Artoria POV

(AN: Not the same Artoria from Chaldea nor the same Artoria that Alter killed)

My people…my nation…They deserved better.

I was unable to bestow to them the prosperous life I had promised. I was not fit to be their king and my rule made it inconceivable for others to take my place. My failures were forever cemented into history.

Except, the Holy Grail could amend it. The artifact was my salvation to alter my past so that I would forwent the throne, granting a king more suitable than myself to rule Britain and give the people what I can not. That was my wish.

That desire brought me into the Holy Grail War, to be summoned by an unorthodox master and his loving wife, Irisviel von Einzbern. My master was a man of experience. I could see it in his eyes of the conflicts he fought and death he caused to realize his ambitions. Alas, Kiritsugu Emiya was a crude man. In his blood, there was no ounce of chivalry nor the makings of a leader. He was a shell for his goals, feasibly believing even the immoral actions were justified if the end was virtuous.

He was not a compatible master for a servant such as myself. Our morals were worlds apart, never meeting to form a cohesive team. In time, we might come to an understanding…That moment has not come.

I criticized Kiritsugu for endangering his wife by giving her the role of the false master, while he hid himself and initiated his devious schemes in the shadows. His decisions were deplorable, but that was what fate gave me. I must win, even if I disagree with my master's methods.

His plan was enacted and we were separated on our trip to the grounds of the Holy Grail War, Japan. Irisviel was an expressive and cheerful person. How my master and Irisviel fell in love and had a child was a miracle. They were a mismatched couple but I suppose, a couple nonetheless.

The journey was pleasant. The giant flying carriage was a delightful sight to behold. Though I knew these metal machines exist, to experience one firsthand triggered a childish fascination like a toddler having their first candy.

On arrival, Irisviel proposed a unique suggestion. Since I had never experienced the culture of a foreign land, she believed it was appropriate to have a little outing. Irisviel noted that the war between heroic spirits must be kept secret, and as such, masters would be idiotic to attempt a public assault.

I reluctantly agreed to the small date when my attempts to dissuade her ended in fueling her excitement.

"Master, is this really necessary?" I asked as Irisviel handed the king an ice cream cone. To not stand out, my normal attire was replaced by a black suit and my hair tied in a ponytail.

"It's fun." Irisviel happily replied.

"Will Kiritsugu not be worried?"

"He won't." Irisviel cheerfully countered and placed a finger to her lips. "Because he doesn't know we are here."

"Understood Irisviel-san." I sighed at my failed attempts to change her mind.

Irisviel ignored the conflicted expression on my face and enjoyed her frozen treat.

"It's nice here. Isn't it?" Irisviel started up, gazing at the clear sky.

"Yes, it-" A repulsive stream of mana stopped me in my tracks. The light atmosphere halted as I sensed an oddity in our surroundings. Rapidly, I placed a hand on Irisviel's shoulder, signaling the possible danger.

"An enemy." I quirked. This presence…There was no doubt that an enemy servant was close by. Or at the very least, a power mage hiding poorly amongst the crowd. How the enemy knew our location was unknown and frighteningly quick, but that was irrelevant. Irisviel's safety was my top priority.

My eyes swam through the flowing passerbyers and among them stood a tall figure. From the body shape, the assailant was definitely female. The individual was conspicuous due to her strange baggy attire. The clothing was effective in hiding her face. On the other hand, the more prominent features stood out from the crowd. She was abnormally giant, perhaps taller than Gawain. Even the loose clothing couldn't hide the lumps upon her chest; she was a watermelon in a field of pumpkins.

The assailant was practically inviting Artoria. Mana oozed from her body, acting as a lighthouse in a sea of bodies that guides any mages and servants towards her. She was definitely the source, but it was strange…Why did the enemy expose herself?

The possibility of it being a trap was illogical. A plan centered around utilizing a crowd that we were prohibited from harming was horribly inadequate. Even my master would hesitate to endanger innocent bystanders in a fight…Maybe.

"We are leaving Irisviel." I whispered and motioned Irisviel behind my back, allowing my body to act as a boundary against the potential attacker. I refuse to spill innocent blood during a battle against my enemies.

Our retreat was interrupted by the sudden movements of our worries. The individual twisted her neck, catching a glance at our direction. Our eyes met-green iris to green iris.

I saw her face, coated in minor scars and pecks of blond hair peeking from edges of the headwear. She looked familiar…A person I believed to have seen in the past. However, no absolutes on her identity were uncovered…Who was she?

We broke contact when a little girl ran towards the woman, smiling and waving her small hand.

"Mommy! Mr. Knight, I got it." The child called out and whipped out small packages. The person in question turned away and patted the girl on the head. Their conversation was muffled by the sound of traveling bodies.

"It's only a mother and her daughter." Irisviel also saw the scene and darted to my side. She cooed at the happy little family.

Though, Mr. Knight…It was a strange greeting for a child to call her mother. The pronoun was wrong, yet the girl showed genuine love and respect for the woman/mother.

That detail was not part of my worries… my mind was still on their facial features. My instincts were overwhelmed by the strange familiarity I felt. I searched every part of my memory to discover why and where I saw that face…Who was it?


Sparkling store banners and flowing crowds. That was Alter's first impressions of the modern mall.

Her new attire was a set of baggy clothing: hoodie, sweat pants, cap, and sneakers. There was plenty of old fabric collecting dust in the cabinets. It wasn't the cleanest look, but Alter was never one for style. For her, the deciding factor was comfort and ease of use. This mentality saved her life many times in her days as a knight of Britain. Her previous outfit, the suit, greatly restrained her mobility and was ditched.

The armor gifted by Morgan was engraved in many forms of protection. However, it consumed unsustainable quantities of mana from the same reservoir that kept Alter in this plane of existence. Not utilizing the gift conserved energy and allowed her to mix with the public masses.

To why she was at the mall, it all began this morning. Milret's little birthday party-ill conceived as it was-comprised of large quantities of sugar coated cake and protein. The little rascal must have undergone a delayed sugar rush because she shook Alter awake an hour before dawn, surging in the resolve to go to the mall. The kid barely had a healthy dose of 8 hours of rest and was already overzealous.

Now, the knight was waiting for Milret as the kid browsed for toys. Thanks to Milret's father, they had money to spend. The man's stash of cash and debit card were ignorantly placed unprotected in his drawers. Alter accidentally stumbled upon the cash when she rummaged through his items for clothing to wear.

Anyways, thanks to him, Alter didn't have to find a part-time job or commit robbery. Though there were urges to rob a modern bank to cross out a bullet point in her bucket list, she restrained herself. After all, Alter now had a newfound purpose, one she refused to fail and thus endanger Milret.

"Slow down, Mi. The toys aren't going to run away from you." Alter joked when she saw the girl race around the store, browsing for her favorite items.

Milret was given 10,000 yen for her shopping. It may be much for a little kid to hold, but the knight didn't bat an eye to it.

At a similar age, the homunculus was already training to be a knight, hunting beasts, and earning her place in Britain. A slip of paper posed a risk miniscule to that of a man eating wolf. Besides, the kid had the best knight to watch over her.

Best knight…That lost its meaning a long time ago.

"Best mother or grandmother was still possible." Alter jokingly whispered to herself. At the very least, she would be by Milret's side as long as she could.

Alter knew of the unpleasant future-the voices foretold dreams and her less than bare knowledge of the future loomed a great shadow of destruction over the city. The incident wiped out a portion of the city, leaving all but one survivor. The voices called it the Fate/Zero tragedy-a strange name for a horrific event.

Her new goal was to change it and force the timeline to stray from its path of ruination. However, this new route might cause a greater disaster; a similar disaster that was her original endgame taken into motion in the Camelot Singularity, but prevented by the Hassans.

The first steps of her plans, though coincidental as it was, had come to pass without substantial repercussions. The death of the red-head psychopath by her hands brought solace that he could no longer harm Milret. The man was a menace and his absence did good for society.

Seeing Milret happily browsing the store's merchandise released Alter from her paranoia, bringing a smile to the knight's face. It was times like today that Alter wished could last forever, for Alter to believe that she belonged…For herself to find acceptance.

'Artoria…Irisviel, Fate/Zero.'

'Eliminate'

An abrupt warning pushed Alter from her daydreaming. Instinctively, she searched the scene. Her attention was immediately glued to an Artoria clone standing alongside a silver haired woman. The clone was undeniably not the descendant of Artoria, but another variant of her father in the flesh. The wielder of Excalibur held a natural aura of chivalry and dominance in her posture; she must be the King of Knights.

If so, then the other person was Irisviel. The voices regarded the pale homunculus and her husband as central to the Fate/Zero tragedy. In fact, the sudden confrontation startled the voices to a high degree, causing them to spew gibberish about Fate/Zero. The important piece of information Alter focused on were the start and end of the incident.

Though the details were vague, she understood the gist of her predicament and the agitation that mentally overwhelmed her consciousness.

The situation became an awkward staring contest as neither side wished to make the first move. Alter's saving grace was little Milret strolling towards the knight with her toys in hand.

"Mommy! Mr. Knight, I got it." Milret energetically called out. Alter took this chance to break away from Artoria and greet Milret.

"Having fun?" She patted Milret on the head. "What did you buy?"

"It's a surprise." Milret playfully hid the packages behind her back.

Continuing to ignore Artoria, Alter grabbed Milret's hand and guided her out of the mall. She prayed Artoria wouldn't follow or disturb them from their course. Because of her pitiful mana reserves, Alter's only option was to escape and modify her plans for keeping Milret safe and herself alive.

Milret was clueless on what had transpired, a circumstance Alter was glad for. It was for the best for Milret to stay uninvolved; the more she knew, the riskier everything would become.

On their way home, Milret continued to refuse to show what she had bought. Stranger still was dragging Alter to a photo booth before they could depart from the district.

"Not telling." Milret giggled every time Alter tried to see what's inside the small bag of items she bought. The little rascal could always lighten the knight's mood.

Their dinner was nothing special. They had another order of takeout, the only difference was the quantity. The amount bought was immensely large. Milret didn't think anything of it and ate her fill before bathing and being tucked into bed by Alter. The excuse Alter used to convince Milret to sleep early was that she had school tomorrow.

This wasn't a surprise because the child was wearing a school uniform on their first meeting.

That meeting was held on a Friday, while their subsequent party happened during the weekends. Today was Sunday, making the next day Monday. It was the perfect excuse.

One issue remained…

"Mommy, I am not sleepy." Milret meekly whined. The child laid on her bed, hands positioned over the blankets to hold the fabric in place.

"Is there something I can do to change that?" Alter sat beside on the bed, leaning backwards and placing her arms towards her back to support her body.

"Daddy always tells me bedtime stories."

"Um…Well…" Alter was having the worst déjà vu. "I really can't."

"Please~." Milret pleaded with puppy eyes.

"I *Sigh* Alright." Alter gave in. She would always be horrible at storytelling, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.

"There once was a child, born to serve a king." Milret's mood lit up as Alter began her tale.

"The child grew into a knight for the nation to fulfill his dreams. His mother guided and forged him into a tool for his family…He was made to trust his parents-people who are parents in name only. All in his early life, the knight lived by the decree of the king, never finding his own voice in the midst of the beliefs engraved into his soul from birth."

Alter took a short glance at Milret. The girl was entranced by the story, looking intensely at Alter.

"Then, the knight found someone-a little girl. She gave him so much joy in his narrow existence as a knight and retainer to the king. She gave him a goal he could call his own. In return, the knight made her a promise. These choices were created for himself…By himself."

Alter released a large puff of air from her lungs, preparing herself for the next part of her story.

"And he failed. That. Promise." Alter paused and gritted her teeth. She resumed her story a second later.

"He broke his promise and lashed out when no one came to comfort him of his loss. So he made a new end goal; he would make everyone happy. The more he planned and acted, the closer he got to his wish. In time, he overcame many trials and was crowned as the new ruler of the nation he once protected as a knight. Even then, the knight turned king's journey never ended. He kept constructing and finding happiness for others. In the conclusion of his life, he was satisfied because that was his happy ending." Alter finished her story.

"He doesn't sound happy." Milret timidly commented. Alter gave a small smile to the curious child.

"Well, you got your story. Time for bed." Alter got up and flicked off the light.

"Good night, Mommy." Milret called out and closed her eyes.

"Sweet dreams." Alter returned the greeting and gently closed the door. As the doors closed shut and her feet transverse down the stairs. Alter thought back to her story.

Milret was right on one thing…The knight in the story was not happy until he met his end. Well, the end was not the finale of the story.

"The knight had it and lost it."


Nightfall cast its shadow upon Japan, darkening the sky and lighting it with stars. A lone figure could be seen exiting the front entrance of a house. Having her mana reserves replenished with an overdose of greasy takeout food, Alter was ready for tonight's event. In one quick kick, she dashed to the docks; it was the battleground for the Holy Grail War's first conflict.

Her aim was to evaluate the participants of the Holy Grail War and hopefully set the motions of stopping the tragedy into gear. She needed additional information-ones not present from second handed vague explanations from echoing voices in her mind.

She knew Artoria would be in Japan. However, the time frame was off. It spooked her that the initiation of the Fate/Zero tragedy was already underway. Her plans to secretly regain her strength by consuming food must be sped up if she were to stand a chance in avoiding the carnage and protecting Milret from danger. As she was now, Alter was not ready for any forms of direct conflict.

Another concern was the feeling that the entire situation felt forced. As if the world twisted itself to allow this encounter to play out. Was Alter's transfer to this world at this time and location a mere coincidence?...Impossible, there were too many pieces that must fall into place. There must be an orchestrator to this mess.

It didn't matter if someone was pulling the strings. Everything Alter did was to protect Milret and perhaps, satisfy a tad of her own curiosity.

The dock was surprisingly easy to find; it was a gray spot on the coast and edge of the river that stuck out from the green vegetation. At the first sound of battle, Alter materialized her armor, excluding Clarent, to preserve mana. Her armor imparted unique abilities, one was to hide her presence and identity. It was the same power that protected Alter from the zombie hordes in her own timeline.

The clangs of clashing metal grew louder as she closed the distance. In one final jump, Alter perched on a metal structure that overlooked the docks. Upon it, she located a lancer servant engaging Artoria ( or Saber) in a duel.

*Whistling Sound*

Alter whistled at the display of skill by both servants…and their sheer stupidity. This was a Holy Grail War, and if what the voices said was true, it was a competition that awarded any one wish to the winner.

An honorable duel in a death game? Preposterous.

People would do anything to get their greatest desires made real. Chivalry was a fool's morals, where it was only viable if all participants agreed to it. To most masters in this war, morals were shackles to be discarded and the end justifies the means.

The battle went on in a stalemate as neither servants got the upper-hand, That was until Lancer obtained first blood with his red lance by striking Saber's waist. Then a second blow to Saber's wrist using his golden lance that inflicted a permanent wound to the King of Knights. It was an exciting little show to see Artoria lose her cool because of her overconfidence.

"Idiot." Alter chuckled silently at Saber.

"Right back at you." A man announced from the side.

Alter faced the individual to see Kiritsugu Emiya position his rifle at her helmet. She was too focused on the match to notice the grown man in the black attire.

"To you as well for revealing yourself." Alter cheekily countered.

Kiritsugu grimaced at his misfortune and steadied his weapon. "Not much of a choice."

Alter took a quick look beneath the assassin to see his equipment and rifle on the ground.

Oh shit…She accidentally intruded on his little hiding spot. Though, this was an opportunity. Kiritsugu was the main player in this war and the cause of the destruction. Therefore, she could change the timeline by convincing this man to change his course of action.

"Good point." Alter agreed to the man's statement. She rested her arms on the railing and leaned forward, facing the duel between the two servants. "But I am only here for the show."

Kiritsugu kept quiet, examining Alter's every move and if needed, use a command seal to bring Artoria (or Saber) to his location.

"Let's talk." Alter made an attempt to strike up a conversation.

"Who are you?" Kiritsugu tensely questioned, his gun still aimed at the knight.

"Is it not customary to introduce yourself before asking someone else." Alter mused and sat a few feet from Kiritsugu. She already knew who he was; she was just making small talk.

Silence loomed between the two individuals. Noticing the silence would last, Alter decided to make a proposal.

"I'll tell you if you answer my question." Alter offered, though didn't wait for a response. "Why did you join the war?"

"I have a wish." He simply stated after another few seconds of silence. When Alter didn't make any movements, Kiritsugu recognized his answer to be unsatisfactory and elaborated without giving himself away. "I want change."

"Change…" Alter thoughtfully repeated, placing her arm on her knees and using the palm to support her helmet covered head. "Are you not satisfied as things are now?"

Kiritsugu spoke no words, but his eyes did widen at Alter's innocent question. It was all the answer Alter needed.

"Then why fight in this war?" The knight continued.

"Who are you?" He ignored Alter and made his own request. His posture did not relax and his stare felt like it could bore holes in Alter's armor. "Let me ask you again, who are you?"

"Why fight?" Alter pushed on.

"Why do you fight?" Kiritsugu critically shot back. His question was about the war; Alter didn't see it that way.

Why fight?

To the knight, those words meant more than the Holy Grail War. It was feasibly the same for Kiritsugu.

"The same as you…Change." She broadly answered, straightening herself and taking a step closer to the man.

"That does not answer the question!" The response broke Kiritsugu's demeanor. In a few milliseconds, he recovered and held his ground when Alter approached a few more feet.

"It does." Alter affirmed. Slowly, she extended her right arm. Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes at the notion, finger on the trigger. The bullets couldn't harm the heroic spirit. The assassin knew this, but it was his only form of protection. "I can help you."

The Fate/Zero tragedy originated from Kiritsugu. She could change it-avoid it. All she needed was the assassin's cooperation and trust. Alter would help him and when the time was right, warn him of the danger.

Surprisingly, Kiritsugu lowered his gun. The man was truly considering accepting Alter's little alliance.

"How do I know you will keep your word?" He carefully asked.

"I will reveal my identity to you so that we may form a contract." She eagerly replied. Alter was one step nearer to saving the victims and possibly Milret, from the tragedy. Kiritsugu cautiously extended his hand to complete the handshake. The alliance would be shaky at best. Even then, it was her best chance in diverting the disaster. Alter was so close.

*Boom*

The arrangement was never complete.

An explosion pushed Alter off the metal structure. Everyone on the dock turned to the loud blast. The duel between Saber and Lancer was halted as they faced the rising gray cloud of smoke. In the midst of the blast, Kiritsugu escaped and hid himself behind the metal beams at the base of the columns. He threw himself off the structure, while maneuvering his body into a roll to break his fall.

Luckily, Alter was knocked off the docks to meet the seafolk. Her instincts kicked the moment she saw the explosive beneath her feet. Immediately, she kicked the ground and used the incoming momentum to propel herself into the water. Like a large black lump of rock, Alter crashed into the sea. She prayed that Morgan's gift hid her presence well enough so that the participants of the war would not question why an abnormally large lump of metal had crashed into the sea.

On other news, Alter wasted ten percent of her already minimal mana supply to shield herself from harm. She was in no state to battle a master and servant duo before this night. Now, she was even less prepared for a conflict.

Alter slowly rose from the depths of the water, hugging the vertical concrete shores of the dock. As seconds turned to minutes, the knight released a deep sigh as no one tried to find her. She hid herself and listened in on the events that were transpiring.

More servants poured onto the stage soon after the explosion. Rider landed on his chariot and decreed his titles and true identity. Golden boy (Archer) and Lancelot (Berserker) also made their entrance. Caster was absent, which was expected since Alter did murderize his master.

Her curiosity overcame her hesitation and she took a peek to watch the action unfold. Everything played out as foretold by the voices. In fact, the explosion did not change anything. What little it changed was leaving a smoking pile of steel and other broken metals.

She didn't care for the damage she caused nor the servants present in the war. Her eyes were on the noble phantasms that were discharged by Archer. Each weapon was stuffed to the brim with mana; they were essentially mobile batteries. Alter could potentially recharge herself if she got a hold of one. It was an impracticable idea, one she would keep in mind if the situation ever presented itself.

Alter waited for the dock to be emptied before exiting the water and left for home. She had consumed a painstakingly large percentage of her mana reservoir to sustain her armor. Though Morgan's gift kept the knight hidden, it was sadly a mana drainage. Once she reached the doorway, Alter raced to the kitchen to satiate her hunger and extinguish her mana deprivation.

The fridge and cabinets were nearly wiped clean of edibles before she was satisfied. The rush of devouring food left the knight fatigued. A loud thud echoed through the living room as Alter removed her armor, fell onto the couch, and drifted to sleep. Whatever plans and worries she had were tomorrow's issues.


Waver was not having a good time.

Directly after he and Rider left the docks and arrived at the elderly couple's house, Waver puked on the grass-field near the house.

The first thing his servant did was to loudly declare his true name in front of other masters and their servants. Waver teared up from Rider's idiocy for idiocy. A heroic spirit's name was a huge secret that would give other participants of the war an advantage over Waver.

The worst of all was that thing peeking from the dock shores…It…it shouldn't…It couldn't.

Waver clutched at his hair, fear was prevalent in his eyes as he revisited his haunting memories.

On the docks, Waver underwent the endeavor of listing the strengths of the servants present. It was a simple task since he possessed great observation and insight abilities. Rider's booming voice caught everyone's attention so it was a perfect chance to scout his opponents. As he did so, someone-

No, something clawed at his eyes.

Ghosts, phantasms, monsters, or whatever they were. They oozed from the figure hiding in the water. In bodies consisting of black ashes and shaped as ghastly medieval knights, they drifted into the air and swarmed the chariot. Waver clung to Rider for dear life, but his servant made no indication that he noticed the threatening monstrosities. No one at the docks did.

Waver teared up and screamed for his life. He closed his eyes to brace for death by the hands of monsters. When nothing occurred, his eyes opened to see the shadows had disappeared. He rummaged his body for wounds, but found none. In fact, he had never moved from his spot nor had he screamed. Everything he had experienced was in his head.

A sigh of comfort escaped his lips. Yet, his face tensed up as black fingers softly traced his left cheek.

"Don't try." A soothing female voice behind him warned. Her breath tickled his ears, shooting chills down his spine. Waver twisted his neck and was met by empty air.

"O-O-Okay." He gulped, praying the black monsters would spare him.

Waver cried himself out of his memory as he laid on the grass.

Rider saw the pitiful sobbing state of his master and scratched the back of his head. He was oblivious to what Waver had experienced and wished Waver would man up.


The next time Alter woke up, it was by an energetic Milret. The knight sat up to see Milret already cleaned and dressed in her school uniform.

Alter had doubts on whether to allow the kid to go to school during the events of the so-called Fate/Zero. It was hardly safe, even if the rules forbid participants to needlessly kill bystanders. It was rather safe for the little girl because the red-haired killer was already dealt with.

On another note, Alter wanted the girl to live her life unaffected by the war and other supernatural elements. For these reasons, the knight allowed Milret to go to school.

Breakfast consisted of a simple menu of toast, pan fried eggs, and juice. It was a quiet affair, where they happily ate their meals and did a final inspection of Milret's supplies before walking to school.

Naturally, the knight accompanied Milret on her way to class. The girl in question was overjoyed to travel with her mother, holding hands and having small discussions. Her positivity soaked Alter in its warmth, prompting the knight to relax and smile.

The school wasn't far from home, just a few corners and blocks away. A few students gave the duo surprised looks, perhaps they knew Milret and never saw the girl's mother. Well, if Alter wasn't transported to this timeline, they never would because the real mother had passed on.

The entrance to school grounds was marked by a metal gate and the clear pavement transitioning to a surface covered in orderly shaped bricks. At the school gates, the two parted and waved farewell.

Alter strolled away once Milret joined her surprised peers and vanished inside the building. She had plans to execute. Her first task was a detour to the market for a needed grocery trip. Part two of her plans was eating. The result was a ramen shop owner having regrets for advertising a ramen challenge, where the food was free if the attendee finished the bowl in less than 30 minutes.

Hands full of bags, Alter was on her way back to the house to refill the cabinets. The day was still young and packed by the voices of customers buying products and tourists browsing the architecture. Considering the time period, nothing was out of the ordinary. That was, until a blue light flared in an alleyway. She had an inkling of suspicion of what it was and took a sharp turn towards the light.

The closer she got, the more defined the glow became. Blue waves of energy pulsed from an invisible levitating orb. Each pulse erased more of reality, replacing every piece with a black void. Alter's environment was quickly enveloped, like the sun had turned off and left the planet in complete darkness. The bags she carried also vaporized with the world.

The only light source in the void was a familiar levitating blue orb, which shifted and deformed the space around itself.

Another pulse of light reshaped the surroundings, showing Alter a scene from the past. It revealed Alter and Kiritsugu's unplanned encounter last night. Beneath Alter's feet, a small space of air distorted like the static of a television screen. What replaced the air was a bundle of grenades, pins pulled and the origins of the sudden explosion that disrupted Alter's negotiation plans.

"Your actions…Your motives…They are illustrations painted and erased by reality." A familiar female voice stated.

"Stop getting in my way!" Alter tensely spat. " What I do is none of your concern."

Another wave of light pierced the darkness behind the knight. Alter faced the new source to see the imposter Lena speaking. "I am not responsible for these interferences. Your motives bend the world…Only to have the world twist itself back. Your strength is inadequate to reshape reality so I have no need to step in."

Lena teleported in front of the blue orb. The scenery shifted to the many events of Alter's rampage in Camelot. "At the peak of your strength, your violence in Camelot held no sense of direction. But here, you are tame and your goals are clear as day. Does weakness bring out humility?"

"Why do you care?" Alter spewed more venom to the despicable existence that pretended to be Lena.

"I want to understand more about you." The vocals of the CounterForce and Lena mixed as they presented their answer. "However, my curiosity is for another time. I came to give a warning."

A final blast of energy reshaped the void from Camelot to that of modern Japan. Particularly, it was the aftermath of Alter's execution of the red-haired murderer and master of Caster. The apartment was exactly as she had left it, until patches static covered his body, stitching his wounds back together.

His eyes shot open and a smile, one that would make Joker envious, crossed his face.

"God has spoken!" He raised his arms and screamed towards the ceiling.

The void started to crack the moment the madmen released his crazed laughter. The alleyway, which Alter had entered, returned and so did her groceries.

A cold chill tickled her back as dread washed over soul. She understood the implications of the imaginary shown by the CounterForce and there was no time to debate on the sincerity of the warning. Without a second thought, Alter discarded her groceries and stampeded back to Milret's school.

Be it mana deprivation or revealing herself to the public, none of it mattered. Every second was crucial as Milret's safety was everything to Alter; the knight would not leave the child's fate to chance.

Prior to seeing the school, she heard the sirens and saw the red flashing lights of modern police vehicles. A large crowd-a mix of students and adults-gathered around the gate entrance of the institution. Alter fell into despair when she could not find Milret amongst the crowd.

Without a second thought, she broke through the crowd and yellow tape to enter the main building.

"Stop!"

"Freeze!"

"Do not enter the building!"

Warnings and threats were thrown her way, but she didn't care. Her identity meant nothing if the one she failed was the person she'd sworn to protect. The knight would keep her promise; never again, would it be broken.

"MILRET!" Alter cried and shouted, begging for a reaction. She called out at every breath of air as she ran in the halls and past multiple classrooms.

"Mr. Knight? Mommy?" And Alter got a response. Haphazardly, she crashed through the walls and floors to reach Milret's location. Busting through a chalkboard, she emerged in a classroom absent of life and walls decorated by sketches drawn in blood. There was a lack of bodies in the room, a hint to a far darker fate for the victims.

Quickly, Alter rushed to a single locker on the corner of the room. Once opened, relief rinsed away Alter's horrid imagery of the future. Milret was inside, arms clutching her bag and tears running down her cheeks.

Alter placed her hands on Milret's shoulder, making sure that the person before her was real. Knowing that Milret was indeed still there, the knight tightly embraced the child.

Alter's presence allowed Milret to relax her emotions, causing her to release the tears she desperately held inside herself. Alter felt Milret's quickened heart calming down and the warmth radiating from the kid's body and tears. It was real…Alter was not too late to save her.

"I'm here…I'm here." Alter reassured the child and herself.

Milret was taken to the hospital to check for injuries. The medical facility doubled as a safe haven from the red-head sociopath and masters of the Holy Grail War. They would be idiotic to intrude a place loaded with security and a quick dial to armed cops.

The doctor arranged a thorough examination and found no traces of bodily harm and foreign substances on Milret. The medical professional's recommendation was lots of rest and maybe therapy. Alter rejected the latter and upped for an extended stay in the hospital. To keep the mouths of the staff shut, she paid them off using the credit card of Milret's father. A note was also given to the doctor to contact the father of Milret's whereabouts.

Milret was safe, but the same could not be said for her peers. Only one person was insane enough to carry out the gruesome act. Alter knew him and wished she was more thorough in killing the man. Wherever he was now, she would find him and make him pay.

Alter clenched her fist around the doorknob of Milret's room. Alter came back to see the place one last time because once she was done, she would remove herself from Milret's life. Alter blamed herself for Milret's suffering. To leave Milret was to take the suffering and misfortune away from the child…She didn't deserve to be agonized by Alter's mistakes.


The room was as Alter had remembered it, besides the items on the desk. The tabletop was a mess, filled with scraps of paper and familiar toy packaging. Three heart shaped photo lockets and two birthday cards extruded from the casing. Roughly cut photos from the mall booth sat next to the necklaces, where only one locket was fully complete with the photo attached inside.

"I see." She muttered. So that was why Milret wanted to browse in the mall on such short notice. The calendar had two dates scribbled in party decorations. It should have been obvious to the knight. Alas, Alter missed the small detail.

The day after Milret's birthday was the real mother's birthday. The mother who had passed on and the role Alter had taken in this timeline.

Alter gently clutched the completed necklace along with a card. Slowly, she descended down the stairs and walked to the shrine at the end of the hall. The framed photo of Milret's mother, a descendent of the original Mordred, greeted Alter's entry.

"You have a wonderful daughter." She placed the locket and card on the pedestal and left the house for the final time.

Her foot was about to exit the front door before an annoyingly familiar voice called out.

"You do know your actions won't change the end result." The blue orb erupted into existence in a blink of the eye in front of Alter.

"That remains to be seen." Alter responded, walking past the floating sphere of spiraling energy. "I will right the wrong and forge a brighter future for the people in this city."

"Let's see you try, Mr. Knight." The spiral of energy reshaped itself to Lena and mocked the retreating back of Alter.