she probably had made a dent in the carpet.

When she stepped out, she did her best to maintain an aura of calm, taking slow and elegant steps, going across the hall until she found the door Rider had marked. Marked, as in, it was spray-painted neon pink. It was clear that the staff had tried to scrub out the color with all their might, if the sharp smell of chemicals was anything to go by. However, the pink was still vibrant, not even being faded in a single corner.

Not bothering to wait, she quickly reached inside the purse, and her hand felt something small and flat. Pulling it out of the container, she saw that it was a small, black disk, almost the size of a cookie. It would've seemed like it, if it weren't for the sloshing sound it made when Artoria moved it. She hesitantly put it on the door, only for the disk to stick with a loud clang! Then she went inside, and put three more, one in the bathroom, another in the bed, and a final one close to a small kitchenette before she walked out.

She investigated her bag to see just how many she had, only to see three more of the disks, alongside a small remote. Grabbing the remote, she pressed its single button, and her mind immediately panicked when the first explosive glowed a bright red, before bursting into flame, taking the pink door with it. The flames slowly expanded, and smoke spread across the entire floor.

In reaction, chaos erupted into the hall. The fire alarms started beeping, the annoying sound making her want to cover her ears. Those resting on this floor quickly left their rooms, some in varying states of disarray, one man only wearing a towel wrapped over his waist while a woman lacked her bra. If Artoria wasn't determined to stay, she would've been swept away in the panic of trampling feet.

However, that didn't mean she stayed there. She checked the rooms that weren't open, banging on the door and helping some of the older people get to the emergency staircase. The blaze she started didn't spread — if anything, it seemed to stick to the room she had, never spreading to the other rooms. Whatever Rider had done to this room, it was designed to start a panic, not to cause destruction.

Instead, she stayed there, waiting for her opponent. The sharp smell of smoke would've made the average human choke. The flames didn't bother her, because she had felt more intense ones from Gawain's sword. What would most likely burn humans if they were nearby was just a warm breeze.

Achilles, true to his speed, didn't take long. The only hint of his appearance was a small ding from the elevator, and the air whistled as his spear flew towards her. She quickly deflected the projectile, changing her position so she faced the son of Thetis directly.

The wide green eyes that reminded her of the ocean was all she needed to see. Rider's ruse had worked, and Lancer had expected him instead of her. Saber mentally sent a salute towards Rider and focused on her opponent.

"Saber." Lancer snorted, shaking his head as if he was disappointed with himself. "I'll admit, considering the details mentioned in the call, I thought Rider was the one responsible for this. And yet here you are."

She nodded in response. Though she wasn't good at making lies, Leo had told her a few that could be used against Achilles. "While I'm sure you wanted revenge for the humiliation he performed against you, I thought it would be better to finish our fight from before."

Artoria continued, "Here, there are no Masters, and no outside force to intervene. We can fight to our heart's desire."

Lancer gave her a large grin, radiating both confidence and thrill. "Very well then, Saber. Let us fight."

Achilles quickly charged through the hall, with Artoria quickly using the walls as platforms to get out of the way. He stopped immediately, his body twisting to defend himself from Artoria's horizontal slice. Artoria quickly crouched beneath the resulting counter thrust before jumping into a diagonal overhead swing. Excalibur cut a gap into the armor, and she quickly dashed towards Lancer, pushing the offensive with a flurry of strikes.

Lancer was doing his best to protect himself, but the battleground made that unfair for him. His spear was designed for large sweeping fields where armies met in combat, not the comparatively tight hallway that cramped his entire movements. And although servants had enough strength to easily level a city if they put their mind to it, the concrete and wood surrounding him would still slow him down.

She quickly slammed the flat of her sword into Achilles' wrist, shifting Excalibur so that its edge ran along the length of the spear and into the other wrist. With the man's grip weakened, she kicked him in the chest with a mana-burst reinforced leg, breaking his hold on the spear and propelling him towards the wall at the end of the hall.

She quickly closed in, only for Lancer to summon his shield and throw it at her, the projectile spinning like a large frisbee. Saber deflected it, the shield bouncing off her blade, only for Lancer to take the distraction and lunge towards her. He stepped on her foot, stopping her from backing off. Then he started pummeling her with his fists, two punches catching her face before she forced the current of air surrounding Excalibur to go wild, the resulting winds blowing him off her.

Artoria could feel the bruises starting to grow on her face, though thankfully the man hadn't hit her eye. She quickly grabbed the nearest room's door and pulled it off its hinges, using it as a shield to block another attempt at close combat. It didn't stop the resulting kick, which easily made a hole in the wood and was a little too close for comfort to Artoria's head. However, now Achilles is caught inside the door, not having enough leverage to move entirely.

She dropped the door and unsheathed her sword, slicing through the wood and towards the heel of Achilles' foot. The armor barely protected the weak spot, but put Lancer into a panic, making his eyes go wide as he twisted his body so that he could more easily pull out his foot, backing away and resummoning his spear. She pulled out the Hello Kitty bag and tossed the explosives towards her. Lancer dodged it, but she pressed the remote once again.

The bag glowed before it released an explosion that ripped through the air and the surrounding walls as if they were paper, knocking them both back. Artoria was forced to slam her feet against the wall behind her, while Lancer used his spear to gain friction.

Lancer twirled his spear, before quickly impaling it at the nearest wall. She looked at him in confusion, only for water to burst out of the resulting pipe. Artoria was almost tempted to roll her eyes as the blast didn't even soak her, the water moving around her as if her very presence repelled it.

"You know, Lancer, I was blessed by the Lady of the Lake, a fairy from Avalon itself." She changed her grip, settling it into an offensive stance. "Her protection stops me from being harmed by water in any way. Your mother, if I recall correctly, was just a minor divine spirit, and you are half of that divinity."

She jumped before using the ceiling as a platform and made a large diagonal slice, and Achilles pulled out his spear, coating it in water so that the blade was blocked immediately. She put another mana burst into her limbs, and she won out against the collision of strength, sending Lancer flying towards the nearest wall.

In a way, their battlefield was doing all the work for her. Too cramped for Lancer to use his weapons to their fullest extent. She could easily move out of the way if he tried to use Dromeus Kometes, going into one of the rooms while Achilles dashed forward. In the meantime, Artoria could unleash her offensive aside from using Excalibur at its peak.

She walked forward, conserving her energy and making the battle last even longer. Achilles blocked her next slash with his shield, the sparks of metal against metal spreading across the floor. Lancer's defense held firm against her blade, slowly pushing her back. Then she redirected his momentum with a small push, so instead he slammed the edge of his shield against the wall before she swept at his feet with her blade.

"You remind me a lot of Hector you know. Always being shifty, using different tactics to fight against me." Lancer remarked as he dislodged his shield, making it disappear before switching to his fists. "But he's not the only one who can play dirty."

Lancer slammed his feet into the floor, and Artoria could feel her feet shake. One of the portraits in the hall fell over. She wondered what he's doing before her mind realized his tactic. She charged forward, but the second step made the floor crack, tiny little lines spreading across the wooden floor like glass that was about to shatter.

She stabbed at him, only for Achilles to dodge the blow, quickly lunging through her defense before he slammed her face into the wall. Lancer stomped his foot into the floor one last time, and everything collapsed, sending them both falling.

They fell for one floor before Achilles changed his posture so that he was running against the wall. "Dromeus Kometes." The pain was astonishing, and before she knew it, she was now at the lobby, bouncing off the floor. A kick sent her flying, and she was sent flying against the nearest wall.

She quickly dropped and ducked, dodging the spear flying towards her. Lancer quickly flew towards her, and this time she was ready for the next kick. She abandoned her blade, this time grabbing him by the foot and slammed him into the ground. She tried to stomp one of his feet (one of them had to be the heel, after all) but he rolled out of the way.

She didn't move, however. The lobby was a lot more spacious, and thus Lancer had a lot more versatility when it came to tactics. If she wanted to defeat him, then she would have to counter his attacks. Achilles was too fast, especially with his noble phantasm, to even attack right now.

Unless… She let her train of thought run wild. The lobby was empty, so the civilians must have left. However, there was still furniture, items, and even some food that had been left behind. If she aimed at the right angle, she could use those as distractions in order to wound him.

She ran to where the amount of furniture was thickest, ironically right where she had been watching the baseball game just not too long ago. Achilles pulled his spear out of the wall, swinging after her. She blocked, dodged and parried, making sure to have him focus on her defense rather than where she was going.

When she felt her armor hit the back of a table, she flipped backwards, landing behind the television and her back against the corner of the room. She made the wind covering her sword flare to life, holding the blade's grip with both hands and pointing it at Achilles.

"Strike Air!" She shouted, and the current of air lashed out, sending every chair, sofa, and the television flying towards Lancer.

Lancer sliced each object with grace, Artoria would admit, but he was distracted. Boosting her feet with a mana burst, she lunged at a hole in his guard, and sliced at the man's chest. Excalibur ate through the armor and made a large slice at his chest. If it wasn't for the armor, the man would've been bisected. Instead, he got a thin slice, barely missing any organs.

However, the blood that poured out was still enough to make him worry. His movement stuttered to a stop, and it was only Artoria's sense of honor that stopped her from pushing the advantage. The warrior before her, known for his great skill in battle and his rampant wrath, should at least have the chance to flee, or surrender. Otherwise, she would be spitting on the values that she cherished.

Lancer's eyes were distracted (probably asking his master for support, she thought) only for them to widen in shock. "What did you do?"

"I said I was fighting you alone, son of Thetis. A duel just between us. However, my ally decided that he will fight your master, alone." She gestured to the floors above with a tilt of her head. "Rider has probably already imprisoned your master already or is close to killing him."

"Again? He's already caught him once!" Achilles protested. "What's the point of doing so if he could've just as easily killed him?"

She shrugged, trying to put on the kingly mask that she wore when making difficult decisions. "Rider wanted an alliance the first time, and you were the enemy we knew best. By elimination, he decided you were the best target. There is no personal feud in this battle, Achilles."

"Rider has made sure you can't make it to him." She gestured to the ceiling with the tilt of her head, though keeping an eye on Achilles' body. "Your Master has already raised his defenses, but they also keep him away from you. Ironically enough, Rider used Odysseus' Trojan Horse against you."

She aimed her sword once again at Rider. Strike air had already diminished the cloak of wind, revealing the golden light of Excalibur to his opponent. "So, will you do your best to fight me, Achilles, or will you go join your Master?"

There wasn't an answer. Achilles stared at her, and Artoria couldn't help but feel the tension in the room, as if a current of electricity was running between them. They didn't fight, but Artoria's instinct skill was buzzing like crazy. One second. Two. She bent her knees, preparing to leap —

Only for the sound of a hundred footsteps to violate the air. It wasn't the guests calmly returning to their room. It was a stampede. Shouting and chaos started to fill the air, lacing with a sort of mania. She could hear the screams of women and the cries of children, making her ears ring. Though they were in the middle of a duel, the people didn't care, running for shelter despite the fight of legends going in front of their very eyes.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Artoria's eyes scanned the lobby, trying to find the source of the panic. It was too chaotic, and although she could guess that it was coming from the main entrance. She slowly waded through the crowd, and it seemed Achilles had decided to stop the duel to follow her. It was when they got to the entrance did they see the blood.

Blood that ran through the street in stains and puddles, and the screams were even louder there.

"Help! Hel-argf!"

"Somebody, please call the police. They'll be able to help with this." Whoever said that was delusional.

"My son! Save him! Leave me behind instead!"

Then she saw them.

They were monsters like she had never seen. The closest thing she could compare them to as would be the starfish she saw in the rockpools close to the British shore, where she had fended off the Romans. But these were the size of the average person, their purple-blue tentacles filled with dark green barbs. Instead of the center just being plain flesh, it was open with a teeth-filled mouth that reminded her more of a void than a mouth.

There were dozens of them, and they chose their victims without discrimination. Old men and women were swallowed up before Artoria's brain could process what she was seeing. Families were running away, some carrying their loved ones in their arms to flee from the eldritch beasts. One of the workers was slowly being dragged into the mouth of one of the creatures, almost mockingly slow to the point of sadism.

She quickly lunged, chopping off the tentacle that was holding the man down before slicing the abomination in two. The worker quickly ran away before he could get caught by another creature. Achilles had already tossed himself into the fray, thrusting and slashing his spear to the point that blood seemed to rain.

Then a single voice rang out.

"Why, my dearest Jeanne, my holy virgin reborn in the flesh! Surely our cruel god was at least able to grant me this single wish, and I'm finally able to meet you again! I really hoped to meet you alone so we could celebrate, but that filthy servant blocked me from visiting you!"

This sentence came from what was some sort of being that could ambiguously be called a man yet used the face of one. He wore an ancient luxurious robe that hid the figure of a former knight, making the tall man look hollow, almost empty. His face didn't have a single wrinkle, but his eyes were so big that they almost seemed to bulge out of his skull.

In one of his hands was a book that was just… wrong. It was brown in color and had silver lining, but what stood out was the face that almost seemed to scream at her. It was that of a young boy, his eyes blindfolded, and his hair chopped into a large mess. Purple mana leaked from it, touching the ground and spreading across like a spider weaving its web, spreading what she now saw were his familiars.

"But now, I, Gilles De Rais, your loyal knight, have finally returned!" The man lifted his hands to the skies. "None of these peasants, not even the filthy spawn of the pagan gods, were able to stop our reunion!"

Her mind finally reached her mouth. "I do not know what you speak of. I am Artoria Pendragon, the Saber of this Holy Grail War. And you must be Caster. Are you the one who summoned these… abominations?"

"Why yes, of course dear Jeanne!" The man almost seemed to crow with satisfaction. "I have manifested as the Caster of this Grail War, but I have no need of the Grail, for your very presence is what I wished for!"

The man clutched his hair, as if he was going to rip it out by the roots. "God had taken you once from me and didn't even bat an eye as they burned you at the stake. The works of art that I create are to spite him and his believers even more, to show they are powerless to intervene."

The damned man thought this was artwork. She shook her head, trying to ignore the gore in front of her very eyes and instead focusing on what tactics she could use. The creatures had surrounded her, and an attack could come from any direction. A less than ideal situation, because if she focused on one creature, several could take her on with such an advantage. While the man was in her line of sight, she was sure one of the things would intervene.

However, it seemed this… Gilles had a fixation on her. Maybe she could use that to at least get him to stand down, or at the very least, make him let go of these victims.

"So why unleash this monstrosity, if my presence is enough to satisfy your wish, Gilles?" She had to stop herself from spitting the name.

"Why, my dear Jeanne, though the nobility had called me insane, I'm not a fool. Your eyes still wear that righteous shine, that belief in god and his glory, when he does not deserve such admiration at all!" He gave an innocent smile, which only made his actions more disturbing. "Hopefully, these sinful acts will sway your mind, and have you turn away from that infernal demiurge."

"But you're hurting all these people, Gilles! If you want to be better than the god you scorn, let them go!" She shouted.

"But Jeanne, these people are sinners as well. They pillage the earth with their gluttony, are filled with avarice, and some barely even care for their fellow man. By doing this, I'm providing the punishment that their fellow men deserve." Gilles flicked his hand, and a woman left behind was swallowed up by the starfish beast.

"No." The words came out whispered, a small breath in the chaos.

"Why do you not appreciate what I do Jeanne? Has God still brainwashed you into serving him, into being his slave? Then it seems I have no choice." Caster released a sadistic smile, his pupils wide until his eyes looked more black than white. "Come, my joyous works! Let us break the spirit of the maiden and release her from her delusions!"

There was nothing she could do then. "Very well then, Caster. It seems I have no choice but to put you down."

She lifted her sword, aiming for the ever-growing mob of monsters in front of her, and leaped.

(Break)

Assassin leaped between the buildings, his feet doing their best to carry him towards the distant battleground. In the distance, he could see the King flying on that gaudy gold and green flying ship he had summoned from the Gate of Babylon. Even though he didn't have clairvoyance, he could see the groomed hair of Tokiomi Tohsaka at a distance.

Even though they were supernaturally quick, they still had to cross the distance between the Tohsaka Manor and their destination, and that would still take a solid five minutes. Five minutes if they wanted to do so without expending more mana than necessary at the very least.

Even his Master had decided to intervene, taking a car while the Servants went on ahead.

Then again… this was an exception to the rule. As far as Assassin was aware, this was the first time on record that someone had caused such a blatant massacre during the Holy Grail War, especially one that risked the exposure of magecraft. Caster - dammit, Rider had fooled them again, there was no way such a man was that technologically advanced - was risking everything on what was frankly such a sick obsession, and he didn't care what human life he reaped if it meant reaching Saber.

Assassin was familiar with the legend. Gilles De Rais had been a baron loyal to Jeanne D'Arc, and the saint's greatest supporter when she made her debut, funding her campaign with his estate's treasury and fighting at her side on the battlefield. However, when the British had captured and burned her at the stake, De Rais had isolated himself in his own manor.

After that, there had been accusations. Some accused him of pursuing witchcraft, while others accused him of murdering innocents by the hundreds. It was only after the Marshal of France had gotten into a fight with a clergyman did an investigation officially occur, and the evidence had been damning. The man had raped or sexually abused hundreds of children, most of them boys, and killed them after performing the acts, sometimes marveling at the colors of their organs.

Needless to say, the church had sentenced him to death.

His presence did pose a question that Assassin found troubling, mainly because of the implications that any possible answer would lay out. How had such a depraved monster reach the Throne of Heroes? Was it because others had admired his acts of depravity behind closed doors? That Assassin could understand, because there were always those who wished to perform their darkest fantasies. The other one was more troubling; Had the Throne itself, in its own mercurial nature, found his crimes to be 'great,' and thus found him worthy of being collected? That posed more difficult implications because then it meant that some of history's greatest villains could be locked behind the dimension he was summoned from.

It wasn't long before they reached their destination, and it took a lot of his willpower to not peel away his mask and vomit on the roof. It wasn't just because of the smell, but because of the sheer carnage that unfolded in front of them. While Lancer was focused on killing the monsters surrounding him while Saber's wrath was directed at Caster, they had fed.

Bodies lay mangled across the street, some reduced to stains of blood while others were removed body parts. The starfish abominations grasped at the few civilians outside while some of their cohorts were trying to get inside the hotel, which had been quickly barricaded. The only reason the monsters hadn't spread beyond this street or breached the barricade was the army of spheres corralling them, shooting lasers and lashing out with cables, shocking them with electricity.

Damn, those spheres. Rider had really fooled them - it was now clear that they were of his making. And they were everywhere in the city. How much information had they retrieved? How many times had he been caught? No wonder they believed Tohsaka's strategy was working, Rider wanted them to think it was.

He leaped before running down the wall, unsheathing his blade and slicing the swarm that tried to enter through the windows with swift precision. He quickly carved his way into the field, landing on one that was trying to ambush Saber from behind.

"You look like you need a hand." He said, dashing towards another and quickly dismembering it. Although every servant was technically in a state of war against each other, this was a bigger threat. Assassin could put away his own grudges if it meant that there was still a war.

"I was doing alright, Assassin. And didn't your Master tell you to hide in the shadows?" Saber asked as she stabbed a tentacle monster, unsheathing her blade from it and slicing another one.

"Eh, Archer told us that the cat was out of the bag. No point in hiding it, especially since it looks like everyone needs help." He dodged a set of tentacles trying to wrap around his arm, kicking the monster back before impaling his sword into its center.

"Well, it certainly is appreciated. Rider should be on his way, if my Master can send a signal to him." Her sword glowed, and it shot a small beam through a monster that was getting closer to the lobby entrance.

"How's working with him, by the way? You two should be in an alliance, right?" He said as he sliced through a trio of the familiars, tentacles falling around him like confetti.

He was curious about Rider, he would admit. After Gilgamesh had told them about his experience with the son of Hephaestus in the restaurant they were currently defending, the Servant had acquired his interest. Somebody who was able to be cordial to the king while still being able to defy him A) had balls of steel, and B) was more than meets the eye.

"He's alright. What about you? Does Archer treat his vassals well?" She asked as she punched a creature back with her gauntleted fist before grabbing one of its tentacles and slamming into the floor so that it was turned into a pulp.

"Even I don't like working with him, Saber. That should tell you more than enough I believe." He quickly sliced through two, only for his frustration to peak. "Dammit, why won't they stay down? I mean, these things ought to have souls, right?"

"They regenerate so fast that it seems death won't get them." Saber explained matter-of-factly. "If we can get to Caster, we may be able to stop them."

But my sword should work against them, he wanted to protest, but saying that would give away too much. Either way, it was clear that his sword was only practical in wounding them, not killing them. They didn't die when they were killed, always stitching themselves back together again and again.

"Do you know the direction where he went?" He asked, uppercut-slicing one that tried to swallow his face, while Saber shook her head as a response.

A large cluster of monsters tried to leap on them, only for a small shower of weapons to fall from above, impaling them into red mush. He looked up and saw the ship Gilgamesh was on hovering from above. He could feel the king loom over them, his red eyes watching them with boredom. Tohsaka must be struggling to convince him to act, considering the lack of consistent firepower - and that just made him angry. There were lives on the line, dammit. The king had no reason to let his hubris cloud his mind and prevent him from acting.

The only one of them making progress was Achilles, though the reason he was probably still standing was that spear of his and his invulnerability. The creatures couldn't exactly recover when that spear could cause wounds that wouldn't heal. However, Caster (wherever he was) was making monsters at the same pace Lancer could slaughter them.

He started forming a plan. He was always good at that. Forming plans, slicing down enemies, even against unbeatable odds… It was a familiar sensation. Yes, he had been in similar scenarios before. But he didn't know when, he didn't know who he was fighting with or against. It was a big blank that made Assassin want to roar against the heavens, or whatever hero he had been.

"We need to work together," Assassin noted, throwing a lunging monster in Achilles' general path. "If we can have Achilles focus on the familiars, herd the beasts in his general direction, then we can have him mow them down so that they stop increasing. Then we can go Caster hunting, though he will probably run away the second he sees us."

But how would they be able to herd the monsters was the main question… He looked towards Saber, absentmindedly twirling around and punching his fist through one of the creatures from far away. "From what little I was able to see from so far away, it seemed Caster had an obsession with you."

"Yes. Apparently, he thought now was the right time to get at me, when I was alone." Saber kicked a creature back before running it through.

"Then we need to raise his ire so we can tell where he is. But first, we need to get closer to Achilles." He quickly focused on slashing his way through the horde, his eyes focused on the comet of green that was trouncing the horde at a pace that was almost enviable.

The sound of sirens rang from the distance, and his mind felt cold while he focused on cutting a gap through the monsters. "No. No no no no no."

A dozen police cars rolled into the street, each car with at least four officers - forty-eight in total. Some were shocked to the point that they barely moved, some shouted, others started shooting with their guns. It wasn't enough. The second a bullet hit a creature, the horde broke their focus on them and instead swarmed towards the police. Bullets didn't stop them, and although he tried his best to get to them, the monstrosities had already managed to devour at least three of them.

"Get out of here!" He yelled as he quickly put himself between a creature and an officer, holding off the creature's gaping maw and tentacles from swallowing them before kicking it back and cleaving it in two.

The cop, bless his relative smarts, quickly dashed into the car. The others weren't so smart, and Saber quickly swirled around the officers, hauling them away under her arms from the monsters before charging back into the fray. However, there were only so many they could save. One lunged at a male officer, swallowing him whole. Saber was seconds too late to prevent a monster from ambushing a cop. And one stupid soul thought he could take one hands-on.

And then… the monsters multiplied like bacteria in a petri dish. Three monsters became six, six became twelve, and twelve became twenty-four. Part of him wanted to groan at the sight, but instead he lifted his blade once again. "Saber! With me!"

With ease they carved a path through the rapidly regenerating horde, his sword and Saber's glowing with each swing, each slice, and each stab leaving a mess of blood and dismembered tentacles until the cops had enough breathing room, every one of them looking at him and Saber with something akin to worship.

Assassin didn't let it last for long. The more they stared, the more time those damned beasts had to regenerate. "There are civilians staying inside the lobbies with multiple casualties. Do not call any other emergency services - you've seen what those animals can do. They'd just be more fodder for them."

Though multiple officers looked sick at the very thought, just as many of them were nodding.

It didn't take long for them to get close to Achilles, though they had to trail after him like hyenas following a lion. The great hero lived up to his speed and prowess, especially his invulnerability.

"Well, it seems even the lowly Assassin's been forced out of the woodwork." Achilles twirled his staff, dismembering three monsters with the motion. "Has your Master forced you to fight, considering this breaks everything about the War?"

"Pretty much." He admitted this as he diced a monster to pieces. "I do have an idea though. Since it seems your spear's the only thing making the creatures stay down, we need you to slay all of them."

"That's kind of a hard ask right now. Especially considering Rider decided to play dirty and have my Master hostage again." Achilles grumbled as he hurled his spear and tossed it through a row of monsters.

He couldn't help but chuckle at that, punching his fist through a monster before slicing through a row of them. "Your Master is an idiot, if he let himself get caught twice."

"Eh, Agamemnon was worse. He sacrificed his daughter in order to set sail to Troy. He deserved the way he died. Anyway, unless Rider backs off or has my Master get close, I can't exactly go all the way." Lancer said. "He must've done something to the command seals if Master hasn't summoned me."

"And don't even bother to reach him." Impaling a monster through the motion, Lancer gestured upwards. "My Master has several magical defenses, enough to ward off a servant. Traps, bounded fields, spiritual monsters… we would be finished by the time someone reached him."

"Saber, is there any way to contact Rider?" He asked as he leaped through the crowd of monsters, grabbing an old woman left behind and fireman-carrying her to the barricade before rejoining the trio.

"We had an arrangement. My Master would shoot a flare if the situation with Achilles turned to the worse. It's strange that she hasn't shot it." Saber rested for a bit while Lancer covered for her. "Then again, everything's going wrong at the moment."

"Where is she? Maybe Caster has her hostage. Returning the favor, so to speak." Achilles huffed as he stormed through their side flank. "There's no end to these monsters at the moment, though I do love a challenge."

"Though I don't like what you insinuate, it is possible Lancer. She's in one of the restaurants on the next street over." Saber said. "Assassin, can you rush over there? Me and Lancer will hold the line."

"Very well." With this, he leaped towards a nearby fire escape, jumping from window to window until he reached the roof again. His feet made small craters against the asphalt when he landed, and his eyes scanned the row of stores and restaurants. This avenue had been evacuated, judging by the sounds of sirens in the distance and the dropped items left behind. Restaurants and boutiques designed with tourists in mind were empty, their lights still turned on. In the distance he could smell the odor of burning food.

He strained his ears, trying to detect human life among the abandoned chaos. He didn't have a skill that detected one's presence, but he needed to know what to avoid doing so to hide it. That meant a certain awareness of his surroundings - the blowing of the wind, the smell in the air, the charisma and therefore 'presence' he radiated, all of it used to see the traces left behind by others. He couldn't 'detect' someone, but he could get a vague feeling as to where they were.

The first thing that his senses registered was the sharp tang of blood hitting his nose. Then it was the sound of steel meeting steel, bullets shooting faster than what one could keep up with. He rushed towards the restaurant it was coming from, slammed open the door, only to see… his Master?

Kirei Kotomine was stuck in a three-versus-one brawl, with the Einzbern Master and two other associates having the numbers advantage. A man and a woman, both with black hair (a couple? siblings?) were fighting him head on with a mix of knives and shot bullets against his Master, who was repelling them with his black keys. Einzbern was handling a silvery bird woven out of magic thread trying to swoop in where his Master lingered, forcing him into a corner.

It was clear his Master had been relying on the element of surprise. However, numbers were against him, and despite all his skill, being outnumbered with similarly skilled opponents was doing him in. His forehead was covered with an ugly mix of sweat and blood, his muscles slightly trembling.

He couldn't help but be perplexed. His Master was supposed to be helping fight off Caster, at least providing him support. To take advantage of the chaos and assassinate the other Masters… It was pragmatic, but futile. There would be no Holy Grail War if Caster wasn't captured or killed, since the Servant didn't care whether magecraft was exposed or not.

"Master."

At this, everything froze. Einzbern held her hands up, while everyone else aside from Kotomine did the same. Kotomine grabbed his black keys, looking at him with what was probably disapproval, considering the ever-persistent stoic look that was present on his face. "Assassin. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be helping out fight off Caster's familiars?"

"I could return the favor to you. Tell me, were you going to take my job and get rid of Einzbern and her cohorts, putting your priorities forward?" He crossed his shoulders at that.

"Tokiomi sent me to assassinate the Masters while they were distracted."

"I call bullshit. Even Tohsaka wouldn't risk this. The mage's got too much of a stick in his ass regarding magecraft to risk such a tactic, especially in this disaster." He argued. "Now stand down. Einzbern has a flare that would allow Rider to hopefully turn the tide of battle."

"You don't understand. That man…" Kirei gestured at the man with black hair. "Is Emiya Kiritsugu. The Mage Killer. If left alive, he could easily slaughter Tokiomi."

He shrugged off the argument as easily as breathing. "Now is not the time to stick to the original plan. Rider and Saber have seen through our ruse, and now we know their secret weapon. We should focus on saving as many lives as we can for now."

He would have to investigate through a more in-depth way later. His Master had always followed nearly any order from Tohsaka to the letter. The fact that he was willing to disobey his teacher indicated that there was more to this than met the eye, and he would need to keep an eye on Kotomine if such an unnerving focus was enough to derail any future plans.

"So put down the black keys, or I will remove that hand from your wrist." He gestured towards his command seals, unsheathing his sword.

"You would dare defy me on this Assassin?" Kotomine asked.

"I am one for putting the greater good above my petty trifles, Master. I suggest you do the same." He knew this was true, that was as much. But there was something that almost made his tongue sting - he didn't know what. It felt like regret, but he didn't know what for.

Still, he could count the seconds in the clock. Kotomine didn't move, and for good reason.

There was a funny thing about the command seal. Whoever developed them had never considered the sheer speed and agility Servants had - even the slowest of them was enough to close a gap of several yards in the blink of an eye. Only through the most advanced form of reinforcement-focused magecraft could one force themselves to become a servant's equal. Magi who couldn't do so needed to take their Servant by surprise alongside a large amount of distance to apply orders against their morals.

Despite his training as an Executioner, Kotomine Kirei couldn't do so much as twitch or move his fingers towards the command seal. Otherwise, he would take his Master's hand with as much ease as eating an apple.

Still, he couldn't help but release his breath when the blades of Kotomine's black keys dematerialized. "Good. Now, move aside. Einzbern, from what Saber told me, you have a collection of flares that could be used to signal Saber."

Einzbern nodded and ran out of the restaurant. Though he was focused on Einzbern as she lifted the flare gun, his attention was more drawn towards his Master and the other participants of this battle. They were nursing their own wounds and looking at him warily, which was admittedly warranted. He would trust an enemy servant that supposedly saved him as much as he liked Gilgamesh. And even then, there was the reality that after taking down Caster, they would be opponents once again.

When Einzbern pulled the trigger, the flare shot flew towards the night sky, releasing a red ball of fire that in the apex of its arc reached the penthouse before slowly fading and it completely disappeared. He stayed there, focused on the top building of the penthouse. All was quiet, and he feared that Rider hadn't seen the signal. They needed Lancer's Master to give Achilles enough strength if they could manage to defeat the entire horde that Caster had summoned.

"Master… go home. I'll take care of this. Do so, and maybe, maybe, I won't mention your disturbing lack of priorities towards your mentor." He threatened.

For a second, the man was stiff before he moved out of the restaurant, his movements graceful yet swift as he immediately made his way out. Assassin quickly sheathed his sword, once again looking towards the sky. When nothing moved, he groaned in frustration and started leaping towards the ceiling. If Rider hadn't seen the flare - or worse, decided to ignore it - he would need to be right at Saber and Lancer's side. Quickly jumping above a window, he started climbing the building, reaching the ceiling with ease. He once again looked below to see the battlefield, and his chest felt as if somebody had stepped on it.

Things had turned worse. Though no creature had breached the doors, the numbers of the creatures were starting to overwhelm them. Lancer kept running, carving through a swath of monsters, but they kept coming from the sewers, pouring in droves. Saber was slowly but surely showing signs of fatigue, her movements slightly slower.

The worst thing was that if the numbers kept coming, an almost-never ending army that Caster would keep summoning unless they were able to buy enough time to hunt him down. Saber would eventually waver, and all it would take was for a single monster to get lucky. To get past the doors, and feast on the vulnerable guests inside. If eating three humans had led to the creation of twenty-four creatures, he dreaded how many would be made if they ate all the people inside. He looked above towards the penthouse, part of him wishing that Rider would get his ass down there and help them.

Time passed for a single moment. Two. Three. Then the glass windows shattered into a million pieces, a bronze suitcase falling towards the streets below. Trailing behind it were Lancer's Master, a woman with dark red hair, and a young child. Rider leaped from the windows feet first soon afterwards, his laughter ringing across the entire block.

He quickly prepared to catch Lancer's Master, dashing from building to building until he was on a roof. Rider was too high to summon his mount, and they would all be splatted across the asphalt if no one saved them. He bent his knees, mentally calculating how soon he would need to jump so that he could intercept the Masters.

Rider snapped his fingers, the sound harsh against Assassin's ears. He wondered why the demigod did so, only for the suitcase to catch his eye. It squirmed in midair, shaking and vibrating akin to a butterfly freeing itself from its cocoon. It was an entire mess before large leathery wings sprouted from the center, a large tail poking out from behind. Sharp claws unsheathed themselves, and a lizard-like head revealed itself while the center formed a large abdomen.

His mind and body were trying to process what he was seeing, the thing before him a concoction of machine and organic life. The creature that had taken the place of the suitcase seemed like it was made of scales and blood, but its leathery skin was too shiny, the claws too sharp to belong to any natural creature. Rider and the Masters quickly landed on top of the creature, which absorbed the impact against the asphalt, any monsters beneath squashed underfoot and the street itself cracking under its weight. Its eyes were the same color of rubies — no, they were rubies, and when it roared towards the heavens, Assassin saw a mouth full of sharp teeth and gears where a tongue was supposed to be.

Even Lancer and Saber themselves were more focused on the beast, the monsters they were fighting also focused on it. Rider seemed unfazed; his smile was still ever-present on his lips, though his eyes radiated what looked like a mix of annoyance and dismay. "Well, it seems things did get fucked up."

"You - you maniac!" The boy punched Rider in the shoulder. "Did you have to toss us off the roof Rider?"

Assassin's eyes focused on the newcomer's hands, and he saw the tell-tale signs of the blood red command seals. This was Rider's Master? He must have been a prodigal mage, for him to have summoned someone so powerful. Rider's Master, much like his Servant, was evidently not one to be underestimated.

"Aw come on, lighten up. I did need the time to summon a noble phantasm after all." Rider petted the dragon beneath him akin to how one would pet a dog, tears slightly visible in the corners of his eyelids while his voice was filled with an evident mix of joy and tears. "Who's the best dragon? Who followed me to the Throne of Heroes? You are! Yes, you are!"

Though it was both an abomination and beast, it was clear that Rider loved the creature with all his heart. However, that moment of affection faded as quickly as it appeared.

"Now, Festus," Rider wiped away his tears, focusing now to the swarm of familiars that was still in shock. His voice was now low, and Assassin felt like someone was walking on his grave. "Sic them."

Assassin had witnessed fights before, but what followed wasn't a fight. Achilles might have had his divine spear and spear, but Caster had been able to reproduce as many as he had killed. Saber and Assassin himself might've been excellent sword wielders, but they didn't have the tools to put them down for good. With the backup of Rider's noble phantasm, what had been a perilous siege was now an outright slaughter.

The dragon let out an infernal roar, and an inferno was blasted out of its mouth, burning the creatures alive before it charged forward and squashed those directly in front of it underfoot. The swarm of spheres, once uncoordinated without their leader, surgically weaved chaos into the enemy ranks, plucking the creatures leaping at Rider in midair and electrifying them until they were ashes. Rider weaved walls of fire, preventing any further intruders from entering the battlefield or any monsters from escaping.

But Rider wasn't alone. He soon leaped into their ranks, sowing chaos among the beasts before they could muster a counterattack, slashing and stabbing in a whirlwind of deadly speed and precision. Lancer ran forward, mowing down line after line of monsters with his very footsteps. Saber aimed her sword at any remaining survivors and cut them down to size, blasting the remains back into the fire.

Assassin didn't know how much time had passed, whether they had successfully killed all the creatures, or if Caster had just given up when Rider had shown his face, but soon the monsters were fully exterminated. There was no glorious blow, because killing these beasts had been so easy before, no monster dangerous enough to strike a killing blow. Rather than an explosive climax, it was silence that told them their battle was over.

He leaned against a wall and had to stop himself from taking off his mask to wipe away the sheen of sweat on his forehead, his hair soaked with the liquid. Saber leaned on her sword, the puffing of her chest a clear demonstration of fatigue. Only Lancer and Rider didn't seem exhausted (of course, Rider didn't need to fight before, and Lancer was used to fight the freaking Trojan War). For a second, all was peaceful.

Then it seemed every person in the street realized oh yeah, we're in the middle of a freaking war for a wish, because soon Rider had turned Festus towards Lancer and him, the dragon clearly cooking up a flame in its mouth. Lancer picked up his spear, and Assassin struggled to do the same.

"Rider, Lancer, stand down." Saber ordered, putting her hands between the dragon and Lancer. "We've seen enough bloodshed, and I believe that for now we should put aside our differences. Caster has shown a disregard for the rules, and we must prioritize him. Otherwise, there won't be a grail at all."

"True." Rider's eyes pointed towards the sky, where that gaudy ship still hovered above. Assassin, if he could get away with it, would try to take his head from his shoulders. "We don't have quite the advantage right now, do we? Besides, we got what we came for."

The demigod gestured to the blond man behind him, his face so red one could almost mistake it for a cherry. Whether it was out of fury, embarrassment, or shame, Assassin didn't know, but it was clear that he was humiliated.

Still, Rider smirked. "You're free to go, Mr. El-Melloi."

The man spit at Rider's Master, but Rider flicked his left hand and the drop evaporated before it could contact with his face. "Waver Velvet. You will pay for such humiliation. When I beat you in this sham of a contest I will-"

"Yeah yeah, bla-bla-bla," Rider spoke over the Master, his voice imitating a funny accent Assassin didn't recognize before returning to normal. "Can you get this show on the road before I fucking change my mind? You're lucky my Master's a total nerd and just wants your magecraft."

"There's still something else we have to deal with Rider." The boy's eyes strayed towards the hotel.

Ah. Yes. The witnesses. They had been so absorbed in fighting off Caster that they had ignored the people that had witnessed the familiars slaughtering anyone they could touch. If it was just a single witness, then they wouldn't have to be worried - a simple hypnotism session would fix that immediately. However, hundreds of people had been forced in there - and while they could do their best, there would always be the chance that they would miss someone, that they would make a mistake, or that someone has a surprising amount of innate magic resistance, and they would just shrug it off. If only they could have mistaken them as a pack of escaped zoo animals.

"The witnesses? True… godsdammit, now I miss The Mist." Rider sighed. "It would've made this a lot easier."

What now? For some reason, it felt like somebody had taken a sledgehammer to his chest. He wanted to ask what Rider was talking about, how he knew about that, and why the term had sounded so If there was any way to describe the feeling, it would be like recognizing the face of an old friend in the middle of a crowd, only for them to disappear as soon as he saw them.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but we need to find a solution to this. I'm good but hypnotizing an entire building's worth of people is too much." Rider's Master said.

Master, any ideas on how we can cover up this incident?

Peacefully yes, but we must apply it quickly. The last time such a large amount of people had been exposed to magecraft… an island in the Philippines, if I recall. A magus that had been given a sealing designation had converted a young woman into some alternate version of a Dead Apostle through a serum he made.

That… that doesn't seem so bad.

It gets worse. The woman had gone completely berserk, losing herself to bloodlust. She converted the entire population into ghouls, and the entire island had to be razed with blade and fire, lest any of them escape and convert others into such cursed fates.

Wait… you don't mean —

Perish the thought, Assassin. The Church at best would use mass-hypnosis on the population in this scenario and use their connections with the media to have those that escape dismissed as people traumatized by the experience. My father is probably calling his fellow executioners versed in magecraft at this very moment.

"We need to monitor any possible exits. The church is probably on its way to cover this up, and we cannot let anyone get outside." He turned towards Rider. "You have control over technology, judging by your familiars. Can you stop anybody from using phones or email to contact outsiders?"

Rider tapped his forehead. "I've been focused on that the entire time. My spheres have hijacked any nearby towers. As far as the guests know, they have no signal. Unless it's a satellite connection or something that can be activated with the press of a button, any electronics shouldn't work."

"Good. Saber, focus on the main lobby. We cannot let anybody get outside. Lancer, search the surrounding blocks, see if anybody was able to escape from the horde. I'll monitor the more immediate border." He ordered.

For a second, everyone was looking at him as if they were crazy. Then Rider's eyes widened, before shouting, "HIT THE DECK!"

He wondered what Rider was talking about. Then… the ground shook, and he turned around to see several explosions rock the building from the lobby. They spread across the building before it collapsed entirely, tons of concrete, glass, and metal turning into dust as the hotel collapsed. He and Saber quickly moved to the nearest rooftop, Lancer just stood there, and Rider alongside his Master and El-Melloi were protected by his dragon covering them with its wings like a canopy. The resulting dust and debris scattered in clouds throughout the streets, covering the air in a miasma of grey. The fiery walls Rider had made caught on any wood that had fallen out, and the smell of ashes in the air was overwhelming.

He looked above, and despite being so distant, he could feel the glare of the King. Not aimed at him, but more at the destruction of the hotel in general. It was most likely because it was a place that had found his liking, rather than the sheer loss of life. At least, that's what he thought. The King didn't seem to show empathy to the average man.

He coughed behind his mask, his brain still processing what had just happened. Rider… had detected some sort of explosive. Somebody had rigged the entire building to explode beforehand. Not Rider - if this was his original plan, he could've done it earlier, not waiting for everyone to gather around. No, whoever did this had done so as a last resort or had been aware of the plans of all involved parties and had worked around them. It was chilling.

Slowly, the dust settled or scattered with the wind. Slowly, Assassin felt bile starting to gather in his throat. And slowly, horror paralyzed his brain.

Master…

What is it Assassin?

Do not call the church.

Why? Surely there are witnesses that need their memories cleansed.

Somebody blew up the building. If we don't call emergency services, they're all going to be dead.

Wouldn't that be optimal? Save us the effort of having to obscure any witnesses from telling the truth. The Holy Grail War could continue without outside intervention.

He cut the mental connection short in disgust and started moving towards the building, his footsteps silent against the asphalt. A burning feeling overwhelmed the center of his chest - guilt, he realized, and why for, he didn't know. All that mattered to him was searching for survivors in the new ruins despite knowing in his heart of hearts that the chances of finding anybody were close to nil.