"Magus" – Talking

'Master' – Thoughts

"Monster" – Duel Spirits and other beasts talking

'Spirit' – Duel Spirits and other beasts thinking

"Magecraft" – Spells

[Servant] – Bond/Mental speak

Disclaimer: I don't own the Fate series, the Yugioh series, or any of their characters. I only own the plot of this story and Desmond Blake.


Holy Grail War Saga

Fourth Holy Grail War Arc

Chapter 4 – Reactions and Preparations


9:18 AM, October 4th, 1994, Ryuudou Temple, Fuyuki City, Japan

(Desmond's POV)

You know, being in Japan in 1994 brings into perspective how old anime is. The oldest anime that I've ever watched is Dragon Ball and that only debuted in America in 1995. Here in Japan, it has been going strong since 1986. Already the series is at the Majin Buu Arc. It's not only Dragon Ball either; Doraemon, the 'Unending Anime' before One Piece came along, has been going on since 1979.

Watching a re-run of the episode where Goku battles Majin Vegeta brings back dear memories of mine. When I first watched this fight, I was ten years old and it was dubbed. Now, here I am, almost twenty years later, watching the same episode in raw Japanese, which I can understand perfectly because I'm a Demi-Servant with the powers of the Supreme King and the Caster of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

My life sure took a strange turn somewhere; must have been after I died.

"Watching that anime again, Master?" Yubel spoke from behind me as she materialized. "Is it that interesting?"

I keep my attention on the TV as I reply to her. "Yes, quite so in fact. This is the first major anime that made the jump to America in my past life. Dragon Ball was a huge part of my childhood and taught me a lot of things." An idea then came to me. "You know what, once the war is over, I'm going to buy all of the manga volumes of this series. Considering that we may visit the Dragon Ball Universe in the future should my plan work, you will need to know everything there is to know about it."

"If that is your wish, Master," she replies with a bow of her head.

"By the way, how is little Sakura?" I ask, wondering how the girl is doing after last night's events.

"She's still resting. The events of last night weight on her mind, I'm sure. Necromancer's operation must have put some additional stress as well. I do not believe she will awake before noon," Yubel reports. Even though she tries to hide it, I can detect the worry in her tone. Sakura must have awakened her maternal instincts.

"Understandable. Being freed from a yearlong nightmare and then losing the Crest Worms on her body must have been quite the shock. Her mind and body need to recover and adapt."

"Indeed. Though, if I may be so bold, Master; what are your intentions for the girl?"

Muting the TV as the episode ends, I turn my attention to Yubel as I respond. "All I wanted to do was save the girl. What she went through is something that no child should ever suffer. I want to give her a start over, far away from Fuyuki and her 'family'. That, however, is her decision. If she wants to go back to her mother and sister, then I'll take her back, but only once Tokiomi is dead. He traded her off once, I'm not going to let him do it a second time." Taking a breath, I continue, "If she decides to leave Fuyuki, I'll leave her at an orphanage far away from Japan, though that's not an option that I'm very happy with."

"What if she decides to stay with you, Master?" The demoness inquires, causing me to frown.

"I'm not against that, but I'm not too sure that's the best option. Once the war is over, we will be traveling a lot to dangerous places. While I have full confidence that you and the others can protect Sakura from most dangers, that is not a good environment to have a child around. Besides that, there's also the fact that, if my plan works as I think it will, then there's a high chance that my overall personality will change for the worse. Right now, I like Sakura and want to protect her, but I can't guarantee that I will feel the same once the war is over."

"You are the descendant of the Supreme King and host of the Gentle Darkness, Master. A god is no match for you. I'm confident that your will shall prevail," Yubel speaks with great assurance in her voice.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Yubel," I reply with a smile.


9:42 AM, October 4th, 1994, Ryuudou Temple, Fuyuki City, Japan

(Sakura's POV)

Waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling wasn't something that she had been expecting after the wonderful dream she had had the night before. The first thought that came to Sakura's mind then was one of confusion.

'Is Zouken preparing something? Why would he move me from my room?'

Sitting up, Sakura was surprised at well she felt. Ever since her first… 'training' session, she had always felt something wrong with her body. It always felt heavier and there was always a constant feeling of discomfort. For over a year she had felt like that and she couldn't phantom why she felt so…healthy now. Like she had never undergone the Pit.

Hearing a door sliding open, Sakura looked up in its direction. Her eyes widened slightly as the demoness from her dream stepped inside the room.

"I see that you are awake, Sakura Matou," the demoness said before she tilted her head. "Or do you prefer Sakura Tohsaka?"

For a single second, Sakura's empty, doll-like eyes flashed with anger at her former surname. "Please, just Sakura," she replied. It wasn't like she liked her new surname any better after all.

The demoness nodded. "Very well, Sakura. My name is Yubel. Your clothes are on the other side of your futon. Please get dressed and I will lead you to the dining hall so you can have breakfast. Any questions you may have will be answered as you eat."

Looking to her right, Sakura saw a blue suitcase that she guessed hold her clothes inside. Looking at Yubel-san, Sakura nodded in understanding. The demoness nodded back with a smile and stepped outside the room, sliding the door closed as she did so.

As she got up from her futon and moved to open the suitcase, one thought went through Sakura's head.

'What a strange dream this is.'

A few minutes later, Sakura was dressed and followed Yubel-san to the dining hall. Sitting at the low table in the middle of the room was a young man with brown hair watching television but turned his head as the door slid open.

"Ah, hello there, little lady. I hope you had a good night of sleep. The name is Desmond. Please, take a seat and I'll answer the questions I'm sure you have while you eat," the man instructed with a friendly smile on his face. Sakura's expression didn't change though. Even while believing everything to be a dream, the girl was too broken to smile even while dreaming.

Following his instructions, Sakura sat to his right and looked at the food on the table. It mainly consisted of bread and butter with some ham and cheese spread over the table. There were also some cartons of milk and orange juice and couple of cups.

"Do you have any preference for your sandwich?" Desmond-san asked. Sakura shook her head and he nodded once before starting to make a simple ham and cheese sandwich. While buttering a slice of bread, he said, "Ask anything you want, Sakura-san."

Looking at him for a few moments, Sakura asked what she wanted to know first. "How do I wake up?"

Desmond-san smiled sadly as he put a slice of ham and cheese on her sandwich. "You believe this to be a dream?"

She nodded. "Grandfather is too strong to be killed. Only in my dreams could that ever happened."

Handing her the sandwich, Desmond-san spoke. "You are already awake, Sakura-san and I have three ways to prove it." He then grabbed one of the cups and asked, "Milk or orange juice?"

"Milk, please. And how are you going to prove that I'm not dreaming?"

Filling a cup with milk, Desmond-san replied, "Well, the first proof that you're wide awake is the fact that you think you are dreaming. Once someone realizes that they are dreaming, they wake up." Passing the cup of milk to her, the brunette motions for her to eat up as he continues. "The second proof is that what you are feeling, tasting, hearing, and seeing is too detailed to be a dream. As a matter of fact, can you read this?"

Sakura watched as Desmond-san's hand was covered in darkness, which was then manipulated into forming the kanji for darkness, 闇.

Swallowing the piece of sandwich that she had taken a bite of, Sakura nodded. "Yes, I can."

"Well, there you go. People cannot read while dreaming, as the act of dreaming uses one half of the brain, while reading uses the other half. Both halves cannot be used at the same time, you know," Desmond-san explained after dispelling whatever magecraft he had been using.

"And, if all of this isn't enough to make you believe, there is that," he then pointed to the TV, which was on a news channel. They were showing a video feed of a burnt house that Sakura quickly recognized.

The six-year-old stared at what was being shown on the TV. Even as burned as the house was, Sakura would never forget how the Matou Residence looked. Her lifeless eyes gained a little bit of hope that last night's events were really real. However, she still needed to confirm it.

Looking at Desmond-san, she asked, "Can I go there see it?"

The brunette looked at her with understanding. "You want to confirm with your own eyes that it is real?" At her nod, he smiled. "Alright. But only once you're done with your breakfast."

Sakura nodded in agreement and went back to eating her sandwich.


10:03 AM, October 4th, 1994, Tohsaka Residence, Fuyuki City, Japan

(Tokiomi Tohsaka's POV)

As the Head of the Tohsaka Family, Tokiomi prided himself as someone that can keep calm and steady in most situations. Emotional outbursts are for the Mundanes and Magi of weaker blood, his father used to say. The Tohsaka are a self-made Magus family with two hundred years of history. They survived through the foreigners-intolerant Japan of the 18th century and became one of the most influential families in the Mage's Association. Tokiomi's father always stressed the importance of controlling one's emotions and Tokiomi had thought that he had mastered the art of emotional self-control.

*CRASH*

But apparently, he was wrong; which is another reason why Tokiomi is so angry right now. He is the Head of the Tohsaka family, the one who will open a path to Akasha and bring glory to his family; yet he cannot control his fury at the current situation.

"Please, calm yourself, Tokiomi," he heard Risei's soothing voice from his Voice Projector. "Kirei has already ordered most of his Assassins to search Fuyuki for Sakura. Your daughter will be found quickly, I assure you."

"Do not make promises you cannot keep, Risei!" Tokiomi replied harshly. "It has been hours since the attack on the Matou's and we have no idea who the perpetrator is or where they could have taken Sakura." Taking a deep breath, Tokiomi cast a spell to fix the vase he just threw at the wall. "Are you sure that the Magus Killer is not the one behind the attack? Of those involved in the war, he is the most likely suspect. Especially considering how Kariya was killed."

"Yes, Tokiomi, I am sure. Kirei followed Kiritsugu Emiya's accomplice last night and heard how he brought down the Hyatt Hotel. Despite his questionable methods, the Magus Killer is formidable in taking down his targets. However, not even he is capable of taking down a Magus' home and still have enough time to bomb a hotel."

Grunting in agreement with his friend's assessment, Tokiomi voiced his thoughts. "If not Emiya, then the only suspect left is Caster's Master. None of the other Masters have any vendetta with the Matou as far as I know and Caster's Master is the only one uncounted for."

"Those were my thoughts as well. While Caster didn't leave a strong impression last night, he could be playing the fool. Someone from the Age of the Gods could most likely take out the Bounded Fields of the Matou Residence with ease. Or maybe Caster possesses a Noble Phantasm capable of a similar effect. That is if he and his Master are behind the attack. We cannot rule out the possibility that someone else not affiliated with the Holy Grail War used it to blame their attack on one of the Masters."

Tokiomi pondered on that thought before speaking, "That is possible, but, if their objective was to eradicate the Matou, then why not kill Sakura?"

"Could their target actually be you, Tokiomi? Is it possible that they know that Sakura is your daughter and are trying to use her against you?"

Tokiomi shook his head in the negative even if Risei couldn't see him. "While possible, the chances of that being so are low. Adoptions among Magi families are not talked about out of courtesy. To know about Sakura being related to the Tohsaka, they would need to either be close to my family or the Matou's."

Letting out a sigh, Tokiomi continued, "As it is, there's nothing we can do at the moment besides investigating and search for Sakura and the perpetrator of the attack on the Matou's. Divination is not one of my strong suites, unfortunately, but I have someone that owes me a favor and is proficient enough to help."

"Do what you must then, Tokiomi. Kirei and I will help in any way we can. For now, I must go and make preparations for Kariya's funeral. Hopefully, next time we talk, we will have good news. Remember, Tokiomi, have faith in God and he shall show you the path."

"I hope so, Risei; I really do." After a moment, Tokiomi then added. "Also, send all expenses for Kariya's funeral to my account. He and I may have not seen eye to eye, but he was still Aoi's dear friend."

"If that's what you want. Take care, Tokiomi."


11:08 AM, October 4th, 1994, Matou Residence, Fuyuki City, Japan

(Sakura's POV)

After breakfast, Desmond-san did as promised and took Sakura to her former home. Before leaving, he had her put on a blonde wig and green contacts. When she asked why she had to disguise herself, Desmond replied that he was pretty sure that Tokiomi had his ally's Servant and an army of familiars looking around for her and he didn't want to have to deal with Tokiomi before he was ready. Not wanting to go back to Tokiomi, Sakura readily agreed to disguise herself.

That Desmond-san is a participant in the Holy Grail War didn't surprise her; with someone like Yubel-san serving him, it made sense that he be a Master. When she asked him if he knew of Uncle Kariya, though, she was surprised by Desmond-san's answer.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Sakura. I stole Kariya's Servant and killed him. Tokiomi's Servant is pretty strong and I'm going to need numbers to deal with him. Yes, I could have allied with Kariya, but one look at him and it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to make it past the end of the war. I see what I did to him as an act of mercy. Before I killed him, however, I promised that I would save you in his stead and, as you will realize soon enough, I keep my promises."

Following that, their walk from the temple to the Matou Residence had been done in silence as she took in Desmond-san's confession. Sakura can tell that he was being truthful by virtue that Desmond-san has no reason to lie about killing Uncle Kariya.

Truth be told, Sakura isn't that angry about Uncle Kariya being dead, nor is she sad. The moment that Uncle Kariya had walked out through the door to participate in the war, Sakura had known that he wouldn't be coming back. She had seen how bad he was after Zouken 'trained' him over the past year. There was no chance of Uncle Kariya winning the war and taking her away from Zouken and Sakura knew that.

But now Desmond-san is proclaiming that he had done the impossible. That he had done what she knew no one would ever be able to do: free her from Zouken's clutches. Adding to such a statement, Desmond-san told her that he had had one of his people remove the Crest Worms from inside her body. Another impossible feat to Sakura.

As much as she doesn't want to dare to hope, Sakura is beginning to believe that this is not a dream. She doesn't want to believe so, for she knows that any hopes she creates will make it only more painful once reality shows itself. At the same time, she wants to believe Desmond-san so much. She wants the nightmare that has been her life under Zouken Matou to end. She wants to be free from the Crest Worms. She wants to be able to feel emotions again.

And, as they take a turn and look upon the remains of the Matou Residence, Sakura finally believes Desmond-san's word.

No more Zouken.

No more Crest Worms.

She's free.


06:22 PM, October 4th, 1994, Einzbern Castle, Outskirts of Fuyuki City, Japan

(Kiritsugu's POV)

Few were the things that Kiritsugu Emiya hated more than being surprised. Being surprised meant being unprepared and, in his line of work, being unprepared most of the time means death.

Last night, things didn't go according to plan. He and Maiya had had a chance to kill Kayneth Archibald, but the appearance of Assassin and Rider's interference ruined it. If that wasn't enough, all other Servants decided that last night was the best moment to show themselves.

What made the situation all the worse for Kiritsugu is the fact that Irisviel had been there, surrounded by all of their enemies with only Saber to protect her. Even as strong as Saber is, Kiritsugu doubts that the King of Britain would have been able to protect his wife against four Servants – five if you counted Assassin.

'Things worked out well in the end,' Kiritsugu thought to himself as he sat at the table inside what they had dubbed as the 'war room'. 'But, now Caster and his Master know that Irisviel isn't Saber's Master,' forgetting about Iri's lack of Command Seals had been a rookie mistake on his part. 'Caster will have to be our next priority once Lancer is dealt with.' With it having been over eighteen hours since he bombed the Hyatt Hotel and Saber's curse still in place, Kiritsugu could only assume that Lancer and Kayneth somehow survived.

Looking at the map of Fuyuki Maiya acquired for him, Kiritsugu looks at four points he circled: Tohsaka's Manor, Fuyuki Church, Ryuudou Temple, and a new residential area east of the city center. All of these are locations where the Grail may manifest once the Servants have been narrowed down.

'With its natural barrier against spirits, Ryuudou Temple is a very good base for Caster,' he mused. 'I will have to send some familiars to check it later.'

As Maiya walked into the war room accompanied by Iri and Saber, Kiritsugu gathered his thoughts and prepared himself to share his plans with them.

No matter, he will win this war and bring about peace into this chaotic world.


06:22 PM, October 4th, 1994, Outskirts of Tohsaka Residence, Fuyuki City, Japan

(Desmond's POV)

Looking at the mansion in the distance from where I'm floating up in the sky, I can't help but feel quite nervous about what I'm going to do next. Fighting Gilgamesh of all people isn't something I would ever encourage, especially when I don't have one hundred percent certainty that I can kill him. I had thought of interfering with the fighting soon to happen at the Einzbern Castle and capture Kirei and later Lancer. However, that was mainly my fear of Gilgamesh wanting more bodies to put between him and me.

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. "I can do this. My main plan is good and I have backups if it fails." I take another deep breath and let it out. "I can do this."

Done reassuring myself, I manifest the Spell Card that I used yesterday. Heavy Storm is fully charged and ready to be used.

[Is everyone in position?] I ask my servants.

[Yes, Master!] They reply in response. Well, in Lancelot's case, he just grunted.

[Let's get this show on the road, then.] Channeling prana into the card, I throw it at the Tohsaka Residence.

"Heavy Storm!"


Apologies for the short chapter. Even with adding this last scene, I couldn't make it longer. I wanted to stop at Sakura's second scene but decided that it would be too short and so added Kiritsugu's scene and the teaser above.

Not much to say about this chapter. It mainly deals with the reactions of Desmond's attack on the Matou and Sakura finally realizing that she's free. I hope I managed to show her thoughts and feelings well in this chapter. Character-heavy scenes like Sakura's are rather difficult for me to write, thus why it took so long for me to finish this chapter. Well, that and my newfound interest in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Well, that's all I have to say. See you next time.

Ja ne!