A bored man sat down at the edge of town. A phone in his hands long since dead of its battery after a call with a certain Servant.

He was honestly expecting more, art was something to take pride in… and yet there was none.

Three main colors painted the city: blue, red, and green.

Blue flowed through the landscape like water, the red contrasting with the blue, yet couldn't blend into that deep violet. The form was solid like gelatin, existing with the world despite the world's efforts to deem it abominable.

Those moving blots of muddled blue trudged through the canvas, a bland world that simply needed their presence. They wandered aimlessly without order.

Blue in itself was a paintbrush, creating more and more red as more things moved around them, overlapping with another dark blue that followed in its wake and suffocating the rest in those noxious fumes. But the man found his artwork awfully boring even as it continued to paint itself.

But with him lied a student who saw the beauty within it. His favorite color was that of crimson, like grapes and wine and blood and guts. Ryuunosuke was a simple man who saw beauty in the simple things he loved, but the man he was bound to was a complex man with a more refined taste for intricacy.

A splash of blood eased and jolted the nerves of a serial killer, but the patterns of a spiderweb was more to the schemer's liking. They were too much different, but they shared a common interest that pulled them together closer than anyone else would ever think. Two artists with different styles that favored a similar end goal.

Not unlike a pair of magi from vastly different cultures that both sought the Root in their own ways.

Despite their differences, there was simply a problem for the two artists:

There was simply too much green.

The canvas had already been painted, too much dull greys, browns, and most of all green. It was all the two could ever see so far in their lives, it was painfully dull.

It had been their desire to paint over it, to start over with their own vision of a masterpiece. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, so it was up to them to do the work themselves.

There was only some slight problems that hindered the creation of that work. Those hindrances bearing weapons of bow, mount, and sword while the dagger had yet make their appearance.

What a shame, what a shame.

"I've created this masterpiece and even you can't appreciate it, Assassin," the bored man shook his head, a hollow smirk etching itself on his face.

'But what can I do but continue?' The man thought to himself. Assassin was a mere delicacy in the grand scheme of things, he shouldn't meander of such trivial matters.

The monsters that stalked through the night found their targets: two Servants and a magus that thought themselves to have the upper hand in the battlefield. They no longer feasted themselves on the citizens of Fuyuki, focusing on a bigger meal, greedy little bastards they were.

But even then the results were still shown as they were: men, women, and children screamed in horror as demonic creatures from some unnamed shadowy realm were brought forth into existence. Their maws gaping wide and hungering for blood as their talons sliced through meat, bone, and sinew.

The world would be painted ever more red for this night.

He'd show his fellow Servants the folly of their legends. He'd bring down the Kings from their gilded thrones and show them what it means to truly be vulnerable… merely starting with this little show of force.

From Hell was an imperfect incantation, but one that Caster was familiar with. He was there when Jack the Ripper made his move through the world, cutting up prostitutes and tearing out their organs. If he had been able to remember the face and words that the young killer had told him, then perhaps this thieving mockery of a Phantasm could've been perfect.

But that murderer was an elusive man… or was it a woman? Caster shook his head, it was one detail in his life that he couldn't remember, out of everything he saw and heard.

From Hell was an imperfect incantation, but it still has its uses. Successful manifestation of hundreds of demons to fight on his behalf. They were dull and stupid creatures without minds of their own since there was no true personality that led them.

"Holy shit…!" a voice breathed beside him, barely able to contain his own excitement.

Right, he nearly forgot about Ryuunosuke. He turned around to face his Master, who seemed to be on the verge of tears with what he was witnessing.

"Ask for a demon," Caster grinned a wide grin as he flourished his arm out to the city, "And I will show you all of Hell."

Ryuunosuke Uryuu was a simple man with one simple pleasure. A man who looked for death, be it by his hand or others. It was something he wanted to see, no matter what.

And with a wish like that, how could Caster say no?

The killer's face snapped to his Servant, grasping his hand fervently in his own and shaking it with all the enthusiasm of someone who just won the lottery, "Thank you thank you thank you, Mister! It's so beautiful… it's… it's…"

Ryuunosuke stood at the edge of the building, his feet balancing over the edge. Yet he knew no fear.

"COOOOOOOOOOOOL!" his scream echoed into the chaotic night, the hisses of demons and the deathly wails of dying civilians seemed to scream back in response.

The Holy Grail War was reaching a crescendo, and it was Caster's job to lead the music to its requiem...

Dozens appeared before them, wave after wave they arrived. Glowing white eyes like pilot lights flickered and glowed as both kings fought off against the hellish tide.

They swooped down on shadowy wings, landing on their feet as the earth grew scorched and bare. Both Saber and Rider backed against one another as they were completely surrounded.

"Graaah!" Iskandar roared, ducking to avoid a blow of savage claws before running his blade through yet another beast's heart, the tenth one he killed so far before it collapsed into dust, "These things just don't know when to quit."

They poured forth from the city, crawling down buildings like black waterfalls and soaring through the skies like bats.

Saber only responded with a ferocious yell of her own as she pitched forward to avoid an attack aimed for her before stabbing forward. The Hammer of the Wind King summoning forth combined with mana-infused power, blowing three more enemies to smithereens.

Both Servants had been kings of their own times, one had slayed many men and monsters throughout the ages, and yet even this oncoming tsunami of bodies only seemed to multiply with each kill.

It was almost too much for Saber, but she still managed to hold on.

She dashed forward, splitting off from the King of Conquerors and into another horde of demons. Their bodies were too big to swing adequately at her smaller frame, dashing between swipes and swings as limbs were quickly severed from her invisible blade.

Saber fought back a gag as the noxious fumes of the fog continued to roll forward. The misty black air seeping into her lungs made her eyes burn and nostrils sting as her hands began to shake and arms felt as though they were withering.

What the devil was happening to her?

Now that she thought about it, the fog was beginning to grow denser while the demons appeared to have grown stronger with every death that came for them. The knightess turned back to the sound of coughing to see that Rider's master had pitched forward, blood pooling from his body as he continued to vomit and inhale those fumes.

Her eyes widened, remembering how the city itself seemed to shift and warp according to the existences of those demons.

"Damn…" she muttered to herself, "Rider!"

The man had sustained only minor wounds at the expense of cutting down several more beasts, "What is it, Saber!? I'm in the middle of something!"

That "middle of something" being Rider's spatha quickly finding itself lodged in the ribcage of another demon. The red-haired giant grunted as he found himself almost unable to pull the weapon from its body before pushing the beast back with a mighty shove of his arm.

"It's the fog!" Waver managed to rasp before Saber, quickly managing to deduce the purpose, "The fog weakens the power of Servants and… poisons normal humans."

It was by the young magus' natural resistance to thaumaturgy that he was even able to remain alive, let alone keep standing, even for a third-rate magus as he was. The young man tore a sleeve off of his coat snapped off the twig of a branch before muttering an incantation to himself.

The branch quickly lit up in flames, leaving behind a black sooty ash. Waver quickly placed the contents within the sleeve before wrapping it around his face, covering his nose and mouth.

Charcoal, when activated, could be used as a natural filtration device. Under normal means it would be a difficult process to create, but the use of magecraft allowed even Waver Velvet the ability to perform such a mundane feat.

Saber had noticed the effect that Waver had described as well, the weight of her sword grew heavier in her hands with each swing. It was through her own skill, Mana Burst, that she was still able to cleave her enemies in two while her counterpart in red seemed to be able to continue by brute strength alone.

Perhaps it was by Rider's divine status that he was still able to retain some modicum of strength. Did these creatures still fall victim to their demonic heritage, however false it was?

It was a clever contingency plan that both Saber and Master of Rider began to realize. The more demons that were killed, the denser the fog would continue to become. Like a cluster of dirty bombs that exploded one by one.

They needed to come up with a plan, and fast.

The number of dead that fell by Saber and Rider's hands continued to dwindle. The haze continued to grow even further until Saber could barely see, having to rely purely on Instincts to even be able to survive.

"R-Rider!" Waver yelped out in fear as one of the demons leaped for him, claws outstretched and merely a few meters away from tearing out his throat. Rider turned back and quickly dashed for his Master, his eyes widened as the distance was too far.

THUNK!

A volley of arrows pierced several demons in Waver's path, all of them missing the young man as the trail of missiles cut a swath of beasts down in their path.

"Archer," Rider grinned and shook his head, nearly having forgotten about the demigod. Grabbing the boy by the collar of his sweater, much to his protests, Rider called forth the Gordius Wheel once more, lightning singeing any nearby demons as both Servant and Master climbed into the Chariot, "Saber, come! We're leaving the battlefield!"

Saber dodged another swipe before turning back to Rider with a scowl on her face. While honor deemed her to stay here and continue fighting, she knew that not heeding the larger man's words would simply get her killed.

Climbing into the chariot, Iskandar took whipped the reins, carrying the three into the air as they soared above the city. Saber turned to Rider, "What's the plan now?"

"We'll look for a secluded area in the city," Rider said, his eyes scanning the roads below, "I may have a plan, but it's incredibly risky. Saber-"

His voice was low, catching the girl's attention, "Can that sword of yours destroy an army in a single blow?"

"I…" Saber tried to say, unsure whether or not to divulge the nature of her Noble Phantasm. The Servant of the blade shook her head, 'This is a matter of chivalry, Artoria! It matters not whether he knows, only that the innocent be protected.'

"It can," she confessed, gripping her invisible sword in her left hand while the other held onto the lip of the chariot, "However, it can only be accessed with both-"

Then she realized it, her hand was able to fully grasp the handle of the sword. Her eyes widened at the implications that were given, now that her sword was in full access. Her expression turned grim as the Gordius Wheel continued sailing.

'Lancer…'

"What's the matter, Saber?" Rider looked down at the knightess in blue.

"I-it's nothing," she muttered to herself, placing that mask of steely resolve back onto her face, "My sword is capable of such ability. Let us proceed with this plan if my blade is all you require."

Rider frowned at her answer and looked away, satisfied with the answer but concerned with the facade she tried to place. He didn't say anything else as they found an adequate spot to land, bare of any onlookers.

They only had one opportunity for victory.

-oOo-

Archer could tell what Rider was already doing by that look on his face. That man was up to something, and with the King of Conquerors who knew not defeat, he had confidence in his ally's abilities.

Unfortunately, he couldn't participate due to one unfortunate issue.

"Look out!" a woman's voice yelled. The giant turned and fired another arrow, the very air separated by the sheer force of firing a mighty shot, gouging the eye of another demon that got a bit too close for comfort as it fell from the air and splattered into dust.

Any other class that he could be summoned into and the man would more than likely be partaking in the fight below, while some other lower-classed Archer would be fighting on his behalf.

He made a promise to himself to protect the Einzbern woman, she was a liability to the rest of the Servants if she joined them on the frontlines. She was safer from here.

"My thanks, Einzbern," he rumbled a low thanks as raised the bow again, pulling another arrow forth and drawing it back. The woman merely nodded back in return, focusing where the Servant wasn't, among other things.

The two had landed upon a building farther away from the battlefield, roughly five kilometers if he was being generous. Archer would've been fine picking off his foes from a farther distance, but the infrastructure and those trying to survive the onslaught would dirty his name as a hero.

He was a man of valor, and he wouldn't simply kill innocents because it was convenient for him to kill off a smattering of irritating pestilence.

That was the path of a villain, one that he would never stray towards so long as he existed within the material plane. Archer continued his cycle, drawing an arrow and firing again and again, every shot made their mark as dozens of demons dropped from the sky like flies.

They were only limited in number, he'd only counted a dozen or two that fell by his hand if he had to guess, but they were durable bastards if they weren't wounded in completely fatal marks.

Archer had faced off against bigger and stronger foes throughout his life and all the same did they succumb to defeat by death or otherwise.

But these foes were numerous and gargantuan in size, demons that he would've likely have fought at some point had the gods deemed him to.

Another demon popped out before him, too close for him to take aim properly and forcing the bow out of his hands. The creature roared as he grabbed onto it, wrestling the creature away from the homunculus woman he swore to protect for this night.

"Get away from her!" the Servant of the Bow snarled, ignoring the pain as the demonic entity's claws managed to rake through his divine skin and draw blood. With a mighty heave, the demigod twisted the demon's shoulders back, dislocating them completely before reaching for its neck, snapping it with a twist of his wrist before tossing it aside before it could even make a sound.

The snap itself reverberated through the night, a thunderclap of demonic bones snapping through the sounds of echoing devilish laughter of man-faced bats, hisses of magma-filled craters, and cracking beats of demon wings.

Several more turned their attention to him as they saw the blood running down his arms. His blood.

They knew they could hurt him now, they knew he can die.

But Archer only raised his bow once more, grinning a prideful smirk befitting of a hero.

He could die as many times as needed, so long as this night was over.

Seven swooped by, claws outstretched with the intent to draw blood and tear out his innards. But each one was met with an arrowhead in each of their brains, killing them upon contact. It was mere child's play.

But it was merely a ruse as they drew closer. A clever formation formed from hiding under the shadows of their comrade's corpses. Hiding in the shade before striking with that newfound tactic, getting in close as this new seven all simultaneously attacked the Archer Servant before he could draw another arrow.

They were weak in constitution, but what they lacked in endurance, they made up for by sheer numbers and brutality. Claws found themselves sunken into the divine flesh as the demigod let out a roar of anger, swinging the frame of his bow and his fists as each of them surrounded him.

"A-Archer!" Irisviel yelled, the demons too focused on gorging themselves on the blood of a hero to pay attention to the more diminutive creature before them.

The Servant grit his teeth as a demon sank its fangs into his right arm. With a grunt and heave, the man wrenched his arm back tossed the creature into the air. One of arrows beside him lay embedded in the concrete while the six other demons continued to assault him from every angle.

Chunks of flesh were torn from his torso, legs, and shoulders. But even then the Servant continued to kick and fight back. Freeing his left arm after snapping the neck of one of the demons, he grabbed the arrow nearby arrow while his right grabbed hold of the bow.

That same demon he tossed back into the air attempted to return, unsatisfied by the blood it had only tasted and wanting for more.

Archer was missing three fingers from his right hand, having been bitten apart by that demon. With a surge of mana, he wrenched himself free from those beasts, stumbling and falling on his back as that one sped closer.

Thinking fast, he grabbed the bow and arrow, pulling back the arrow with his uninjured hand while the bow was held in place by his foot. The arrow was released and skewered through the demonic creature's face, killing it on impact.

BOOM!

The white-haired woman screamed, losing her balance as she tumbled and fell. It had been too soon for the corpse of that demon to dissipate as the world wished from it, crashing into the building and creating a shockwave that shook the entire infrastructure they stood on.

"Einzbern!" Archer yelled, reaching his hand to grab hers, but the troupe of phantasmal beasts pulled him back into the fight. His eyes turned a bright red, his throat emitting a roar that sounded akin to a lion as he continued to fight. Battle Continuation forced him to keep on fighting as parts of his body were already missing, bleeding profusely while his mind blanked out.

In that moment, Archer appeared like that of a Berserker. His senses refocused on battle and unable to realize the error that he had made.

That error being the falling Einzbern.

Irisviel watched as the ground grew closer, her panicked mind shutting off as she drew forth focus, unwrapping a wire she lay hidden within the folds of her clothes and muttering an incantation in German,

The wire took shape and attained function, the cry of a hawk cried forth as it's talons wrapped itself around her arm and unfurled its wings, allowing her to slowly descend as she landed safely against the pavement. Stumbling somewhat awkwardly, the woman was still able to catch herself.

The white haired woman looked up at the ruined building to see Archer being dragged off by those demons. The Servant fought like a savage beast as two more demons died from a swing of his arm crushing their skulls to dust.

In that span of time, Irisviel was completely vulnerable… and mighty screech split the night sky, this one closer than the rest and grabbing her attention.

In that time, a demon had diverged from their course towards Saber and Rider, deciding that a single morsel compared to the mana-dense forms that were the two Servants would have to do.

Not unlike a predator that would sic itself on easy prey before satisfying itself on larger game.

The hawk-like familiar let out a screech as it met the demon head on, intent on clawing its throat. The bruise-colored monster only swiped the wire-construct to shreds as it dove towards the Einzbern girl, her eyes widened as it drew closer, the woman unable to stop it as she was now finally left defenseless.

Even she didn't know if Avalon would recover the wounds this thing would inflict upon her in time. Terror wracked her heart as it grew closer, the life of a homunculus and the wife of Kiritsugu Emiya flashed before her eyes.

Kiritsugu, Saber… Illya.

She closed her eyes. Fearing not death or the pain inflicted, but failing the duties she had as the vessel of the Holy Grail.

BANG!

Irisviel felt pain flare up in her side, but nothing she couldn't imagine more than a forceful shove as an explosion thundered the air beside her. The push had thrown her back, but the damage sustained was a greater trade-off than the damage expected.

It was only a series of bruises that formed, but one that the Ever-Distant Utopia was able to heal without trouble. Nevertheless, Irisviel opened her eyes to find… something that shocked her.

The demon had been caught before it could do any further damage by something that managed to save her by every inconceivable odd.

Her savior was a Servant, but one she had never seen before. Appearing out of spirit form just in the nick of time like that of some comic book superhero. The build of the Servant was indeed male, covered in plates of gunmetal grey armor while a helmet obscured his face.

She quickly listed off the Servants in her head. Lancer, Rider, Archer, and Berserker had all appeared before Irisviel at one point alongside Saber, but this was a Servant she had never seen before. Nor was she even able to notice him while he saved her life.

Wait… she didn't notice him…

The Heroic Spirit before her caught the demon with his own bare hands, devoid of a weapon. One hand caught the closest arm that had reached for Iri while the other wrapped itself around its throat. The Servant was obviously struggling from the strength of his opponent and the impact he had muscled through.

With a loud grunt, the Servant squeezed his fingers around the demon's throat before a snap was finally heard. The monster fell limp and slowly began to dissolve much like the rest of its kin.

Slowly but surely, Irisviel rose to her feet. The Servant lowered his arms, hands now stained with tar-like blood, as he then faced Irisviel.

There was no hostility in his posture, but the homunculus woman was still skeptical. Nevertheless, she approached him slowly but still kept some modicum of distance.

"Assassin," was all she said. More of an observation than a question, but he still nodded nevertheless. Her throat felt dry from his confirmation, heart in her chest as she realized that the Servant of Kirei Kotomine had been alive this entire time.

So why was she still alive?

She watched as his body glowed for only a brief moment, the armor dissipating into a burst of mana as he fell to a single knee, clutching a massive gouge in the side of his stomach.

He stopped the demon from attacking Irisviel, but its other hand found itself within a new target shortly before its death.

Irisviel could hear his labored breathing as he tried to stand, weakly pulling himself up to his feet and walking away. A trail of blood followed him as he tried to leave.

"Wait," he stopped, listening to the voice of the woman and craning his head to look back at her, "You're… too low on mana to heal, right?"

Assassin stared at her through that featureless helmet of his, but he still nodded. But even then he still struggled to move away, as if telling her that his rescue of the woman was merely a one-time thing… or rather, did he just not want to be around her?

Irisviel was skilled in healing magecraft, having acted as support for Saber during their time together. If Assassin had saved her life just for this one time where Archer had failed, it would simply be unkind for her not to return the favor.

A small soft hand found itself around the Servant's arm, prompting him to freeze. Assassin turned around to see the woman standing before him, her body glowing slightly as magic circuits flared to life.

She watched as Assassin looked down at the wound, watching as the flesh beneath the black bodysuit knit itself together until only pale flesh remained. It was a patchy result, but made in haste due to the circumstances they were placed in, but it'd prevent any more bleeding that the man had sustained due to his injuries.

The results seemed to have some effect on him. He only beckoned to her to follow along, refusing to speak but still offering his support, as if telling the young lady that an exchange of support had to be repaid.

Perhaps as some form of thanks was it due to. But that made no sense, he saved her life on his own whim and she merely responded by offering what little of her magecraft she could give to the man.

He continued walking, his hand around hers and pulling her along. The homunculus woman was puzzled greatly by the actions of this walking contradiction, and so was further motivated to learn more simply out of curiosity rather than seeing him as a mere safety net while Saber was currently gone.

The Servant of the bow opened his eyes as all of his foes were finally dead, watching as Assassin continued to pull along the homunculus woman. He rose to his feet, trying to pick up his bow before falling once more.

"Assassin, you sentimental fool…" Archer chuckled to himself, closing his eyes as his body dimmed once more. Another life was claimed, but he would return shortly. For the first time in his life, Archer had failed in that aspect, and wouldn't forgive himself for this failure.

Nevertheless, Archer did not stop Assassin. In light of his failure to keep the Einzbern girl safe, he entrusted her to Assassin as the demigod shortly died, only to return from the brink of death to see that the two were gone.

His hands, now composed of all ten digits, wrapped themselves around that trusted bow of his.

Archer pulled back another arrow and let it loose. The air split once more as his arrow soared faster than the speed of a bullet.

"..Your newfound selfishness will get you killed," he whispered, thinking back on Assassin's actions as his arrow found its target.

Another one dead. So many more to go.

-oOo-

It wasn't simply demons that roamed the warped streets of Fuyuki.

"Kiritsugu, watch out!" Maiya yelled, pushing her mentor out of the way and stabbing forward with her knife suddenly unsheathed. The cackling laughter of a man echoed and died as steel pierced flesh, killing him instantly.

The dead man fell to the ground, blood pooling from his throat. Maiya sheathed her knife and unholstered the sidearm at her hip

This wasn't a matter of magecraft or poison of any kind. Anarchy roamed the streets among the hellish landscape. Demons and madmen alike, it was simply the knowledge that their existence brought with them.

Creating the concept of a demon brought for the essence of "Hell", pulling forth the implication of such a place to the ignorant. If Hell was truly brought upon Earth, the Rapture incarnate would be soon to follow.

The end of the world was a universal concept, nothing truly concrete like the Book of Revelations.

But it was still enough for the people to lose their senses.

Men who've long since gone insane from witnessing such horrors, opportunistic anarchists, thugs and gang members taking advantage of the chaos. It mattered little to all of them, while those sane enough or afraid locked themselves away, wishing for the nightmares to end.

Everyone that roamed the streets were simply pawns that fell under Caster's influence.

"It's only been a matter of hours," the Magus Killer muttered to himself, though Maiya was close enough to hear.

The sun still isn't even up yet and already the city's gone mad.

They needed to find Caster. Now.

Magus Killer and apprentice quickly jogged through the streets, stepping over the blistered cracks of the streets. Magma flowed freely like rivers through the nearby freeways, the ground below shifted into cobblestone streets reminiscent of Victorian era London while the modern infrastructure also seemed to shift in turn.

The air was sour and thick with a viscous haze that made Kiritsugu's eyes water. The smell of sulfur, tar, and shit was almost too much for the man as he and Maiya continued their way forth.

"We need to find Irisviel," Kiritsugu reshouldered the rifle hanging off from him, feeling as it loosened itself somewhat from their "stroll" through the city.

"And what then?" Maiya queried. His reason didn't matter to her, she'd follow it anyway. But both needed an effective strategy for the hereafter.

"We find a place to wait out the storm," the Magus Killer answered, tempted to reach into his coat pocket and light a cigarette, "Saber will take care of this and then... "

And then what?

Once again, doubt found itself in his heart. Caster and his Master could be anywhere in this city. He was once again unsure if there was any rhyme or reason for this attack. Was this demonic infestation an attempt to finish off the rest of the Servants? Was it some way of covering up an even bigger plan they had in store?

Or, Kiritsugu's breathing grew sharper at the thought, was it simply for the hell of it?

The Master of Saber didn't know the true reasoning behind this attack, and that's what frightened him the most. At the end of the day, despite how little he thought of his Servant, he trusted that Saber would take care of this infestation.

The church would then try to hide cover up this entire incident with something mundane that the citizens ignorant of the Moonlit World could feasibly believe.

So he had to change tactics for now. Caster would have to wait, right now his highest priority was making sure Irisviel was safe. She was the vessel for the Holy Grail, if a Servant like Caster got ahold of her…

If that bastard even dared to desecrate his wife...

"Hey you!" a raspy voice almost caught his attention, but the Magus Killer didn't turn his head. Out the corner of his eye he saw that it was a thug with a switchblade in hand. He only pointed the Calico hidden from sight and gunned down the man without hesitation, the rapid fire repetition of bullets too loud for him to hear the gurgle that his failed assailant let out.

Kiritsugu Emiya wiped a thumb against his cheek, now stained from the red mist that sprayed forth from the dead man before his skull shattered shattered against the ground.

His eyes were blank and lifeless, focused only on one thing and one thing only.

"I'm coming for you, Irisviel," he whispered, absentmindedly checking checking the ammunition in his Calico, listening to Maiya sliding back the rack on her sidearm as she did the same, a simple Glock 19 that she had chosen for herself during their early days.

It was events like the Holy Grail War that brought out the worst in people. Kiritsugu was no different, a hundred bodies lay still behind him as both he and his assistant trudged onward. The only difference was what lay at the end of the path.

When every Servant was defeated, every action that he had taken would be justified. For the good of the World, in spite of all that died before him, Kiritsugu Emiya would save it all.

The sound of gunfire had attracted attention, a crowd that held a variety of different weapons. Sticks, stones, guns, they gathered around the man and woman, both of them unassuming and looking like mere civilians ripe for the picking.

Kiritsugu snorted slightly. Did they not see what he was carrying?

His eyes flickered to Maiya, and she did the same. The magus readied his Innate Time Control. Double Accel would be enough to dispatch all of them without too much trouble.

"Gurgh!-" they all gurgled, each of them limply fell to the ground like rag dolls. Blades the size of a normal man's arm jutting out from their spines. Thugs fell one by one to reveal their killer.

The Magus' eyes narrowed at the sight while Maiya inhaled sharply at the reveal.

A man in black stepped forth, blades held deftly between his fingers.

Kirei Kotomine's face was unwavering, a stone-like visage that held no emotion. But the man couldn't be anymore elated by their meeting.

Neither parties moved as they stood across from one another. There was a fifteen meter gap that separated Magus Killer and Executor.

'No, I don't have time for this,' Kiritsugu's eyes seemed to dilate from the sheer shock of meeting the Executor. Not a single word had been exchanged and yet they both knew.

Kiritsugu had more important matters to settle, but Kirei wouldn't allow that. Both were aware, but each knew that only one would come out of this alive.

The Magus Killer bit back a curse. Irisviel currently possessed Avalon, it would no doubt keep her alive for the coming night. Kiritsugu was almost tempted to use a Command Seal, but whether Irisviel was already with her, he knew not.

Without that sheathe, Kiritsugu would be limited to the conditions of his own body.

Whether he liked it or not, this was an issue he had to deal with.

Kirei Kotomine looked back at Kiritsugu, a silent agreement between them seemed to have settled itself. With only them and their tools, they would finally be able to end this long awaited moment.

They both acted simultaneously. Executor charged forth, blades in hand while Magus Killer raised his Calico, pulling the trigger as the gap between the two started to shorten.

He had to come up with a plan… and fast.

"Maiya!" he shouted, giving his first order to the woman as she raised her own weapon in kind.

It all came down to this.