A/N: Thanks once again to Greatkingrat88 for his work on the chapter.

Now that the holidays are over along with other real-life events that needed my attention my update schedule should be picking up again. After this chapter's posting my Sunrider story will be next followed by my KH crossover story then this story once again, the exact timing will depend on Greatkingrat88 getting to those chapters but that will be the general order for my updates for the time being.

My MGE and CG crossover is undergoing rewrites for the early chapters to address some serious issues until further notice.

But at least we are nearing the end of the Singularity as we get closer to what will be an inevitable confrontation but first some preparations. I'll stop here to avoid any potential spoilers.

First time to take care of the reviews I cannot PM in response.

Captain Imaginat: I am not familiar with those series.

Jay: True, but I haven't decided on who Lelouch's love interest will be and Sion is one of many potential candidates. I will say among the human love interests candidates, which I am keeping in mind since Heroic Spirits without help using a Holy Grail wouldn't be able to have children with Lelouch or grow old with him, being considered are Olga, Sion, Ophelia or Hakuno. Candidates among the Heroic Spirits are too many to list, but I will say I shall withhold from a love interest being chosen until the singularities are resolved since Lelouch is likely to be more focused on that all things considered.

But god help Lev when Lelouch and he meet again.

I am not doing the Orleans Singularity, as I've stated all but the sixth and seventh singularities will originals. The next singularity will take place during the French Revolution however given how much it changed things in the world of Code Geass by jumpstarting the Age of Revolution.

True on that regarding Lelouch, Hakuno and Ritsuka. Rest assured each of them will bring something to the group despite some difficulties that could arise. I can't say anymore to avoid heavy spoilers.

Well that is ironic about the Mage's Guild indeed.

True the CG version of Napoleon will appear in the story that much I'll say for sure, anything else…might be a spoiler.

At this point I am thinking Lelouch will get Okita since I think they could work out well together.

Now that takes care of that on with the chapter.

Chapter 11

The Last Piece

Following the battle against Mori and the Mini-Nobus, the group was contemplating leaving the town of Murō. However, they had one immediate problem to address before it could escalate.

"We need to stop this and leave," Emiya said urgently.

"I agree. The enemy will discover their servant has been slain in due time, if they haven't already," Genghis Khan said.

"But how are we going to break that up?" Lelouch said, pointing to the arguing Tamamo Cat and Tamamo-no-Mae.

"I've lost track about why they are arguing," Ritsuka said, sighing.

"Should we intervene?" Mash asked, raising her shield.

"We just can't go charging in. One wrong move, and that argument could escalate into a conflict between them," Ryoma cautioned.

"But we don't have time, do we?" Hakuno said exasperated.

"Yes, but-" Ryoma began, before Hakuno walked up to the arguing servants.

"Wait Hakuno, don't do anything brash," Emiya called out.

Hakuno wasn't deterred, walking up to both Tamamo Cat and Tamamo-no-Mae. There, she caught them both off guard.

"CUT IT OUT," Hakuno snapped. Both servants went silent, giving her their undivided attention. "You are Heroic Spirits summoned here to protect humanity, NOT argue like children!?"

"Well, I…" Tamamo Cat started uncertainly.

"But…" Tamamo-no-Mae tried to speak, but Hakuno cut her off.

"But NOTHING," Hakuno said sternly. "We are all on the same side here. If you two can't stand each other, fine. But I'll expect you two to pull your weight around here, trying to save humanity!"

"We can't work together," Tamamo-no-Mae said defiantly.

"Yes, we are like oil and water!" Tamamo Cat said. Hakuno coldly stared at them. The two servants shivered.

"Well, you two just agreed on something, so I think you can. Do you two even care what happens to the world?"

"Uh, well…" Tamamo-no-Mae said.

"In a Holy Grail War, what wish would you fight for? If the world and humanity is gone, it will never happen," Hakuno said sternly.

"I guess that's true," Tamamo Cat said.

"Then all we ask is for you two just help us out, and just tolerate one another. I won't force you two to be nice to each other, but just stop fighting each other and help us out. Furthermore, this is a bad place to have an argument, don't you think?!"

"Alright you got me. I'll do as you ask, Hakuno-sama," Tamamo-no-Mae said.

I don't recall Hakuno giving her name. How did she know? Lelouch wondered.

"Okay, I still don't like her, but fine- we won't argue anymore, at least not here when someone could attack us," Tamamo Cat said.

As if tempted by Tamamo Cat's words, or fate in general, Ritsuka noticed a large force approaching.

"I think we got trouble," Ritsuka said pointing to the incoming group.

Entering the town, possibly drawn to it by the noises of the earlier battle, was at first glance people dressed in different Japanese-style attire. But upon closer inspection, their clothes were torn and bloodied, and the people were in various states of decay.

"Are those… zombies?" Hakuno said, quite surprised.

"I think we might know why the villagers fled the town," Lelouch said.

"Yes. As slow as they've been moving, we could easily outrun them, but…" Benkei said, before Ushiwakamaru stepped in.

"These things roaming the countryside will be a danger to the people in other towns."

"Agreed," Lelouch said, turning to the Khan. "Khagan, we could learn about who raised them if we kill them. At the very least where they came from."

"An excellent idea," Genghis Khan said, exchanging looks with Ushiwakamaru. Both grinning, the two rushed the approaching horde of zombies, rapidly cutting them down, both trying to kill more than the other.

"What was that about?" Okita inquired innocently.

"I think those two are competing against each other again," Lelouch said, sighing.

"Over what?" Hakuno said, curious as well.

"I think they're trying to prove who is the better servant. Not to me necessarily, but between each other. There was this myth that claims Ushiwakamaru became Genghis Khan after her supposed death. We know it's not true, but…" Lelouch said, trailing off. Hakuno just shook her head.

"Uh, where did Okita go?" Mash asked innocently.

They soon spotted Okita cutting down zombies, joining the competition. Both Hakuno and Lelouch sighed together.

"I could've asked Shuten to just take them all out with her Noble Phantasm," Ritsuka said, glancing back at the oni to see her drinking another bottle of sake.

"I wouldn't waste it on clumsy corpses," Shuten said, tossing the empty sake bottle aside. "Besides, it seems those three have it well in hand."

Lelouch sighed again. He couldn't say Shuten was wrong, through.

Back at Chaldea, Roman had returned to his duties. He was currently being brought up to speed by Leonardo.

"So they've eliminated one of the enemy's servants, gaining two more in the process. I say, they haven't been doing poorly," Roman said, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Things have been going smoothly so far, yes. Depriving their enemy of servants is especially important."

"But?" Roman said. "I sense a 'but' coming."

"The problem lies with getting the Holy Grail from Kagetora. Kyoto is likely to be well defended, and that's without considering the Heroic Spirits she has on her side."

"Right. And there are civilians likely to get caught up in the attack, should they siege the city," Roman said.

"Well on the plus side, according to records, Kagetora isn't the type who likes being on the defensive. The problem is Nobunaga, who will no doubt hit both sides, should we begin with Kagetora," Leonardo said, drinking from her own coffee cup.

"I know and so do they. It's a shame we couldn't just swipe the grail from there."

"If only it could be that simple. But I am sure they would have it under heavy guard. Even if they had obtained a skilled assassin-class servant, there is no guarantees they would be successful," Leonardo cautioned.

"I know, but if they attack Kagetora then Nobunaga will hit them from behind."

"Maybe. Or maybe that is what Lelouch wants?"

"You mean that plan of his? It's risky, but Ushiwakamaru's Noble Phantasm could give them a chance to turn it around. The problem is confusing the enemy and driving them to attack each other," Roman said having been present when Lelouch laid out his plan.

"I've been working on something that might help," Leonardo said with a smirk.

Before Roman could inquire further, a call came in.

"This is Roman. What is going on, Lelouch?" Roman asked, as Lelouch's visage appeared on the monitor.

"Could you examine some of these zombies we just eliminated?" Lelouch said. Behind him, the Khan, Okita and Ushiwakamaru seemed to be arguing fiercely over the fallen zombies, and Lelouch looked none too pleased. Roman could even hear parts of the argument.

"How dare you steal my kills!" Okita snapped at Ushiwakamaru.

"ME?" Ushiwakamaru said, glaring at the swordswoman. "You stole my kills!"

"Maybe you two should've focused more on the enemy than each other," Genghis Khan said, receiving two glares in turn.

"And YOU used your sword to blast away our kills!" Okita said angrily.

"I only used the most effective methods to wipe out the enemy," Genghis snapped.

Lelouch only sighed as the argument continued, and Roman did the same.

"Certainly. I'll take care of it…" he muttered.

Around the same time, Olga walked to the capsule room, where the comatose masters lay in slumber. Among the forty-five capsules, she specifically sought out those containing Team-A. With a mournful expression, she stood by their capsules. Because their occupants were in cryogenic storage, the room was quite cold, but, it didn't seem to bother Olga- or Sion, who had followed her.

"They are all still alive, but we can't just heal and awaken them. Not with our limited supplies and the risks, given their critical condition. Except for Ophelia," Sion said after a moment of silence. "However, while we could potentially revive her, Ophelia will be paralyzed from the waist down. It could be possible to restore her legs with the right treatments, but recovery will take time."

"I see. So it could be a waste of time to revive her. She would be better off here, until the world was restored," Olga said bitterly.

"Regrettably yes. Even if I could create something to give her mobility, the risks would very high, should it be damaged," Sion said, adjusting her glasses.

"But the others are in worse shape, aren't they?"

"Yes, but I can't say what condition they would be in even if we healed them."

"I see. To think the best of the best my father picked would be put into such a sorry state as this. It seems despite his efforts, he failed to consider the possibility of internal sabotage," Olga mused.

"So it would seem."

"I suppose if nothing else, I guess I am the uncontested heir of the family now," Olga said with a bitter sigh.

"Did you and Kirschtaria not get along?"

"No, quite the opposite," Olga corrected. "We had a cordial, professional relationship, despite the favoritism he got from my father."

"I see. And what of the others, if you don't mind me asking?"

Olga took a deep breath. She hesitated at first, then relented.

"Pepe was friendly, but maybe a little too friendly. Ophelia was a diligent worker, who would always try to get Mash to be more involved with their group," Olga said, walking past their respective capsules. "Akuta…was the quiet one. Even I had a hard time trying to hold a conversation with her. But Daybit was the biggest enigma in that group. At least he socialized a little more than Akuta did."

"I heard Daybit was from the Folklore Department of the Clock Tower, which handles artifices not of this world. Not to mention Da Vinci spoke very highly of him," Sion said.

"Yes, which I think speaks for itself. He was only matched by Kirschtaria in magecraft talent, and perhaps more of a genius than he was. Beyond that, I only know he was banished from the Folklore Department, leading to my father bringing him to Chaldea. It was all the more essential when he held the highest Rayshift aptitude out of everyone in Team A."

"That is still quite a lot of praise for someone you referred to as a loner."

"True. But he and Pepe got along, despite being opposites."

"What of Beryl? You haven't said much about him."

Olga's gaze turned to the capsule containing Beryl's comatose body. Unlike the considerate, mournful attitude she had towards the other members of Team A, Olga's expression was now one of contempt.

"If we were to lose any masters, then Beryl I would consider an acceptable loss. Unlike the others, his death wouldn't cost me much sleep. No-one would really miss him."

"Wow. That's… harsh, to say the least."

"Beryl was known as the Werewolf at the Clock Tower, a Freelance Magus who was hired to eliminate other magi whose actions were a threat to the secrecy of Magecraft. However, Beryl always took things far further than he was required to, indulging in killing far too much. He always left a trail of death and destruction, such that he was blacklisted. Even the most morally bankrupt among magi wanted nothing to do with him," Olga said, seeming to consider the possibility of shutting off the cryogenic pod to end him.

"Why on Earth would your father hire someone like that?" Sion asked, wondering if Olga would actually kill Beryl. The director looked at the controls, her mind teetering on the edge for a few seconds, before finally turning away.

"From what I've gathered, he was hired to eliminate any deserters among Team A. Although I believe that was unlikely to happen," Olga said. "I've had to have Lev keep a close eye on him, especially after that incident with Mash."

"Mash? What happened?"

Olga hesitated, but she decided to tell Sion the story.

"One-night last year he broke into Mash's room, breaking her fingers just to get some emotion out of her," Olga said with barely restrained disgust. "Romani kicked him out, and I forbade him from ever being alone with her again. I would have fired him then, but I was worried about what he would do if I cut him loose."

"Sounds to me your father made another mistake in selecting him."

"I think he only hired him because he would not hesitate to kill any deserting member of Team A, and having the skills to do it."

"Then I suppose we should be thankful he is on ice."

"Yes. Like I said, no one is likely to be bothered by his current state."

Later that afternoon, after slaughtering the zombies, Lelouch, Hakuno, Ritsuka and their servants put some distance between them and the town. Meanwhile, Romani was examining the results of his scans of the slain zombies they collected before they fled. They continued towards their original destination, but the group was on high alert, with Romani promising to keep a close eye on their surroundings.

"Do you think we should keep going until we reach Kasagi?" Ritsuka asked, turning to Lelouch and Hakuno.

"That might be best, since Nobunaga will likely become aware of the loss of her servant. Heading to our destination will put us closer to Kyoto. It might afford us some breathing room," Lelouch said.

"I don't really see any reason to disagree. We are generally within travel distance of both Osaka and Kyoto," Hakuno said. "I think it just takes an hour or so traveling between them if you had a car?"

"Yeah. On a bike, I think it would be a couple hours, but longer still on foot. Yet you would be there within five to seven hours," Ritsuka said.

"Meaning a servant could catch up to us very quickly, within an hour or more, give or take, depending on if they are a Rider or not," Emiya said contemplatively. "Other servants might take a few hours or less depending on their speed. We should assume Nobunaga will make her move very soon."

"Agreed," the Khan said. "We should proceed to our destination and rendezvous with my army as soon as possible."

"If Nobunaga has assassin class servants with her, what's to stop them from attacking us?" Mash asked, walking alongside Ritsuka.

"True. She could easily get the drop on us and potentially kill Lelouch, Ritsuka or Hakuno before we could react. However, the assassin could be killed before he or she gets the chance or end up being killed, even if they are successful. It would be another lost servant for Nobunaga, which would be a problem for her," Ushiwakamaru said, riding her summoned white steed, Tayuuguro.

"Because right now, the balance of power between Nobunaga and Kagetora isn't based on soldiers, but who has the most servants. We know from Benkei's observations of their last major clash that Nobunaga and Kagetora fought to a standstill, due to the servants they had as well as themselves. However, should either side lose a sufficient number of Heroic Spirits, that could lead to a drastic shift in power very quickly. One bad fight, and either of them could be out of the war entirely," Lelouch said, riding with Ushiwakamaru, his lacking stamina made evident. "Neither side can risk losing any more Heroic Spirits."

"You are exactly right, Lelouch," the Khan said appreciatively. "However, destroying Nobunaga's servant this close to Kyoto could work to our favor."

"How so?" Ryoma inquired.

"If Nobunaga does find out she lost a servant she'll be upset, but if she sees we are heading to Kyoto to confront Kagetora she might be tempted to move her forces closer. She'll likely realize we know the risks of attacking us Kagetora, but she would also know Kagetora prefers being on the offensive, so she may lie in wait nearby," Genghis Khan said.

"So you're saying Kagetora could leave Kyoto with her servants and followers to attack us," Tamamo Cat said.

"Yes, which Nobunaga will seize upon to wipe both of us out. But if my plan works, that is exactly what we want," Lelouch said, much to the surprise of everyone.

"What have you three been planning?" Hakuno said, looking at Lelouch, Genghis Khan and Ushiwakamaru. Before any of the three could answer, a beeping sound could be heard from their wrist mounted communicators.

"Go ahead, Roman," Mash said, activating the projector on her wrist device. "I take it you finished examining the zombies we slain?"

"Yes I have, and I discovered small amounts of magical energy lingering within their bodies. I can confirm someone used magical energy to raise these corpses," Roman said, as his holographic avatar finished materializing.

"The majority of them appeared to be soldiers. Most of them were likely raised following the last major fight between Nobunaga and Kagetora," Hakuno said.

"You are likely right," Roman agreed. "But while certain vampires can create zombie-like creatures from their victims- Ghouls- you usually don't see this many. Unless alternative methods could create a small army of them… however, taking into account many of those killed were soldiers slain in battle, I noticed some among the zombies were more decayed than others."

"So not only has someone raised the slain soldiers as zombies, but someone has been raising the dead too?" Ritsuka said, disturbed by the idea.

"Yes, and its possible some were unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire. There are other reasons some ended up dead," Roman said, glancing at Shuten.

Shuten brushed it off, but everyone knew that before Ritsuka made a contract with her that the oni they fought had been pillaging towns and attacking supply transports. It was very likely those who had died had also been raised.

"It's possible those unfortunate enough to be killed by them are transformed once they die. They are the reason why the people fled the towns," Benkei said.

"They weren't that much of a threat for us, and someone well-armed could easily dispatch them as long as they were not overwhelmed," Ryoma said.

"So the next question is, who or what created them?" Lelouch said, but no one had an answer.

"I can narrow it down," Roman said, bringing up a map. "These zombies were being animated by magical energy. It wasn't lot, but just enough, so I adjusted SHEBA's scanners to determine how many more zombies are in your area and see if their origin could be determined by seeing where they are focused the most."

"What did you find?" Hakuno asked.

"Judging by what SHEBA detected, there are a large number of these zombies closer to Kyoto, and the energy required to animate so many likely had to come from a servant. I am confident the one responsible is in Kyoto," Roman said firmly.

"That would make sense. Nobunaga and her servants didn't stay around, leaving their dead behind to avoid further conflict. The likely culprit would be a servant among Kagetora's ranks," said Benkei. "Having watched them I didn't see anything to suggest Nobunaga and her followers were responsible."

"So the enemy has a servant who can raise the dead," Lelouch said. "Probably to replace the soldiers they lost, although they are likely more useful as cannon fodder."

"I can't believe anyone would resort to using the dead as weapons like that," Okita said, disgusted.

"Well, this is a fine mess I've been summoned into," Tamamo said, sighing.

"Maybe. But now that we've addressed the zombies, I suppose next on our agenda is," Hakuno said, looking up at Lelouch, "When this is over, before the next singularity, I think someone needs to work on their stamina."

"Thank you!" Genghis Khan and Ushiwakamaru said in tandem, much to Lelouch's chagrin.

"I just never expected this much walking," Lelouch said, trying to protect his pride.

"Sure," Hakuno said grinning. "But if you don't do something, one of our servants might have to start carrying you like a sack of potatoes."

"I… I'll work on it," Lelouch said, knowing that further discussion would just be more embarrassing.

"We'll see to it," Ushiwakamaru said, and the Khan nodded.

While Hakuno enjoyed poking fun at Lelouch's lacking physique, Okita and Ryoma hung back to talk. Oryou hovered behind Ryoma, looking suspiciously at Okita.

"Does she do that a lot?" Okita asked, pointing at Oryou.

"I think she is just a little guarded around you, because of our past history," Ryoma said.

"Hmph," Oryou said, folding her arms. "Can you blame me? You tried to arrest him when you were alive."

"Fair enough, but that was the past. I am ready to let bygones be bygones," Okita said with a smile.

"Yes. There isn't much reason for us to be enemies now."

"Too true. But I never would've imagined I would be involved in a battle to save the world as a heroic spirit," Okita said.

"Fine, but I am watching you," Oryou said, making a watching gesture with her hands.

Okita could only sigh, "So I take it you two must be quite close?"

"Yes, you could say we have been inseparable for quite a while, even before I became a Heroic Spirit," Ryoma said, smiling.

"I see," Okita replied.

"I take it you haven't seen any other servants?"

Okita shook her head. "Your group were the first servants I've really encountered. I didn't even see anyone else from the Shinsengumi."

"So other than our group, any servants summoned might have been involved with Nobunaga or Kagetora."

"I hope not," Okita said, sounding saddened.

"Could you fight them if it came down to it, knowing what's at stake?"

The young genius swordswoman fell quiet for a while, before finally answering.

"If I failed to convince them, then regrettably I would. I wouldn't like it. Had this been a normal grail war, my wish upon the grail would've been the chance to fight with my comrades to the bitter end."

"I understand. It's your illness, right?" Ryoma said. An air of gloom hung over Okita, who looked depressed.

"I would end up wasting away while my comrades continued the fight. I would've traded dying in battle over slowly dying of disease any day. At least I could fight against that fate."

Ryoma said nothing. Ever since his summoning, he had managed to learn about events after his death. From what he had learned, Okita's last battle was the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, which ended in a decisive victory for the forces intent on restoring the emperor to power, despite being heavily outnumbered. Following the battle, Okita had been admitted to a hospital in Edo while her comrades were forced to leave her behind, while they retreated to Tōhoku region. Okita was later moved to a guesthouse owned by her sister and adopted brother-in-law until she died, months later.

The Shinsengumi was disbanded following their surrender nearly a year later, after the loss of Hijikata Toshizō. One of its leaders and a few core members survived the conflict as the Emperor of Japan was restored to power, until the aftermath of the war with Russia.

"I can't say I blame you," Ryoma said.

I can only imagine that lying there too weak to not only fight, but unable to be with her friends even as they fought a losing war. It must've been torture for her, Ryoma thought feeling pity for Okita.

"Did you have a wish?"

Ryoma considered his answer for a moment.

"I would just wish for a world where everyone can live happily."

"That's a nice wish. Now you're making me feel bad for mine." Said Okita.

"There is no reason to feel bad about it. And besides, your wish would likely be easier to have the Holy Grail grant than mine," Ryoma said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, Hakuno noticed that Tamamo-no-Mae was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know why, but I get this weird feeling of deja vu. I know I haven't met you before, but you feel familiar somehow," Tamamo-no-Mae said.

"I can't say we've met either," Hakuno said, confusedly.

"Maybe in a previous life? No, that doesn't feel right," Tamamo said.

Watching the scene in silence was Emiya who had begun to suspect what could be going on.

Could something about these singularities be affecting those summoned within them?

Based off of his own summoning, that was certainly plausible. He possessed not only his complete memories of his life up to the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War, but he remembered three different ways the war had played out, with different outcomes. Not only that, he felt some familiarity with Hakuno as well, but he didn't understand how. Yet, he had some hazy memory of knowing her, but in a Holy Grail War different from the one in Fuyuki.

Then there is the fact I was able to use a false Excalibur, something that should've been impossible for me, but somehow happened. Could I be some kind of amalgamation of other versions of myself? That shouldn't be possible, but my place of summoning was where time and space was unstable, Emiya thought.

But if that was true, it could explain his extra memories and ability to use a false Excalibur. Perhaps this was possible because as a result, he was much stronger than he normally would be.

I can't be sure, but based on the evidence, it's the only conclusion I have.

For the time being, he decided to keep quiet.

"So what are you famous for, to have become a Heroic Spirit?" Hakuno asked Tamamo.

Tamamo-no-Mae was hesitant to share her past, but a few basic details should be fine.

"Well, in life I was a beautiful shrine maiden. I served Emperor Toba as a courtesan at the end of the Heian era. I was praised for my beauty and knowledge, and he fell in love with me at first sight," Tamamo said with a smile. Then, her expression darkened with a mix of sadness and anger. "Until Abe-no-Seimei came along and ruined everything. When Emperor Toba got sick, he had the gall to suspect me. These beautiful fox ears and tail I've always had were revealed, and I got chased out and left on the run."

"Until the angry mob and guards caught up with you. You were killed, and the area you died in became cursed ground, where yōkai would be born," Tamamo Cat said, to add salt to the wound.

"That was uncalled for!" Tamamo shouted on the verge of tears.

"It's true through, and you did bring it on yourself by hiding your true self. If you were so good, you could even have healed the Emperor, avoiding all of that," Tamamo Cat said.

"It was all part of a smear campaign against me!"

"Okay, that's enough you two," Hakuno said, stopping things before they could escalate. "Your tale is a sad one, Tamamo. So you are a Shrine maiden, Caster Class?"

"That's right. I've got magic with talismans and a magic mirror too, so I could serve both a support and offensive role in battle."

Mash and Ritsuka watched, feeling thankful Hakuno had prevented another argument from breaking out between them.

"Those two seem like a handful," Ritsuka said.

"Yes. But be careful senpai, they might hear you."

As night started to approach, the group neared their destination of Kasagi. They had arrived before Genghis Khan's army, giving them a chance to scout out the area before their arrival.

"Anything in that town, Roman?" Lelouch asked, as Roman's holographic projection appeared before them.

"I am detecting one servant, but the town itself appears empty except for what appears to be a lot more of those zombies you encountered earlier," Roman reported. "If these readings are right though, it seems the servant in the town is fighting them."

"Could this servant be with Nobunaga?" Benkei suggested.

"This is a good place to monitor Kyoto from," Lelouch said. "But if the servant belongs to Nobunaga, why bother clearing the zombies? If someone from Kagetora's camp did raise them then it would be smarter for any of Nobunaga's servants to avoid doing that. It would draw attention."

"That's a good point. It would've made more sense to keep a low profile," Ritsuka said.

"We are fairly certain the zombies came from Kyoto," Mash added.

"So this could be an unaligned servant- but we shouldn't just assume they'll be friendly," Emiya said sagely.

"Agreed," the Khan said. "We should proceed with caution."

"I can go in using my spiritual form, so I could attack the servant from behind if needed," Ushiwakamaru said.

"Go ahead," Lelouch said, nodding.

"I'll monitor the surrounding area," Roman said, his projection vanishing. "I'll let you guys know if I notice anything."

"Let's head into the town and see who this servant is," Lelouch said, as everyone headed into the town with their guard up.

They faced little trouble entering the town; whatever was attacking the zombies had captured their attention. Of course, being generally easy to dispatch also helped. They still came across some opposition, a small group of zombies barring their way. As the servants readied for battle, Lelouch chipped in by using a Gandr, concentrated to the point that it was a Finn Shot, capable of as much damage as a handgun. Each shot bore into the heads of Lelouch's targets. Although two out of his four targets tried to keep moving, Okita dispatched them.

Judging by the sounds of battle, they were closing in on the servant Roman had detected. Cutting their way through more zombies, the group was within view of the town center. There, they spotted the servant in question. Most unusual was the occasional gusts of colorful smoke that could be seen from the battlegrounds, and between that and the hundred or so zombies surrounding the servant, it was difficult to tell what else was happening. Then, a blinding light erupted, prompting the Khan, Emiya, and Mash to grab their respective masters, running for cover.

"That's a reality marble!" Emiya shouted. Thankfully it had grown only large enough to engulf half of the zombies present, leaving round fifty left.

"What on Earth happened to them?" Ritsuka said.

The group would have their answer a few moments later. When the zombies reappeared, they had been slain by whatever had happened within the reality marble that had ensnared them. The remaining zombies were now being dispatched by the servant. Once they were sure the servant wasn't going to use their reality marble- likely her Noble Phantasm- again, the group began cutting down the remaining zombies to reach the servant. Within moments they had gotten close enough to see who the servant was, and were left speechless.

"Isn't this awesome!" The unknown servant shouted, peppering a pair of zombies with multi-colored balls.

Despite seeming harmless, the balls were inflicting serious damage upon the zombies, being more akin to small explosives that blew the undead apart, the servant throwing them faster than a normal person could even follow with the naked eye.

"You're kidding, right?" Hakuno said, not only shocked by the servant's fighting style, but her appearance.

"Is she some kind of modern servant?" Ritsuka inquired, but no one had an answer.

The female Heroic Spirit's attire and appearance was surprisingly modern, and very colorful. She wore a white jacket with black flowers, butterflies and birds. Under it was a black Sailor Fuku with a red bow, but instead of a skirt, it had integrated a short kimono showing off her legs, trimmed with light blue. Most notable was her black hair, styled into a pair of extravagant pigtails with shades of red and blue. Her yellow eyes sparked, and she smiled, suddenly having a gray ball in her hand.

"I'm gonna show you something cool!" The unknown female servant said, tossing the ball into the air. "Altair! Hesperus! Shooting Star!"

She performed a backflip, kicking the ball. It struck the nearest zombie, which exploded in a shower of gore. Another zombie tried to attack the girl from behind, but she had seen it coming. She pulled a white pillow out from some unseen place to use it as a weapon. No one would've expected a pillow to be much of a weapon, but in the Heroic Spirit proved otherwise, because one hit sent the zombie flying into the air. Defying the laws of physics, the girl lay in the air, one arm raised up before flying through the air as a living projectile, knocking aside any zombies in her path. Once she was done, the teenage girl drew an orange Bangasa out of the same hammer space from before. Opening the study umbrella, the Heroic Spirit used it as a weapon, spinning its top so fast it acted like a makeshift buzzsaw, allowing her to cut a pair of zombies to pieces before using it to fall back before she could be surrounded, flying into the air before floating back down.

Lelouch, Hakuno and Ritsuka were baffled, left speechless. Their servants, unable to grasp how the unknown Heroic Spirit could fight the way she did, focused on finishing off the zombies. Lelouch even tried to bring up Dr. Roman to consult him and what he was seeing, but all he got was a notice that a system check was being performed, temporarily disabling communications.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lelouch said, looking at Hakuno and Ritsuka.

The two looked as puzzled as he did. On the one hand, it was reassuring that Lelouch wasn't the only one, but at the same time it greatly troubled him. What kind of person could they expect from the Heroic Spirit? Could she be just cheerful and eccentric, or could she be someone completely insane? Off to the side, Lelouch noticed Shuten standing behind Ritsuka drinking another bottle of sake, clearly amused by their reactions and scene unfolding before them.

Thankfully the zombies were wiped out in quick order. With just one remaining zombie, the female Heroic Spirit decided to finish it off. Rushing the last zombie she kicked it, punching it before kicking again. She struck a pose to take a selfie using a smartphone, then put it away to pose with the zombie behind while putting on sunglasses. This all happened within a few seconds, and once the sunglasses were on, the zombie was caught in an explosion of multi-colored gas with neon colored words spelling NA-SHI-TU-BO appearing above her head.

"Ah... Teishi-sama is waving at me," the female servant said, taking off her sunglasses.

"What kind of servant is she?" Mash said. Finally, the servant seemed to take notice of them.

"Oh hello, fellow heroic spirits and…" the girl said, noticing the command seals on Hakuno's hands. "One, two and three masters!?"

"And who are you?" Genghis Khan demanded, as he and Emiya adopted fighting stances.

"Hey now, I am friendly. I'm an Archer-class Servant. My name is Sei Shōnagon or," Sei said, striking another pose. "The Sparking Archer!"

Everyone looked at Sei. No-one was sure how to react, until Ritsuka broke the uneasy silence.

"So are you friend or foe?"

"Well, I am a friend," Sei said cheerfully before taking a serious face. "Unless you are friends with that distrustful jerk, Ashiya Douman!"

"Who?" Ritsuka and Hakuno said, having never heard of the man.

"Roman, mind helping us?" Lelouch asked, having gotten through to Chaldea once more.

"I am working on it," Roman said as his projection appeared. "Ah, here it is. He was born Douma Houshi. He was an onmyōji, and rival to Abe-no-Seimei. He tried to get his rival killed, so he could overthrow the government with an ally, but Abe-no-Seimei outsmarted him in the end."

"What's an onmyōji?" Hakuno asked.

"An onmyōji uses an ancient and unique form of magecraft, which as far as people of the modern era knew was used for oriental divination and geomorphology. Beyond select families, the teaching of this style of magecraft was forbidden. Its more well-known users worked as advisors, or what would be Japan's equivalent of a court mage," Roman explained.

"Or a certain one that goes around ruining a happy life for some," Tamamo-no-Mae grumbled.

"Right. Abe-no-Seimei was the greatest Onmyōji, to the point of being a legend, so much so that he's considered Japan's equivalent to Merlin. He was the one who caused Tamamo to be chased out of the Emperor's court," Roman said, speaking carefully to avoid upsetting the servant in question. Thankfully Tamamo didn't speak out, but she continued grumbling angrily about Abe-no-Seimei.

A thought came to Lelouch. "Does this mean Ashiya Douman is here as a servant?"

"Regrettably yes," Sei said, pouting. "That jerk, like me, we worked with Lady Kagetora. Until that guy began using the Holy Grail to boost his powers to raise the dead, after Lady Kagetora fought with Nobunaga's army. I tried to tell Lady Kagetora, but she believed that liar over me just because he is a Buddhist priest and a onmyouji. He's real good at bootlicking, so everyone else ended up believing that snake."

"I assume you saw him do this?" Emiya asked. Sei nodded.

"Yeah sure, but what wasn't enough to convince anyone. So I decided to leave and strike out on my own, deal with the zombies," Sei proclaimed. "I am a Heroic Spirit, so if I can do something then I will."

Lelouch was suspicious of her. However, this was an opportunity to learn more about their enemy. He had an idea of how to test how trustworthy she was and get more information about Kagetora out of her.

"Was that the only reason?" he asked.

"No," Sei said shrugging her shoulders. "Lady Kagetora, I think she is crazy. I mean, she smiles all the time, and sometimes the way she smiles is kinda scary. And I don't think she has any real idea what to do with Japan after defeating Nobunaga. Beyond taking control of the country, she was struggling to adapt the riflemen into the army she was building. I think she is more used to fighting with the conventional tactics of her time, despite the new innovations to warfare Nobunaga had been introducing."

Interesting. So Kagetora has difficulties with tactics beyond the ones she was familiar with. Or rather, she doesn't try newer tactics, Lelouch thought. It was a potentially exploitable weakness. It made him more confident in his plan, but the lone remaining issue to ensure its success troubled him.

"Okay, that's good to know. There are some questions we need to ask, though," Hakuno said, giving Sei a hard stare. The servant smiled at her. "How the heck are you an Archer? And what's her story?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I can throw things real good," Sei said, smiling brightly.

"Let me see," Roman said, using his console to bring up information on her. "According to this, Sei Shounagon's real name is believed to be have been Kiyohara no Nagiko. She was the lady in waiting to the Heian Japanese Empress Sadako, known to history as Teishi. There is very little about her life beyond details shared by Murasaki Shikibu and her own book, which she's best remembered for, the Pillow Book."

Sei's face started turning a bright shade of red.

"The Pillow Book?" Mash inquired, curious.

"It's considered one of the masterpieces of Japanese literature. It reads more like her diary, but became the base for modern day blogs. It had details not just everyday life in the imperial court of the Heian period, but she made mentions of things worth remembering, including top ten lists for stuff like Rare Things and Things That Make the Heart Beat Faster. Why, it's even popular in Britannia, with a very successful movie based upon it," Roman said. Sei's face turned redder.

"You seem very knowledgeable of the book itself," Lelouch said suspiciously.

"Well, I've read it myself actually," Roman admitted, laughing nervously. "It was different from most books I've read."

"Didn't you say you enjoyed the incredibly steamy parts of the story, and even commented on how much sex was Sei's favorite topic?" Da Vinci said from behind Roman.

"That- that's not- I didn't say-" stuttered Roman, flushing suddenly. He was not alone in his panic; Sei's face was approaching the colour of a cooked lobster at this point.

"I am NOT some nymphomaniac," Sei said exclaimed, deeply embarrassed. "Th-that was just how things were back then, and the women of the Royal Court really did get around, but me…nope. None of them interested me, nope I was above that."

Genghis Khan observed her quietly.

Maybe you were too eccentric and whimsical for any man wanting to deal with you, if you acted like this back then. Maybe those writings sprung from jealousy?

"Well, it wasn't made clear if Sei was married or not, although there some claims she married either once or twice. Anyway, I'll be back," Roman said nervously, quickly turning off communications. Lelouch could only guess he was going to have a word with Da Vinci.

"I should've had my diary buried with me when I died," Sei complained. "It's all because I got careless and left some pages I had written on a cushion, and they wound up shared with everyone."

"Then I assume your book was published following your death," Ritsuka said.

"Why don't we move on?" Hakuno suggested. Sei had been put through enough.

"Yes, I agree," Lelouch said nodding. "What was that bright light? Was that your Noble Phantasm?"

"Yes it was," Sei happily said, happy at the change up subject. "Emotional Engine, Full Drive: The Pillow Book; Spring Dawn Commentary! It's a Reality Marble, overflowing with my emotions and creativity, made into reality thanks to my Pillow Book. Any enemies drawn into it they will be overwhelmed with sadness, nostalgia and sympathy, causing them to forget everything and be captivated by my own inner world. Oh, and they'll suffer some damage and be left really dazed and confused, not even knowing where they are by the time they are out."

That's it, Lelouch thought. Sei's Noble Phantasm could be exactly what he needed to make his plan work. If I could extend its range with my command seals maybe, but could it ensnare two armies?

As Lelouch contemplated this new information, however, Hakuno noticed Ryoma and Oryou weren't present.

In another corner of Kasagi, Ryoma and Oryou were alone, passing by the fallen bodies of zombies. All seemed quiet, but Ryoma knew better. They weren't alone. He didn't sense him, but Ryoma knew his old friend Izo well enough to know he had likely been following them ever since they had rescued Ritsuka from the oni.

"Are you sure about this?" Oryou said, worried for Ryoma.

"If we don't address this now, it's going to be a problem for everyone. Isn't that right… Izo."

"Hmph," Izo said, making his presence known as he materialized ahead of Ryoma. "Figured you knew I was following you."

"I like to think I know you well enough that you wouldn't give up on me so easily. But you are practical enough to enough taking on a group of servants, no matter how good you are, could end badly for you. Since our encounter you've kept your distance while in spirit form, with your Presence Concealment masking you the entire time," Ryoma said.

"I could've taken all of them," Izo said boldly. "But I'll give you that trying to fight them all would've been more trouble than it was worth. Besides, all I want is payback for your treachery!"

"I wasn't involved with your arrest, Izo," Ryoma said, moving one hand to his sword.

"I am not talking about that. Did you forget the fact you left me behind when you abandoned the Tosa clan!? You didn't even try to talk to me about it! And did you forget what your sister had to do for you?!" Izo said angrily.

For a moment Ryoma was at a loss for words. He had known leaving one's clan was not permitted in Japan. Leaving the clan without permission was punishable by death. He would later learn that his older sister had committed suicide in his place to spare him. The sacrifice of his older sister had cut deep, but he had known that he had to push ahead to change Japan for the better. It would be his atonement for having forced his sister to give her life to save his.

"I…" Ryoma stuttered, struggling to speak.

"You left me and your sister. I even tried to talk her out of killing herself in her attempt to save you, but just when I thought I did…she went ahead with it, once I was out of the room. So I made a promise that if I ever found you, I would put you in the grave," Izo said, drawing his sword.

Suddenly Ryoma realized something, "Izo, did you and my sister…?"

"SHUT UP!"

Just then, Emiya and Hakuno arrived on the scene, having jogged up through an alley to find him.

"Ryoma, are you alright," Hakuno said.

"I guess that means the others are going to realize you are here, Izo," Ryoma said.

"I don't care. I'll take them all on to get to you," Izo said, raising his sword.

Ryoma looked at his old friend, sighing, "Alright, you can strike me down. But only if you agree not to harm any of them."

"WHAT?!" Hakuno, Emiya and Izo said, all together.

"You can't be serious. He'll kill you!" Oryou exclaimed.

"If I don't take care of this, we'll have another battle on our hands. Izo won't go down easily, even if he is outnumbered, and should he escape he'll likely attack at the first opportunity. It would endanger Hakuno, Lelouch and Ritsuka. So how about it Izo? Here is your chance; will you take my offer?" Ryoma asked seriously.

Izo looked surprised, but after a moment of studying Ryoma's face, trying to get a read on him, he spoke.

"Fine. I'll accept your terms," Izo said, readying his sword.

"Ryoma, I can't let you do this!" Oryou said, panicking.

"Stay out of this, all of you," Ryoma insisted.

Hakuno was about to intervene, but Emiya stopped her.

"HERE I COME!" Izo cried out as he rushed Ryoma, his blade out.

As Lelouch, Ritsuka and their servants arrived on the scene they saw Ryoma being cut down by Izo. They all expected him to dodge at the last moment, or maybe parry, but to their shock, Ryoma stood still, taking the hit head on. Izo struck true, a massive cut from shoulder to hip running down his left side.

"What…what the hell. Why didn't you dodge it?" Izo said in shock, finally able to speak after watching Ryoma collapse.

"What happened?!" Lelouch asked Hakuno.

"Calm down, all of you," Ryoma said, as Oryou helped him back to his feet, even helping him stand. "I just made a deal for Izo to kill me so he would leave the rest of you alone. Although, I am surprised to be alive still."

"You idiot," Oryou scolded, tears in her eyes.

"I… I was expecting you to dodge, so I missed, that's all." Izo said.

Her eyebrow twitching, Hakuno stepped forward.

"Are you satisfied now? You nearly killed him- but you're not the type who would miss a killing blow, are you? You held back at the last minute, didn't you?"

"I didn't!"

"So you missed!"

"I NEVER miss!" Izo said, before realizing he walked right into that one.

Hakuno put both hands on her hips, "I guess some part of you can't bring yourself to kill him. Is it because some of that friendship between you still exists or… something else?"

Izo could only scowl angrily. He stared into Hakuno's eyes, burning with a refusal to back down, but she held her ground against him. After a tense standoff, Izo sheathed his sword, turning around.

"I'll keep my word. I won't attack any of you. I don't have any loyalty left for that crazy lancer and his goal of just going back to how Japan was because she can't decide what to do with it. Kagetora just can't see the writing on the wall," Izo said, fading into Spirit form.

Ushiwakamaru joined the group. Everyone remained alert for a few minutes, until they felt Izo was gone, until it had been long enough for everyone to slightly relax their guard.

"That was crazy of you to do that. What if he actually did kill you?" Tamamo Cat said.

"I was prepared for it, but I didn't expect I would survive. Hopefully that will ensure he won't interfere, and it sounds like we've left Kagetora without another servant. I would say my gamble was worth it," Ryoma said, as Oryou began using her own saliva to mend his wound.

"What are you doing?" Mash inquired.

"Oryou's saliva, believe it or not, has healing properties. Combined with some magical energy, I should be recovered by dawn," Ryoma said reassuringly.

"Just to be safe, we should relocate to somewhere more secure," Lelouch suggested.

"I agree," the Khan said, "my army will be here within a few hours. They've also been collecting any abandoned wagons and they could find for part of the plan. They have collected all the supplies we should need."

"Wagons, for what?" Okita asked.

"For my plan. And now, I think we have a servant who can make it work. It's time I share it with all of you. In a few hours we'll need a leyline node to get the equipment I requested from Sion and Da Vinci. If it works, I think we can defeat both Kagetora and Nobunaga," Lelouch said, looking at Sei.

"Me? Why am I important to your super-secret plan? What is going on, anyway? Why were we summoned without masters, and why are you targeting Nobunaga and Lady Kagetora?" Sei inquired.

Lelouch sighed, exchanging looks with Hakuno and Ritsuka.

"I guess we should fill in the new folks on the situation before you explain your plan, Lelouch," Ritsuka suggested.

"Good idea. Let's find some place to talk."

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen I cannot explain how difficult working with Sei was, especially trying to compose her fighting style. However, if her Noble Phantasm is empowered enough it could prove useful for Lelouch to enact his plan on top of his other idea to make his strategy work.

I did some research into the pillow book, even looking up details on both it and Sei on Tv tropes for additional ideas and I found a few bits I could use the game hasn't seemed to touched upon for some interesting facts and some good humor I hope.

The idea for Izo and Ryoma came from having looked at their backgrounds and found something I could use since I don't think the game, to my knowledge really went into why Izo and Ryoma hate each other so much. Considering they were childhood friends with Izo likely having known Ryoma's older sister an idea came to mind.

I do feel bad I had too many servants involved at once in this chapter, which is another reason why I am considering having the final battle of the singularity kick off in the next chapter. If anyone knows Ushiwakamaru's Noble Phantasms can probably piece together what Lelouch is planning with Ushiwakamaru and Genghis Khan having offered their wisdom and experience to the plan to refine it further.

So the next chapter will be posted once the KH and Sunrider chapters go up, so see you guys until then.