Disclaimer: This chapter (like most of mine) ends in a cliffhanger. A rather significant one. My apologies for that but, had it not been done, this chapter would be twice as long as it is already. Oh, and as a side note the poll regarding what I should do after this story is still up on my profile. Be sure to vote to your heart's content!

Chapter 16- I Got a Name

I'm … not quite sure what to make of this.

"So. You satisfied?" I'm directing this question at Nero. "Can we go now?"

She doesn't respond and, to be frank, I don't exactly blame her. I like to think that I have a vivid imagination. I mean, if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to build half the stuff I can. But even so, this was not what I was expecting to see upon making our way to Rin.

Why are there fucking monks?

And why is Rin kicking their asses?

Praetor. I feel like we should help in some way.

I agree. We should probably stop her before she maims Friar Tuck.

That remark gets me a rather poignant look in return.

But if anything, it's her own fault. How could she possibly think Rin needs our help?

The girl just performed a piledriver on one of them! I think she broke his neck!

"Yo. What the hell is going on here?"

Rin turns towards us, looking away from the robed chump she currently has in a headlock. "Have you just been standing there?"

"Yeah," I admit it without any sense of regret. What am I supposed to do? Intervene? The way she was flailing about I had a bigger chance of getting hit by (not so) friendly fire than I had making a degree of difference in the situation. And besides, I was only semi-joking when I suggested we should help the freaks that had (apparently) ambushed Rin. She was butchering them.

Seriously.

Butchering.

It was like watching Vlad the Impaler take some Turks to town.

But with less wooden stakes and more armbars.

"Why don't you–?!" She gets cut off before she can finish. Courtesy of an elbow to the face. I have to give props to the mad bastard she's choking out. He actually managed to get one clean hit in. "You sonofa–!"

"Hey uh … does this mean I can go get my laundry?"

"Praetor, I feel you should be far more perturbed than you are."

"Nah. She looks like she's got it taken care of. Besides, if the OJ Simpson trial taught me anything it's that leather shrinks after it's been wet. And I never got a chance to take my jacket out of the spin cycle and put it into the dryer."

"Gah!" That sounded like it came from Rin.

"What the hell is a 'gah'?" I turn my head away from Nero and back to the unholy site of conquest before me. … Wow. Seems they managed to actually break free.

One of them must have snuck up on Rin and smacked with something because she's currently rubbing her head as if something hit it. And more importantly, the dude she was strangling got away.

As did the other three.

Actually … wait. Scratch that. They're limping off into the distance.

Pesci. I almost want to shoot them. Just to put them out of their misery. I'd probably do it too, if not for the cleanup that'd entail.

"Hey. They seem to be escaping."

"What?!" Rin lunges up, wobbling a little as she begins to regain her bearings. "Why didn't you stop them?!" Oh. Now she's screaming at me. That's kinda rude.

"Didn't wanna."

Oh. Why is she getting red in the face? And why are her cheeks puffing up? She looks a bit like a bearded dragon, y'know? Those lizard things that change colors and swell up their necks to look more intimidating. That's Rin.

"You. Did. Not. Want. To."

Well that is certainly a far less efficient way to put it. Seriously, does she not know what an apostrophe is?

"Hey, Saber could have stopped them." I mean to be fair, Rin could even stop them now. They've only made it like thirty feet. The one dude just fell down in the gutter … Pesci … she broke his ankle!

Does this … does this mean she went easy on me?! She held back?!

"Alright then. Saber, why didn't you stop them?"

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Why did you actually ask her a–?!

Nero puffs up. Her chest, not her neck. If Rin's a bearded dragon than Nero is most definitely a frigate-bird.

Now she's extending her arms. Gesticulating madly in every direction. Gotta have the proper buildup of course. Can't answer a simple question without turning the ham levels up to eleven, after all.

"Because, Rin, I feel you have the situation under control." Huh? That was not as bad as I was– "And to be fair, dear Rin, watching you combat these thuggish rouges reminded me of the time I reenacted one of the many feats of Hercules by wrestling with a lion barehanded." Her entire face erupts into a cheerful smile as she grabs Rin's hands within her own and gets far too close to the girl's face. "Watching you spar" Spar! She's calling that … that injustice I was forced to withstand sparring?! "with my Praetor felt much the same however here, to see you in all your glory, has been a wondrous sight indeed. I thank you for reminding me of some of the happier times in my past."

At this point, they're almost hugging. Nero's clinging to her like an adoring fan and Rin's … blushing?! She's blushing?! The hell is this?!

"Y-y-you're … welcome." This is getting ridiculous. Rin's stuttering like crazy. Clearly, she lacks the will to resist Nero's … positivity.

"Hey! Bipolar girl!" And both turn towards me simultaneously. Pesci, give me strength. "Rin! You going to go after those guys?! They're getting away!"

I'm yelling at her partially because I want to ensure she can hear me, partial deafness still plagues me, and partially because it feels like a good way to unload some of my grievances.

All at once Rin deflates. The color drains from her face and her brow creases significantly. She wrenches her hands away from Nero, giving an apologetic look to her as she does so, and points a rather rigid finger directly at me. "You! Don't think I didn't see this ploy for what it was! You just wanted to place the blame onto your Servant's shoulders so you could escape responsibility!"

Isn't that what she's doing? She's trying to blame me for those weirdos managing to run off when clearly if she was half as competent as she probably believed, they wouldn't have had the chance to.

"Praetor, is that true?"

Damn. Now Nero's giving me a set of puppy dog eyes. Must … resist …. "Absolutely." I can barely get the word out, but force myself to in order to keep up appearances. I will not fall for such blatant manipulation, you seductress! My mind is incorruptible and my body is a temple!

Both of them practically fall over from shock. Hah. Underestimate my will … will you? Pesci, that just sounds weird. Before I can be chastised, scolded, or otherwise punished, we're interrupted by the screeching of tires.

"Well now. It looks like your friends have acquired some wheels." And acquired they have. As about a hundred or so feet away they pull out of an alleyway in a … van? "No way."

It's … my van! Even the license plate is the same! How in the name of all that is holy did these hooligans manage to get my van!

I don't know if I should kill them or kiss them. On one hand, they've stolen my property. On the other hand, they somehow fixed my property. I'm at a crossroads, so to speak.

All I know is that there's only one choice to make. I must regain what is rightfully–

"Stop staring at them and drive!"

… What? When did I get into this car? Whose car is this?

"Praetor? Are you alright?" Great, now Nero's worrying about me.

"Jeez, and I wanted to sit shotgun." Was … was that Rin's voice? Why is she complaining about such a trivial thing?!

I ignore the mumbles of our annoying third wheel and instead try my best to give a reassuring nod to Nero. She smiles, pleased that everything's alright.

"Are you ever going to hit the gas? They're getting away!"

I do so, slamming on the gas and … going nowhere.

"The parking brake!"

"Oh." I look at the offending mechanism. "Whoops." Well, this is embarrassing.

"Pull it!"

I reel on the backseat driver, whipping my head almost completely around so I can get a good glare in on her. "Listen here, you pain in the ass. If you know so much why don't you drive?"

Her shoulders slump and her head dips down ever so slightly. "I … don't have a license."

I'm stupefied. "You … don't have a license?" She's worried about something like that?! We're in a stolen car chasing a group of guys she just assaulted! Breaking the law is way down on my list of priorities right now.

"Like this, Praetor." Nero pulls the brake. While I'm still giving it the gas. Her attempt at being helpful results in me almost hitting my head on the steering wheel and Rin … smashing her forehead into the back of my seat. Ok, that deserves a high five.

"Good job, blondie." It dawns on me that such a nickname would be confusing. "The good blondie. Not the bad blondie that's in the backseat. Pesci, can't even buckle her seatbelt but worries about driving without a license. You have a strange set of priorities, Dragon Lady."

Might I add that Nero did buckle her seatbelt? Smart girl. She learns from experience.

"Dragon Lady?!" I can't say the same about the one in the backseat.

I ignore her, and her furious glare that's in the rearview mirror, and focus on driving. We've lost a lot of ground on the van but I can still see it over the horizon. Luckily this road is relatively flat. Otherwise, we would have undoubtedly lost them. And we're doubly lucky in this case because there just so happens to be relatively little traffic around. Must be a product of the time of day plus the recent happenings in the news.

Which leads me to my next question: "Rin, who are these guys exactly?"

She sits back in her seat. Finally buckling herself in. "To be honest, I don't have a clue."

"That's reassuring."

"But!" She points at me, obviously frustrated that I interrupted her. "I do know they were following me. Or you. Or Nero. One of us."

"Perhaps they are just admirers, Rin?" Nero, please. Everyone knows that a secret fan club has to have some badass outfits before they can consider themselves legitimate. And I don't know about you, but the whole 'Saint Francis of Assisi' look is definitely dated.

Rin, thankfully, ignores this. "I was content to just keep an eye on them, thinking that they'd eventually slip up and give me a clue as to what they were doing. But… they rushed me."

"An ambush," I state this matter-of-factly. Of course, it was an ambush. They just got more than they bargained for with that gamble.

"Precisely. I want to know why. It can't be a coincidence with the War going on."

"You think this is connected to the killings?"

I see her blink in the rearview mirror. "You actually know about those?"

"Yeah. They're on the local paper's front page practically every week."

"Who, under the age of sixty-five, reads the newspaper nowadays?" Stop it, woman! Don't make me feel old!

Nero pokes my shoulder. "What killings, Praetor?"

Rin interrupts. "We can discuss them, and the kidnappings, later."

"Hold up, kidnappings? What kidnappings?"

"Later." She practically barks at me. Yeesh, someone never learned proper manners.

"Alright, for now let's just focus on getting these …." I trail off as something in my peripheral vision catches my eye. It's … a clown? They're just standing there on the side of the road … menacingly. "Ronald McDonald?"

"Praetor!" Nero grabs the wheel and swerves it harshly to the right.

"Holy hell!" We just barely dodge the parked car I was veering into. She jerks the wheel back to the left, away from the oncoming traffic that was honking its horn at us.

I pull the car off of the road and put it in park.

"You almost got us killed, you idiot!" That's Rin. Screaming in my ear. Guess she wants to guarantee that I can hear her. "And we lost them! What were you doing?!"

"The … clown?" Both women stare at me in silence. They're downright confused as to what it is I'm talking about. Great, I sound like I'm insane.

I point in the direction in which I'd seen the aforementioned circusgoer only to find … nothing. There's not even a trace of them. No whoopie cushion or whipped cream pie in sight. Great, now I think I'm insane.

"Praetor … I did not see such a person."

"Neither did I. This isn't the time for jokes! Those guys just got away and–"

"I get it. I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just … tired."

Rin scoffs at that but Nero appears to actually take it seriously. "Perhaps, Praetor. You might have been drained more from our fight with that … horrid creature than we thought." 'Horrid creature'? Is she talking about that crazy Servant that came out of nowhere? Now that I think about it that kind of describes everything I've experienced from this War over the course of the past few days. Anyway, she's definitely talking about that crazy female Servant we faced.

I don't feel particularly drained. At least not when it comes to prana supply. I'm probably what you could consider mentally exhausted but that's more of a byproduct of having to deal with Rin than anything else. Regardless, I accept that hypothesis for Nero's sake. It's probably better than her thinking I'm hallucinating. Definitely more reassuring. "Yeah. You might have a point."

She nods, smiling contently at the thought that she's correct. "Of course I do, Praetor! You need to be more vocal of your needs! How else am I to care for you as your Emperor?"

At this point Rin sighs loudly, absolutely disgusted by how things turned out. "Saber, can't you catch them? A Servant should be more than able of–"

"Denied." I don't even face her, immediately rejecting such a suggestion without any hesitation. "And it's 'Heroic Spirit' not 'Servant'."

"Alright, first: they are effectively the same thing. Second: right now she's our best chance at resolving this situation quickly and without any further–"

Only then do I choose to turn towards her, giving her the best glare I have in my arsenal. "Are you deaf? I said 'no'. Saber's not leaving my side to go and chase some random stooges you picked a fight with." I'm not going to send her into a potential battle alone. Especially when doing so would place me alone with Rin. No thank you.

Praetor? I could–

Thankfully, Nero's smart enough to respond to this suggested plan mentally and not audibly where Rin can hear our dialogue.

No. Remember what I said? The moment you think you're not going to be ambushed is when you're ambushed. If you go off on your own I'd undoubtedly be attacked. Or you would. Neither are outcomes I find agreeable. I'd rather we not divide our forces. Horror movies have told me that's always a bad idea. As did Abe Lincoln with his whole 'a house divided' spiel.

… Very well, Praetor. I suppose I cannot find fault with you wanting me at your side at all times.

Ok, I didn't mean literally 'at all times'. I was just saying that–

No, Praetor. I understand what you mean! I am your sword and without me you are unarmed. Without you, without my wielder, I am left unused. It is only to be expected that we should be together whenever possible. You are my other half. And I am yours! I would venture to say that we are soul–

I tune her out, ignoring the rambling tangent she was undoubtedly going to go off on. I've already got enough of a headache as it is.

Rin brings me back to reality when she actually releases a stream of hot air from her mouth. Ok, maybe she was just exhaling a deep breath but it felt more like she was trying to breathe fire at me. 'Dragon Lady' does indeed seem like an epithet that fits her. "Can we just … head back? If Saber won't go after them we're not going to catch them at this point and I wanted to talk with you anyway." She gives me a piercing glare to confirm that the 'you' in that equation is me and not Nero.

I'm more than a bit miffed that she's being so demanding. "You know what? No. Why would I want to talk to you? Name me one good reason as to why I'd want to talk to the girl that kicked me in the–"

"I know the name of all but two Masters and the identity of three Servants." She pauses, sparing a glance in Nero's direction. "Not counting yours, of course."

Nero and I share a look. "You … know her True Name?"

Rin shrugs. "Yeah. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of world history would know she's from Ancient Rome. Not only does she call you Praetor, but I've seen footage of her ranting and raving about the glories of 'Roma' more than a few times." Her face warps into a shit-eating grin. "And then she went and practically gave it away when she told me she reenacted Heracles'–"

"Hercules." Nero interjects at probably the worst possible moment, causing Rin to stare at her as if she's grown a second head.

"As I was saying. Heracles' feat of wrestling a lion. The Nemean lion, to be specific." That grin she's sporting develops into something even more monstrous … a smirk. She's copying my look! Stop it! I've got a copyright! It's trademarked! I'll sue you! "At least, that's what I would say … if I didn't already know before all of this."

"What." Nero and I say this in synchrony. I feel like I'm experiencing a villain's monologue up close and in person. It's … strangely riveting. And also, absolutely terrifying.

"You stole Shinji Matou's Servant and I know who the catalyst he had was meant to summon."

It dawns on me that she revealed something really important. Besides the fact that she knows Nero is, well, Nero. "Wait … did you just admit that you knew about the kid? So you knew all along that he was the one that caused that dump you call a house to get 'vandalized'! You tried to blackmail me with that weak shit!"

She shrugs and were it not for the crowded confines of this vehicle, and the fact that she'd likely kick my ass, I'd probably throw a punch her way. "Yes, but I figured guilting you into helping me would have worked." Rin sighs, her entire chest moving with the act. "Turns out I was wrong. You're even more shameless than I thought."

"You are a terrible person."

"I am sorry Rin, but I must agree with Praetor on this. Such deceitfulness is unbecoming."

Rin mumbles something under her breath. Vaguely, from the movement of her lips, I can determine she's saying something along the lines of "Not fair."

"So, what is it that you want? If it's got nothing to do with your house than what? What could you possibly need from me?"

"Answers."

Answers? "To what?"

"Questions, obviously."

Can I shoot her?

I do not think this calls for bloodshed, Praetor. Yet.

Oh yeah! I got the 'yet'! We're a go, baby! Now all I have to do is hope that good things do indeed come to those that wait.

"Look, I'll explain everything when we get somewhere more … private. If you can answer the questions I have I'll provide you with everything I can on the other participants. That'll give you a significant edge going forward."

I turn towards Nero, trusting in her to give the final say on this. She just nods stiffly. Guess the whole 'deceit' thing rubbed her the wrong way. Regardless, if she thinks this is a 'good' idea I might as well go along with it. "Alright. We'll hear you out."

Rin crosses her arms, leaning back in her seat as she gives us a toothy grin. "Great. It's good to see some people still understand how valuable the right information is."

Oh, please. Take that cheesy line and shove it up your–!

I put the car into reverse and, unfortunately, I'm forced to make semi-eye contact with her as I back up. "This would have been a whole lot easier had you just come out and said all of this right out of the gates. Instead, you put us (mainly me) through a bunch of crap just to waste my time."

"To be frank, I didn't think you'd go along with it so easily. Everything I've read about you says you're not exactly a trusting guy."

"Everything you've read about me? Excuse me? What exactly have you read on me? Why is there even something for you to read on me?!"

Rin just waves these questions off, not commenting further and letting the topic drop as abruptly as it began. It's infuriating being ignored, but obviously she's not budging and I'm not going to get anything more from her at this moment. Hopefully whatever it is that she wants 'answered' is worth it to her. If it is I can probably negotiate for something more than just information on this War. Information like 'how the hell does she know about me?' And I'm not going to buy the 'I watched you on some CCTV footage for a few hours' excuse she gave us before.

"Fine. Be that way. Saber? We're heading back, alright?" Nero just nods, finding this acceptable. I can tell she's mulling over her thoughts just as I am. I can only hope she's focusing on the important aspects of this 'conversation' and not something inane.

I think I know what I'm going to do when this War's over. If I'm still alive that is. And if I decide to keep this crappy mansion. I'm going to make a driveway. From the road straight to the front door. Because a four-hour walk back and forth is bullshit. And not your generic, run of the mill level of bullshit. No. This is supreme bullshit!

What's worse is that Rin's been whining the whole walk. Or should I say 'crawl'. She's not exactly Speedy Gonzalez.

Nero's been acting as our guide … which was an awful idea because she gets sidetracked every ten steps when something in the forest catches her eye.

And me? Well I'm trying desperately to mentally put myself into 'sleep mode'. That is, I've been just daydreaming while walking. Completely ignoring my two associates as I trudge along in the middle of our little spaced out conga line.

We've been at this for, oh, I dunno three and a half or so hours? I kinda wish Rin would end up betraying us. Yes, I said it. I want her to do it right here and now. It'd make this a whole hell of a lot more exciting. Instead, we're just walking about. Marching our way back to base and silently crossing our fingers that someone won't end up ambushing us.

Yeah, I've got this down to a tee. If I keep thinking we're going to get ambushed we won't. It's just reverse psychology on a higher scale.

"It looks like we made it, Praetor."

"Ugh. Finally!" Rin throws her hands into the air in an act of visible frustration.

"Praetor, if you would like I could make you something else to eat? That might help you regain some of your energy."

As much as I don't want to, I force myself to shake my head. "No, that's alright. I can make something this time. It's only fair."

From behind us, there's a … growl? It sounds like something out of a documentary on the Discovery channel.

"Praetor … did you hear that?"

"Who wouldn't have? I'm not that deaf."

"Tell me, Praetor. Do they have lions here in Japan?"

What an odd question. "In the zoo, maybe? There shouldn't be anything like that in the 'wild'." Emphasis on the quotations. We're still technically just on the outskirts of the city's limits.

"Uh …." Rin, who up until this moment was uncharacteristically silent, pipes up. "That … was me."

Nero and I both stare at her in awe. She's poking her two index fingers together and smiling at us idiotically. That, along with the faint blush on her cheeks, tells me that she's embarrassed.

"Why the hell are you growling? You're not a Tiger." A cold chill goes down my spine the moment I utter that word. Strange.

In a second, Rin's embarrassment turns to anger. Anger directed at me no less. "I didn't do it on purpose! It was my … my …."

"Praetor? I believe what Rin is trying to say is that she is hungry and that it was her stomach that was grumbling."

"Are you sure? I find it more reasonable to assume that she's metamorphizing into some strange half-feline, half-human monstrosity."

"You–" This encourages the aforementioned 'monstrosity' to shake her fist at me angrily. Kind of like an angry grandpa that's screaming at you to get off their lawn. Just with less enthusiasm.

"Rin, fret not for you are the welcomed guest of an Emperor! Praetor, shall be more than willing to provide for you whatever it is you require. Isn't that right, Praetor?"

"Can I change my mind about being fair? You can cook if you want."

"Nonsense, Praetor. To do so know would be an insult to your capabilities. I trust you to be qualified at handling such a task."

"Oh Pesci." I can't help but sigh as I open the front door. Me and my big mouth.

Wait … something feels off … where is everyone?

The manor's empty. Or at least, I assume it's empty. Were the guys I requested to be here actually, well, here they'd undoubtedly be making a ruckus. Instead, the place it a ghost town.

I take a cautious step inside. "Saber. Be on guard." She nods once. Instantly accepting the potential threat we could be facing. Rin visibly tenses. Not really understanding as to why I've become serious but going along with it regardless.

"Hey! You guys here?" No response … at least, that's what I assume is what we'll hear. But, lo and behold, there is one. A very loud snore. So loud that it echoes throughout the room. "The hell?"

Rin, pushes me aside, waltzing into the house as if she owns the place, and makes a beeline for the kitchen. The location in which the sound originated from. Nero rushes to catch up with her, her sword already materializing as she prepares to face the potential enemy we could encounter. And me? I'm just a little flabbergasted. I asked them to watch my house … and they instead took a nap?

What am I paying these guys for?!

It's at this moment that my phone starts ringing. "Great. He beat me to the punch." I answer it, already knowing that it's probably Kaz. The only other people that could potentially be calling would be Kiara or possibly Taiga and neither is a big fan of phone calls. They prefer meeting face to face.

"Dante!"

"Don't 'Dante' me. Where are the guys I requested?"

Awkward silence greets me. I can hear him audibly swallowing his spit. "They, uh, got lost?" He says it more like it's a question than an answer. As if he himself doesn't know what happened to them. That's not promising.

"They got lost?"

"The GPS says they're in … Hinamizawa village …."

"Kaz?"

"Yeah?"

"How did they get that lost?"

"… I would assume in the same way Vasco de Gama did?"

I … I don't respond to that.

"So does this mean I can't make a Gundam?"

I just hang up on him. There's no need to continue the conversation from there.

"Pesci … I'm surrounded by idiots."

"What is this?!"

I sigh. That shrill screech was from Rin. "Great, this can't be good." I make my way to the kitchen, ignoring the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Is she slapping someone?

"Wake up!" Oh. That explains it. I'm stupefied by the sight before me. As is Nero. The both of us are standing stock-still at the entryway to the kitchen.

"Praetor?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe your men will find themselves disappointed."

That goes without saying. At the moment, I don't really care. The Matou kid somehow managed to break free. As to how he did it … well, I doubt I'll ever really know. But regardless, he escaped … and didn't exactly make it that far.

"He ate everything." The brat was comatose on the tile floor. Covered in crumbs and missed bits of food. Rin's currently slapping him silly, in what I can only assume is her best attempt at waking him.

"Why is he in your house?!" Apparently, she noticed that I was staring at her. Her sights shift from the kid to me.

"I told you I had him in my closet." The gig is up. There's no sense in lying and joking about would probably only infuriate her more.

"You said that was a joke!"

"I lied."

She makes this strange sputtering sound. It reminds me of the sound someone would make if they accidentally snorted a liquid instead of drinking it.

"Hey, you lied too. You tried to pretend you didn't know about him."

"Why was he in your closet?!" She practically snarls this at me. It's a good play. If I were less bold it'd probably make me bend the knee. Instead, I can only find it amusing. She completely avoided my rebuttal.

"He tried to kill me. And I can't kill kids. So, I figured placing him in time out would work just as well." I allow my gaze to drift over the unconscious boy's form. "Apparently, I was incorrect."

Rin releases a long, quite drawn out, sigh. Straight from the abdomen. Then she points an accusatory finger my way. Phoenix Wright style. But before she can lay into me, she's interrupted. Interrupted by a sound that even cuts past the obnoxious snoring of the Matou kid.

It's the sound of a stomach growling and all at once Rin's expression of righteous fury warps into one of mortification.

And the icing on the metaphorical cake is when Nero edges conspiratorially closer to me to whisper: "Praetor, I believe Rin is still hungry." Bless her heart.

"You don't say?" I don't even try to hide the sarcasm in my tone. Rin, hearing it, turns a particularly bright shade of scarlet.

"Ugh … why do I feel like I was hit by a train?" To further capitalize on the awkwardness, the kid's snores transform into whining. Yes, whining. His voice is about as pleasant on the (damaged) ears as the sound of nails on a chalkboard.

It takes him precisely three seconds before he realizes he's surrounded. I'm the first one he makes eye contact with and the result is a flurry of emotions dancing across his features. Fear. Anger. And … acceptance?

"Damn." I'm in awe of his eloquence.

"Yeah, I think that sums this up rather well." I cross my arms in my best impersonation of an angry parent. "Rin? I'm going to tie him up and toss him back in the closet. Any complaints?"

She blinks, not expecting me to ask for her opinion and completely caught off guard as to how to answer. That is, right up until her brain processes the absurdity of my question. "Of course I have complaints!"

"As do I!" The kid chooses that moment to pipe up, likely emboldened by the fact that someone's sort of standing up for him. He actually copies Rin's tendency to point her finger at me in indignation. Thankfully, he doesn't also copy how she rests her other hand on her hip while doing so. "Wait …." The tip of his finger droops. Just the tip. Which is … somewhat disturbing. I didn't need to know that he was double-jointed. "Rin?"

Rin jumps. Immediately losing that confident aura that surrounded her as her shoulders slump. She sighs. "Shinji …."

"Rin!"

"Shinji …."

"Rin!"

"Shin–"

"Will both of you idiots shut the fuck up?"

"Hey!" They do the exact opposite. Going back to pointing fingers my way.

"Saber? Would I have to use a Command Spell to get you to clobber them?"

"Mmm …." For a moment, I'm hopeful. Unfortunately, that moment is short-lived. "I am afraid I cannot, Praetor. It would be brutish of me to assault a child and a pretty girl." Oh well, it's still a pleasant surprise to see she didn't deny my request outright. I'd say that's progress.

"You can't sic my Servant on me, fool! Give her back to me or I'm going to–"

"Shinji?" Rin interrupts his threat.

"Yes, Rin?" And in return she's assaulted by puppy dog eyes and a quivering lip.

"Shut up." Yet still coldly manages to shut it all down.

"Yes Rin."

Nero and I watch the proceeding interaction with a mixture of amusement and confusion. "So not only did you know he existed. The two of you actually know each other?"

They share a glance. Nero and I do the same.

Do you finally see what I was talking about?

What is that, Praetor?

Rin. She's about as fishy as a month-old tuna casserole.

… 'Casserole'?

Oh for the love of– The Grail can't even tell you what that is?

Praetor, you should know that it only informs us of subjects necessary for our integration in modern society. This 'casserole' you speak of is–

Ok! I get it. It doesn't matter anyway. Just know that I was right and Rin is suspicious.

"Yes … we know each other."

"Rin? Why are you with this loser?"

Our two 'guests' answer consecutively. Well 'answer' is not entirely correct. Rin answers. 'Shinji' completely ignores my question and instead tries to ask Rin one of his own. I guess the whole 'shut up' thing was as short-lived as my own hopes and dreams?

"Shinji, I'm not 'with' anyone." Tell em, girl. You're a strong independent woman who don't need no man. "He–" She points a finger at me. "has information that I need. Or at least he should." Rin sighs. Again. Hey, at least she's giving her lungs a good work out. That's something to take away from this. "Shinji, why are you here?"

"He tied me up and threw me in a closet!"

"He tried to shoot me with my own gun. And failed. Miserably, might I add." I try my best to shout down his answer, raising my voice and responding just as he does. Unfortunately, I'm fairly certain Rin heard what he said. She's cracking her knuckles.

"Why … why did you lock a little boy in your closet?"

"Why do you have to say that like I'm Kevin Spacey?"

"Answer. The. Question."

Nero, you were a pretty good negotiator, right? I need you to answer her for me.

First off, Praetor. There is no 'were' about it. I am still a good negotiator. I can feel the pride beneath her words. It radiates from her mind like the toxic glow from nuclear waste. And I would be happy to handle this. It is better if we address any misconceptions before they escalate. After all, I cannot allow your reputation to be tarnished unjustly. Can I?

Oh thank Saint Browning.

Do no thank him, Praetor. Thank me!

Thanks, Nero. You're a lifesaver.

That I am, Praetor! Just like the message you left for me said!

Huh. She actually remembers that? How … nice.

"Mmm … Rin!" Nero goes into her combat stance. Actually draws her sword and all. I wish I was making this up. "I will not have you slandering my Praetor. The young Summoner there attempted to harm him and, while I did not entirely approve of it, Praetor handled the situation as best he could." She nods, smiling satisfactorily to herself. "I even aided him."

… Why did she have to add that last part? Why did she need to take credit? This isn't a thing you should willingly take credit for! A single name enters my mind: 'Sporus'. Pesci, I hope she was telling the truth when she said that was a lie. … Eh, who am I kidding? Nero wouldn't lie. Especially not to me. Most everyone else would but not Nero.

"Yes, we hefted the lad up the stairs. Praetor wrapped chains around him and then we tossed him within a small side room." Sometimes I wish she would. Or, at least, I wish she'd not say certain things.

"Hey, Nero?"

"Yes, Praetor?" Her voice is far too innocent. Far. Too. Innocent.

"Ixnay on the talk of idnappingkay ildrenchay."

"Praetor? Did you not wish for me to–?"

"Shh …." I physically place a finger upon her lips. "Shush. You're incriminating yourself. Don't do that. Especially when you're being interrogated."

"I wasn't interrogating her. I was asking you and apparently you're too much of a coward to–"

"Hey, Rin?"

She stops talking. "What?"

"Let's say you were theoretically a Master. What would you do if a random child who also happened to be a Master tried to kill you?"

And now she freezes. I can only assume the very blood in her veins in icing over. "Wha–?"

"Would you pat them on the back? Give them a cookie and a glass of milk? What about if that child Master just so happened to have been the original Master of your Servant? What then?"

Stage two of mental hypothermia sets in. Her eyes glaze over. Her mouth opens and closes. Repeatedly. "Y–you!" She looks at Shinji. Then she looks at Nero. "Summoned her!" Now she's looking back at me. "And you stole his Servant! After he summoned her! I thought you just stole the catalyst!"

I shrug. "He took too long to sign the contract with her so I did it in his place."

"No! You stole her before I could react!"

I shrug again. "He who strikes first wins."

"You didn't strike anything, you bastard! You cheated!"

I ignore him, setting my attention back onto Rin. "So, Rin. What would you do? Would you only incapacitate them? Would you only imprison them so they couldn't cause damage to themselves or others?"

She bows her head in defeat. "Fine. I get your point."

"Great! Now, Shinji, what would you do?"

The kid answers without missing a beat. Although he does look a little sour over being addressed directly by me. "I'd kill them."

And in that moment, there was harmony. Every one of us (sans Shinji) fell over from shock. I did my best to put our exact mutual opinion on his answer into words. "You are a goddamn idiot, boy." He just said he'd kill himself. No joke. He just admitted that were the roles to be reversed, he'd straight up slaughter himself.

"Who are you calling 'boy', asshole?!"

"Rin, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with 'me'?! What does this have to do with me?!"

"Well, you haven't been watching this kid at all even though you know him. Shouldn't you, I dunno, make sure he's with his babysitter and not running around alone?"

"I do not have a babysitter! I'm too old for one!"

"Enough!" Rin butts in again. "Shinji! Go back to Sakura!"

"But Riiinnn! I don't want tooooo!" Stop whining! Stop it! It's worse than Rin's nagging!

"No 'buts'! You lost your Servant so that means you're out of the War! Go home and forget about all this before another creepy Master locks you in their–"

"Ok, can we do this without the not-so-subtle jabs against me? We just established that–"

"Siiillleeennnccceee!" Rin shrieks at me like some ungodly banshee. "Sakura's probably worried sick about you Shinji! You need to go back."

"What about you? I'm not going to leave you alone with this … this … thug."

"Oi. I prefer the term 'civility-challenged', boy."

"Shut up!" They both scream at me. The sound so grating on the ears that Nero deems it best to pat me on the back comfortingly as a show of solidarity. I pat the hand she's using reassuringly.

Thanks, Nero.

Anytime, Praetor. Anytime.

"I can handle this guy on my own." I highly doubt that Dragon Lady but ok. "Besides, even if I couldn't it's not like you could do anything to help. You lost a Servant of the Saber class!"

"She was supposed to be Caesar!"

"The salad dressing?"

This time they don't even yell at me. I'm just granted a set of death glares.

Praetor … I hope that was a joke.

It was.

… Alright. That is good. I would be disappointed if you did not know of him.

"Well, she isn't. And even if she was I doubt you'd fare any better. Go back to Sakura's and stay there. This no longer concerns you."

"But–"

"What did I say about 'buts'? Go Shinji." When he doesn't move she stomps her foot on the ground. A reinforced stomp, might I add. It cracks my tile floor. "Now!"

Shinji grumbles but begins waddling out of the kitchen. The kid's had to have gained at least ten pounds from eating all of Nero's food. He grumbles something under his breath along the lines of "fuck you, gigolo" as he walks past me. Charming.

We all watch as he goes. All the while I'm questioning as to whether or not it's a good idea to let a potential enemy who happens to have a motive for killing me just leave. But hey, it's not like I can do anything. I can't kill a kid. And I can't lock him back up now that Rin's in the know. I guess I could break his legs and pray that it'd be enough to hold him back but … something tells me that would deteriorate my already shaky relationship with Rin.

Slowly he makes his way to the front door. Stopping to look back every three steps only to grumble and keep walking when Rin barks his name. It's a pitiful sight. In any other context, I'd likely sympathize with him. But in this case? No. He's a little shit.

Eventually, he makes it to the door and again he hesitates to actually leave. You'd think he'd want to beat it after the treatment he'd received but … wait a second … he ate all of Nero's food. Scratch that, the food alone made this place a five-star hotel in comparison to anything else. Hell, I can almost understand why he'd be disappointed to go.

"Open the door, Shinji."

"Yeah. Open the door, Shinji." My attempt at parroting his whiny voice earns me a glare from Rin, a sigh from Nero, and a one-finger salute from the kid we're banishing.

He shrugs after that. In what I can only assume is an 'I don't need this shit' gesture. Then he opens the door.

"Wha–?"

And immediately we're swarmed with fog.

Or rather, it's what I assume to be fog. The manner in which it enters the house makes it appear to be more like a liquid than anything else. It's a tsunami that washes away everything in its path. Including Shinji.

He's consumed by the stuff. One second, I can see him and the next all I can see is the tip of his head. His hair makes it look like there's a piece of blue seaweed peeking out from the fog's tidal wave. At least, it does for a moment. Then he's gone. Without even so much as a scream.

I instinctively dive for that gas mask I'd left behind. The Israeli one. I don't know what this is but it's obviously not natural. There's the potential of it being poisonous and right now the best chance I have of avoiding such toxic fumes is that gas mask. Of course, there is only one. Nero doesn't need one. Which means Rin is just out of luck.

Now, in the event that it's something worse, something far more complex than just toxin, we're likely all dead. There's simply no time to flee. By the time I make it to the mask I'm enveloped by the fog.

I hold my breath just long enough to slip the mask over my face. A quick check of the filter (attempting to breathe while I cover its exhale port with one hand) signifies that it should, theoretically, be safe to breathe. That small comfort does little to help.

I can't see Shinji, despite him disappearing literally twenty feet in front of me. Though, I suppose this isn't saying much. I can't even see my hands when I hold them out in front of me. It's like something out of a Stephen King novel.

What's worse is the silence. Both in the physical and mental realm. I can't hear anything around me. Nor can I hear Nero in my mind. She should be asking me what happened. She should be concerned. Shouldn't she? I have no doubt they must have seen me vanish in the fog. Unless … maybe it hit them just at it hit me? Does that mean Nero and Rin are in this with me?

I know Shinji is. Somewhere.

What's worse is that I can't communicate with Nero. Is that why I haven't heard anything from her? Maybe she can't say anything? Ugh, it's almost like there's static crackling in the back of my brain. Is it a product of this fog? Did I accidentally inhale some of it? Is it capable of entering my skin? If that's the case I'm fucked. I would have needed some sort of hazmat suit to avoid being contaminated and … well … even if I did have one the rate at which the fog overcame me meant it would have been impossible to put it on before exposure.

All of these questions are … troubling to say the least. I can only assume this is an enemy attack. As to whether or not it's the work of a Master or a Servant is anybody's guess. The excess of raw magical energy in the air tells me this is at least related to Magecraft in some way and not entirely biological/chemical.

Which makes this all even worse. Everything becomes more complicated when Thaumaturgy becomes involved. At best, I would have been alright with a protective suit. At worst, I would have been screwed regardless. Either way, right now I'm up shit creek without a paddle.

I start walking back to what I think is the direction of the kitchen. Again, it's almost impossible to know where I'm going with how thick this fog is. This is fog, right? It's too thick to be mist but–

Eheheheheheheh.

Giggling. Or … snickering? It's a bit hard to tell. The fog muffles the sound. Which, considering the state of my hearing already, does me no good. It's an unnerving noise and yet I still can't say it's unwelcome. At least this means audible sound still exists in this … whatever I'm in.

A Bounded Field, perhaps? One that can be used in an offensive manner and not purely for defense? Such things exist but tend to be easily countered. For them to use it so boldly … they must have known the mansion's defensive measures were lacking.

Does that mean they scouted the land out before attacking? Or did they just assume I lacked the skill to create anything that would have detected if not outright halted this?

So many questions ….

And not enough time to come up with any answers.

Eheheheheheheheheheheheheh. Eheheheheheheheheh.

The laughter comes in a set this time. I can distinctly hear two different voices behind it. They sound like children though I can't completely discern whether or not they're female, male, or a combination of the two. What I can discern is that this is creepy as all hell. Scratch the remark I made regarding this being like a Stephen King novel. This is more like something out of a Silent Hill game.

The only thing I can do is ignore the giggling and push forward. All the while I continue to have that hazy, staticky feeling at the back of my mind. It's like my brain is itching or something. I can't place exactly what this feeling is but I do know I don't like it one bit.

Maybe I didn't put the gas mask on right? That could be it. It's probably just too tight and, because of this, it's squeezing my head and restricting blood flow.

I can probably manage to loosen it a little–

… Where's the gas mask?

I'm not wearing it.

I'm not wearing it.

I'm. Not. Wearin–

Eheheheheheheheh. Eheheheheheheh.

"Fuck you, you little shits!" The outburst comes unexpectedly. Sudden displays of vulgarity aren't exactly uncommon for me but that … that just felt out of place. It didn't feel like it was me saying that. It felt like someone else was. It's like I'm having an out of body experience. I don't feel safe even in my own skin. Even my own thoughts are starting to feel … alien. Kinda like listening to someone else's internal monologue instead of your own.

To make matters worse it feels like I haven't gone anywhere in my journey. I've walked enough to have made it into the kitchen and yet I can't see anything besides … trees?

Yeah. Trees. For a second, I think it's just a case of me going in the wrong direction. Maybe I went outside instead of into the kitchen? But … no … that's impossible. These trees look … wrong. Nothing like the kind outside the mansion.

For one, they don't have any leaves. They also don't have any bark. And their branches don't do anything you'd see a typical tree's do. They don't split or segment off, no they're just straight and pointy. I feel like I'm looking at stakes and not trees. The very basic, barebones nature of these plants make them appear almost crystalline in nature. Far from the normal, natural trees you'd see in your usual forest.

That sole cherry blossom I left behind in that park symbolized the exact opposite of what these 'trees' do. It stood for beauty and elegance. Resistance against the pushing tides of time and an unwillingness to accept a society changing around it. These trees? All they represent is lifelessness. Looking at them makes me feel like I'm in a children's drawing. Either that or some sort of odd ice world. Pesci, all I need is for some kid to ask me if I want to build a snowman right now.

The good news is that the fog's begun to dissipate. The bad news is that now all I'm left with is these weird trees and something that looks like (but isn't) snow on the ground. I can confirm it isn't because no snow that I know of remains solid when you pick it up off the ground. Usually, it'll melt from the heat of a person's body. Which is another thing to note. This snow isn't cold.

There's a light flurry around me but I can't feel any breeze. Everything just remains … static.

Wait … what am I even doing here? Wasn't I supposed to be looking for someone? Why am I standing around in the snow staring at trees?

… Who was I supposed to be looking for anyway? I … I can't remember. Vaguely I can recollect that it's a woman. She's got … green eyes. That's … that's all I can recall!

I can't remember her name. Her overall appearance. Her relationship to me. The reason I'm looking for her. The reason I'm here. Where here even is. All of it! All of it is gone!

I … I can remember my name though!

"Thomas Victors."

That's my name! I still have that! But … it doesn't even mean anything. It's just a name. I … I can't remember anything else. Do I have a family? Friends? A job? A … a lover? I don't know! It's all gone!

"Thomas Victors." It's the only thing I have. It's the only thing rooting me to this existence. That and the fact that I'm looking for a woman (I think) with green eyes. Christ, that really tells me a lot.

Vaguely, I feel like I've been through worse than this. I don't know where that reassurance comes from but I can be certain it's not from my mind. My entire brain feels like mush. It feels as if, were I to allow it, I could drift off into oblivion and wander around this strange land thinking about nothing but fake snow and odd not-trees.

But I can't. For I have got a name and a purpose. I have to find this woman with green eyes. Maybe she can remind me? Maybe she can clear this all up?

That settles it! I'll keep walking until I find this woman.

I start on my path. The 'snow' underneath my feet is … squishy? It feels like I'm walking on pillows rather than any kind of snow.

The trees part … no, no they didn't move at all. They were like that always. I just didn't notice the rest of this world. There are tiles floating in the air. They look to be made from book covers. Floating beside them are these … unique shapes. Spheres connected to one another by rods. They look like enlarged molecules.

I give these things nothing but a passing glance and a moment of thought. I have to keep going forward. There's no other option at this point. It is just what I must do. For my name is Thomas V–

Thomas ….

Thomas! My name is Thomas and I have a quest to complete! Find the person with green eyes!

There's what looks to be a castle ahead of me. How odd. It's shaped in the image of a woman's figure. If that woman were to be wearing something like a ball gown with a hat upon her head that appeared to be a set of spires squished together.

Obviously, this is the place I must go to. It was there all along! It certainly didn't appear out of thin air! That's just my mind playing tricks on me. Everything here is normal. My name is Tommy and I have to find a person with eyes. Yes, a person with eyes!

Let's just head to that castle and– oof

Something hits me in the back. And … grabs me from behind? Without warning, I'm lifted off of the ground and whisked away. I get a brief look at my kidnapper. It's a girl. She's got reddish-pink hair, piercing blue eyes, and … horns?

"We meet again, Pig. Although … that lost look on your face makes you seem more like an innocent little Lamb than anything else."

A rather high-pitched voice responds to my inquisitive stare. Why does it sound like she knows me?

"Do I … know you?"

Her brow creases, and for a second, I almost think she's going to drop me. She does much worse. She starts complaining. "Wah?! You're telling me you don't remember me?!"

I blink, using the pause it allows to fabricate a worthy response. "I would think I'd remember someone with an appearance as … striking as yours." For a while, I do nothing but stare at her face. Trying, and failing, to put a name to her.

This, for some reason, causes her to blush. "Stop staring at me! It's creepy!"

"Oh. My apologies. Your eyes are very beautiful."

That only escalates things. "Eh?!" She squeals in surprise, and again I'm almost dropped.

"Yes, their color reminds me of a cloudless sky and it's fascinating how you can somehow capture both a level of intensity and innocence within your gaze."

"S-s-s-top saying those kinds of things! We're enemies!" She starts stuttering uncontrollably.

"Are you sure? I was looking for someone in these woods and you just so happen to fit the description." She's a person … I think. And she has eyes. We've already established that as being true.

"You weren't looking for me! I was looking for you!"

"Why?"

"I don't know! My Master told me to!"

'Master'? What have I stumbled across? "Well … then I suppose I'm in their debt. As well as yours."

"That's right you are!"

I ignore the … enthusiasm in her tone. As well as the twinkling in her eye. Neither is reassuring. Not with the talk of 'Masters' involved.

"By the way, where are we going?"

She doesn't make eye contact with me anymore, instead focusing on the path ahead of her as she carts me off. "Out of this fog. It does something to your mind."

Oh? Maybe that's why my head hurts?

"I'm going to drop you off on the outskirts of this forest. You should be safe there."

"Thank you."

She doesn't respond, instead she hides behind her bangs so I can't see her features.

I'm about to ask her what her name is when she finally pipes up. "Why are you so nice all of a sudden?!"

'All of a sudden'? I'm not sure as to what she's talking about? She seems to still think I know who she is. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I appreciate the compliment though."

My reward for this gratitude is her choking on … something. Surprise, perhaps? Or maybe disgust? "Y-y-y-y-ou!"

"Yes, me. I don't believe we've been formally introduced yet, have we?" I give her the best smile I can manage, though she still avoids looking straight at me. "My name is Tommy."

An entire smorgasbord of emotions streak across her face. I can see this because, in her momentary loss of composure, she's looking at me head-on. Let me see … there's shock, confusion, various other forms of befuddlement, relief, depression, anger, happiness … and that's only to name a few. It's odd to see someone so shook up over a name.

"Did I grab the wrong guy?" She mumbles this to herself but her distinct voice and inability to speak in an inside voice makes it easy for me to pick up what she's saying.

"And you are?" I almost feel eager to learn her name. Surely, it's only customary for one's savior to exchange their identity with the person they've saved. How else would I be able of proclaiming their virtues? Let alone pay them back for this act of selflessness.

"Berserker." She says it quickly, almost as if she doesn't want me to hear.

But I do hear, and I have to say it's not what I expected. "You don't look like a 'Berserker'."

"I am! Eh– I mean, it's my name! What more do you want?!"

I smile once more. "Nothing. If that's your name, that's your name. It's a pleasure to meet you, Berserker."

She grumbles and again tries to slip by my hearing with a mumbled: "You don't mean that." A forlorn expression overtakes her entire visage and … I really don't know how to respond. It just feels like trying to cheer her up would be a terrible idea. She'd probably assume I was being insincere and right now I wouldn't have any way of confirming my genuineness besides my word itself.

Which likely wouldn't mean much to her. We have just met after all.

"I promise that I'll prove you wrong." It comes out suddenly. So suddenly that I don't even realize that I've said it until I see her turn her head towards me. We're still zipping by those odd trees (she's actually using the floating tile as a path), going in the opposite direction of that castle. I can't even see it in the distance anymore.

"You promise?"

"Of course." Again, it comes naturally. Despite me not actually knowing what it is I'm promising or having any fraction of an idea as to how I'd accomplish it were I to in fact know. All I know is that my name is Tommy and that I'm being carried through a strange forest by an even stranger girl.

My past is gone. I'm utterly baffled by what's going on in the present. And I have no idea as to whether or not I'll even live to see a future with the way things are going.

But … it's oddly calming not knowing. It's like a weight I never knew existed has been lifted off of my chest. I don't know what's scarier. The not remembering or the knowing that whatever it is I'm supposed to remember would cause me this much discomfort.

I guess I must have appeared to be dozing off. Because, before I know it, she interrupts my thoughts. "Hmm? Very well, Lamb. If you wish to rest I will not stop you. Know that I, the number one idol in the world, will ensure your safety."

Despite the mention of idols … I can't help but find what she says to be reassuring. So, reassuring that I do indeed give in to the need to sleep. What good would it be for me to stay awake? I feel positively drained. Whether this is a product of the forest and its fog or simply a result of whatever event occurred before all of this is unknown. All I do know is that I'm tired and there's no need for me not to indulge a little.

A short nap wouldn't hurt, would it?

AN: Originally, I wanted this chapter to come out within two months. We missed that window by about a week but I'm at least pleased I managed to get this out before a third month went by. This is pretty much the chapter in which things start to spiral out of control. From here on out the plot is going to pick up significantly and we're going to be seeing a lot less of those "fluffy" moments we've had up until now. This is more or less the first "arc" of the story and it's going to feature the first of the many antagonists we're going to see pop up. This will likely also be the shortest "arc" as (unlike in future battles) there's going to be very little prepping involved.

Now, onto the reviews!

Gundam-Knight-Chris: Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I tried to cram in as many alternative outfit references in this chapter as possible because it's probably going to be the last chance we have to address them.

SMV Aria2: I'm happy to say that your wait time has been more than halved!

TheTrueOverlordBear: The answer to your questions is ... none of the above lol. Gatou (the multi-religious monk) did sort of show up. I believe it was in Chapter 3 that Dante managed killing him prior to the war's start. I didn't really enjoy doing that to him but my limited knowledge of Tsukihime would make bringing in Arcueid a nightmare. Sadly, Lu Bu and Rani are going to get a similar treatment. With Lu Bu not ever being summoned and Rani having a very limited role in this story if any. Which is something I'm sure will disappoint many. Especially with how she was treated in Last Encore. Anywho, enough potential spoilers! I wish you the best too!

LukeSky001: I cannot either agree or disagree with that. Mainly because I'm waiting for it to be complete before I start reading it XD.

Lady Vanatos: She indeed is. Almost as good as Tamamo XD.

Jajo Camello: Now this is one of the things I'm trying to avoid. The dreaded "character learns something only to forget it next episode" cliche. My end goal is to have some form of character development occur in each of our cast members. Dante's never going to be at a level in which he can beat a Servant by himself (in this story at least). So we will never be seeing any of the shenanigans Seig pulled. At best Dante would be capable of stalling for time. In fact, it may sound a little underwhelming, but I plan on Dante having to rely on others to win fights for him. He'll be less combat focused and more about what comes before and after the battle. Masters are another story though. There's a few that Dante would absolutely be capable of crushing and a few that would be capable of doing the same to him. Your suggestion for the Diarmuid story is pretty much exactly the kind of dynamic I'm picturing for them. Ultimately though, their loyalty to one another would avoid many of the problems brought about by having Kayneth as the Master and allow for a bit of compromise to be had (such as Dante allowing Diarmuid to have his final duel with Arturia). I'm not entirely sure as to what I'd do with a Kirei story but I do know I want to feature him in some fashion going forward (as I actually like him a lot as a character) and I was disappointed with how they treated Assassin in Zero (she got killed off so easily). Whether or not Dante would be the Servant is up for grabs but I do like the thought of someone different (with more personality) influencing Zero Kirei into becoming something else. Which is why I enjoyed the Infamous Man's 'Just An Unorthodox Thief' as much as I did. And on the subject of Nero ... 'Nero the artist' was hilarious lol. I can definitely see why you'd see some similarities between that Nero and Schizoid Man's. It wasn't entirely intentional, but I do think I've written her (and other characters) a tad OOC here and there for comedic effect. My goal for her is ultimately to combine aspects of our (historical) Nero and the one Nasu gave us in Extra.

Darebear the bear: So as to avoid spoiling things (by running my mouth lol) I'm just going to say that you'll be seeing who the child/children will be in the foreseeable chapters. As in, within one or two chapters. I will say one thing though: they're a character we see in Last Encore. Anyways, Amari was ... how do I put this? Pointless? Unnecessary? I can agree that the writers really missed an opportunity with her. From what I can gather most of her development is on a Drama CD. Which was a terrible idea. We get so little of her in Last Encore that I can't even fathom as to why they added her. Her summoning Mata Hari is a good guess. Personally, I like to think she summoned Medb (both have pink hair). We won't be seeing Watcher in this as it'd be kind of difficult to write him/her/them accurately before Strange Fake is finished. We will be seeing some of Claudia and Simon though. It'll just be a product of me abusing dream sequences lol. Oh, and your idea for Joan being summoned by Kirei sounds a lot like what I was imagining with Kirei summoning Jeanne. Minus keeping Gilles as a Caster and having her become Jeanne Alter after being exposed to the Grail.

blazerforce: Good to see someone from the GEGE era back again! I can only hope that Schizoid Man's been better in comparison :D. You bring up a really good point though. I'll admit, I'm also a little frustrated with how the pacing's been in this story. A lot's been happening to Dante but he's not really done anything (or at least much) by his own choice. This'll be changing going forward. In the next few chapters it'll be more of the same (Dante reacting instead of acting) but after that we will get to see him be much more proactive. Particularly when it comes to the issue of Vlad and Run Ru.

And as a final note to everyone: I don't know if this would interest any of you but I'm looking for someone who'd be willing to commission a profile picture for this story. If you or anyone you know would be interested, send me a PM.