Author Notes: A massive shout out for my betas Plague and Mae. Without their patience and hard work, this chapter wouldn't have reached this level of quality! Much love for them both. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to PM or check out the Discord channel!

"Why are you so reckless?"

Issei shifted on the stool, unable to offer anything more than a forced chuckle. One quick glance in the mirror was enough to kill any small talk. Wounds old and new were blotched across his chest, and he had little doubt that his back was painted similarly.

Ritsuka drenched and squeezed a towel down his shoulder. The coolness soothed his inflamed muscles, but her hands sent a shiver down his spine. They journeyed through the landscape of his injuries with the occasional stumble into a raw injury. They had to make do with the scant moonlight that flowed into the infirmary.

He relished her tender mercies, and it wasn't because a cute girl was attending to him. Perhaps, but it wasn't just that — he felt that there was something familiar about this scene, as if there was another person whose fingers ghosted his back in the same manner.

When he closed his eyes and let her touches dance over him, he could almost imagine a face blurred with endless fuzz, scrambled like a television channel. He wanted to replay the memory, to discover the missing pieces of his past, to know why Ritsuka's fingers reminded him of another woman, but only a vague snippet of love revealed itself through the bad reception.

Was she a mother? A sister?

A lover?

His heart desired to know, but he knew there was little point in obsessing over what he'd forgotten. The hope it gave him was enough, that maybe he had a home to return to.

His brief nostalgia subsided when an unknown sensation brought his attention back. The more Ritsuka swabbed away the grime, the more a frown tugged at his mouth. Shock pummeled his head when he understood what it was. Scabs littered the tips of her fingers down to the flat of her palm. He recalled her frantic clawing through the wreckage back in Chaldea, scouring for any survivors.

He wasn't the only reckless one here.

It was the very essence of what attracted him to Ritsuka. Her earnest desire to save people inspired him, pushed him to follow her footsteps. The two of them had entered into the flames of that accident and left forever tempered by it.

Ritsuka pressed harder onto his wounded shoulder. He suppressed a groan and resorted to minor squirms to ease his pain. Green light thrummed against him, heat bubbling throughout his muscles, purging away the aches and discomfort.

"It's all I can do for you," Ritsuka sighed. "Healing Magecraft has its own limitations, so try not to overexert yourself. We don't have much supplies either, otherwise I'd do more."

"Thanks, Ritsuka." Issei rotated his shoulder. It was stiff, but it no longer pained him to move. His grin paused when he recalled the state of her hands. "Can't you heal your own injuries?"

She shook her head, gesturing to her clothes. "I could, but my healing abilities are limited to the Mystic Code I'm wearing. You can see it's not in the most perfect condition. Your injuries are more important than mine."

Issei frowned. He couldn't see the extent of the damage within the gloom, but he doubted that they couldn't spare one more use for her.

"But doesn't it hurt?" Issei asked.

"Even if I said it did, what would that change?" Ritsuka laughed. The hollowness of it mirrored the emptiness of the hallways. "Just try to not fight Servants head on again. Please. I don't want anyone else hurt."

Issei knew that was an impossible request, and the hypocrisy of it shone on them. He cared more about Ritsuka's injuries over his. The opposite was true for her.

"Yeah, there's no way for both of us to avoid getting hurt. Not with our mission," she sighed, and she walked towards the window. It was one of the few that were still intact in the high school they had taken shelter in. "But even so, I still wish for a way that no one has to suffer more. Maybe, that's why I'm a failure as a Master and Magus."

"But isn't that natural?" Issei blurted. He couldn't understand what Ritsuka meant. "I don't see how you could be wrong for thinking otherwise."

"Not to them." Ritsuka turned to Issei. He hated how brittle her smile could become. "In order to advance as a Magus, we have to prepare for every possibility. There could never be any progress without sacrifice. Pain and suffering means nothing in the long run. Aside from severe taboos, anything is allowed as long as Magecraft is advanced. Even death."

"But that — " Issei trailed off. He wanted to say that it was wrong. That the ends could not always justify the usage of drastic means, but was it any different than what he had already done? He'd sought power, no matter the cost, for his own need.

"Perhaps Magecraft was never truly meant to help people. Perhaps nothing good could come through whimsical methods," Ritsuka shuddered. "Perhaps that's why I am lacking. When I met the other Masters, the ones who were supposed to go on this mission, I realized how much of a difference there was between them and me. They were from great lineages, with decades or even centuries of research behind their Magecraft."

She clenched her sleeves; the color faded from her knuckles. "Who was I to compare to them? I was just an ordinary girl who didn't care about searching for the Root or gaining prestige. I could barely do rudimentary Magecraft, but I didn't care! All I wanted to do was to help people. I thought that if I just did my best, it wouldn't matter that I was a good Magus or not, but look at us right now!"

Ritsuka choked back a sob. "We're the only two Masters left, Issei!"

Issei grimaced. Doctor Roman had confirmed that the other Masters were comatose due to the incident. They might not recover if Chaldea can't contact the outside world. Communications were cut off, so they had no choice but to press on with the Rayshift Mission. The fact that they hadn't mentioned the status of other staff was telling enough.

"What if the reason why Mashu can't use her Noble Phantasm properly is my fault? Was it because I wasn't strong enough as a Master? I don't even know how to help Mashu, so how am I supposed to help save humanity like this?" Ritsuka's eyes pleaded with Issei, beckoning him to say otherwise. He couldn't.

"I shouldn't have been a Master," she announced, eyes downcast as she backpedalled until she hit the wall. "I shouldn't be here. It should've been someone else. Someone else would've done a better job." Ritsuka's knees crumbled, and she slid down to the floor.

White light shone through the window, framing her quivering shoulders. They were smaller than Issei had thought. He'd chased after her back ever since waking in Chaldea; he'd thought they were strong enough to endure the weight of the mission. That it would be fine if he could walk the path she took.

He was wrong. No shoulders were wide enough to bear the fate of humanity's future. None of them had thought they would do this alone.

Issei realized Ritsuka was no different than him. Just as Ritsuka expressed doubts on her abilities, he too doubted his potential. He had no memories, no real skills beside a knack to rush in and hope that it went well. His battle with Berserker had exemplified that.

Both of them thought it would be fine if they did something — anything to prove that they were capable. They were directionless, lost in the fog of their own insecurities. That had to change. He had to steer them out of this mire.

Issei knelt before her, unsure. She was only a hair's breadth away, yet the gap felt gigantic. A river of insecurity coarsed between them. How could he hope to build a bridge when he didn't know where he stood in relation to her?

His hand reached out, but his fingers dangled uselessly. He gulped down enough courage to make the final stretch, brushing aside her messy bangs, untangling loose debris from her hair. Her revealed cheeks glistened under the moonlight, yet her tears did little to wash away the traces of the battlefield.

Ever since they had arrived at this city, they hadn't found a chance to sit down like this. Issei almost snorted at how fitting it was. Whether it was Chaldea or this Fuyuki, it was again in another infirmary, but he wasn't the only patient this time. Issei grabbed a clean towel and began to scrub at her face. She didn't reject his care: it was a start.

He grasped her hands and brought them up to his eyes. As he thought, they were riddled with cuts and burns. He used the first aid kit they had found for him, dabbing at her wounds.

"You know, Ritsuka, I don't know much about Magecraft. Then again, I don't know much about anything lately," Issei chuckled, twirling fresh wraps around her fingers. "If you think the other Masters are so amazing, it's fine. But don't you think you're being too unfair on yourself?"

"That's because you haven't seen what the real Magi can do!" Ritsuka snapped. "If they were here, they would've saved more people! If they were here, they would've been better, capable — "

"But I have seen what one Magus has done!" Issei interjected. "I've seen her walk into the wreckage of burning debris without hesitation! All for the small chance that someone could be alive!"

Issei raised her hands in front of her. "I've seen her rush to treat a reckless idiot without any regards to her own injuries! You're too hard on yourself, Ritsuka! There may be a lot at stake right now, but we can only do what we can. We're the only ones who can.

"Maybe you think yourself to be a terrible Magus, but you're stronger than you think. Your path isn't wrong," Issei cupped her hands with both of his. "We're in the same boat, you know? It's going to be a long journey, but no one said you had to do it alone, right, Ritsuka?"

Ritsuka sniffed, blinking back tears. He didn't need to hear a reply. He knew it when the light in her eyes brightened the room.

Issei settled into a bench in the school's cafeteria. Olga was already there, one finger tapping a rhythm atop the table. Ritsuka joined him on the opposite side, while Saber took her place standing behind him.

"All finished then, Fujimura, Hyoudou?" Olga asked, one hand brushing aside a lock of her silver hair.

"Yeah, Director. Where's Mashu?" Ritsuka looked around the cafeteria until the door to the backroom opened. Mashu carried out a tray with several cups of ramen and a pot to boil water.

"This was all I could find back there." Mashu's gauntlets clinked together as she folded her hands together and bowed slightly.

Issei smiled at her humility, thankful that she was better than before, though he doubted he could forget her bloodstained visage. Ritsuka had told him that she was a demi-Servant, a person who took in the powers of a Heroic Spirit into their body. As a result of her contract, her body healed, and she became the Shielder Servant when they were separated during the Rayshifting.

Ritsuka's earlier remarks hinted that both her and Mashu were unable to unlock Mashu's full power, but her health was all they could ask for. Though, one part of him wished Mashu was dressed more modestly like Saber was. The other part of him was grateful for the wonderful view.

"No worries." Issei waved off her apologies and grabbed a cup. He needed to distract his mind. Again. "This is the perfect food for a late night snack!"

"Well, you're not wrong," Ritsuka said, shaking her head at his gusto. "We don't have electricity, huh? How are we going to heat the water?"

Olga scoffed while she raised her finger, drawing a rune at the bottom of the pot. It glowed red and then the water inside boiled.

"Thanks, Director!" Mashu began passing chopsticks to everyone, including Saber. "Um, Saber-san, would you like to eat as well?"

"Servants do not require subsistence to sustain themselves," Saber said before receiving hers. "However, I am not opposed to the idea. Thank you, Miss Kyrielight."

"Oh, if Saber's getting one too, then pass me one, little lady." A blue circle, inlaid with runes similar to the one Olga drew, expanded on the floor. Caster materialized from it, brushing aside dirt from his fur shawl.

"Caster," Olga pinched the bridge of her nose as she sat her cup down, "I assume you managed to mislead the two Servants?"

"Took a while, but they decided to retreat instead of pursuing," Caster said. He stirred the noodles before swallowing them in a single bite.

"Retreat where?" Ritsuka asked.

"Probably where the final boss is," Caster drawled. "She knows that there's no real point to chase us when we need to come to her."

"Final boss?" Issei sat up, continuing to slurp at his food.

"Right," Caster's red eyes sought him out, "you've probably been informed about the remaining Servants left in this city. I suppose you already met two of the three. I'm not sure why the Berserker Servant is moving, but we can't rule out his interference at the objective point."

"The objective point?" Issei asked. He was only given the barest information on what was happening in this singularity: there was a war waged with Servants in this city, and they needed to find out what went wrong to fix the timeline.

"The site of Fuyuki's Greater Grail is where the final boss will be." Caster glanced over towards Saber. "It'll be where the enemy Saber is. The other Servants shouldn't matter as long as we defeat her, but you can bet your ass that they'll be there now."

"Do we know their true identities?" Olga asked.

"I don't know who the Archer Servant is. Not a single damn clue about what kind of a Hero has so many swords and still be considered an Archer. The Berserker Servant, well, that's a different story. Even the enemy Saber had trouble dealing with him." Caster scowled as he pointed to Issei. "Boy, you should be glad that Ugly lost that ridiculous Noble Phantasm of his when he got corrupted by the grail, else you wouldn't have even scratched his skin."

"What?" Issei almost dropped his wooden chopsticks.

"But Hyoudou-senpai used Ascalon on him!" Mashu exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter shit to the Greek's most famous hero, Heracles." Caster snorted. "His famed legend of completing twelve labors gave him a ridiculous Noble Phantasm that granted him several lives. If he still had that, your attacks would've been bouncing off of him, but don't get me wrong. Even if he's killable now, he is still freaking strong."

"This just gets even better and better," Olga muttered. "Who's the final Servant?"

"There's no way anyone could have mistaken the holy light from her sword, even if it's corrupted and tainted by the Grail," Caster began, "and the funny thing is you actually summoned her as a Servant, kid."

"Wait, I don't understand?" Issei turned to Saber.

"I see now. That's why you tried to ascertain whether or not I was an enemy when we first met." Saber's voice was calm, yet the way the broth sloshed around inside her cup said otherwise. "The enemy Saber is another version of me that was summoned here."

"Yeah, that's right." Caster nodded. "The enemy is none other than the wielder of Excalibur, King Arthur Pendragon."

Issei followed Saber as she sought the stairs to the roof. The night air, even marred by ashes, was soothing enough for him to collect his thoughts. He imagined it was the same for Saber.

She kept her gaze affixed to one area: where Issei summoned her.

"This is not the first time I've been summoned to Fuyuki as a Servant. To see it in this state is quite hard to swallow," she began.

"You mean you were summoned here in another timeline or something?" Issei wondered.

"Heroic Spirits summoned as Servants are mere copies of the actual legend recorded in the Throne of Heroes. When the contract is completed or voided, we merely return to the Throne," she sighed. "As such, time and space matters little when a Servant is summoned."

"I see. Then that explains why— " Issei trailed off.

" — We are facing another version of myself as an enemy," Saber completed.

"Then you are really King Arthur?" Issei exclaimed. "Sorry, I just didn't expect for you to be a woman."

"I don't mind," she shook her head. "At that time, a female couldn't be a successor, so I was raised to be a man. Perhaps I can tell you more when circumstances permit it, but I don't suppose you know the main details of my legend?"

Issei paused, trying to reconcile what he remembered about the legendary king with the woman standing before him. She was Saber, the Servant Class best known for their skills with a sword, and King Arthur's most famous sword was —

"Excalibur! For my comrades who died because of it, let me destroy it!"

A male voice, filled with rage and sadness, echoed within his mind as Issei murmured the name of her sword. He resonated with that hatred, that anger, as if his heart cried with that person's anguish.

Saber pulled out her weapon. Wind funneled off from the blade, revealing radiant steel so dazzling that Issei couldn't pull away his eyes. A brilliant gold that made him feel poor for not possessing it, yet rich for beholding it. The aura empowered him as if he could live off of its warmth forever.

It was enough to wash away the earlier sentiment and made him feel numb. He couldn't understand what could drive someone to desire the destruction of such a treasure. He didn't know what was his connection to that person or Excalibur, but perhaps it wasn't coincidence that he summoned Saber.

"Perhaps you can understand my previous reluctance to not state my true name. In a Holy Grail War, the Masters will utilize any information to gain the advantage over their enemies. Knowing my identity as King Arthur will provide insight to what Noble Phantasms I am capable of using."

"That means we also know what your counterpart is capable of." Issei nodded. He recalled what Caster said previously. "Then she has her own version of Excalibur?"

"If she was summoned as a Saber class, there could be no doubt to what Noble Phantasm she possesses." Saber drew his attention towards the horizon. "Perhaps it is vain of me to say so, but I do not relish fighting myself as an enemy. I can already see the aftermath of her own Excalibur across this city."

It took a while for Issei to see past the fumes, but when he did, his jaw slackened. His eyes traced out what could only be a black scar over the lay of the land, a line of demolished buildings that spanned through the length of the city. Not even the river could stop the trail of destruction.

"She made that chasm?" Issei spluttered. "Is that what Excalibur is capable of?"

"It is but a crude display of Excalibur's true power. Even from here, I can feel its mana signature. It is familiar enough for me to recognize but, at the same time, a darker presence lingers within it. If she is the source of this singularity, then she has indeed obtained the power of the Holy Grail. I cannot say for certain that I am her equal in that regard, yet the situation is not as impossible as it appears."

Saber turned to him, and he could see the verdant green of her eyes soften. "I've learned from Miss Fujimaru and Miss Kyrielight that you suffer amnesia, Master."

"It's true. Sometimes I see or hear vague images of people that I should know, but I can't seem to remember," Issei admitted.

"I understand, Issei." Saber put a hand on his shoulder. "I know not what caused your memory loss, but your tenacious will is the key to your recovery. Hence, you were able to recall some proficiency in utilizing your Noble Phantasm. Would you let me examine it?"

Ascalon materialized within Issei's hands before he passed it to Saber. She was right; he had no qualms in using Ascalon at all.

"Yes, this aura is unmistakable. I do not know how you came to possess the legendary sword of Saint George, but this is to our advantage indeed." Saber brushed her gauntlet across the blade. When she lifted it to show Issei, he could see the pale skin of her hand before the steel reformed.

"It is not spoken much of, but the blood of the Red Dragon runs through my veins. While it grants me several benefits, it is not without its weaknesses. As you can see, I am most vulnerable to attributes that affects Dragons."

Saber handed back Ascalon to Issei. "There is no doubt that your Ascalon is authentic. Even from a distance, I feel apprehension facing it. My instincts warn me of the danger, telling me to not let it cut me. We can make use of this."

"If your counterpart shares your powers, then she would also share your weakness," Issei concluded. "That means we have a real advantage against her, right?"

Saber shook her head. "The challenge does not lie in whether it will be effective, but rather, if you can use it against her. Whatever her designs are, she is still another aspect of myself. Forgive me for my impropriety, but as it stands, I can defeat you without giving you a chance to land any glancing blows. There is no doubt that my counterpart can do the same."

It pained Issei to hear that from her, but he knew there was a tremendous gap between their capabilities. He saw firsthand how she matched blows with Berserker. He understood it was stupid to think that he could fight a Servant straight on, especially after what Olga and Ritsuka told him, but all the reasons in the world couldn't stop his frustration.

"Master, there is one more thing I would like to confirm," Saber said. "I have felt it through our contract, but I didn't want to presume. Are you aware that you possess the magical core of a Dragon?"

Issei recalled Doctor Roman mentioning it, but he was barely conscious at the time. "I think so? Ritsuka knows more about that than me."

"I have not expected to be summoned by a Master with such a strong affinity to myself, but perhaps that is how you were able to form a contract with me instead of Saint George." Saber smiled before sighing.

"I do not relish the thought of sending my Master to the frontlines, but as it stands right now, we have too many enemies and too little time." Saber walked a distance away from Issei. "I can tell that you were once proficient in combat. Your brief sortie with Berserker is testament to that. It's time for me to teach you and reawaken that potential. Are you willing to push yourself?"

There was no need to ask. Issei shook off the night chill as he stretched his arms and legs. He watched as waves of green energy emanated from underneath Saber. It spiralled around her like a thick mist, crackling the air around her arms and legs. Even from this distance, he could feel the immense pressure from her power. Stray sparks jolted the goosebumps on his arm while the growing winds forced him to squint his eyes and ground his feet.

Saber gripped Excalibur with both of hands. "Then let me show you, Master, about the skill I am most proficient in: Mana Burst."