It had seemed so simple upstairs. It came out so easily. I was going to make the call.

So why was it that, with a phone in hand, I was hesitating?

This was supposed to be my moment. To make a decision. To do something of my own accord; not just follow along with whatever Sortiara suggested.

…So why?

"Worried, master?"

Saber spoke without passing judgement. Normally, that would have been a major comfort. But now? Now it did little to put me at ease…

"…If I call him… there's no going back… Is there?"

"That depends on what you mean by going back."

"…I'm picking right now between Nathan and Sortiara, aren't I?"

"I cannot deny that is a possibility."

"…"

"…Do you trust him, master?"

"…No" I couldn't help but laugh slightly. "I don't trust him at all. Yet, I think that's exactly what he wants. If I told him I trusted him, he would be disappointed, I think. That I've ignored his repeated warnings."

"It is comforting to hear that you do not trust him, master."

"Yet, you would let me call him anyways?"

"Yes."

"You would go along with his plan?"

"If you would also, yes."

"…Why?"

A lingering silence settled within the basement as Saber thought about the question.

"…He is worse than Sun Quan and Cao Cao" Saber eventually spoke. "Yet, I cannot say he is on the level of Dong Zhuo. Within him, I still see a light, small as it may appear to be. Within my land of benevolence… there is a place for that."

"…Even if we do beat Archer, Saber… How do we take out Caster? How do we beat Nathan if he just sits in the labyrinth, waiting for everyone else to fade away?"

"You are certain he has this labyrinth established?"

"No doubt in my mind that he does. How else would he have survived this long without support? Rider's assassin network could have picked him off with ease at night otherwise."

"…Then we will simply have to deal with it when we get to it" Saber sighed. "But the fact that it is so troubling to you should bring you some comfort."

"How would that bring me comfort?"

"Because if you believe it impossible alone, then so too should Lady Levesque. As such, regardless of what you choose to do here, this will not be the end between the two of you."

"…Good point. Powerful as Lancer's Noble Phantasm is, it alone can't take down something like the labyrinth. It would take both of us to stand up to Nathan."

"…"

I pressed the power button on my cellphone, checking the time.

1:55 PM

…Had it really been two hours since I'd come down here to think? It must have been, but…

…Maybe this was a bad idea after all? I couldn't deny Lancer had a point: this could be a trap. A way for Nathan to eliminate us, not Rider. Sure, if this was a trap, he went about setting it up in some of the conventionally worse ways. But that was the way of Yaldabaoth. Always was. Take the game you're playing, and flip it on its head. Don't play the established meta: forge the new meta. Make everyone else play your game, so that you can't possibly lose…

1:56 PM

"…It's hard, Saber" I muttered weakly, staring at my phone. "I don't know what decision is right."

"In most cases, you won't. I can't count the number of times I was uncertain in my decisions. There are simply too many."

"…Then how did you do it? How did you get so far?"

1:57 PM

"Support from my sworn brothers. Support from my friends. Support from the people."

"I have none of that thou-"

"And faith that I was doing the right thing."

"…"

"…"

"…"

1:58 PM

"Have faith, master, and know that no matter how you choose to walk the path, you have my support."

"…"

"…"

"…Right" I nodded. "Here goes nothing then…"

1:59 PM

"Come on… Come on… Pick up alrea-"

"Cutting it mighty close, aren't you?"

Hearing Nathan's voice again, through the phone, caused my mind to seize up momentarily. This was it. I was really doing this…

"...Nathan, I- You-"

"Got no time for this, kid. Busy, busy, busy. Out or in? All I need to know."

"…"

"…"

Glancing over to Saber, he gave a slight nod of his head.

"I'm in" I sighed, mixture of fear and relief coursing through me. "What's the plan?"