Thank you so much to everyone who donated or spread the word about Shirou Fujimura's mother's need. Together, we helped raise over half the necessary funds and eased the burden on their family just a little. If anyone had trouble getting to the GoFundMe from the link in the Author's Note, there is a copy and pastable link on my profile, just take out the spaces.

Now, on with the story! The chapter of September!

P a treon: p a Treon.(c om) (backslash) themaster4444

Beta-ed by Draconic


Okay, no miracle.

'Well, I guess it's up to me.'

Fortunately, Rider of Black seemed to be taking a lot more time than should have been necessary to recount the string of recent events, so that at least gave her time to think.

There were four enemy Servants surrounding them, six if Siegfried and Rider were ordered—or willing—to attack them. She had to assume that Assassin was still hidden in spirit form and waiting for an opportunity to strike, so that meant that the remaining Servants were Archer, Caster, and Berserker since Vlad himself was Lancer. The forest-scented Servant standing behind the girl in the wheelchair seemed to be the one with the most defined physique of the three, and he certainly had the 'Stoic Archer Look' down. That said, where her Archer's gaze was cool and even condescending, this man appeared completely serene. The one in the purple robes and golden armor definitely had the most unreadable stature… and the tackiest outfit, which made her lean towards pegging them as a Caster, if experience meant anything. Which, by process of elimination, meant the science experiment in the wedding dress had to be a Berserker. Wouldn't have been her first guess, but what could you do?

Alright, assuming they got amazingly lucky and Saber and Rider weren't coerced into attacking them, they could work with this… maybe.

On the other hand, she really couldn't predict Rider's behavior. At all.

Most Berserkers weren't the absolute monsters that Heracles had been, and Archers by their nature weren't meant for close combat, so with any luck, Saber could hold them both off while Rin somehow repeated her miraculous defeat of Medea against this Caster. Meanwhile, Shirou could hold off the… four Masters…

The Yggdmillenia weren't exactly known for being a clan of first rate mages. Sure, Darnic may have been over a century old and you didn't get to be that old and that ruthless without picking up a few tricks, but Shirou had Noble Phantasms! Fake Noble Phantasms, sure, but they were still identical to their originals and certainly did everything they were supposed to.

…and he wouldn't get a chance to use any of them if Lancer could impale him before he could finish saying 'Trace on'… And Lancer of Black wouldn't be able to do that; he would impale all three of them before Shirou even opened his mouth. At least, that's what would happen if they didn't play their cards perfectly here.

In the end, that was the biggest problem with her ideal scenario. Lancer was simply too powerful.

It also said a lot that her ideal scenario mostly relied on them getting extremely lucky.

If they still had Avalon, then Saber could have just steamrolled through everyone with the exception of Siegfried without fear of damage, but without it, they were just outgunned. Vlad the Impaler was an immensely strong Heroic Spirit without boosted abilities, but with the extra power he gained from being in his homeland, he might have been closing on Karna and Goldy.

Wait…

Gilgamesh…

Homeland…

Vlad was more powerful as long as he was on Romanian soil, but if they could just remove that…

No. That would require… but if it didn't…

At the very least, they'd still need a distraction… like…

Rin's eyes darted towards Saber's invisible sword. She smirked.

'I know that look,' Shirou said over their gem link. 'What're you plotting, Tohsaka?'

'Do you need to say your full chant to summon your Reality Marble?' Rin inquired.

'Yes. Archer might have been able to manifest it without the whole aria, but I don't have that ability,' Shirou put a hand to his chin. 'I used the full chant against Gilgamesh and I still didn't have enough prana to finish the fight. I don't think I can maintain it for long in an entire battle, especially not against so many. At any rate, without the full incantation, it's unlikely to work. Not at my level.'

'That's a problem. We really need to get them inside of it,' Rin said. 'If we can do that, I'd be able to handle the rest.'

'He will need to gather the prana for the spell,' Saber pointed out. 'With so many mages here, they are sure to notice, even if they fail to hear him. Lancer will execute him immediately.'

'Not if they're all focusing on something else,' Rin said. 'We'll need a distraction. You and I are going to have to provide that.'

Saber raised an eyebrow in bemusement, but as she followed Rin's gaze to her sword, she quickly worked out what her Master was thinking. That would garner a lot of attention. A shame that her identity would be revealed so early, but they didn't really have any options let. 'Very well. Creating a diversion should be child's play.'

'Excellent. Shirou, go for it when I give you the signal and not a moment before. If they catch on to what you're doing, we're dead.'

'Got it.'

Rin took a deep breath. If they managed to pull this off, Zelretch had better give her extra credit. The trick now was to ensure that no one heard him. So how could she go about doing that?

"…and that's when you showed up with everyone and said 'Rider, what is it that happened here?' in that scary way of yours," Rider of Black finished, making his voice deep and gravelly in a poor, but vaguely amusing attempt to mimic Darnic.

To absolutely no one's surprise, the glare Darnic shot at the pink-haired Servant was so baleful that not only did it look like he was trying to bore a hole through him, but for a moment, Rin almost thought she could see smoke coming from Rider's chest.

The woman with messy silver hair and glasses right next to him looked even less pleased. "Rider, if this is another one of your ridiculous tall tales, I swear—"

Something about that woman was just creepy. She seemed elegant and poised at a glance, but her presence alone was giving off some sort of inherent wrongness. A tense sensation, as though something intangible but absolutely necessary could break at any moment, and everything would be that much worse for it.

"It is nothing of the sort," Siegfried spoke up. He seemed to be leaning on his massive sword to keep himself standing. Avalon's work was obviously incomplete. "I assure you, Lady Celenike, everything Rider just reported is true."

Celenike? This was the batshit insane woman Zelretch had warned them about?

The woman just snarled at Siegfried's assurance, her mouth set in a twisted scowl. So judging from her reaction, it would be bad if he had lied, but she was even angrier that he hadn't. Yes, Rin decided, she could easily see this woman wearing a dominatrix's corset. She shook her head to remove that image. This was not the time to be unearthing unexpected bisexual tendencies, least of all towards this probable lunatic. After all, if even Zelretch of all people found her to be too crazy…

"Whoa… you're actually serious…aren't you?" a male Master of Black gasped. He was handsome, and certainly looked smart in his unassuming but stylish glasses, but Rin could tell that he wasn't particularly talented as a mage just from a glance. Nevertheless, he was standing protectively in front of Archer's wheelchair bound Master. He didn't look much older than Rin and Shirou had been during their war. "I guess we really dodged a bullet. If these guys hadn't been here—"

"We would have lost our Saber," Darnic snarled. He glared at Gordes' unconscious form. "And over something so trivial…"

"Darnic," the suspected Caster of Black spoke up. "If that homunculus truly does possess Saber's heart, he would serve quite well as a reactor core."

The blue haired mage's eyes turned back towards the homunculus boy, the glint in his gaze not the ambivalence of inconvenience but the avarice of desire. "Rider, hand him over."

"No way!" Rider shouted defiantly, his frivolous gaze suddenly showing unyielding determination in the face of his superior. Rin would have never expected such resolve from the previously eccentric hero. He really was a noble Servant after all.

Darnic narrowed his eyes. "Very well, you'll be appropriately dealt with later. Saber, retrieve him from these interlopers in Rider's place."

Saber of Black bowed his head. "I apologize, my lord, but I cannot allow that."

Darnic's eyes narrowed. "Do not make me waste Command Spells on this."

Celenike raised her right hand, as if to reinforce the threat.

Rin smirked. She had no idea how Darnic intended to use the unconscious Gordes as a threat against Siegfried, but Celenike raising her hand likely meant she held Rider's Command Seals. Ugh, to have such a peppy person stuck with a woman even Zelretch considered unstable, maybe she should cut the pink-haired kid some slack.

Nevertheless, even with the price they would have to pay just to get out alive, this encounter was not without profit. Already she knew three of the Master-Servant pair ups, assuming her assumption about the Archer was correct.

Shirou glared at Darnic, his hands closing into fists. "Do you honestly think we're just going to let you drag him away to use as some power source against his will?"

"From where I stand, you don't appear to be in any position to suggest that we need your permission to do anything, boy," Lancer of Black remarked evenly. "You have trespassed on the king's land."

'Shirou! Cut it out! No heroics! We need them to overlook you!'

"That is quite enough!"

With that brief command, Ruler silenced the entire party. She looked upon the Black Faction with immovable certainty. "Forcefully involving this boy in the Great Holy Grail War will not be allowed."

"What?!"

In that single word, Rin found a sudden appreciation for how frightening this Caster could be. The sound of his tone was actually funny: He managed to sound utterly dumbfounded while remaining completely disaffected. But no sane person could sound so dead. This man was a lunatic hiding behind a thin veil of serenity and a faceless mask.

"Even Holy Grail Wars have rules," Ruler continued. "And one of the most important among those is that those involved must not involve outsiders. And this boy did not choose to participate."

"But he is not unrelated," Caster argued. "After all, he has inherited Saber's heart."

"Regardless, possessing it does not make this boy a Servant," Jeanne fired back. "Putting aside the fact that this chivalrous knight still lives, no faction has the right to forcefully involve innocents, no matter how potent their magecraft might be. Caster, I'm sure you knew that."

"Yes, that is correct," the man replied, unfazed even after being called out on his false claim. "But he is still a homunculus, and that is all that matters to me."

"This homunculus was an asset we created for the Great Holy Grail War," Darnic interjected. "No personality, or past; he was created solely to fight for us."

The homunculus boy cringed, looking at the ground, shame etched across his face.

Shirou scowled at Darnic.

"That doesn't—!"

'What did I just say, Shirou?!'

'We can't just do nothing!'

'We're not. We're letting Ruler handle it. She has a better chance at saving him than we do anyway.'

"I accept that may be the case," Ruler continued. "However, he wished to live and thus took action. And indeed, there were others who wished for him to live," she turned to Siegfried. "Saber of Black, you were willing to give your life for this boy. Was that sacrifice not to give him the opportunity to live?"

Siegfried nodded. "It was." He turned to Vlad and Darnic. "My lords, please permit this boy a chance to live as he sees fit."

Darnic glared at his Saber, but he did not get the chance to speak.

"Really, Saber," Vlad sighed. His voice dripped with frustration, but it was more a parent's irritation with a willful child than someone truly furious. "You are a truly valiant hero. Perhaps to the extent of foolishness. Do you truly wish to give that mere homunculus a chance at life?"

"I hold to that as I hold to my honor as a Heroic Spirit, my lord."

"It is the wish of a Heroic Spirit, and more importantly, the will of a human being," Jeanne stepped forward. She twirled her flag and pointed the spear tip at the Servants of Black. "Upon this flag, I swear—"

Lancer hid it well, but his eyes widened a touch as he heard her rebuke. "Could you be… the Maid of Orléans?"

Jeanne, the girl Rin had tutored in math just days ago, stared him straight in the eye, her gaze unwavering against a man so terrifying that he'd inspired one of the most vicious monsters in fiction. Even with all the wonders and horrors she'd witnessed in her life, Rin couldn't help but feel a growing admiration for the Saint.

"On my True Name, I will never turn him over to you."

That was as much a confirmation as anything. Surprising, but on the other hand, Ruler had a significant advantage over other Servants.

Rin noticed the boy in the glasses whispering something to the Archer, but couldn't make out what was said. That gave her an idea.

While the Yggdmillennia's attention was elsewhere, Rin drew a small glyph in the air behind her and spoke a brief incantation.

"Verstumme!
Möge nicht Stimme, nicht ein hauch deine lippen verlassen, die klingen deiner stimme soll nie wieder erschallen!"

'That should do the trick,' she whispered mentally. 'You should be able to shout and no one would hear you.'

Shirou tested this and seemed not to realize that he wasn't making any sound whatsoever.

'You're completely silent, Shirou,' Rin assured him, 'I can't hear you anymore. It's working, so don't worry. Just focus on doing what we need you to do when we give you your opening.'

Shirou nodded.

Vlad smiled ever so slightly at Ruler's resolve before shifting his gaze to Rider. "Rider, Saber's actions could be viewed as acting on a desire to keep one of our assets alive. His choices were undeniably foolish, and far undervaluing of his own person, but he remains loyal all the same. Your behavior on the other hand can only be described as deliberate actions taken for the purpose of undermining the Black Faction. Do you consider what you have done here tonight to be a blatant act of betrayal?"

"Not at all!" Rider shot back, a wide grin on his face. "Because I truly believe that helping that boy was the right thing to do!"

Celenike looked moments away from losing her composure, but her cool glare held.

Vlad scoffed. "Needless to say, I cannot simply let you go without punishment. The same goes for you, Saber."

Siegfried bowed his head. "That is only natural. But my lord, the boy?"

"He will have his freedom."

"What?" Darnic exclaimed.

Vlad shrugged. "We will find another reactor core. It is of little consequence. Saber, please take your Master back to the castle. It would be unwise to allow him to linger so close to our enemies in such a state."

Siegfried nodded, but first glanced back to Saber. "Saber of Blue, you may retrieve your Noble Phantasm now."

Saber sighed. "No, I cannot. Your heart is likely still being regenerated. To remove it now would kill you within seconds, rendering a full half of this squabble utterly pointless," the King of Britain looked up at the King of Romania, her gaze cold, "A ruthless tactic, Lancer of Black."

Vlad smirked. "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Saber of… wait. Our Saber referred to you as 'Blue' just now, but earlier reports stated your faction color to be—"

"It was a case of miscommunication!" Rin loudly interjected. "We are the Blue Faction! Not… that other thing. Ask Ruler if you need confirmation."

Ruler raised an eyebrow at the display. "Um, yes, that is true. They are now the Blue Faction."

"Now?" Lancer noted. "So they were formerly the Periwinkle Faction?"

Rin's shoulders slumped. "Yes. We were. But not anymore." At the very least, Lancer was managing to make it sound more dignified than even Siegfried could.

The boy with glasses looked to the wheelchair bound girl. "Changing your faction color? Is that allowed?"

"I don't know," the girl replied. "I don't think there are any rules against it."

"Most would not think to," Archer explained. "After all, the designation affects nothing in the actual war."

Celenike chuckled. "How juvenile. The little girl wouldn't tolerate not having her favorite color."

That patronizing piece of… Okay… she just moved up on the blacklist.

Outwardly, Rin cringed. Inwardly, she smirked. The more they were focused on her, even for such an embarrassing reason, the more they weren't focusing on Shirou. The more she played up her reactions, the better.

"It doesn't matter what their name is," Darnic snarled impatiently. "Saber, return Gordes to Millenia Citadel now, and remain there!"

Siegfried's gaze divided itself between Gordes and Saber, obviously torn on not returning the King of Knights' Noble Phantasm. Both he and Rider had been quite generous in not exposing Arturia's identity during their explanation. For whatever stupidity it might invoke in him, Siegfried was honorable to the extreme.

Saber smiled softly at him. "Do not worry, Saber of Black. Your Master's safety is paramount above all else. Do not let your debt to me impede your oath."

Siegfried paused a moment but nodded afterward. "As you say, Saber of Blue."

He walked over to Gordes and slung his Master over his shoulder. "If you do not survive this, I shall carry your regards to Lancer of Red."

A smirk graced Arturia's lips. "I thank you for your concern. But you know who I am. You should be more worried about your allies."

Siegfried nodded and leapt away into the forest. Several of the Black Masters and Servants tilted their heads at Saber or showed similar signs of confusion, obviously concerned about the dragon slayer knight not refuting her assertion.

Rin grinned. It looked like Saber was doing her part in taking attention off Shirou as well.

Still, it was a clever move by Vlad. While Siegfried would likely have fought them if pressed, he was a knight after all and no matter how indebted he may have felt to them he wouldn't refuse such a direct order, he likely would have insisted on returning Avalon before he engaged them, even if it meant his own demise. This way, the dragon slayer knight would be taken off the board entirely, and the Noble Phantasm that could regenerate a lost heart with him.

The King of Romania turned back to Ruler. "Ruler, as a fellow believer of God, will you not join forces with us?"

"No," Jeanne refused. "I must remain impartial. As long as each side fights for the Holy Grail with honor, I will not interfere with anything."

"A shame. You are a credit to the Throne, Jeanne d'Arc," said Vlad. "However, am I to take it that you will not intervene in our interactions with the Blue Faction? Gordes reported that you refused his invitation to travel here with him, yet Rider claims you arrived in their company."

Jeanne exchanged a regretful look with the three of them, but Shirou and Saber each shot her a reassuring smile. The Maid of Orléans sighed.

"I was traveling with them for investigative purposes only," the Ruler explained. "I am no more allied with them than with either of the other factions."

"Investigative purposes? To discover how they appeared in this Great Holy Grail War no doubt." Lancer turned to them and glared. "Something I admit to being curious about myself."

Once more, the gazes of every Servant and Master present fell on them, some focused, some wary, others simply curious.

Rin cringed. "Would you believe it was a homework assignment?"

A stake longer than she was tall shot out of the ground right in front of her. She leapt back in shock as Saber moved to cover her, however it was clear that the attack had only been intended as a warning. If he had wanted to kill her, Rin had no doubt she would have been dead before she even realized she'd been impaled.

"I'll just take that as a 'no,'" Rin remarked. Funny thing that it kind of was. Hell, it wasn't even the wackiest thing Zelretch had assigned her.

Darnic glared at them. "My lord, I would advise that you execute these interlopers immediately. We have enough to deal with already."

"Let's not be hasty, Darnic," Lancer overruled. "They did just save Saber's life, at a rather significant loss to themselves. And he spoke well of their conduct when Lancer of Red ambushed Ruler. They would make valuable allies in this War. What say you, Master of Blue? Will you join forces with us against the Servants of Red?"

Yeah, no. Putting aside the fact that such an arrangement would give the Yggdmillennia every opportunity to use them as cannon fodder, Rin did have certain standards for her allies. While she actually couldn't say she'd mind working with Lancer of Black and even Caster of Black's desire to use the homunculus as a power source could be forgiven from a mage's point of view, she didn't want to touch Celenike with a ten-foot pole until she knew exactly what they were dealing with. Plus, her personal issues with Darnic… Wait…

Hello distraction!

"An interesting proposal, Your Majesty," Rin replied to Vlad. "But perhaps you should know who you are dealing with first. Saber!"

The King of Knights smiled, stepping forward on cue and raising her sword above her head. Invisible Air dissipated in a rush of wind, filling the air with ambient prana and causing all but Lancer, Archer, and the wheelchair bound girl Archer held to stagger. When all of them recovered, their collective gaze locked on the golden blade above Saber's head.

"Erggh!" Berserker of Black grunted.

"Wait, what is that?!" the boy with glasses exclaimed.

"So pretty…" Rider drooled, his hands reaching out for the glowing sword.

Shirou took his opportunity and began chanting.

"I am the bone of my sword."

She didn't hear the words so much as she felt them, recognizing the sensation that permeated the air whenever he began invoking the reality marble.

Vlad stared at the blade in shock. He looked back and forth between Saber and her weapon. "Archer, do my eyes deceive me? Is that really—"

"It can be no other," Archer confirmed. His awe didn't last as long as the others though. His eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."

His Master seemed more impressed. "The Sword of Promised Victory…" she mused, her eyes wide with reverence.

"Excalibur…!" Darnic finished, a tinge of fear on his lips.

Saber lowered herself into a ready stance. "An impressive blade, but nothing more. It promises victory. It does not grant it. Between my sword and my own person, I am the one you should be most concerned about."

"I have created over a thousand blades."

Vlad smiled upon Saber, a joyous grin though still somewhat frightening. "King of Knights, it is an honor to meet a hero of your caliber. I believe an alliance between our two factions would be to both our benefits."

"I thank you for your praise, King of Romania," Saber replied politely. "However, it is not my decision whether to join you."

"Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain."

Archer's eyes narrowed. He looked at Saber with suspicion for a bit, but then his eyes seemed to wander, getting far too close to Shirou.

No, no, no! If they caught on, they were all dead. She just needed to keep their attention for a bit longer!

Time to look like a crazy person and hope Zelretch never let Luvia find out. Oh, to hell with it, she was probably watching right now, but she would rather be humiliated than let Shirou die. Not to mention… how would she be able to look Sakura in the eye ever again?

"Indeed!" Rin agreed, stepping forward boldly to cut off Archer's view of Shirou. "While Saber here is as fine a Servant as they come, you should really be far more concerned about me!"

The Black Masters' reactions ranged from confused curiosity to irritated exasperation. Darnic in particular seemed to champion the latter.

"What are you playing at, girl?" the leader of Yggdmillenia growled.

"Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one's arrival."

Archer's eyes widened. "My lord—!"

"I mean that I haven't introduced myself, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia," she stared him right in the eye and let her smirk fall away to be replaced by a look of disgust. "For what I've heard, you're intimately familiar with my family."

Darnic narrowed his eyes.

"What are you getting at, girl? Say what you mean rather than wasting our time."

"Okay, have it your way. My name is Rin… Rin Tohsaka!"

Every member of the Black Faction's eyebrows shot up like rabbits, even Lancer and Darnic. Especially Darnic.

"What?" the man who stole the Holy Grail spoke very softly and very slowly, his gaze cold and venomous, like a viper that had come across a mouse that had dared to bite back.

"Well. It looks like you missed one," Rin leered up at him. When in doubt, lie.

"Tohsaka?" the boy with the glasses gasped. "But—but they're dead! Right, Archer?"

"I have no regrets. This is the only path."

"They are," Archer concurred, "But if she was really… then why would she— The boy!"

Shit!

Archer's bow was immediately in his hands, an arrow fully drawn.

"Archer!" Lancer shouted.

"My whole life was…"

Rin absently noted that Shirou's voice was suddenly audible again, indicating that her spell had worn off. But it didn't matter anymore.

"Unlimited Blade Works!"

"Too late!" Rin smirked.

Even as Archer of Black fired, the whole world went white.


FATEFATEFATEFATEFATEFATE

Fiore blinked rapidly as the glare faded. When she could see properly again, her jaw dropped.

She'd tried to keep her mind open when Grandfather Darnic had told her she'd be entering the Great Holy Grail War for their family. She'd been sad to leave her friends at the Clock Tower and a little nervous about having to fight, but she'd known there was no point in trying to say no to Darnic. A mage who'd managed to live as long as he had was not to be trifled with. Still, she hadn't been sure what to think about the absurd tales that were told of the past wars. Even with magecraft, some things were just impossible.

Then she'd summoned Archer. Obtaining the catalyst had been difficult, but it had all been worth it when she'd met Chiron. Her Servant was simply wonderful. He was so kind, and gentle, and wise. He truly felt like a figure of myth that had stepped out of legend. Just the fact that he existed, that he'd spoken with her, that they'd drank tea together, it proved that the wonders of ancient times could still exist through these Servants. Anything was possible with them in this world.

Even… she dared to dream… for her to walk. To walk without giving up her path as a mage.

But even with the knowledge that such miracles were possible, she hadn't been able to understand why Archer had been so uneasy when Saber of Blue had revealed her sword. True, it was a wonder to behold the legendary sword of King Arthur (though she was a bit confused why she was a woman), but Lancer was practically unstoppable within Romania. His stakes could strike almost anyone before they had time to react. No matter how powerful Excalibur was, it couldn't hurt them if it never went off.

She'd been shocked when Archer's attention had turned to the redheaded boy next to the Master of Blue, the girl who claimed to be a Tohsaka. There didn't seem to be anything particularly remarkable about the boy. He was kind of handsome, and he had the same Black Command Seals that Rider had mentioned having appeared on the homunculus they were chasing, but he wasn't something to worry about. Uncle Gordes had reported that the boy had bested him, but as much as Fiore loved and respected her Uncle he was far from the most… agile combatant.

So when Archer had drawn his bow on the boy, she'd been more worried that negotiations would break down. The thought that she was about to be thrust into the most impossible situation hadn't even crossed her mind. And what greeted her was indeed an impossible sight.

They were no longer in the Trifas forests. There wasn't a tree in sight. It wasn't even night time anymore. The sky was covered by billowing clouds of soot, smatterings of light sneaking in through the few cracks.

And on the ground… swords. Thousands upon thousands of blades, stretching as far as the eye could see in all directions. Each had a different make and style, a different power resonating through the air. They went on past the furthest horizon, an endless arsenal beyond anything that Fiore could have ever imagined.

All around her, the other members of the Black Faction, even Lancer and Grandfather, gazed around their new surroundings, awe plastered across their faces.

"What is this?" Celenike hissed, fear evident in her normally domineering voice.

"Is… is it some kind of illusion?" Caules stammered.

Fiore sighed. She loved her brother, she really did, but he really wasn't that skilled as a mage. Part of her was glad because it meant she wouldn't have to kill him if they both made it to the individual stage of the war, but it could be rather vexing at times like these. Though given that the spell they'd been entrapped in should have been impossible, she supposed his disbelief was understandable.

"It's a Reality Marble," the elder Forvedge sibling corrected. She looked up to her Servant. "You sensed it. Didn't you, Archer?"

Chiron nodded, even as he marveled at the boundless armory before them. "The boy was gathering a rather large amount of prana. Saber of Blue's release of her sword's cloaking filled the air with ambient magical energy, masking the process. I assumed he was building up for a powerful spell, but I never imagined he would be capable of something like this. Hephaestus himself would be humbled by this place."

"It is really pretty, isn't it?" Rider grinned, his eyes darting to each sword with ever-growing glee. "I wonder if we can touch them."

"Don't bother, Rider," Caster drawled sardonically. His mask hid his facial expression, but his gauntleted hands curled into fists. It was the most emotion Fiore had ever seen from the nigh heartless Servant, even when Roche was fervently praising him. "This place… it is a mockery of God's creation, his painstaking labor that constructed Eden. To have the power to create an entirely new world, and to make something so lifeless."

"Lifeless? Oh, so you're saying it's just like you, huh?" Astolfo answered cheekily.

Fiore cocked an eyebrow at the golem maker. Reality Marbles were an ancient magic among ancient magics. They hadn't been seen since the Age of Gods. To create one was to take a step closer to The Root than anyone had gotten in centuries and would surely earn someone a sealing designation from the Clock Tower. Who was this boy that Uncle Gordes said could only use Gradation Air, that he could perform such a feat?

"Hey, eyes up here!"

The Black Faction's eyes all turned to a small hill at the… center of the world? There didn't seem to be any borders so orienting themselves in the new setting was difficult, to say the least. But there was a small hill nearby in the plain of swords, a larger concentration of swords seeming to riddle the softly rising slope. Ruler and the homunculus boy stood at the side of the hill's base, their eyes as wide as everyone else's.

And at the top stood the Blue Faction. The King of Knights and the redheaded boy flanked Rin Tohsaka, who grinned at the Yggdmillennia like a cat. "We still need to finish our negotiations."

Darnic growled. "What is this place, girl?"

"I think your Archer's Master already said it," Tohsaka declared, flashing Fiore a respectful nod. Fiore recoiled slightly from it. Whether this woman really was some long-lost survivor of the family that Grandfather wiped out in the Third Holy Grail War or not, she was definitely dangerous.

"That is impossible," Darnic insisted. "No modern mage could possibly manifest a Reality Marble; the Mage's Association would seal them immediately."

"You mean the Association you just royally pissed off," Tohsaka purred, as if she was relishing playing with her food. She turned to the redhead. "Shirou, a demonstration if you would?"

The newly named Shirou nodded.

"Lancer of Black," he spoke up, "If you wouldn't mind providing me with some stakes."

Vlad raised an eyebrow but promptly caused a trail of stakes to erupt from the ground. They weren't as nearly as fast as they had been when she last saw him use them.

Instantly, a series of sapphire motes sparked above the Blue Faction, condensing and coalescing into two dozen swords of various makes and sizes. The only thing they all had in common was that they radiated power. Power Fiore recognized after weeks of spending time with Servants. But those blades were just conjured out of thin air, they couldn't possibly be—!

The moment the next stake shot upward from the blasted earth, a sword flew at it, exploding upon impact only to be replaced by more blades, lingering above Shirou's head once again.

"Hey, that's Durandal!" Rider cheered, pointing eagerly at one of the swords. "Where'd you get that? Is Roland hiding somewhere around here? Rooolaaand! Helllooo! It's me! Ast—er… well, you can recognize me by my voice, right?! Where are ya?!"

Fiore cringed. Well, that was confirmation that the swords really were Noble Phantasms at least. Rider wouldn't have recognized the signature sword of his fellow Paladin otherwise. And if their power was real…

Oh, this was bad.

"Archer, what are our chances here?"

"As poor as you imagine them to be, Master. Though not likely for the reasons you believe," Chiron informed her. "While I do believe that each of those swords do contain the power of a Noble Phantasm, their full power will only be unleashed if they are wielded properly and their True Names declared. While they are dangerous as a barrage, we should be able to dodge them without too much difficulty. While Berserker and Caster might be in some measure of danger, Lancer, Rider, and I would be able to overwhelm the boy." the Trainer of Heroes narrowed his eyes. "The real problem is the King of Knights."

Fiore gulped, her eyes laser focusing on the stunning blond woman in silver armor. She might have deferred to Tohsaka, but there was no doubting the iron grace and authority that radiated off of her, no more than one could deny the more frightening version that rolled off of Lancer. And occupying her grip, lax but still at the ready, was the legendary sword given to her by the Lady of the Lake.

'Excalibur.' Since she knew Saber of Blue's identity, Fiore could see her Noble Phantasm's statistics. They were… quite terrifying.

Archer nodded. "Indeed. It is a weapon that would have been feared even in my time. If she activates it here, she can annihilate us all in a single shot. Perhaps Siegfried's Balmung could have stalemated it, but…"

"He isn't here," Fiore finished. Grandfather's plan to get the King of Knights' healing Noble Phantasm away from her had unintentionally left them all vulnerable. "Can we do anything to stop her?"

"If we were still in Romania, Lancer could easily strike her as she charged her attack. But as long as we are in this world, he will not receive the bonuses from either his fame boost or his Demonic Defender of the State," Chiron explained. "Even so, I could shoot her as she did the same, pin her down while the others closed in. Except…"

Fiore glanced at the floating array of swords, hanging over the Black Faction like the famous blade of Damocles. "They have more than enough ranged defenses."

"I'm afraid so, Master. We've been outmaneuvered. They can wipe us out at their leisure."

Fiore frowned. "So why don't they?"

"Because this mage, whether she is a Tohsaka or not, is clearly no fool. She could destroy us right now, but then that would leave the Red Faction with no united opposition. Even she came to an accord with Lord Gordes and Saber, even if she tracked down Assassin, her group would still be massively outgunned by the remaining Red Servants. She has already seen that their Lancer can stalemate the King of Knights at her full power. Though it is unlikely, imagine how she would face them if the other five, or as she believes six, Servants of Red were his equals in strength?"

"They'd die," Fiore realized. Even with the King of Knights, even with this Shirou's Reality Marble of endless swords, the Blue Faction could not defeat the Mage's Association's team, even if none of their remaining Servants were comparable to Karna. It was unlikely that all the Masters of Red had called Servants as mighty as the Hero of Charity, but as demonstrated by Chiron's own disciple Achilles' presence, it was not impossible. If they killed off most of the Black Faction now, at best, they'd have Siegfried by their side to face the enemy. But knowing Uncle Gordes' pride (and the fact that he did actually care about her and Caules—he let them call him 'uncle' after all), he would put everything he had into taking down the ones who defeated Yggdmillennia, so they wouldn't even have that.

Whether they liked it or not, the Blue Faction needed Yggdmillennia alive to throw against the Mage's Association. They needed both sides to whittle each other down so they could swoop in and wipe out the weakened survivors, or they'd just paint targets on their backs.

It was still a staggering amount of leverage, but as long as negotiations went well, they would all leave this encounter unharmed.

Lancer seemed to have figured out the same thing. While Darnic was seething with impotent rage, the Son of Dracul stared at the Blue Faction with a steely gaze, riotous irritation, and grudging respect. "What are your terms, Miss Tohsaka? I promise you, you will not be taking the life of my Master if that is what you're after."

Tohsaka smiled. "I would never ask a Heroic Spirit to stain their honor in such a way. Trust me, I've seen it done. The results aren't pretty. Rest assured, your Master is going to get what's coming to him, but so long as you comply with my offer, it won't be today."

Darnic's glare was positively toxic. "Then as Lancer said, imposter, state your terms."

"No need to be so touchy, Darnic," Tohsaka mocked. Fiore cringed at her words. Either out of respect or fear, no one talked to Grandfather that way. Between the King of Knights, a mage who could conjure a Reality Marble, and this scheming young woman, she was honestly considering that this third faction was from some crazy alternate dimension

"My terms are simple," Tohsaka declared. "You allow us to leave this place unharmed and promise not to come after us for three days. And in exchange we'll do the same for you. We'll also be needing Saber's scabbard back."

"I'm afraid that is impossible," Vlad replied calmly. "Forgive me, but I have little knowledge regarding this Noble Phantasm, or how it functions. I have no way of knowing if our Saber's heart has been completely restored, or if removing the artifact will reverse what healing has been done. I will not risk Siegfried's life by returning the item to you."

"The item is Avalon, as I'm sure you know," Saber of Blue said, her tone making it quite clear that she knew an explanation wasn't necessary. "My sheath possesses regenerative and protective capabilities beyond any magic in this world. At the very most, it will take a few more minutes to permanently restore Siegfried's heart."

"I have no objections to the first half of your proposed accords. If it is all you demand, then you have my word as the King of Romania that you shall not be harmed," Lancer assured them. "But I cannot promise to relinquish a Noble Phantasm in good conscience, when it keeps my comrade alive even as we speak. Moreover, you freely granted us possession of a tool that can heal fatal wounds. I would be betraying my comrades if I allowed you to simply retrieve it.

Tohsaka's eyes narrowed. Fiore understood her frustration. While Vlad did have a great deal of consideration for every member of the Black Faction, it was clear he was using it as an excuse in this case. He knew that if Saber of Blue reclaimed her sheathe, she would become exponentially more difficult to defeat.

Excalibur lit up with a golden glow.

"You do know that Excalibur doesn't have to be used at its full power. We could narrow the blast, just take out some of you," Rin threatened. "Maybe we take you out and negotiate with the next person in the chain of command."

"If you don't aim for all of us, those you spare will tear you apart before you even have a chance to defend yourselves. If I fall, my comrades will avenge me," Vlad countered.

Archer, Berserker, and Rider all nodded in agreement at that declaration, but the King of Knights remained unmoved.

"There is no longer a question of 'if,' King of Romania. Here in Shirou's world, every advantage you gained from being summoned within your own domain has been stripped away. You have no hope of surviving should I use my Noble Phantasm."

"We are warriors, King of Knights. We both know that there is always an 'if'," Vlad's gaze narrowed. "And if you do manage to murder any of my captains, pray that heaven will have mercy on you, for I will not."

It was a stare down. The girl from the dead family, and the Lord Impaler. Both of them were terrifying in their own way. Both were warriors, through and through. Both had wills of iron tested by the bleakest of odds.

But only one had slaughtered thousands. Only one had planted living men on spikes and left their still bloody corpses as a warning, even blunting stakes so that they would scream for three days and nights, begging passersby to kill them before they finally died. Only one had burned the world to make his enemies fear treading on the ashes.

There was no doubt in Fiore's mind that Rin Tohsaka was a force to be reckoned with. But there was a reason Vlad Tepes III had inspired a monster. It would only take one crack in her armor, and she would falter.

A single bead of sweat rolled down Shirou's forehead.

"Tohsaka," he hissed urgently, far more strain in his voice than Fiore would have expected from his stoic outward appearance.

She supposed it made sense. No matter how incredible it was that he could summon a Reality Marble, he was still maintaining an entire world. That must have required an absolutely enormous amount of prana, especially since he'd conjured the realm without uttering a word. The longer the negotiations went on, the closer the pocket dimension came to collapsing from lack of energy.

Lancer wasn't a mage, so he might not understand that was happening, but surely Grandfather had realized they just needed to wait. Right?

She glanced over at him. Darnic wasn't paying Shirou the slightest bit of attention, his furious gaze locked only on Rin. Her name and her jeering had worked exactly as intended and thrown the leader of Yggdmillenia completely off balance, preventing him from seeing the big picture.

That left it to her. If she spoke, the entire power balance of the negotiations could shift back to them. They could just wait the Reality Marble out and defeat—kill, she reminded herself—the Blue Faction back in the real world. But on the other hand, Tohsaka could still decide her best choice was to cut her losses and just unleash the Sword of Promised Victory.

Regardless of which way it went, Fiore didn't particularly like either of those outcomes. The Blue Faction had just saved Saber. Were they going to thank these people for their goodwill—goodwill that wasn't just unprecedented, but if the girl's claim was true, completely undeserved—by executing them? She didn't want them to die for stopping to help, even though they were enemies.

She held her silence.

Tohsaka growled in frustration. She broke her stare with Vlad. "Alright, fine. You have a deal, Lancer of Black."

The King of Romania smirked. "Excellent. Once again, I grant you my sincerest thanks for saving Siegfried from his own foolishness. I look forward to facing such honorable opponents as this war continues."

Tohsaka sighed. "Yeah, sure, whatever. With your Saber's code of honor, we'll get that scabbard back sooner or later. I would just have preferred it sooner."

Darnic scowled. "What concern should I have for the desires of a dead little girl?"

"Excuse me? In my twenties here. I'm not young, you're just a fossil. And at the risk of mistaking your intentions for something incredibly foolish, I can assure you, I'm very real. You only have to look at any of your companions' reactions. Pay more attention, old man, or your followers might think you're going senile."

"You—!"

Vlad held out an arm.

"I commend you for having the capacity to unsettle my Master at all, let alone make him lose his composure, but if we continue at this pace, neither side is going anywhere."

"…Indeed," Darnic ground his teeth, "If we're quite done, let us leave this place."

Rin shrugged, then nodded.

"Fine. Shirou, we're done here," she ordered, then more quietly, added. "Sorry to work you this hard."

But the apprentice's reaction wasn't one of relief, as Fiore had expected. Instead, a stern expression spread across his face.

"Actually, no. We're not done," Shirou stepped forward. "Before I let any of you go, I need you to answer a question."

Darnic's eyebrow twitched. "What is it now?"

"When you stole the Greater Grail, was it corrupted?"

Huh?

Fiore's eyebrows shot up in confusion. She exchanged a glance with Archer, but for once the wise sage looked just as befuddled as her.

"I haven't the first idea what sort of delusion you're raving about now," Darnic spat. "The Grail, corrupted. Corrupted by what, exactly?!"

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

"I guess you'd call it… All the World's Evils."

For a moment, Darnic looked ready to laugh in Shirou's face, but Ruler's gasp gave him pause.

"All the World's Evils? In another world, it is true that Angra Mainyu was summoned and became trapped in the Grail… Could that be the cause of these revelations?"

"Angry Man You? Is there somebody trapped in the Grail?" Astolfo wondered out loud. "Uh, we should probably do something about that."

"Can you please just… stop talking?" Rin asked. "You're really nice, but honestly, every time you open your mouth, you give me a terrible headache."

"Angra Mainyu was the entity—a god, really—in the ancient Zoroastrian culture that we would equate with Satan," Jeanne explained to the fidgety Rider.

Astolfo paled.

"Okay. That'll sure keep me awake at night," he stammered.

"In truth, I highly doubt that the Heroic Spirit I mentioned was the actual god, but even sharing its name would have unspeakable ramifications. An Avenger class Servant… A creature such as that would sooner be forcibly erased from all existence than let go of its anger even for a second. Even a powerless Heroic Spirit would be unspeakably dangerous if it could prevent itself from dying out of sheer desperation to share its own suffering. Especially with all the powers of the Holy Grail at its disposal."

Fiore noticed Celenike raise an eyebrow, as though she was intrigued by the prospect. Not a good sign. The curse specialist had been acting a little strange ever since Rider had run off.

However, this was nothing compared to the volcano poised to erupt to be found in Darnic. Several veins in his forehead were pulsing, visibly standing out against his skin. He seemed so agitated that Fiore worried his heart might give out. Slowly, his lips parted to speak.

"There is no one… and nothing… in the Grail."

"Are you completely sure about that?" Shirou asserted. "Because if there is, whatever wish anyone tries to make on it wil lcause a disaster. The kind of nightmare you couldn't even imagine. Thousands upon thousands of curses will pour out of the Grail and create Hell on Earth. Your castle will melt. Metal will turn to slag and the earth will turn to ash. Trifas will burn, and nothing will be left but charred debris and thousands of crumbling skeletons that were innocent people before you tried to make a wish. Nothing will live on this patch of land ever again, and that's if it doesn't spread further. And no one, not even the Mage's Association will be able to explain what happened."

"That's… oddly specific," Caules remarked, but Shirou's tone had made sweat bead on his forehead.

"…uuunnn," Berserker nodded in a rare show of agreement.

Shirou nodded as well.

"I agree. It is. But it's something you need to at least be aware of. Are you prepared to risk that?"

"Happily! There is nothing out of the ordinary in the Grail," Darnic snarled, "I was very thorough about assessing its condition during the summonings. Perhaps you should do something similar with your head. Moreover, I've never heard of any such Servant called an Avenger. In the previous Holy Grail War, the Einzbern clan did summon an eighth class, but it was the same as that of the girl that Rider claims you arrived here with." A grim leer split his face, "And even then, their Ruler class Servant could not save them from me. Are you satisfied yet, boy?"

"That doesn't really inspire much confidence," Astolfo interjected. "Boss, are you sure that Avenger thing isn't stuck in the Grail? Because I'm no genius, but I don't have to be to know that if it is, from the sound of what we just heard, this story isn't going to have a very happy ending."

"You're going to stop speaking above your station, Rider," Celenike hissed. "Next time you attempt to give orders to a Master, I'll use a Command Spell to seal your mouth shut."

"Huh? But I didn't—" a glare from his Master silenced him. "Uh… okay."

Shirou sighed, shaking his head at Astolfo's antics before turning to look at Darnic. "If you're telling the truth, I suppose that's a relief. But if you're lying, I won't be the one who gets hurt." Fiore suddenly realized that he was sweating. He wasn't speaking out of paranoia. Something had happened to this man. Something horrible. And she wasn't sure she was at all prepared to hear any more about it.

"Wonderful," Darnic spat. "Now, if you would kindly dispel the Reality Marble, I have a Rider that needs to have its fingers broken.

"Yeah!" Rider of Black exclaimed. "That Rider needs to—wait what!?" he bristled like a startled cat. And then immediately got distracted; "Oh, hey, look! That's my sword!" He pointed at a weapon embedded in the ground that was obviously a replica of the sword that the homunculus now carried. "Can I—whoa!"

Fiore saw Shirou nod, and then saw no more as her vision whited out, and the world of endless swords disappeared.


And with a little bit of improvising, the Blue Faction comes out alive.

They aren't in perfect condition, they had to use every trump card they had to get away, but they did get away. Just, without Avalon. Slightly problematic, but not a deal breaker. They'll need to regroup and come up with a new plan.

For those curious, Rin's incantation roughly means: "May not voice, not a breath leave your lips, the sound of your voice shall never resound!"

A huge thank you to my patrons: ArcherMcMuffin, Gregg Tracton, Keith Traction and Cool guy.

Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!

Go Forth and Conquer!