FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 10: Flowers Blooming in Mud

As the battle raged on at Ryuudou, Cuchulainn squatted atop a skyscraper and observed the various flashes of light emanating from the temple. He was much too far away to consider taking part in this skirmish, so he merely watched like it was some kind of movie. It was impossible for him to discern which Servants were taking part. Judging from the occasional sparks he saw at the stairs, plus two different sets of attacks obviously being thrown against one Servant, he figured there had to be five Heroic Spirits fighting all at once.

Man, what an ugly situation that is, he thought. I wouldn't mind a good scrap, but Kotomine told me to keep low until he had further orders for me.

He let out a gaping wide yawn and rested his head upon his hand.

Damn it all. I'm bored out of my mind.

Ten minutes later, he saw that the fighting had ceased in earnest. Cuchulainn propped Gae Bolg over his shoulder and wondered what to do next.

Guess it wouldn't hurt to take a look around. Kotomine never said I couldn't investigate after other Servants finished fighting.

He leapt high off of the building and sprinted along the rooftops of other high-rise buildings within Fuyuki's modernized Shinto district, heading towards the more traditional homes of Miyama. He had been here at least once before, when he hunted Shirou down to try and kill him after the boy had been revived somehow. That was when Artoria had been inadvertently summoned as Shirou's Servant, and she not only drove Cuchulainn back, but miraculously survived the full might of Gae Bolg's curse. This failure was what prompted Kirei to keep Cuchulainn out of the fray for the majority of the war, regardless of how much the boredom made the Celtic hero go stir-crazy.

The blue-armored Lancer decided to see if Shirou and Artoria were back at the Emiya residence. He had a feeling that Saber had to be one of the Servants present at the Ryuudou battle, and he figured that discerning their condition would be beneficial for Kirei.

During the last few days, Cuchulainn had blended in with the citizenry of Fuyuki and asked as many questions as he could regarding Matou Sakura's mysterious Italian relatives. His search didn't yield any results until he went to the florist's shop and met some of Sakura's friends. In particular, he became chummy with Mitsuzuri Ayako and prodded her for details.

"Need me to help you pick a good bouquet?" Cuchulainn had asked the student.

"N-No, it's no big deal. It's for my classmate's funeral, so there isn't any need to be fancy," Ayako said, appearing quite wistful.

"Oh, I heard. Matou Shinji, was it? I'm a family friend, so I thought I'd go cheer up his sister."

"I wish I could too, but Sakura's been nowhere to be found over the last while. Maybe she just wants some time to be alone."

"Guess so."

"But it's strange. Mr. Kuzuki said that some relatives from Italy picked up her homework, yet she never told me she knew anyone from so far away."

"Oh yeah?" Cuchulainn's interest was piqued. "You know anything about them?"

"Hmm…" Ayako thought for a moment. "He said their names were Caren and Constance Hortensia, and that they were sisters who looked very much like each other."

Sounds about right, he thought as he recalled seeing Caren and Connla passing by earlier. From the way Kotomine reacted, he must know who they are.

Aloud, he asked, "Anything else?"

"Not really," the student admitted. "Are you looking for them?"

"You could say that."

"Sorry I couldn't be of much help."

"Hey, it's no problem. Here, I'll pay for your flowers in return."

"What!? You don't need to do that!"

"He he. Relax and let Big Bro take care of this," Cuchulainn chuckled in delight at Ayako's flustered expression. If there was one thing he loved doing, it was teasing girls like her.

With Ayako's information in hand, he leapt off the balcony of another house and landed upon the Emiya residence's rooftop. However, his mirthful smile from recalling Ayako's humorous reaction immediately disappeared when he noticed something else that didn't belong here. He stood up and propped Gae Bolg next to him. Faster than the blink of an eye, he had gone from toiling in boredom to being ready for intense combat. He had every reason to be on alert. Standing at the opposite end of the roof was a familiar red-garbed Servant.

"You…" Lancer grumbled.

Archer and Cuchulainn glared at each other from opposite ends of the roof. The tension between them was incredible. Neither of them forgot about their duel at Homuhara Academy, which had signified the beginning of the Fifth Holy Grail War. However, Cuchulainn could tell that Archer was worn out from his fight with Medea at Ryuudou. He had no way of knowing, but Archer also had to fight Connla and break through Kojirou's defenses. The man was utterly exhausted and drained of mana, meaning he needed some time to recuperate.

Even so, Archer maintained a stoic expression as he asked, "What business do you have here, Lancer?"

"Could ask you the same thing."

"It's no big deal. I just thought I could take out Saber's Master while he was incapacitated, but it doesn't look like they came back here."

"That kid is out of commission?"

"He's not dead, though he won't be showing his face around for a while. Got any ideas on where they could be hiding?"

"If I did, I wouldn't tell a creep like you."

"Feh. I knew it was a waste of time trying to ask you, but I thought I'd give it a try."

Cuchulainn scoffed, then asked, "What happened at Ryuudou? Did you kill Caster?"

"She's slinked into the shadows once more. No doubt, she'll resume her mass feeding of the citizens," Archer replied. "At the very least, she won't be using the temple as her workshop anymore."

"Man, how worthless can you be? You screwed up against Caster, while allowing Saber and her Master to go AWOL."

"It was the most optimal outcome I could manage with the skills and resources I have. It wasn't a total waste, though. Normally I wouldn't bother telling you something this important, but consider this as me bearing my white flag to you. I'll tell you a most interesting thing I saw, and we go our separate ways for this one night only."

"Something interesting?" Cuchulainn raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Archer nodded. "There's an eighth Servant running around."

The blue-armored Lancer shrugged. "I kind of had a feeling that was the case. I caught a glimpse of a strange Servant accompanying a nun earlier. I've already fought everyone else to gauge their skills, so seeing this Servant threw me off guard."

"Then this makes things easier for me. I fought that Servant after Caster got away."

"Oh, did you now?" The spearman's tone became curious.

"Here's the most intriguing part - it was another Lancer, just like you. They actually went by the moniker of Second Lancer."

"Second Lancer…?" Cuchulainn grumbled darkly. "Tch, what a pain in the ass. Someone else is trying to take my position in this War?"

"So it would seem. I figured telling you would be best so that you could go deal with them on your own terms."

"Dumping the hard work on me, are you?"

"What's the matter? I thought you would be happy to know," Archer smiled. "If I can't provide a satisfactory battle for you, maybe our new friend will."

"Bastard. You keep sinking lower and lower, don't you?"

"It's best to relegate tasks to people who can actually handle them. You've been quiet over the last while, so I thought I could give you something to keep you busy."

"Hmph…" the Celtic hero scoffed, then turned away. "You've got a point about keeping me busy. My Master is worried about the eighth Servant as well, so my job has been to collect any information about them. Don't think I'm going to take on Second Lancer for your sake though. This is purely for my own curiosity. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Do as you will."

With that, both men leapt in opposite directions, never looking back at each other as they disappeared into the night.

Connla safely guided the others back to the Edelfelt Manor, and she brought Artoria inside so she could find a place for Shirou to rest. They heard footsteps running from upstairs, and Sakura emerged from her room to welcome Caren and Connla back. However, once she caught sight of Shirou slumped over Artoria's shoulder, her demeanor immediately changed.

"Senpai!?" Sakura yelped in dire panic and rushed to her classmate's side. "Oh my goodness, what happened here!? His back is all torn up!"

"Is there somewhere we can lay him down?" Artoria asked.

"Y-Yes, come with me…"

Although bewildered by the blonde woman who accompanied Shirou, Sakura had to set her curiosity aside for now and help the knight carry her friend to an adjacent room. Artoria likewise turned her gaze to Medusa, who had just trotted down the front stairs to see what the fuss was about. Neither Servant said anything to each other, but they knew there would have to be a discussion between them later. Sakura helped Shirou lay in the spare bed, then found a medical kit and began to help Artoria patch him up.

While they were busy, Caren sighed and murmured plainly, "Quite the night."

"What happened?" Medusa wondered.

"I wasn't able to witness much, but a series of major battles took place at Ryuudou. Lancer would be able to explain better."

Both women turned their attention to Connla, who was standing there with a strangely pale look to her face. Her eyes were rather heavy, and her head practically ran circles on its own volition. Without a word, she suddenly buckled upon her knees and collapsed face-down on the rug with an unceremonious thud.

"Good grief. What are you doing?" Caren wondered and kneeled over the unconscious girl. "I thought Servants weren't supposed to need sleep. Come on, get up already."

She shook her shoulder, but there was no response. The nun grew exponentially confused when she realized that Connla would not wake up no matter what she did.

"Looks like my concerns were well-founded," Medusa murmured calmly as she picked the girl up.

"What do you mean?"

"She's completely drained of mana. Even though she's a Servant, her constitution and magical capacity are not as well-developed as most other Servants'. I had a feeling that was the case in my battle against her, and from observing her behavior while lodging here."

"Is it because she's a child?"

"That, and she probably died in her first life while still undergoing her training. Expecting an apprentice to fight on par with legendary heroes is much too dangerous for her."

"Is that right?" Caren muttered. "This is quite the problem. That means I have to relegate simpler tasks to Lancer while relying on you and Saber for the heavy fighting."

She pressed her fingers to her forehead and grumbled, "Honestly, Bazett… What were you thinking when you summoned such a weak Heroic Spirit…?"

"Does this mean Saber is with us now?" Medusa asked.

"I don't know, but I am aware that her Master is the type to be indebted to his saviors. Since Lancer saved him at least twice now, I have no doubt in my mind that Emiya Shirou will be compelled to cooperate with us. Saber's willingness to cooperate will not be a factor – her duty is to obey her Master."

"I see. I suppose sorting our stories out will have to wait for another time. I'll look after Lancer in the meantime. You should help Sakura with treating that boy."

"I suppose. It would be an even bigger headache for me if we wound up losing him before he could be put to good use."

With that remark, the priestess headed into the other room and offered her assistance to Sakura and Artoria. Medusa laid Connla on the sofa in the lounge and covered her in a blanket, then sat on a nearby reading chair and pored through a novel to pass the time.

Chaldea

Several days had passed such Cuchulainn Alter spoke with Zhuge Liang regarding Connla's dream-hopping ability. She still showed no signs of waking up, although her physical condition had improved dramatically compared to when she was first hospitalized. She was no longer wrapped from head to toe in bandages, and she didn't need the oxygen mask and heart machine to constantly monitor her vitals. Roman told Cuchulainn that Connla could be safely discharged, although Nightingale insisted that she remain under medical watch until she woke up. Arguing with the Angel of Crimea was an exercise in futility for both men, so they relented to her wishes and kept Connla in the medical ward.

Cuchulainn and Zhuge brainstormed any potential ideas regarding how to diminish Connla's Imbas Forosnai so her dreams wouldn't incapacitate her for so long. They preferred to outright sever her connection with all of the other versions of her, but that was impossible to consider since they lacked the necessary information.

During the conversation, Zhuge said, "There is one thing you can do in the meantime."

"What?" Cuchulainn asked.

"If Connla's mind really is in a different world right now, it means that this other Connla she's dreaming about will inevitably return to the Throne once her duties are complete. When that happens, our Connla will be 'kicked out' and sent back to the Kaleidoscope."

"So she just comes back here, right?"

"That's what I'm worried about. With so many parallel universes around, she could be accidentally drawn in to a third Connla's world while trying to find her way back here, then kicked out and drawn to a fourth one, and the process would continue ad infinitum. In other words, her mind could be lost to us for eternity. What she needs is an anchor to this particular world. That's where you come in."

"You want me to be an anchor for her spirit?" the Berserker raised an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You already gave her the tool needed to forge a strong bond between you two," Zhuge said, then eyed the ring on Connla's right thumb.

Cuchulainn became surprised as he uttered, "Oh… Of course!"

"Exactly. Da Vinci told me that the red marks are actually tiny Bloodstones you made, which would react to anyone sharing your blood and fuse it to their skin. If anyone else tried to wear it, the stones would reject them. It is absolute proof of the bond between you two. I had considered asking all four of you Cuchulainns to undertake this task, but I believe you're the one with the closest connection with her since you were responsible for inscribing her name in the Throne."

"I see. So I just need to connect my Spirit Origin with the ring, then call out to her when she needs me."

"Right. Is there a name we can attribute to this?"

"I hadn't thought of it as anything special, but since it represents a promise that she carried out to me in her life, we can call it Comhall Gealltanais, or the 'Fulfilled Commitment'."

"Comhall Gealltanais… All right, let's go with that plan for now. I'll dig around for more information in the meantime."

During a lull in important Chaldea activities beyond gathering Embers and Ascension Materials, both Cuchulainn Lancer and Caster decided to perform a Rayshift together to the world where the Second Singularity occurred. There wasn't any urgent need for them to go there, but there was something they wanted to look for that they could only find in Ireland during that time period. Ritsuka and Mash accompanied them, but they hadn't been informed of what they were searching for.

"You think this is going to be okay?" Mash asked both Cuchulainns. "I mean, in this time period, you're supposed to be already dead. What if someone winds up finding us?"

"Don't worry about it, missy," Lancer assured. "Caster and I have no intention of going beyond these forests. If things go well, we should be back home in 10 minutes."

Ritsuka wondered, "So this 'thing' you're looking for can't be found in any cities?"

"Well, they can be, but the wilderness is suitable enough for our search."

"Hey, over here!" Caster called out. "I found some!"

The others hurried over, and both girls crooned in awe at the gorgeous sight of crimson-colored flowers with black stamen that could be easily mistaken for poppies if the stems weren't so tall.

"Hoh, that's perfect!" Lancer exclaimed and picked some.

"Wait a minute!" Ritsuka barked. "Why didn't you tell me you were looking for flowers, of all things!? The greenhouse already has plenty of them!"

"These aren't just any ordinary flowers. In our time, they're actually extinct in Ireland."

"Really? I didn't know you had a thing for botany."

"Hey, don't underestimate my ability as a florist. I can make a mean bouquet when I put my mind to it."

Mash sighed and glanced away while grumbling bitterly, "Of course… Impressing the ladies has always been one of your raison d'etres."

"Yep!" both Lancer and Caster agreed at the exact same time.

"So who are you trying to woo over this time?"

"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!" Caster yelped. "This isn't gonna be for romance! It's a present for the kid!"

"The kid…?"

"Connla! Who else!?"

"Ohh~hh!" Ritsuka exclaimed. "That's why you're looking for flowers that don't exist in our version of Ireland anymore! It would be that extra special touch of Irish charm for her!"

"See, Master gets it!" Lancer grinned, then immediately cringed. "Besides, Alter will probably bite our heads off if he thinks we're neglecting her."

"Sorry about that…" the young Mage fiddled her fingers together. "I've been bringing the two of you on so many missions to make up for Alter's absence."

"Don't worry about it so much. He understands that we still have our job to do as your Servants."

"I'm kind of worried about him, though," Mash murmured. "Maybe if Senpai and I pitch in, we can make a present that will blow him out of the water!"

Ritsuka nodded. "Sounds good. Let us help, Lancer and Caster."

Caster scratched his head in embarrassment and grumbled, "If you don't mind… We came up with a list of flowers that we need. We've got the pheasant's-eye, so next are corncockle, corn chamomile and shepherd's-needle. Look around carefully, got it?"

"Leave it to us."

Edelfelt Manor

Artoria assisted Sakura and Caren with treating Shirou for the next hour. Once she was sure that she had done what she could for her Master, she left the others be and returned to the lounge. She found Connla fast asleep on the couch, while Medusa quietly read her book. The Rider shifted her eyes up to meet the Saber's eyes, and both of them grew rather uncomfortable with each other.

"Do you have something you want to say?" Medusa wondered.

Artoria didn't respond right away. As much as she wanted to take Excalibur out and kill this other Servant with it, she resisted the urge. She sighed, then said, "Nothing other than extending my gratitude for looking after Lancer."

"We are allies. There is no need to be thankful for such a simple thing."

"So this is where you ended up after you tried to kill Shirou."

"Indeed. Do you seek revenge for that?"

"I have a feeling that would complicate things for our Masters. I will refrain from making any rash decisions until I understand the situation we are in."

As the two women spoke, that was when Connla stirred awake with a distinct moan. Her eyes fluttered open, and Artoria leaned in next to her while asking, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm exhausted…" Connla admitted.

"I'll bet you are. Fighting myself, Caster and Archer back-to-back must have been quite the ordeal for a young Servant like yourself. I wish I could have lent my assistance against Caster and Archer, but Assassin had me thoroughly cornered."

"Don't worry about me. Striving to save your Master gave me the energy I needed to pull through."

"Still, don't try to do more than what you can," Artoria said, then sat on the same sofa and continued, "That was quite the remarkable duel we had though. To be honest with you, it felt like I was fighting the other Lancer all over again. Although your gait and stature are significantly different than his, your moves and skills are almost identical. You must be someone from Celtic mythology like him."

"You mean you figured out who he was?"

"He tried to use his Noble Phantasm on me."

"I see. He only activates it when he's confident that he can kill his enemy, so that they then cannot speak about Gae Bolg being used on them. The fact that you're somehow alive must have been quite the shock to him, as well as a huge setback."

"Absolutely," Artoria agreed. Her expression became dour as she pondered, "It's strange, though. I don't believe there is any Celtic mythology regarding a female child warrior."

Connla looked away pensively. "My apologies, but that is all I will say about myself."

Saber fell silent. It felt awkward for a child, whom she always found to be bright, cheerful, forthcoming types of people, to steadfastly refuse any topic that involved herself. From Artoria's point of view, Connla appeared distant and submissive, as if she lived her whole life under strict restraints and would be severely penalized if she even thought about disobeying. Maybe the girl's silence was partly due to the concept of Heroic Spirits doing everything they could to hide their identities from everyone. Yet to Artoria, it seemed like Connla was already used to such a rule even when she was alive.

Artoria could relate to such hardship. She had to withhold the fact that she was born a woman to all of Camelot's citizens. Just as Connla was groomed to be a warrior on par with adults, Artoria had to function as a king. Those kinds of decisions were made for them even before they were born. Already, she could feel a strong sense of kinship with the young Servant.

As the three Servants talked with each other, the door to Shirou's guest room opened. To their surprise, he was up and walking without much issue. He appeared woozy since he needed Sakura's help to stay upright, but he refused to lie around for too long.

"Shirou…" Artoria murmured. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he said. I'm sorry for making you worry. I did what I could to get away, but…"

"It is fine. Archer is the one to blame for your injuries."

"It was amazing," Sakura said. "Senpai's wounds practically closed themselves right before my eyes."

"Shirou seems to possess some kind of self-healing properties. Furthermore, his magic circuits appear to be getting stronger each time he suffers major injuries like this," Saber said to her, then turned to her Master and added, "You look absolutely exhausted."

"I had that same dream as before," he told her.

"Where some man is striking you with a hammer and placing you in a fire?"

"Right. It wasn't as bad as last time, but it still hurt like hell. I still need some time for my back to stop feeling so sore. Otherwise, I feel absolutely fantastic. It's almost like I could climb Mt. Everest more than one time without breaking a sweat."

"Is that right…?" the blonde swordswoman frowned, perplexed by his unusual vigor. "Still, however energetic you may feel, please don't push yourself so hard."

"I know. I won't do anything to make you worry about me like that again."

Caren clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, then declared, "Are we all sorted out now? I believe it's time we got down to business with informing Shirou and Saber about our little coalition."

"Rider told me a little bit, but she didn't want to get into the details until we were all together," Artoria said.

"Then I suppose it's just Shirou that needs to be up to speed. Both of you sit down and clean that wax out of your ears. If I see either of you not paying attention, I'll have to resort to unpleasant measures to get you to listen."

"Okay, okay, we get it," Shirou raised his hands defensively. "Saber and I will hear you out to the end."

"Very well."

The entire group sat around Caren and Connla while they shared all of the information that Sakura and Medusa heard earlier. They even promised to introduce Shirou and Artoria to Bazett when they had the chance, but seeing Connla summoned as a secondary Lancer when that was normally impossible was enough evidence to convince him. More than that though, something else kept bothering him as he heard about Kotomine Kirei's involvement in the Holy Grail War.

"That guy…" he grumbled in frustration. "Even as I heard his explanation of how the Wars worked, I thought something felt off about him."

"Off? In what way, Senpai?" Sakura wondered.

"He seemed rather fixated on us Masters killing each other. For a Christian priest, who is supposed to promote goodwill and peace, he just rubbed me the wrong way."

"Goodwill and peace?" Caren scoffed while sipping her tea. "Hah. If you were actually trying to be funny, then that wasn't a very good attempt at making me laugh."

"What's with the attitude? I thought that's how Christians were supposed to be."

"Yet the Church has no problem supporting the Holy Grail Wars behind the scenes for their own benefit."

"Ugh…"

"Setting that aside," Artoria interjected, "the fact that Kotomine Kirei stole Cuchulainn away from his original Master makes me uneasy. Kirei was Assassin's Master in the Fourth War, so he's familiar with how to behave like a proper Master. I encountered him once with an acquaintance of mine, and he attempted to kill us. For a human being, his countenance was rather cold and terrifying, as if we were speaking to someone who didn't belong in this world. Now that he has Ireland's most famous hero at his disposal, all he has to do is wait for the rest of us to wipe each other out, then send Cuchulainn out to eliminate the survivors."

"Of course, you won't fall for such a tactic, will you, Saber?" Caren asked.

"Never."

"But," Shirou said, "I'm worried about Tohsaka. We entered into an alliance to fight Caster, but if she finds out I'm missing, she'll have to fight such a ridiculous opponent all by herself."

Connla became pensive and lowered her head as she murmured, "I don't know… Ms. Tohsaka sounds like an upstanding person, but there's no way I can say the same about her Servant."

"Yeah. That guy is rotten to the core."

Medusa crossed her legs and said, "I'm still rather curious over what happened at Ryuudou last night."

"Lancer and Archer worked together to drive Caster away, but then things started to take a turn once that bastard started spouting his nonsense."

Shirou and Connla told the others what had transpired, along with how she had to fight Archer over their differing beliefs. Sakura covered her mouth in astonishment and whispered, "How could he say such terrible things…?"

"What a hassle," Caren grumbled, "though I'm not really surprised. That's the kind of mindset a truly corrupt Mage would have. Yet, it sounds like Archer is acting on his own terms rather than obeying Tohsaka Rin's orders."

"I bet he'd never say those kinds of things while Tohsaka is around," Shirou said. "He's a coward, through and through. There's no way a guy like that will ever cooperate with us."

"It would still be wise to speak with Rin though. Even if her Servant's worth is dubious, at least she should provide us with the necessary experience and strategies to help us weather the impending storm."

Sakura leaned in toward Shirou and implored, "I want to find Rin too. I'm afraid of her being left alone to contend with Caster's forces, plus Kotomine and his Lancer. Not to mention there are still Illyasviel von Einzbern and Berserker lurking around."

"I know," Shirou assured. "I won't let Tohsaka deal with all of this by herself."

"Yeah…"

"So even with our numbers, our backs are still against the wall," Artoria murmured and folded her arms. "Still, recruiting Rin is the best course of action to take. Archer might be able to eliminate Caster, but he is horribly outmatched against Berserker and Lancer. As far as punishing Archer goes, I will be happy to set him straight myself. No Servant should ever treat living humans as pigs to be slaughtered for their own convenience."

Caren nodded and drank some tea, then said, "I suppose I can leave the matter of Tohsaka Rin to you guys then. Lancer and I have our own investigation to conduct."

"Where are you two going to go?" Sakura asked.

"We want to look into where Caster could be hiding now, along with the identity of her Master. With Ryuudou no longer a viable option for her, she has a limited number of locations she can utilize as her new territory. With the losses she incurred last night, I'm sure her siphoning of the citizens' mana will be even more aggressive than before if she wants to regain her full power."

Medusa's lip curled into a dissatisfied frown as she asked, "Are you still intent on rallying her to our side? I think it's a waste of time. If she really is the Traitorous Witch of Colchis Medea, then she will only see you as either tools to use or encumbrances to be rid of. She places no value in anyone but herself, since the only person who never betrayed Medea in her lifetime is Medea herself. Believe me – I can understand such a sentiment."

"Still, there's a crucial difference between you and Caster," Connla said. "Your Master is much too kind to consider endangering others like that. On the other hand, Caster's Master must not have any compunctions if they're allowing their Servant to behave like that."

"Or she could be brainwashing them, for all we know."

"Whatever the case may be, the fact is that they are a weak Master who either cannot or will not restrain their Servant. I want to put a stop to that sort of complacency by showing them just how terrifying the destruction will be if Caster obtains the Grail. I'm sure not even Caster would want to destroy the world to vindicate her life of suffering."

Medusa narrowed her eyes beneath the blindfold, and her expression grew serious. In fact, everyone except Caren turned their eyes toward Connla, bewildered by her claims about the Grail. None of them wanted to ask her the question, so it fell upon Medusa to make the inquiry on everyone's behalf:

"Lancer. Just what exactly do you know about the Holy Grail that the rest of us don't?"

"Uh… Well, um…" the young girl timidly shuffled upon her seat. "I'm not sure how to explain this… I don't really understand it myself… so I thought it was best not to say anything…"

Caren closed her eyes, then murmured, "Might as well tell them. We've come far enough that they deserve to know."

"Deserve to know what, exactly?" Sakura asked, becoming nervous from the amount of anticipation welling up between everyone.

"The truth is, Lancer witnessed a peculiar vision while Bazett was summoning her. I had my own suspicions that she was hiding something, though I had a feeling it was more out of abject fear than any kind of coyness. After some prodding, I managed to get her to talk. What she told me shook me to my core, and we decided not to say a word to anyone until I believed the time was right."

Connla's anxiety swelled inside her chest like a tumor threatening to encroach her. She recalled the sights and sounds she experienced, and had struggled this whole time to repress the terror that the images incited within her. That was a major reason why she acted as professional as she could, but now with everyone's interest drawn to her, her fear resurfaced. She finally started to act like a child who was experiencing severe stage fright.

"Well… What I saw was…" she mumbled almost incoherently. Her hands trembled, and distinct bags caused by extreme stress formed under her eyes. "The Grail was hovering over Fuyuki… spewing so much dark mud that it drowned all of Japan."

"Dark mud?" Artoria wondered.

"Mm. The Grail endlessly produced cursed fluid. Every inch of the blue sky had turned blood red. Time sped up as I watched the entire world be covered in mud and flames. Soon, the whole planet looked like nothing more than a gigantic mud ball. All traces of human civilization were wiped out. Nothing could survive in such conditions."

Shirou's eyes widened in horror, and he whispered under his breath, "Flames…"

"What's worse is… the Grail itself had become some kind of black 'hole'."

"A hole?" Medusa asked.

"It must have connected to some other dimension or something, because the hole just spewed that mud with no remorse. I didn't really understand it, but I heard someone tell me that no matter what wish is made on the Grail, it will be interpreted as one of destruction."

Now everyone was stunned. Silence overcame the room. Connla frowned even harder than before, then averted her eyes and moaned, "I'm sorry. I must not be making any sense."

Artoria became visibly upset as she clenched her teeth. Was the young Lancer really telling the truth? Was the Holy Grail capable of global genocide? Her entire motivation for participating in as many Holy Grail Wars as possible was to save her beloved kingdom from its doomed fate. Would this genocide wind up happening even if she obtained the Grail and wished to restart her life in Camelot? How could such a pure-hearted wish possibly be twisted into one of mass destruction? Artoria's heart raced as she thought about what Connla said.

"It's okay if you don't believe me," the child Servant murmured sullenly. "I honestly don't know if I can believe myself…"

Then, Shirou got up and kneeled in front of her, resting his hands on her shoulders as his eyes made contact with hers. He uttered only three simple words:

"I believe you."

"Uh?" she whimpered.

"Kotomine told me that the New Fuyuki Fire was caused by the Grail's destruction. There's no other way I can accept the reasoning behind my old neighborhood being destroyed in one night other than that. I'm sure that whoever was responsible for destroying it must have seen the same thing as you and did what they could to stop it."

Artoria became wistful as she stared up at the chandelier hanging above the front entrance. Another bitter memory returned to her, fresh as if it had happened only a few moments ago. Her Master in the Fourth War had used his Command Spells to order her to use Excalibur on the Holy Grail. She had been so close to fulfilling her dream. Being forced to cleave through the treasure had thrown her into the brink of despair, and she returned to the Hill of Camlann sobbing and screaming for mercy. Fate had played too many cruel hands against her in that conflict, and all of her hopes came crashing down like a sandcastle trying to survive against a huge tidal wave.

But now…

Kiritsugu, Artoria thought. Did you make me do that because you witnessed the Grail's true horrors like Lancer did? Were you actually… trying to save me then…?

There was no way for her to know. All she could do was believe that Kiritsugu had the best intentions in mind when he gave her those orders. She looked at Shirou as he consoled Connla, then smiled a little. However awful Kiritsugu's methods were, there was hope for his legacy to continue through Shirou.

"If he believes you, then I shall as well," the King of Knights declared. "Not just because he is my Master, but also because I want to do what is right for everyone."

Caren gazed upon the sentimental scene, then faced Sakura and Medusa and asked, "Well? What do you two think?"

"My opinion is irrelevant. You already presented enough evidence for me," the violet-haired Rider said with an empty tone. "Yet at the same time, I am here to obey Sakura's will."

Her Master shuffled next to the shivering Connla and placed her arm on the child's back. Then she said, "At first, I didn't want to fight in this battle. I was such a coward that I pushed my responsibilities as a Master onto my brother, and he died as a result. Finding out that Senpai was also a Master really scared me…"

"Sakura?" Shirou murmured, but she looked away from him bashfully.

"But no more. While I'm suffering and feeling sorry for myself, hundreds of others are being swallowed into this conflict. I've had enough of this. If we really are fighting over a tainted Holy Grail, then I have to do what I can to help put an end to all of the tragedies. I may only have one Command Spell for Rider left, but I'll make sure it gets put to good use."

Caren's lips thinned. She listened to everyone's reasons, yet seemed to lack the same passion herself. She stood up and declared, "Very good. I think that's enough pep talking for tonight. We are all exhausted, so let us recuperate for the next day or two. Once we are ready, we will plan our next moves."