FATE/CATBOX FICTION

Chapter 26: Left and Right

The heavily battered and bloodied Kiritsugu tumbled aside as Kayneth-Diarmuid commanded Volumen Hydrargyrum to lash out at him as a vicious onslaught of deadly tentacles. The Assassin wished he could fight back, but he didn't want to risk the geas injuring him more than it already had. He had to improvise a different strategy to avoid the Pseudo-Servant's attacks while also plotting an escape route. Although reluctant to admit it, Kiritsugu was fighting a losing battle here. He needed to retreat with Irisviel, request for backup from Chaldea, and plan a new strike on Salazere. Yet, he was certain that the enemy would not be stupid enough to allow a second attack to happen on one of Akakor's critical points.

For now, Kiritsugu tossed a smoke bomb in Kayneth-Diarmuid's direction. It detonated, cloaking the area in a potent fog for a few minutes to provide the Assassin with cover. He utilized his innate Presence Concealment to hide in a dark crevice in the deepest, darkest corner of the shrine that had been created from Kayneth's attacks. With this vantage point, Kiritsugu could see what was happening with Irisviel's battle, and it wasn't boding well either.

I don't know who that Servant is, he thought as he stared at 22-Q, but she's clearly designed to be a combat Servant. Iri's primary function is as a support and healer Servant. I'm willing to bet the other Servant never gave Iri a chance to even heal herself.

He wasn't too surprised that Irisviel was overwhelmed, but he didn't think it would happen so quickly. He had to return his attention to Kayneth-Diarmuid as the Pseudo-Servant made his quicksilver familiar bunch back into a perfect sphere.

"Ire Sanctio!" Kayneth ordered Volumen Hydrargyrum to extend numerous tendrils from its blob-like form into every crevice in the surrounding walls. This wasn't an offensive maneuver, but actually one designed to search through even the tiniest cracks in a wall for anything suspicious. Kiritsugu's eye twitched in annoyance.

Automatic Detection. Damn it…

Things just kept getting worse for him. Presence Concealment alone would not be effective in cloaking his presence from Volumen Hydrargyrum's detection. Even though he was exhausted from using his Noble Phantasm, Kiritsugu had one last trick he could rely on.

Time Alter: Triple Stagnate!

He slowed his internal clock to one third the normal speed, causing his heart and blood flow to practically freeze. One of the quicksilver tendrils slithered just above Kiritsugu's peripheral vision, but he dared not move his eyes to get a better look in case the familiar could pick up on even the slightest of movements. Kiritsugu knelt there, still as a statue and silent as death, watching the tendril investigate the crevice with such intensity that he feared even taking a breath. Although Kayneth's familiar was powerful, it didn't possess the same senses that humans did. As long as Kiritsugu remained perfectly still, it wouldn't be able to 'see' him.

It was only for five seconds, but it felt like hell on Earth for the worn-out Assassin. Eventually, the tendril slid out of the crevice and returned to its main body. Kayneth appeared displeased that he couldn't find anything, and turned to walk away.

Now's my chance to rescue Iri, Kiritsugu thought as he canceled his Time Alter ability and quietly made his way through the darkness, hugging his back to the wall so he could stealthily slip past Kayneth. With each sideways step he took, he inched closer to Irisviel's battle.

However, Volumen Hydrargyrum transformed itself into the imitation Gae Buide and Gae Dearg lances, and Kayneth-Diarmuid gripped them while declaring, "I don't think so, rat."

Kiritsugu became horrified when the Pseudo-Servant instantly turned around and rushed straight for him! He barely avoided having his skull skewered by the fake Gae Buide, but the fake Gae Dearg slashed into his back as he tumbled aside to dodge the brutal attack.

"GAH!?" Kiritsugu screamed. Most of his weapons fell off of him while he staggered and fell to the ground.

"Oh?" Kayneth's voice spoke through the Pseudo-Servant's mouth. "Not bad at all, Lancer. How were you able to sense this man's presence?"

"It is nothing to commend, my liege," Diarmuid's voice replied from the same Servant. "Thanks to our forced fusion, I gained a fundamental understanding of how your familiar operates, and realized that it is lacking in its ability to perceive its full surroundings. Thus, I decided to compensate with my own keen insight, knowing that an Assassin would take advantage of such weaknesses with his Presence Concealment."

"I see. That makes sense."

Kiritsugu wanted to laugh at how absurd it looked for two people to be conversing with each other in the same body. Unfortunately, he was perhaps in the worst possible situation he could find himself in. He had been so focused on picking out Kayneth's weaknesses that he neglected to pay attention to Diarmuid. To his credit though, he was more used to killing Mages than Servants, and he didn't actually understand how well coordinated Kayneth and Diarmuid actually were.

What could he do now? Did he really have to sacrifice himself to kill Kayneth-Diarmuid? It was the only option present to him. Maybe Ritsuka would never be able to summon Kiritsugu again. Maybe everyone in Chaldea would hate him for being so reckless. Maybe Cliste would be disappointed in him for not being able to uphold his part of the contract. Maybe Irisviel would…

No, he couldn't dwell on that. He no longer had the luxury to worry about other people's feelings. He was a battle machine, designed to kill his enemies. If it meant mutual destruction, it was simply something he had to accept. All he could do now was weaken Salazere's defenses and let the other Chaldeans handle capturing it from there. Although Kiritsugu convinced himself that he had no emotions, his heart refused to stop pounding as he reached in his holster for the Thompson Contender. He extracted a particular bullet from his pocket and silently loaded it into the cylinder.

"You mustn't be serious," Kayneth mocked his opponent. "No matter what you do, you are doomed to fail anyway. Why not preserve what little dignity you have left and lie there like a wounded dog? Don't worry; I won't kill you right away. I'll keep your vital organs alive as I slooo~oowly peel your flesh off like a grape. I'll use Magecraft to make you stay awake and feel every agonizing minute of your torment. It is a fitting punishment not just for insulting me, but also for backstabbing my counterpart so horrifically. The only thing I will give you permission to do is to curse yourself and your counterpart for humiliating me."

Kiritsugu ignored Kayneth's pontificating and pointed the pistol at him. He had to bet everything on the bullet he loaded. It wasn't an ordinary projectile – it was a special armament containing bone powder made out of his ribs, which contained his Spirit Origin. It was his Origin Bullet, which contained the power to sever a Mage's Magic Circuits, then reconnect them improperly so that the Mage would no longer be able to function even as a human being. An acquaintance of his made 66 such bullets during Kiritsugu's youth, and he held on to them for extreme circumstances such as this.

Kiritsugu's finger inched upon the trigger…

Kayneth-Diarmuid started to raise his lances…

Then, the incredible silence between them was shattered. Not by gunfire, nor by clashing metal. It was something entirely different and unexpected.

"AH LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LAAA~AAAH!"

A peculiar battle yodel resounded around the startled men. The Pseudo-Servant spotted sparks crackling over to the side, and looked over to discover a large electrified spear hurtling directly for him. Volumen Hydrargyrum quickly condensed into a shield thick enough to repel the attack, but the force of the blow threw him several feet away. Although Kiritsugu was safe from the assault, he too had to leap backwards to avoid some stray sparks. He glanced forth to discover a muscular red-haired man garbed in an old-world tunic and red mantle standing before him.

"Heh!" Iskandar grinned heartily. "I don't know what's going on here, but you look like you're in a bad spot, my friend!"

"Wha-? Who on Earth are you?"

"Me? Well, normally I'd be glad to give you a full introduction, but it looks like our friend here isn't going to have any of that," the Macedonian king said as he saw Kayneth-Diarmuid scowling angrily at him. Kiritsugu noticed a black-haired youth in green clothes standing nearby, clutching his hand with the Command Spells etched on the back. Iskandar added, "You've caused some damage to him, yet you appear to be holding yourself back for some reason."

Kiritsugu lowered his head in shame and murmured, "Forgive me, but for certain reasons I'm unable to kill him myself."

The Rider raised an eyebrow. "Hm… Well regardless of what's going on here, the fact remains that I'm going to conquer this shrine for myself! Anyone who interferes will come to understand the folly of barring my path!"

"Do whatever you want. I won't get in your way," the Assassin assured, but quickly thought to himself, For now, anyway.

"Good! Just stand back and watch the show!"

"What is the meaning of this!?" Diarmuid demanded. "Why do you interfere, foreign Servant!? Do you not know that the man you just protected is the worst kind of villain there is!?"

"'Villainy' and 'heroism' are subjective, good sir. I will admit that I am ignorant of this fellow's sins, and will take appropriate measures once I learn more of his history. However, I will not stand by and allow him to be kept alive solely to eke out as much torment and agony from his as possible. As a man possessing many victories to my name, I am aware of the humiliation my defeated opponents would bear, and of the bitterness and resentment they would harbor toward me. It is more sensible and humane to be swift and decisive with a battle's conclusion, rather than drawn-own and torturous for the defeated."

Diarmuid fell silent. Whoever this man was, he clearly had the same level of honor and nobility that he had as a knight. Or perhaps it was even greater, since Iskandar exuded a kingly aura similar to his former lord, Fionn mac Cumhaill.

"Shut up!" Kayneth raged emphatically. "If you want to be humane, do it at a farm! This is war! Anything and everything goes, and I'm going to make that Assassin suffer for humiliating me!"

Iskandar closed his eyes and sighed in disappointment. "Is that so? You see war as random chaos where you can be as depraved as you want… Such typical thinking of men who live sheltered lives."

While this exchange was going on, Waver quickly recognized his former teacher and gasped to himself. He had been told that Kayneth was dead, so seeing him alive was quite the shock. More than that though, Waver was astounded that Kayneth would be so depraved. Maybe being insulted in front of his classmates was a blessing for Waver, compared to what Kayneth was actually capable of when he believed his ego was sullied. Kayneth-Diarmuid shifted his eyes over to Waver, and likewise recognized his former student. He looked back and forth between Waver and Iskandar's red mantle. Something clicked in his mind, and his fury escalated further.

"Waver… Velvet…" Kayneth snarled.

The teenager gasped in fright. Iskandar stood between him and Kiritsugu in a protective stance.

"That cape… is the catalyst… I was supposed to have… brought to me. Did you steal it? Did you actually steal such a priceless treasure from me and summon the King of Conquerors, you low-class scum!? He was supposed to be my Servant! To think that my possessions would be filched by such a weak little rat who can't obey his teacher's orders! Inconceivable! You disgust me!"

"But you already have Diarmuid Ua Duibhne!" Waver retorted. "And Masters can only have one Servant anyway!"

"Pah! Lancer was just a stand-in! I would have discarded him once I got my hands on that catalyst and used his magical energy to summon Iskandar!"

Diarmuid was appalled to hear this from his Master. Kayneth didn't notice his Servant's dismay as he continued ranting, "Or better yet, I would have searched through all of the parallel universes for any sort of technology that would allow me to have multiple Servants at my command! I would have beaten Alejandro Uruburu at his own game!"

"You can't be serious…"

"Hm," Iskandar folded his arms. "So you would have been my intended Master, huh? Keh heh heh… I really shouldn't be laughing, but I can't resist it."

"You're… laughing at me?" Kayneth gasped.

"Damn straight I am! A textbook Mage like you would hide in the shadows and command mighty men like some commonplace tyrant! As I expected, you and I would have been thoroughly incompatible! I will only acknowledge a Master who is brave enough to stand beside me in battle!"

While Kayneth was dumbfounded by his intended Servant's insults, Iskandar snatched his sword out of its scabbard and shouted, "As you threatened my Master's life and sullied your Servant's dignity, you will taste the King of Conqueror's full wrath! Once I'm done with you, I'll conquer Akakor and set all of you lunatic Mages straight! Prepare yourself, Mage!"

"DIE!" Kayneth raged and cast Ire Sanctio to lunge dozens of Volumen Hydrargyrum's tendrils at the oncoming Rider. Iskandar rushed in and swung his sword with enough force to cleave boulders, severing the quicksilver strands with ease without interrupting his advance. His sword smashed against Kayneth-Diarmuid's Gae Buidhe replica, causing wind to billow around them like a miniature storm.

As Waver watched the battle unfold before him, Kiritsugu asked him, "Are you that Servant's Master?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm Rider's Master."

"I see. Not only that, I sense the presence of a Servant inside you as well. You must be a Pseudo-Servant yourself."

"You noticed?"

"I've met plenty of Pseudo-Servants in my time. Who is the Servant residing within you?"

"Well, that is…" Waver stammered, unsure if he should reveal such sensitive information to a potential enemy.

Just then, Zhuge Liang's voice responded, "No need to worry, lad. I have already analyzed the situation, and this Assassin will not be a threat to you."

"How can you tell?" the teenager wondered.

"Just trust me on this one. As the most renowned strategist of the Three Kingdoms, I can perceive the conditions of my troops and provide advice on how they can improve as warriors. Furthermore, no enemy can escape my Stone Sentinel Maze. Once I have them in my trap, they are as good as cornered."

Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow and murmured, "Shokatsu Koumei."

"Oh, so you're familiar with my Japanese name? Fair enough. I assume there's something you want the lad to do in your stead, seeing as how you are severely injured."

"There is. Can you make sure that Ruler of Akakor does not escape?" the Assassin requested as he turned his attention to Sanson. The white-haired executioner had been standing at the computer monitoring the Grail Terminal's status, so he wasn't too focused on the battles unfolding behind him.

"That's Ruler?" Waver wondered, then swallowed hard. "I don't know how much I can do, but…"

"I just need even one or two minutes so my partner can heal me, and I can stave off that strange Servant fighting her so she can join you."

"You don't need to worry about the Enforcer," Zhuge said. "We have our own to help with that."

"What do you mean?"


As Enforcer 22-Q was about to drop her blade upon Irisviel's neck, she was suddenly thrown back when someone else's spear smashed against hers with tremendous force. She didn't see who it was at first, but once she recovered, she found a most familiar Enforcer standing between her and Irisviel.

"You… YOU!" 22-Q snarled upon recognizing Lexy's face.

Lexy quickly glanced back at Irisviel and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am," the Caster replied as she shuffled to her knees.

"Please stand back. I will handle this."

Lexy wanted to say more, but she had to concentrate on the livid 22-Q barging for her at top speed as she screamed, "YOU TRAITOOO~OOOR!"

Lexy remained calm and focused as she parried her enraged sister's rapid-fire blows with expert precision. Lexy found an opening and delivered several elegant-looking kicks to 22-Q's abdomen and back, throwing her away with a roundhouse kick to her back. While stumbling, 22-Q charged up an Ansuz Rune. Lexy did the same. They hurled identical fireballs at each other, leaving them to detonate upon impact with each other in the space between them.

As the smoke curled around them, Lexy quickly grabbed Irisviel's waist and leapt back to a safe distance with her. The Caster murmured, "I don't know who you are, but thank you for saving me."

"I'm afraid there's no time for us to talk. Can you do me a favor and look after Mr. Velvet for me? He's the black-haired young man in the green clothes."

"Of course I can."

Satisfied with this arrangement, Lexy ran back into the center of the shrine once she spotted 22-Q leaping along the walls in a mad dash to slaughter her sister. Lexy met her in midair, and they engaged in another incredible dervish with their spears. Sparks rained around them, and their bodies were flurries of movement as they kicked, slashed, thrust, and danced around each other in an impressive display of finesse and strength. One could have mistaken their battle as a choreographed act with the way their attacks almost mirrored each other.

"Why, why, why, why,WHY!? Why did you betray Mother and side with a Mage!?" 22-Q shrieked. "They're the filth of the Earth! They need to be purged before they can cause any further damage to humanity!"

"Not every Mage is like that!" Lexy retorted. "Mr. Velvet wanted to learn the truth so he could make things better!"

"I figured you represented Mother's naivete, but I didn't think you would be this stupid! Even if there are Mages who have good intentions, they are clearly in the minority compared to all of the sociopaths swarming the land like locusts!"

"I refuse to let innocent Mages be destroyed along with all the guilty ones just because it's more convenient to sweep them all away at once!"

"This isn't about convenience! Mother really did try her hardest to find the good in Mages even after her death! But no matter how hard she looked, all she saw was a world spiraling into madness because of the Holy Grail Terminal – the very thing she was the core of! Do you have any idea how responsible she felt for causing even the most well-intentioned Mages to lose their morality once they learned how incredible the Gates were!? Not only did she watch this world to fall to chaos, she could do nothing to stop the Mages from reaching their tendrils into other worlds and wrecking havoc on them as well! How many other worlds have perished and had their mana sucked into this one!? How many crooked elitists were tempted into selling out their own citizens!? How many innocent people were captured and forced to work in slave encampments!? How many, huh!? HOW MANY!?"

As Lexy struggled to fend off 22-Q's spear, she became distressed as she murmured, "More than I can possibly imagine…"

"That's why the Mages must die! If humanity has any chance of surviving, they need to be rendered extinct!" 22-Q declared, and her eye twitched uncontrollably as a mild form of riastrad overcame her senses. "And yet you… you would still side with them? Even after what they did to 22-R!?"

Lexy knew that 22-Q was targeting her mental weaknesses in order to make her lose focus. Despite knowing this, the tactic certainly was working. She thought back to five years ago, when she and 22-Q were actually triplets created alongside their middle sister, 22-R. Unlike the battle-hardened 22-Q and the soft-spoken yet intelligent 22-S, 22-R was more innocent and prone to believing everything she heard. The other sisters had to make sure 22-R wouldn't run off and cause any trouble for the Mages, but the children of famous Mages found her fun and charming to play with.

Unfortunately, this all came to an end when 22-R and some children she was hanging out with had been lured by a predatory Mage into his workshop. When 22-Q and 22-S found out, they quickly hurried to the atelier to save them. While they had been able to kill the Mage and rescue the other children, they discovered that 22-R had her Spirit Origin transferred into a prototype combat doll, and that she was going on a rampage due to her malfunctioning. Faced with no other choice, the sisters had to destroy their sibling and put her to rest. Making things worse for everyone present was that 22-R volunteered to be the first test subject in order to give the Enforcers time to save the others.

22-Q and 22-S were acknowledged by the Mage's Association, being given decorations and honors for saving their children. Alas, those children would be mentally scarred after seeing just how depraved their predecessors were, and the sacrifice 22-R had to make to help them survive. Although 22-S was upset after this event, she kept her feelings hidden deep inside herself to maintain her professionalism, even refusing to tell Waver and Iskandar about it during their journey. On the other hand, 22-Q's hatred festered just below the surface, and she would always insult the Mages behind their backs. 22-R's death slowly created a rift between the surviving sisters, and it was all coming to a head in this moment.

Despite these memories flooding back into her mind, Lexy grit her teeth and murmured, "I would. Otherwise, those children we saved back then will also be destroyed. Is that what you want to happen? Are you telling me you rescued them just so you could kill them later? How would that make you any different than the Mage who abducted them?"

22-Q's rage escalated, if that was even possible at this point. Her warp spasm quickly evolved upon hearing Lexy's insult, and extra eyes opened up on her cheeks and forehead. Her voice also became distorted as she screamed, "YOU CUNT!"

The mutating Enforcer's strength increased, and she swung her spear upon Lexy so hard that even the air pressed upon her like a hammer. She flipped backwards to avoid being pounded into a bloody pancake on the ground, then vaulted off the wall to avoid 22-Q's blade slicing horizontally along it, carving a deep gash into the stone. Lexy flipped over her sister while conjuring a Hagalaz Rune, pelting her with a concentrated storm of hailstones that dug into her skin and even destroyed a couple of the mutant eyes on her face. As 22-Q struggled to recover, Lexy landed behind her and performed some lithe breakdance-like kicks to knock the stunned Enforcer off balance. She then grabbed her arm, climbed onto her back, and pressed all of her weight onto her so she fell face-first to the ground, simultaneously twisting her arm so she couldn't use it any longer.

"HNNGH… GGGH… AH… HYAAA~AAAA~AAAHHH!" 22-Q shrieked like a banshee. Her scream echoed throughout the chamber as an auditory attack, rippling through Lexy's body so much that she literally felt like jelly. The echo waves reached the ceiling, already damaged from years of erosion, and it started to crack. Lexy noticed dirt raining over them, and she looked up to discover the stone finally bulking under the weight directly above. She ran away to avoid being crushed beneath a torrent of falling earth and rocks. 22-Q wasn't so lucky though – she was caught in the deluge and pinned beneath it.

As the dirt settled, Lexy discovered 22-Q struggling to reach her hand out for her spear, but could barely move due to mounds of stone trapping the limb. Even if she could, apparently a sharp jut of the ceiling had pierced her chest because Lexy saw a great deal of blood pooling around her incapacitated sister. It would only be a matter of time before 22-Q died of extreme blood loss. Thus, Lexy lowered her spear and stood before her dying sibling as a gesture of restraint.

"22… S…" 22-Q feebly gasped. "Why? Why… are you… doing this? Y-You shouldn't… have been… programmed… to rebel… against us…"

Lexy shook her head despondently. "Mother did program me. But it wasn't her 'left' side that created me."

22-Q was stunned. "What? No… No, it can't be…"

"It is. I'm a by-product of her 'right' side interfering with the process. Even if it was just one time… Even if it was not a conscious decision of hers… I am the only Enforcer representing Mother's 'right' side. The rest of you all represent her 'left' side. That is the difference between us."

"I… didn't think… that was possible. I thought… the 'right' side… was in eternal sleep…"

"No. Although she has been sleeping, she has always been awake in her dreams, helping our parallel selves learn to master their Imbas Forosnai ability. Yes, she entrusted all of Akakor's affairs to the 'left' side, but she has been quietly watching everything from the sidelines. She isn't sure what her 'left' side is planning, but she is fearful that it will be something disastrous. That's why she made contact with Geal and incited the organization she is a part of to venture here, and why she programmed me to abandon the 'left' side and support any Mages who wanted to learn the truth."

"Gh… We were careless. We all thought… the 'right' side would never wake up… and learn what the 'left' side… is planning."

Lexy narrowed her eyes and demanded, "Tell me, Sister. What is the 'left' side plotting?"

22-Q's lips curled into a disdainful sneer. "Heh heh heh… Y-You already know… don't you? The eradication… of all Mages…"

"Yes, I know that. I want to know how she's going to accomplish it. Besides, even if she were to kill the Mages in this world, this timeline is destined to be Pruned from the Greater History of Man anyway. She's practically beating a dead horse at this point."

"That's true. But what about… Mages in… other worlds?"

Lexy's throat ran dry, and her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.

"Hee hee hee hee hee hee…"

As 22-Q felt her life slip away, her giggling grew more manic with each yelp. Her expression distorted into an ugly glare of mirth and satisfaction, delighted that her clueless sister appeared devastated by how disastrous the situation actually was. Even the extra eyes on her face seemed to mock Lexy with their condescending gazes.

"You still haven't… figured it out? Mother wants to kill all Mages… ALL OF THEM."

That haunting threat would be her final words. 22-Q's eyes all closed simultaneously, and her head slumped onto the floor. All Lexy could do was stand there in dumbfounded silence and stare at her sister as her body faded away in a flurry of golden particles.


Earlier, Kiritsugu spotted Lexy leaping in to save Irisviel from 22-Q. He realized that this was what Zhuge meant, and he smirked. After the harrowing near-miss he had with Kayneth-Diarmuid, seeing the battle turn in his favor so quickly made him happier than he anticipated.

Irisviel ran over to Kiritsugu and Waver, and she cried out in shock at her partner, "Look at you! Oh my goodness, what on Earth happened to you!?"

"Never mind that. Just heal me already."

She raised her glowing hands over his injuries, and they painlessly closed up. All that remained were his terribly bloodstained clothes and armor. Kiritsugu flexed his previously injured shoulder, then said, "Perfect. Now all three of us should be able to trap Ruler and force him to cooperate with us."

"Lexy said she wanted to talk to him," Waver insisted. "Is it possible that we could keep him alive?"

Irisviel nodded. "Not to worry. Our mission is only to subdue Sanson, not to kill him."

"All right. I don't know how much I can help, but I can at least try."

"Both of you stay behind me," Kiritsugu commanded them as he approached Sanson. The executioner saw them coming and turned to face them with a stern glare. The bright blue glow from the monitor made his azure eyes appear to glow unnaturally, and the shadows covering him made him look like some specter of death. Waver was somewhat spooked that he was meeting the man who became famous for inventing the guillotine, and was the Servant responsible for executing Akakor Connla 50 years ago.

"… What do you want?" Sanson asked in a quiet tone while summoning his sword into his hand.

"You're going to lower Salazere's anchor holding the Tradition Protection up," Kiritsugu boldly said.

"I cannot. My responsibility is to ensure Lancer's well-being. If she discovers that assassins are after her, she'll panic, and that will make the Terminal malfunction. That means the Family Tree Mages will want to come to investigate, which will upset her even further."

"Lancer and I already have an agreement. She personally asked me to kill her."

"Did she now?" Sanson murmured, then inspected Kiritsugu more closely. "Now that I see you, I can tell that you must be an agent of the Counter Force. But you don't possess the same 'aura' that Servants summoned in this world have, which must mean she made contact with a different world's Counter Force."

"That she did. But something still doesn't make sense to me. Tell me – why hasn't this world's Alaya responded to the imminent threat that Lancer poses? You would think that over five decades, the World would have summoned even a Grand Servant to destroy the Terminal, never mind Guardians like myself."

Sanson closed his eyes and sighed, as if being condescending towards Kiritsugu. "The Grail Terminal has another function that you probably aren't aware of. If it can be equated to a catbox, then that means no one can observe its contents, right?"

Irisviel became surprised as she whispered, "It can't be."

"It is. The Terminal not only opens pathways to alternate worlds. It also functions as a 'box' hiding the 'cat' – that is, Lancer – from the outside so that the World cannot observe her state while inside it."

"In other words, the planet can't fight back against something that it can't see…"

"Yes. If the planet was able to see the entity trapped inside the box, it would be able to summon a Servant most fitting for slaying it. But the Grail Terminal is a tightly-sealed time capsule that no one, not even the will of the planet, can peer inside. That's how the Mages were able to circumvent the World's natural function of eradicating any pathogens that would threaten its health, while simultaneously polluting it with excess mana from different worlds. In a way, you could say that Lancer has gained the properties of Schrodinger's Cat – an existence that is perfectly concealed until the box it is inside has been opened."

"That's not good," Kiritsugu grimaced. "If the Terminal can hide her so well, that means it can't detect her Spirit Origin's deterioration. Don't you understand what this means? It's become her incubator, protecting her from the outside world until she is ready to wake up."

Sanson squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. "I know that! I know that so well, it hurts! And yet…"

"You've been ordered not to interfere. In fact, your job actually entails maintaining this toxic system. Am I wrong?"

"Gh…"

"That's awful," Waver moaned. "You've been watching Lancer suffer for all this time, unable to do anything about it."

Kiritsugu put away his pistol and pulled out the Calico M950, pointing it at Sanson as he declared, "Well this world's delusion ends now. Capturing this shrine will not be a question of if, but when. The more you struggle against us, the longer you are delaying the inevitable. Make this easier for all of us by surrendering at once."


Quicksilver tendrils and intense gusts of wind continuously pounded the shrine's walls. Iskandar's sword and Kayneth-Diarmuid's malleable spears smashed against each other with such ferocity that miniature tornadoes whirled around them with each blow. The Pseudo-Servant didn't seem to be as energetic as before, since Kayneth was the one doing most of the fighting. For some reason, Diarmuid wasn't contributing to the battle, and it was frustrating his Master to no end.

"What are you doing, Lancer!? You're supposed to back me up here!" Kayneth shouted at Diarmuid as he leapt back and blocked a volley of lightning with Volumen Hydrargyrum's shield.

"…"

"I'm not capable of fighting like you are! Quit standing around and kill him already! Or are you forgetting the promise we made with the Terminal!? That we would keep it safe until it was ready to eradicate the vermin who made us this way!?"

As the Pseudo-Servant landed, Diarmuid's shaky voice finally responded, "… I can no longer abide such an order."

"What!?"

"I only agreed to remain by your side because we shared a common goal of making the Mages understand the consequences of their actions. However… if I am unable to make even my own Master realize those same consequences, then I have no right to even think about lecturing others on their misdeeds."

"Is this because I only saw you as a temporary Servant before obtaining Iskandar for myself? Oh, please. For being one of the Fianna Knights, I didn't think you were so lacking in resolve."

"It is not that. A knight's duty is to obey his lord, even if they were to harbor ill intentions for his own men. But a knight is also obligated to protect the people around him, including his own king. Whether it is from physical or mental harm, men of honor such as myself should be able to recognize danger at a moment's notice and strive to protect them from such perils. This is little more than my failure for not understanding how dangerous your thinking was, and how harmful it will become to those around you. But no more. I refuse to let you succumb to madness any further, my Master."

"Don't be insane!" Kayneth roared. "I'm not doing anything wrong! It is the world that has wronged me! Are you going to betray me as well, Lancer!? Is no one capable of understanding what they've done to me!?"

"That's enough, Master. It's time to end your suffering," Diarmuid moaned. In their mental landscape, the spearman suddenly restrained the Mage by running his two spears through the blue-coated man's back. While the pain wasn't real, Kayneth was so shocked that he could barely speak. Iskandar was surprised to see the Pseudo-Servant's two halves having such a fierce disagreement with each other. He snapped out of it when Diarmuid shouted at him, "Go ahead, King of Conquerors! Destroy us with haste!"

"Hm… I'm sorry that it has to be this way. I would have loved to duel you in a fair match. Sadly, it appears your circumstances are anything but fair," Iskandar apologized.

"I'm not worthy of such praise, especially after I failed my lord so much. Perhaps in some other world, in some other time, such a battle will come to fruition for us."

"Yeah! The multiverse is far more vast than anyone can imagine! I'll be looking forward to it!"

With that, Iskandar sliced into the air above him with a resounding, "HAH!"

A rift opened where he cut. Sparks surrounded him, following by the bellows of a pair of bulls pulling the familiar grand chariot. Gordius Wheel rolled through the rift, and Iskandar leapt onto the vehicle as it stampeded along the shrine. He snapped the reigns, and more lightning crackled around him as the bulls increased their speed toward the incapacitated Pseudo-Servant. While Diarmuid quietly accepted what was about to happen, Kayneth was mortified as he watched the massive animals barge toward him at blinding speed. All he could do was unleash the most bloodcurdling scream of his life.

"HYAAA~AAA~AAA~AAA~AAA-"

CRUNCH!

Iskandar could barely hear the sickening sound as the bulls and chariot thunderously raced over his opponent, leaving nothing but smears of blood running as thin red lines along the ground. Gordius Wheel gradually came to a full stop, and the king observed his handiwork.

"Gyah hah hah hah hah hah hah!" Iskandar laughed with absolute delight and spread his arms out. "What a wonderful journey this has been so far! So many charlatans have been crawling out of the woodwork that I can't revel destroying the previous one before another appears! Good! Keep it coming, Akakor! If you really want to protect yourself from my conquest, then throw everything you've got at me!"