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Clarent Blood Arthur: Clarent Blood Arthur: A Fate/Stay Night Fanfiction
Chapter 17: The Second Holy Grail Dialogue
"So you refuse to acknowledge me as your son...Is that your answer, oh King of Knights?"
Shirou found that he was in Saber's dreamscape, seeing her past as a vision via the link between Master and Servant. This particular part of her past, however, saw that she had turned her back to Berserker...her "son", Mordred.
"This..." Shirou mused. "This must've been when she revealed that she was her son..."
He could only watch was Saber, the gallant King Arthur, walked away after refusing to acknowledge Mordred as the rightful heir to the throne. She wasn't able to see her face, but she didn't need to; the unbridled rage that was seeped into her words painted a more vivid picture than any artist could.
"I was fine being in your shadow. Yet you never even once looked me in the eye!" Even as she began walking away, Saber could hear each and every word she was saying. She had to steel her heart; with the reveal that she was her sister Morgan's child, she could very well be part of a plot to take the throne. As king, she could not allow that to happen.
Even then, she could not deny that hearing the anger and resentment in her voice was starting to break her heart.
"Why?! Why won't you acknowledge me?!" Though Mordred couldn't see it, tears were stinging Saber's eyes. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists as she listened to each word. "I'm going to destroy everything you've worked for, do you hear me?!"
Saber closed her eyes as the tears finally began to trickle. Yet she couldn't turn back. The perfect king showed no weakness, no matter what. She had to stay the course, for she knew that it was the correct one. She knew that by doing this, a plot against the throne would be prevented. So she would, for the good of her kingdom.
"ARTHUR!"
Even if her heart shattered into a million pieces.
Emiya Shirou's eyelids snapped open as the new day dawned.
"That dream..." He yawned as he sat up slowly, his mind still fuzzy from the experience. "Saber thought that she was doing this for her kingdom, but in the end, it would be one of the many events that led to it's destruction..."
Many questions sprouted in Shirou's mind after seeing that. One of them was the nature Specifically, an admiration that was betrayed. If he were to put it in a way he understood it, Shirou could compare it to what would happen if Kiritsugu, the man he admired, turned out to be some cold-blooded murder who lied about his belief in being a hero of justice.
"If that's so..." The red-head mused aloud. "Could have this been all avoided?" He was about to ponder about it further when he found that he was still a little tired. "Damn. Last night was insane..."
He wasn't exaggerating when he declared this; He, Tohsaka, Saber and Archer were on patrol last night when they both felt a large mana spike coming from Ryuudo Temple. Archer confirmed that there were multiple Servants detected, namely Berserker, Caster, Lancer, and Ruler's faction. As they were in the Shinto district when it happened, they had to run in order to catch up to the latest battle for the Holy Grail War.
They had arrived to find Berserker, Illya, Ruler, Lancelot and Gawain at the base of the mountain. All of them, even Ruler, were as pale as sheets and breathing heavily as if they had been through a harrowing ordeal.
This was why they had agreed to meet at his house in the first place. He only wished that she told him what time.
"Well, I can't worry about that now." Shirou sighed as he got changed into his usual white shirt with long blue sleeves. He looked at the clock to see that it was almost noon. "Thankfully, school's still out, so Fuji-nee won't be bugging me-"
"SHIROU! WHERE'S LUNCH?!"
As the old saying goes, speak of the devil and it will appear.
"So much for that." Shirou sighed as he begrudgingly left his room to prepare the meal.
"Oi, Shirou! Hurry up!"
"Be patient, Fuji-nee." Shirou sighed as Taiga, Saber and Sakura were sitting under the Japanese-style wooden table while he and Rin were getting lunch ready. The latter was going to do the same, but Rin and Shirou insisted upon seeing how overtly exhausted she looked.
"B-But I can-!"
"No buts!" Rin admonished her with a frown. "You don't look well at all! I can't have you helping out in your current state, so leave this to me and Emiya-kun, alright?"
"O-Okay..." Sakura deflated as she sat beside Saber. This gave the blonde a good look at the purple-haired Matou, who seemed to be a tad paler than usual.
"Are you sure you're alright, Sakura?" Saber dared to ask. "You seem to be unwell."
"I kept telling her to stay home and rest!" Taiga sighed in frustration. "Yet she still chooses to come here!"
"I'm fine. Really." Sakura managed a small smile that, despite it's sweetness, wasn't fooling anyone. "I just haven't been sleeping very well, that's all."
"That's no good at all, Sakura-chan!" Taiga admonished her with the sternness expected of a teacher. "I can't have you getting sick on my watch! Look, there's a lot of spare rooms in this place, so Shirou could let you rest in one of them before you leave today!"
"O-Oh!" Sakura stammered, her violet-tinted orbs wide. "I-I don't want to impose! What if Nii-san-!"
"It's fine, Sakura." Shirou responded with a fond smile. "You know I don't mind at all. And if Shinji has a problem, I'll just tell him that Fuji-nee insisted."
"Not to mention that I'm more than willing to sock him in the face should he be a pest." Rin groaned as she and Shirou set the food on the table, then took their seats. "You can be sure about that!"
"...Thank you, Senpai." Sakura let out a small smile. "You too, Tohsaka-senpai."
"If I may, who is this Shinji fellow?" Saber asked out of curiosity, which was understandable since she had not met him yet.
"He's Sakura's brother, and a real problem student." Taiga sighed. "He's popular among the girls, especially in Archery Club, but his personality needs work, to be honest."
"I think you're being too kind, Fujimura-sensei." Rin interjected. "In my honest opinion, Matou-san is a piece of-!"
DING!
"Saved by the bell." Shirou sighed, mentally thanking whoever this unexpected visitor was. "I'll get it!" He stood to his feet and went to get the door. "I wonder who could it be? I could be Leti-I mean, Ruler. She DID say that she was coming today, but didn't say when..." He set those questions aside when he got to the door. He slid it open to reveal that it wasn't Ruler at all.
"Hi, Oniichan! You remembered that we were coming today, right?"
He stared like a deer facing the headlights at the sight of Illyasviel von Einzbern, clad in her usual purple coat, white scarf and ushanka, and Servant Berserker a.k.a Mordred, clad in a white spaghetti strapped top, a red jacket over it, and denim daisy dukes, standing in front of him with expectant smiles on their faces.
He was so shocked, in fact, that he immediately closed the door on them and began wondering if he was just seeing things.
"Hey!" Berserker didn't waste any time and re-opened the door with a scowl on her face. "It's not polite to close the door on guests, you know!"
"Sorry. I wasn't expecting you two to come this early." Shirou answered honestly, causing Illya to shake her head.
"While it was indeed rude, I can let this slide on the fact that we arrived so early." Illya pondered as she looked around the large Japanese style mansion. "So, this is Papa's house, huh..."
"Papa?" The Master of Einzbern blinked upon realizing that, yes, she did wonder out loud.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with...yet." She immediately sealed the small cracks in her composure before looking past Shirou and into the empty hallway. "I take it that Rin and Saber are there with you?"
She was answered with a prompt nod from Shirou.
"Then you won't mind if we let ourselves in, yes?" This time, however, Illya and Mordred entered before Shirou could even utter a word.
"W-Wait! Fuji-nee and Sakura are still there, and they know nothing about the Grail War-!" The poor red-head would attempt to chase after them, but it was far to late as the pair already made their way to the dining room. While everyone stared slack-jawed at the two newcomers, Saber would be the first to speak.
"Mordred!" Saber, bolting to her feet, would give the pair a hard glare. "You and your Master are attacking us during breakfast, the most sacred of meals?! For shame!"
"I wasn't looking for a fight, but since you're so eager, I'm willing to go another round." Berserker returned with a confident grin. "If you're looking forward to a repeat of our last encounter, that is!"
"Hey, control your Ser- I mean, nanny this instant!" Rin would snap back, being careful to not let anything about the Grail War slip.
"What did you just call me?!" Berserker would retort at the twin-tailed mage, but Illya spoke before she could get in another word.
"Nanny? I'm sure you'd play the role just fine. I mean, your upbringing seems to show that you're best suited to be one anyway." The silver-haired homunculus giggled as she managed to get a rise out of the Master of Archer. As tempers began to flare, Taiga would turn to Shirou with a confused look.
"Shirou, who is this sassy girl and her friend who looks like Saber-chan?" The teacher asked out of understandable confusion.
"Well, she's-!" Before Shirou could make that introduction, Illya would declare herself.
"A good morning to you all. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern." She smiled and curtsied with the grace befitting her standing before dropping this particular bombshell. "And I am Emiya Kiritsugu's daughter. Pleased to meet you all."
For a few seconds, there was utter silence in the room. Everyone save for Berserker stared at Illya as if she grew another head.
"W-W-Wait!" Shirou stammered at the face of this revelation, completely floored. "Don't tell me-!"
"WHAAAAAT?!" Taiga's reaction was a lot louder and more bombastic. "YOU'RE KIRITSUGU-SAN'S DAUGHTER?! H-H-HE NEVER MENTIONED YOU BEFORE!"
"He...He didn't mention me?" There was a small tinge of hurt on Illya's face, but it quickly disappeared. "W-Well, I'm sure he has his reasons. Anyway, after hearing that this was the country he spent his final days, I came to visit."
"Illya..." Berserker caught that small hint, but she chose not to prod at it and instead play along. "Anyway, my name is Mordred. I am Saber's s-" She turned to see the questioning glance, then quickly changed what she was about to say. "Younger sister. I am Saber's younger sister. I had heard she came here to visit, so I followed her."
Saber was actually quite impressed that Berserker managed to keep her exact identity secret. Of course, she didn't say this out loud.
"Ah, I see..." Taiga nodded thoughtfully. They could see that she was still reeling from the revelation. Still, she found it in herself to ask. "And where's of your mother, Illya-chan?"
"She...She died a long time ago." Illya was able to say. "Grandpa told me that she died here, so I had to go see it for myself. I wanted to see the land my parents died in with my own eyes."
"Who does this girl think she's fooling?" Rin rolled her eyes, believing that the Einzbern Master was turning up the charm to manipulate their host. "I honestly hope that Fujmura-sensei isn't buying this-." Her eyes widened in shock as the teacher and caretaker of Emiya Shirou's eyes were gushing like a fountain. "NO WAY, SHE'S BUYING IT?!"
"UWAAH! YOU'RE STORY'S SO SAD, ILLYA-CHAN!" The adult hugged the smaller girl tightly. "STAY AS LONG AS YOU WANT! THIS IS YOUR HOME NOW, TOO!"
"O-Oh...Uhm, thank you…" Illya was not used to being hugged like this after so long. It was a strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one.
"Well, since you're both here, you can join us for breakfast, if you want." Shirou offered with a resigned smile while Sakura made a small frown. "I made a lot since Saber here eats more than her weight in food."
"Hunger is the enemy, Shirou." The aforementioned blonde raised her brow quizzically. "We have been over this."
"Heh, how could we not take up such an offer?" Berserker grinned as she took her seat beside Saber cross-legged in contrast to the King of Knight's more formal kneeling position. "Your cuisine better satisfy me!"
"I assure you, Shirou's food is better than any cuisine I have partaken of." Saber defended her personal cook with a confident smirk.
Before further conversation could continue, another ring came from the door.
"I'll get it!" Shirou made his way to the door. It didn't take a soothsayer to predict who was at the door. He opened it and, sure enough, Leticia Delacroix stood outside with her usual smile on her face.
"Good morning, Emiya-kun." The Ruler greeted him. "Is this a bad time?"
"No, you're fine." Shirou shook his head. "I actually expected you to show up first, but Berserker and Illya beat you to the punch."
"I see, I see." Leticia giggled while she began taking off her shoes. "In that case, is it alright if I joined you all for breakfast as well?"
"By all means." The red-head nodded with a smile. "The more, the merrier, as they say."
Even though Shirou had only known her for a few days, he learned to regard Saber as the biggest eater he knew; The fervor in which she consumed copious amounts of food was made all the more unbelievable by her petite frame.
Today, however, she found her match in Berserker, who was keeping pace with the King of Knights with the astounding amounts of rice she had devoured.
"Another!" Berserker declared while thrusting her bowl at the red-head
"Shirou, more please!" Saber answered in kind by doing the same thing.
"I guess it runs in the family." Shirou mused as he scooped up two more bowls of rice for the knights. Rin, Sakura, and Taiga could only gawk at what they were seeing.
"Wow, Mo-chan can sure eat a lot." Taiga remarked in awe.
"Those two could very well eat him out of house and home…If they haven't already." Rin whispered as she witnessed the two Pendragons practically inhale the rice, helping themselves to the viands whenever they could.
"It does get difficult feeding her sometimes, despite Morimoto-san's best efforts." Illya sighed. "Our food budget went over the threshold those two months after she came to us. Grandpa often grumbled about it, but it couldn't be helped."
"I believe Old Acht had that same problem when I was summoned." Saber mused to herself in amusement.
"Are breakfasts in your place always this lively, Emiya-kun?" Leticia asked, giggling before taking a sip of her tea.
"Not normally." Shirou sighed as he put down the rice scooper, briefly peered into the rice cooker to see that, yes, both Servants ate up what could've been a few days worth of rice. "Today is pretty special, apparently."
"I don't find this bad at all!" Taiga nodded thoughtfully. "It's nice that Shirou's circle of friends keep growing bigger...even if it's all composed of girls." He then turned to Leticia. "By the way, how did you end up hanging out with this guy? I get that you're classmates, but that I didn't think you two would get so close right away."
"If it helps, I got to know Emiya-kun in earnest through Ryuudou-kun, Fujimura-sensei." Leticia responded with a smile, revealing just enough of the truth to not raise any questions. "I needed his help to sort out some math homework, as I am terrible in the subject. He then referred me to Tohsaka-san, who was quite knowledgeable."
"It's true." Rin added.
"I see, I see." Taiga nodded in approval. "It's nice to see that you're adjusting well to Homurahara, Delacroix-san. Most exchange students take their time to adapt to living abroad due to the culture shock."
"It's a little overwhelming, I won't deny, but I have been able to cope." Leticia admitted, though she left the part where she was summoned with knowledge of this century thanks to the Grail.
"That's good, then." Taiga nodded with a smile before looking at the time. "Well, looks like I got to go!"
"You're leaving, Fujimura-sensei?" Sakura asked.
"Yup. School's still out, so I'm going to see my grandfather for a little while." Taiga answered before turning to Leticia, Illya, and Berserker with a smile. "You three make yourselves at home, you hear?"
"Will do." Berserker answered with a short nod.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Fujimura-san." Illya bowed her head, causing the older woman to shake hers.
"It's quite alright, and call me 'Fuji-nee'! You're practically family after all!" Taiga insisted with a grin.
Once more, Illya was disarmed by this woman's sincerity.
"I-I'll consider it." The Master of Einzbern managed to stammer out as the teacher made her exit. The sound of a revving scooter was the audible cue that she left the Emiya House.
"You should go rest, Matou-san." Rin admonished the younger girl in a kind, but stern manner. "Fujimura-sensei did say you should, after all."
"Alright." She nodded as she stood up. "I'll see you later then, Senpai."
"Of course." Shirou nodded as she left to rest in the guest room further inside the manor. This, of course, left the Holy Grail War participants alone with Leticia, who took a deep breath before addressing the gathered group.
"Now that all neutral parties have been removed from the equation;" She began, though she made a note to address the TRUE Master of Matou when she had the chance. "We can now begin this meeting in earnest."
"What about the other Masters?" Shirou asked. "Do they know about what's happening here today?"
"Sir Gawain and I have already asked the Overseer to send contact the other Masters about this gathering." Lancelot and the aforementioned Knight of the Sun appeared in a flash. "If he does his job, they will be made aware of this meeting. Whether they choose to attend or not is their discretion, but we believe that this is for the benefit of all."
"While I will agree with you on that end, Sir Lancelot;" Archer made his presence known by materializing as well. "It would be foolish to trust these Masters and their Servants who, a few days before, have been trying to kill us." He then turned to Illya and Berserker. "Present company, included."
"Who asked you, Archer?!" Berserker shot back, her temper flaring at the sight of the red-clad Servant. "You aren't even worthy to be on the same battlefield as I, if Morimoto was able to give a fabled Servant as yourself such difficulty!"
"That old man used the element of surprise to his advantage." Archer answered while crossing his arms. "He caught me off guard once, but he won't do so again." He felt a pair of eyes gaze at him, so he turned to see that Ruler was giving him a very strange glance. "Is something the matter?"
"I-It's nothing." Ruler shook him and that nostalgic feeling she had in her chest off. "At any rate, the remaining Masters have already been notified. We'll soon see if they will answer the call."
As soon as she had finished speaking, the door bell rang yet again.
"Right on cue." Rin said as Shirou got up and began walking down the hall yet again.
"Coming!" The red-head found himself opening the door to a visitor yet again. This time, a grinning Lancer, clad in a green floral Hawaiian shirt and jeans was out there to meet her. Behind him was, to Shirou's shock, Rider. Her civilian garb was not what he was expecting; She wore a black sweater and dark jeans that hugged her curvy frame, her long flowing hair was tied in a purple bow in a half-pony tail, and she wore special glasses that highlighted her dazzling violet orbs.
In contrast to her battle attire, she looked...normal.
"I found her on the way here, so I invited her to tag along." Lancer explained for the both of them. "Looks like I'm not the only one who has a coward for a Master."
"I see..." Shirou kept a wary glance trailed at the pair, considering they tried to kill him on earlier occasions.
"I understand if you are cautious of us." Rider spoke evenly, keeping a level gaze at the young Master. "I also understand that your relationship with my Master is...rather strained. Rest assured, I will not make any attempt on your life this time around. Especially with Ruler and his Servants present."
"It's the same for me." Lancer added with a grin. "So...are you going to let us in or what?"
Shirou was right to be on his guard; While he often acted it at times, he wasn't so stupid. He knew that these two were enemy Servants that, if he wanted to win the Holy Grail War, he needed to face sooner or later. However, he also knew that Lancer was right; They wouldn't dare try anything as long as his and Tohsaka's Servants, let alone Berserker and Ruler's group, were in the immediate vicinity. As such, he saw no harm in letting them in.
"Alright then." He finally said as he beckoned the pair to follow him. "Come with me. The others are in the dining room."
"Quite the company that's been assembled, yeah?!" Lancer grinned broadly as he and Rider entered the room. This turned the heads of the three Servants and two other Masters save for Ruler and her two attendants.
"That damned blue Lancer..." Berserker seethed as she glared at the Hound of Culainn, her pride wounded from being bested in their earlier bout. His response, however, was a cheerful grin.
"Oi, Berserker! Nice work with Caster last night! Was a damn shame your fight got interrupted, but it made me want to finish our fight even more now!" He then turned to the other two Servants he had encountered before. "You two seem to be looking well!"
"Great, now this one's here too..." Archer could only roll his eyes at the new arrivals. "I suppose a dog that can do a few tricks would provide our esteemed Ruler SOME entertainment."
"What was that?!" Lancer felt his hackles get raised, his blood red eyes now glaring at the Hero of Wrought Iron. "You wanna continue our battle from that night, Archer?!"
"I was hoping for some friendly banter between enemies, but I sense that it's beyond you, Hound of Culainn." Archer chuckled, answering with a wry smirk. "Here I was thinking that it was an Irish custom to break bread with enemies. A pity that not even the Witch of Dun Scaith could teach you manners."
"Oh you're just asking for it, aren't you?!" Lancer was about to retaliate for that pot shot at his mentor before Ruler raised her hand.
"As amusing as it is to watch you squabble, I would very much prefer if we didn't waste any more time." She interjected. "Besides, it wouldn't do if we damage Emiya's home after we have been so graciously invited as guests."
"...Fine." Lancer relented as he relaxed, now ignoring Archer while grumbling where he sat.
"Now that that has been settled," Ruler began before addressing all the Masters and Servants present inside the Emiya Manor dining room. "Thank you all for coming, participants of the Holy Grail War. As you all already know, a great evil has descended upon this town. An evil that not even us Servants can stand against, if what had happened to Caster and Assassin is any indication."
"Aye." Berserker spoke up in agreement. They all looked to the Servant of Madness, who was witness to all that had occurred. "That blackened creature...It pains me to admit this, but even I am unsure if I can defeat such a monster."
The absence of her usual confidence, replaced by a more contemplative tone, spoke volumes of the threat they faced. Saber and the other knights, in particular, were shocked to see that the Knight of Treachery lacked her usual swagger.
"Just WHAT is that creature, though?" Rin would dare ask. "We hadn't seen the creature, but we felt it's malevolent aura from even at the base of Mt. Enzou! We know next to nothing about what we are up against here, and we're going to need all the information if we want to get through this!"
"I agree with Rin." Saber added with an agreeing nod. "Knowing the enemy is key to our victory here. If we have an idea of what we are up against, I'm sure we can formulate a strategy that will be the key to defeating this foe."
"Well said, Servant Saber." Ruler nodded in agreement. "Thankfully, we do have someone here who may have the slightest clue as to what we are up against." The regal arbiter turned to Illya. "Master of Einzbern, you have the floor."
"If I must." Illya coughed to clear her throat before addressing the present company, her gaze even and her voice audible. "Now, how familiar are you all with how the Third Holy Grail War ended?"
"Not much." The only other Master more knowledgeable with the Grail War than Shirou, Rin, spoke up with a cautious tone. "All I know was that the Edelfelts had twins that each summoned a Saber Servant. That, and the Einzberns summoned a unique Class instead of Berserker."
"Avenger." The silver-haired homunculus caught their attention with that single word. "That was the name of the Class that my family summoned. The Einzberns wanted to summon Angra Mainyu, the Persian God of Darkness and the manifestation of 'All the World's Evil' in this newly created Class Container in a desperate bid to win the Grail. However, Angra Mainyu turned out to be quite the weak Servant and was eliminated in that War's early stages."
"Oh? That's strange." Rider would be the one to speak up this time. "One would think that a Servant with the moniker 'All the World's Evils' would be a fearsome foe for even the strongest Servant to fight."
"That's what Grandpa Acht hoped." Illya admitted with a sigh. "Sadly, he did not live up to the hype. He was less of 'All the World's Evils' and more of 'a vessel to bear All the World's Evils'; A scapegoat that the people could pin all their sins on. Naturally, the being grew resentful of it's lot. It didn't translate into combat ability, as it was easily defeated, but it was when it was absorbed into the Grail that things began to change."
"Change?" Rin would dare to ask, afraid of the answer she may receive.
"The Grail seemed to recognize Angra Mainyu as a human." Illya kept her gaze at the present company. "Specifically a human with his own wish; his desire to grant the world a true being akin to the dark god he had been forced to become. Naturally, the Grail granted his wish and, as a result, it became corrupted by humanity's curses and, as a result is now a tainted vessel that, if activated, could bring forth those curses onto the world."
A silence befell the room as they took all this in. Shirou, in particular, was floored by the fact that the supposed "omnipotent wish granting device" was corrupted so. Soon enough, Rin would be the most vocal about it.
"So you're telling me," The Tohsaka Magus began. "That all this time...we've been fighting for a cup that would destroy the world?!"
"Sadly, yes." Ruler sighed. "I had my suspicions about the nature of the Grail, and Miss Einzbern has all but verified it. The fact that the System had been altered in such a way is but a manifestation of it's true nature. Still, what does this have to do with the creature that we faced yesterday?"
"To be honest, I'm still not sure." Illya sighed. "I can, however, say this; it's as if it was another Lesser Grail."
"Lesser Grail?" Shirou would ask yet again. This time, however, it was Saber who spoke out.
"It takes time for the Greater Grail to manifest in either Kotomine Church or the caverns beneath Ryuudou Temple. The Lesser Grail would serve as the vessel to contain the defeated Heroic Spirits after they have been defeated to power the Greater Vessel." The Servant of the Sword began. "Starting after the Third War, however, the three families agreed that the Lesser Grail should be able to defend itself. This led to the Einzberns using a homunculus to act as the Lesser Grail. They did so in the last war," Saber then turned to Illya with her usual stoic gaze. "And are doing so again."
"Wait a minute!" Shirou interjected as he stared at the little white-haired girl before him in shock. "She's the Lesser Grail?!"
"You are correct." Illya nodded in agreement. "My purpose is to absorb all the fallen Servants into me while we wait for the Greater Grail to manifest. However, last night...I should've absorbed the fallen Caster and Assassin Servants...but that didn't happen."
"What do you mean?!" Saber asked, the shock in her voice raising the alarms of all present.
"What I'm saying is that the two fallen Servants didn't enter me like they should have." The homunculus answered back. "There's only one possible way to explain this."
"Hang on!" Berserker would finally ask, drawing the same conclusion as the others present were. "Are you saying that-!"
"You're right." Illya nodded in grim affirmation. "That thing just might be another Lesser Grail."
"So there are two of them?!" Rin asked, understandably shaken by the series of revelations that was being shared throughout the table. "But how is that even possible?!"
"I will have to agree with my Master." Archer threw in his two cents. "I doubt the Einzberns would waste precious resources in making another after they put their effort into making one."
"I admit, I'm just as clueless as you are." Illya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose at the thought of all this occurring. "However, the only way this could happen is if someone outside of my family decided to make their own vessel."
"But who would even go through that effort?" Gawain asked, placing his hand on his chin in thought.
"It would have to be someone who knows the inner workings of the Holy Grail Ritual. One who knows it so well that he can make changes into the ritual as he sees fit." Illya explained. "The only one who could fit the criteria is one of the three founders of the Holy...Grail War..." Illya's eyes began to widen as she knew one person who fits the description down to the last detail. "Oh no..."
"What is it, Illya?" Berserker asked, concern showing in her face.
"So...you've reached the same conclusion as I did." Ruler asked the Einzbern Master, who silently nodded.
"Are you guys going to tell what you just realized?" Rin asked as Illya recomposed herself. The homunculus then turned back to the present company as she shared her dark realization.
"There is only one person who exists who matches the criteria: Matou Zouken."
End Chapter 17
A/N: And here goes another chapter of Clarent Blood Arthur!
Admittedly, this took a lot longer to write than it should. Between going on vacation, writer's block, and being distracted/inspired by Fate/Grand Order (Now that I got both Mordred and Artoria, I eagerly await when Jeanne Alter's ), I took so long to finish that I admittedly might have rushed the ending a bit. Sorry about that, guys.
Anyway, this chapter we got some Slice of Life goodness as well as a serious discussion regarding the Grail War with some revelations along the way. With our heroes having an idea on who's behind all this, what will happen now? Will they take the fight to Zouken? Will the Shadow rear it's ugly head once more? And where will Kirei and Gil mix into all this?! Only time will tell, I suppose!
Before I go, I'll just have to say a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well! Thanks for reading this fic, dear readers, and I hope you guys keep looking forward to my works in the days to come!
With all that said, please don't forget to leave a review! I do so love all your feedback! Until next chapter, this is the King of Beasts signing off!
Next Time on Clarent Blood Arthur: Speak of the Devil!